Good morning, loves.
Welcome back to Lavendaire.
Today, I'm taking you along with me for a self care morning routine.
So I've been trying to wake up without spending too much time on my phone.
Sometimes I get sucked into social media in the morning
and it just feels so cluttering on my mind.
So I'd rather start my day with a clean, uninfluenced state.
The weather is so beautiful today,
which really sets my mood for the day.
I love the sunny weather in spring.
So after making my bed,
I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up.
Today, I'm using this cleansing water by Dr. Jart to cleanse and hydrate my skin.
I opt for cleansing water in the morning
because it's gentler on your skin.
I typically only wash my face with water and cleanser in the evenings.
You don't want to over cleanse because that can damage your natural skin barrier.
My friend, Liah Yoo, is the expert on that,
so I'll link our skincare video that we did together down below.
After that, I'm applying this ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cream with SPF 30.
It's so moisturizing while giving me some SPF that's good enough for indoor sunlight.
Yes, you still got to wear SPF, even if you're staying inside all day
because the sun's UV rays come through the windows.
Then I'm going to get changed into my yoga clothes
and head downstairs for my warm water with lemon.
I love having something warm to drink on an empty stomach.
This is so easy on your digestive system,
and the lemon also adds health benefits like
boosting immunity, metabolism, and maintaining the pH balance of the body.
Next, I'm setting up to do some yoga.
First, let's put on a good playlist.
So I've been really liking the Spotify playlist called Yoga & Meditation.
I listen to it while I meditate, do yoga, work, and even before I sleep.
It's really, really calming.
So here, I'm streaming it on my TV.
And today I was surprised to see that they changed up the playlist.
They added Above & Beyond’s new meditation album,
and surprisingly, it's really good!
By the way, if you guys have any music recs –
just anything, not just yoga-meditation-related –
please share them down below,
because I really need new music to check out.
All right, let's get started.
So I'm starting with some neck stretches,
since I hold a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders.
It seriously feels so good to stretch my neck like this.
Then I'm doing some shoulder rolls, forwards and backwards,
just breathing into each motion
and intentionally giving love to these parts of my body.
I feel like when you're stressed,
you hold the most tension in these areas,
because it feels like you have a lot on your shoulders.
That energetic burden really shows up physically in the body.
So it's important to have a consistent practice
to release all of this built up tension.
Following that, I'm doing some cats and cows.
These are some of my staple movements that I always do
even on days where I'm not doing yoga.
Sometimes I just this before going to bed,
because I just like stretching my back and my spine.
And it's just good for you.
And then I just move into whatever flow I feel like doing.
Today I'm feeling like a more energetic flow
that works on building strength and flexibility.
I've been doing yoga for over 10 years through classes.
And by now, even if I don't remember exact flows,
I know enough to do it on my own
and go with whatever my body wants to do.
This is something that quarantine is teaching me to do.
I used to only do yoga through classes,
following an instructor or using an app like Down Dog
or watching YouTube videos.
But this past week I started doing it alone without instruction.
And I'm finding it helps me strengthen my intuition with my body
and giving it what it needs,
like I'm actually taking the time to listen to my body.
What do I feel like doing next?
And then I'll just do it.
So for example, today, my flow is more energetic.
But the day after, I felt like doing a slower, more restorative flow,
sticking to deep stretches and only really working out my abs for a little bit.
Throughout this entire time, I'm focused on deep breathing through the movements.
I even closed my eyes whenever I can,
because yoga to me is more of a practice of moving meditation than it is a workout.
This is my time to fully connect to my body,
connect inward, and focus on the present moment.
Of course, my favorite part of yoga is the Shavasana at the end,
where you just lie down with your palms up and your eyes closed
and you really get a chance to meditate.
I can honestly fall asleep during this time,
especially with the music going on in the background.
And it really makes it easier for me to meditate like this,
than if I were to sit down and meditate,
because my body is already tired and relaxed from all the poses.
After yoga, I'm taking a moment to water my plants.
Taking care of my plants to me is a metaphor for taking care of myself.
So when I'm practicing giving love to them and checking in on them,
that reminds me to do the same for myself.
And as a plant mom, it's so rewarding to see your plants happy and thriving.
It serves as a reminder for me to always nourish myself
and give myself what I need first,
before I set out to do anything else for the world.
Now I'm just going to sit down to journal
and brain dump whatever is on my mind,
so I can start my day with a clear head.
By the way, I'm almost done filling up this entire Pastel Notebook.
This is the second one I've gone through.
Anyway, I still do morning pages as often as I can.
Lately, it's been more like three to four times a week.
And when I journal, I tend to write about what's on my mind,
my plans, my worries, questions to myself,
what I'm excited about, what I'm grateful for – anything goes.
Some days I'm feeling productive
and I try to organize all my projects in a journaling session.
Other times I'm writing down what happened in my dream the night before.
And then sometimes I'm just asking questions like, “What am I afraid of?
Where do I still feel shame and why?”
or “At this point, what do I truly, truly want in life?”
Journaling is an opportunity for self expression,
self reflection, and self discovery.
And in my opinion, the magic of journaling happens when you ask the right questions,
questions that you never thought about before,
which prompts a new and interesting answer that you may not have considered before.
Sometimes it's just about helping you look at things from a new perspective.
Anyway, if you want to go deeper into journaling,
I'll share my series of over a hundred journaling prompts in the description
and all the free resources I have related to journaling because I have quite a lot.
So after journaling, my morning routine is basically done.
Today, I'm just having lunch with my brother and boyfriend who didn't want to be filmed.
And we're watching Avatar: The Last Airbender together.
It's such a good series, guys.
I just finished the entire thing, and season three was so epic.
I watched this when I was a kid.
I think I was in high school when it came out.
But watching it again now, it's just so deep.
I get it so much more.
There's so much wisdom in the show.
And by the way, I am Team Zutara all the way.
I wish Zuko and Katara ended up together.
But anyway, hope you guys enjoyed spending my morning routine with me.
Please subscribe and click that bell if you want more videos like this.
And always remember to take care of yourself
and to take care of yourself first,
before you go on to take care of other people
and other responsibilities in life.
I'm not perfect.
My mornings don't all look like this,
but incorporating self care into my routine as often as I can makes all the difference.
Sending you so much love.
Bye!