Savouring The Dawn: A Morning Ritual

How often do we step into a new day carrying yesterday’s expectations and mental clutter? In this grounding morning meditation, I will guide you through an outdoor ritual to be done at dawn to awaken your senses and cultivate a beginner’s mind. By observing the gradual, brightening of the morning light, you will practice letting go of preconceived ideas, stepping out of rigid mental boxes and fully savouring the present moment just as it is. This will help you set a calm, grounded, and clear tone for the day ahead.

Transcript

This is a morning ritual of embodied presence, An excellent way to start your day on the right footing. Go outside at dawn. It could be before the sun has risen, Or after, But before the sky is fully bright. Bear in mind that dawn is going to be at a different time at different times of the year. Sit comfortably so that you can look up at the sky. Softening your body. Relaxing. Turning your attention to what you can see. Imagine. . . That you've never seen a dawn before, Even though I'm sure you've seen it many times. Just imagine this is your first ever door. It's not easy. We need to let go of expectations. Let go of past experience, Of views and opinions and thoughts about dawn. We need to let go of our wishes and wants about how we hoped it would be or how we imagined it would be. Being here with this dawn. Look at a single spot in the sky. And then broaden your perception. And take in as much of the sky as you can see. And the surroundings and the landscape. Buildings. Notice the almost imperceptibly gradual change in color from the horizon upwards. And from the horizon in this direction. Across and around in the other direction. The gradual changes in color. Changes in light level. Take in the morning sounds. The birds. The breeze in the trees. Traffic. People waking up and. . . Starting their days. The feeling of the fresh morning air on your skin. Watch this rising dawn. Without expectation. Don't think about it. Experience it. Maybe it's cloudy. Maybe the clouds build and fill the sky. Maybe the clouds? Part. Maybe they're floating over. Maybe it's clear. Maybe the colors are a bit drab, A bit gray. Maybe they're brilliantly colourful, With golds and pinks. And deep blues. Let it be as it is today. This dawn. What would it mean to save her? This experience. You right now. This moment. Fully appreciating. Now. Rising morning light today. We don't need to grasp it or hold on to it. The dawn. Is a change. I can't grasp it. Let the dawn change. Let the dawn come. Let the day start. Enjoy as the light levels rise, The colors change. The day starts. Take some time breathing with the dawn. And when you're ready. You can just sway your body a bit from side to side. Take a nice deep breath, Breathing in this fresh morning air. Clean your eyes. Come to the screen. See if you can allow this. Beginning dawn feeling. This looking at the world with fresh eyes, Seeing things for the first time, Savouring each moment, Each individual moment. Moment right now. See if you're going to let that infuse the rest of your day as you carry on into your day.