My sister was visiting recently and she was staying in my sacred studio space. It’s the space that I go to as soon as I get up to do my morning routine – before opening my email, checking my phone, going on Facebook – before anything. OK, well after going to the washroom.
It’s my NNTT (Non-Negotiable Tonia Time) which I’ve talked about before.
Thankfully she woke up before me and as normal I would head in there as soon as I got out of bed (after going to the washroom.) I would often do this with out even saying, “Good morning!”
My sister was particularly intrigued by said morning routine and asked me what I do in there for 30 minutes. Interestingly that week two patients also asked me about my morning routine.
So I figured if three people are asking, why not write about it in case it’s interesting / valuable to others – you! I will reference the source of these inspiring tips when I know them.
My NNTT
Step 1 – Illuminate
I start by lighting beeswax candles. Currently it’s still dark when I wake up so I like to set the intention of bringing light into darkness. As I’m lighting the candles, I say, “Bringing light into darkness. Thank you.”
Step 2 – Prayer and Tapping
Next, in my candlelight, I sit on my futon and I say a morning prayer. It’s the same every time, a collection of prayers I’ve gathered from various sources including A Course In Miracles and interpretations of that text by Marianne Williamson and Robert Holden, a book called “Healing – the Handbook.”* by Ken Graydon, and my own brain.
While I read the prayer out loud I typically tap either on tapping points (head / sternum) or Emotional Freedom Technique tapping points (various acupressure points). I have it semi memorized, but have it as a note on my phone so I can quickly reference that parts which I haven’t locked in. My phone is very smart and when I turn it on in the morning it lets me go right there with out distraction. I guess it learned my habits!
Here is that prayer:
I Connect with the Divine creator, The source of all healing.
I accept blessings for all of creation.
My intention is to be available for the flow of healing in this situation and I enter my heart space where healing resources of the universe are available to bring this situation to the creator’s standard.
I accept and allow healing to happen and am filled with gratitude.
My desire, my priority is inner peace and freedom.
I want the experience of love.
I don’t know what would bring that to me.
I leave the results of this situation in your hands.
I trust and surrender to your will.
I am an open vessel for your will to be done.
I am with you.
Please give my life some sense of purpose.
Use me as an instrument of your peace.
Use my talents and abilities to spread love.
I surrender my job to you.
Help me to remember that my real job is to love the world back to health.
I am with you.
I surrender to you all my thoughts about money.
I surrender to you my debts.
I surrender to you my wealth.
Open my mind to receive abundantly.
Chanel your abundance through me in a way that serves the world.
I am with you.
Today may I be better than I was yesterday.
May I be more loving, more giving, and more forgiving.
May I be more compassionate, more kind, and more grateful.
May I be more receptive to the goodness in all.
May I live this day knowing that I am enough, and that I have enough.
May I love and approve of myself.
The next part of the prayer is setting intentions to help me behave in a way that I feel will help me reach my 6 goals for this year. I created them with the help of this program: Dream Blazers by Lisa Robbin Young.
I’m not going to list them but essentially for each of the 6 goals I says something like, “Today I choose blah blah blah to help me reach blah blah blah.” I think keeping these things up front and talking about them every day will help me reach them.
I express my gratitude for all the blessings I know and those that are on their way to me.
To do these things, Divine Creator please allow me to check off all of my Dailies** today.
I am open to receive exactly what I want or something better.
I am with you.
Amen.
Step 3 – Gratitude
After praying I write a note of gratitude.
I pick one topic and write a few reasons why I’m grateful for that thing. That’s Gratitude 201. Currently I’m doing that in a Gratitude journal designed by Molly over at Buddha Doodles.
Step 4 – Read reflective passage
Then I read the daily curated passage out of the book called Holy Shift by Robert Holden, a student of A Course in Miracles.
Step 5 – Write
There’s usually a line or two that will stand out for me which I transcribed into a notebook. I spend the next few minutes filling two pages of that notebook. Sometimes it’s totally coherent and becomes a blog post.
Sometimes it’s jibber jabber.
But I write to clear my head, allow my mind to calm down and come into a place of spaciousness. I learned that from Elle McCormick and talked about it here.
Step 6 – Meditate
And then I set a timer for 11 minutes and I breathe deeply and meditate in silence.
Sometimes I might repeat a line that stood out from Holy Shift, for example.
Sometimes I use this mantra: So Hum Namah which essentially means turning back to my true self. I got that one from Marie Forleo.
Step 7 – Blessing
Then I give myself a full body blessing that I learned from Brianna Saussy.
Step 8 – Dedication
I finish my dedicating the merit of my practice (something I got from Sara Avant Stover) to The Divine Masculine, my divine self, all divine beings and the Divine Feminine (here I bow.)
I bring my hands to prayer position, I look at myself in the mirror and I say, “Namaste.”
All that takes about 30 minutes.
Step 9 – Exercise
Every other day-ish is I’ll exercise for 20-30 minutes.
Step 10 – Task List
And at this point I’ll write a list and schedule for what I want to accomplish for the day.
And then I might consider opening my email but I often won’t. You see the problem with email is that it’s the house for everybody else’s agenda. It’s not the home of your agenda.
Next, I usually will write or create things that I hope will help reduce pain and suffering and bring more love joy and health into the world.
This is what works for me. As you can see it’s quite eclectic and I’ve been fine tuning it over the last couple years. But I love the repetition and the routine of it. It creates discipline and as sense of safety because of the predictability.
I’d love to know what you do first thing in the morning – especially if it involves your sacred, non-negotiable time. Let me know below!
To your healthy, thriving, delightful life,
*MY Husband says, “Why does the handbook need healing.” OY!
** “Dailies” are a list of things I want to do each day for the purpose of long term gain / benefit. They are the
small things that will add to a big result over time. I got this idea from Todd Henry.
Thanks for the mention, Tonia. I’m glad to know the Dreamblazing program has been helpful for you!