Morning meditation – a beneficial way to start your day
The morning can either be the easiest, most relaxing part of your day, or it can be exceptionally stressful. I find that the pressure to check off my long morning time to do list causes a great deal of anxiety for me.
Shower. Check.
Pick an outfit. Check.
Get lunch ready. Check.
Grab name tag. Check.
Etc, etc, etc.
I’ve spent many mornings crying over the over-stimulation of getting ready for the day. But, there’s a solution to our stressful mornings… MORNING MEDITATION! I know, I know. It sounds like a load of spiritual bogus. But it supports a lot of people in their day to day life.
What is Meditation? | Benefits of Morning Meditation | How to Practice Morning Meditation
What is meditation?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, to meditate is “to think calm thoughts in order to relax or as a religious activity.”
Yes, some folks can and will utilize meditation to connect with their spirituality or their religious beliefs. However, meditation is beneficial even for non-spiritual or religious people.
Meditation emphasizes the importance of stillness, calmness, mindfulness, and taking in your thoughts and feelings without any judgement.
Benefits of morning meditation
Morning meditation can offer various benefits for a diverse range of people:
Better start to your day
By starting your day with morning meditation, you are able to center yourself and prepare yourself better for the exciting and challenging moments of the day. And because meditation is known to improve mental health, you may notice that you feel better throughout the week after getting into a consistent routine.
Stress management
Meditation is recognized by many as a stress busting technique as it can reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. Breathing techniques used in meditation (such as box breathing) contribute to this reduction.
Connection with yourself
Morning meditation can boost your self awareness and creativity, and can help you to focus on the present. During your morning meditation, you are taking time to put the focus back on you. Life can be busy and stressful and full of supporting humans other than ourselves, but meditation essentially forces you to turn that attention onto yourself.
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Awareness of mind and body
As you can likely imagine, taking time to focus entirely on your mind and your body can peak your awareness of parts of yourself that are feeling good and parts of yourself that may not be feeling so good.
Physical benefits
According to an article by Mayo Clinic, meditation can improve sleep, lower blood pressure, and lower your resting heart rate. Additionally, it may help with other illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, chronic pain, etc. Any illness with symptoms that are worsened by stress can be alleviated or aided with morning meditation.
How to practice morning meditation
Environment
For many, meditation consists of finding a quiet, dimly lit or dark environment in which you can focus entirely on quieting your mind and body.
When I meditate, I like to utilize a warm colored light, a blanket underneath me, and I sit in a cross-legged position on the floor (FLOOR TIME!!). I focus on relaxing my body first, from my head to my toes, and then I quiet my mind by releasing my thoughts into the universe.
This can be hard to do in certain circumstances… if you live with a partner, friends, family, or roommates, it can be challenging to find a tranquil space. If this applies to you, close the door to the room you choose, and/or put some headphones on. Play soft, slow music (preferably without lyrics) and try to focus on your body and mind.
If you cannot sit on the floor, it works just as well to sit wherever you are comfortable/able.
Dedication & Consistency
You may find it difficult to find time or be consistent with morning meditation. If so, try choosing a time every day when you aren’t busy. Maybe that’s right when you wake up or after you exercise. Maybe you don’t wake up until 11am (like many folks I know) so you choose to do late morning meditation. Some people do it at night as well.
Meditation will be beneficial regardless of the time of day that you choose to practice. It will be the most beneficial to you, though, if you practice on a consistent basis.
Moreover, you can spend as much time as you want or need in a meditative space. 5 minutes may be all you can spare. Or maybe you want to try for 20 minutes. Once you’re a pro, you may even find an hour to be the most effective for you.
Breathing
As I mentioned earlier, various breathing techniques are utilized in morning meditation to relieve stress and calm the mind and body.
You can try box breathing or 478 breathing if counting is accessible and helpful for you.
Otherwise, diaphragmatic breathing or regular deep breathing may work better for you.
In conclusion, utilize breathing techniques and morning meditation to calm yourself, relax your body and mind, and even alleviate symptoms of physical illness. It’s a great time of your day to focus on you and your thoughts, feelings, reactions, etc. without judgement or guilt.
So, my suggestion to you would be to meditate at least three days this next week. Plan time, set a timer for however long you want to dedicate to it, make sure your environment is comfy, and meditate away!
Good luck, lovelies!