Day 1 – Reset

Look, I’m new at this, too. It is hard to pick a starting point. It’s almost time for bed and I’m going to wake up to day 1 and just have a go at being human. My first instinct is to start some sort of meditation ritual but realistically, I know I need to start small. I’m pretty sure I first heard of this about 3 years back in an Adbusters issue.

Start every morning with a cup of hot water.

No coffee in it. No tea leaves. No lemon. Nothing.

Boil it. Pour it in a cup. Sip.

Alleged health benefits aside, it can be a mental and spiritual moment, too. Pick a place to sit down and make this a small, early morning ritual. Sip your hot water and do nothing else.

Tomorrow I’m going to pick a spot to sit and sip. I’ll even take a picture….when I’m done sipping.

My sipping spot when there's no rain: the blue bench in Pop's garden.

So this is where I sat for my first sip. I woke up, got my little one up and fed, and started heating the water. Even for a ritual as simple as sipping hot water, I’m relying on many things outside my control. From the water, to the electricity, to the mug itself…I’m not directly responsible for any of it.

The sipping time was nice. Switz (our cat) came out to join me and we sat on the bench in silence. I feel better today. When I finally ate something (vanilla yogurt), the flavors were already much more vivid.

I plan to drink hot water only for the next two weeks, then I’ll add a simple flavor like a single bay leaf or a bit of lime juice.

Lesson learned: Don’t start the day with a sensory assault.

Seek beauty in the everyday.