The Magic of Mornings and the Joy of Running

From the very moment the monotonous drone of the alarm clock suddenly invades the last scene of my dream and I slowly awake, here forth lies the mighty battle. A battle against my monkey-mind and my lethargy-body to rise at the break of dawn, fuel my soul with my morning meditation and embrace the rising sun with the one thing that brings joy and vigour to every part of my being – running!

I won’t deny that mornings can undoubtedly be a struggle at times and the mere suggestion of getting up any earlier than necessary can seem out of the question. But as the old saying goes, “every treasure is guarded by dragons”, in my opinion these early morning dragons are guarding the most luminous, rewarding and utterly magical treasures ever!

...tranquility and stillness of the world in the early morning...

It is the tranquility and stillness of the world in the early morning that creates the ideal conditions for the most peaceful and fruitful meditations. It is the beauty and energy of the rising sun that radiates new-life-enthusiasm to those who dare to open their eyes. It is the fresh, invigorating prana of the beach and bush on an early morning escape out of the city that gives me a bursting joy and an exuberant gratitude to be alive. Finally, there is something about knowing that the majority of the world is still sleeping while we are out soaking up every bit of positive energy from the world before anyone else even blinks an eyelid.

I often meet with friends, encouraging one another and sharing inspiration for early morning jogs. We head out around 6:30, bounding down the deserted streets, along the waterfront or exploring parks and hidden nooks of Auckland. When I arrive home I feel so eager for the day ahead, full of vitality and with my mind and body surging with positive, illumining energy. My favourite are the “wild west” escapes we make, out of the city. Only thirty minutes drive and we encounter miles of black sand, rugged and untouched coastline with beaches stretching as far as the eye can see. Bush trails, sand dunes and waterfalls a plenty. In the Sri Chinmoy Centre we love these soul-stirring escapades so much it has become a weekly occurrence and any bold soul is welcome to join us on our Sunday morning outings. A meditative stroll through beautiful native bush or soaring through forest trails, wading across streams and ending up at the far end of a deserted beach. With thunderous waves rolling in beside us and not another human in sight, I get the feeling that these mystically beautiful settings are known only to a very lucky few.

After being out in nature some of us are often lured towards the refreshing and uplifting idea of a swim - ocean, stream or waterfall, middle of winter or peak of summer. There is nothing better than a revitalising swim making us feel alive and tingling all over. Times spent amidst such vistas of nature are permanently woven into my consciousness, nourishing every cell. I realise gold nuggets like these are present everywhere in life. It is only a matter of opening my eyes to them and noticing the endless beauty, joy and light that is ceaselessly on offer in this world.

I love the treasures that my mornings can bring. It seems the tougher it is to get out of bed, whether it be tiredness from a late night or the patter of rain outside, the greater the unending rewards are when I conquer these trivia niggles and stand up for what I know gives me so much joy and nourishes my body, mind, heart and soul.

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