Why I Journal in the Morning!

From The Book of Pendulum Healing:

Early morning is the magic hour, when it’s quiet, while others are still asleep. This is time you can spend with yourself, waking gently. With coffee or tea or water in hand, I go to my purple meditation chair that overlooks the San Lorenzo River. I watch the river, which has been flowing fully and freely all spring. Over the months I have seen the leaves turn green, and I have also seen my sweet pink eucalyptus felled in a rainstorm. I notice the birds–mallards, blue jays, chickadees, and sometimes a grey heron flying low on the water.

I open a journal and pick up a pen. I let stream of consciousness flow onto the page. I let myself write about all the details of my life, whether happy or sad, joyful or fearful. I write about my friends, my children, about love and hate, about irritations and frustrations. I write about the previous day, about who said what, and who did what, and why it bugs me so much. Sometimes poems come through. After I clear away all my distractions, new ideas for projects or classes open into my unobstructed consciousness.

After doing this awhile­–I’ve been journaling since my early twenties–I feel I have a knowing about myself. I feel more real to myself. It helps me understand what upsets me, what I like, who I like, and what I want for myself in the future.

Then I use the pendulum and charts to ask any questions I might have about my life. I ask about my health, what I need, and what exercise would be best. I also sometimes clear my adult children, any loved ones who’ve asked for clearing, and clients who are going through a difficult time.

When I ran my own company, I took care of projects and employees and then went home to my children and husband to take care of us all. I would feel I had lost myself. But if I wrote even a page in the morning, the pen and paper would help me recover myself again.

The writing process comforts me. I write with pen and paper the old-fashioned way. There is something about the simple process that can be taken anywhere, no computer needed, that helps the mind settle down. Plus, I’m not getting distracted by Facebook and Google.

Writing has supported me to have a place to ask Spirit for help, help, help. For friends, family, and myself. My journal is a place to write down wishes and prayers and dreams for others and myself. Sometimes I take these written requests and put them in my prayer box. Later I open it up and read the prayers. Over time every prayer is answered.

My life has not always been so idyllic, but I have managed to journal, pray, and make a place for quiet time in the morning. It’s a big secret in life–those who take fifteen minutes of quiet time in the morning will have more of a Spirit-directed synchronistic day and life. See Julia Cameron’s bookThe Artist’s Wayfor more details on using the journaling process for healing.

As the author and artist Sark says about journaling in her book, Living Juicy: Daily Morsels for Your Creative Soul, “Fill it with inspiration and rage and tears and boredom and chaos and random pieces that happen to float past while you dream on the moonlit night.

A reminder–you can purchase a copy of The Book of Pendulum Healing here.