02_21_2021

The Luxury of a Peaceful Morning

                With each day that our external choices are limited because of the Pandemic, I am becoming more spoiled by the “quietness” that accompanies this time in our lives.  In particular, as I settle in each evening and spend a few minutes contemplating what is on my schedule the next morning, I am excited when I realize that I have nothing pressing on my morning schedule the next day.

                I wake up with an  extra charge when I know that I have the next couple of hours to myself.  Smelling the coffee brewing, turning up the heat, gathering the couch pillows to rest against, I grab my phone to review the day’s headlines briefly.  Checking the weather forecast follows shortly as I begin mentally prioritizing when to look forward to my morning walk.

                My two cats are also part of this routine, as once they’ve enjoyed their morning meal, they look forward – as do I – to the gift of their lap time.  I sometimes use an app to accompany my meditation practice, and I believe that they have come to recognize the background music and associate it with the availability of lap time.  If they aren’t already with me, as soon as the music starts, they are on the couch ready for some cuddling and loving.

                I’ve had to get past the suggested sitting positions that often accompany preparing to meditate as none of them factor in petting  a purring cat.  But hey, a favorite mantra of a mindfulness practice includes learning “to be in the moment.”

                Early morning time offers us an invitation to set our intentions for the day.  One of my companion resources in 2021 includes Sister Stan’s book, “Gardening the Soul: Mindful thoughts and meditations for every day of the year.”  I enjoyed the following thought that she offered this past week:

                                “Every new day is a gift that we cannot produce for ourselves. The

                                light comes and a whole new day is born, and it is different because

                                of our reception of it.  Even if the routine seems the same as

                                yesterday, how we face today is always new.

                One of my joys on unencumbered mornings is that I have the space to make choices about how I want to use my time that day.  My daily pattern varies as sometimes I’ll stay with all or some of the thoughts I had the night before about what I wanted to accomplish.  Other times, new ideas surface and I may well end up shifting my entire schedule for the day.

                A serene start to my day allows me time to engage in my spiritual practices – like mediation – that help center or ground me for the day.  I usually dip into one or more of the inspirational resources that line my coffee table, and the thoughts from these plant some ideas that serve as pleasant thoughts throughout my day.

                I have received many benefits from following practices and resources offered by Deepak Chopra.  One of his guided meditations that have stayed with me for a long time focused on how he begins each day.  He shared that once he wakes up, he stays in bed an extra 10-20 minutes as he explores what it is that he wants to do that day to bring him joy.  What a great idea!  I, too, have learned to review my list of possible ways that I might spend my time upon awakening.  If I can’t identify something on my list that I look forward to as my source of joy that day, I spend a few moments adding in an element that I associate with joy. 

                The opportunity to have time in the morning to give thought on how I want to use the gift of a day is a real luxury.  I think of all of the mornings when I was working full-time outside my home.  In the years that I had a long commute, I was up by 5:00 am and out of the house by 6:00 am.  The morning drive could often provide some peaceful moments when I could give thought to my priorities that day, but It is now the same as sitting on your couch with a warm cup of coffee in hand.

                The Pandemic has definitely altered our sense of time.  I often hear people these days talk about how the days run together, and how difficult it is to tell one day from the other.  I’m happy to say that I’m not experiencing that phenomenon.  I have some regularly scheduled Zoom meetings and other activities during the week, and those events help me anchor the day of the week.  I think my daily, day-setting morning activities contribute to a fuller experience of each day.

                By the time my morning rituals are complete, I’m ready to get dressed for my morning walk.  Given that we’re in the month of February and have had snowy weather almost every day for the last  couple of weeks, experiencing the beauty of a snow-filled landscape is another gift.  My favorite days for walking are the weekend days as there is much less traffic which lends itself to less noise and fewer people out and about.

                I will likely continue to experiment with trying out different approaches on how to make the most of each day, but I’m fairly certain that taking the time to center and to awaken my awareness of the gifts that are available to me each morning will continue to be an anchor in my daily routine.

                As I hold my warm cup of fresh coffee each morning, I offer a blessing of gratitude for another day!