Sustenance (Meal 1)
It’s 5:00 AM.
Time to rise and begin the day.
This morning feels a bit sluggish.
A Thursday.
Meetings crush my calendar.
I’m sure I’ll survive—just as I always do…
Just barely.
Breakfast time.
What should I make?
Pancakes? I don’t have time for that.
Bacon? Preheating the oven is a pain. I won’t have time to clean the skillet if I make it on the flame.
Cereal? Too much sugar. I can’t justify that after the two donuts I had at school yesterday.
I sit down on the couch and check in with the Teacher Within.
There is only one way to evolve from surviving to thriving, and that path requires deep listening. It requires honoring the wisdom that emerges when we consult the Teacher Within.
How can we expect to feel alive, gracious, patient, and present with those we serve, if we ourselves are depleted?
Malnourished?
Running on fumes?
What nourishment have you offered the Teacher Within lately?
Do we forget that water flushes toxins from the body?
That food becomes cognition?
That our choices around food, drink, and content all shape our mental clarity, immediately and long-term?
The Teacher Within might be malnourished.
The Teacher Within may not tell you they’re hungry.
But they are.
Let us begin to tend to this inner guide.
Let us reflect on three food groups of modern depletion:
Sugar.
Content.
Alcohol.
How do these affect your energy, your teaching, your clarity, and your soul
day by day, week by week?
Three Nourishment Practices
1. The Hydration Ritual
Fill a glass of water. Hold it in both hands.
Take a deep breath. Whisper: “This is clarity.”
Let water be your first act of self-devotion today.
2. The Conscious Bite
At your first meal, pause.
Ask yourself: “Will this nourish the Teacher Within?”
Then eat the first bite slowly. Taste it. Thank yourself.
3. The Content Fast
Choose one moment today: 10, 30, or 60 minutes of no scrolling.
No noise. No news.
Just breath, space, and presence.
Invite Stillness.
A Song for Presence
“Weightless” by Marconi Union
A sonic breath for the nervous system.
A 5-Minute Breakfast for the Teacher Within
Mediterranean Yogurt + Greens Bowl
Ingredients:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
A handful of spinach or arugula
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt + cracked black pepper
Optional: cherry tomatoes or sliced cucumber
Instructions:
Spoon yogurt into a bowl.
Top with greens, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.
Add salt, pepper, and extras if you wish.