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EPISODE № 403

Beautiful Beginnings: My Favorite Morning Rituals

by Tonya Leigh

Listen to the Full Episode:

Beautiful Beginnings: My Favorite Morning Rituals

Creating Harmony: The Art of Morning Rituals

Creating a beautiful morning routine is not about overwhelming yourself with a long list of tasks but rather about being intentional with small parts of your day. Tonya Leigh believes a healthy morning ritual sets the tone for a successful day and starts with focusing on specific rituals that support your well-being and drive positive energy first thing in the morning.

Tonya emphasizes the importance of starting the day with a capsule collection of non-negotiable activities that contribute to your overall well-being. These activities can vary from person to person but should be chosen based on what makes you feel better emotionally and sets you up for a successful day. 

Join Tonya as she explores crafting your own beautiful beginnings for a more purposeful day.

Episode Details:

  • 01:24 - The Power of Morning Routines
  • 02:08 - Intentional Small Changes
  • 02:40 - Soft vs. Hard Mornings
  • 05:01 - Capsule Collection Concept
  • 05:33 - No Tech in the Morning
  • 06:26 - Waking Up Naturally
  • 07:09 - Better Sleep App
  • 07:41 - Hydration and Music
  • 08:46 - Sunshine and Stretching
  • 09:18 - Honoring Life and Gratitude
  • 11:51 - Family Time and Journaling
  • 13:18 - Skincare Routine
  • 15:05 - Meditation and Breath Work
  • 17:04 - Soul Style Quiz
  • 19:44 - Decadent Breakfasts
  • 22:04 - Structuring Beautiful Beginnings
  • 23:11 - Creating Intentional Days

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DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

Episode Transcript:

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to float through their mornings with grace and purpose while the rest of us stumble around in a caffeine-deprived haze? What if I told you that creating a beautiful morning routine isn't about torturing yourself with 5:00 AM wake-up calls, but more about curating a closet of self-care rituals that feel like a warm hug for your soul? Well, today we're going to explore how to craft your own beautiful beginnings and set the stage for days filled with intention, with beauty, and joy. So let's dive in. Welcome to the School of Self-Image, where personal development meets style. Here's your hostess, master life coach, Tonya Leigh. Good morning, my beautiful friends. It is 6:30 in the morning and I have already been up for an hour, which is very unusual for me. I usually don't get started until 7:00, but for whatever reason, I couldn't sleep this morning and so I got up and started my day. I was trying to figure out if mornings or evenings are my favorite part of the day. I love the bookends of the day. And I do think that the bookends, like morning and night, have the ability to set you up for a beautiful life. And so today we're going to talk about the first part of the day, our mornings. I want to talk about beautiful beginnings. I vividly remember a time in my life where I was completely overwhelmed. I was just overwhelmed with life, and it was one of those moments where I just wanted to change everything. Can any of you all relate? You're like, "I'm not content with any area of my life." And that desire can be very overwhelming. So what I want to offer you is the power of being intentional with small parts of your day. It's just like when clients come for coaching, and they have 10 to 20 thoughts that are just weighing them down and they want to change them all at one time. And I'm like, "No, we're just going to pick one. We're going to get hyperfocused, and let's just look at one thought." Well, we can look at life like that. And there's no better place to start than with our mornings, because our mornings set the entire tone for the day. And I personally love the idea of soft mornings. Now, we're all different. Some of you may love hard mornings where you wake up and you get it, but I have been really enjoying soft mornings because they really counterbalance my life. They create some harmony, because throughout the day there are many harder moments. I have lots of decisions to make it work. I'm running a company. There are just a lot of responsibilities. And so counterbalancing that with soft mornings, again, it creates this feeling of harmony because we need both. When it comes to life, I think of it through the eye of design as an artist, as a stylist, as a designer. And any great design needs contrast, and life is no different. And so when I think about my life and how I love to set up my days, I love soft mornings and soft evenings, and then the middle part of my day is that contrast of harder moments. And again, I don't think we need soft all of the time. I don't think it leads to a well-lived life, but a well-lived life is nothing more than a collection of well-lived days. And well-lived days is just a result of intentional moments throughout your day. So for this episode, I thought it would be fun if I just share some of my favorite routines that are working for me now. And I say that because I'm always changing up my routines and rituals because I've noticed as I change, so do the routines and rituals in my life. And I think that's very normal. Again, I am all about soft mornings right now. I used to be about hard mornings. I wanted to wake up and hit the gym first thing. And there are mornings where I do that, but right now the majority of my mornings are softer. They're more gentle. And when I'm thinking about life, as I said earlier, I think about it in terms of style, design. And so that's how I'm going to frame this episode. I want us all to think about our mornings as having a capsule collection. These are the non-negotiable things that really support your wellbeing and set you up for a successful day. Now, yours may not be mine because we're all so different, but what are those things that you know that when you do, you just feel better? And again, they support you emotionally and they really drive you in a positive energy first thing in the morning. So for me, my capsule collection, as it relates to mornings, no tech in the morning. I don't get on social media. I don't check Slack. I don't check my email. I don't even check my text. I leave my phone on airplane mode by my bed, and I just leave it there. Now, I've played around with putting my phone across the room, but I've done this enough that I'm not even tempted. I love how it feels when I'm not plugging into the world first thing in the morning because it's coming. I'm going to have to interact with the world at some point. Mornings are my time. It's me time and family time, and time for me just to go in. And so for that reason, no tech in the morning is part of my capsule morning collection. Also waking up naturally. I typically get up naturally around 7:00, and I love just honoring my body's rhythm. Now I know that everyone doesn't have that luxury because you've got to get to work at a certain time. I do too. I have meetings, but I have set my schedule up where I don't take meetings before 10:00 AM. So I know I'm going to get up. But if there's ever a reason that I need to set an alarm, and sometimes there is, if I've got an early morning flight or an appointment that's super early in the morning, I love using the BetterSleep app. I love this app. I use it to play white noise. And you can customize it. You can do layers of white noise. There's so many sounds to choose from. And the BetterSleep app alarm has this ... They have different choices as to what you wake up to, but there's one that's like waking up to a choir of angels. It's the most ethereal alarm I've ever heard, and I love waking up to that when I need to set an alarm. So I wake up, I don't get on my phone, and I head straight to the kitchen and I drink two big glasses of water with lemon. Think about it. We've gone all night without any hydration. We are like flowers, and we may be wilting and we don't even know it. I love hydrating myself first thing in the morning. And then I do pick up my phone for one reason, and it's to go to my Sonos app and turn on some music. I love jazz in the morning. Jazz is my soul jam. And there's a particular playlist that I've really been loving on Spotify called Jazz House 2024. It's more of a modern style jazz, but it's a really beautiful way for me to start my day. Once I've done that, I've got my music going, I've had my two big glasses of water, then I love to get some sunshine immediately. I love to go outside. I love to let the sun hit my body. There's something about that vitamin D, that early morning sunshine that it's just so invigorating. And then I love to stretch. Nothing crazy. No intense yoga routines, but just some nice big sun salutations. Touching my toes, just noticing what my body wants to do. And this is the time that I love to honor my life. This is so important. If you all pay attention, what are your first thoughts of the day? If you are not mindful, you'll go to, "I'm so tired, I have so much to do today. God, this is going to be such a hard day." And you set yourself up emotionally for heaviness. And for me, I just feel better when I get out of myself and I just honor life. And this is where I go to gratitude. Now, sometimes I'm doing this with my journal, but sometimes it's while I'm stretching, I'm just saying, "Thank you, life. Thank you for providing me with a new day. Thank you for my health. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my community. Thank you for my clients." There's something to be said for asking yourself what you can give to your life versus always thinking what can life give to me. And I do think many people are miserable because they have this get, get, get attitude versus what can I give? What can I celebrate? What can I just focus on in terms of my own blessings? And the mornings are such a beautiful moment to stop the track of negativity and shift to what is working well in your life. What are you grateful for? So after I get some sunshine and I stretch and I just focus my brain in the direction that I want it to go, it's time for that desired cup of coffee. Do any of you think about your coffee the night before? I do. I adore coffee. And yes, it's energy. It's that jolt of caffeine, but coffee in our family has become a thing. It is something that we do together. It's that moment where we know we're going to sit down for a minute and talk to each other. And sometimes when no one's around, it's when I do my journal practice. So this is where I'm very fluid with how the morning's going to go. But if Fonz is around, if my mom's in town, if Ambi's here, or Sarah ... Which Ambi is here. She's only 12, but if she's awake or Sarah's visiting, this is a chance for us all to sit around and chat before we all start going in our different directions. So it's one of my favorite moments of the day. In fact, right now, our house is mayhem. We have workers still in our house finishing up things. My mom is visiting, my daughter and her boyfriend are here, Fonz's niece is here, Ambi's here. And so there's so many people in the house. But this morning, Fonz, my mom, and I got up early. And so we just sat there for 30 minutes, just talking and catching up and sharing stories. And it was such a beautiful, beautiful moment. But sometimes it's just me. And when it's just me, this is typically when I do my journal practice. I love to grab my journal and go through the Daily Five, which is part of the School of Self-Image's journal routine. It's what we do every day. And I use that journal for me. There are moments where I need to work through something emotionally that is holding me back. There are moments where I want to really journal for my future self, when I want to just set the tone and give myself a good pep talk. But I love that touch point of a moment with myself. And so journaling has become one piece of my morning capsule wardrobe. And then the final piece of my capsule wardrobe, these are the non-negotiables, the things I do every morning, is my skincare routine. Now that changes what that actually is because I'm always experimenting, but right now, it's a very simple routine. I found this line out of Korea that I really love, and it's four steps and it's very gentle. And so I wash my face, and then I get ready for my work day. Now, this is where I start bringing in what I call my layers. So if you think about an outfit, you have your basic pieces, but what really adds the style, adds the interest, are the layers. And the layers are interchangeable. They're enhancements as well as accessories. And so the layers of my morning are those things that I don't do every single morning, but I typically do three to four times a week. And it just adds that extra little oomph that I need to feel like I'm living a well-lived life. So some of my layers for the morning are working out. I typically go for morning workouts three to four times a week. And those mornings, it's typically Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, because Tuesday, Thursday tend to be my heavier work days. And so Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And then on the weekend, I will go for a workout. Sometimes that is going for a yoga class, sometimes it's going to the gym and lifting weights. I change it up, but I do love morning workouts. After I have taken care of my capsule collection, those non-negotiables, some mornings it's meditation and breath work. Sometimes I love to read a book. Sometimes it's doing something creative. For example, I am working right now on this beautiful, tall, it's over six feet tall, mood board that I've been playing around with. It's writing. Sometimes I will study French in the morning. It's just that layer that adds interest that really represents my soul. Speaking of soul, have you taken the soul style quiz that I created? If not, what in the world? It is so much fun. And I have loved getting your DMs, your messages, just saying how much you love this quiz and how accurate it was. It's a quiz that I created because I find that we try to fit into style boxes that don't fit who we really are. And so there are eight archetypes. And if you want to find out what yours is, just go to schoolofselfimage.com/stylequiz, all one word, and find out. But I'm a classic. And so I tend to love those traditional things. I love those timeless pieces as well as timeless things in life. A beautiful cup of tea in the evenings. I really appreciate a great classic fiction book. I really find that my soul is an old-world kind of soul. And so when I think about the layers of my morning, it's incorporating those pieces into it that really just nourish me. And what nourishes us is all different. Maybe you are edgy, maybe you are Bohemian. And so what your mornings are going to look like, you just want to make sure it honors who you are on the inside, and again, nourishes your unique soul. But you need to think about the layers of your morning, those things that you layer on, that add that extra beauty, that extra spice, that extra nourishment that you need. And these, again, are things that you probably won't do every single morning, but you want to make sure you're incorporating them into some of your mornings. I like to at least have one layer every day, but they change. It's not always the same layer because we don't have all day. We have a small amount of time in the morning. And so it's impossible to try to do all of these. And the purpose of this is not for you to overwhelm yourself with like, "I got to do more." No, it's just about you being intentional. So those are some of my layering pieces. Also, a walk in the morning. Sometimes I go for a walk and listen to a great podcast. Sometimes I don't listen to anything. I just want to hear the sounds of nature. But again, my layer pieces. And then we have what I call your statement pieces. These are things that I typically do one to two times a week, and they just round out the experience of my mornings. And some of my favorite statement pieces are going to meet friends for coffee in the morning. Occasionally, this doesn't happen that often, but Fonz and I will watch a show in the morning. We typically don't watch TV until the evening, but if there is a cliffhanger or a show that we're really into and it's a Saturday, we're like, "Oh, should we watch it right now?" Especially if it's raining outside. And now we have a TV in our room. I've never ever had a TV in my room, you all. I was so against it. And you know what? I love it. Fonz and I will be like, "Hey, let's go to bed early and watch our favorite show." Whatever it is right now. Right now we're watching Your Honor. But it's so fun to just lie in bed. And usually I fall asleep 20 minutes into the show, and so we end up having to re-watch it the next night because I didn't catch any of it. But occasionally, it's so fun in the morning to get up and watch a show or a movie. Other things that I love to add to my mornings that I don't do often, but when I do, it's fun. I love to make a decadent breakfast. It's so much fun on the weekends. And breakfast is one of those things that I don't typically eat. I am not usually hungry in the mornings, and so I usually eat around 11:00, 12:00. But there's something fun about waking up with the family and breaking out the waffle maker, cooking some eggs. My mom has chickens now, and these chickens have become like her pets. They're like family to her. They all have names. She talks to them like they're her children, and they are producing the most beautiful fresh eggs. And so she keeps us well-stocked with fresh eggs. Or maybe it's me making my famous apple French toast casserole, especially in the fall and around Christmastime. But I really enjoy a beautiful, decadent breakfast. Sometimes it's only once a month. Sometimes it's more often. It just depends on what's going on in life, but it is one of those statement pieces that I really, really enjoy. And then finally, one of the things that we don't do that often but I always enjoy it when we do, and again, this is one of those things that typically occurs on the weekend, is when we wake up and Fonz is just like, "Hey, let's go for a ride." First thing in the morning, but while the sun's coming up, because he loves to drive his car. It's one of those things that I don't understand. Maybe it's a man thing, but he loves just to ride. And so he'll say, "Hey, let's go cruising." He doesn't say cruising. I just used that word for him. He's like, "Let's go take a ride." But it is fun. It changes things up a little bit. And I think sometimes that change of scenery, that change of pace, that change of activity is what your brain needs so it doesn't get into a rut. So that is how I structure my beautiful beginnings every single morning. I think of my non-negotiables, which is my capsule wardrobe. I think about the layers, the things that I might do every day but it changes up. I don't do them all every single day. And then those statement pieces, those things that you don't do that often, but when you do it, again, I think it just creates harmony and balance in your life. And it's important that you honor you. Think about what gives you energy. Think about what you crave. In fact, one of the ways that you can think about this is to imagine your perfect day. And if you're in the membership, there's an entire class where I lead you through prompts and ideas to figure out your perfect day. But consider your perfect day and zero in on those mornings. What are you doing? Maybe you're not doing much at all. Maybe that's for you, what you're craving, is just space to not do anything. And that's okay. That might be one of your non-negotiables. 10 minutes, 15 minutes of doing nothing but just being with yourself, whatever that looks like. But really think about you, and what you need to set yourself up for an intentional and beautiful day. Mornings are a chance for you to create that energy. It's a chance for you to be intentional with where you direct your thoughts and therefore your energy. And it's a chance for you to get clear on what's important to you today. Part of my morning journal routine is thinking about what are the things that I want to create today. What will I be so proud of myself, relieved, ecstatic if I achieve these three things? And so it's a chance just for you to support a beautiful day. And remember, a beautiful life is nothing more than a collection of beautiful days. So I would love to hear from you. Come find me on Instagram, @schoolofselfimage, and let me know what are some of your non-negotiables? What's your capsule morning collection? Also, I always think it's fun to hear what are your statement pieces? What are those things that you don't do that often, but when you do, they are so much fun? They really support the feeling that you want to have in your life. Let's start creating a beautiful life by creating beautiful beginnings. Have a wonderful, wonderful week, my friends. And I will see you on the next episode. Cheers. Before we part ways, I have an exciting invitation for you. If you have been desiring to elevate your style but find yourself stuck, unsure, or overwhelmed, I've created something very special just for you. Join me for a private 12-week podcast series called Why Don't You, where we're going to dive deep into personal style, confidence, and self-expression. It is an intimate journey designed for the discerning woman who knows she's capable of more, but needs that extra guidance and inspiration. And just so you know, this isn't about fleeting trends or rules. It's about discovering and embracing your unique style story. So to access this private series, all you need to do is go to schoolofselfimage.com/why, and secure your spot. And remember, true style is timeless and it starts with you. Why don't you? Join us and unveil the most stylish version of yourself.  

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