Dawn Salutations

I'm not an early riser. I like my sleep. My bed is my safe place. Somewhere to snuggle down enveloped by warmth and softness; a place of dreams and alternative stories. This morning however, my hibernating tendancies were not to be. The 6.30 a.m. appearance of my daughter by my bedside, coffee in hand, reminded me of my volunteer taxiing commitment. What possessed me to agree to this obscenely early rising, I asked myself. In response I was hit by a metaphorical tsunami of early morning commuters who chided me for my sloth like tendencies.

I do accept I'm no lark. Getting up before the first brush strokes of dawn have caressed earth's tapestry of monotones has always been a challenge. How I managed to make my 4.30am milking parlour appointments for more than five years is a mystery to me. I guess my need for money won out over my desire to live in harmony with my circadian rhythm.

Despite it being the dreichest of mornings this early excursion did reignite a forgotten joy. In my homage to slumber I realise I have been depriving myself of experiencing the true magic of dawn. When the veil of darkness recedes an inner shift occurs within our being. Birds feel it and sing in salutation. Plants unfurl. Together we begin a process of awakening and connection. In this moment we remember we are all threads within Nature's intricate and beautiful fabric of life.

Our ancestors worshipped the sun and its life giving energy. Their lives were intricately woven with its passage across the heavens. The sun and its lunar reflection were and remain, albeit unconsciously, man's clock and calendar. With the Winter Solstice just under a fortnight away I know many of you will be busy making plans for your celebrations. To all who will be celebrating the return of the sun I send my heartfelt Solstice Blessings.