A Gentle Wake-Up: The Morning Dance
Most programs for health and wellness start outside-in. They give us systems to follow, boxes to check, routines to force ourselves into. For many women—especially those living with chronic illness or burnout—that approach can feel like another burden, another way to fail before the day has even begun.
This practice is different.
The Morning Dance is not a workout, not a routine, not another task to squeeze into your schedule. It is a soft, natural gesture—a way of waking up with yourself. We begin with a smile, a thank-you for another day, and a reminder of why we are here. Then, instead of rushing into thought patterns or phone alerts, we stretch, sing, and breathe our way into the morning.
It doesn’t take a mat, a teacher, or even getting out of bed. We simply wiggle the body awake from toes to head, giving each part a moment of attention. The rhythm is guided by song—at first, I offer “You Are My Sunshine” as a playful anchor. Later, you may choose your own song that lifts your heart. Each verse is a chance to wake a new part of yourself.
The gestures are easy to remember:
- Yes — move up and down
- No — twist left and right
- Maybe — bend side to side
- All — circle around
With just these four movements, you cover the whole body—like a cheat sheet for yoga, distilled into its essence.
The Morning Dance is not about perfection or performance. If you get up to use the bathroom, continue the wiggle there. If you forget one day, begin again the next. It’s not something to accomplish, it’s something to remember. A simple welcome prayer for the day.
With time, these little gestures will begin to anchor themselves into your mornings: the first stretch in bed, the first sip of water, the first breath with your feet on the earth. The more often you remember, the more natural it becomes—until it’s not a “practice” at all, but simply how you begin your day.
This is common sense in common time: a way of greeting life not with effort, but with ease.
The Morning Dance is offered freely, as a gift for those who need a softer start to the day. If you’d like guidance, I’ve recorded a voice and video you can follow along with at first. But truly, the wisdom is already in your body. All it takes is remembering to say good morning to yourself.
Wake gently. Stretch simply. Sing your day alive.
Begin the Morning Dance →
