Author and photographs: Federico Mejía, political scientist, anthropologist and monitoring and evaluation consultant at the Prolongar Foundation
Routines for the mornings open the door to recognize and potentiate what is positive in us
Having explored NON-ACTION and the importance of VIRTUAL RITUALS in previous posts, this time we want to share reflections and recommendations that we consider essential when creating a routine to start the day and that we know are useful to take on the challenges around mental and physical health that quarantine implies. In the current circumstances of confinement, for many people it becomes increasingly difficult to focus the mind and maintain an emotional balance or balance. As Dr. Adrian Bardon, a philosopher specializing in temporality, says, "this whole situation kills our concentration."
In response to this problem, routines for the mornings open the door to recognize and potentiate what is positive in us. These consist of a series of actions, movements and / or thoughts that are done in a certain order and at the beginning of the day to find new ways to relate to oneself, others and the environment. It is a way to resignify our own creative energies and transform the patterns established in our body that allow free expression.
There are multiple practices or possible routines
While there is a growing consensus every day about the benefits of practices that involve body care, many of the routines we try to practice are not adapted to our needs. Sometimes this happens because the pre-established routines of Yoga or meditation – to mention some recurring options on the internet – may not recognize the body in an integral way, with its complex emotional, rational and sensitive dimensions.
It is pertinent to understand that there are many possible routines and practices, and we can be flexible in the face of the needs and dispositions we have every day. Therefore, to make the most of the potential of a routine to start the day, it is necessary to observe that not all people should perform the same exercises because not all want or need the same thing. We know that this flexibility can be confusing, since it leaves us in a place of many possibilities, where do I start?, what do I choose?
Initial reading: how I am and what I need
A first step may be to ask ourselves what our physical, emotional and mental bodies ask of us. For this it is important to open the inner space, listen to our thoughts or feelings, and understand what we can or want to give ourselves.
For example, when the mind is scattered and it is difficult for us to concentrate, it can be valuable to perform a meditative type of practice, focusing attention on relaxing. When we need to activate ourselves bodily to start the day with a lot of energy, it may be better to involve the movement of the feet and arms, jumping and even dancing. If we just get up, some gentle stretches of the neck, back and arms above the head are a very good way to make an initial discharge of energy.
An initial reading may consist of discovering a single movement or thought to which one can go in depth.
No need to rush. Grace also consists in giving the necessary time to discover places and feelings that are suddenly hidden. Nor is it necessary to believe that we should perform many movements or sequences. In this type of practice, for its purposes, sometimes "less is more". An initial reading may consist of discovering a single movement or thought to which one can go in depth.
Ultimately, the routine for the morning does not find meaning in the great or multiple movements, but in the sensations, thoughts and contacts – with the ground, the air, nature – in which we can begin to fix and that enable a different way of relating to ourselves and to the body. It is a way of focusing energy on what we really want to give ourselves, both because we pay full attention to it, and because at that moment we have the willingness and openness to discover it.
Thus, when a routine makes sense for each person, it is when it has the possibility to permeate the day. One of the reasons why we have a hard time doing routines in the morning is because it is not easy to see the immediate effects. However, the special thing is to feel how this practice can have an effect later in the day, especially in times of stress or confusion.
The Connection with the Breath
A second element, which can be common to all routines and types of practices, is the attention we pay to the breath. Awareness of how we are breathing is a potential step to observe and understand ourselves emotionally and bodily. It is possible to start any routine with some deep breaths. You can pay attention to the air that enters and exits, and the route that makes inside. Air quality, temperature or breathing speed are other valuable elements to consider.
It is true that at the beginning it can be challenging. However, as we incorporate it and give it a moment in our routine, breathing can become the pillar to perform it. In a next post we will be more specific about the connection with the breath.
Value also emerges in routine
Finally, it may be necessary to take into account that the benefits of this type of practice are seen in repetition, that is, in effectively implementing the routine in a sustained way. Sometimes, our eagerness to get results can perhaps be an obstacle to continue. Therefore, it is worth remembering that there are processes that need to be nurtured with our care and time.
Unlike many activities or actions that we usually carry out, in the routines for the morning we do not seek to earn something in the future. Satisfaction consists in appreciating that moment that we are giving ourselves and that allows us to place ourselves in the present. From there it is from where you can find the possibility of understanding and assimilating our days in a different way and seeing its effects at other times of our daily lives.