Starting with a morning meditation practice can reduce stress and help set the stage for a more successful day. Whether you wake up at 5 a.m. or 10 a.m., incorporating a morning practice into your daily routine can become an anchor in a life often full of unpredictable events and variables.
Why is it important to have a morning routine?
When you meditate in the morning, it's an opportunity to be fully aware, fully awake, and fully alive before you even "do" anything. By creating a regular morning practice, you cultivate peace of mind and happier relationships by being kinder and less judgmental toward yourself and others.
With many people's hectic lifestyles, our days can include a certain amount of stress and pressure. We generally assume that this stress is simply an inevitable part of life, but meditation can help us manage our family and work lives more skillfully.
Meditation can be beneficial at any time of day. However, there are some benefits to practicing in the morning before breakfast. Mornings are often calm, while afternoons are more likely to be hectic with constantly changing to-do lists.
This isn't about revolutionizing your daily life with a 3-hour routine, but rather about adopting a new 5- to 10-minute ritual and integrating it into your daily routine. Think of it as a brain stretch.
Morning mindfulness meditation is something you can do anywhere: in bed, sitting in a taxi, on a plane, or while waiting for your breakfast smoothie to blend. It can become the foundation of your day, something you can always rely on to bring you a sense of calm, both in body and mind.
What are the benefits of meditation in the morning?
In a widespread study on mindfulness, it was shown that meditation actually appeared to shrink the amygdala (which is our brain's threat detection control tower) while thickening the brain's prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for thinking and behavior modification. Exercising your brain to strengthen your thought processes can provide the support and foundation you need to control how you react to events.
Overall, practicing in the morning helps to:
- Reduce stress
- Be more productive
- Better appreciate the present
- Feel more connected to the world around you
- Increase the feeling of well-being
- Improve sleep
- Strengthen the immune system
- Fight against temporary and seasonal fatigue
- Increase the ability to concentrate
- Slow down aging
This is especially important given that studies show that, on average, online users around the world spend three hours a day browsing social media, often before even getting out of bed. This has a recognized impact on mental health and anxiety.
How to Remove Obstacles to Morning Meditation?
The most common obstacles are those we create ourselves, sometimes without being aware of it.
"I don't have time." - A common misconception is that you should sit down to meditate for at least 30 minutes to an hour. This is false! You can start your daily practice by investing 5 minutes to an hour. The most important thing is to take the plunge and get started. Start small, and gradually add more time to your practice if you feel the need.
"I can't sit still." - Meditate your way. Some people don't like to sit, but they prefer to do their meditations while walking. It's totally possible!
During a 10-minute morning practice, pay 1 minute of attention to each of the sensations in your body while walking: the sensation of breathing, the sensations of air or wind on your skin, what you hear, what you smell, what you see.
"My mind never stops." - It's normal to feel frustrated when learning to meditate. It's normal to get lost in your thoughts even after several weeks/months of practice. You need to shift your perspective to overcome this obstacle.
Focus on subtle, incremental improvements. You will gradually learn to understand your mind and change negative thoughts.
What are the different morning meditation techniques?
It's essential to first find the type of practice that works best for you. Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. Here are a few:
- Breathing Meditation – This involves simply focusing your attention on your breathing, inhaling and exhaling. This technique alone will help you calm your mind and reduce distractions.
- Steady Candle - Ideal if you have trouble concentrating. Simply light a candle and stare at it. Your attention will be held.
- Mantra Meditation – Repeating words can help you find calm and focus.
- Guided Meditation – There are many online resources that offer guided meditations and music to help you relax. Just search YouTube and you'll find tons of resources on how to use this practice.
- Walking Meditation - For 10 minutes, pay 1 minute of attention to each of the sensations in your body while walking: the sensation of your breathing, the sensations of air or wind on your skin, what you can hear and what you can see.
- Mindfulness Meditation - Mindfulness is about recognizing what is happening in the present moment. This includes thoughts, sounds, feelings in the body, and everything else that is present. The idea is simply to observe without judgment, and to remain open and aware.
An example of guided meditation.
If you've never meditated before, we recommend starting with 5 to 10 minutes. The best time to meditate is early in the morning (before your coffee or tea). Follow these simple steps to begin your meditation practice:
- Find a place that will be your dedicated space. Try to choose a room free of noise or distractions and make it comfortable. You can add relaxing background music, light a candle and/or incense, or diffuse a relaxing essential oil.
- Pick a time. Make an appointment with yourself and practice at the same time every day.
- Wear comfortable clothes. For example, your pajamas.
- Sit comfortably. You can sit on a cushion on the floor, on your sofa, or on a chair. Try to have a backrest to keep your back straight. Just sit up straight.
- Set a timer.
- Begin your practice with 5 to 7 long, slow, deep breaths so you can begin to release tension.
- Next, simply begin to focus your mind on an object. This could be a candle flame, your breathing, or the repetition of a mantra.
You can also simply follow a guided video on YouTube.
You will likely have thoughts, sensations in your body, and sounds in your environment. This is all normal. Whenever you become aware of them, simply return to the object you are focusing on, or start paying attention to your breathing again, or repeat your mantra, but do so mentally without moving your lips and tongue.
Even if you don't feel like you've accomplished much with your practice on a particular day, be patient with yourself. Honor and thank yourself for taking the time to practice.
