Editor's note: The Park Rapids Enterprise is pleased to introduce a new book reviewer, Rachel Oppitz.
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.
I found the content very inspiring. 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, 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 definitely 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.”
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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.
Rachel Oppitz has lived in Park Rapids with her husband, daughter and dog since 2006. She is a naturopathic doctor and owns Itasca Naturopathic Clinic in Park Rapids and Bemidji. In her spare time, she loves to read, workout with friends, play games, do jigsaw puzzles, camp, hike, bike, canoe, travel, do guided meditations on Insight Timer, try new recipes, listen to music and journal.
