Start Still

Do you wake up to a screeching alarm clock lurching yourself  into your day? Racing to the shower or the coffee pot? Have you ever wondered what the psychic toll of that is? Maybe you should start still.

Starting still means gently waking up in a natural, calm way. Your natural body rhythms are not meant to follow that  jolting start pattern.

And starting your day in a crazy flurry is going to create nothing but stress and insanity for the rest of the day.

So how do you start still? Try this: go to sleep with your blinds or curtains halfway open. That way, the natural light of the rising sun will send a signal to your beautiful brain to slow its production of melatonin and bump up its production of adrenaline, a signal that it’s time to wake up.When the alarm goes off, you’ll already be half awake.

Even better: go to bed early enough so that you’re resting and can easily wake up when the sun shines through your window.  If you maintain this routine, it’s likely that you can start relying on your biological clock rather than a jerky alarm clock.How cool would that be?

Even more radical – what if you coordinated your day so that you had an extra 10-15 minutes in the morning to get your stuff done before you get out the door? Can you imagine what those few extra minutes could do to your pace and your mood?

If you still need more inspiration for a peaceful morning, try the Buddha’s approach. Buddha said that every time you go to bed you should consider that you won’t wake up. That way, when you wake up you will be especially grateful for the day you have ahead of you. Instead of seeing the day as a burden that you have to “get through” you will see it as an opportunity to do something meaningful, and you will be joyful for the opportunity to have another day of life! Love that!

Once you’re out of bed, drink some water. This helps rehydrate you, fills your belly (reducing hunger), and flushes toxins accumulated overnight.

Give it a try! By starting still, you’re actually making a huge step to actually having a good morning – and a great rest of the day.

Are you a good sleeper? Or does the sandman skip you over? Please share!