Movement Meditation: Rising

There is so much that we miss in the present moment because we are consumed—the moment we awake from sleep—by our thoughts, fears and desires for the day ahead. Try this simple little exercise of observing, feeling and using your sense perceptions before getting out of bed in the morning. You may be amazed at how it changes your day.

Before getting out of bed in the morning, continue to lie in bed for a few minutes. Feel your breath, feel the inner and outer layer of sensations in the body, and feel the bed sheets against your skin. Are the sheets soft, warm? Feel how the body sinks into the mattress. Listen to the external sounds (the clock ticking, traffic, children, etc.). Then, when you're ready to get out of bed, feel the body shifting to a sitting position, feel your pelvic bones dropping into the mattress, feel the spine erect, feel the sheets leaving your body. As you are sitting up in bed, look at the objects around the room. Notice any light coming through the window. And as you place your feet on the floor, feel the roughness or smoothness of the flooring material beneath your feet. As you get up and walk toward the bathroom, be fully aware of every step.