My dew-drenched zinnias with this morning’s sun lighting them up.
When my friend Susie was visiting from Ethiopia, we did our yoga together each morning on the deck, a practice I’ve continued since her visit. This morning, as I turned my head toward the porch during my spinal twist (Supta Parivartanasana), the sun broke free from the hill enclosing my valley and lit up my zinnias.
I’ve been doing yoga in the morning for more than 35 years, whether I have time only for a 3-minute sun salutation, or can do a full-blown sequence concluding with meditation. I think it’s important for everyone, no matter what, to have some sort of morning ritual that signals your brain to start the day. The ritual can expand or contract to fit your schedule. Often it can be something you have to do anyway. For example, Carl controls his diabetes in part through exercise. His morning ritual includes taking the dog on a 4-mile walk—a form of meditation for both of them. Sharpie meditates on the bunnies and chipmunks hiding in the brush.
The reason I believe the morning ritual is important is that it truly does kick your brain into gear. After I’ve done my yoga, I can sit at my computer and words just pour out of me. I’ve been struggling for months with the ending to a short story, and after yesterday’s yoga, I immediately wrote the perfect conclusion. Carl carries a voice-activated recorder in the pocket of his walking clothes. Often, he thinks of the perfect solution to a work problem, or exactly what he needs to say to his colleague. Sharpie’s brilliant barks are recorded, too.
When my friend Susie was visiting from Ethiopia, we did our yoga together each morning on the deck, a practice I’ve continued since her visit. This morning, as I turned my head toward the porch during my spinal twist (Supta Parivartanasana), the sun broke free from the hill enclosing my valley and lit up my zinnias.
I’ve been doing yoga in the morning for more than 35 years, whether I have time only for a 3-minute sun salutation, or can do a full-blown sequence concluding with meditation. I think it’s important for everyone, no matter what, to have some sort of morning ritual that signals your brain to start the day. The ritual can expand or contract to fit your schedule. Often it can be something you have to do anyway. For example, Carl controls his diabetes in part through exercise. His morning ritual includes taking the dog on a 4-mile walk—a form of meditation for both of them. Sharpie meditates on the bunnies and chipmunks hiding in the brush.
The reason I believe the morning ritual is important is that it truly does kick your brain into gear. After I’ve done my yoga, I can sit at my computer and words just pour out of me. I’ve been struggling for months with the ending to a short story, and after yesterday’s yoga, I immediately wrote the perfect conclusion. Carl carries a voice-activated recorder in the pocket of his walking clothes. Often, he thinks of the perfect solution to a work problem, or exactly what he needs to say to his colleague. Sharpie’s brilliant barks are recorded, too.
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