Stress Less in March

First, a gatha that came to mind while sitting in front of the fire today:

When see the wood burning in the woodstove,
I vow with all beings
To thank the sun and its Creator,
For warmth and light.

I went downstairs earlier today to sit in front of the woodstove for a while. I went for two reasons, well -- three actually:

1. I wanted to take some specific relaxation time for myself, encouraged by Chile's Stress Less in March Challenge,
2. I was fighting a headache and wanted to stop fighting it, and,
   
3. I like fire.

While I was down there, my headache eased and the gatha poem popped into my head. I came upstairs with a smile on my face and an urge to write about Chile's great idea for a March challenge. Chile is encouraging us to do the following:

Commit to 30 minutes per day of some kind of mindfulness. It can be yoga, meditation, relaxation, prayer, focused exercise, or whatever works for you. Choose a time block that you will keep from thinking about all the problems in the world and in your life, but don't just fill your mind with distractions (like TV or playing a video game).

This challenge will help me develop a habit I've been half-heartedly trying over the past six months or so. I've been wanting to get up a half-hour earlier in the mornings so I have time to do some sitting meditation and some Tai Chi warm up exercises before work. So far I've managed to get up about 15 minutes earlier most days, but usually I just end up expanding my get-ready-for-work routine into the time alloted rather than meditating or doing any Tai Chi.

I'm looking forward to developing this new habit, and helping my mind and body to be able to relax more fully.