What 1,000 Mornings Taught Me

A reflection on ARISE, and the love that made them possible

There are moments in life when you pause, look back, and feel the weight — not a heavy weight, but a meaningful one. A weight made of time, intention, presence, and love.

Today, ARISE reaches its 1,000th episode.

Even typing that feels surreal.

In Kundalini Yoga, there’s a teaching about daily practice and how change actually takes root. The numbers are both symbolic and practical: 40 days is said to break a habit, interrupting old patterns and crossing the initial resistance of the subconscious. 90 days stabilizes the habit. 120 days begins to weave it into who you are.

And 1,000 days?

A practice done 1,000 times is said to become yours. Fully embodied. No longer something you do — but something you carry, something you transmit. An embodied frequency.

I knew that when ARISE began, though it never even crossed my mind that we’d reach 1000. But standing here now, 1,000 episodes later, I feel the truth of it in my bones.

ARISE began not with a grand plan, but a feeling — a longing, really — to be part of a shared morning practice. A way to start the day together, intentionally, heart-first, connected to something deeper than the to-do list impatiently waiting for us to get out of bed.

The desire came from my years of leading yoga classes, but what I imagined wasn’t exactly yoga. What I saw was something more whole. A practice that included journaling, movement, breath, meditation, sound — a way to align mind, body, and spirit before stepping into the world.

About ten years ago, I led short morning meditations on Facebook. In 2018, I released my first virtual meditation program, The Art of Stillness, followed by it’s sister program, 40 Days of Stillness. Then life changed. The world changed. When the lockdowns of 2020 arrived, I felt called to offer something more. I returned to those morning meditations for a short time — sometimes with a reflection, sometimes with a journal prompt — before stepping back to focus on my own practice.

But practising alone, day after day, in isolation, started to feel hollow. I missed community. I missed sharing space — even virtual space — with other humans who were also trying to make sense of their inner and outer worlds.

So on November 3, 2021 — a New Moon in Scorpio, a time of transformation — I began ARISE as a simple 40-day meditation experience.

The structure was modest:

5 minutes of journaling.
5 minutes of breathwork.
5 minutes of meditation.

Sundays were silent, but followed the same rhythm.

That was it.

At the end of the 40 days, we extended it to the end of the year. And the response was so warm, so sincere, that I knew something had been born. What started as a container for 40 days became a daily practice — and eventually, a way of life for many of us.

The deeper reason ARISE existed — and still exists — was to bring people together during a time that was profoundly isolating. To remind us that we weren’t alone. That we could begin each day connected, intentional, and rooted in something real.

From the beginning, what I hoped people would feel — even before I had the language for it — was simple:

That they would stop, sit, and breathe.
That they would love themselves a little more.
That they would be intentional with their energy, their actions, and how they chose to meet the day.

The name ARISE has always meant the same thing to me. Yes, we arise in the morning. But more than that, it’s an invitation to rise into our highest self. To show up — imperfectly, honestly — as the best version of who we can be, again and again.

The people of ARISE are people who care about how they live. They’re intentional with the energy they bring into a room, into their relationships, into the world. They care about how they treat their bodies, what they feed their minds, and how they choose love — even when it would be easier not to.

Over these 1,000 episodes, the people of ARISE have taught me more than I could ever teach them.

They’ve taught me what commitment really looks like.

What it means to support others without needing to fix them.

They’ve shown me — again and again — that people are not only willing to love strangers on the internet… they are capable of it.

And yes, there were many moments when the group carried me.

ARISE carried me through the lockdowns. Without it, I don’t know that I would have gotten up with the same intention each morning. I don’t know that I would have reflected as deeply, or tended to my inner world with as much care.

You’ve also witnessed my life unfold in real time.
You’ve seen me get new jobs — and lose jobs.
Win awards.
Travel to different parts of the world to learn more about myself and my craft.
You’ve seen me enter relationships, leave them, and find my way back again.
You’ve seen me move houses, move to the city — and through all of it, you were there with love.

While the essence of ARISE has remained the same — filling your own cup first so you can meet the world from a place of love — the form has evolved.

Now we move through themed days: Mondays begin with Tarot; Tuesdays focus on physical practice; Wednesdays are devoted to mindfulness, reflection, and stories that invite us inward; Thursdays are Retrograde days, revisiting past practices and reflecting on how far we’ve come; and Fridays centre on self-care and self-love.

What still amazes me is not only that people signed up… but that we’re still here, 1,000 episodes later.

Even after the world reopened, people kept choosing to begin their day with intention.

There are those who have been here since day one — Jackie, Leah, Suzy. Others who stayed for long seasons — Nancy and Judy, who have been with us for over a year. Some who have stabilized the habit and it’s now becoming part of who they are — like Wendy. And others who came, received what they needed, and moved on.

All of it is perfect.

This work isn’t flashy or glamorous, after all most of us show up in our pyjamas. But it’s about showing up — especially on the days you don’t feel like it. And beneath the movement, the breath, and the stillness, real things have been happening.

People are living more intentionally.
They’re reflecting on the meaning of their experiences.
They’re noticing the Sun, the Moon, and the seasons.
Talking about their feelings.
Having deeper conversations.
Reconnecting to their bodies — sometimes in very tangible ways.

To mark the 1,000th episode of ARISE, I’ll be holding a small ritual.

Each past and present participant’s name will be written down. Each will be represented by a bead and placed into a bowl. We’ll say a prayer. Light a candle. And anchor something that has lived largely in a virtual space into the physical world.

In a way, it feels like the natural completion of a 1,000-day practice — a moment to acknowledge that this has become embodied. Real. Alive.

If I could thank each of you individually, I would tell you this:

Your presence — whether for one day or many years — taught me what leadership truly means. You showed me the power of community. And you helped me understand what love actually looks like in practice.

As ARISE moves forward, the invitation remains the same:
To show up.
To set intentions for the kind of person you want to be.
To bring more love into this world by extending it to yourself first.

Here is an open invitation. If this space calls to you, step in.

And if you’re reading this as someone who once practised with us — know that this is a call to come home.
To yourself.
To your heart.
To the quiet power of Love.

Thank you for being part of ARISE.

Thank you for these 1,000 mornings.

Thank you for walking this path with me.

With deep gratitude,
Paul xo