Every day, when I wake up, no matter when or where in the wild wide world, and for almost a decade now, I give myself a celebratory moment of stillness. A moment for blessings.
I want to open every day like a lover’s carefully chosen gift, to hold it first unopened, precious and sweet and filled with promises…
Before unwrapping its first layer of wakefulness, I feel the utter gratitude of being alive, present, sentient and free. I roll my whole consciousness in a blissful state of beingness, like a baby dolphin in the surf. I might take a few seconds or several minutes, time being irrelevant, til I feel attuned and ready. I give blessings to the day and to Life in me.
Then I launch myself into the day, and brew the perfect (big) mug of fragrant nectar, while the thin smoke of Japanese incense drifts on the wake of my sailing through the house, moving air into currents I would not see without this, adding a layer of awareness to the world around me. The blessing of first sip! Ahhh… coffee. A medium roast from Costa Rica… mellow, complex and utterly satisfying. The cloud of cream unraveling on the steamy surface. Another nod here, to thank the gods. Pure joy, really.
I am not religious, but I have reverence for the unfathomable intelligence orchestrating the stars above me, and the burning of incense, the ringing of Tibetan bowls, the giving of thanks are a way to put grace in the day ahead. I could be doing salutations to the sun, or sing a song or give seeds to birds, what really matters here is being of this world, connected with all that is, and joyfully open to what unfolds. Sending blessings to the whole world.
It has made a large difference in my every day life, to simply take a few moments to collect my thoughts and focus on what really matters, before getting in the busyness of the day… Definitely helps me stay balanced and solid, connected, conscious. Freer certainly. Not letting things extinguish my inner smile. Most of the time.
I don’t know of your morning blessings, but if you don’t have any yet… give it a try, create one, it could literally “make your day”…
More later…