making the most of mornings

It is early in the morning.  The sun has not yet risen and I quietly get out of bed not wanting to wake him.  The morning is my sacred time.  A chance to enter into the day gently, on my own terms.   I savor the quiet, the darkness, the peace before the world wakes up.

I have not always been a morning person.  I used to hit the snooze button more times than I can even remember.  I would then roll out of bed in a hurry and rush to work, eating breakfast at my desk.  My mind not yet ready to begin.  A sudden jolt into the day leaving me feeling off and out of sorts. 

Once I began to carve out time in the morning my entire day shifted.  I give myself a chance to begin where I am and enter into the day slowly and with ease.  Some days I go to a yoga class or just do five moves in my living room.  I am looking forward to the warmer weather returning so I will be motivated to lace up my sneakers and head out for a run.  I meditate and sometimes write in my journal.  When I arrive at work my mind is calm.  I feel refreshed and ready to take on the day.  

I did not think switching up my morning routine could change my life, but it has.  What I do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of my day.  On the days that I don't wake up early I can feel it in my body and my mind.  It has taken work to push myself out of bed, especially on those cold winter mornings but carving out this time just for me is soul tending and a big part of my self care routine.   

What way can you tend to your soul?  What time can you carve out in your day for a little bit of self care?