Golden Potion Ritual

I turn on the water, grab my purple mug and add the lemon juice, ACV, and maple syrup. I crack fresh black pepper until it leaves a fine dusting across the top of the mixture, then I move over to the spice rack (you should see the spice rack at my house) and add a precise but unmeasured amount of ground ginger, ground turmeric, and cayenne. The water is done when the teapot starts to rattle, but not whistle.

Every morning starts with this routine. If you ever sleep over, you'll get one, too.

This concoction is a mashup of Ayurvedic golden milk (made with coconut oil and milk) and a thick turmeric drink called Jamu that I drank on street corners in Bali. If you care, the curcumin in turmeric is massively useful in easing inflammation and is high in antioxidants. ACV boosts gut health while ginger helps to ease indigestion. A pinch of cayenne pepper kick starts your metabolism as it stimulates circulation of the blood. Drinking this golden potion every morning has helped clear my skin, keep my grumbly stomach at peace, and ease chronic muscle pain. Above all, it has given me a ritual I actually enjoy practicing.

It's a way of saying, "Yes, I am fully here and I am ready." In spirituality or religion, rituals are important tools to show reverence and focus toward the moment you are devoting yourself to (that's my own made up definition).

If you drink coffee, that may be your morning ritual. Maybe it's washing your face, or opening the curtains and looking outside.

I just hope it's not rolling over and checking your phone.

Here's my invitation: Ramp up your morning ritual. You don't even need to change the thing you're doing, but commit to the way you approach it. See it as a ritual rather than just a thing you do. Use it as a practice of arriving, focusing, and moving out into your way in an intentional and prepared way.

You could even adjust it to make it a little more special. Use a homemade scrub to wash your face and feel all the curves and valleys of your cheeks and nose. Write a haiku while your tea/coffee is brewing. Say "hello" to each of your plants as you walk around the house. It truly doesn't matter what it is as long as you are present with it.

Turn off your autopilot, put away the social media for a few more minutes, and arrive to your day the way you'd like to arrive to your life - present, focused, and intentionally.

Gina's Golden Jamu
*I don't measure anything, so these are best guesses. Adjust to your taste.*
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp ginger powder (or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger root)
1 tsp turmeric powder (or 1 tsp grated fresh turmeric root)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
10 oz warm water


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