I've been contemplating this for a few days now, because I do have a morning ritual but it wasn't developed consciously and it's not necessarily serving me well. I have a morning practice that does serve me well (walking with my camera in nature) but I really need to more consciously incorporates gratitude and prayer. I keep wanting to figure out how to add some qi gong to my morning too, and it's trickier than it probably needs to be. I do have an evening qi gong routine that is really helping me and since I read first read this I've been adding gratitude and prayer to it. I start with thanking my body, then move "outward" to all those physical and ethereal who help me through the days, then whatever else comes to mind.
I really appreciate you sharing this because I think my practice tends to be physical but not always go deeper and I want to add depth.
I do have a morning ritual, enough so that the days I miss any part of it, I'm not fully okay. It's actually a lot like yours just in a different order. First coffee and reading poetry and/or lyric essays of some sort. Then the - or 2-mile walk on my dead end road with my dog Nino. Then the yoga -mine too is not a class but whether whatever my body-mind-spirit system seems to need. Then, finally, a quick shower
BTW I am loving the earth journaling class and hope to send you a piece or two soon💚
As a night owl, mornings and I have a rocky relationship. When my 9 year old was younger I got up earlier for various toddler and baby needs, but now that he's easing into tweenhood I can return to taking a slower time getting out of bed most mornings. Like you, I have always had the best of intentions. Right now the only thing I've been focusing on and reveling in is just opening the blinds in our bedroom and looking at the sun rising above the trees. When it cools off I hope to move to the balcony for a few minutes each morning to take it in.
I'm afraid that's the best I can do as my brain isn't usually awake enough for moving fast or journaling. I need to have quiet and zone out for 30 minutes or an hour if possible. The one thing I do need to remove is my phone from this time period. So, perhaps that will be my morning ritual--avoiding my phone and opening the blinds!
For me the day starts with an alarm going off at 530AM during the week. Lately I've been hitting the snooze a couple of times. I think I'm solar powered & I greatly dislike having to get up in darkness. Eventually, I stumble in the darkness to the kitchen to get the kettle boiling. I step outside to pour out yesterday's coffee dregs from the french press. Now that the days are getting shorter, I'm greeted with twinkling stars and whatever phase the moon is in. I say a little prayer of thanks for allowing me to awaken to another new day. I feel like these few moments are my grounding before I switch into high gear to get myself ready and out of the house by 7:30AM. Since I just started back to work full time off-farm back in June, I've been thinking I want to incorporate some sort of morning exercise routine before work, but I've yet to get started.
Weekend mornings are my favorite. I can awaken without an alarm around 630AM and watch the sun rise as I sip on my coffee. Then I usually sneak out to my favorite place in the greenhouse & write using my five senses to embrace the awakening farm around me. I've been trying to find daily writing time but this week has been a struggle. I'm hoping to get back on track this weekend.
Thank you for the farm update. I'm super excited about our fall garden plans and a new gardening space I'm creating in my greenhouse. Can't wait to visit your farm one day & please stop by & visit us when you're over this way!
That is honestly the most lovely and richly varied morning routine I've ever heard of. Just reading your description of it feels so refreshing and enlivening. And the First Light poem is beautiful. Thank you for deep inspiration!
Thank you for sharing your morning & for asking about ours! My ritual is usually a routine that varies depending on the weekday and grounds me for whatever is planned (but not routine) and the unexpected stuff that pops up. I leave the house an hour before my first scheduled client, some mornings are more rushed than others but always include cat maintenance, fresh water in the bird baths, a laundry stage (wash, dry, or fold), and bfast w my other half who makes steel cut oats & fruit for us. On Fridays my 2yo granddtr visits-- she is committed to a routine of seeking the cat, raisins in a red ramekin, blueberries (boo bellies) in a different dish, sorting silicone cupcake liners, reading the Elmo book, and a park/library/pet store trip. It is wonderful to be reminded about how magical the world is, seen through the eyes of a pre-schooler. As a mom I noticed this magical world but was too harried to appreciate it the way I can now. Saturday mornings I teach early morning yoga in the parking lot behind my office; we close by dedicating any merit we may have generated to the benefit of all beings. I love how yoga encourages mindfulness of our inner state, mindfulness of how we’re located in space, and because it’s an outdoor class, what’s occurring around us. When I travel, for pretty much any reason, I comb my hair outside, offer a few strands to the spirits of the place, and state that I’m thankful for this day and my life.
I’ve been craving a routine for night time and mornings but fail to do so. Maybe my routine is not having a routine 😲😂 However, most mornings do involve coffee on the back porch with the dogs. No matter the time of year - bundle up and feel cozy in the Florida winter with a hot cup, or sit practically naked on the hottest days of summer when even at 6am it feels too hot! I try to not bring a gadget or book so that I just watch the light and hear what the birds are up to and let my own mind meander and wake up. 3 days a week or more I run and/or lift weights then scurry off to work. I would like to try the mantra- I believe 100% that it works.
Liposomal vitamin C is FAR easier for your body to absorb than regular vitamin C. Essentially it is coated in fat which allows it to pass into the small intestine before being absorbed. Vitamin C in high doses can do all kinds of amazing things like lower overall inflammation, heal the body from tremendous damage or trauma (like a surgery)… in my case it’s helping me stay energized during pregnancy (last time I suffered from severe, debilitating fatigue throughout… this time I feel pretty great!).
Here’s the recipe I use; small initial investment for tremendous health benefits. Though I just began during this pregnancy, I plan to keep taking it daily for life.
Yes I make many, many lists! Weekly homeschool tasks, general to do. We farm year round so planting schedules are essential. I’m also a seamstress so there’s an endless sewing queue as well… I think in the form of lists and getting them out helps me relax.
Thank you for sharing this, what an inspiring and beautiful way to start the day! I’ve had many seasons throughout the years where I was dedicated to a similar beginning and have been longing to return to it. Maybe a good place to start is with a new mantra.
Recently, on a good day - meaning I slept well - I rise quite early too, well before the break of day. I’ll pour some coffee to which I add some coconut oil and sit to enjoy it on our sun porch. Sometimes I journal, sometimes I feed my soul with loving kindness prayers for myself, my family, my friends, community, the earth.
When I hear the birds begin to sing and the sky brightens enough to see their movement it’s time to look about. Often there are opossum, fox or coons to watch before they give up their nocturnal rounds to seek cover from the light quickly unfolding.
After turning on my Merlin Bird Sound ID App I head out back to give water to the veggies, herbs and flowers growing in pots on our eastern patio. With the backdrop of the sun rising and the skies changing colors, I begin my rounds looking for the rapidly growing fritillary caterpillars munching on the purple passionflower. Fresh water is added to the bird baths before a visit to the perennial pollinator garden to the north. The Obedient Plant is blooming along with Echinacea Purpurea, Monarda Punctata and Rudbeckia Fulgida. I stand in the midst of them looking for insects, the good and the bad, as well as the dozens of pollinators all sizes, shapes and colors. There are so many bees, flies, wasp, moths and butterflies on the move and it takes a minute for my eyes to take them all in. I’m thrilled to feel safe amongst them all as a year ago they would have frightened me. I was told if I planted they would come and it makes my heart swell with joy to see these “pollipaloozanators” enjoy the beautiful yellow, lavender, purple and pink flowers, that I winter sowed from seed for the first time last year. This entire scene is a miracle!
There are many rewilding areas to visit if there’s time before the sun gets too hot, so fun to see what native species are returning on their own. Before going in I check the bird app to see if anything out of the ordinary has shared space with me that morning. For the last several days it has picked up on the beautiful Baltimore Oriole which should be arriving soon. I haven’t spotted them yet with my eyes, or heard their distinctive clicking sound, but am eagerly on the lookout. Inside, my exercise is strengthening and stretching I’ve learned from many rounds of Physical Therapy blended with Yoga I’ve done through the years. Often included are podcast with favorite teachers who love people and the earth and talk about the nature and behavior of living things.
There is much to be grateful for and it helps me so to start the day appreciating these gifts.
As I read this, it had this thought…I don’t think there’s another writer who would take the time to share and connect with other writers the way you do. With every writing you let us know about your husband, dog, travels, house, plants, dreams, wants, and plans. Your internal and external itineraries are much appreciated. If Charlotte could, she would write “Some Writer” for you.
OK you just sent me down a rabbit hole on that Living Libations site :)
I loved reading about your morning ritual-- it sounds lovely. I'm similar in that I creep out into the dark quiet house before others are up and do some movement, and then go walk for a few miles. But I'm in the busy season of having school-aged kids, so the following hour is spent rushing to pack lunches, get everyone dressed and fed, and get to the bus stop by 7:30. I'm going to try incorporating some meditative outside time on weekend mornings-- that does sound like a great way to greet the day!
Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your morning. I too have been seeking to create a morning ritual ... and immerse myself in the sound therapy of frog-cry. Today, I will carry that image of "pearlescent, frog-loud light." Wow.
Wow! This post made me want to come have a week long retreat at your property especially doing your morning ritual. Seriously.
I especially loved your yoga/mediation piece of the ritual. Since moving from Atlanta to Panama City 2 years ago I miss my yoga practice very much. I was going to a studio in Atlanta that changed my life and mindset and that I really connected with. I have not found that sort of specific practice in Panama City yet and have been hard pressed to find it online as well. My body and mind miss it.
I get up at 5:15am in order to leave the house by 6:15am to get to work by 7am. I don't have time for a morning ritual unless I get up even earlier and not sure I'm willing to do that. I go to bed by 9pm. I could do it on Saturday and Sunday's I suppose and will work towards changing that as I feel like I need it.
Editing this to add that face oils are the bomb! My skin has changed so much since I began using a cleansing oil to take off my makeup each day, a floral/herbal toner, and then a face oil as a moisturizer. My makeup looks better on me as well.
My mornings are really varied, though they generally begin with a short amount of time to get ready and get to work. However, something that has been non-negotiable for years now is starting the day with writing. Sort of morning pages, sort of Natalie Goldberg-inspired, but nothing formal. I have a very plain notebook (5"x8"; I buy them by the dozen) that I use to write down my first thoughts of the day. Dreams, anxieties, wishes, excitements, things I want to make sure I remember, what's in bloom, who's at the birdfeeder. I love having this anchor every day. And the inexpensive notebook keeps me from being precious about what I'm writing.
I’m a SAHM of 3, pregnant with my 4th, homeschooling 2. It is encouraging to hear the lives of others who have more time!! This will be me in other seasons!
I have come to learn the vital importance of a morning routine for a person with a “full-time job” (24/7!!!!) like me. I open my eyes in bed, thank God for another day and pray He help me live it with grace. I take 2T of liposomal vitamin C which I make myself bi-weekly, then pour a cup of coffee. I sit with my husband, not talking much, just being together. When I’ve awakened more I read a few chapters of the Bible and mentally prepare for the tasks of the day. That’s about all I have time for but it helps tremendously!! Even the smallest routine can help you do the work laid before you with thanksgiving in your heart rather than complaint.
Sophie, this is a beautiful routine. Two questions--how do you make liposomal Vit C & what is the benefit of taking it? (I can also google this.) AND Do you make a to-do list?
Revisiting this post today for encouragement/ inspiration. Thank you again for sharing.
I've been contemplating this for a few days now, because I do have a morning ritual but it wasn't developed consciously and it's not necessarily serving me well. I have a morning practice that does serve me well (walking with my camera in nature) but I really need to more consciously incorporates gratitude and prayer. I keep wanting to figure out how to add some qi gong to my morning too, and it's trickier than it probably needs to be. I do have an evening qi gong routine that is really helping me and since I read first read this I've been adding gratitude and prayer to it. I start with thanking my body, then move "outward" to all those physical and ethereal who help me through the days, then whatever else comes to mind.
I really appreciate you sharing this because I think my practice tends to be physical but not always go deeper and I want to add depth.
Every time I see one of your glorious photos I say a prayer of gratitude.
I do have a morning ritual, enough so that the days I miss any part of it, I'm not fully okay. It's actually a lot like yours just in a different order. First coffee and reading poetry and/or lyric essays of some sort. Then the - or 2-mile walk on my dead end road with my dog Nino. Then the yoga -mine too is not a class but whether whatever my body-mind-spirit system seems to need. Then, finally, a quick shower
BTW I am loving the earth journaling class and hope to send you a piece or two soon💚
Yes, our routines are very similar.
As a night owl, mornings and I have a rocky relationship. When my 9 year old was younger I got up earlier for various toddler and baby needs, but now that he's easing into tweenhood I can return to taking a slower time getting out of bed most mornings. Like you, I have always had the best of intentions. Right now the only thing I've been focusing on and reveling in is just opening the blinds in our bedroom and looking at the sun rising above the trees. When it cools off I hope to move to the balcony for a few minutes each morning to take it in.
I'm afraid that's the best I can do as my brain isn't usually awake enough for moving fast or journaling. I need to have quiet and zone out for 30 minutes or an hour if possible. The one thing I do need to remove is my phone from this time period. So, perhaps that will be my morning ritual--avoiding my phone and opening the blinds!
Jealous that you have a balcony, tbh.
For me the day starts with an alarm going off at 530AM during the week. Lately I've been hitting the snooze a couple of times. I think I'm solar powered & I greatly dislike having to get up in darkness. Eventually, I stumble in the darkness to the kitchen to get the kettle boiling. I step outside to pour out yesterday's coffee dregs from the french press. Now that the days are getting shorter, I'm greeted with twinkling stars and whatever phase the moon is in. I say a little prayer of thanks for allowing me to awaken to another new day. I feel like these few moments are my grounding before I switch into high gear to get myself ready and out of the house by 7:30AM. Since I just started back to work full time off-farm back in June, I've been thinking I want to incorporate some sort of morning exercise routine before work, but I've yet to get started.
Weekend mornings are my favorite. I can awaken without an alarm around 630AM and watch the sun rise as I sip on my coffee. Then I usually sneak out to my favorite place in the greenhouse & write using my five senses to embrace the awakening farm around me. I've been trying to find daily writing time but this week has been a struggle. I'm hoping to get back on track this weekend.
Thank you for the farm update. I'm super excited about our fall garden plans and a new gardening space I'm creating in my greenhouse. Can't wait to visit your farm one day & please stop by & visit us when you're over this way!
That you write in the greenhouse is beautiful.
That is honestly the most lovely and richly varied morning routine I've ever heard of. Just reading your description of it feels so refreshing and enlivening. And the First Light poem is beautiful. Thank you for deep inspiration!
Some mornings I think of you!
Thank you for sharing your morning & for asking about ours! My ritual is usually a routine that varies depending on the weekday and grounds me for whatever is planned (but not routine) and the unexpected stuff that pops up. I leave the house an hour before my first scheduled client, some mornings are more rushed than others but always include cat maintenance, fresh water in the bird baths, a laundry stage (wash, dry, or fold), and bfast w my other half who makes steel cut oats & fruit for us. On Fridays my 2yo granddtr visits-- she is committed to a routine of seeking the cat, raisins in a red ramekin, blueberries (boo bellies) in a different dish, sorting silicone cupcake liners, reading the Elmo book, and a park/library/pet store trip. It is wonderful to be reminded about how magical the world is, seen through the eyes of a pre-schooler. As a mom I noticed this magical world but was too harried to appreciate it the way I can now. Saturday mornings I teach early morning yoga in the parking lot behind my office; we close by dedicating any merit we may have generated to the benefit of all beings. I love how yoga encourages mindfulness of our inner state, mindfulness of how we’re located in space, and because it’s an outdoor class, what’s occurring around us. When I travel, for pretty much any reason, I comb my hair outside, offer a few strands to the spirits of the place, and state that I’m thankful for this day and my life.
Oh my--a few strands of hair as offering. That's lovely and now how we usually think of stray hairs. I'm so grateful for you.
Just beautiful!
I’ve been craving a routine for night time and mornings but fail to do so. Maybe my routine is not having a routine 😲😂 However, most mornings do involve coffee on the back porch with the dogs. No matter the time of year - bundle up and feel cozy in the Florida winter with a hot cup, or sit practically naked on the hottest days of summer when even at 6am it feels too hot! I try to not bring a gadget or book so that I just watch the light and hear what the birds are up to and let my own mind meander and wake up. 3 days a week or more I run and/or lift weights then scurry off to work. I would like to try the mantra- I believe 100% that it works.
Yes to watching the light!
Liposomal vitamin C is FAR easier for your body to absorb than regular vitamin C. Essentially it is coated in fat which allows it to pass into the small intestine before being absorbed. Vitamin C in high doses can do all kinds of amazing things like lower overall inflammation, heal the body from tremendous damage or trauma (like a surgery)… in my case it’s helping me stay energized during pregnancy (last time I suffered from severe, debilitating fatigue throughout… this time I feel pretty great!).
Here’s the recipe I use; small initial investment for tremendous health benefits. Though I just began during this pregnancy, I plan to keep taking it daily for life.
https://elkeliving.com/2020/08/19/diy-liposomal-vitamin-c/
Yes I make many, many lists! Weekly homeschool tasks, general to do. We farm year round so planting schedules are essential. I’m also a seamstress so there’s an endless sewing queue as well… I think in the form of lists and getting them out helps me relax.
Deeply grateful.
Thank you for sharing this, what an inspiring and beautiful way to start the day! I’ve had many seasons throughout the years where I was dedicated to a similar beginning and have been longing to return to it. Maybe a good place to start is with a new mantra.
Recently, on a good day - meaning I slept well - I rise quite early too, well before the break of day. I’ll pour some coffee to which I add some coconut oil and sit to enjoy it on our sun porch. Sometimes I journal, sometimes I feed my soul with loving kindness prayers for myself, my family, my friends, community, the earth.
When I hear the birds begin to sing and the sky brightens enough to see their movement it’s time to look about. Often there are opossum, fox or coons to watch before they give up their nocturnal rounds to seek cover from the light quickly unfolding.
After turning on my Merlin Bird Sound ID App I head out back to give water to the veggies, herbs and flowers growing in pots on our eastern patio. With the backdrop of the sun rising and the skies changing colors, I begin my rounds looking for the rapidly growing fritillary caterpillars munching on the purple passionflower. Fresh water is added to the bird baths before a visit to the perennial pollinator garden to the north. The Obedient Plant is blooming along with Echinacea Purpurea, Monarda Punctata and Rudbeckia Fulgida. I stand in the midst of them looking for insects, the good and the bad, as well as the dozens of pollinators all sizes, shapes and colors. There are so many bees, flies, wasp, moths and butterflies on the move and it takes a minute for my eyes to take them all in. I’m thrilled to feel safe amongst them all as a year ago they would have frightened me. I was told if I planted they would come and it makes my heart swell with joy to see these “pollipaloozanators” enjoy the beautiful yellow, lavender, purple and pink flowers, that I winter sowed from seed for the first time last year. This entire scene is a miracle!
There are many rewilding areas to visit if there’s time before the sun gets too hot, so fun to see what native species are returning on their own. Before going in I check the bird app to see if anything out of the ordinary has shared space with me that morning. For the last several days it has picked up on the beautiful Baltimore Oriole which should be arriving soon. I haven’t spotted them yet with my eyes, or heard their distinctive clicking sound, but am eagerly on the lookout. Inside, my exercise is strengthening and stretching I’ve learned from many rounds of Physical Therapy blended with Yoga I’ve done through the years. Often included are podcast with favorite teachers who love people and the earth and talk about the nature and behavior of living things.
There is much to be grateful for and it helps me so to start the day appreciating these gifts.
As I read this, it had this thought…I don’t think there’s another writer who would take the time to share and connect with other writers the way you do. With every writing you let us know about your husband, dog, travels, house, plants, dreams, wants, and plans. Your internal and external itineraries are much appreciated. If Charlotte could, she would write “Some Writer” for you.
I agree! Every time I read anything she writes, I feel like I'm sitting listening to a friend talk about their life.
I don't tell folks everything, Michele. But almost! LOL I'm so glad you are here.
OK you just sent me down a rabbit hole on that Living Libations site :)
I loved reading about your morning ritual-- it sounds lovely. I'm similar in that I creep out into the dark quiet house before others are up and do some movement, and then go walk for a few miles. But I'm in the busy season of having school-aged kids, so the following hour is spent rushing to pack lunches, get everyone dressed and fed, and get to the bus stop by 7:30. I'm going to try incorporating some meditative outside time on weekend mornings-- that does sound like a great way to greet the day!
I had no idea that I would come to love it so much.
Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your morning. I too have been seeking to create a morning ritual ... and immerse myself in the sound therapy of frog-cry. Today, I will carry that image of "pearlescent, frog-loud light." Wow.
Wow! This post made me want to come have a week long retreat at your property especially doing your morning ritual. Seriously.
I especially loved your yoga/mediation piece of the ritual. Since moving from Atlanta to Panama City 2 years ago I miss my yoga practice very much. I was going to a studio in Atlanta that changed my life and mindset and that I really connected with. I have not found that sort of specific practice in Panama City yet and have been hard pressed to find it online as well. My body and mind miss it.
I get up at 5:15am in order to leave the house by 6:15am to get to work by 7am. I don't have time for a morning ritual unless I get up even earlier and not sure I'm willing to do that. I go to bed by 9pm. I could do it on Saturday and Sunday's I suppose and will work towards changing that as I feel like I need it.
Editing this to add that face oils are the bomb! My skin has changed so much since I began using a cleansing oil to take off my makeup each day, a floral/herbal toner, and then a face oil as a moisturizer. My makeup looks better on me as well.
I have yet to try any of the Living Libations products you linked to but have wanted to. I like the One Love Organics (from coastal Georgia) Vit B Enzyme Cleansing Oil (https://www.oneloveorganics.com/collections/face-cleanse/products/botanical-b-cleansing-oil-makeup-remover). My most recent toner was this one from Inlight (https://shop.beauty-heroes.com/collections/inlight-beauty/products/floral-tonic-inlight-beauty?variant=32241661640791) but my favorite is the Co Q Toner from Indie Lee (https://shop.beauty-heroes.com/products/coq-10-toner-indie-lee?variant=32241675108439). If I could have a perfume that smelled this way this toner does I would bathe in it. And I always keep coming back to the Vit C Brightening Oil from Beautycounter (https://www.beautycounter.com/karenchason?goto=/product/all-bright-brightening-facial-oil).......not because I sell Beautycounter as a consultant but because no matter what other brand I try that I love I end up loving this one better.
Thank you for all these beauty recommendations. I can see that I'm headed down a rabbit-hole. Yes to oil-cleaning. It makes all the difference.
My mornings are really varied, though they generally begin with a short amount of time to get ready and get to work. However, something that has been non-negotiable for years now is starting the day with writing. Sort of morning pages, sort of Natalie Goldberg-inspired, but nothing formal. I have a very plain notebook (5"x8"; I buy them by the dozen) that I use to write down my first thoughts of the day. Dreams, anxieties, wishes, excitements, things I want to make sure I remember, what's in bloom, who's at the birdfeeder. I love having this anchor every day. And the inexpensive notebook keeps me from being precious about what I'm writing.
I like that you call it an anchor. That's a great metaphor for morning rituals.
I’m a SAHM of 3, pregnant with my 4th, homeschooling 2. It is encouraging to hear the lives of others who have more time!! This will be me in other seasons!
I have come to learn the vital importance of a morning routine for a person with a “full-time job” (24/7!!!!) like me. I open my eyes in bed, thank God for another day and pray He help me live it with grace. I take 2T of liposomal vitamin C which I make myself bi-weekly, then pour a cup of coffee. I sit with my husband, not talking much, just being together. When I’ve awakened more I read a few chapters of the Bible and mentally prepare for the tasks of the day. That’s about all I have time for but it helps tremendously!! Even the smallest routine can help you do the work laid before you with thanksgiving in your heart rather than complaint.
Thanks for this newsletter. I love it.
Sophie, this is a beautiful routine. Two questions--how do you make liposomal Vit C & what is the benefit of taking it? (I can also google this.) AND Do you make a to-do list?