Revisiting Your 2022 New Year Resolutions
One of my favorite pastimes and stress relievers is reading books--both fiction and health-related nonfiction. Two years ago, our local newspaper asked me to write regular book reviews for them (technically they asked me before then, but I asked to postpone until Cascade was finished with high school and away at college because I did not want to agree to additional commitments when our precious time together was nearing an end). I know that many of my patients also enjoy reading so I decided to share my reviews on health-related topics over the next few months in blog format. Below is the very first article I wrote for the Enterprise which was published in January 2021. I do hope you will be inspired to read this gem!
Every December, our local independent bookstore publishes their monthly newsletter, and the theme is books the employees would like to give and receive. Well, I had read a review about Good Mornings: Morning Rituals for Wellness, Peace and Purpose by Linnea Dunne in a different monthly publication and determined this was a gift I would definitely like to receive so I purchased this affordably priced ($16.99) hardcover book for my Christmas present and promptly pored over it in less than 24 hours, on Christmas Eve and Day no less! It is filled with meaningful quotes, harmonious drawings, and lovely quotes; the format makes it a very easy and pleasurable read. Good Mornings: Morning Rituals for Wellness, Peace and Purpose
I found the content very motivating. Ms. Dunne very clearly establishes the importance of adhering to a morning ritual. The author cites the morning rituals of many famous people. She also spends some time distinguishing the difference between the terms routine and ritual. Topics within the book include deep breathing, meditation, yoga, exercise, the healing power of water, journaling, hydration, nourishment, cleansing, and nature; by no means does the author suggest that all these facets must be included in your morning ritual. The goal is to use these ideas to design a morning ritual that resonates with your personal needs and desires. In each section, Ms. Dunne provides examples of rituals for the “time-poor” and the “time-rich” to stimulate your own creative thought processes.
I rated this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. It is absolutely a book I would give as a gift or recommend to patients. It is also a book that I plan to keep which is a rarity—I typically recycle my books (resell, donate to My Little Library, donate to Friends of the Library or the DAC, etc.). The pages that I have tabbed for invaluable future reference include: an exercise on connecting to your values, early morning bed yoga, breathing rituals for the time-poor and time-rich, full-body home workout, the promised of a blank page, recording gratitude, writing a gratitude journal, the art of positive journaling. As you can see, that is quite an extensive list for a 192-page book.
This book certainly embraces the current mindfulness movement and reinforces the importance of daily self-care. According to Aristotle: “It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth and wisdom”. I hope you invest the time and effort to read this book and employ some strategies outlined within this gem, especially if your New Year’s intentions have already come and gone.
Happy Reading!
Rachel Oppitz, ND
P.S. I have been considering offering a free regular virtual (Zoom) book club to discuss any health-related nonfiction books so please contact me if you are interested!
Helping women go from chaotic to calm with compassion, creativity, and clarity.
Itasca Naturopathic Clinic
