I’ll confess I’m not really an early bird. The days of shuttling kids to school, rushing off to work, and waking at an ungodly hour to make sure everything ticks along perfectly, are now behind me. Which gives me time to enjoy slow wondrous mornings.
As spring begins to awaken, so do I. Like an unfolding flower, I’m up a bit earlier to enjoy the quiet and solitude of an unrushed rising.
One particular day this week I got out of bed at 5:30am. An extremely unusual event for me, but the joy that comes with that is indescribable.
The sun doesn’t rise here in February until close to 7, which means it was dark. So I lit candles, started a yummy coffee and listened to the sounds of the morning as I allowed my thoughts to flow.
Early mornings are meditative. There’s a peace that’s similar to, yet different than, the still of night.
The stillness at night is restful and easy like a deep breath. The peace in the morning is full of lightness and hope. Soft like a white cloud floating with anticipation for a beautiful day ahead and gratitude for whatever is given.
To maintain the feeling of gratitude it’s important to linger in a dreamlike state upon waking. At that crucial time your brain operates on a frequency of waves called Theta. This is a time of free flow, which allows for creative and joyful thoughts. And very different that the Beta state when you are wide awake.
In this state the brain’s frequency is slower. Allowing you to tap into your own intuition and creativity.
The worst thing we can do is jostle ourselves too quickly, pick up our phones right away, check emails, or turn on the news. All of these will bring you into a negative mindset, stealing your joyful perspective.
There is science behind this. And therefore starting off the day while lingering in bed a little while, enjoying the quiet, or doing some meditation or yoga will ensure a more positive mindset and a more joyful, wondrous perspective during the day.
So on this particular morning, I basked in the quiet solitude, enjoyed a gentle yoga flow and allowed myself to feel the joy and gratitude in the early morning by candle light. And the bonus is, I got so much more done during my day.
I just need to do this more often, because there is also a night owl in me. And going to bed at 10pm is not my thing.
On the bright side, quite literally, the summer sun rises around 5 am here, so waking up earlier may be easier for this night owl who loves slow and wondrous mornings.
How about you? Night owl or early bird? And what do you do first thing on waking?
Thanks to Vicki of VictoriaPonders.com for the mention in her beautiful post on intuitive legacies.
Read it here https://victoriaponders.com/2024/02/29/peek-inside-surviving-sue-intuitive-legacies/
Write a post, like a gratitude journal about something joyful you’ve experienced on this journey to joy. Link your post in comments by next Friday, and I’ll share it in my next Saturday’s post.
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Such an inviting morning photo, Alegria. The rain is currently bouncing here. It’s threatened all week and finally arrived, and it’s fun to watch. Not sure that the container plants think so, but we’ll sort them out later. Thanks for this enlightening post. It’s good to know there’s a science behind waking and starting the day. Another of nature’s miracles, I guess. I’m an early riser too, and it gets earlier as the year progresses, till I start to feel the lack of sleep because I can be a night owl too. I was looking forward to watching Rafa this week, in the wee small hours, but sadly he’s withdrawn from Indian Wells.
I do love to watch the sun rise, but it involves tiptoeing round the house so I don’t disturb the other half. He has the ability to pull the cover over his head and go back to sleep, no matter how bright and inviting the day. I’ve never had that, but I don’t always make the most of those early hours. Once I’ve made coffee, on goes the laptop and… here I am! Happy to be here.
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Oh yes, we all have our morning routines and they can be very different, even among couples. And I too can enjoy both sides of it. I took that photo one very early morning as I went for a walk with my daughter. The air was cool and crisp, birds were singing and the dew on the grass looked like gold glitter. It was a beautiful morning. Thanks for being here Jo! 💕
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🤗🩷
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I’m an early bird. I like to wake up early for all the reasons you mention. It somehow feels like extra stolen time to be awake before the rest of the neighbourhood. I use the time to do lots of things, including writing, cleaning and even cooking! Once it’s light I’ll go for a walk. I tend not to use the night time hours as productively and watch more TV than I’d like, so I prefer an early night and an early start.
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That sounds lovely Robyn. I can’t however imagine cooking in the early morning. Not sure why. And yes, it certainly feels like extra stolen time. I love that feeling too.
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I’m a night owl but these days early mornings are most peaceful in my house. First thing every morning before anyone gets up and while I’m still in bed, I put my headset in and listen to my daily devotional. I then go back to sleep and when everyone else leaves the house a few hours later I get up when the house is quiet and all mine 😊. Your morning sounds real calm and peaceful ❤️.
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That sounds like a perfect morning Jan. There’s nothing like having a quiet and peaceful house all to yourself. It’s not a common occurrence for me either. And though this particular morning was calm and peaceful, not all are. Though I am grateful to have as many as I do. The older I get, the better it gets. There are definitely benefits to aging.😊💕
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I love being up early and basking in the quiet, peaceful moments before the business of the day. My favourite thing is to sip my coffee while listening to the birds chirp and make some positive intentions for the day.
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That sounds like a great start to the day. Thank you for being here Anonymous. Hope to see you here again!
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I love, “To maintain the feeling of gratitude it’s important to linger in a dreamlike state upon waking. ” That’s so good, Alegria. The nugget about Theta waves is so interesting. I’m an early bird and love waking up early so your description of enjoying the quiet and potential of the morning resonates with me. Beautiful!
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It certainly is a magical time of day. I love it too. I just need to do it more often. 😆 With little kids we are naturally early birds, and the early morning, before they rise is precious. Now, I’m more of a night owl. I love both for different reasons.
Thanks for being here my friend. 💕
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Like you, I am mostly a night owl. Over the years I was tamed into getting up early, but now that I don’t have to anymore, I am drifting back to staying late and sleeping in. I do cherish those rare early mornings!
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I’m the same. And I love both for different reasons. Thanks for being here Margie. Hope you’re doing great.
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I love, love, love your perspective about slowing things down…allowing goodness to flow in before I feel besieged by “stuff”. I’ve learned I need to force myself to stay put for a bit after I wake up…linger and ponder. Literally. It’s a potent creative time for me and if I allow it to unfold, unexpected gifts of problem solving often arrive. Thank you so much for sharing your ‘basking in morning solitude’ thoughts. So good! (And thanks for the link to my post – very sweet of you!) xo! 🥰
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Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts Vicki. It is very easy to just jump into the day, especially as busy working parents. Taking time to think, pray, meditate is so important for our own mental wellness and our approach to the world around us.
And of course, you’re most welcome on the share.
Appreciate you being here. 💕
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Much love! 🥰
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