Behind-The-Scenes Of A Spiritual Morning Routine with CiCi McClaran

What time do you wake up in the morning and how do you wake up?

I’m an early riser, always have been! My body clock wakes me up anywhere from 5:30 to 7. I love to wake up to natural sunlight in the Spring/Summer months, put on some music, and dance around to raise my vibration! In the Autumn/Winter, I’ll slip out of bed, pop the heating on and make a cup of tea, and then get back in bed for an hour of reading before the world wakes up – bliss.

What’s your go-to morning beverage?

I make a tea with a combination of lemon slices, and a spoonful of Sacral Chakra healing tea – which contains cinnamon, nettle, fennel and calendula – it cleanses my digestive system but also fires me up a little.

What’s on your bedside table?

A salt rock lamp to create pinky dreamy vibes, an electric oil diffuser for my essential oils – I love Lavender or Bergamot – a bottle of water, palo santo or a candle, whichever book I’m reading (currently: Goddesses in Every Woman, Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen), a blank journal for any thought downloads/recording my dreams, and a scrunchie so I can tie my hair up first thing in the morning!

Do you prepare for your mornings the night before? If so, how?

To be honest, no I don’t anymore – other than making sure my lights are out by 10:30 pm and leaving my phone in my living room to ensure I don’t get sucked into a morning scroll session.

When I worked 9-5, I used to get my gym clothes ready for the next day or make overnight oats to take with me. Now, my mornings are based on how I’m feeling, and I just flow intuitively through my routine which is so nice! It’s taken me a while to get here though, even when I first started working for myself, I was a lot more structured. I think it comes down to self-trust; I trust myself to give myself what I need, so I don’t need to prepare too much anymore.

What are your skincare/body care rituals?

Skincare is something I came to later in my 20’s, but now I am OBSESSED! Naturally I have combination skin, which errs on the dry side, so I can slather on so much moisturizer and my skin drinks it all up which means I can be pretty liberal with the products!

In the morning, I wash my face with water, and then use a vitamin C serum, a caffeine eye cream, a smoothing moisturizer, and then for the final layer I mix factor 50 SPF with a glowy beauty balm which gives such a dewy finish. In the evenings, I do a double cleanse, and switch my Vitamin C out for Retinol. I also fake tan twice a week religiously – I ALWAYS feel better with a tan, so two years ago I made it a weekly self-care non-negotiable!

What does your morning routine flow look like?

I wake up anywhere between 5:30 and 6:00 and pop an audiobook on to doze to. Then, I’ll get up around 7.00, open my curtains to let the morning light in, drink the bottle of water on my bedside table, use the bathroom, and get changed into workout wear.

I either go for a jog or do half an hour of yoga. For jogging, I love the matching sets from Pursue Fitness, and for yoga, I love a comfy underwear set, like the “cat” sets from Weekday – (underwear yoga is incredibly healing for your feminine energy and promotes so much body-love, even if it feels vulnerable at first, try it – TRUST ME!)

Before my workout, I start making breakfast. I’m that person who has the EXACT same breakfast every day! I pour oat milk over oats and frozen blueberries, then let them soak whilst I do my morning movement.

Jogging is amazing for waking your whole body up, and it helps me feel connected to nature first thing; and yoga is a beautiful practice that feels like a full-body cuddle. I try to have a balance of the two… but, I never jog when it’s freezing or raining outside!

After working out, I shower with music on, and then do my skincare routine.

Then, I meditate and do breathwork for 10-15 minutes, after which I finish making my breakfast – chocolate protein powder, greek yogurt, a banana and peanut butter (smooth, before you ask) complete my oat bowl, and I’ll also make an oat milk cappuccino too.

Next, I sit down with breakfast and my journal in front of my vision board. Just looking at everything on there gets me so high vibe! After I’ve eaten breakfast, I pull some cards, and journal out my desires (as if they’ve already happened), and my gratitudes (and how I created them within my reality). I call this my Conscious Creatrix ritual, because it reminds me of the divine power with me to create my own reality, and aligns my energy with what is on its way, rather than what’s missing.

When do you kick off your workday? And do you have any starting-work rituals?

Work for me is super flexible and every morning of the week is different which I love – I might have a coaching call with one of my high-level soulmate 1-1 clients, who’re going through my program, Conscious Creatrix, or I might be filming a masterclass for my membership; The Heroines Circle. On Wednesdays I record an episode of my podcast; Conversations with CiCi and Bobbie, and every day I’ll create some content for Instagram.

I’m more productive in the mornings, so I’ll work until around 3-4 pm and then relax by having a bath, or reading until my sister gets home from work. We live together and are besties, it’s so lovely.

How does your morning routine change on the weekends?

On the weekends, it doesn’t change too much other than I might stay in bed for a while longer and read or watch something on my laptop – I love the spiritual streaming service, Gaia. Or maybe I’ll curl up on the sofa with my sister and catch up on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Then we usually head out for a nice walk and fresh air.

What does your mindset look like at the beginning of the day? Do you have any tips or tools for getting in a good mindset?

I am an emotional person – I experience emotions deeply and fully, so I can be up and down – especially around my cycle. It’s something I’ve learned to accept and allow, and I actually plan work around my period now which has been a game-changer for me!

I make a conscious effort to ensure I don’t allow negativity into my energy space – I don’t watch any news, or read any, and I don’t follow anyone on social media who triggers me or makes me feel less than. 

In terms of tips, I’ve actually moved away from the word mindset with my clients – it’s so masculine. I teach my clients how to check in with our BODY to see how they feel… Do you feel sluggish or energized? Do you feel happy and ready to embrace the day, or do you want to stay in bed, if so, why? What’s present for you?

Using your emotions as your compass through life will give you all the information you need to make inspired choices that align with where you want to be.

I really recommend starting each day by physically smiling, and saying “thank you” in your head, it sends all the yummy gratitude signals to your brain and heart, and opens the gateway to abundance consciousness.

Right now, we’re in lockdown, so it’s very much a case of focusing on “one day at a time”, so use your little rituals and grounding practices to keep you in a positive space. If you do feel any negative emotion, honor it, let it move through you, and remain flexible. Don’t judge or beat yourself up for things as it’s a complete waste of energy, and puts resistance between you and the life of your dreams. Always ask yourself what the lesson is instead!

What’s non-negotiable vs. what does an extra-luxurious morning look like?

My morning routine is about two hours long and it’s ALL non-negotiable, and it’s already pretty luxurious!! Honestly one of the most wonderful parts of working for myself now is being able to go at a pace that I choose in the morning, and really take time for me – I’m so grateful I’ve been able to create this for myself.

So… if I had to choose… 30 mins movement, shower/skincare, and a cup of tea would be the trimmed down version. I have to get into my body and move my energy, otherwise, I feel sluggish, lethargic, and negative.

Extra-extra-luxurious would also include a little lie-in, brunch in a lovely little cafe somewhere with great coffee, and huge croissants. Preferably abroad!

What would you like to improve with your mornings?

When I’m consistent, my morning routine is amazing – it feels so good. 

I often wake up really early and then doze, and sometimes I wonder whether I should just get up as soon as I wake up, and meditate for much longer, but that’s not essential, even though I’d be proud of myself for doing it.

I think the only way I could really improve my morning would be to be able to take my meditation practice outside in the sunshine and do some grounding too (bare feet in the grass) because that is such a calming practice for our nervous system. Once it’s warmer, I’ll definitely incorporate this and then it will be PERFECT! (I’ll have to try hard not to just start sunbathing though!)

What’s your #1 recommendation to others who struggle with mornings?

NO PHONES IN YOUR ROOM. 

Honestly, this changes everything – I put my phone on airplane mode from 8 pm the night before, and charge it in my living room overnight. It means that after my bath in the evening, I just read, or journal, or listen to something and my eyes aren’t taking in all that blue light. Also, there’s nothing that triggers a downward spiral of comparison more than a late-night scroll session.

So I still have the time, and an alarm, in my room, I recently bought a sunrise lamp to come on gradually between 6.30 and 7 – it makes such a difference and you don’t need to rely on your phone to wake you up.

My sister isn’t a morning person, but has to get up really early for work – she lays her breakfast things out the night before, and has a rock-solid routine of shower, breakfast, skincare/make-up, clothes, GO. You have to find the sweet-spot between what you need, and what’s going to get you into a good energy for the day, and then repeat, repeat, repeat.

Consistency is the key – and also a deep-rooted belief that you deserve to not feel stressed, you deserve to not feel rushed. Our self-sabotage comes from a belief that we don’t actually deserve any better, or a fear of what changes that “better” might bring. Embody the version of you who is in flow, puts herself first, and creates space for herself.

You’ve got this!