My morning ritual is one of the most important things I do during the day. It has changed over the years. When I was working it was a much more hurried affair. Now that I no longer have to go down the coal mine each day, I can take my time.
Initially I followed what other people did but now I do what works for me. My morning ritual has evolved over time.
I am an early riser and fortunately my husband isn’t which gives me two hours of special time to myself each morning. So what do I do.
Firstly I make myself a large cup of tea. Anyone who has had tea at my place knows I take my tea making seriously. The early morning cup of tea was a sacred ritual in our family, and I stick to exactly the same system. The tea was always made with leaves. The pot was warmed with boiling water first, then the tea leaves were put into the pot, the water re-boiled and tipped onto them, the pot was enveloped in a tea cosy, then left to draw for five minutes. The pot was turned three times anti-clockwise before the tea was poured. Definitely milk first.
While I drink my tea I listen to French podcasts except on Tuesday when I listen to Spanish ones.
I then meditate for 15 minutes and finish off by doing my tapping exercises.
What is tapping therapy used for?
EFT tapping is a mind-body method of tapping acupuncture points (acupoints) on the hands, face, and body with your fingertips while focusing on an issue or feeling you’re hoping to resolve. This method may reduce stress and anxiety, improve performance, lessen cravings, and help resolve fears.
Next I write in my journal in either French or Spanish, depending on what day it is. I have keeping a journal for years – ever since I read about Morning Pages in Julia Cameron’s wonderful book “The Artist’s Way” which since its publication in 1992 has sold over 3 million copies.
THE ARTIST’S WAY by Julia Cameron is not exclusively about writing–it is about discovering and developing the artist within whether a painter, poet, screenwriter or musician–but it is a “lot” about writing. If you have always wanted to pursue a creative dream, have always wanted to play and create with words or paints, this book will gently get you started and help you learn all kinds of paying-attention techniques; and that, after all, is what being an artist is all about. It’s about learning to pay attention.”
Like my morning ritual, my Morning Pages have evolved. Initially I religiously wrote three pages as recommended by Julia Cameron. These days I write what needs to be written. I offload my problems, ask myself questions, ponder but I always finish off my asking myself what is the most important thing to do today. So if I get distracted or caught up in life’s busyness, I achieve at least that one thing. Usually I do. If I’m traveling I write what happened the previous day.
At 7.00 I listen to the news on 7.02 then Markus and I have a morning cuddle. At 7.30am I go for a walk or a bike ride. While out walking or bike riding, I do my voice exercises and sing my scales and as my Facebook friends know, take photos. As I grew up in Narrabeen and ran a real estate business for 30 years here, I often run into people I know and have a chat and other times I meet someone new. I also pick up rubbish as I go – 968 bags last year.
I find my morning ritual sets me up for the day
