Half-awake, in optimal state

The mainstream loves morning people.

Tiktockers even tote a trend coined five-to-nine before the nine-to-five. ‘Top Performers’ get up at 5am is a common one. I wonder - what do we mean by top performer. Performing what, and producing what, and for whom? And also, what are we missing when we mindlessly bombard our nervous system right after waking up?

Consider an alternate way of starting the day: moving slowly and deliberately — whether it’s 5 am or later — optimizes the state just after waking. This cherished state is a kind of half-consciousness, like when an experienced meditator enters a highly aware state, gaining increased mental clarity, and wholistic benefits.

Artist and Guggenheim Fellow, Josephine Meckskeper refers to the morning as the best state for her ideas. I have to say, I am also a big fan. According to author and researcher Mason Curry, Meckskeper said, “I don’t like to venture into the real world too early, in order to preserve that moment of immaculacy.”

So, while it is a privilege to even think about a morning routine becoming an option, if that space is available to you, I invite you to observe how unfolding vs. racing - even for just 10 minutes - brings a lasting focus to the rest of your day.

To clarify, hypnopompia - the state of consciousness leading out of sleep, is another interesting but separate topic..