Morning runs and the sacredness of wild mornings

There is something wildly freeing about getting outdoors, taking off and watching the sun rise. I sometimes wish I had a deck outside my home, to sit and enjoy a morning tea, in the middle of nature, taking it all in and starting every day with a little dose of nature. I think of what it would be like to be this close to nature, away from the city, surrounded by its beauty, in the wilderness. I think I would miss the city too, but wouldn’t it be great to retreat here once in a while and reconnect? It seems like some of the best, most inspiring and creative days I have are the ones where I start with a little dose of nature. I wake up sometimes and feel this urge to push myself to get outside and get swept away with the scent of pine trees, the sound of my heels hitting the ground and the road ahead.

For me, running is a powerful experience. It’s not always fun, don’t get me wrong, as a child who grew up asthmatic I have never been a fan of feeling like I need to catch my breath. It’s also new to me and something I only started in July and ofcourse only on those days that I don’t have a little one in tow. However, I love the rhythmic nature of running and how it allows me on the one hand to be so present and to feel so alive, and on the other hand to feel the impulse to push farther, harder, and prove to myself that I’ve got this.

Running makes me think about life. We are always running towards something (at least, that’s always been my experience of life). As a very goal-oriented person, I can easily tell you what projects I’m working on for self-improvement, what creative ideas are on my mind that I want to start working on and what I want out of life in the years ahead. Running makes you realize that you are strong, powerful and that you can push further than you thought you could. There are also days when you realize that you can’t, you need to slow down and practice a little self-kindness. Running is not only good for your physical health, it’s powerful to help you with your mindset.

I used the word sacredness in this article not with a religious reference, but rather to point out how a wild morning (one where I am outside, in nature) matters to me. It’s one part of creating a great morning ritual I find. It doesn’t need to be running that I’m doing and it certainly doesn’t happen every day that I make time for it, but on the days that I can it can look like a short hike on a Saturday, a guided meditation that I do while sitting on my front porch, or watching the clouds go by while eating breakfast at the window. It’s fun to take an expression like “wild morning”, which I had not heard before, and be curious on what it means.

I was inspired by a few articles and resources I came across online that used this term. The first one pointed out how to start off your day with a little nature and grounding and talked about how to start your day connected to the earth, listing three things that you could do: watch the sunrise, ground yourself (bare feet in the ground…maybe not in December) and meditate or journal in nature. I love how the author says “It doesn’t matter whether you are surrounded by an ancient forest, the ocean, a garden at your home or a simple view of the sky from a city apartment. The start of your day is an opening through which to allow myriad elements of wildness enter into your space and into your heart” [1].

The second resource I came across is a book called “Wild morning” and that is about mornings and connecting women to their truth. The book is described in this way: “Wild Morning is about women and the mornings that lay bare their untamed, uncultivated truth. Portraits and poetry come together to reveal the messy and real moments just after sleep, but before the start of the day, that connect us all” [2] I love this. I think I need to check this book out now.

Being in nature has always helped me connect to my truth, to reflect on my life, on what I want, on where I’m at. It has provided me the space to find myself and to keep thinking of what’s next and how do I get there. When I slow down and reconnect, it puts me in a mindset that is open, accepting of any challenges that may come my way, and reminds me that that I am strong and that no matter what happens, I’ve got this.

What are your thoughts on being in nature, or getting a bit of air as you start your day? What does it do for you?

[1] https://wearewildness.com/sacredness-wild-mornings-3-ways-start-day-connected-earth/

[2] https://www.theborderlinecollective.com/new-products/wild-morning