Pocket of Peace - April

Waking Up to Peace

Did you know that how you spend the first one-half hour of your day is crucial to your well-being? How you experience this initial 30-minutes will set the tone for your day, how relaxed or stressed you are, how positive or negative your thoughts and attitude will be. This is because upon waking from sleep, we are the most receptive and vulnerable—and easily influenced.

And if we truly are women of peace—and we wish to be purveyors of peace—we begin by creating space within us to house this peace, so it can carry us throughout the day, no matter what difficulties may arise.

Begin today by making the decision to change any early morning routine that does not launch you into the world with optimism and energy. For years, I’d drag myself out of bed at the last minute to get as much sleep as possible, but then race through my morning feeling way behind before I even got started! That led to a slow and steady escalation of stress throughout the day.

Or, if I did get up early, I’d find myself downing one cup of coffee after another, watching the morning news to get my adrenaline pumping.

It was no surprise that with all the negative information I was feeding my mind first thing in the morning, I felt lousy and depressed from that point on. A book entitled, As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen changed all that. (There is a more woman-friendly translation, As a Woman Thinketh, by Dorothy Hulst.

What I learned from Mr. Allen, a turn-of-the-century British writer, was this, and it was simply life-changing. He said (and I paraphrase), “A person is literally what he/she thinks—our character being the complete sum of all our thoughts.”

Thankfully, I began to realize that what I was focused on was shaping me, as well as setting the tone for my day. I was becoming a very stressed, anxious, irritated woman. I certainly did not want to be that, so I made some new choices to begin my day differently. You can, too.

Designing Your Day

Set your alarm 15-30 minutes early so you can wake in a leisurely fashion. Upon waking, lay quietly.

You might meditate, pray or reflect; watch the trees, birds, or clouds through your bedroom window. Formulate affirming thoughts about your day, or snuggle up to a loved one.

Upon rising, gently move through your morning, even walking through the house slowly, intentionally, to keep your morning pace rooted in serenity.

Try to set aside time to just sit and “be.” This might mean observing the beauty of the day through a window or a few minutes of inspirational reading. Engage in a short period of conscious breathing.

Noise is kept to a minimum: no television (especially news), soft music (no talk radio). This is the core of my personal 30- minute wake-up call and it has become vital to my day. It keeps me rooted in feelings of peace and well-being. And even if I am traveling, or life throws me an early morning curve bowl (a call from a frantic child, for example), I regroup as soon as possible and give myself room to breathe.

Each one us can make similar choices for ourselves each morning. We all have the capability to do so, despite any schedule or duties that call. Inner peace, as you know by now, is a choice—a passionate one. How badly do you want to engage your day with a serene mind and a calm heart? It requires asking yourself, ‘How good do I really want to feel today?’ and making the choices that support that answer.

You may want to use this morning "prayer", too.

"I begin the day with a desire for peace in my body, mind, and spirit.

I breathe in peace.

I breathe out well-being.

May peace live and breathe through me and may I be a purveyor of peace in the world."

I’ve also incorporated a 30-Minute Evening Detox Program into my day which I'll share in next month's issue, because how we close out our day is just as important as how we begin it.

Blessings of peace to you this day. Namaste!

Janice Lynne Lundy is an inspirational speaker, interfaith spiritual director, and the author of Your Truest Self: Embracing the Woman You Are Meant to Be, available in bookstores nationwide and at amazon.com To learn more about Jan, visit her website, http://www.awakenedliving.com, subscribe to her free newsletter, and receive a new 90-page, inspirational e-book, The Awakened Woman's Guide to Life. Jan welcomes your comments and questions: jan@awakenedliving.com.