Morning Routine is Practice Progression!

In the last post, I wrote about how mindfulness practice can be thought of as a progression – from simple actions (e.g., brushing teeth), to more complex actions (e.g., driving a car), to more involved activity like sports or the arts, to things like conversing with people.

It occurred to me that the things we do first thing in the morning, at the start of the day, follow that progression, and so can be an automatic way to “ease into” mindfulness practice and set the tone for the day!

So we wake up, and take a moment to be aware of the breath, our body, stretching..To the bathroom, being aware of walking, going to the bathroom, washing hands, etc. Choosing clothes; putting them on…

Making breakfast, aware of the movements of our body, the smells of the food, etc. Eating in mindfulness…

Segue to a conversation with a loved one, perhaps….being aware of what they are saying, their facial expressions and tone…

Back to simple activity – washing the dishes…

Into the day – driving, working, etc…

Back home at the end of the day….more conversation….unwinding to mindfulness of simpler activities….perhaps working out, aware of movement and body sensations…showering or bathing….making and eating dinner….more mindful conversation…brushing teeth…mindfully falling asleep, aware of the slowing down of breathing, the body relaxing, etc…

Remembering to start the day with mindfulness, as soon as we wake up, and following that progression, throughout the day, can help us live entire days in mindfulness!!