How essential oils, exercise and meditation enrich your life
The time I take in the morning for my "rituals" is sacred to me (hence the word "rituals" instead of "routines") and has been a part of my daily routine for a very long time. When I started, I wasn't even practicing or living yoga. Since then, the rituals have changed, adapted, and developed into the form in which I present them to you here.
Connection and alignment
We humans are constantly changing, so we should allow our (yoga) practice to change as well: depending on what is needed at the time, so that it can support us optimally. For me personally, my morning rituals are fundamentally about establishing connection (with the self) and alignment (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual). Because those who are connected to their inner world can connect with the outside world more easily and, above all, more consciously.
The rituals give me stability and are a constant in more uncertain times. They ensure that I start the day with structure and stability, no matter where I am or how I'm feeling. This has helped me many times.
So it's all about finding rituals that help you align yourself for the day and approach it in a more centered way. My rituals are meant to serve as inspiration so you can find out for yourself what works best for you.
For me, all my rituals are part of my yoga practice.
Morning Ritual #1: Oil Pulling + Tongue Scraping
Oil pulling has been part of my morning routine for over ten years. Later, tongue scraping was added.
Oil pulling involves rinsing your mouth with oil or pulling the oil through your teeth. I use coconut oil as a base; however, you could also use sesame oil or another oil. Coconut oil is good because of its flavor and also has antibacterial properties.
Since incorporating essential oils into my daily life, I create an oil pulling blend of coconut oil, peppermint oil, clove oil, lemongrass, and a citrus oil. These essential oils enhance the effectiveness of oil pulling because they have additional antibacterial and cleansing properties. The oils draw out bad bacteria and toxins from the mouth and bind them. Therefore, it's very important to spit them out (preferably in the trash) after rinsing and then rinse your mouth with water. You can then clean your tongue with a tongue scraper.
Scientists are still divided on whether the originally Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling actually has positive effects on dental health and the holistic detoxification of the body. However, from personal experience, I can say that I always feel more refreshed, cleansed, and better afterward. According to my dental hygienist, my teeth are in excellent condition, and my sensitive enamel feels strengthened. The essential oils not only make the procedure taste and smell delicious, but they also awaken the mind, support the immune system, and clear the mind.
Ideally, you should pull the oil through your teeth for 1-5 or even 10-20 minutes. Admittedly, this can be quite strenuous at first. I personally keep the prepared mixture on my bedside table. As soon as I wake up, I reach for the oil and begin my morning ritual while lying down. Then I slowly get up and put some water on. While I'm oil pulling, I also rub essential oregano oil on my stomach, as this helps the digestive organs start the day, and I rub basil and rosemary on the kidney area, as this supports the kidneys and adrenal glands, i.e., the overall kidney energy, each with a little olive or sesame oil. That quickly adds up to 10 minutes of oil pulling.
Morning Ritual #2: Hydration
Drinking lemon water in the morning followed by green tea is also a habit I've maintained for a good decade. I used to squeeze lemons and sometimes add other ingredients, but now I prefer to keep it simple and add one or two drops of lemon essential oil to a large glass of lukewarm water. Since I no longer have to lug around kilos of lemons and don't spend hours squeezing them, it's much less effort. This method is also less harsh on my teeth.
Thanks to this ritual, I've gotten into the habit of drinking more water in the morning. This ensures a hydrated start to the day. Both lemon water and green tea also have a cleansing effect on the body.
When using lemon essential oil, it's important to pay attention to its quality and purity. The oil, which is extracted from lemon peel, not only has a cleansing effect (supporting the kidneys, bladder, liver, and immune system) and antioxidant effect on the body, but its refreshing scent also uplifts the mind and invigorates the spirit. 
Morning Ritual #3: Self-Reflection
While I drink lemon water and green tea, I write. For at least an hour. For about five years, I've been using a journal that I fill out. It has one page for each day and is a pretty effective way to invite me to a brief moment of self-reflection. It usually starts with my reflection on gratitude ("Today I am grateful for..."). Then I write down my intentions for the day.
Over the past three years, I've also started freewriting (in the style of Julia Cameron's "morning pages"). It's mainly about writing down whatever comes to mind, without paying attention to spelling or finished sentences. Rather, it's about simply putting your thoughts down on paper to create clarity—a kind of cleansing of the mind.
Three suggestions for reflection that always apply:
• This is what I am grateful for today*:
• I would like to let go of this:
• I would like to invite:
*Note on gratitude: The feeling of gratitude has one of the highest frequencies. In fact, it's not so important what you're grateful for to bring you to this vibration, but rather that you're grateful. This can even be everyday things, like "Thank you for having a home."
Morning Ritual #4: Breathing and Meditation
I usually start my meditation with an essential oil or an oil blend: "Clary Calm" contains clary sage blossoms, lavender blossoms, bergamot peel, and other oils, and it brings me back to myself pretty quickly. I put some in my hands and then inhale the mixture directly from my hands for as long as I need. Then I flow into deep, slow breathing or a few breathing exercises and finally find myself in meditation. This lasts as long as it takes. My meditation practice has become such a part of my routine that I've freed myself from having to do it the way it's written in the book or the way someone else thinks it should be done. So I usually sit in bed, leaning against the wall, and it sometimes takes five, sometimes forty minutes. Both are equally important.
Morning Ritual #5: Exercise
My movement practice also comes from deep, slow breathing, which I coordinate with slow movement.
I've been practicing yoga for about ten years, and what I've noticed is that my practice has become simpler, and the most basic poses and movements are also the most effective. It's mainly about connecting with my body, aligning myself, and feeling comfortable within myself.
How long and intense the exercise is depends on how my body is feeling and what the day looks like. Again, I encourage you to find out what works for you and feels good on that particular day.
Finally, a general tip: Leave your phone off until after your morning rituals or put it on airplane mode so that you can check in with yourself first before being confronted with outside messages. 
Julia Kannewischer
"Movement is a language through which I express myself." Julia Kannewischer is a contemporary dancer and yoga teacher. She began dancing at an early age. Since then, movement and its study have played a central role in her life, which also led to her decision to become a dancer. During her dance training, Julia discovered yoga and has been practicing daily for ten years. She has also been teaching yoga herself since 2017. "My teaching is based on the question 'What practice does contemporary people need? How can the individual be supported in today's life?'" Dance and yoga complement each other in the life of the Swiss dancer, influence each other, and together they form the foundation for her current artistic practice, PROJECT EPHEMERIS: a daily blend of poetry and video performance.