The morning waterfall
Embodying our most magnetic selves requires the foundation of knowing ourselves. It’s a strange concept, to be ourselves and not know ourselves. How could that be possible? Think of someone you know relatively well but you may not consider a ‘best’ friend. Do you know their deepest desires? Do you know their favorite thing to do while they're alone? Or what they are most afraid of? More than likely the answer is no. The same goes for ourselves. It’s possible to know ourselves at a basic level. What we like and dislike, our preferences and routines. But what about the deeper layer, that which doesn’t necessarily make itself obvious?
In order to dive deeper, we’ve got to introduce practices that encourage a safe space to explore what else may be going on within us. My favorite tool for this is the Morning Waterfall. This practice involves freehand journalling one to two pages first thing in the morning. This tool is inspired by “The Artists Way” which includes freehand journalling daily as part of its workbook for unblocking our inner creative.
Although it may feel foreign or that you don’t have anything to write about, it allows your mind to clear out thoughts and ideas that may have been brewing between the time you put your head to the pillow and when you rise. So much of our emotional processing of the day occurs while we sleep so the morning is a precious time to access these insights before the conscious mind fully kicks in.
Even if all you write is “I don’t know what to write” it’s important to show up for the practice. In time, valuable insights and introspective thoughts will arrive on the page.
Not only is this a valuable resource to encourage introspection and getting to know ourselves better, but it also serves as a really special catalog of thoughts and observations. Despite the temptation to read your journaling pages right away, I recommend that you don’t read them for the entirety of this workshop. This is in order to avoid any judgment you may make about yourself or your writing while you are still building this practice.
After the month has passed, you are welcome to look back and read over what you’ve written. Notice any themes that stand out, or desires that may yet to be met. These journaling pages are the door in which you walk through to self actualisation. (They also ensure that the noise of your mind has another home that you can evict them too if they are too loud or rowdy.)
Start your practice today. Within the first hour of rising -- sit down with a pen and paper (handwritten only) and write out everything and anything on your mind. Any thought or feeling, however small or insignificant -- deserves inking. Try for at least one full page each day and work your way up to two.