I’ve been reading for years about the benefits of getting up early. I go through these phases where I manage to set my alarm for 5am to journal or meditate, but somewhere along the way, I stop and I start sleeping that extra hour (or 2) again. Probably because I am staying up late watching stupid reality tv, which adds nothing to my existence. Ugh. On the bright side, I find myself giving up on some of my Bravo Housewives as of late. They are acting like middle age high school girls and I’m just finding it rather boring. Not New York Housewives, though. Bethany forever, ya’ll. Anyway, I actually love getting up before dawn. It excites me. There’s a different energy. And the more I delve into researching the subject, the more I am discovering the why behind this auspicious time to rise. Now I know a lot of folks are NOT morning people, and that’s ok. Some people get their power at night. I’m not one of those. Find the time where the energy is working for you and use that time wisely. For me, it’s 5am, and I have goals of making that 4am at some point. Why, you might ask? Well, I want more of that good energy and I want to put it to good use. I want to use these powerful early morning hours to become mindful of the coming day and do some journaling. I am finding things flow with more ease and grace during this time. I have ideas during this time. This time is fruitful for me. It may be for you, too.

I remember hearing about this 5am thing a few years on Instagram. People who are super successful, get up early. They own the day. They command their day. They start their day on the offensive, rather than on the defensive (Thank you, Rachel Hollis). I am currently reading Rachel’s book, Girl, Stop Apologizing, and she talks about getting up early, too! This sweet little tip for a better life is everywhere, people! In her Foundations for Success chapter, her number 2 is to Wake Up Earlier. My favorite paragraph says this: “Those of you who say you don’t have any time for yourself, this is the time! If you want to work out, if you want to read a book, if you want to pray, if you want to write your first novel, if you want to have the time to pursue your goals, get up an hour earlier…If you don’t have an hour to spare, you don’t have a life…if you can’t find a single hour for yourself in a twenty-four hour period, you need to  look at your priorities . You need to ask yourself what you are doing with your time.” Damn, Mrs. Hollis, laying out some red hot truth right there. The hour or two before dawn gives people an extra edge over those who don’t, and it’s the truth. Whatever lights you up, get your butt out of bed at 5am and do it. Your day will thank you. Your day will feel different. Your day will most likely not feel like a runaway train headed down a steep hill to Shitsville. I am no expert on this subject, but it has intrigued me for years. There is something to it. I’ve been doing it for a couple weeks now and I feel a shift. I feel more in control of my day. I jump out of bed to get to my journal. Why? Well, one reason is that my phone is making a soul crushing  sound on the other side of the room, and I must get out of my bed to make it stop. If it was by my head, the snooze feature is way too tempting and we all know what happens. I spend a good hour hitting that stupid button, therefore, not getting up and not getting any good, restful sleep either. It’s just dumb, so the phone had to move. There’s more to what gets me up these days besides my strategic phone location, however. The predawn hours are when I feel most inspired and I don’t want to waste inspiration anymore. I am ready to focus. Grow. Work toward my goals. This is a step in the right direction for me. An important baby step that shows the Universe I mean business.

Waking up before dawn is also mentioned in Guru Jagat’s book, Invincible Living. Guru Jagat is a kundalini yogi and her book is amazing. No matter who you are or what you believe, this book is a valuable resource for living a powerful life. In kundalini yoga, the early hours before dawn are called the Amrit Vela, or Ambrosial Hours. These early hours before dawn are when yogis are to do their sadhana (spiritual practice), and Guru Jagat says this about her waking time: “I wake up during the ambrosial hours (3:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M.) to practice two and a half hours of yoga before sunrise. During this time, the angle of the sun to the Earth creates a very sacred space and the efforts of my yoga practice are forty times more powerful.” Woah. This woman is my yoga hero. These are goals of mine. Those early morning hours are gold, folks. Pure Gold. Like I said, I’m not there yet and that’s ok. 5am is what I’m working to maintain right now, and that’s a huge accomplishment for me. I may be a stay at home mom, but I have additional goals and dreams, and I have to make the time to work on them. Start on them. Get excited about them. 5am is my time!

A couple months ago, I read a book by the late and great, Wayne Dyer. The book is called, Co-creating at It’s Best: A Conversation Between Master Teachers. In this beautiful little book, Wayne has a conversation with Ester Hicks, the woman who channels the non-physical Collective Consciousness known as Abraham. (You know me, the more woo-woo, the more I like it). Anyway, there is a part in the book where Wayne asks about getting up early and why he seems to write most of his books before the sun comes up. I am totally paraphrasing here because the book is back at the library, but Abraham said something like when you first wake up, your mind is clear and your subconscious craziness does not yet have a viper like grip on you. In addition, your mind is not yet muddled with all the activity, emotion and thoughts of the upcoming day. Because of this, you are more receptive to inspiration and your creativity can flow. Immediately upon waking, there is less resistance in your consciousness. You are able to receive. You can allow what wants to come out, to come out. Basically, your subconscious has yet to mess with your mind and you are a chiller, more receptive vibrational being before dawn.

As I was writing this post, I looked up #the5amclub on Instagram because I knew it was a thing, and by golly, it’s also a book! The 5AM Club Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life is a book by Robin Sharma and it’s next on my list. I believe there is a spiritual element to the hours before dawn, an energy that we’re not able to access so easily once the family is up and our to do list begins. I don’t know what Robin has to say, but I bet there is going to be some mindblowing scientific studies to back up his powerful take on this special hour. I am super curious about what he has to say. His book has sold over 15 Million copies, so I’m guessing there’s some value there. I can’t wait to read it. You want to read it, too, don’t you? 😉

Let’s all get up earlier and light this world up with our brilliance. Who’s with me? 🙂