With a busy day ahead, I went out early for my morning walk with Grace the dog, taking with me the intention of enjoying the morning sky. I started out in the dark, using a headlamp, marveling at the delicate scattering of stars, the brightest of which illuminated the thin clouds. The path I walk each morning opens up in one spot to a large Manzanita grove, affording me a big view of the expansive sky beyond the forest.

I gave myself permission to just be. I stood still–perhaps it was five or eight minutes–and savored the awakening of morning. I watched the clouds spread sensuously to cover the sky, shifting from feathery streaks to tissue paper wispiness. The stars began to fade, although that brightest light remained as the herald to the sunrise. Birds began to tweet and sing from the treetops in celebration of the new day. A gaggle of geese flew overhead. A most gorgeous blue crept into the sky, the color of which is unique to nature–surely that blue cannot be duplicated in a pencil or paint pot. The clouds turned from dawn-gray to soft white with just a hint of pink. The birds sang more robustly, serenading the sun…

In the several moments I spent in a state of mindful observation of the morning sky, my heart was open and receptive, slowly filling with joy and calm. My soon-to-be-busy day has begun with the gift of quieting through intentional attentiveness to the details.

As I share the journey to optimal health and well-being with you, I find that I have become so much more aware of the opportunities for mindfulness throughout the day. What about you–what mindful experiences are you savoring?

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Robin Mallery

Robin Mallery is passionate about food! Starting from where and how it's grown, to how far that food travels to the dinner table, to how it is prepared and savored...Robin blends shopping, cooking, and eating tips with her unique Kitchen Zen and mindful meals approach to enjoying real food.

While you are waiting for her to finish the upcoming book, "Kitchen Zen: The Journey to Nourish Body and Soul in Our Changing World", you can find Robin's sporadic blog posts here or on FaceBook.

Latest posts by Robin Mallery (see all)

• My heart and the state of our world - November 28, 2018
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