Into the World



Into the World 


My head's out in the world while my body's inside my world. (That is, my apartment.) I close my eyes and suck in warm moisture, letting it grace my skin. It is my favorite wake-up tool–sticking my head out of the window. Forget about coffee or even tea...all I need is a good whiff of morning air.

 I remember establishing this ritual in Northern Italy. During the winter the first inhale of the day was so frozen that it stung my nostrils. Still, I loved it and still do. It creates a connection that helps me land in the world after being in Slumberland. It signals to my brain: Hey! It's another day! 

Sometimes the pistons in my head are firing before I'm ready for the day to begin. Thoughts are shooting off in all directions as if sparking even if I don't remember turning the engine on. It's like I am in the middle of an old Western movie shooting my gun in the air, trying to get control over the horses galloping around me. I often have to get up and write down the sentences racing around in my head so that I can take in the first breath at the window with no back talk from my brain.

Today, once my partner's alarm went off I put my feet on the ground automatically, my body doing things without me being fully cognizant. I had to stop myself from using the toilet brush to clean the floor and the mop in the toilet, making a conscious effort to think. But a breath of fresh air solved all, pulling everything together in an inhale.


What is your go-to wake-up tool?



 Photo: <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/vinaconstanze-3022126/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3045549">VinaConstanze</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3045549">Pixabay</a>


Text: Kristen Mastromarchi

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