In this episode, I’m joined by Ray Duhaney, founder of Ve Kitchen—a highly acclaimed vegan restaurant in London—and an extraordinary yoga teacher.

Ray shares his deeply personal journey, revealing the physical and emotional challenges he’s faced, including a debilitating hip injury that led him to discover yoga. Through his practice, Ray not only rehabilitated his body but also uncovered how unresolved trauma had taken root in his hips and core. Yoga became the key to processing these emotions, quieting the ego, and embracing inner stillness. In our conversation, we also explore:

• The connection between attachment and suffering
• How trauma and emotions can become stored in the body
• The eight limbs of yoga, focusing on Ahimsa (non-harming) and Brahmacharya (moderation), and how these principles have shaped Ray's journey toward self-awareness and personal growth

Connect with Ray here: https://www.i-guru.yoga/yoga/

Let’s go on a walk together. And not just any old walk...a mindful walk. A walking meditation is a fantastic way to connect the body and mind while you’re on the go. Whether you hate sitting still to meditate or you simply don’t have the time to sit still this is a great alternative that still cultivates present moment awareness.

Enjoying TMR? Rate, review, enjoy and as always feel free to reach out on Instagram @lillybalch. Discover more at www.lillybalch.com 

Kara Ladd is an award-winning multimedia entrepreneur & journalist known for her catalytic storytelling, purpose-driven thought leadership and boutique consultancy. In today's conversation, Kara and I talk about breaking the binary between spirituality and business, the daily rituals that help us prevent burnout and how to live with more alignment and intention.

Learn more about Kara here.

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You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.

There’s no doubt that these are stressful times. This meditation is designed for re-centering for rebalancing in times of chaos or uncertainty. We cannot control what is going on around us but what we can do is be proactive in coming back to our breath, returning to ourselves, and strengthen our muscles of resilience, of compassion, and shift our perspective. So let’s take this time to slow down together and do just that. 

We return to an episode on fear from Season 1. We are taught to move away from fear when in reality, we must lean into our fears in order to release them. Just as a loved one or trusted friend may express their fears to us, we must step back, listen to, and hold compassion for our own. 

Use this meditation as an invitation to slow down, to connect to your innate peace within, and cultivate an unhurried presence. This episode was inspired by a Lao Tzu quote, "nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished". I hope you find peace and compassion as you slow down and trust the unhurried presence within. 

Explore a breath practice designed to revitalize and awaken you followed by a meditation on vitality. Like a reset button for the mind, approach your day with a sense of radiance. I hope you enjoy! 

**New Space Music by Brian Eno

Take a few minutes out of your day to consciously let go of what no longer serves you. Release tension in both the body and the mind and open up to this very moment. 

The spacious mind has room for everything. Carve out this time to allow all things to be as they are and observe the expansive quality of your mind.

If you enjoy these meditations please rate, review, or share.

*New Space Music by Brian Eno

Release into the moment through breath and body awareness cultivating a sense of ease and presence.

Explore the foundations of mindfulness as a pathway to live with greater presence, clarity and peace. If you enjoy these meditations please rate, review, or share! 

This podcast is sponsored by Betterhelp, online therapy with licensed counselors, matched to meet your wants and needs. To get started and also help out this podcast, use our code, and get 10% off your first month of therapy. Visit TryBetterHelp.com/MorningRitual

Tap into your innate wisdom and basic goodness in today's meditation. If you enjoy these meditations check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/TheMorningRItual.

Connect @themorningritualpodcast

Today’s practice is designed to de-clutter your thoughts and sharpen your concentration. To bring you more clearly into the present. When done regularly this practice can increase your ability to focus. 

If you enjoy these meditations please consider donating to my patreon page: www.patreon.com/TheMorningRItual Otherwise, rate, review, or share! 

Today’s episode is a guided meditation exploring what it means to live with an open heart. How can we release the weight and pressure of life and feel into an expansive, free, warm and open heart?

You can find the journal prompts that go with today's practice here.

Join our February Gathering:

The Morning Ritual's February Gathering will be held on Wednesday, February 28th at 12pm EST. Grab your ticket here. TMR's monthly gathering is FREE for our paid subscribers on Substack. Join our Substack community for free access.

You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.

Today’s practice is all about finding stillness and inviting this stillness to replenish you. To feed you. Keeping in mind that the quieter you become, the more you hear.

This episode is sponsored by Better Help, online therapy with licensed counselors, matched to meet your wants and needs. To get started and also help out this podcast, use our code, and get 10% off your first month of therapy. Visit TryBetterHelp.com/MorningRitual

Music: “Rhubarb” by Aphex Twin

This mindfulness-based meditation practice uses body awareness and breath to set the tone for your day. If you enjoy these meditations be sure to rate, review, share, and connect with me @themorningritualpodcast!

In today’s meditation, we get to practice deep listening. Carve out this time to listen to yourself with the same presence, gentleness, and compassion you would a loved one. You may come out the other side with a fresh perspective or at the very least a sliver of ease and relaxation.

We spend so much of our lives preparing for the future, planning, calculating, predicting, and expecting. While that most definitely serves a purpose, it can take us out of the moment. Use this time to 'lean back' into the present, to unwind and relax. 

This meditation is a phenomenal way to encourage ease in both the body and the mind. I hope you enjoy and feel free to share your thoughts with me @themorningritualpodcast! 

In today’s meditation, we use visualization to cultivate inner lightness, calm, and clarity. If you enjoy these meditations please consider donating on www.Patreon.com/TheMorningRItual. Otherwise, rate, review, & share!
Feel free to connect anytime at instagram.com/themorningritualpodcast

Tap into your personal power and start your week with a sense of strength and vitality. In today’s meditation, we explore “ujjayi pranayama”, otherwise known as victorious breath as a means to connect to our core. I hope you enjoy!

Let’s explore the concept of the “monkey mind”, work to quiet the thoughts, and discover our innate peace within. If you enjoy these meditations please rate, review, share! Xx 

This meditation is an opportunity to shift your perspective on a certain situation or emotion that has you feeling stuck. As I’m sure you’ve experienced before, when we get wrapped up in negative emotions it really zaps our energy and clouds our thinking. Sometimes all it takes is a simple shift in perspective to open up to a new possibility, to bring about clarity, and potentially some inspiration. 

Needing some immediate relief? Carve out 15 minutes to unwind, relax, and recharge. 

If you are enjoying these meditations please consider donating at Patreon.com/TheMorningRitual Otherwise, rate/review/share! 

Dr. Chiti Parikh, co-founder of the Integrative Health and Wellbeing at NewYork-Presbyterian in collaboration with Weill Cornell, has dedicated her life to combining the best of eastern and western medicine. In today’s episode we dive into the power that our mind has over our physical wellbeing, the seven ancient health secrets, mindful eating, and the future of holistic health in a western healthcare system.

Learn more about Dr. Chiti Parikh here.

*ANNOUNCEMENT: The Morning Ritual's February Gathering will be held on Wednesday, February 28th at 12pm EST. Grab your ticket here. TMR's monthly gathering is FREE for our paid subscribers on Substack. Join our Substack community for free access.

You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.

Since the pandemic kicked off I’ve tried to think of the perfect thing to say to relieve all fears, worries, stresses, to find the perfect quote or lead the most heartwarming meditations but the truth is there is no one size fits all cure. But what we can do is build up our resilience and develop the strength to overcome obstacles, to be able to see a brighter future, and navigate this ever-changing world. 

Let us meditate on resilience. 

“Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment.” - Deepak Chopra.

Shift from thinking to sensing in today’s body-centered meditation.

If you enjoy these meditations please consider donating to my Patreon page. Otherwise rate, review, and/or share!

Welcome back! Let us kick off season 4 with a meditation on emotions. For many of us, if not all, 2020 has been a rollercoaster of emotions. How may we create space from our feelings, to hold non-judgmental awareness of them? In today’s meditation, we explore just that.

If you enjoy The Morning Ritual please consider making a donation on my Patreon page! Otherwise, rate/review/share. Xx

A mantra is a word or phrase that is repeated during meditation. Through this use of repetition, we will work to focus and calm the mind in this week's episode. I challenge you to listen to this mantra meditation every day of this week and notice how your experience shifts. 

***Mark your calendars! The Morning Ritual returns to its daily meditations next Monday, August 31st. In the meantime, rate, review, share, and, most importantly, have a lovely day! 

It’s week three of our August challenge! Where we focus on observing the mind without judging the thoughts that arise. (Easier said than done!) The challenge is to repeat this episode every day and notice how your experience changes every time you listen. Let me know how it goes for you! Connect at lillybalchyoga.com or @themorningritualpodcast on Instagram. 

In the 2nd week of our August challenge, we use the breath as our anchor into the present moment.

Welcome to The Morning Ritual's August challenge! I will be posting new meditations every Monday designed to be repeated for the remainder of the week. The theme of week 1: embodiment. I hope you enjoy. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe! 

Today we return to an episode from season 1, a meditation all about balance. Explore how we create balance within and maintain it with a sense of present awareness.

Don't let the name fool you, this practice is for beginners and advanced practitioners alike. We are taking it "back to the basics" by refocused on a core part of our meditation practice: the breath. We anchor our awareness on the breath as a means to calm the mind and bring ourselves back into the present moment. 

Start your morning with a positive perspective, inviting spontaneous gratitudes to arise without force. This quick meditation is an easy, accessible way to set the tone for your day. 

Today's practice is all about responding versus reacting to life. Mindfulness allows us to see the space between stimulus and response and gives us the power to choose our response. I hope that you enjoy today's practice.

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You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.

***The Morning Ritual is sponsored by BetterHelp. For easy, accessible therapy visit www.betterhelp.com/themorningritual for 10% off your first month of therapy.

Through the act of simply being let us tap into our innate joy within.  I hope you enjoy! And if you do, please consider rating, reviewing, or sharing.

Start your week off with mindful goal setting. We will use visualization to get clear on the micro-steps needed to reach our macro visions. It can help to grab a pen and paper for this one! 

Let us move through a few stress-reducing, anxiety-relieving, calming techniques to bring you back into the moment with a heightened sense of clarity and ease. If you haven’t already be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share! 

In today’s episode, we unwind into the moment through the use of sound.

Donation-based online classes at lillybalchyoga.com

Playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2mmLUxHaI1FfUp5dAbEt8k?si=Ak-oWZ3vRoOpcBKj_j_QFg

Sound Bath by Michelle Berc

We all understand the importance of letting things go, creating space for what truly aligns, but before we can let things go, we must let things be. In today’s meditation that’s exactly what we will practice. 

Feeling stressed? Take 7 minutes out of your day to settle into the moment with an accessible mindfulness practice. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly enjoy! Music: Portugal (A Lift) by Sea Oleena.

Today we will cultivate an open, peaceful state of mind by comparing the mind to a vast ocean, deep beneath the surface there is a calm, spacious, clarity just like our minds when we move beyond our thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Feel free to reach out anytime @themorningritualpodcast, I look forward to hearing from you!

Having compassion for yourself is no different than having compassion for others. And when you are kind, loving, and compassionate to yourself your ability to do so with others is much greater. Cultivate self-compassion in today’s meditation. 

Cleanse and clear your energy with today’s meditation, an opportunity to hold greater space for others, build deeper connections, and stronger presence. Let's connect at lillybalch.com 

Trigger your body’s relaxation response with 4-7-8 breathing, an easy, accessible way to calm both the body and the mind. From a place of ease and clarity, we will set an intention for the day ahead. Subscribe, rate, review, and enjoy!

Ashley Neese is a renowned breathwork teacher, author, parent, and land steward. She has spent over a decade working at the intersections of embodiment, transformation, and renewal. In today’s conversation Ashley and I cover:

{2:10} Ashley’s story and journey towards a more restful existence 

{6:25} What is rest? What is not rest?

{10:20} Why do we find it so hard to rest? 

{18:25} The power of daily micro practices 

{22:30} Navigating breathwork when our breath is constricted or shallow 

{33:11} Rapid fire questions for Ashley 

Learn more about Ashley here: https://www.ashleyneese.com/ 

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Let go of the need to control and find peace with uncertainty in today’s meditation. From there we open up to the joy and freedom that uncertainty can bring. Clear any distractions, find your comfortable seat, and enjoy. 

Free yourself from limiting beliefs and old thought patterns with this guided meditation on the seventh chakra. Rate, review, and most importantly enjoy!

Meditate on the sixth chakra (also known as the third eye) as a means to tap into your seat of wisdom, intuition, and clarity. Feel free to share your thoughts, ask any questions, or simply connect with me @themorningritualpodcast.