“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” — Buddha

There’s a gentleness that permeates the air as the first sunlight of the new day peers over the horizon. Gentleness of the subtle natural light, gentleness of the silence that begins to whisper ‘hello’ to a new day, and gentleness in how our mind begins to wake up slowly after a renewing night’s sleep.

The idea of accompanying the sunrise thoughtfully with our carefully chosen routines and rituals, an act of intentionality, signifies a choice to begin the day mindfully. And as winter is still upon us, but gradually each day stretches a minute or two longer, the act of greeting the day with a genuine hello and welcome, much like a hostess may welcome us as we arrive at a special restaurant for a meal we have long anticipated after months of waiting for the reserved date and seating time to arrive, sets the mood positively with an open-mind and heart fully determined to savor the day that has begun to unfold.

Today, I would like to share with you a light-hearted posting to begin the new week as a way to remind us not to ignore or dismiss what is in our control and to bring awareness to moments that may initially seem simple and less important but that actually offer a profound opportunity should we choose to seize it to improve the quality of the rest of the day. With the arrival of each sunrise, an opportunity to nurture ourselves well arrives, so I would like to share with you 13 ideas for accompanying the sunrise so that your days have as much possibility of being extraordinary no matter how ordinary they may appear to the outside world or on your calendar. 😌

1.Choose the first sounds you wish to hear upon waking up

Sometimes we aren’t aware how subtle sounds can be the cause for our waking up, especially if we are a light-sleeper. Of course, if we sleep deeply and need to wake up at a certain time, having a sound that assures us we will wake up is needed, but the sound need not be annoying or bothersome like the traditional beeping of an alarm. Interestingly enough, studies have shown that “different alarm sounds can positively influence human performance after waking”, and the younger we are, the more likely we will need a sound with more decibels, but still, it need not be a bothersome sound.

With all of the apps and technology available to us, the options are endless for waking up to the sound and in the way we prefer if we do not have the luxury to wake up when our body awakes naturally. We can choose a sound that will while waking us up, also does so gently and eases us into consciousness.

In my own morning routine, I wake up and immediately turn on classical music (below are the three stations I listen to). I listen via my Robert’s Revival radio which can set your alarm to wake up to a particular radio station, or DAB (in the UK). The sound quality is phenomenal and the clock is aesthetically beautiful without any bright lights, but it does have the time set to the brightness I prefer so I will know what time it is when I wake up. It also has Bluetooth which I connect to my phone that remains in the kitchen, so I will then turn on my music through my phone and play my classical music through the bluetooth connection (the bluetooth connection is not set up to use as an alarm however). Roberts now makes a smaller version of the Revival called Rest and it is specifically designed to offer gentle wake-up options – two colors are available and I have shopped them below for you.

Below are a few options for clocks that offer tranquil sounds and settings for waking up well:

• Mudita’s Bell 2 (two colors)
• Hatch Restore 3 (three colors)
• Reacher alarm clock (three colors)
• Roberts Revival Rest radio (two colors, black and the duck egg color is available on Amazon UK here)
• Zen Alarm Clocks (original and digital), recommended by long-time TSLL member Sue S. (Thank you Sue to introducing them to us :))

Ideally, and soon this will begin with Spring’s arrival, waking up to the music of birdsong in the garden is a dream realized. There’s something so special about hearing the birds begin to chirp and because you know your birds well, you know what time it is based on their routine.

Classical music stations/apps:

• KDFC/KUSC
• BBC Sounds, channel 3
• Classic FM

2. Have a glass of water next to your bed

Choose a beautiful glass or ceramic cup/mug and place on your nightstand upon heading to bed the night before. Upon waking, drink the water to gently awake and also hydrate your body and being.

Here in Bend, we live in the high desert, so we have especially dry air. Having a glass of water next to the bed also serves to hydrate throughout the night if I wake up parched, but the majority of the water is enjoyed upon waking up.

3. Have a robe or warm cardigan set next to the bed to wear immediately upon getting up

Especially during the colder months, having warmth immediately available to you when you step out from under the covers makes the transition to consciousness less harsh and alarming. Perhaps as well, you will want a pair of pajama bottoms to slip on if you wear a chemise to bed to keep your legs warm. Whatever you need to remain warm, yet be up and walking about, place next to your bed before turning in the night before.

4. And a pair of slippers as well ☺️

There is something cozy about sliding my toes into a pair of mule slippers. It is as though the day is beginning, but just enough, not too much. I am dressed and staying warm, but only just for my morning routine and rituals, not to rush out the door. Wearing them feels like a signal to my mind to step into the morning, but stay in the morning, not the full day just yet.

My own slippers are actually suede slide moccasin shoes that I choose to wear as slippers, mule-style slides with rubber/traction soles so I can step outside onto the porch and either pick up the Sunday paper that arrives bright and early or usher the pups back inside. It has taken me years to find the right slipper, so when we do come across one that suits our life and feels good on the feet without being cumbersome, bulky or feeble so they will last a long time, scoop it up and welcome it into your routine.

~Unfortunately, the company no longer makes the slide style mentioned above, but the moccasin style is still available and you can shop them here. This brand makes similar slide suede slippers that are available in a wide range of colors.

• Forth Worth Brown Baba (many colors)
• Mule suede shoes, safari color
• luxury find: Frette Astoria Slipper, beige
• Aurélien Saffron Suede Voyager slipper

5. Draw back (or pull up) the curtains/shades with gratitude and welcome

This may sound cheesy at first, but hear me out. There is just something empowering about being able to choose when you open the curtains, much like the curtains opening at the play – it is beginning and you, with your drawing back the curtains, are saying it is so! Whether you want to be waking up as early as you are or not, this part, your approach, your attitude in how you say hello to the first glimpse of the new day is completely in your hands. Take the reins, and smile, say your mantra for the day, whatever you need to set the right tone.

Now if you don’t have window treatments that you open up, find something that you can do physically that signifies a new day is beginning regarding how the house greets the new light. Perhaps you have a ritual of turning on certain lamps. Whatever you choose, make sure it begins to create an atmosphere that is gentle as it gradually welcomes light into the room. In other words, no harsh overhead lights. Nothing irks me more than the shocking brightness at a hotel room as the only light to turn on when I wake up, already in a strange place and only partially conscious. This also inspired me to add dimmer lights to my bathroom, so that even when I step into the bathroom first thing in the morning, I can have a soft light and increase as necessary so not to shock myself. 🙂

This is where your customization of your sanctuary’s décor plays a role in welcoming the new day well. It may take time to add the curtains, Roman shades or any other window treatment you have envisioned, but once you have them, it will change the entire mood and feel of the room. One of my favorite rituals (yep, a ritual, not a routine – explore the difference here, but know they are both powerfully important to our days) each morning is drawing back the curtains in the primary bedroom, and then as I step into the main part of the house, the curtains in the dining room, living room and pulling up the shades in the kitchen, followed by tying back the door curtain in the kitchen that leads to the garden as the pups head outside for their morning routine before breakfast. This signifies to me that I am up, the day has begun and let’s do this well!

6. Make a favorite hot cuppa

Just turning on the kettle to warm up water signals that the day has begun, and simultaneously suggests, especially when you pull out your favorite teacup or mug, that you aren’t rushing, but greeting the day to say hello.

Whether just pouring hot water into a cup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or making a proper cup of tea, choose what you would prefer with intention which will encourage you all the more to slow down and be fully present with the sun as it eventually or has already begun to rise (even if it is lost behind the clouds).

My first hot cuppa in the morning is just water from the kettle and a squeeze of lemon. This ritual has it own teacup only used for this moment in my day. Nelle’s treat is nestled on the saucer as she enjoys that while I meditate as I carry this cuppa to signal that it is time to be still and just be.

Why Not . . . Drink Tea? Discover 10 Health Benefits (and a list of my favorite teas)

7. Meditate facing the east to greet the sun

Whether you meditate for one minute or twenty or anything in between or beyond, situate yourself with intention. Face a window if you are sitting inside that looks out so that when you begin and end you can see the sun gradually rising and the light of the day beginning to increase. Similarly, when you are able to meditate outside, find a spot in the garden, on the balcony or patio that has a vantage point that inspires you or at least holds you calmly in the present moment.

“Let go of the misguided idea that meditation is about stopping your thoughts. It’s about observing thoughts, not getting swept away by thoughts, seeing when we get distracted, letting go and coming back to the present. It’s such a different relationship. It will change not only your meditation forever, but it will change your relationship with your thoughts, your feelings, every aspect of your life.” —Andy Puddicombe

~Here is an introductory post to mediation and when you enroll in the Contentment Masterclass, we dive deeply into how meditation benefits all areas of our life as well as provide a guide meditation session with Shannon.

How the First 10,000 minutes of Meditation Changed My Life

8. Refrain from checking your email or phone or any other outside ‘news’ until after your mind and being are fully awake

Depending upon the quality of sleep you received and which part of the sleep cycle you wake up, it can take between 15 minutes to 2 hours for the mind to be fully conscious and awake. As you begin to gain full awareness to your mind and body, you will know when you are quicker to reach full consciousness on some days versus others. (learn more about what is called sleep inertia here)

Because it takes time to reach this full alert state, create a habit to not check any technology, even your phone for messages, until you are awake. Why? When our mind isn’t fully in our conscious-grasp, we tend to react rather than be able to respond especially if something unwanted or shocking has been learned and we think we need “to do” something, when what we might do in this partially unconscious state is not best action to take.

My intention is to wait until after meditating to check any technology. It has taken a conscious effort over the past four years to do this, and while I use the word intention because life can happen as know, the evidence of the quality of my mornings when I don’t check until this time is motivating to stick to it. I have certainly improved since I consciously made this decision and can usually stick to my intention 80%-90% of the time.

9. Sun salutations

Another morning ritual to greet the sunrise with intention to encourage into being a day that begins on the best food is to begin to physically move your body with the breath. Sun salutations, as practiced in Yoga, are a physical act paralleling a mindful practice. Literally, you are moving your body through “a series of poses that are linked together with the breath”. And as sun salutations are a form of the vinyasa practice of yoga, you aren’t holding any of the poses, but rather linking them by moving through them.

As it pertains to greeting the day, the term ‘sun salutation’ means what it states: a way to honor the sun. Throughout history the sun has been seen as both a life-giving force but also as a teacher, and by practicing this movement at the beginning of the day, sun salutations are a way of aligning with the sun’s positive energy. When we not only incorporate one or two or three sun salutations into our morning ritual to greet the day, we mindfully are inviting our attention to settle on a way of moving through the day – thoughtfully to hold ourselves open with integrity and with gratitude.

~Learn more about how to physically move through a sun salutation here.

10. Enjoy a nourishing, delicious breakfast while sitting down

Each morning, whether it is Monday or Friday or Saturday (you get the idea), I cannot wait to sit down and enjoy my breakfast. And believe it or not, it is the same breakfast every single day with a few tweaks over the years (no more heavy cream, but definitely steel cut oats every morning, along with egg and occasionally with fresh slices of avocado). Yep. I love it. I have shared quite a few times that my breakfast hasn’t change for more than 15 years, and it has served me well. I will let you learn more about it here.

What we eat in the morning sets the tone for a clear mind, a body full of energy that will last and a lightness, yet satiating feeling upon completion. Not having to think about what I am going to eat is part of why I love it. It is both a routine and ritual because emotionally I am engaged, savoring the making of the meal, but mentally, I am not expending a lot of thought on what I am doing as I can relax knowing it will feed me well for the day ahead.

And the other part of this is to make sure we sit down to savor the meal. Again, being able to look outside or at something beautiful while you eat, so that you are greeting the day holds us in the now, slows us down and for however long we can reside in this seat, we have a private sanctuary of peace before the schedule begins to require us to get up and head out into the day.

11. Tickle the mind with a trivial, non-stressful challenge

At this point your mind has likely neared its full alertness, so pull out a puzzle or two and engage the mind. NYTimes Games is my go-to app as I play a couple of the games offered (for free, no subscription required). I also love a verbal puzzle and look forward to NPR’s Sunday Morning puzzle with Will Shortz.

12. Find a moment to be in Mother Nature

Whether simply stepping out onto your front or back porch to feel the cool morning air on your face, or stepping out into the garden if the temperatures are milder to enjoy your breakfast at an outdoor table, or even better, taking a walk on your own or with a loved one (person or pup), yet again, we are aligning ourselves with the present moment, literally spending time with the sunrise as the day begins and all of this is to the good – for our health, for our mind, to slow our breathing, you get the idea. 😌

13. Sit still and watch the sun rise, whenever it happens

As the days grow longer, we may literally be rising with the sun, but for now, many us are already up and beginning our day before the sun even peeks over the horizon. That doesn’t mean we can’t savor the sunrise. An easy thing to do is note the time when the sun will rise in your location, and make a note to stop whatever you are doing to be still and observe the sun rise.

Sunrise watching provides a wonderful intentional ritual to be more mindful and savor literally an everyday occurence that is positive. This practice exercises the muscle of gratitude that we can then carry forward into our day to pay attention fully, to see all that is going on so that when we see something, no matter how minute, that enables the day to go well (just as the sun’s warmth enables life to occur), we take note and no longer take it for granted.

By choosing to accompany the sunrise, we are choosing to live mindfully. We choose how to begin our day while also acknowledging we aren’t alone and Mother Nature deserves a whole lot of credit for making the life we live, and love doing so, possible. Whichever routines and rituals you choose to accompany the sunrise each day will be unique to you, and that is why it is important to tailor it to what nourishes you – the food you choose, the clothes you wear, your home’s décor, the hot drink you sip, you get to decide, and this is all positive nourishment to give you more energy to engage with the world well when you leave your sanctuary or wherever you wake up in the world as this can absolutely be a ritual to include on your travels to ground you and set the tone well even if you don’t know what you will discover on your vacation’s itinerary.

May you have many mornings to savor and celebrate the sunrise.

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