Morning Mindfulness

My mornings are super important to me.  How they go sets up my whole day.  I’m not saying that I’ll have a bad day if my morning gets messed up because I oversleep, or the dogs get muddy and impromptu kitchen sink baths must happen.  What I am saying is that doing some self-care and mindfulness tunes me in.  Almost like I’m an old-time radio with a tuning knob where I’m tuning or dialing into the present moment, being aware of everything around me in this present moment. 

When I first wake up my goal is to be grateful for everything I touch.  The phone that woke me. The doggie who woke up with me, the light switch that brings light… and so on.  When my mind starts on about the upcoming day, I gently tell it to wait, I’m not ready yet.  I drink a full 8 ounces of water first thing in the morning that wakes me up faster than anything else. 

I engage all my senses as much as I can. I notice how soft the dog’s fur is. I notice how bright the light is.  How cold the floor feels. How my breakfast smells.  How the granite countertop feels under my hand.  I keep bringing my mind back to the present every time it wanders off.  Gently, with a lot of grace. 

When I am finished putting the last few items in my bag and I’m getting into the car that is when I allow my mind to start going over the day.  By that time, I am awake, I’m relaxed, I’ve had breakfast, I am ready for my day.

To create mindfulness in the morning:

-          Be grateful for everything you touch

-          Drink a glass of water

-          Allow all your senses to tell you as much as they can

-          Graciously ask your mind to stay in the present.

What do you do to set yourself up for the day??