This meditation comes from Buddhist practice, and whether you’re a practicing Buddhist, Christian, Atheist, or celebrate Festivus, I think it’s applicable to just about anyone or anything. Who wouldn’t want their own well-being to feel this way? This last line…man, I pray for that. Sure, world peace would be fantastic! But right now I’d settle for the kind that takes place inside Mi Casa. And perhaps a quiet morning.

Why are mornings so rough? Even when we have no where to be at any specific time, there always seems to be come kind of fight, battle, meltdown, interruption, screaming fest, or time-out tag. I know that some of our worst mornings come when I’m trying to focus on myself getting ready and leave the kids to their own devices. Other times, it just seems like everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

On those days, by the time we get to nap time, my jaw aches from an almost constant clench I’ve perfected. This morning I noticed that I think I’ve even chipped a tooth slightly. Not good. In some of the reading I’ve been doing, authors emphasize the physical manifestation of anger and frustration and letting that tension go in order to also let anger go. This jaw thing is the first thing I need to put a kibosh on. I feel that automatic reflex of clinching when I pick up my daughter to leave somewhere after asking her to come for the umpteenth time.

Today, I did a little experiment. When I felt my teeth clamp down, I immediately tried to let it go, even going so far as to whistle (hey, laugh if you want, but you CAN’T whistle and grind your teeth at the same time. Try it!).

Know what I found out? Things weren’t as stressful as I projected them to be. And I might just make it through the day without a headache! Gooooo Me!