Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Blake Cothron

 

The darkest hour of the black night slowly begins to change … first shades of black become dark blue, and the stars fade from view.  Birds awaken and joyfully sing choruses to the awakening sun, like songs of appreciation and delight.  The glowing moon becomes faint as the great sun slowly rises over the horizon, beaming warmth and light over the landscape … another day has begun! 

 

In the midst of this epic scenario happening right outside your walls, where are you, and what are you doing?  Are you jolted by a blaring alarm clock, dragging yourself out of bed and wiping the crust out of your eyes, in a hurry to make it to work … did you hear any birds singing today? 

 

Many spiritual traditions recognize morning as a significant time to do practices like meditation and chanting.  Buddhist monks begin meditation around 5 am, and certain Hindu sects begin chanting around the same time.  Certain spiritual paths recognize the morning as a time of greater peace, tranquility, and a sacred time. 

 

Just as breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day, it is also very beneficial to start the day on a positive, clear note.  In this way we can begin to make the morning a sacred time, instead of the rushed, stressed, hazy time it often is. 

 

I’ve noticed that the typical way many Americans start the day is with a jarring alarm.  After being shocked into hazy wakefulness, they immediately start brewing a cup of strong addictive stimulants and open the newspaper or turn on the news.  The news tells you everything going wrong around the world and increases stress and fear.  After that, it’s time to rush off to work.  How does that sound to you? 

 

Sleep

One of the most important ways to start your day on the right foot is to get enough sleep!  Sleep is the body’s sacred time, a time where the logical, analytical mind takes the backseat and mysterious, otherworldly perceptions awaken in the mind.  It is a time of rejuvenation and healing within the body.  It is a time to completely rest, mind, body and spirit, to awaken fresh and ready for what life has to offer in the morning. 

 

Late hours, excessive alcohol, drugs, being under artificial lights late at night, all these things disrupt the body’s rhythm and natural body clock, interfering with sleep. 

 

The first step is to get into a healthy rhythm of sleep patterns.  I feel sorry for those folks that work the night shift and I wonder if they are ever in complete body harmony.  To begin creating sacred space in the morning, try to start going to bed around 10 pm, if not earlier.  If you have to be awake by 8am for work, that would give you around a perfect 8 hours of sleep, with enough time to take the morning very slow and create sacred space in the morning.

 

Creating a Sacred Space

My idea of “sacred space” is designating special time out of the day to engage in something that is reflective, appreciative, relaxing, or in some way out of the loop of typical, brain-oriented productiveness. 

 

That’s right!  This is about being non-productive in the material sense.  It’s not about entertainment, communicating with people, making cash, worrying, or scheming! 

 

This is a time to engage in whatever you may need to relax and open your heart in some way.  This could be through meditation, prayer, reading from a religious or spiritual book, lighting incense and sitting silently, listening to a very inspirational song, playing an instrument, writing in a journal, whatever it may be. 

 

While this time is non-productive materially, the side effects produced could include more awareness, calm, settled nerves, more appreciation, a lighter attitude, a more positive outlook, and a better (and more productive) day!  This activity is perfect for anytime of the day, but especially suited to morning.  How does that sound for a way to start the day? 

 

Morning Meditation

I’ve made it my practice to wake up early and meditate every day.  It’s a recent thing; I’ve only been doing it on my own around a month or so.  I love it, it’s absolutely great.  I wake up early, hearing the birds singing, even in the suburbs, and spend a few minutes at least laying there silent with my first thoughts of the day.  I attempt to quiet my thoughts through concentration and deep breathing. 

 

As thoughts quickly creep in, I watch them come and go.  If they are troubling, stressful, or negative, I watch them go by and then change my frequency to something carefree, appreciative, and light.  I see how blessed I am. 

 

I spend this time checking in with my body, feeling it, listening to it…is there anything funny going on in there?  If there is, I attend to it with touch, thought, and attention.  I then stretch and sit upright in the classic meditation posture, legs crossed, back straight, fingers lightly touching.  I face the rising sun and keep myself all cozy wrapped in blankets (if there’s someone else in the bed with you, you might need to get an extra blanket!).  I then breathe deeply, rhythmically, and focus on my meditation technique.  I spend around 30-45 minutes like this. 

 

During this time my thoughts range from being very peaceful and quiet, to being very hectic, scheming, and distracting.  It’s an ongoing practice; meditation is not a means to an end.  It takes practice to quiet the mind during meditation.  Some might have trouble sitting for 5 minutes! 

 

Other Activities

Morning meditation is simply an example of what I do personally.  For you it might be morning yoga, which is wonderful.  Or it might be sitting silently and saying a prayer, invoking a peaceful, happy day, good health and safety for your family, or a specific thing that concerns you, like trouble at work or someone ill.  Make sure to express some gratitude and joy in prayer.  

 

So maybe you don’t have much time in the morning, or think you just can’t spend the morning like this.  You can still spend 5 minutes saying a prayer, stretching, journaling, or listening to something inspiring and peaceful, like a song or the birds.  Do whatever is positive and relaxing to you. 

 

Say a prayer in a warm shower!  Once you start creating sacred space, you’ll notice that you’re more centered, calm, and more peaceful on a more frequent basis.  Try green tea in the morning instead of coffee.  Maybe watch the news or read the paper in the evening.  In fact you could try to avoid TV in the morning completely. 

 

Embrace what creates inner peace, harmony, and calm nerves for you.  This might just be a positive practice for you.

 

“I never really look for anything. What God throws my way comes. I wake up in the morning and whichever way God turns my feet, I go.”
-Pearl Bailey

 

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to live on this beautiful and astonishing planet Earth.  In the morning, I wake up with a sense of gratitude.”
-Earl Nightingale

 

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