Many years ago, I had ZERO morning routine. I woke up every single day... and basically went on autopilot. I was 'going through the motions' of life - not realizing that I was unconsciously focusing on all of the things that I DIDN'T want in my life (and as a result of that... creating MORE of them). Creating an intentional morning routine that focuses on gratitude and abundance has been such a huge part of my own story as I began to create a life of my own design.

You ARE what you focus on... and your day and your life will reflect the energy that you cultivate and bring into the world. Which means (as bitter as this is to swallow...) that if you focus on what isn't right, or if you start your day in a frenzy of e-mail-checking-social-media-bad-news-digesting-chaos... your day will likely attract things with similar energy. And I'm willing to bet that you don't want that.

But here's the good news - YOU GET TO CREATE ANYTHING YOU WANT! Isn't that fun to know? And if you created where you are now (whether intentionally or unintentionally) ... it also means you can create something new. 

The morning is like a 'welcome mat' for the rest of the day. The energy that you cultivate in the morning is like a magnet - and like attracts like. So, starting your day with intention, peace, joy, abundance and gratitude means that you will discover similar things as you move through every area of your day and life. 

Don't believe me? Try it for one week. Just give it a week and see what happens. 

With all of that in mind, I want to invite you to spend a morning with ME! Please keep in mind that I've been developing this morning routine for nearly 7 years now ... it did not start this elaborate ... so please do not feel overwhelmed and think that you need to spend 3 hours each morning devoted to cultivating the feeling of abundance. Start EXACTLY where you are ... and if that means that you can sit and focus on your breathing for 4 minutes and dance to one song... start there. Commit to WHATEVER works best for you every day. The power of the morning routine is in compounding daily action .... consistency over time. 

I'll include a few helpful tips below with some resources for you to try at home. Most importantly - let me know how it goes!! Try this morning routine for yourself and see how you feel. I would love to hear from you.

Without further adieu... it's before 5am... so let's wake up and get started...

1. Wake up slowly and find a way to incorporate some movement into your day (take a walk, do some yoga, stretch, etc...)

2. Do a meditation! This can be something as simple as focusing on your breathing for 2-3 minutes... or you can listen to a guided meditation. A few of my favorite meditations are right here:

https://insig.ht/3mchEXaC0rb

https://insighttimer.com/hannahleatherbury/guided-meditations/three-minutes-to-yourself

https://insighttimer.com/hannahleatherbury/guided-meditations/five-minutes-to-yourself

https://insighttimer.com/dorakamau/guided-meditations/beginners-body-scan-3

3. Dance! Without judgment (i.e. "I can't dance" or "I'm bad at dancing"), turn on a tune and just move your body joyfully and get some energy flowing. Really feel the music and allow yourself to move in anyway that feels fun or interesting for you.

4. Abundance and Gratitude - Take the time to share (out loud is best, but you can also write it down) your gratitude for the abundance of life itself. Find the feeling of TRUE abundance that comes from within you ... not from anything needing to change. Find the feeling of infinite possibility that exists in THIS moment. Right now, from exactly where you are ... you can do, be, have or create anything that you want. You don't need to know how - but the possibility is there. Find a feeling of ease, relaxation and peace right now and just allow yourself to savor that feeling.  

5. Go about your day and find EVERY POSSIBLE REASON to appreciate and notice all of the incredible abundance in every single aspect of your life. Say thank you to life itself for your beating heart and your breathing lungs and for this incredible gift of experiencing our amazing planet. Imagine all of your gratitude drifting out into the world to be shared with all beings.  

Finally... reach out! Send me a note and share some gratitude with me and let me know what you experience when you intentionally create a morning with this beautiful energy!  

If you watch the first video (above), then this video will make a lot more sense. In this video, I'm sharing an example of my personal Gratitude and Abundance practice. I do a walk every single morning, and I call these my 'Gratitude and Abundance' walks - because I speak out loud (usually to my husband... but sometimes to myself if he isn't with me) in order to really focus on and cultivate the feeling of gratitude. Speaking out loud is SUCH a powerful practice because it really forces you to completely be 'in the feeling' that you are focused on. I've found that if I try to 'think about gratitude'... that I end up getting distracted and I lose focus. Journaling might also be a great option for some folks, but I really enjoy speaking out loud and just letting the words flow. 

I hope you enjoy this video and that it gives you a foundation to start your own gratitude and abundance practice. The more that we all focus on and cultivate this energy - the more we give that good energy to all beings around us.