WHAT IS A MORNING PRACTICE?

10 Things worth sharing, exploring Morning Practice, two stellar documentaries, an anthem of hope, the origin of the Rick Roll, and more...

Hi, Y’all!

I often get questions about creating a morning practice, so I thought I’d share a few thoughts here.

“Morning practice” is a phrase that gets tossed around and can mean different things to different people. For some, it might be a reference to morning yoga, breath-work or meditation. For others, it could mean a morning devotional time of study and reflection. Your morning practice is as unique as you are and is yours alone to create. 

I like to think of my morning practice as a combination of consistent and evolving devotional activities that help ease me in the direction of remembering and connecting to my True Self. These practices help me live into who I long to be in the world and live out of my purpose in Love. Spirit-in-action being through me.

If your inside-voice just screamed, “WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT?”  just  consider it a time set aside each morning for connecting to your heart and highest intentions.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

Find and experiment with practices that help you come alive.

Perhaps you intuitively feel like stretching your body or dancing. Maybe you feel nourished by reading from a sacred text, a collection of poetry, a devotional or recovery daily reader. You may have days when the most you can muster is to sit in your chair and breathe deeply for three full breaths, hands over heart, or listen to a song that softens you. These too are practices.

My personal morning practice usually begins with Morning Pages. I write longhand about whatever comes up for three pages. Morning Pages are a great help before attempting meditation or contemplation. because they also help clear the brain clutter before settling in to quiet. Another way to shake out the excess mind-racing thoughts is to shake your limbs for a minute. (That might sound strange, but it works.)

No matter what else I choose as part of my morning practice, I commit to spending some time in quiet and contemplation. This is a time to intentionally connect with and enter into the sacred space within, the inner sanctuary where my spirit meets with the Divine. ( That sounds super lofty, but it’s a real space.) If you’re new to a practice of contemplation or meditation, start with 5 minutes of silence and stillness. Or two. Just begin. I promise it’s not hype, it’s a way in. ( Did that just rhyme?)

My simple morning practice equation: Commitment to showing up for my Morning Practice + flexibility in the practices themselves = starting my day connected to my soul, my creativity, and the Divine.

I’ve been committed to a morning practice in some shape or form for about two decades now. My day gets into trouble fast if I skip this centering time. Over the years, it’s become non-negotiable. Even though I can still be a crabby-whiney-sometimes unappreciative human, I know it makes a tremendous difference in how I experience life and how others experience me.

Reminder: when a practice becomes rote ( not alive in your being) it has become a dead ritual. Keep leaning toward life-giving practices even if that means ( and probably does mean) changing them up periodically. Keeping this commitment to yourself by showing up each morning, no matter how you feel, is the key here. Trust that you will know, discover, or be given what you need each day simply by showing up.

And lastly, before you rush to turn morning practice into some GIANT TASK, or one more thing you have to do on your TO-DO LIST, pause. Remember that it’s actually a gift you receive as you start the day. It’s an opportunity to get quiet and listen to your soul before heading out into a loud, frenetic world. The practice is simple, the benefits, profound. Keeping it simple, flexible, and nourishing may just help you keep showing up. Showing up may just help you fall in love with your morning practice. <3

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10 things worth sharing:

1. BEAH: A BLACK WOMAN SPEAKS on HBO Max. Like many of us during Black History Month, I am exploring artists, activists and others with whom I was mostly unfamiliar. My earliest memory of Beah Richards is from the film, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, but I had no idea of the range and impact of her stage work. I adored this documentary for her exploration of identity, humanity, being-ness and the creative life. Tenderly directed by LisaGay Hamilton.

2. NOT GOING QUIETLY documentary on PBS. My daughter, Aiyana, worked with Ady Barken as his assistant and caregiver for almost 2 years. While a difficult film to watch at times, Ady’s humor and passion coupled with the loving support of family and friends around him carry us through. I was deeply moved by this film and incredibly proud of my daughter’s participation and loving contribution. Please watch it.

3. ABUNDANCE by Amy Schmidt

   in memory of Mary Oliver

   It’s impossible to be lonely

   when you’re zesting an orange.

   Scrape the soft rind once

   and the whole room

   fills with fruit.

   Look around: you have

   more than enough.

   Always have.

   You just didn’t notice

   until now.

   —from Poets Respond

4. The Origin of the Rick Roll meme. A short interview with Rick Astley. (For real.)

5. An 8-year-old slid his handwritten book onto a library shelf. It now has a years-long waiting list.

6. Hope Comes - shout out to my friend Rachael for sharing this with me. An anthem for our time.

7. Entire crowd cheers on a precious, frightened 6-year cheerleader.

8. In 1922, a novelist predicts what the world will look like in 2022

9. 21 Books I loved in 2021!

10. this meme:

    

Me: Pockets full of MilkDuds and water bottles

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Thanks for reading! As I shared in my first newsletter, this is an evolving creation. I’m enjoying sharing it with you. xoxo Mary