Mindful morning steps toward happiness

Dear friends,

Even in the best of times, it can be challenging to get out of bed and remember to practice mindfulness. When I remember to start my day with some mindful action, such as a few mindful breaths or steps, my day may not be perfect, but it does lean toward more ease and joy. 

Practicing mindfulness in the morning can still include other more typical activities like enjoying a cup of our favorite coffee drink (or my new favorite Oolong tea). And it doesn’t mean we have to be all perky and bubbly. (I surely am not.) 

I read somewhere that we can think of each day as a room that no one has ever gone into before. The day can be an exploration that is experienced in this particular way only by us and only this once. Mindfulness helps me hold onto this openhearted and attentive mindset throughout the day.

Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) offers a wonderful morning verse that I posted near my bed many years ago and now have memorized, and that I say as I am waking up. When I remember to say it, especially on mornings when my first thought is “Ugh” and/or when upsetting thoughts or memories arise, my mood shifts at least 30% toward happiness:

Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand-new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment
and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion. 

Reciting a gatha like this is one concrete way to start the day with awareness. (Feel free to screenshot and print the gatha below - scroll to bottom.) I invite you to reflect on how you approach the morning and how you might weave more awareness and happiness into your morning.

Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron describes the attitude of welcoming the new day as:

“Welcome the present moment as if you had invited it. It is all we ever have so we might as well work with it rather than struggling against it. We might as well make it our friend and teacher rather than our enemy.”

Below is an excerpt from Thay’s book Happiness offering more ways to practice mindfulness upon waking. 

As always, please let me know how your practice - especially your morning practice -  is going.

with love,

annie

We can start our day with the happiness of a smile and the aspiration to dedicate ourselves to the path of love and understanding. We are aware that today is a fresh, new day, and we have twenty-four precious hours to live. 

…

After you wake up, you probably open the curtains and look outside. You may even like to open the window and feel the cool morning air with the dew still on the grass. When you open the window and look out, see that life is infinitely marvelous. At that very moment, you can vow to be awake all day long, realizing joy, peace, freedom, and harmony. When you do this, your mind becomes clear like a calm river. 

Try to get up from bed right away after enjoying three deep breaths to bring yourself into mindfulness. Don't delay waking. You may like to sit up and gently massage your head, neck, shoulders, and arms to get your blood circulating. You might like to do a few stretches to loosen your joints and wake up your body. Drinking a cup of warm water is also good for our system first thing in the morning. 

Wash yourself or do what you need to before heading to work or school or to the meditation hall. Allow enough time so you don't have to rush. If it's still early, enjoy the dark morning sky. Many stars are twinkling and greeting us. Take deep breaths and enjoy the cool, fresh air. As you walk slowly to the car, to school, to work, or to  the meditation hall, let the morning fill your being, awakening your body and mind to the joy of a new day.

What better way to start the day than with a smile? Your smile affirms your awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. How many days slip by in forgetfulness? What are you doing with your life? Look deeply, and smile. The source of a true smile is an awakened mind. 

How can you remember to smile when you wake up? You might hang a reminder–such as a branch, a leaf, a painting, or some inspiring words–in your window or from the ceiling above your bed. Once you develop the practice of smiling, you may not need a sign. You will smile as soon as you hear a bird sing or see the sunlight stream through the window, and this will help you approach the day with more gentleness and understanding.