Morningtime

Ok, I realize that it's afternoon time right now.

I also realize that I was supposed to tell you all about NYC today, and I WAS GOING TO I SWEAR but then I was up all night because I suck at sleeping and then I taught this kind of weirdly awesome restorative yoga class this morning, so I wanted to tell you about that instead and also about morningtime.  

NYC tomorrow, I promise.  If you are just SO EXCITED to hear about our trip (I know, you have nothing better to be excited about?), feel free to see all the fun things we did on Instagram.  There was a lot.

 So, here's the thing about mornings.  Most of us have some sort of variation of hitting the snooze button a thousand times, racing around, shoveling coffee and nothing else into our bodies, maybe engaging in some kind of harsh workout before going to a harsh work environment, you get the picture.  

Is that you?  If not, come back tomorrow for a story about a city.  

If it IS you, however, consider this:  Would you ever wake a baby with a loud crash and then a panicked to-do list?  Of course not, that would be mean and probably send that baby into a tailspin of screaming for the rest of the day.  

IT'S THE SAME WITH ADULTS.  The same thing applies, kids.  WHY must we set harsh alarms, wake up racing around, too tired, engaging in harsh workouts and being all panicky first thing in the morning?  No, it doesn't send us into a tailspin for the rest of our day because we are grownups and are taught to deal with things even when they're totally wretched for us.  So, no wailing.  Maybe internal wailing?  You know the feeling when the alarm wakes you up out of REAL sleep and your heart gets all racy not in a good way and you're just FRANTIC even though you were sleeping five minutes prior.  

This is no good.  I believe that the way we start our day will set our meters for the WHOLE DAY, and if we put that panicky never-good-enough nonsense into our psyches first thing in the world we just go about our lives that way forever and ever amen.  

Yuck.  That's so seriously shitty.  

So this morning we did gentle, slow, restorative yoga.  We moved through all the joints and muscles and just let our bodies come to life naturally, instead of forcing them into postures they weren't yet ready for.  Obviously not everyone gets to do yoga in the morning, but you totes should if you have access to that sort of thing (if you're reading this you likely have access to YouTube which means you DO have access to that sort of thing, by the way).  Even if you don't do yoga, though, what could you do?  Get up 15 minutes early to walk, play dumb phone games, drink tea, or ANYTHING you like to do?  Before allowing yourself to get swept up in what you SHOULD do?  Maybe.  Eat a breakfast that doesn't consist solely of caffeinated water?  That would work.  Bend over and touch your toes for 45 seconds and feel blood start to move all through your body?  Breath deeply and intentionally for 2 minutes?  ANY OF IT IS FINE.  

I think that calming ourselves doesn't have to be complicated, expensive, or time consuming.  We can all pretend that we REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY EXTRA TIME, and if you're one of those people try touching your toes for 30 seconds in the morning after you go pee.  You have to pee, and it's 30 seconds.  

It doesn't have to be meditation or cray cray stuff, just small things that might set you up for a super calm, successful day.  

It was very important for me to tell you this TODAY so that you could plan on it for TOMORROW.  

Plan on it, and let me know how it goes.  Or any other fun rituals you have?  I get up before Jay most mornings and drink coconut water while I watch the dogs poop.  Not in a gross way, just to be sure they aren't sick or running away.  

Again, not simple or fancy.  Just taking the time.