Good Morning, Sunshine

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the resumption of my morning garden walkabouts.

In its most traditional sense, a “walkabout” is temporary leave of absence from work by an Australian Aboriginal to wander the bush or return to Native life for a time. But a walkabout can also mean any sort of ritual journey or informal stroll – the later being the context I am using for my morning stroll around the yard.

After I let Daisy out, I pour myself a cup of coffee, and depending on the weather that day, I grab either my fleece jacket or a light sweater and head outside to the backyard. Right now I’m starting my walkabout by going over to the patio where these delightful pink tulips are blooming. This particular spot gets a lot of sun and is one of the warmest parts of the yard which is why they are blooming quite a bit earlier than the other tulips I planted.

I then continue on around the backyard in a similar fashion inspecting the flowerbeds for any new growth on my perennials. This morning I noticed the ruby nubs of my peonies starting to push up through the earth, some chubby buds on my clematis vine, and the tiniest bit of green starting to show up at the bottom of my hydrangeas.

Depending on how much time I have, sometimes I extend my walkabout to the front yard, but most of the time it’s just a 10-minute stroll around back while I drink my coffee. It’s enough though. And I love the way it helps me feel grounded, present, and connected to myself and my Creator.

I’m guessing this probably something the Aborigines have appreciated about their journeys as well.

I recently learned that there is some science around why intentional morning exposure to sunlight is good for us – especially, when we get it in the first 30-60 minutes after waking. It turns that our human eyes have a special set of cells that send light information to the body which helps to regulate our circadian rhythms for better, more restful sleep at night. Morning light also promotes vitamin D production which is very beneficial for our mood and sense of overall wellbeing.

You can read more about the benefits of morning light for health here.

I love when science backs up what I know to be true in my own experience.

Anyway, I hope you found this information as interesting as I did. Whether you enjoy garden walkabouts or just sitting next to a sunny window, starting your day with sunlight is good for you – body, mind, and spirit.

Love, Kelly