Every morning I wake up with the intention to sit and meditate for only 5-10 minutes. I do this so I may start my day consciously aware of how I am mentally, physically and emotionally feeling. I start by sitting crossed legged on the floor, slowing down my breath and feeling my body relax. I take a mental and physical scan of my body and mind watching what sort of thoughts and worries float around and I notice if there are any tense areas that I need to breath into in order to relax. Once I have felt my body and mind meld into one, I bring my attention to the energy beneath me. I become aware of the energy that surrounds me. I feel the vibrations and noises of the city, the weather and the people that are in my life. I bring awareness to my world so I can act with intention. Creating this awareness allows me to start the day with a sense of cohesion and strength. I am able to understand how I am feeling internally, and I am able to recognize if I am in a healthy environment. I try to listen to myself in the morning before the noise and chaos of the day gets so loud that I may not hear my thoughts clearly. I have noticed over time that the days I do not do this, I feel disconnected, anxious and less in control of my actions--making me feel less the person I aim to be. I have come to understand that when my external environment feels unstable, I have to consciously create a more positive environment for myself. I do this by keeping my heart-center open and engaging others so that I can hopefully add some positive energy to their day, which ends up brightening my internal and external environment.
Suggestions: Spend a couple minutes in the morning focusing on yourself and your environment. Take this moment to PAUSE, BREATH, BECOME AWARE, REFLECT and ACT. Feel what type of environment you are in. Let yourself feel the energy in the ground and the movement in the air. Notice if something feels out of sink and think of ways that you can create a space that is more enriching. This could mean you clean your room so things feel orderly and neat; you paint the walls to a more suitable color; you calm yourself and honestly clear the air on an issue with a friend/family member or associate; or you simply become more conscious of what type of people you surround yourself with. Spend sometime to reflect so you may come to understand yourself better. Sometimes we do not realize how toxic of a place we are in or how parasitic some people can be in our lives. It is YOUR responsibility to create the best YOU, and in order to do so, you must create space and time to hear YOURSELF.