If you are regular reader of this blog you. will know it has been my morning ritual for the last seven years to bathe in the wild highland burn that runs down from the hills and forms part of my property.

At about 7am, throughout the year, I step naked and barefooted onto the grass, walk up through the trees to my favourite spot and enter the water giving thanks to the spirit that I believe resides in everything. There is a bit more to it though before that icy embrace

As I step onto the grass I look up at the sky, really look. Which way are the clouds moving? How fast? Is it a clear sky, that’s been rather unusual this year to be honest.

I then close my eyes and listen:

To the sound of the river which constantly changes with its flow, maybe bird song and possibly the wind in the trees.

I breath and smell the earth, the peaty smell of the burn, the greenery that surrounds me, even cold air has its own smell as does the rain.

I feel the air on my skin, the temperature is the first thing I notice, possibly raindrops, mist, snow and even occasionally hail.

Turning further into myself I notice any taste in my mouth, early in the morning I will not have eaten or drank anything so there is usually a metallic taste.

So this is how I tune my Five String Harp, I then add a further practise and run a metaphorical thumb across those strings to see how my emotions are.

How do you start your day?