Reading the subject line of this post, some of you are scratching your heads, while others are giggling just thinking of the absurdity of three mindfulness gurus as the beginning of an "Into a Bar" joke.
I've read and listened to a great many books on mindfulness, or living in the present moment. Some of these books have been treatises on the wonders of reorienting your world view to include a lot more perspective and a lot less planning/dwelling. Others have been mildly humorous manuals on meditation and focus.
All of these books have one common thread--the road to a better life begins with letting go. With the advent of social media, we've taken worrying and obsession to the next level of intensity. It is no surprise that social media overuse is bad for you.
Recently, I've started waking up earlier (par for the course and not unusual anymore)--five or even four thirty in the morning. Normally, this would have started to worry me. After thinking about the advent of this phenomenon, however--I'm embracing it. I used to wonder why my parents got up this early. I bet it has to do with a mix of instinct and genetic memory (perhaps, of farming/hunting/gathering and the need to rise early to make it possible to survive the long winter months).
Life is very quiet and peaceful at this time of day. I have adequate time to meditate, wake up, read, knit, and exercise prior to the start of what will almost invariably be a busy day (weekend day or not, we tend to do quite a lot, Romeyn and I).
So I have let go of the concept of sleeping in and getting additional rest, at least for the present moment. I'm finding the little moments of joy in a life that has fewer moments of rest but greater amounts of Amanda time.
Be well, fellow Introverts.
You are following in Popie’s and your mother’s footsteps. We always got up early, before dawn. As a child I slept on a second/floor sleeping porch that had a (curtained) window looking into the one bathroom. My Dad’s early morning routines probably woke me up early, and I’ve done so ever since. I love the pre-dawn hour. Now I look out over a beautiful lake as I await sunrise.
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