Rejoicing in your Day – A Morning Practice

Two years ago I went on a kayak and yoga getaway in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. The guide was a seasoned sailor and avid yoga teacher in her mid 60’s. She was an independent, one-woman show who travelled and camped up and down the Pacific Coast (from Haida Gwaii to Mexico) in her mini van. Full of rich life wisdom and well versed in Ayurvedic practices, she taught our little group of paddling soul searchers some new life moves.

One of those was how to meditate. Daily.

She cared little about what other people thought of her eccentric ways. She was what Germans call a Lebenskuenstler – An artist of her life. Right up my ally! Needless to say, I was very inspired. During that trip, I learned her meditation practice.

And then I challenged myself to meditate every day. I wanted to see what happens.

With some exceptions, I have maintained this practice since then. I was curious. Is meditation as amazing as everyone says? Duh! Yes, absolutely. Not sure why I was surprised by this. Millions of Buddhist monks can’t be wrong. The effects on my mental clarity, motivation, energy level, sleep and attitude were astounding.

Ten uninterrupted minutes is all I need. As a busy mom, I find the only time of my day I can salvage for my mediation is in the morning just after waking and before I get out of bed. Before anyone needs anything of me. Before I look at my cell phone. Before I have tea. Before I make lunches. Before I check emails. I tried to do it at other times of the day. I thought it would be nice to do in a special, tranquil setting, like the beach or in the park. But it just wasn’t going to happen. And taking care of myself first thing in the morning helps me take better care of others as the day unfolds. Selfish, you think? Nope, not at all.

If you don’t think you deserve 10 minutes a day for yourself, then we really need to talk!

I suggest you contact me immediately 😉

There are many different mediation methods. And many ways to be mindful. Many ways to reset the mental clock. So, what do I do? Mine is a combination of different influences and is not based in any one belief. In a nutshell, I …

…Get present. Be mindful. Become centered. Be aware. Be grateful. And set intentions for the day.

Does this intrigue you too? Want to know more about it? Keep reading.

Step One: Get present in the Now. Take slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Imagine yourself lying in a tranquil beach with lapping waves. As you breathe in, imagine a wave flowing up around you. As you breathe out, feel the water recede back into the ocean. Let your breath determine the gentle flow of the waves. As the water recedes with each exhale, imagine it takes a little bit more tension out of your body. Let the tension float out into the ocean. You don’t need it anymore. Do this for most of the timeframe you are allotted to your meditation. Follow this with the next two steps for the remaining time.

Step Two: Count your blessings. Choose three things, people or aspects of your life, you are grateful for. Try not to choose the same ones each time you meditate, but it is okay to pick the same ones occasionally. Some may be “big deals” while others can be very simple. The warm embrace of your child. Or the feel of soft pastel pink cherry blossom flowers between your fingers. The idea is to fill your heart with what is wonderful in your life, JUST AS IT IS.

Step Three: Choose your intentions for the day. Choose three things you wish to do that day, no matter what. Limit this to three. This is not supposed to be a comprehensive ‘to-do’ list. Three things you will to align with what really matters to you. The choice is yours. You don’t have to tell anyone else about it if you don’t want to.

There you have it. No need to complicate it. Ten minutes are all you need, but feel free to increase the time if you feel inclined. Let me know what your experience is by leaving a comment below. Within the next weeks, I will post a follow-up blog on an additional mediation I recently learned about. It’s an evening meditation practice to rejoice in your day once it is completed, to help set yourself up for the next ahead. I think you will like it.

In the meantime,

Namaste.

Simone