2020 New Year
Happy New Year my friends and welcome to a new decade. Something feels very fresh and new about moving into 2020.
My wish for all of you is increased peace, health, joy and prosperity.
I think it is very fitting that the indicator for good health this month is noticing how we wake up in the morning and what our mind-body is trying to communicate to us.
Think of moving into January as waking up fresh and new. We can even apply this to waking up in this new decade. If we keep this mindset, we begin to appreciate it is not only the way we wake up in the morning but how we are awake in every moment. Each breath is a new beginning. When we approach our life this way, we are not always looking to the way things are going to be in the future but how we can make them new right now. I am not proficient at this yet, but it is part of my everyday work.
Let’s look at what the ancients advised for starting the day and their reasoning. Ayurveda recommends waking up at a particularly auspicious time each day. Brahma-muhurata which means the time of Brahma or pure consciousnesses.
The teaching is that healthy person should wake up about an hour before sunrise. This Brahma-muhurta time of day is considered sattvic. Sattvic means something that will produce harmony, clarity and peace. It will give rise to a well-rested and refreshed body.
When you wake up you should ask yourself, “Do I feel well rested?” If you have had adequate sleep, you would have woken up spontaneously feeling refreshed. A big part of this is related to what time we go to bed at night. It becomes natural to wake up early and jump out of bed when we have fallen asleep early enough to allow for ample deep rest. Once our routine is in place an alarm clock will not be necessary to wake up.
You can also ask yourself “Was the last meal well digested?” If you have any taste in your mouth of what was in your previous meal, then your body is telling you to eat earlier or perhaps make sure your digestion is stronger before you eat. We cannot digest a meal and sleep at the same time, so it is very important to have at least 3 to 4 hours, if possible, between the time we eat dinner and go to sleep.
Morning rituals are so important to set the tone for your day. The first should begin before your feet hit the floor. Ayurveda teaches to begin by briskly rubbing our hands together and place palms over the eyes. There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands. When you rub your palms together, these nerve endings get activated and the system awakens right away. I also like to take my fingertips and tap the top of my head to stimulate some energy in the crown. Dr Lad from the Ayurvedic Institute teaches us to say a prayer before rising. Then touch the ground with your right hand and the same hand to the forehead, giving love and respect to Mother Earth.
If we wake up feeling heavy, bloated, extremely hungry, stiff and stale this is a good sign that we are not sleeping well. There could be excessive toxins in our system. It would be wise to consider setting aside some time to do a few days of detoxification.
Another important aspect is having the right attitude regarding getting up early in the morning. If waking up with or before the sun already has a negative connotation then it will be very hard to rise with enthusiasm. This is the power of the mind. If you choose to wake up cheerful, grateful and renewed then this is the energy you will bring into your day.
I encourage you to spend the next few days focusing on how and when you wake up. You will be tuning in to the opening sensations for your new day.
What is your mind-body telling you?
What can be rejoiced and what should you change?
How present can you be with your first conscious breath?
It might become your newest favorite ritual.
I look forward to walking this journey of health and healing with you in 2020.
Let’s keep the conversation alive.
Namaste.