Sunday.
"A Sunday well spent brings a week of content" holds a large amount of truth in my life.
Sunday is my favorite day of the week.
I love Sunday because of its slowness, sacredness and ultimately using it to plan for the week ahead. I like to reserve my Sundays for self care. Self care is an important aspect of my life. I am an advocate for treating yourself with unconditional love. Self care looks different to everyone. To me, self care involves an abundance of creativity, healthy food and soul searching. I thought it would be fun to take you on my journey through my Sunday routine. In particular, this Sunday was a day that left me feeling truly accomplished. My mind, body and soul all seemed to be centered. The simple joys of balance made my Sunday calmingly beautiful.
As I currently sip my tea, here is a reflection of my daily events:
6:45 AM - Waking up, oil pulling and gratitude journaling
My morning routine is Ayurvedic based. I usually use coconut oil to oil pull every other day. Oil pulling is the concept of eliminating toxins in the mouth. Oil pulling involves gently swishing oil around for 10-15 minutes. After this is finished, the oil is spit into the toilet and the teeth are brushed. I find my mouth always feeling extremely refreshed after finishing. Immediately after, I go into my room and open up my petite Moleskin notebook. I jot down 3 things filling me with gratitude and reflect on my choices. A fresh mouth, mind and perspective are key drivers in fueling my morning.
7:15 AM - Mindful Walk
Since running is currently on hiatus, I have transitioned to morning walks. I tend to fluctuate between walking 1.5-4 miles depending on the day. Today, the weather was a dream. Therefore, I walked the full 4 miles as a treat to my body. I was delighted to discover a hidden hiking spot that illustrated Boston's skyline.
8:30 AM - Breakfast
I never skip breakfast. Ever. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I like to eat breakfast mindfully and immerse myself in the cooking. Breakfast today was oats with cinnamon, baked apple, almond butter and cashew milk. I commonly eat this on a daily basis. It is the perfect balance of protein, carbs, healthy fat and natural sugar. My tummy was happy.
9:30-12:00 - Taking time to write
Every Sunday, I try to make time devoted to my freelancing. I ventured out to my favorite coffee shop and treated myself to a Kombucha. I opened my laptop and began typing away. I wrote a holistic based article about intuitive eating and sent it off to the editor. Mission accomplished!
1:30 - Lunch
Lunch is also a time to cultivate mindful eating and gratitude. Today's lunch was my favorite pita: sprouted grain bread, garden vegetable hummus, edamame salad, mixed greens and sliced cherry tomatoes - (popcorn and almonds on the side for my added "crunch" craving. )
2:00-5:00 - Tasking, Creating and Planning
In between lunch and dinner, I prepped for the week ahead. I made myself a list of small goals for the next 5 workdays - a project I highly recommend doing. I used flashcards and decorated "affirmation" cards to look at throughout the week. I believe positivity is a driver in helping us finish tasks. Plus, making your own affirmation cards is a perfect time for creativity. I also stepped out and treated myself to new makeup (self care!) to give myself a weekly beauty boost.
5:30-7:00 Dinner/Meal Prepping
Dinner was another beautifully colored meal - organic eggs, sliced yellow bell pepper, daiyu vegan pepper-jack cheese, mixed greens and a side of riced cauliflower/chickpeas. Yum! Another even plate leaving me full and satisfied.
Meal prep (for me) involves preparing the staples for the week. My weekly dinner staples include; brown rice, red lentils, sliced beets, chickpeas, and riced cauliflower/sweet potato. I am a big fan of making "buddha bowls" for my dinners. They are quick, easy and deliciously filled with plant based nutrients. If you have never heard of buddha bowls, then I would highly recommend looking them up online.
7:30-8:30 Blogging and catching up with friends
Self explanatory.
9:00-10:30: Rejuvenate
The night is my favorite time of day.
The hour before bed is reserved for prayer and meditation. I believe the thoughts we imagine before bed shape the events of our next day. I try my best to keep a positive mindset going into Monday. I ask myself about what attitude I want to have and what I want to accomplish from now until Friday. My Sunday night meditation involves a quiet 5 minute sit down just listening to the breath. Prayer is usually done quickly after; with a few words to my grandmother, guardians and Saint Charbel. Such a peaceful way to drift into sleep.
I wanted to make this post to give you an insight into my life and (maybe) help you create your best Sunday routine. The beauty of blogging means showing others different aspects of our self and our life - which is a wonderful muse. Cheers to a new week and new beginnings.
What does a Sunday look like to you?
© Marissa Ranahan 2017 - all rights reserved.