Morning activation sessions are a powerful and creative way to start your day. They incorporate movement and mindfulness, leaving you feeling refreshed, calmer and supported. Being in Cairns, I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to spend so much time outdoors. The beach is nearby and I wake to join many other people enjoying a sunrise swim, walk, or other morning activity. I love using early morning mindfulness rituals as I believe it is what sets the tone for the rest of my day. Even when I’m not at home in sunny Cairns, travelling around in colder parts of the country and abroad, I make sure my day begins in a similar, mindful way.
What we do in the first hour of being awake can influence how we feel for the rest of the day. Complex morning routines, such as rushing around our homes half-awake, rarely afford us the time to nurture and nourish as we should. I teach my clients that mornings are to be valued and enjoyed - whether you are young, retired, a mother or a business owner. True to my knowledge, I lead weekly morning activation sessions with a community of women in Cairns. On the days I don’t lead activation sessions, I take the time to move and nurture - hiking up one of the many hills, yoga, beach walking, preparing a nourishing breakfast or simply stretching.
What are morning activation sessions?
Activation sessions are a nourishing morning ritual that grounds the body and grows the mind. We practice conscious breathing, being present and creating intent. My sessions are a combination of rituals that will start your day in the best way possible. These include walking, hydration, warm-up, practicing the Five Tibetan Rites, sun-gazing, meditation and breathing exercises. All done while watching the colours on the horizon change. It’s a really special way to start the day.
So, what are the benefits?
These really are endless. Walking on the beach is a great way to connect to the earth, get the heart rate up, breathe fresh air and activate the digestive system. Hydration during these sessions is paramount. Bringing a drink bottle along with water and freshly squeezed lemon will ensure your body flushes toxins and is working in its most optimum and hydrated state. Stretching and moving will warm up the joints. Carefully selected joint exercises get your body flowing and ready for the day. The Five Tibetan Rites have the power to wake the chakras and energy centres of the body. These five exercises are known as ‘the fountain of youth’ due to the incredible benefit of balancing hormones, opening the heart and activating the thyroid. It’s a great strengthening workout for the core and glutes too! Sun-gazing is a practice to switch on your pineal gland. This helps regulate melatonin (sleep/wake chemical) and serotonin (happiness chemical), keeping your body’s natural cycles and patterns in check. Our pineal gland has a tendency to become calcified as we age and sun-gazing can help in de-calcifying the pineal gland. Lastly, the sessions are a perfect time to set intentions for the day. Each short meditation and breathing practice has a focus and offers insight for the day. Silent mantras keep our busy minds focused. These, along with the breathing exercises, can be used at different times throughout the day to oxygenate our cells and heal and repair the balance in our nervous system. Mornings are a fabulous time to start over and try something new and different.
Connection and like-mindedness.
The added bonus of activation sessions is the community of women. Here is a little something from one of the ladies who regularly attends the activation sessions:
“Thanks for another beautiful start to the day yesterday.The morning activation sessions are such a lovely blend of movement and reflection through the meditations and connection with nature, self and community. The past few weeks sessions have really opened my day up well for being present, grounded and focused in my work as a massage therapist. I look forward to continuing this as my regular Tuesday morning ritual.”
Join us!
I run morning activation sessions every Tuesday morning from 6am-7am in Cairns. Simply come along and meet at the southern end of Trinity Beach. Look out for my Seeds Of Health sign as this is the meeting point. Feel free to phone beforehand to check details and don’t forget to bring a friend 0438733103. I look forward to seeing you there!