I woke up grumpy this morning. I slept pretty well and couldn’t complain about anything, but… I just felt weighed down and unable to appreciate the crisp, beautiful morning outside my kitchen window. Ever have those kind of starts?

I sat down to journal and asked my team of spirit guides to help me shake off my morning blues. I love that they are always available and don’t pull any punches with me. Here’s what I journalled:

You didn’t clear your energy yesterday after a busy day of interacting with clients.  So, you went to bed with your energies entangled.  That’s why you kept waking up and why you feel worn out right now.  Your energies were already clogged up from the weekend.  You don’t think doing your taxes wouldn’t have an impact?! Seriously:-)  Sweetheart, it’s important for you to clear your own energy field EVERY NIGHT before bed.  Just like you are very faithful in brushing your teeth, you must cultivate the habit of clearing your energy.

And here I call myself an energy worker. Sheesh! I do energy healing almost every day, but sometimes forget basic energy hygiene for myself. When I got home last night, I was tired. By the time I fed the doggies, then made and cleaned up dinner, I was ready to relax a bit. At bedtime, I brushed my teeth and washed my face, but skipped clearing my energy field. In fact, I realized I had skipped that practice for several days. My guides also reminded me that I had neglected another important daily practice for several days: my morning gratitude.

I didn’t want to stay bogged down today, so I cleared my energy field, picked up pen and paper, and filled the page with all of the things I’m grateful for. It worked like a charm! So well, that I wanted to share these two daily practices with you:

1. Clear your energy field every night before going to bed. We all pick up stressful energies from the people around us. We can also generate our own stressful thoughts and emotions throughout the day. Don’t take them into dreamtime with you. There are a variety of ways to clear your energy field. An easy one is the Rainbow Breath. It only takes a few minutes - and simply committing to do it.

2. Start your morning with gratitude. Instead of reaching for the newspaper or your smart phone with its disturbing headlines, sip your coffee or tea, and make a list of the things you are grateful for today. Making this a daily habit will change your life.

Rainbow Breath

Beginning with your root, breathe into each of your seven chakras three times. As you inhale, breathe in the chakra’s color in the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white).  As you exhale, visualize releasing all stressful energy.

When you reach your crown, breathe in iridescent white light until you feel your crown open and connect you to the night sky.  Set your intention for peaceful, rejuvenating sleep.

Then, move your breath back down your body, again placing three breaths into each chakra, until you once again fill the root with deep, vibrant red light. 

Morning Gratitude

This practice is as simple as it sounds. Here are some tips to get you started:

• For me, pen and paper work better than writing at my computer or creating the list in my head. However, find what works best for you.

• Start your list with simple things that you can truly appreciate in that moment. Here are some of the things that make the top of my list most mornings. This morning, I am grateful for…

  • My dogs’ enthusiasm for the start of a new day

  • My steaming cup of coffee, laced with cream and a tiny dollop of honey

  • The beautiful sky outside my window

• As you get warmed up, reflect on the day ahead or think back to the previous days, and keep adding to your list. Don’t rush just to get a certain number of items on the page. Feel how each item you write, opens your heart a tiny bit more.

  • My husband sitting across from me

  • The funny Netflix movie we watched last night

  • My mom’s birthday on Friday

• And keep going until you begin to feel just how much there is to appreciate about your life. Some days it’s easy and you’ve got 10 items on your list before you’re halfway through your coffee. Other days, it takes longer to build the gratitude momentum.

• On the days you’re not rushed, share your gratitude list with your family. My husband and I have been doing this practice together and it’s magical to discover how in sync we can be.