Seldom is there silence in Paris.

Except that magic time early in the morning.

Before the noisy folk awake. Before the children scamper off to school, always feeling compelled to yell at their compadres. And, most importantly, before the jackhammers start pounding and clacking in the building across the street.

I’m no stranger to noise – I’ve lived in huge metropoles for well over ten years, first L.A., and now Paris. Which is perhaps why I cherish the rare moments of quiet that I find, most especially through my morning ritual.

Of course lately, thanks to the winter sun taking its sweet time to rise, my morning ritual has been more a moment of silence and darkness. A real Simon and Garfunkel* moment.

i.e.:

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I’ve come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

* Make sure you listen to this whole song. It’s a masterpiece.

But it’s not just about finding quiet, is it? That can found in a pair of earplugs for 99 cents.

It’s about finding peace. Inner peace, if you will. An elusive butterfly, that, certainly, I haven’t yet caught.

Though if ever I do catch glimpses of it, it’s during my morning ritual.

A morning ritual is all about the Three Ms: motivation, momentum, and mood.

Motivation.

E.g. I enjoy my morning ritual so much that it really motivates me to get up in the morning. (Really.)

Momentum.

If you start your day off happily and healthily with practices that you love, chances are this will carry into the rest of your day, and your activities.

Mood.

I can’t tell you the difference I notice in my mood on the rare days that I don’t get to do my morning ritual. I’m more irritable, and I feel like I haven’t connected with myself or God/Universal Intelligence/Higher Self (whatever), or primed myself for the activities and challenges of my day.

Furthermore, a morning practice is definitely an act of self-care. A moment for you. A moment of preparation, and self love. Most of us lead busy and hectic lives, and creating a feel-good practice in the morning at least ensures that you start your day off on the right foot.

In today’s video I tell you all about my morning practice and why it has been so powerful for me. Let me know in the comments below how it grabs you, and maybe share what makes you feel like a million bucks.

(I am really jetlagged in this video, as I just arrived from over 10 hours of plane travel.)

Learn more: All about oil pulling, how to make lemon water, headspace, Masaru Emoto study, and Magnifique Yoga Breaks.

Now, your morning ritual may look nothing like mine. You may find my morning routine dull, and silence deafening. Maybe you’re more Gar-funky than Garfunkel, and you prefer dancing around your bedroom to Daft Punk. S’all good. The most important thing to remember about a morning ritual is that you do it, and that it brings you joy and peace, and ultimately, motivates you to have a fantastic day and feel good. 

Remember… it’s the things that we do every day that create our lives, not the things we do occasionally. Have a think about what you want your life to look like, and what kind of daily practices could help you get there.

P.S. Btw, my personal playlist for my morning ritual is Erik Satie or Debussy… a veritable musical tonic for my soul. ?