My Morning Routine: Susy Markoe Schieffelin, Sound Healer
Susy Markoe Schieffelin’s motto is “healing through harmony” — a phrase she aptly applies to her morning routine. As a sound healer, Kundalini yoga teacher, reiki master, and sobriety coach, beginning her day with gratitude and mindfulness is essential to living well. Read on to find out how Susy starts her day and find inspiration for your own morning routine.
6:00 a.m. - I usually wake up at 6:00 a.m. every morning, and the first thing that I do is take a moment to snuggle my dog Beau, who is almost nine years old and so sweet and loving. When I snuggle with him, my heart immediately opens to gratitude and I begin to feel into my morning gratitude list. I love to begin my day with gratitude! I also finish my day with gratitude by writing out a list of my top five gratitudes from the day and texting it to a few of my girlfriends. I love sending my gratitude to them and getting theirs in return, because it keeps us connected and up to date on each other’s lives. Gratitude is the foundation of all of my practices, and in my opinion, the secret to a happy and radiant life.
6:15 a.m. - I get out of bed and brush my teeth using my pink Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Classic electric toothbrush and fluoride-free Himalaya natural whitening toothpaste. Then I do an Ayurvedic practice called Garshana, which is dry brushing my skin with raw silk gloves to exfoliate my body and improve circulation.
Then I do Abhyanga by massaging organic almond oil all over my body. I love this because it feels so luxurious and nourishing and grounding. I tend to be very “vata,” and when I get too vata, I feel spacey and anxious. So starting my day with a grounding oil massage helps me to feel calm and reduces anxiety throughout the day.
Then I take a cold shower! This ritual has been one of the most powerful practices of my life. In addition to the physical benefits (lymphatic drainage, improves immunity, reduces inflammation, improves mood), taking a cold shower also has mental benefits. I imagine the cold water rinsing away anything no longer serving me, and I consciously take a moment to feel so proud of myself for overcoming the resistance to getting in that cold water. I feel victorious every time I do it and know that if I can face the resistance of getting into that cold shower, I can face anything for the rest of the day!
I shave my head every other day using Gaffer & Child shaving butter, and then I put their hydrating serum on my scalp. I spent most of my life hiding the fact that I experience a condition called alopecia areata, where my hair falls out. I was so ashamed of this hair loss. I felt like there was something wrong with me and had a lot of self-judgement. I often wore a wig to hide the bald spots. Last summer I decided to stop hiding and I shaved my head. This act of surrender led me to understand that I have nothing to hide. Accepting alopecia as a gift instead of a punishment has helped me to accept myself exactly in a way I didn’t even know was possible. Today I see that nothing is wrong with me and that my beauty and femininity shines from within. I feel grateful that alopecia has taught me to love and accept myself exactly the way that I am.
6:25 a.m. - My skincare routine and favorite products:
Nia24 Skin Strengthening Complex moisturizer
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum
PCA Skin Rejuvenating Serum
Kopari coconut deodorant
6:30 a.m. - I drink a glass of warm water with lemon, get dressed in yoga clothing, and take Beau for a short walk. I live two blocks from the beach in Santa Monica and will often go down by the water to meditate and do my morning yoga practice. The beach is my happy place and where I go to recharge my soul!
7:00 a.m. - My current morning sadhana (daily spiritual practice) is based in Kundalini yoga and includes:
A few breathing meditations (3 minutes of Ego Eradicator for energy detox and expanding the aura, 11 minutes of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya for transformation, inner happiness, flow, and ecstasy).
Chanting meditations (11 minutes of Kirtan Kriya for mental balance and clarity).
Physical yoga practice (11 minutes Serabandanda Kriya to heal every illness and become invincible).
Sometimes I will play my crystal bowls and sing and tone with them for self-healing.
Then I will set intentions for what I am creating that day and sit in silence for about 20 minutes.
Then I say prayers. A few of the prayers I say are based in my 12-step recovery program as well as the Prayer of St. Francis, then I freestyle prayers for my friends, family, clients, and all of the people I love and I pray for all beings on earth to be peaceful and happy and free.
In total, I spend an average of an hour doing yoga, meditating, praying, and setting intentions to start my day off right!
8:00 a.m. - Then it is time for breakfast! My favorite breakfast right now is homemade coconut chia seed pudding! I became obsessed with it when I was leading a retreat in Bali in October. It’s so easy. Before I go to bed, I mix ¼ cup chia seeds with 1 cup of coconut milk and 2TBSP coconut cream in a mason jar and let it sit overnight. In the morning, I add some fresh berries, gluten-free granola, and for extra flavor, I pour some golden milk (almond milk with turmeric, ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon) on top.
8:30 a.m. - I take some time to catch up on priority emails and messages, complete any urgent tasks, post on Instagram, and check in with my coaching clients and mentees. I love to send good morning text messages to my friends and family and clients wishing them a great day!
9:00 a.m. - I will usually see one or two private clients in the morning for a sound healing/reiki session or meet with a mentee. I offer private healing sessions at my space in Santa Monica and also coach/mentor other healers as they build their own business. If I don’t have clients in the morning, I will use that time to write, paint, and create or go see a healer myself (I get acupuncture every Monday and a massage every Friday).
11:00 a.m. - I will have a snack (usually chocolate! Hu Kitchen and Addictive Wellness are my favorites) and go for a walk! I recently got rid of my car, so I may also use this time to ride my bike around Venice/Santa Monica to run errands. I have the cutest pink bike from a local company called Linus. It feels so nice to spend time outside, and riding my bike or walking gives me the opportunity to slow down and connect with people along the way!
I get most of my food from Erewhon Market, so during this time I often bike over to their Venice location to pick up a healthy salad (I love their kale, avocado, and white bean salad!), grilled chicken, and some vegetable soup or bone broth for lunch.
On some days I teach classes at 12 p.m., in which case I would use this time to start preparing for class by packing up my Crystal Alchemy singing bowls, washing/drying eye pillows to have clean ones for class, and calling an Uber to drive me to Unplug Meditation!
Come join me for class sometime! If it is your first sound bath in LA, send me a DM @thecoppervessel on Instagram and I will be happy to invite you as my guest! If you are not in LA or want to relax in the comfort of your own home, check out my series Healing Sound Bath on Alo Moves. I created seven classes for self-healing that you can do any time of the day. Use my code SUSY for 14 days free! I can’t wait to hear about your experience.
