When I’m in writing mode, that means my writer hangs out at my laptop before my editor is up. I also check to see if there are any urgent emails or messages.
Next, I end up on the third-floor terrace of my home, where I meditate for 20 minutes just as light starts to break over the hills (TM-style, although some days I cap out at 10-15 minutes). After that, I do 15 minutes of isometrics with a resistance band and then 5 minutes upside down on an inversion machine.
I spend the next 50 minutes (on those days when I have time) walking or running Pescadero beach with our dog Jamie while listening to the TED Radio Hour or a similarly-length podcast.
Finally, I end up in the shower where, for 25 years now, I say the same three prayers and four mantras. I have now added a fifth and sixth mantra relating to ridding myself of cancer. During my 5-minute shower, I say all six of these mantras three times each.
There’s no magic in this ritual. It works for me. All I can say is—whether I’ve had dreams or nightmares—I always look forward to this routine as a means of greeting my day feeling wiser and lighter.
What’s your morning routine?