We can understand how the mere suggestion of waking up relaxed and rejuvenated to the singing of birds perched on a nearby tree like a scene from a Walt Disney fairytale may seem condescending to the casual Israeli observer, constantly embroiled in the noise, pollution, pessimistic news headlines and the near-constant parade of protests that characterize Israel nowadays.
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Still, some relaxation and mindfulness are possible even when taking this hectic ambiance into account.
After all, several Nordic lifestyle trends have already invaded our Levantine shores. It began with the home snuggling trend of Hygge, the Lagom trend of finding the right balance in life and most recently, we saw the Friluftsliv trend, encouraging people to venture onto the snowy outdoors.
And now, the Swedes have brought upon us the Gökotta, seemingly more appropriate for Israeli audiences, as it requires sunny weather to work optimally. It basically means waking up at sunrise and spending those initial moments enthusiastically appreciating nature.
Unlike some other early-morning approaches (Robin Sharma, anyone?), this one puts emphasis not on productivity, but relaxation.
Ideally, you would be standing in mother nature's embrace, but the founders of Gökotta are fully aware that not all of us live in a secluded village cabin among picturesque water streams and enchanting greenery. Instead, just enjoying your morning Cappuccino could do the trick, or just leisurely stroll around the neighborhood.
The news can wait. Israel's anxiety-inducing existence isn't going anywhere, unfortunately.