December 24th, 2025
“O’ GREAT SPIRIT…help me always to speak the truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak and to remember the peace that may be found in silence.”
Cherokee Prayer
Chapter 4: Wake Up And Say, “Good Morning/” To Yourself
“The teaching of In Tloque Nahuaque, or being connected to one’s sacredness begins simply with you choosing to create a sacred space and time for yourself.
“In reality, the energetic, affirmative vibration of what you put out and how you live will manifest and grow. So, it is important, every morning to intentionally wake up and say, ‘Good morning,’ to your sacred self.”
“That’s why Grandfather Sun comes up every morning – to remind us that we have that light within us, that every day the light is there. We just have to show up like Grandfather Sun does every day – without the masks, without the shame, without excuses, without sedating, and welcome our self to a new day of learning, growing, healing and living.”
“I love that this morning’s sunrise does not define itself by last night’s sunset.”
Dr. Steve Maraboli (Behavioral scientist, motivational speaker, author, and leadership coach; April 18th, 1975)
” We have to be present with ourselves and acknowledge that wherever we are in our lives today, is where we are supposed to be, sacred as we are.”
“‘No hay mal que por bien no venga.’ (Even when something seemingly bad happens, goodness can come from it.)”
Mexican Proverb
“In fact, we find that many wonderful healers, teachers, and therapists have received their medicine through their own experience with their darkness. In essence, by going through some very horrible experiences, coming to terms with them, and finding the lessons, they now have medicine to help others. Although originating in the darkness, the medicine becomes light, part of their whole, true, sacred purpose.”
“Many ancient healers and teachers teach the importance of beginning with a prayer or meditation. This is called centering. The blessings that are given to us through our breath, the wind spirit, our essence of being, through our sense of consciousness, connects us to our sacred selves. This is turn opens a channel for grace and healing. As we begin to incorporate this life view through practice, we may also begin to recollect other times of grace experienced in our lives.”
“Meditation is not meant to help us avoid problems or run away from difficulties. It is meant to allow positive healing to take place. To meditate is to learn how to stop – to stop being carried away by our regrets about the past, our anger or despair in the present, or our worries about the future.”
Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese monk and peace activist; October 11th, 1926 ~ January 22nd, 2022)
Making A Commitment To Your Sacredness
“I would recommend that you create a special space, alter, or spot where you go every day to ground yourself. On this alter, you can place special objects, sacred elements, herbs and or pictures of ancestors and loved ones. As you continue to pray, your alter will gain energy and spirit. In many traditions, people incorporate the use of herbs (sage, copal, tobacco, and/or incense) and sounds (flute, drums, nature sounds) to further engage their senses, connect with their genetic sound vibrations of ancestors, and bring themselves into focus with their present state of consciousness.”
“Choose to spend a few minutes each day, twice a day if possible, feeling, breathing, getting connected to the Creator, acknowledging your sacredness and giving thanks for who you are. Choose to devote just 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes before you go to sleep, to this journey of honoring and healing yourself. …Just try it for 28 days (1 moon cycle) to begin with.”
“Funny how I must have intuitively known to create a place for reflection as I created this space in our small hobbit house. I had filled it with important items that feed my soul.”
Morning Ritual
- “Let’s begin the morning ritual by connecting with the earth around you, by honoring and feeling the ground and connecting your energy to the earth. Connect to the sounds in your present environment; listen, feel, sense the sacred moment.”
- “Stop in the quiet of the moment, close your eyes and take a minute to open yourself to healing and blessings.”
- “Then connect with the sacredness of the moment by taking a slow deep breath in through your nose all the way to the pit of your stomach and then slowly exhaling out through your mouth. Take 3 more breaths in and out in the same way as you honor the moment.”
- “Now say, ‘I am sacred, I am a blessing.’“
- “Inhale, then exhale. Now say it again, ‘I am sacred, I am a blessing.’ Hear it, Inhale, then exhale.”
- “Now imagine that your ancestors, your grandmothers, are saying it to you. Say it again, ‘I am sacred, I am a blessing.’ Hear, feel, and take in their message. Do this 4 times, each time inhaling and exhaling slowly.”
- “Now sit with this thought and feeling for a minute. And if you need to repeat the process, you can do it again – each time sitting with it for a while.”
- “Attempt to carry this sacredness throughout the day. Show up and be present in your own life, for your own well-being.”
- “Show up and be present in the lives of your relationships.”
Evening Ritual
- “Begin by connecting with the earth around you, by honoring and feeling the ground and connecting your energy to where you are. Connect to the sounds in your present environment. Listen, feel, sense the sacred moment.”
- “Then close your eyes and connect with the sacredness of the moment by taking a deep breath in through your nose, and slowly out through your mouth.”
- “Stop in the quiet of the moment, and take a minute to open yourself to healing and blessings.”
- “Take a deep breath in, and then exhale slowly. Connect with your breath and your body again. Inhale, then exhale.”
- “Hear yourself say it, feel it and embrace it. Inhale, then exhale.”
- “Now give thanks for whomever and wherever you are right now, without criticism and without judgement (criticism and judgement take you out of your scaredness).”
- “Now say, ‘I want to thank you, Creator, for who I am and the lessons in my life.’ Say it 4 times, inhaling and exhaling in between each.”
- Give thanks, recognizing that wherever you are right now, is where you are supposed to be.”
- “Recall all the things you feel grateful for today.”
- “Be with that sense of your sacredness.”
- “Now say, ‘I put all of my burdens and worries in your hands, as I honor myself by allowing my body to rest.’ Inhale and release. Say this 4 times.”
- “Attempt to care this sacredness with you, as you allow yourself to rest through the night.”
- ‘Try committing to do this practice for one moon cycle (around 28 days). Just 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening. You will see how it begins a process of rediscovering your sacredness.”
“I am committed to giving myself this time in the morning and night to help heal and rediscover my sacredness for the next moon cycle.”
“Nothing is more powerful than a surrendered life in the hands of God.”
Rick Warren (American author; January 28th, 1954)
–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 41-53.
I challenge each of you to post comments to this blog series so we all can grow together.
My Distilled Life 