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When it comes to meeting your wellness goals, what do you do to press ahead? Whether it’s waking up an hour earlier to get your morning sweat in, taking a few minutes in the middle of the day to meditate, or reaching for a handful of nuts instead of a sugar-filled snack, you’re finding ways to keep your health journey on track. To keep you inspired, mindbodygreen and Evolution Fresh® invite you to join our #PressAheadChallenge series, kicking off with a focus on mindfulness—because a healthy mind leads to a healthy body.
For the next two weeks, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for advice that will empower you to make your mornings mindful. Here’s the full challenge. Don’t forget to enter the #PressAheadChallenge on mbg’s Instagram!
There’s something about morning people. They just seem to have it all figured out. And there may be something to that. Mornings are the foundation of our day. They set the tone for how we’ll move through the world; they help us grab onto a few moments of gratitude, letting us set our intentions and press ahead for a purpose-driven day. Morning people may have an edge on the rest of us, but here’s the truth: Morning people aren’t born, they’re made.
Week 1
Day 1: Create a self-care space.
Whether your home is a mansion, a studio apartment, or a treehouse, there’s always room for self-care. To ensure you take time to reflect on your day, dedicate a space to it. Knowing there’s room for the practices that matter to you will make it easy to build them into your everyday mornings. This morning, choose a space. Maybe it’s your favorite reading chair, a corner of your kitchen table, or a seat on the floor by a sunny window. Call it your self-care space, and it will become that. Use the space for journaling, for building a gratitude practice (check out Day 8!), or for meditation (hello, Day 6!), and the space will support your mindfulness morning.
Day 2: Start your day hydrated.
Hours go by while you sleep (eight or nine, if you’re lucky!), so replenish the moisture lost overnight. Evolution Fresh® juices are made from nutritious vegetables and delicious fruits, everything you need to rehydrate so you can press ahead through your day.
Day 3: Rev up with a sun salutation.
A simple yoga flow will help stir your circulation, deepen your breathing, and center your focus, all while building strength and flexibility. Greet the day with movement, and moving through your day will feel simple.
Day 4: Write morning pages.
Julia Cameron’s classic exercise, morning pages, requires you to do nothing more than put pen to paper and let it flow. It doesn’t matter what you write; the goal is simply to empty the mind out onto the page, making room for clearer thoughts to emerge. Sit down at your self-care space and spend 15 minutes moving your pen.
Day 5: Greet the sun.
Start today with your feet in the earth and your eyes on the sky. Whether you’re in a dense city or out on the plains, find a patch of dirt, grass, or rock, kick off your shoes, and feel yourself at one with the world.
Week 2
Day 6: Practice morning meditation.
Whether you have 20 seconds or 20 minutes, you can enhance your morning by practicing this meditation by mbg Collective member and class instructor Charlie Knoles. It will bring awareness to your breath and help steady that sense of urgency that sends us racing for that cup of coffee.
Day 7: Eat a healing breakfast.
Nutrition is an essential part of your mindful morning. For a delicious and simple breakfast, combine 1 cup of your favorite milk or milk substitute with a half-cup of oats, 1 to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, your favorite berries, and refrigerate. In the morning, grab your oats (nut butter drizzle optional) and a bottle of Evolution Fresh® green juice for a balanced breakfast in a hurry.
Day 8: Get high on gratitude.
If your mind is on your to-do list first thing in the morning, refocus it on what matters more. Sit down and close your eyes or find a view of nature from your window and think about the three things you’re most grateful for. Consider how much they bring to your life and the peace or joy they give you. Tapping into the feeling of gratitude is a sure-fire way to start the day with a smile.
Day 9: Give yourself a sunrise facial.
We love a matcha in the morning, and this mask gives you a whole new way to incorporate the green tea super ingredient into your routine. Made from simple, edible ingredients like Manuka honey and matcha powder, this mask will give you glowing skin all day long.
Day 10: Disconnect with a digital detox.
One way to start the day right is to spend your first hour on a digital detox. Your Instagram feed, inbox, and calendar can wait. Spend your morning hydrating your body, fueling up with a satisfying breakfast, centering your mind, and you’ll be set for a mindful day, every day.
Want more morning wellness inspo? mbg and Evolution Fresh® are partnering to bring you the chance to win the ultimate escape: A three-day, night-night wellness retreat at the world-renowned Miraval Resort in Arizona. The prize package includes gourmet meals, ground transfers to Miraval, healthy snacks, access to the spa and resort, a $500 resort credit, and airfares for two (up to $1k), meaning you will have everything you need to relax, rejuvenate, and soak up the Arizona vibes. Entering is easy!
- Head to this post on Instagram.
- Show us how you press ahead to achieve your wellness goals, tagging #PressAheadChallenge and #Giveaway.
