How do you feel when you’re first waking up? Are you excited for a new day? Do you feel like you’re starting anew? Or do you dread getting out of bed? Or maybe it depends which day of the week it is? Take a moment right now and close your eyes and think about the last time you felt excitement for life as you were waking up.
Waking up happens every morning. It’s a unique moment in our day, transitioning from sleep to waking life. In that moment we have a potent opportunity to shift our perspective and set the tone for our day.
My Ayurveda teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad, suggests that as we wake up we can rub our hands together to make them warm (if they’re not already) and then softly rub our face, neck and torso for a gently invigorating start to our day.
I met a man once, in India, who said that, every morning as he’s waking up, he looks at the palms of his hands and thanks God for another day.
As a yoga teacher, I use the idea of waking up to help my students access a “starting anew” feeling...