The Power of a Morning Ritual: Unlocking Energy, Clarity & Productivity
In today’s fast-paced world, most of us wake up and immediately dive into emails, texts, social media, and other people’s agendas. But what if you started your day differently? What if the first hour was about you resetting your body, clearing your mind, and fueling your energy before giving it away to everyone else?
That’s the heart of a morning ritual. When you slow down to nurture your body and mind first, you set the tone for how you show up all day long, less reactive, more intentional, and infinitely more productive.
At Sirrine Yoga, I call this a Power Hour, one of the 5 To Thrive I teach clients and teams. Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen again and again that when leaders and professionals practice intentional morning routines, they not only feel better, but they perform better.
The Connect & Envision Sequence
This short sequence is designed to awaken your body, mind, and spirit, and put you in the driver’s seat of your day. The 8-minute video below walks you through simple practices that ignite creativity, presence, and energy. Adjust as needed to fit your pace; it’s yours to personalize.
Release the Tension You Don’t Even Know You’re Carrying
Upper Back & Shoulder Release
Hours at computers and on devices round our shoulders forward, locking tension into the thoracic spine. Simple stretches restore range of motion, correct posture, and prevent chronic pain.
2 min wall stretches to release tension in shoulders, chest, low back, and hamstrings
The Psoas: Your Emotional Junk Drawer
Anatomical Overview
The psoas muscle runs from your thigh bone through the length of your belly, serving as the primary flexor of the hip. It originates at the lowest thoracic vertebra and each of the five lumbar vertebrae, extending through the pelvis to attach to the inside of the upper femur. This muscle passes through three major joints: the hip socket, sacrum, and pelvis. The hip flexors consist of 5 key muscles contributing to hip flexion: iliacus, psoas, pectineus, rectus femoris, and sartorius.
Why Emotions Get Stored Here
The hip flexors and psoas hold both physical tension and emotional memory. In today’s desk-bound world, these muscles rarely get to move through its full range or find complete relaxation. Because of its central location, the psoas often becomes a “dumping ground” for stress.
Common Symptoms of Psoas Tension
- Lower back pain
- Hip pain and stiffness
- Heaviness or sluggish sensations
- Tight bands across the hips
- Limited walking range of motion
- Difficulty with certain exercises
“Your hips don’t just carry your body, they carry your stories.”
The Emotional Connection
I often see the hips linked to fear, especially fear of moving forward. This fear sometimes shows up when a client feels stuck about a significant decision or is unsure they even have something to move toward.
Louise Hay writes about this in her book You Can Heal Your Life, and I’ve seen it proven true repeatedly in my practice.
Reflection Questions
- Describe a time in your life when you had difficulty moving forward with a decision.
- Do you remember any physical issues happening at the same time?
How to Do the Hip Flexor & Psoas Release
I recommend getting a cork block that is 3″ x 6″ x 9″. The size and cork material support the sacrum, unlike a foam block, which gives. Then, follow the steps and breathwork suggested in the video below.
This isn’t just another stretch. It’s a doorway into freedom, awareness, and the possibility of moving forward with greater ease. Start here, and notice how quickly your body responds when you give it the chance.
Lower Back and Hips
For low back & hips (recommend doing this one before next one)
Have you Hit A Wall physically, mentally, and emotionally?
Legs Up the Wall: Simple. Restorative. Powerful.
One of yoga’s most effective and accessible poses, Legs Up the Wall reverses the effects of sitting or standing all day. This pose restores circulation, calms the nervous system, and gives you a reset anytime you need it. See all the benefits listed below.
These three poses are from my “15 minutes Against the Wall” online yoga video, also featured on a segment of ABC15’s Sonoran Living Live Morning Show!
Quick Reset: 15 Minutes Against the Wall
When you hit the mid-afternoon wall, instead of reaching for caffeine, try this 15-minute guided sequence. This practice uses wall-supported poses to release the hips, spine, and shoulders helping you reset and return to work with energy and focus.
Other Benefits Of Putting The Legs Up The Wall In As Little As 1-10 minutes, Just 1-2 Times A Day:
- It helps to reset the stress response in the body.
- Helps to lower cortisol levels in the body (high cortisol is a direct contributor to abdominal fat- significant in perimenopause and menopause)
- It helps improve circulation, especially in the lower body (swollen legs/ankles, varicose veins, edema, etc.)
- It brings all the blood back to the digestive system and organs (increased blood flow = improved organ health)
- It pulls you out of sympathetic (fight/flight) and brings you into parasympathetic (rest/digest)
- Regularly putting your legs up before bedtime can improve sleep since it lowers cortisol and resets your body’s stress response (in turn promoting better hormone balance)
- It helps reduce anxiety and depression since it pushes the body into parasympathetic mode (rest/digest)
Why This Matters for Your Team
Morning rituals and micro-resets aren’t just about wellness, they’re about performance. Teams who learn to regulate stress and reset their bodies show up with:
- Clearer focus and decision-making
- Better collaboration and communication
- Increased resilience and adaptability
- Sustainable energy, not cycles of burnout
Are you ready to explore how body-based practices can transform your team’s culture and performance? Let’s talk about what’s possible.
Teresa, The Visionary of Sirrine Yoga:
Born and raised in the sun-soaked streets of Gilbert, Arizona, Teresa Porter embodies the spirit of resilience and determination. As a devoted wife and mother of three, she wears multiple hats with grace and tenacity while steadfastly turning her dreams into tangible realities.
With a career spanning over two decades in the health and fitness industry, Teresa’s journey began as a massage therapist, evolved into a yoga instructor, and flourished further as an emotional release practitioner. Each step of her professional odyssey was not merely a career choice but a personal necessity.
Through her years of experience, Teresa has witnessed firsthand the profound impact of unaddressed emotions and neglect of self-care on physical well-being, observing how they manifest into ailments like autoimmune diseases and chronic pain.
Driven by her unwavering passion and deep understanding of holistic healing, Teresa offers more than a service; she offers an opportunity to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery. Her innovative approach, The Porter Method, combines emotional release techniques with physical movement and inner peace work, empowering individuals to overcome subconscious barriers and reconnect with their true essence.
Teresa’s magnetic presence and unmatched expertise have earned her recognition on various media platforms, from ABC15 to iHeartRadio, where she shares her insights and wisdom. Her diverse clientele, including NFL athletes and corporate executives, is a testament to the life-changing impact of her work.
As you explore Teresa’s realm, you’re not just investing in a service but embracing a paradigm shift towards a life of fulfillment and purpose.
Join her on this extraordinary journey and witness the transformational power of reclaiming your authenticity and designing a life on your terms.
Would you be interested in going deeper into these practices with your company or personally? Let’s get on a quick call to discover the possibilities.