“I have noticed that when all the lights are on, people tend to talk about what they are doing – their outer lives. Sitting round in candlelight or firelight, people start to talk about how they are feeling – their inner lives. They speak subjectively, they argue less, there are longer pauses. To sit alone without any electric light is curiously creative. I have my best ideas at dawn or at nightfall, but not if I switch on the lights – then I start thinking about projects, deadlines, demands and the shadows and shapes of the house become objects, not suggestions, things that need to be done, not a background to thought.” Jeanette Winterson
Mornings are often a time when we are in a hurry. Trying to get somewhere as the new day dawns. It seems so habitual to jump into action as soon as we get out of bed, so necessary almost to get up, put the radio on grab a coffee and get going.
Yet, there is an energy in the early hours of the day that is beautifully silent, still and peaceful. A time before the dawn has fully broken, when the birds have not yet started singing their songs, where the connection to spirit (and therefore yourself), is available more fully than any other time of the day.
This space between the end of the night and the beginning of the day is a place suited to silence. It is a time of meditation, the realms of the dreamworld and a perfect place to connect more deeply with yourself as the day begins. Holding this still and sacred space is the beauty of mornings.
It’s not always possible when you are juggling a lot of priorities, but what the stillness supports the juggle? Keep it simple and set the alarm ten minutes early so you can enjoy your morning tea in silence by candlelight? Or perhaps turn the alarm and radio off at the weekends and experience silence as you start your day.
What do you enjoy about the beauty of mornings? What rituals do you find supportive at the beginning of your day? I’d love to hear from you…
