How To Wake Up Properly

     If you are lucky enough to have a bed, good for you! Without slighting or ignoring the sorrows of those who don’t, I have to say this is really meant for those who do. If you are under a bridge in the Bronx this does not in any way apply. This is intended as a guide for those who have the privilege of a bed and not necessarily a royal one. Somewhere in between.

First open your eyes. One is sufficient to give you a clue as to your surroundings. If you have spent a fretful night reviewing parental shortcomings or have just escaped an early morning dream being chased down the alleys of Bruges then you may want to pause before moving any other body parts. Do not sit up. Every moviegoer has witnessed the infinite variety of eye opening from sleep scenarios but unless there is a compelling reason indicating urgency, such as nearby sirens or local gunshots, then take a moment to re-enter the world. With consciousness equivocating between two worlds you do not want to do anything precipitous. There lies peril. Allow your senses to communicate with your brain. That’s their job for Pete’s sake. Take a short inventory of their submissions to orient your mind. Do not think about the day ahead. Avoid this at all costs since it will preoccupy you for overmuch time. This is simply a waste of energy and direction. It will take discipline and strength to dodge this tendency but these are not the first things you want to address if you are to maintain a balanced approach to the day. Those early devilish thoughts will infect your thinking. They will disorient you. This is time to luxuriate. Don’t forget that you actually have a bed with comfortable covers and accoutrements, an envelope of serenity.

Now breathe quietly for a moment of self-diagnosis. Everything is still in place as it was. You may want to acknowledge your partner, if you have one, in some way. If you are attuned to waking at the same time then a tender word or touch is appropriate here.

Now sit up slowly. Use your elbows if you must. Languor is your friend. This is no time for flooding the mind and body with rushing fluids. Focus on the luxe of your bed linens. All the fabrics of sheets and pillow cases deserve your appreciation. After all, they have cossetted you through the night in comfort and safety. It matters not whether they are flannel or percale or cotton. They have done a noble job.

It is time to swing out from under their protection and to sally forth to attend to your ablutions, a conspicuously vulnerable regimen. Do so with a slowly measured pace. Time is your friend here and nothing is gained by haste. Your ritual, not unlike the lever du roi, has a practical effect. It prepares you for the first steps of a productive and generous day. You have earned the right to orange marmalade on your English muffin. Go ahead, add Irish butter. Time to live!

Many kisses,                                     Celeste