Crossing Over
I am not a morning person, and I’ve never been one, but for the past few years my forenoons have been progressively dark and blurry.
No matter how motivated I get about what I’m aiming to tackle the next day, when I’m waking up I have to start all over..
No matter what my mood was like the night before, I’m never ready to leave my bed in the AM. Every morning is a battle with the resistance within — everything feels heavy, and nothing is convenient.
How quick I am to roll over and discount the vision I had for the day…
This happens to the best of us. No matter where our head was at the night before, when waking up we’re just not in the mood to follow through. Sleep must be really sweet or really sticky because we have the hardest time coming out of it.. and of course there are days where it feels like we never really do. The whole day goes by and we got nothing to say about it, nothing to show for it — because we simply never opened up.
How can we break through these morning moods? How do we get to the other side of this resistance? — Open up.
Move! — Movement is the (second*) best thing to tune you into the present moment. Whatever that halfway-headspace is that I wake up with, it tricks me into thinking that the connection I’m really after is in my dreams.. Don’t be confused, the vision is now — here, in the real world. But why’s it so hard to snap out of that?
Truth is, the hardest part is simply showing up — actually rising out of bed and beginning the first activity. If I don’t have anything that needs my attention as soon as I wake up, I will always opt to snooze… Even when I’m willing to get up, I’ll essentially just be sleepwalking for the next hour..
I’ve found that it helps to have a kind of ritual to counter this, and initiate me into each day — something that helps me say to myself, “Okay dude, you’re not asleep anymore.. Let’s move”. So every morning, I make the trip to the yard and do a little prayer.
To The Spirit & The Powers that be, thank you for another day
Here I pray — for sight & faith, so that I may
keep my balance on my way — to where it is I’m meant to stay
Heaven lift me up
Help me find the way.
If nothing else, I give my thanks and praises like I mean it - and I mean that. Then, I tackle the day.
For me, if I’ve got work to do, I know that I need to soak in some sun and open up with some good movements as soon as possible to shake off all that static and rebuild some of that momentum that felt so certain from the night before.
Stretching my body and elevating my heart rate actually-actually wakes me up, and even helps keep me in a better mood throughout the day. When I have the time, after giving thanks I’ll do some light stretches & folds to loosen up the spine & joints. Then, skip some rope. After I get a good sweat rollin’, I stretch a bit more, then I sit my ass down to just breathe & listen. At this point, I’m as ready for the day as I’ll ever be.
Nine times out of ten — before I step outside, I use the restroom first.. Before I bring my hands together for prayer or get started moving my body, I pop a squat and spill whatever thoughts & emotions I wake up with onto the pages of one of my little handy-dandy pocketbooks. One of which, I always keep on the shelf above the toilet. And I use “spill” here because often what I write is hardly coherent (to anyone else who would try and read it), and seldom “writing” at all. Sometimes it just looks like 3 pages of chicken scratch — which is why on the cover it’s written, “A.M. Scratches”.
I got this practice from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, who swears by them being a means of crossing over to the other side — of our moods, our fear, negativity, etc.
Three pages per morning may not sound like much, but you’d be surprised by the benefit & insight that such a simple practice can provide. By consistently getting through to that other side, we’re developing greater self-awareness, resilience, & inner balance. Plus, if you consciously recognize the same sorry-ass pattern happening every morning for weeks, months — you’re more inclined to take some kind of action.
I won’t speak too much about my take on the practice. If you’re curious, I encourage you to look into it yourself. What I will say about my experience is that when doing these pages consistently, I am better able to withdraw from the morning moan-tone, and observe it from that other side. They get me to articulate & direct what I’m feeling, instead of just sorta letting all my thoughts crash together as they will. After getting my 3 down, I’m more mindful, alive, and focused — I’m already in a much more open state of mind to start my movements.
These are just some of the things I use to get passed the morning ‘dream drag’ and embrace the new day. Opening up your mind, body, and energy with some honest reflection, conscious gratitude, movement, and patience brings greater balance to your total health. With consistent practice with any of these, you’ll find it’s actually easier to do them than to not. It becomes easier for you to write than to not write. It feels better to pray than not to pray — there’s more pleasure in moving than in not moving. It’s just better to take full advantage of the moment.
Like the dead man said — Own the day.
Bless,
— T