As you wake up, slip into this morning meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Gathering Nectar", by Julia Fehrenbacher.

"Do you know that sometimes,when gathering nectar,bees fall asleep in flowers?" Andrea Gibson
Gathering Nectar
When I am flitting ahead to the nextvery important thing, I do not land long enoughto notice steam rise from the mug of mint tea, do notbreathe in the sweet scent of fresh honey the beesworked so long and hard to make, do not noticethe moment on this Monday morning when sun smiles through the layers and layers of sorrow. When my head is bentto the brutal, mind buzzing no no no, I do not noticewhen my old dog looks up for a pet. Later,I will notice the trees still alive with so muchvibrant color—as if God was up all nightwith her paintbrush. Later, I will land long enoughto taste the sweetness. Or, perhaps, I might rememberthat sweetness can not find me when I am not here. Maybethe only very important thing is to stop, stop now—to fill myself with nectar like the bees do, work with othersto make honey, and then offer spoonful after spoonfulto those who have forgotten that no matterhow bitter the bitter, still and always—we can gather nectar, still and always, we canfall asleep, and wake, in the flowers.

(©Julia Fehrenbacher, www.juliafehrenbacher.com/Pinterest)Image found on Pinterest. SIgned copies of her book, "Staying in Love," are available at www.juliafeh.etsy.com).

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.com
This podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.