The Insistent Dawn

The other morning, Facebook put into my feed the answer given by a one of the many yoga teachers among my friends to the question, “what is the first thing you do in the morning?” The answer was “meditate.”

Besides again wondering why people answer these questions and why Facebook would put this in my feed, I questioned in my head, “really?”

I empty my bladder, feed the cat, make the bed, brush my teeth, drink some hot water, and move and stretch a little before sitting down to meditate.

And when I do sit, I first do a body scan and 5-10 minutes of pranayama. I cannot imagine sitting before meditation without most of that except in unusual circumstances.

My morning meditation is, though, before I start engaging in projects or eating breakfast or leaving the house.

What do you do first thing in the morning?

When do you meditate?

At Walt Whitman’s birthplace, just a short walk from the house in which I grew up and where my parents still live.

This year I chose to make my Thanksgiving Day donation to Sanctuary DMV and the Latin American Youth Center.

I am soon heading to the metro to meet friends and go to a gathering. Because it will be appreciated, I baked without gluten, which I find more of a challenge.