The great Christian mystic Meister Eckhart wrote: "Be willing to be a beginner every single morning." Sounds good to us, but then we are early birds. No doubt Linnea Dunne, the author of this buoyant and inspiring guide, is one too. Those who have not found a way of making the most of mornings will find this book to be a treasure trove of rituals, spiritual practices, exercises, and nurturing ideas!
We loved the opening emotional fireworks from Rumi: "There is a morning inside you waiting to burst open into light." Dunne is convinced that rituals can be seen in a variety of ways — as intentional living, as an act of resistance, as a tool, and as a source of renewal and transformation. Filled with energy, the author hops, skips, and jumps through yoga and meditation rituals, active workout rituals, rituals for a clear mind, rituals for the gut, cleansing rituals, rituals in nature, and more. After seeing how many ideas she has, we were relieved to see her end each section with "If you only do one thing." Those ways to begin are bound to encourage you to try other practices.
We can imagine Dunne searching through her quote collection and coming up with this one which says it all and sets the stage for readers who want to romp on to other resources. It is from the Chinese seer Lao Tzu:
"Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need other's approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her."
