There is a small window of time in the morning that I’ve come to really appreciate.
It’s before the day gets busy. Before the phone calls, appointments, errands, work and all of the things that will eventually ask for my attention.
When I can, I spend that time on my front porch.
Coffee is usually involved.
As the seasons change, so does the porch. In October, the air can have that little chill that tells me summer has really moved on. I have a comfortable chair and, when I need it, a blanket. At first all is dark and slowly the neighborhood begins to wake up. I hear the birds start chatting, sometimes to each other and sometimes I think they are trying to talk to me.
And for a little while, I just get to be there.
My morning practice isn’t exactly the same every day. I don’t want it to be another routine I have to perform correctly.
Sometimes I read something that gives me a focus for the day. Sometimes I use a guided meditation, and sometimes I prefer the quiet. I may write a few notes about the day ahead or something that’s been on my mind.
And sometimes I simply sit.
A Practice With My Hands
There is also a small practice from my Reiki experience that I especially love.
I bring my palms together and begin by noticing where they touch.
I notice my fingertips.
Then the place where my fingers meet my palms.
I notice the length of my thumbs and the outer edges of my hands.
I don’t try to make anything happen. I just pay attention.
And something interesting happens when I give that much attention to something as familiar as my own hands.
The connection seems to come alive.
I slowly separate my hands just a little and notice the space between them. I can feel the life in that space, the warmth, sensation, energy, whatever words make sense for that particular morning.
I don’t need to explain it.
I can simply notice it.
Then my hands find a home.
Sometimes they rest quietly in my lap.
Sometimes one finds its way to my heart.
And sometimes, they come to my face.
There is something so comforting about simply holding your own face in your hands.
No fixing.
No asking anything of myself.
Just contact.
Your Body Gives You Somewhere to Begin
One of the things Reiki, TRE and my own daily practices continue to teach me is how much information becomes available when I slow down enough to notice.
I spend so much of my day in my head, thinking about what happened yesterday, what needs to happen today and what might happen tomorrow.
My morning practice gives me a few minutes to come back into my body before all of that gets underway.
And it doesn’t require an hour.
Some mornings there is time for reading, meditation, writing and coffee on the porch.
Other mornings, the practice may simply be bringing my hands together and noticing.
Both count.
Your Morning Doesn’t Have to Look Like Mine
I don’t think there is one right morning practice.
Maybe yours happens while you’re walking the dog.
Maybe it’s five quiet minutes before anyone else wakes up.
Maybe it’s stretching while the coffee brews.
Maybe it’s standing at the kitchen window and noticing what the sky looks like today.
The point isn’t to copy someone else’s morning.
It’s to discover what helps you arrive in your own day.
Tomorrow morning, before reaching for the next thing that needs your attention, you might try something very simple.
Bring your palms together.
Notice your fingertips.
Notice your palms.
Notice your thumbs.
Then slowly give your hands a little space.
You don’t have to look for anything special.
Just notice.
And then see where your hands want to find a home.
That might be enough practice for one morning.
Paula
Practice Peace
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