How This Yogi Takes Care of Her Mind, Body, and Spirit Each Morning

What's the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before diving into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine. Tune in every Monday morning here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.

We're big fans of yoga instructor Jessamyn Stanley here at THE/THIRTY. Her philosophy is all about using yoga to feel better both physically and mentally. She also believes that yoga is for everyone, no matter their shape or size. In fact, she's written a book about the subject, Every Body Yoga.

The idea of the "body neutrality" is a big focus for Stanley right now. Wondering what the phrase means? "In our day-to-day lives, we are bombarded with messages about all the ways we must regulate our bodies to better 'fit in,'" Stanley explains. "These social stigmas only stifle us. The body positivity movement brought an essential truth to light: All bodies are deserving of love and acceptance. I think we tend to get caught up in various terms to define this idea, but overall I try not to focus too much on the labeling and instead remind myself, 'You are OK, today. Everything about you is, in this moment, exactly as it needs to be. You don't need to change anything, you don't need to worry about tomorrow. You are OK, today.' For me, it's about breaking free from shame-based constraints, liberating ourselves from any outside (or self-imposed) expectations, and rebelling against a system that would try to tell us otherwise." Some words to live by that's for sure.

And when we got the chance to take a peek into her morning routine, of course, we jumped at the chance. See how she starts her day.

I was a late-night party femme for years, but I've finally come to terms with my early bird identity. My first alarm goes off at 4 a.m., which is generally the time that my body wants to wake up, but actually pulling myself out of my warm bed and into the day is a whole other can of worms. If I don't crawl out by 5 a.m., I'm liable to fall back asleep until around 7 a.m. I use both an alarm clock and my phone alarms, but I hate looking at my phone first thing in the morning if I can avoid it. Even with all of my notifications turned off, it can be such a buzzkill. If possible, I prefer not to look at my phone until after breakfast, although running multiple businesses means that's rarely a reality.

I love to start my day by drinking a combo of hot water, lemon, manuka honey, and a magnesium supplement. It gets everything "moving" (so to speak) and leaves my body feeling more connected and whole. On my favorite days, I'm able to sip my morning concoction while punching out a few hundred words on my laptop. It always feels great to write before the sun comes up. It's a magical time of day.

I'd be lost without my morning practices of yoga and meditation. The Underbelly, my digital yoga studio, encourages our community to let the yoga practice fit in with the natural rhythm of life, and this is exactly how I approach my personal practice. My schedule stays in a constant state of flux depending on where my production and teaching calendars take me, and I might not have time to do a full postural yoga practice at the start of my day. But I always feel better when I take enough time to sit quietly, practice a few stretches, devote time to my meditation practice, and write in my journal.

I also like to get in a little cardio and sweat before breakfast. I'm a home-gym enthusiast and a big fan of Peloton. I alternate between lifting weights and riding my stationary bike to kick-start my energy.

Breakfast is my favorite meal, and it's usually one of my biggest meals of the day. I love to make scrambled eggs and serve them over a simple salad with Ezekiel bread toast on the side. I love juicing (anything with carrot juice and ginger gets a big thumbs-up from me), and I'm a big fan of probiotics like kefir and kombucha. My favorite kefir (aside from my mother's homemade variety) is a local brand called Carolina Culture, and my favorite kombucha is GTS Cosmic Cranberry.

Between running The Underbelly and working on creative projects like the follow-up to my book, Every Body Yoga, and my podcast, Dear Jessamyn, my schedule stays so busy that I've developed a habit of not really stopping for a big lunch in the middle of the day and instead favoring quick snacks/small meals throughout the day.

After yoga and meditation, my morning shower and skincare is my most important self-care time. I try to go slowly and savor the moment. When I'm in the shower, I try to focus on just feeling the water. It sounds simple and a little silly, but it's a really great way to find a sense of calm. After or before my shower, I like to spend a few minutes catching up on my reading while sitting on the toilet. Laugh if you want, but all of the aforementioned probiotics make it a necessity, and it's another great opportunity to chill before the hustle really gets in motion. My skincare routine is always evolving depending on what my skin is craving, but I swear by Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap for face wash, witch hazel and tea tree oil as a base toner, and Heritage Store's rose water toner to refresh my skin. I use different serums and moisturizers depending on the day, but those staples are always by my side.

Let's hit it! By noon, I'm ready to hit the streets and take on the world. Generally speaking, I've found time to work throughout the morning as well. I'll answer emails while picking a Peloton class, check my IG while eating breakfast, etc. But I try to keep that stuff minimal so I can start my day from a collected place and put my best foot forward.

Next up: This Clean-Beauty Founder Has a "Magic Morning Hour"