I pulled my sweater tighter while casting furtive, longing glances at Club Med a few doors down, and that’s when I saw it. On the horizon of turquoise waters, a gold arc suddenly appeared, and slowly, slowly, the sun rose—and I got it. A sunrise is the exact opposite of a sunset; instead of the sun going down in the west followed by streaks of color, you get a glorious light show in the east announcing its arrival: Here comes the sun!
I remembered that dawn years later when I picked up a children’s book called The Way to Start a Day. Page 1 showed a beautiful sunrise and said:
The way to start a day is this—
Go outside
and face the east
and greet the sun
with some kind of
blessing
or chant
or song
that you made yourself
and keep for
early morning.
There were drawings of Africans drumming, of women offering flowers at shrines in India, of Aztecs playing songs on their flutes . . . of people from all over the world sharing this ancient ritual: to honor that moment when the sun first appears.
Okay, I was sold. I wouldn’t necessarily get up at dawn (I’m a night person, always was), but I would bless the sun each day in person. And that’s how my morning salutations began.
At first, I simply stood outside on our patio and said, “Hi, Sun! Thanks for coming.” But soon this evolved into a more native routine, ending with words inspired by Mom.
I begin by holding my palms together as I face the rising sun. “Hello to the sun!” I say, while lifting my arms high in a sweeping circle. Then I turn to greet all four directions with words that reflect their different aspects and gifts: “Hello to the East! Innocence, new beginnings. Blessings on the East.” “Hello to the South! Heart opening, loving-kindness . . .”
I also salute the other three directions: “Hello above” (the sky), “Hello below” (the earth), and “Hello within” (the center, the heart).
Looking around, I then say “Hello to the flowers and trees” as I take in their beauty, and “Hello to the birds and all the animals” as I listen for their sounds.
My salutation ends with two bows and a prayer:
Thank you for this world.
Thank you for this day.
It’s a good day to die!
It’s a good day to live!
I do this every morning, no matter how late I get moving. It helps me feel fresh, uplifted, and open. Open to the dawning of a brand-new day.
THE FIRST FEW STEPS
It’s a new day. You wake up feeling great and excited. Or maybe not. No matter. Here are some ways to raise your spirits from whatever point they’re at. What works best, I find, is to pick one or a few, make them yours, and do them often—until they become your morning ritual. Still, here’s an honest disclaimer: Some days, for me, nothing works. I wake up growling and it’s just a bad day. That said, read on.
GIVE THANKS
You might sit by a candle or simply sit up in bed and say thanks in whatever way feels right.
Gracias, Papito Dios, por el milagro
de un otro dia de la vida.
Thank you, dearest God, for the miracle
of another day of life.
MAKE A VOW ABOUT HOW YOU WANT
TO LIVE THIS DAY
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk and peace activist from Vietnam, offers gathas, short verses, to guide us through the day. Here’s one he suggests we might start with:
Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully each moment
and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.
I’ve shortened this to say, I vow to live fully and view all beings with compassion, including myself.
OR LET AN AFFIRMATION COME TO YOU
It can be a different one or several each day. Affirm out loud whatever you want to be feeling or creating.
My life is filled with gratitude and love.
I am healthy, strong, and radiantly alive.
I’m living with kindness and calmness and faith.
MEDITATE
Many teachers suggest that you start and end the day with meditation: a way to frame your day with peace.
PRAY
Morning is also a good time for prayer, and prayer can take any form you wish: giving thanks, sending love and healing thoughts to others, affirming or requesting what you need, or simply talking with your higher self or whatever divine presence you believe in or perceive.
REMEMBER YOUR DREAMS
Write them down in a dream book you keep by your bed, or say them out loud and listen for their message. If the dream felt bad or disturbing, think of a way to continue it that turns out well. Or look for a symbol or person in the dream that you feel good about and focus on that.
DO YOGA OR TAI CHI
Hatha yoga and tai chi are ways to wake up your body and soul. Just ten minutes of poses or a few sets of sun salutations are all it takes to feel calmer and focused.
OR GET GROUNDED IN YOUR BODY SOME OTHER WAY
You might sit still, watch your breath as it goes in and out, and feel the calm. Or take a walk or jog outside amid the sounds and smells of the morning waking up.
READ
Our friends Jane and Bo start each morning together, reading something inspirational—“something from 12-step and then something Buddhist.”
I keep inspirational books by my bedside, open one up to any page, and read the message. It’s always right; it always works.
LISTEN TO MUSIC
Put on music you love to set the tone of your day.
VISUALIZE
While lying in bed, close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and picture yourself somewhere beautiful, say, a beach in Hawaii. Then imagine the sun streaming golden light through you, all through your body and out through your fingers and toes, cleansing you and clearing away any tension.
GREET WITH GLADNESS
This is very British,
