Upon Waking: September 10 - 16

The eighteenth-century Hasidic Rabbi Hayim Heikel of Amdur says:

When you awake in the morning immediately remember that the blessed Creator has acted toward you with goodness and kindness, for the Divine has returned the soul to you; the soul that fills your whole body. . .

Before opening your eyes, draw the Creator to you — likewise with your ears, mouth, and mind.

If you follow this practice, all your deeds will be holy that day, as it is written, “I foretell the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10).

Practice

Here’s my version of the rabbi’s exhortation.

As I’m about to get out of bed in the morning after I just wake up but before my mind has totally come online, I take the first few seconds of the day to become aware of my breath. I feel the air fill my belly and listen to the exhale. I slowly open my eyes, tune into the sounds of the morning, stretch my body and put my feet on the floor. Maybe I add an intention for the rest of the day. May I remember to be kind.

On mornings when I forget about my breath, my mind already rushes into whatever I think I need to accomplish and my body spends the rest of the day trying to catch up.

Take a moment to breathe at the start of the day.