The Urban Monk’s Morning Routine
I’ve spent the last couple of decades refining my morning routine to optimize energy and help me have the clarity and focus needed to run a big life daily.
With kids, dogs, weather, and film launches, there’s no shortage of chaos in life, so it makes the morning that much more important.
Why?
Because short of an earthquake or something crazy, the mornings are a bit more predictable (especially now)…
Like still water before you go over the falls into the rapids of your daily life.
That said, I’ve adjusted plenty over the years and have landed on a routine that hasn’t changed much for a long while. That’s obviously because it works for me.
I need sustained energy throughout the day, but I also need to remain calm and focused.
That’s why coffee has never been my favorite — it’s too hot, jittery, and short-lived.
It’ll give me a burst for about 90 minutes and then I’m left longing for more octane or sugar — neither of which are good.
I’m also not a morning workout person. That surprises a lot of people, but it’s true.
I prefer Qi Gong and meditation to start my day.
This includes a 5 exercise set from my Taoist tradition which helps power up my lower dantien and focuses my energy back into the base of my spine.
I’ll then meditate for about 10 minutes in front of a candle before waking up the kids and starting the day.
This may not sound like much, but it gives me 15 minutes to check in with myself and “drink from infinity” before the world’s demands stack up.
After that, I’ve got to move fast.
While the kids are getting ready, I’ll write out my goals for the day and spend a couple of minutes in my gratitude journal. (I start my day with this – some people decide to end their day with it. Both are totally fine!)
This will usually happen in the bathroom, which I find to be a far better use of “downtime” than scrolling through social media or the news.
Around midday, I work out right before I have my first meal.
So wait – I skip breakfast?
I do.
This has been odd for me, since I was always a big breakfast guy.
The science is in, though. An 8-hour feeding window (Time Delayed Eating) is a powerful regimen for fat burning, stem cell production, and overall longevity.
Because I have young kids, dinner time is sacred family time so I opted to keep that in place and skip the morning meal which is all hurried and “let’s get your shoes on” with the kids.
In actual practice, that means I stop eating at 7 pm and have my first meal shortly after 11 am the next day.
Instead of breakfast, I have two scoops of my RISING ENERGY powder, which gives me a centered sense of focus without the spazzy feeling of coffee.
I take the powder and get to work as my wife shuttles the kids to school.
Then, I take about 90 minutes of calls inside my Infrared Sauna.
(It’s an EMF-shielded model that has a little compartment for my phone.)
I’ll slap on my earbuds and conduct my business from in there, and then do wet steam for about 15 minutes afterward.
In there, I meditate (again) and do a mid-morning centering practice.
Then it’s time for an ice-cold shower, getting dressed, and going into the office again. I’ve only “lost” about 20 minutes of “productivity” with this routine, but I’ve gained so much more.
Now, I get that lots of people don’t have these toys and, to a certain extent, they’re a nice luxury — not necessities. I was able to carve a routine for myself before I was this guy with these capabilities. This just happens to be what my routine looks like now.
The key is to do some journaling, some Qi Gong, and meditation every morning. That’s the special sauce.
Around 11 am, I’ll go for a run or drive down to the gym.
I’ll usually take some Collagen protein powder on my drive down. After the workout, I have lunch and jump back into my day.
I have a powerful nighttime routine I’ll share in another blog if you care to hear it. Let me know in the comments section below!
If you enjoyed these thoughts and think we’ve got something in common, I have a feeling you’re going to love the Urban Monk Academy. It’s the home of every class I teach — from Qi Gong to Life Gardening to Dream Yoga and even Tantra — and for two weeks, you can try it for free.
