From Tongue Scraping to Transcendental Meditation: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Elaborate Morning Routine

If you rolled bleary-eyed out of bed this morning, had a quick shower, and hit the road, prepare to feel inadequate—and quite tired. Over in La La Land, GOOP founder Gwyneth Paltrow has been sharing snippets of her midweek morning routine, and it is predictably extensive. 

“I start my day with a tongue scrape and oil pull,” Paltrow began, posting on Instagram Stories early on Wednesday morning this week. No big deal, you might think. But bear in mind that done properly, oil pulling—an ancient Ayurvedic technique that promises to detoxify the lymph nodes, glands, and even the skin—involves sloshing high-quality oil around your mouth for a full 20 minutes. Not ideal if you’ve got places to be—but then chances are Gwyneth is a long-time member of TikTok’s trending 5 am club. 

Next up for the 50-year-old mom and businesswoman: 20 minutes of meditation in a dedicated meditation chair. Paltrow is an advocate of TM—or transcendental meditation—which is said to reduce stress and anxiety, boost brain function and improve cardiovascular health. (Note: it’s also the self-care technique that inspired supermodel Kate Moss to start her own new chapter as a wellness guru with her Cosmoss brand.) 

After that, it’s time for a workout. “I start every Wednesday with dance,” says Paltrow, who posted a clip of her powering through a routine devised by her longtime trainer, Tracy Anderson, set to Beyoncé’s Lemonade-era anthem, “Sorry”. Energising and empowering—and all before 9 am!

Then it’s into the bathroom for some beautifying (using Goop products, bien sur). Paltrow applies the Restore + Shine Hair Oil post-workout, then moves on to her favorite dry body brushing technique, which aims to boost the lymphatic system and drain toxins from the body, and reduce puffiness and fluid retention—in addition to exfoliating the skin.