Jumpstarting Your Mornings

Why are some days more difficult to get out of bed than others? This can be attributed to a number of factors, ranging from lack of sleep, stress that awaits you in the day, or from an esoteric perspective, an imbalance of energies in both your body and immediate environment.

When you open your eyes, roll onto your back, stretch your legs forward and your arms behind your head. Imagine that you are being pulled by your feet and hands in opposite directions. Do this twice and then allow your body to flop onto your mattress. You should begin to feel your blood circulating, literally like a rush. Lie completely still and count backwards from 10 and then inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Repeat three times and then sit up in bed.

Some of you may have built in prayer or meditation at this point, and I highly encourage you to do so. You will notice a difference and a clarity in your intention setting for the day once your body and internal energies have been charged. Once you finish your spiritual work you are now ready to face the physical world.

First off, open the curtains and windows to let the fresh air in. Do so slowly and mindfully, and it doesn’t matter whether it is summer, winter or monsoon weather, you need to let the fresh air in and release the stagnant energies accumulated overnight. Allow the light in, even if you wake up to a dreary rainy day, start each new day with fresh air.

Then begin with the bed (I will write a separate entry regarding the Feng Shui of the bedroom in more detail). When you stand up, do so with serenity and without rushing. You are likely to spend the rest of the day rushing and chasing deadlines and appointments, so give yourself the gift of mindfulness each morning. For some of you this will entail setting your alarm a little earlier, but it will be worth the effort in the long-run. Start with setting it back ten minutes, and work with those extra ten minutes to balance your energies. Face the bed and the first thing you do is turn the pillows over. If you are the type that likes to prop them up against the headboard, then do so but make sure that it is the unused side that is facing upward.

Next, depending on where you live and what your blanket / bedsheet culture is, make sure to shake the blanket or sheet thoroughly before drawing it over the mattress and pillows. If you use individual blankets that don’t tuck into the sides, then turn the blanket over after a good shake and place it neatly over the mattress. Only then do you pull the day cover or duvet over the bed. Never walk away from the room and leave a messy bed behind.

Pick up any items from the floor and take out dishes that you may have brought in the night before. Many of us have fallen into the bad habit of bringing food into the bedroom and bingewatch from bed while snacking. Try to slowly wean yourself from this habit, and you will notice a significant change in the energy of the room.

Before you leave your bedroom, look around and make sure that a sense of order has been established. This is the energy that will welcome you back home at the end of the day. It is difficult to put your mind rest in a messy room. You may be thinking, this is common sense and every person knows this. Here’s the catch, we know it but not all of us practice it and it affects our inner balance deeper than you think.

The energy in your bedroom should be clear and free flowing, which means it has to be clutter-free, and not just the bed. Stop hiding everything in the closet!