Waking up can be a drag. But not for Ellie. Ellie meets each morning with joy. She rolls contentedly between her two mamas each morning and then greets each parent with enthusiastic kisses. There is a mixture of laughing and groaning from each as they are pummeled by a long slobbery tongue.
Ellie, as you may have guessed, is thirty pounds of genuine super-mutt puppy dog. If you have the privilege of owning or knowing a dog, you too may have noticed a similar attitude toward waking up. Maybe you too have wondered why it’s more difficult for us humans. I can think of two major differences in our waking process.
1. Waking up starts with going to sleep. Dogs don’t spend extra time playing video games or worrying about finishing the to-do list. Dogs listen to their bodies and go to sleep when they are tired. On the back end, humans are already setting themselves up for a rough awakening.
2. Dogs live in the moment. Imagine that upon waking you are refreshed and eager to greet the new day. You can appreciate the chance to greet your loved ones and to be alive. Unlike dogs we have the ability to live in the future. This is an important skill when you want to plan your day, but future-tripping also allows us to worry about all the ways things can go wrong.
Now that we’ve noticed the differences, how do we follow the example of the wise canine?
I always tell my patients that the first step towards change is noticing. Notice how you feel when you wake up. If you’re like me you’ve already had one hundred thoughts by the time you’re fully awake. Notice those thoughts, notice how much you are thinking about the future (or the past). Then let those thoughts go. Roll around in your body (slobbery kisses are optional). Be present.
My puppy doesn’t need to be instructed to start her day with zen-iful intentions. She just does it. As a human I need reminders and practice. Perhaps my morning could start with a few minutes of mindfully focusing on sensations—the sights, the sounds, the feels around me. Or perhaps with a few minutes of gratitude for my new day.
Some mornings are harder than others. Some days it will be hard to quell the racing thoughts, other days it will be hard to think anything at all. Thoughts happen. Give yourself permission to put them aside even for a few of your early moments. Important thoughts will come back again when you’re ready.
Waking up is the first thing you do, even if it is the last thing you want to do. It takes practice to live a doggone good life. Don’t forget to notice how starting your day with a centered moment impacts your entire day.
Comentários