Are you driving your day or is your day driving you? Some days, despite my best efforts, I still feel like I have no control amidst the chaos of life’s daily challenges (ce la vie!, right?). Yet undoubtedly, things generally go a lot smoother with just a little mindfulness and effort first thing in the morning.
Here are a few suggestions for a daily morning practice to help you find center and put your best foot forward each day.
First, find a nice quiet space where you’ll be free from interruption. Then depending on your time or preference, try out one of the following:
1) Breathing (5 minutes)
Sit in a comfortable position. Feel the length of your spine from the tip of your tailbone to the top of your head. Take a few nice deep breaths. As you inhale, see if you can fill your whole belly and whole chest with air. Notice even your back ribs and bring the breath there too. Pay close attention to your exhalation. Slow, steady, smooth long exhalations are the key. See if you can extend your exhalation so that it is longer than the inhalation. Also try lengthening your breaths over time.
Morning Journaling (love this pic–except for her posture!)
2) Journaling (15 minutes)
This is a free form emptying of the brain. Jot everything down that comes to mind. It could be rants and raves from something that happened yesterday to words of gratitude or blessings for ourselves and loved ones. The more pages your write the better, even if you don’t know what to say. Just write. Often words of wisdom and advice from our higher conciousness spill forth in our uncensored writing.
3) Yoga (20 minutes)
For yoga enthusiasts (or intermediates), practice a few standing poses, a balancing pose, a forward bend, a backbend and then finish off with a twist before corpse pose. If you’ve never taken a yoga class, pop in a good yoga DVD and get your body warmed up and eased into the day. Check out Everything Yoga for lots of great yoga product recommendations (see links on the right).
4) Meditation (10-20 minutes)
Sitting in a comfortable position (I usually sit cross-legged with a small cushion or folded blanket tilted so my pelvis tilts slightly forward). Either with eyes open or closed, focus on the steady movement of the breath. Keep coming back to the breath each time the mind begins to stray.
5) Nature Walk (20 minutes)
A few minutes outside helps us reconnect with the natural rhythms of the day. Take in the sights and smells around you like they’re water being poured into your well. As you walk, see if you can expand your vision so that you see 180 degrees around you. Notice how you are connected to the earth beneath your feet.
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