Critical to life, health and happiness

I call it bookending. The reference to the very start and the end of every day.

The actions we take to begin a day that ensure that no matter what happens during the day, we have begun well.

Of course, to begin a day well is to go to bed and sleep early enough to wake rested. To have eaten a good meal, which allows a restful sleep. 

I have been a dedicated morning routine person to the degree that it is rarely negotiated. I want to feel better for how I begin my day.

My morning routine has recently changed as I adapt my program to build muscle strength, bone density, balance and agility as I age. After three decades of long-distance running and lap swimming, I am now at the gym. Lifting heavy, jumping hard and doing high-intensity short intervals. My biology requires hard physical exercise. When I do not nurture my biology, everything else falls apart. My mood, my mental acuity, my ability to stay grounded. 

I wake before 4 AM without an alarm. I drink a glass of water and eat a banana, some prunes and nuts and head to the gym. From the gym, while it is still dark, I arrive at the beach to walk my little dog Milly, now 14 years old, deaf and mostly blind. And to check the surf. 

If there is surf, we are in the water before dawn. My spiritual practice, my yoga, is water- and movement-based. Learning. Observing myself. Watching the words I direct towards myself, learning one of the hardest sports in the world. My sport has always been my practice, physical, emotional and spiritual. Now I share it with my beloved. This is a joy. 

From surf, coffee at our community coffee shop. Banter. Laughter. Reading the news. Enjoying the moment. 

Then home, shower, breakfast, and get to work to write this blog by around 8 AM. A full and beautiful morning that has allowed me to meet the day with love, discipline, and strength. 

How do you frame your day to allow the best of you to be present? 

Published July 30th 2026. Photo taken July 30th 2026