How you start your morning can set the tone for the rest of the day. You can’t always control what happens to you throughout the day but you can control how you respond and how it affects your mood. Centering yourself and focusing your inner life at the start of the day will set you up for success no matter what circumstances may come your way.
Meditation is an excellent tool to help you set the tone for the day. It allows you to check in with yourself, create your desired mindset and bring stillness to your emotions. Anyone can implement meditation into their daily routine. Whether you are trying meditation for the first time or are wanting to deepen your practice, there are helpful tips that can set you on your journey or help you take your journey higher.
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Can I Do Meditation In the Morning?
Starting a meditation practice or changing your existing practice can feel daunting. Oftentimes it is hard to know how to begin or when to begin. There are different ways to meditate depending on what you want to accomplish in your practice. Setting yourself up for a day of inner peace and stillness sounds like an excellent start to anything.
You can do meditation in the morning. In fact, it is recommended as one of the best times for meditation. Mornings are clean slates and that allows you to be intentional and set the tone, rather than have the tone set for you.
How Long Should I Meditate in the Morning?
The length of meditation is not as important as the quality of the time in meditation. What dissuades many from starting a meditation practice is being overwhelmed with the idea that they have to sit in silence for thirty minutes to an hour. However, days are packed with activity and not everyone has the luxury of setting aside that amount of time, especially in the morning.
5 minutes is an excellent starting point for beginning a meditation practice in the morning. It may not seem like a lot but it can do wonders in centering yourself and affirming your attitude and stance for the day. Meditation times can always be increased as you see fit, but it is not something that should be forced.
5 Tips for Helping you Meditate in the Morning
Now that you know you want to start meditating in the morning and you are aware that it does not have to be long to have the desired effect, you can focus your efforts on the quality of your meditation time. Take advantage of these 5 tips to make your practice the best it can be for you.
Eliminate Distraction
There is enough going on in the mind to contend with during a meditation session, the last thing your practice needs are outside distractions. Setting your practice up for success means eliminating any potential distractions from your space in order to be fully present in your meditation. This will look different for each individual, but there are some universal principles that can assist.
- Find a Quiet Space
- Make it your First Priority of the Morning
- Put Away or Silence Electronics
Find a space where you can be alone, even if that means going into the bathroom. The quieter the space, the better. It would be ideal if meditation could be the first thing you do in the morning, but sometimes there are more pressing needs at the start of the day. If this is the case, know what those things are and attend to them immediately after waking up so you can get into your practice sooner rather than later. Lastly, put away or silence your electronics to keep your space quiet and to prevent your time from being cut into by a phone call or text message.
If you feel nervous about putting your phone away for five minutes be assured, there are very few things that can not wait five minutes. Doing this will allow you to detach from your phone and be more present in the moment, which will help in your overall daily life.
Find a Guide
Staying focused can be difficult to do in your meditation practice. In the silence, there can be a barrage of thoughts, worries, to-do lists and so on. One of the easiest ways to keep your focus is by using guided meditations.
Your guide will take you through your practice from beginning to end and keep you focused throughout. There are many guided meditations that can be found on platforms like YouTube or Spotify. Create a playlist if you would like options and utilize them in your practice. Just remember to silence all other notifications so only the guided meditation has your attention.
Focus on your Breath
If guided meditations are not for you or you would rather be in the quiet than you can strip your practice down to the bare bones. This means focusing on your breath throughout the practice.
You can do this by focusing your attention on the inhale and the exhale of the breath, the way your chest rises and falls and the sound of the breath as it enters and as it exits. You can add variety by counting a few paces as you inhale, holding your breath for the same amount of paces and then counting the exhale.
Be aware that thoughts will bounce around in your mind. This is normal and should not be a discouragement. Let the thoughts come and then let them go without attachment. Once you’ve done that, just return your attention to the breath.
Practice Patience
As stated above, thoughts will enter your mind throughout your practice. The goal isn’t to force yourself not to think but to teach yourself how to effectively clear your mind.
This is not something that happens overnight, it takes practice. The most important thing is to have patience with yourself. Do not burden yourself with timetables. The only expectation you should have in your practice is to do your best. Your best is more than enough and you will see with time and repetition, keeping your mind clear will get easier.
Morning Affirmations
The best part of doing meditation in the morning is being able to set the tone for the rest of the day. When you have quieted your inner life and have found your center, you can decide how you would like to set that tone.
The easiest way to do so is with morning affirmations. Take the last minute of your practice and internally set your personal goals for the day. Whether that is practicing patience, finding joy in the mundane, giving yourself grace, or being confident, reciting affirmations can help keep these goals in mind.
Final Thoughts
With these tips and your own drive to take the time for yourself, your meditation can soar. As your practice becomes more familiar you can always find ways to stretch yourself a little further, like increasing the length of your practice. Always be sure to remember that meditation is to help you, so whatever is not helping should be dialed back. Enjoy the journey.
Check out this article for the tips to help get better at meditation.
