This was our sunrise this morning. I pays to once in a while be the one who drags the trash can up to the street. Sunrises and sunsets in New Mexico are just one of the very best things about living here! This view is an amazing way to wake up and get going in the mornings.
Yesterday evening I fixed up our former storage room, that is actually our family room. I started it a while ago and then yesterday got the push to move it forward again. It's a really weird space so it has been frustrating to try to decorate. I'll share a bit more about that soon. Our house is all tile and brick floors except for two small bedrooms on one side of the house, so one thing we miss is a nice soft, carpeted floor to stand and walk on.
With a big, cushy vintage rug, we bought at the estate sale from the house we originally hoped to buy, now covering most of our family room we now have another soft spot for our tootsies and we couldn't be happier. Unfortunately the dog also quite likes this rug which leads to the necessity for constant vacuuming, even though his kennel and a big dog rug/bed is just a couple of feet away from our nice rug.
But today I finally had a soft spot to lay down my yoga mat for my morning practice. It was heavenly after lying on a yoga mat on brick and tile floors trying to find a comfortable spot. The family room is now my space and I love it! Had the most fantastic morning doing 20 minutes of yoga and then 10 minutes of meditations. I just made up my own positive affirmations this morning and it was great. I have been reading again about the power of visualization and I really want to make that a more powerful element in my life!
Part of my morning rituals are also some scripture reading, prayer and journal time. Right now I am keeping two journals simultaneously. One is a health and fitness journal where I am tracking my food intake, exercise, and progress in my journey to better self care and overcoming some current health challenges. Then I have my regular journal where I keep all sorts of thoughts, plans and a record of daily events, progress, etc. I have noticed that being consistent with my journaling the past month has really helped me stay more even-keeled and less uptight and worried about life. Being able to unravel and deconstruct moods and thoughts helps a lot.
Another thing I have been working on is praying in the mornings, throughout the day and in the evenings about specific goals. I feel like it has really helped me to seek calm and peace in God, which helps me to stay more grounded and centered and thus more focused on the important things. I'll share more about that soon too.
It does take a couple of hours to get this all done in the mornings but it's so worth it and when I take that time for me first thing in the morning I feel much more empowered and cared for during the day. It reminds me of some great advice a friend one gave me about giving to myself first in the day so I can better give to others the rest of the day.
Taking time for important things that feed the soul first thing in the morning has always been an valuable and joyful part of healthy living for me. I believe it helps me to be a better person throughout the day. It lowers my stress levels - which improves my health too. I'm feeling so good with a better morning routine in the new year! The best part is all of this healthy living and good feeling is that it is absolutely free, doesn't cost a dime and is so much better than seeking temporary comfort in food, shopping, TV or other less filling attempts to fill one's emotional bank account.
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