So, yes. 

I like to start my morning with a homemade matcha latte.

How about you? 

I remember when I started being more mentally alert, it started with the food I was eating. It was like training a muscle. 

Later on, I realized how powerful it was to focus on my mind over food. 

It’s like a couple of years ago in Jamshedpur, India.

I was there to attend a wedding and was walking around this new place with my friend Bijoy. We came across this Shiva temple where there was this kind man who started chatting with us. 

He was saying how important it is for your mind to be like still water. If any strong experience or emotion dropped into it, you’d have the ability to let it sink in and the water to become still again. 

Which brings me back to my dear teacher, Kadam Morten, and his simple message. 

It’s all in the Setup.

For your day, your meditation, your relationship, your eating, anything. 

And, what are you setting up?

The right conditions in your mind. 

You know how it feels to jump out of bed and start rushing around. The conditions are totally off. 

And, yet, we can keep doing this over and over. Crazy huh. 

So, imagine today you’re all about a great setup of your mind and this is what your experience is like. 

You’re cozying up with some peace to start your day.

You wake up. Before you get out of bed (and even open your eyes), you give yourself a couple minutes to connect with your peaceful nature. Enjoying how calm you can be and sending some love out into your day. 

You’re cool with noticing your thoughts and can press the pause button. 

A bunch of random thoughts about what you’ve got to do may start streaming through like a TV show. Great. You let them pass by like a bunch of advertisements you’re not invested in. Simply taking note and trusting you’ll look into something if it’s really important. 

You’re playing out how you want to show up for your day. 

You love imagining because you know how powerful it is. Within these first few minutes of the day, you vividly see yourself in way you admire and all the things you do to make the day a success. (With success meaning, you move through the day with an easy heart, a happy mind, and giving hands).

You complete your setup with taking a few deep breaths.

Nothing fancy. Simply sitting in bed and letting your body settle. Breathing to balance out your mind. Focusing deeply on the sensation of inhaling and exhaling. Then, voila! You gently step out of your bed. 

This entire setup of your mind – done within 5 minutes time in your bed.

Such a tiny investment.

Now compare that with a regular day.

Then, ask yourself.

What can you takeaway? Which experience creates the conditions to feel more satisfied? 

I can’t say what’s right for you because only you know. 

My deepest wish is that we all can lead in such a loving way.

Because it sets up the conditions to lead lightly throughout our entire day. And, the more we do, the more we can expand the level of satisfaction we and others feel.

Not to mention gratitude which is so foundational for experiencing joy.

So, I made that story up.

Can you expand on it or even think of an even better one?

I’d enjoy hearing what comes to you so feel free to leave a comment or write me back. 

Peace.

Jennifer