

The Morning Ritual
Lilly Macfarlane
For centuries, rituals have offered a sense of structure, meaning, and clarity in daily life. The Morning Ritual is a podcast devoted to exploring the power of daily practices. Here, we believe that transformation doesn’t happen in a single moment, but in the quiet, consistent choices we make every day. By showing up for ourselves through ritual, we learn how to show up more fully for our relationships, our work, our communities — and the world.Each week, host Lilly Macfarlane sits down with teachers, artists, healers, and entrepreneurs to explore how their daily rituals help them stay grounded, clear, and aligned with their purpose. This podcast isn’t just for early risers or seasoned meditators. It’s for anyone curious about living with more presence, depth, and integrity. Rate, review & most importantly, enjoy! Let's connect! Don't be shy, please reach out on: www.lillybalch.com Instagram: @_themorningritual https://substack.com/@themorningritualThe Morning Ritual is produced by The Space (London).
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 31, 2024 • 14min
Meditation: Learn to Respond, Not React
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.Join our Substack community for more.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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jan 24, 2024 • 35min
Permission to Rest with Ashley Neese
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/ Join our Substack community for more.You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jan 17, 2024 • 10min
Meditation: Meet Yourself Where You Are
This practice is an invitation to let go of perfectionism and allow yourself to be exactly where you are. By stopping the fight against how we wish to be, we can restore energy and shift our state more effectively than through striving and forcing. If you haven’t already, be sure to hit the subscribe button, rate + review!***The Morning Ritual is sponsored by BetterHelp. For easy, accessible therapy visit www.betterhelp.com/themorningritual for 10% off your first month of therapy.Join our Substack community for more.You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jan 10, 2024 • 36min
Elena Brower on Working with The Mind + Softening Time
I’m so delighted to share the conversation that I had with Elena Brower. Mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author and host of the Practice You Podcast, Elena Brower has taught yoga and meditation since 1999. In today’s episode we discuss: 1:18 Elena’s new book Softening Time3:55 Elena’s daily practices to help steady the mind 7:22 “Don’t believe all of your thoughts” 10:33 What is NVC? (Non-Violent Communication) 20:00 A quick way to show yourself empathy and compassion 23:21 A reading of Elena’s poem “Dear 31 year old self” 25:55 Rapid fire question time! 29:30 A mini-meditation to set the tone for your day. References: Tracee Stanley’s book The Luminous SelfElena’s episode on NYC with Micah SalaberriosLearn more about Elena hereAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jan 8, 2024 • 6min
Announcing Season 10 of TMR! (+ my favorite practice to start the year with)
Happy New Year!!The next season of The Morning Ritual Podcast launches on January 10th and we’ll kick things off with our January Gathering on January 11th! The theme of January’s gathering: Heart-Centered Manifesting. I truly cannot wait.Please note, the January Gathering is FREE for all of our paid subscribers on substack.Not a paid subscriber? Fear not. You can still register here.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Dec 24, 2023 • 10min
Gift yourself space + time
Hello there! Just popping in to say happy holidays and a very merry Christmas. Your support for The Morning Ritual throughout the past year has meant a lot, I’m excited to share more with you in 2024.During this time of the year, my rituals take on a different form. The days become less structured, and so do my mornings. I've taken a break from my regular workout routine and missed a few morning meditations. While I appreciate the change of pace, it’s nice to pause and recenter amidst the holiday hustle & bustle.If you could use a bit of time and space to yourself here’s a mini practice to cultivate more inner stability and peace of mind:The next season of The Morning Ritual Podcast launches on January 10th and we’ll kick things off with our January Gathering on January 11th! The theme of January’s gathering: Heart-Centered Manifesting. I truly cannot wait.Please note, the January Gathering is FREE for all of our paid subscribers on substack.Not a paid subscriber? Fear not. You can still register here. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Nov 20, 2023 • 13min
Meditation: Appreciation & Joy
In today's episode we explore the interconnectedness of gratitude and joy. For many of us, we spend more time focusing on the things we don't have versus appreciating all that we do. This is an invitation to pause and cultivate more appreciation.COMING JANUARY 2024- TMR's Manifestation Workshop. Join the waitlist here. ***The Morning Ritual is sponsored by BetterHelp. For easy, accessible therapy visit www.betterhelp.com/themorningritual for 10% off your first month of therapy.Join our Substack community for more.You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Nov 8, 2023 • 51min
How to Shift Your Self-Talk with Katie Horwitch
Katie Horwitch, writer, speaker, mindset coach, and women’s empowerment activist, talks about the two-part process of shifting self-talk, the concept of negative self-talk and limiting beliefs, developing self-love and self-worth, applying mindfulness techniques in everyday life, and embracing self-acceptance. She also reflects on living in New York City and offers advice to the younger self.

Nov 6, 2023 • 19min
Getting Back Into the Energy of Trust
Learn to trust yourself, silence external opinions, and embrace authenticity. In today's episode we work on getting into the flow of trust and openness. From there we use meditation to shift from fear to trust.Want to take this practice further? Download the FREE journal prompt that goes with today's episode: https://www.lillybalch.com/trust ***The Morning Ritual is sponsored by BetterHelp. For easy, accessible therapy visit www.betterhelp.com/themorningritual for 10% off your first month of therapy.Join our Substack community for more.You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Oct 25, 2023 • 35min
Big Self Versus Little Self with Barron Hanson
Barron Hanson, filmmaker and meditation teacher, shares with us the process of connecting to the expansive "big self" and how to move beyond the limited "little self." It was great catching up with Barron and I hope you enjoy the convo as much as I did.In today's episode we cover:{3:37} - When and why Barron picked up a meditation practice{5:00} - "Think global, act local", Barron moves from NYC back to his hometown of Nowra, where he's teaching 1% of the community how to meditate.{6:50} - The process of becoming a Vedic Meditation teacher{8:35} - Big Self vs Small Self{13:41} - Learn about Barron's film 'Be Here Nowra'{21:52} - What is Vedic Meditation?{26:20} - What advice Barron would give to his 25 year-old selfClick here to learn more about Barron and his current project 'Be Here Nowra'.Join our Substack community for more.You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands