My Early Morning Walks

My early morning walks: 

quite often I've written of my early morning walks, the health benefits of getting first light directly to the eyes and the chemical reaction that occurs within the body. My preparation for a good night's sleep begin from the moment I arise, breathwork and meditation, yoga, and then out the door to catch those very first rays of morning light. There are a host of other reasons to greet the dawn, and adding motion to the moment and walking for even 20 minutes enhances our health immeasurably, physically as well as mentally. It's also good for the soul, purifying, brings us close to the cycle of local nature. 

for me, I love being out before first light, making myself available for the sun to easily reach me. Walking is an adventure at this hour, I'm between worlds, suspended between last moments of night and fast arriving dawn. There are nocturnal animals still on the the last moments of their hunt, stalking smaller creatures, a quick raid into neighborhood gardens, hopeful of an easy meal. Other animals are just beginning to stir, songbirds preparing for their dawn chorus, deer rising from their tall grass bed and making their way to the nearby stream for water. 

and I find myself in the midst of it, a participant through walking and my watchfulness, belonging to this thin strip of time between two worlds. My early morning walks are sacred, truly holy, and I guard them with privacy, seeking seclusion, doing my best to avoid others who dare to wake and get outdoors before sunrise. There are a few, mostly runners in a hurry, and I watch them almost always miss the signs of life in their surroundings, oblivious to all but the most obvious points of nature. There's no blame here, I'm not finding fault as I've been similar in the past, consumed with motion for the sake of what's measured, and missing the subtle aspects of what it most truly offers. 

I have no wish to return to that point in time. 

my early morning walks are something else entirely, reserved for the holiness that's found, giving myself completely to silence and whatever soft sounds are emerging to these hours. There's no goal here, nothing to do but enjoy the motion of my body, allowing a natural rhythm that's attuned to my surroundings. It's not exercise, although I'm walking swiftly, my heart benefits, and health improved - what I'm doing is a soul walk, healing, participating in the sunrise by making myself available to first light. 

my early morning walks are entirely for the soul. 

~

Peace, Eric