How you start your day is how you shape it. If you don’t start your day the way you want to, someone else will shape it for you. This applies to anyone: a student, a professional, an entrepreneur, or a parent.
The term “golden hour” defines this fragile moment in time. The golden hour is a critical time for saving a life and savoring a life.
In the medical industry, it is “the first hour after the occurrence of a traumatic injury, considered the most critical for successful emergency treatment.” In photography, it is roughly the first hour of light after sunrise, and the last hour of light before sunset, when the quality of light produces optimal photographs.
Photographers sometimes call it the “magic hour.”
I love taking advantage of the magic hour, morning edition. The magic hour happens before we do anything else, before we give ourselves to the rest of the world. This time is a chance for us to save and savor our own lives.
Reflection in the morning is ideal because our brain hasn’t had the chance to go into overdrive yet. Our bodies move slower as well. I was never a morning person. Mornings used to baffle me—especially as I became an adult carrying a cumbersome bouquet of responsibilities I never tried to catch.
The morning seemed to move so much faster than any other part of my day. I would get out of the shower and check the clock to find out I had been in there for 15 minutes, instead of 5. Then, I rushed out the door to get to work or school on time.
I was habitually late because I moved slower. I never gave myself the time I needed to embrace the magic hour. Now I give myself extra time to enjoy it.
My magic hour is typically filled with morning meditation and a short yoga practice. I’ve also started reading, something I never used to attempt in the morning because it relaxes me too much. So, rather than fiction, I read from a business or wellness book to jumpstart my mind and inspire ideas for the day.
The other morning I broke up my week and embraced the magic hour in an entirely different way. The night before I laid out my hiking clothes instead of my yoga clothes, without really thinking about it. I needed to get away from the roar of the city. I knew the best way to achieve that was to go above the roar.
The trail to Pittock Mansion is one of my favorite hikes in Portland. I haven’t hiked this trail as much as I used to, because it takes two hours round-trip. When you run your own business, leisure time is treated with care. You’re always thinking about your business, and you can easily feel guilty when you step away from it.
On this particular Wednesday, I was craving nature so badly that I decided to make this lengthy hike happen. The magic hour seemed like the perfect time. That meant leaving my house right when the sun came up and freezing my ass off.
As soon as I left my apartment, I thought: What the fuck am I doing? I could have been sitting with my cats, drinking coffee in my blue fuzzy robe. I walked by Tin House books and read their quote board out front, as I always do when I need inspiration. The board confirmed I was doing the right thing.
The Pittock Mansion hike is five miles round trip, uphill there and downhill back home. At the top is the reward, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous view of the city and Mount Hood. The grounds at Pittock Mansion are equally gorgeous, with a groomed landscape bordered by various species of fragrant roses.
You’ve all heard me gush about this spot, whether I was obsessing over the Lover’s Bench or using it as a key scene in my latest yet-to-be-published novel.
A few minutes into my hike, I started wondering what the hell I was doing again. My whole body felt heavy and my exposed ankles beneath my leggings were cold and achy. Despite my good intentions to seize the magic hour, I was whining like a little bitch.
Early morning runners and hikers I passed on the trail helped me snap out of it. They were just so damn happy. They had the same mindset, having decided to seize the day and freeze their asses off in the forest like me versus staying in bed a little longer. Eventually, the crowd thinned out and I found the solitude I was hoping for.
The Stone House is normally a gathering spot in Forest Park, with kids playing around the structure and couples pausing for a smooch before deciding on a trail direction. That morning it looked very much like the witches house all the children pretend it to be.
I had the honor of watching a woodpecker have his way with a tree. Birds sang loudly, almost off-key—like they were singing alone in the bird bath, not giving a damn.
When I arrived at the top, I was rewarded with shocking stillness. I had Pittock Mansion to myself for the first time ever. No selfies, no tourists…just me and my city.
The sun hovered over the city, nudging it to wake up. I sat down at the Lover’s Bench above the roar, capturing and savoring every line of the landscape. I felt so peaceful on my hike back home and I was ready for my day.
With as much time as we all spend on screens, it is perhaps more important than ever to do something else when we first wake up. The magic hour is a chance to establish a deeper connection with ourselves.
How do you embrace the magic hour? Would love to hear about your morning routines.
Britt Skrabanek 
Yeah, just started falling out of bed into my running gear again. It helps that the brain hasn’t registered what’s happening until I’m off up the road. Sets me up for the day. There’s something about the world as it wakes up – the first bus with a few bleary passengers, a cock crowing, a couple of other crazy runners perhaps, the first house lights flicking on, the hush. It’s at these times I feel fortunate to be able to do this simple thing at my age when many just can’t or won’t.
There is absolutely something amazing about the world just waking up. When we combine that magical time with an activity that wakes the body up, it’s special indeed. Glad you’re getting back out there, Roy!
You always inspire me! Dawn, sunrise, is my time to feel alive.
Morning is a great time to feel alive, Dannie!
My morning routine sucks these days… 2 months without yoga and I feel it in my limbs and my mind… 1st month, I had an excuse (almost…), now it’s just plain lazyness (will catch up this weekend with a 3-day 10-hour yoga workshop on the beach).
Back traveling, my books are on my Kindle so I spend a lot of time on screens anyway… really need to get my yoga back on track (and many other things, really).
Enter you and your latest blog post; thanks for the reminder.
Enjoy it all! Xoxoxo
Just in this past week, I completely fell off my own yoga routine. I had some traveling and a lot of work happening. It happens. I think it’s natural to go into cycles.
Hope you enjoyed your yoga workshop! I’m jealous.
The yoga workshop was a very nice birthday treat! 😉
And fingers crossed we can come back soon to a yoga routine that suits our physical and spiritual needs of the moment.
The video of your magic hour is so lovely and inspirational. Thank you for filming and sharing! Being a retiree, pretty much my entire day is comprised of magic hours 🙂 However as you say, how one begins the day sets the tone. Looking forward to dark chocolate and my only cup of coffee for the day helps me get out of bed when sunrise is beckoning me to open my blinds. I love to check email from my offspring, then read inspirational works and non-fiction while my mind is rested. I’m trying to incorporate more reflection too before launching into the day’s other activities. As you say, so important!
Reflection first thing is so important. I know that’s different for everyone. I mainly like meditation and yoga, but I also enjoy getting outside for a hike or city walk. Either way, it’s good to take the time before launching into other activities.
I love that you call them offspring…haha! xo
I try not to grade, do lesson plans, or check mail—but I do. I would rather read my devotional and get in some exercise. *sigh*
I hear ya. I still have mornings where I jump right into work, especially if I worked late the night before and ended up oversleeping. Even 10 minutes of reflection in the morning helps me. Hope you can make some more time for yourself in the mornings soon!
Thanks for sharing this magical magic hour Britt. As soon as we get up we head straight to the park at the end of the road with the dog – it isn’t always a lovely start to the day, particularly if it’s dark and raining, but in general, it is – it gets us out into nature and among trees as the first thing we do in the morning.
Getting outside first thing in the morning is one of my favorite things. Like you said, it’s not always ideal when Mother Nature is playing with us. But, once you get moving, all is great again.
Your video and words are magical. Usually I park about 10 minutes away from my work building and will get a tiny morning walk that way, but you’ve inspired me to try to get up a little earlier and find a better path. I’m not a morning person either so we’ll see how that goes. : )
Morning walks are the best! Now that it’s colder, I do more morning walks instead of yoga. Better for warming up!
Excellent post. Honestly, my magic hour is more of a fkn cram because i’m getting up super early to get to work. Does some self love in the morning count 😉 lol. Nice story, thanks.
I used to get up super early for work and it was tough to find time for myself in the mornings. Totally understand! Maybe dusk is more of your jam.