NATURE'S BOONS

 Pic: courtesy Google

'M' is for morning

My morning starts when my ears respond to the crescendo of avian noises sneaking in through the closed doors. As if, all the notes of a musical instrument have been  pressed simultaneously. Well, even that at that spiritual hour feels like a boon.  

Moreover, it brings to the fore the blessedness of being alive and responsive. That your senses are alert enough to soak in the uniqueness of the atmospherics. The feeling creates joyful and blissful vibrations. The gentle act of waking up and the consciousness of that happening, manifest the silent welcome you accord to the birth of a new day. The motivating forces  slowly take charge to set the benign  character of the day.

Morning time is sacred and resonates piety. It is pure and virgin unpolluted by the frenzy of human activity. Darkness of the night gives place not only to the light of the day but also symbolizes the lesson of hope a new bloom generates while embellishing your yard. Morning time is fresh and cool as a flower, which is tenderly opening up out of its bud as a gorgeous entity.

Being a retiree, my morning is wholly solely my own. I’m under no scrutiny. I follow a flexible ritualistic blueprint.  I consider following a routine as the byword for ensuring the success of the day. It also promotes mental and physical wellness.

  

Drawing the curtains aside, I’ve a glimpse of the early morning freshness, imbibing internally the special ambiance of the moment. My gaze rests on the flowerpots and the new blooms resplendent in their virgin glory beckoning me to be with them. The spring flowers seem irresistible. Out I go to have a close meeting with them. Our eyes meet in deep understanding. Sometimes a tiny dewdrop perched on the edge of a flower petal or a blade of grass catch attention. You gape at it in wonder. The artistry of nature is beyond replication.

Unlocking the gate, I come back inside. Sipping my morning cup of tea, I visualize my day. A new day is always brimming with possibilities. Like a bud before it transforms itself into heavenly hues. It makes you conscious about the potential of novel insights to explore and enjoy. You mind map your day to pick, choose and balance the pragmatics of the prospects. Essential it is; otherwise, you waste time in loosely planned, half-hearted efforts.

Wrapped in the serenity of the moment, I move around, slowly and steadily, performing the usual tasks in a relaxed mode, awaiting and hopeful for a fulfilling day. The act is akin to meditation. It involves soothing concentration.  The presence of an energizing life force palpable in the transparency of the morning exudes positivity and inspiration. Spontaneously the silence of the mind repeats words of a personal prayer and thankfulness to omnipresent Almighty for the umpteen benedictions floating modestly.

The natural flow of the day, surefooted as it is takes over the mechanics of the onward journey soon.

Friends,welcome here as always!

 Linked to:ABC Wednesday,  Two Shoes Tuesday, Wordless wednesday

BLESSED MORNINGS

Morning is the blessed time of the day. There is always an air of indescribable solemnity and verve about it.  Getting up fresh after a nightlong sleep, one is ready to take on the world  with renewed vigor. Though we  perform the routine activities in the morning, yet each day starts differently from the other in terms of mood, inspiration and feeling of well being. Every day holds what, in its kitty, nobody knows. However, every morning brings a sense of expectation, mystery and hope in its fold. It signifies joy of being alive in spite of palpable moral crisis of our times. A good beginning imparts zest and confidence. The morning in a way defines the character of the day. It reinvents your strengths and resolves.

Waking up languorously, with mild playful stretches of limbs, gentle upward rub of the face with both hands, smoothing the lines, wiggling of the toes for pepping them up for the daylong onerous duty, nudging the body to be up and awake to welcome   a new morning and  silently praying to the unseen presence  for  making all this possible... This is what the morning miracle is all about. …

Straight to the first thing first, mission of making to the bathroom for swishing warm water in the mouth to refresh the breath and activate the cells, for their job ahead. Next the most pleasurable act of drawing the curtains aside for saying hello to the dawning light, to have a glimpse of the sparsely moving humanity, culminating with a soothing but passing gaze at the greenery around. Once again, the tacit bonding with the world gets going.

Next on the agenda is stepping out of the front door to bring in the morning papers while throwing just a glance at the headlines and no more. It is a pledge to keep away from forming an addictive habit, which steals a major chunk of your precious morning time.

 How I enjoy these chores at the start of a new day! The ability to extend a cheerful welcome to the rising sun and its warmth to come a visiting and fill the yet listless veins with the fire of its energy is no less than a benediction.

 Heading to the kitchen longingly for brewing the first cup of herbal tea (ginger, aniseed or cloves) in the cleanest pot, is a sacred experience like breaking a fast.  The aroma of the steeping tea fills the nostrils with a sweet sensation. The brew stimulates and rejuvenates the body and mind with feel good properties.

Still better, it is to start the day with a glass of warm water mixed with juice of a quarter of lemon. Great for propelling the cleansing process. Helps in alkalizing the body and balancing pH. levels. Also watches weight…

While sipping tea, I enjoy dashing to each room to straighten up things here or there and make a mental note of the errands needing attention. It gives a very satisfying feeling of potency by way of being in control of the household. The interesting part is that it takes so little time, but the benefits are stupendous in terms of running the household efficiently even as a professional. The bonus is enhanced output sans stress.

I care a lot more for creating a friendly and comfortable space in my bedroom. For that, I take special care in making up my bed and putting the things at convenient places. A pen, a notebook and tissue papers on the side table (sometimes I snack sitting snuggled in the quilt) are mandatory along with a few   copies of the Reader’s Digest for pleasure reading. The neat and tidy look gives me an adrenaline rush for ensuring the rest of the day to be fully productive.

Next on the daily almanac is some sort of indoor exercise. The whole of North India remains engulfed in fog these days and going for a morning walk is out of question. I am not a routine fanatic. I do things, the way I like. For example, I have started learning to exercise with lightweight dumbbells with inputs from the internet.   I have made a beginning with fifteen minutes of workout and then some stretching exercises. This I feel is a gainful way of warding off winter blues and to remain active and inspired.

Post some cooling off period- the sharpened appetite craves for some victuals. Mostly the breakfast consists of wheat or oats porridge, or roti made of wheat flour kneaded with finely chopped fenugreek leaves and eaten with homemade butter and curd. Sometimes it is toast with egg, boiled or omelet and a cup of hot milk.

After a lazing stint of browsing my favorite columns of the newspapers, sitting in the lawn, enjoying the balmy sunshine, I take up my day’s activities in earnest.

Friends, my morning schedule, a little this way or that way has helped me to vanquish procrastination and sloppiness from my system and lead a more positive and peaceful life.

Let’s know your priorities for the morning by sharing them with us.

 Image: courtesy google