BG, My Mornings

प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढा: सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु |
तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् || 29||

BG 3.29: Those who are deluded by the operation of the guṇas become attached to the results of their actions. But the wise who understand these truths should not unsettle such ignorant people who know very little.

Its me in morning hours

 I love waking up before everyone else. It was my habit since I was a kid. Most of the values and lessons that I have learnt in life have been inculcated in me by my father.

 In morning hours, it’s only me and the sun, which I get to watch slowly peek above the papri trees in front of my courtyard for it’s A.M. debut. This winter, I have made myself a new routine. For a long time my routine was little shaky, it fell somewhere between a morning person and  night-owl status. I became addicted to listen swamy sukhbodhaanand ji maharaj and doing crochet. Always going to bed a little too late and usually sleeping in just far enough  

 My son is also an early riser

But, if there’s any season to welcome change into your life, it’s autumn. In these transitional days before the equinox the earth is making its own adjustments, inviting us to rise with the light that arrives a few minutes earlier every day. So I’ve chosen to embrace it and allow myself to listen to the earth’s cues, and the ones inside my home.

Newspaper reading is his routine in early hours of the day 

 Of course, it’s not as simple as just waking up earlier; I’ve had to make adjustments to the rest of my day to account for this change. To signal to my body that the time for sleep is near, I try to shut down all electronics an hour before I go to bed, and that hour has to come a bit earlier now.

 Technically, I have two alarms: one, which is set on my phone, and one who, like clockwork, gives a gentle tap tap to my face promptly at 5:45 A.M. every day. Can you guess who it might be? Rather than roll over and ignore him, I’ve decided to give in and enjoy the early morning ritual of staring far away for the health of my eyes and drinking water sip-by sip alongside him as I watch the sun rise across the papri tree.

Dawn is a different kind of dark, one full of possibility at the cusp of day, a time when it’s easy to appreciate the quiet world around you. Through waking up earlier, I’ve learned to embrace these hours and keep them just for myself. Usually I’ll sit for a bit and quietly watch the world wake up, neighbors walk their dogs and school buses rumble down the quiet streets. I’ll grab my journal and write a few lines to welcome the day ahead.

Do some pranayama yoga, drink tea, write a few lines about thankfulness to God the creator. Give the cow a scratch. These extra hours are like gold to me. Our lives are so hectic in one form or another, any time that we can set aside to just be is so valuable and rare. Make time to allow yourself to simply exist, to breathe in a new day and sit quietly. Try being a morning person and your perspective of the day ahead could change dramatically.

xoxo