Morning Deck — Backyard NJ

The alarm was 5:15. I’d sit outside while it was still cool, back against the house, facing east.

Nothing special about it — a wood deck, a metal chair, a neighbor’s AC unit running somewhere. But the stillness before the day started was its own thing. You could hear yourself think. More accurately, you could hear yourself not think.

I sat here most mornings for about two years. Rain moved me inside. Everything else kept me here.

There’s something about a familiar spot. You don’t have to decide to meditate — you just sit in the chair and it starts.