For a better life : morning routine part 1

 

I won't lie, you'll probably think I'm weird, but bear with me, I took a lot of my morning tips from ayurveda and it works for me.

 

When I wake up in the morning, my first reflex is to stretch myself as much as I can in the bed. Then, whether it's a work day or not, I head to the bathroom to wake myself up completely and peacefully. 

 

• The first, most effective and agreeable thing I do, is spray my face and my ears with rose water, because :

- rose water is antibacterial ;

- it hydrates my skin (even if the best way to do it is to drink water) ;
- it fights the morning puffy eyes ;

- but my real reason is that it's refreshing and relaxing because it smells so wonderfully good ! Of course, rose water is not mandatory, I love lavender too for example, or cornflower or orange blossom, there is a great choice of plants that you can prefer for their scent or their different impact on the skin.

• Then I brush my hair thoroughly : it's good for the hair and it starts the blood circulation pumping under my thus massaged scalp. Another way to wake up.
  

• Next comes the cleaning of the nose : I used to have chronicle throat and nose diseases years ago, before I turned vegan and healthier. I sometimes couldn't speak (so practical when you're working with the public), I had colds that lasted months, I had sinusitis with raging migraines. Now  I clean my nose with a spray of salt water : in winter to prevent colds, in summer to clean from the dust and pollution. I know I can do it otherwise, with this tool pictured below, but I just can't make it. Maybe I'll master the technique later, but I'm struggling for the time being, so good ole nose spray it is, one nostril after the other (have a handkerchief ready).
  

• My fourth move is to clean my tongue with a tea spoon (ayurveda), to avoid having it whitened with toxins that were generated by the body during the night. There are special tools to do this, but honestly,  your kitchen spoon will do the trick perfectly. You don't need to scrub forcefully.
  

• Fifth thing : cleaning my ears. I don't need to do it everyday, but I sleep with (washable) ear plugs at night and I don't want to use cotton swabs that not only you have to throw away once you've used them, but also push the earwax back in the ears instead of removing it. I'll show my tool on the picture below with my "usual suspects" : it's organic, washable, reusable and can end its life in compost.
  

• Sixth and last step, for which I use oil. You can use different oils, of course, depending on your type of skin, but they are usually sold in small bottles and high prices, organic or not. Years ago, I bought a sunflower cooking oil (organic, very cheap, local and all that) that my companion didn't like the taste of. Rather than waste it, I now use it regularly in the bathroom as a moisturizer, combined with aloe vera gel (organic, as pure as possible - mine is 98%). The aloe vera is also very good for the skin and helps it assimilate the oil without leaving grease traces all over your clothes ! The skin is soft, hydrated, you feel the difference instantly, especially if you brush your skin after you shower. To use the oil more easily, I don't use the big bottle but put it in a small previously used oil bottle with a pump. I first pump a small amount of oil into my hand and use it to coat the inside of my nostrils with my small finger. Then I pump aloe with the remaining oil,  mix it all and use the result as a daily cream. It hydrates and protects my skin against heat and cold. Because it's relaxing and I really love the perfume of lavender, I also put one drop of lavender essential oil in the small bottle, but be careful when using essential oil, a very small amount is sufficient and all oils cannot be applied on the skin directly.
  

The usual suspects - from left to right, the bottles :

- the rose water

- the small oil pump (cleaned and recycled from its former use)

- the salt water nose spray

- the aloe vera gel

From left to right, lying on the dresser :

- the ear cleaner

- the tea spoon !

It's a long post, so I'll stop it here, that's all for the morning bathroom routine. If you have any question, don't hesitate ! Once again, this is what works for me, it might not be the same for you - suggestions, suggestions, nothing more. 

Do you have a morning routine too ? Would you care to share ? There's always something to be learned :)