We’ve all heard of starting off our day on the wrong side of the bed. What if it were possible to start most days on the right side of the bed? The good news is that there are activities, routines, and rituals that can help us increase the odds that each day will start on the right side of the bed.
First, we want to connect with that inner smiling feeling when it is perhaps easiest to access that dream-like state. In the Chi Self Massage book, Master Chia suggests to ‘Open our heart before we open our eyes.’ Our body systems, organ spirits, and central nervous system are more relaxed (perhaps most relaxed) first thing in the morning and we can extend this feeling into our day by bridging the link between our conscious and subconscious states.
As we are opening our heart and expressing thanks and love to our being-ness and the gift of another day, it is helpful to move into a state of gratitude. Some authors suggest that we spend a certain number of minutes listing things we are appreciative of in our lives. Another author suggests saying “thank” and “you” as first the left and then the right foot make their way away from the bed. Yet another author notes that he lies in bed and reviews his blessings until tears literally stream down his eyes. This mental-heart list can include health, family and relationships, a roof over our head, the soft feel of the bedding, another day to help others, or even a few more minutes to snooze!
When our feet hit the floor, some simple stretching can for a minute or two can begin moving the fluids in our body. This is not necessarily the time for your Tao yin or tai chi practice, but is just a gentle invitation for hip movements, spinal loosening, or even torso twists to give your internal organs a ‘good morning’ hug.
The next step to starting our day off ‘right’ can be to drink one to two glasses of clean water to wash out our system. As we know, our body is 75-80% water (like our planet) and giving it water to start the day is not only a great idea, it helps our large intestine have the hydration it needs to eliminate waste. Students have even reported to me that their blood sugar levels have stabilized, their soda usage has gone away, and their muscles don’t feel as shaky from this simple practice.
One can do nothing, breathe, and listen for a few more minutes or one can review and rewrite their current goals; or vice versa. By rewriting your current goals in (one or all of) the areas of health, relationships, personal development, free time, community, career, and finances; it activates your neural pathways from the brain, to the hands, and the energy body. The intention of goals followed by the listening and breathing allows divine inspiration and subconscious intuition to enter the body-mind-spirit as a guiding mechanism for fulfilling your personal mission for that day.
Finally, consider what you put into your head early in the morning. Are you quick to turn on the news, check your email, and begin messaging people? Or, are you filling your head with spiritual information through prayer, meditation and the reading of uplifting material. Additionally, it can be helpful to study the lives of successful and inspirational people.
A great friend gave me a coffee mug that sums up this whole message. It says “God first, coffee second.”
