and then begin 1

“Come away with me to a quiet place and rest a while.”

-Jesus; mark 6:3

Do you ever wake up from your sleep feeling really tired?

I used to experience this almost every day and getting the day started was extremely hard. Sometimes quite emotional. I discovered that the secret is found in the sacred early hours of the morning. It is here where I begin my day with a deliberate pause, a reserved time of deep rest. Normally, we exhaust our energy and then do our resting but I have experienced such magic when I commit to resting first and then beginning.

Here are 3 powerful things I practice each day that has increased my energy and filled me with a deeper sense of well-being, purpose, and peace.

1. First Light

I try to wake up at the same time every day and as you may have guessed it, this is at first light. The sounds of a 5 am alarm are definitely cringing worthy to Miss Serial Snoozer over here but I must admit, she quite likes watching the daylight rise. I find the stillness of dawn to be filled with a mighty sense of possibility even when I know the day ahead is filled with the demanding have to.

I get up, sometimes begrudgingly, and head straight to the kettle. I then set my vibe with a tranquil playlist for some wake-up tunes. I make my much loved morning cup of coffee and I retreat to a quiet place on my living room floor.

2. Stretching Hamstrings

Having found my cozy area on the rug, I start to stretch out my legs and I focus mainly on my hamstrings. I think this is one of the most underrated activities out there.

I am only 32, and even I feel my body ache and creak in the morning so stretching out my hamstrings makes an enormous difference to how I feel. I do this for about half an hour while I sip at my coffee.

I use this stretching time to turn my heart and my thoughts towards the creator and I breathe slowly and deeply. As I stretch out I consciously think about the things I am grateful for. There is magnificent power in thankfulness; it instills such calmness to my inner self and it opens my heart and mind to receive what is ahead of me that day.

3. Bathe in Wisdom

Lastly, I believe that what we put into our minds first thing is what will set the trajectory of our thinking for the day. It is so important to guard what we think because our thoughts ultimately run our lives.

I used to wake up and instantly reach for my phone to scroll through social media. What I noticed is how it would leave me feeling deflated and uninspired and I hadn’t even started the day yet.

So now I dedicate some time in my resting to feed my mind and thoughts with anything that is inspiring or teaches me something new about people, the world or myself. I mostly read the bible, this is my favorite brain food because it is filled with many incredible accounts of valuable life lessons.

Lately, I have been reading through the book of wisdom called proverbs. I just love how it offers me something to ponder and something to apply to my life. It leaves me feeling empowered and encouraged and this is such an energising way to finish up my rest, and then begin getting ready for work.

This takes me about 2 hours. I know! Whoa! But the truth is that I started my resting routine with only 15minutes. Now, 9 months later, I honestly crave more and more time for the great pause.

There is real, powerful transformation in the heart, body, and mind in resting before we begin and I truly encourage you to give it a try if you feel that you would like to.

Start with 15.

Love,

Jo-Anne.