Want to Move Through Your Day With Ease? Try Morning Meditation

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe Power of Morning MeditationMindfulness and Its Role in Our Daily LivesThe Morning Meditation Routine: Step By Step GuideMeditation Tips for Beginners

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

The Power of Morning Meditation

Mindfulness and Its Role in Our Daily Lives

The Morning Meditation Routine: Step By Step Guide

Meditation Tips for Beginners

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Wake up early, meditate, conquer your day! It sounds like something out of a “rise-and-grind” playbook,we know. If you’ve never meditated before, it can have a sort of “woowoo” connotation with it. Sit still and try to do your best to think about nothing at all? What’sthatsupposed to do? Here’s the thing about meditation, though: It’s incredibly powerful, and there’s a deep history regarding the practice (and plenty of science!) to back up its benefits.

“Meditation, which has been practiced for thousands of years, is the act of focusing one’s mind to attain mental clarity, relaxation, and heightened awareness,” explains registered psychotherapistColleen Blake-Miller. “It typically involves dedicated time and effort to cultivate a state of mental calm, mindfulness, or concentration.”

The goal is to promote mental and emotional well-being,heighten your self-awareness, and, for some, bask in spiritual growth. Morning meditation, specifically, encourages us to set aside an intentional moment before we dive into the chaos of the day. It doesn’t have to be long or profound, either. Even five or 10 minutes spent meditating each morning can offer benefits.

Mindfulness vs. Meditation: What’s the Difference?

You can meditate anytime, any place, and anywhere. Morning meditation, however, sets a positive tone for the day and can act as a division between the peace of a good night’s sleep and everything on your daily to-do list.

—COLLEEN BLAKE-MILLER, PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Susan Chen, founder ofSusan Chen Vedic Meditation, says that mornings are one of the best times to meditate for two main reasons. The first is that there are fewer distractions. “For many of us, once our day begins with family and professional responsibilities, our time no longer feels like our own,” she says. “Second, it helps start the day with more calmness and focus. Releasing stress early in the morning sets us up for an enjoyable and calm day ahead.”

Benefits of Morning Meditation

Having Trouble Meditating? A Mantra Can Help

Mindfulnessand meditation are closely connected. A consistent meditation practice can lead to greater mindfulness in our lives, which has many benefits.

For example, it tends to cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness, allows for more thoughtful reactions to life’s inevitable stressors and improved emotional regulation, and teaches us to “live in the now” versus worrying about the past or future. Studies have also found that meditation and mindfulness can help reduce general anxiety and depression.

Every person’s morning meditation ritual looks different, but the overarching goal is to find a location and time that works best for you and to make it an enjoyable experience.

You may want to incorporate a cozy chair or a meditation cushion, play soothing music or listen to the sounds of nature, practice before everyone wakes up, or while family members are already starting their day, too.

Step 1: Set Your Intention

To begin your meditation practice, it’s essential toset a clear intentionfor your commitment, Blake-Miller says. “Before you start, consider your goals and what you hope to achieve during the session, such as inviting more calm and peace into your day.”

Step 2. Find the Perfect Spot

Find a quiet and comfortable space in your home that’s away from distractions. Sitting in a comfortable position will also help you focus.

Step 3: Consider Sound

Decide whether you want to try silent meditation, or if it’s easier for you to meditate with quiet music, the sounds of nature, or a guided track. You can experiment with all the above and change things up as you desire.

“I always recommend self-guided, silent meditation practices like Vedic Meditation, which don’t require excessive focus or concentration,” Chen says. “This allows the mind to relax fully into meditation without the need for intense concentration.”

Step 4: Close Your Eyes & Become Aware of Your Body

Finally, sit for five to 20 minutes and start to become more aware of your body, the sounds around you, and your breathing.

“Breathe naturally and focus on the air going in and out of your lungs,” Blake-Miller says. “Conduct a body scan as you continue to breathe, noticing any tension on your body, from your hands and neck to your feet and limbs, from head to toe.”

Consciously release the tension from your body, doing so with each exhale to bring relaxation and ease.

Step 5: Conclude Your Session

5 Meditation Techniques to Get You Started

The beauty of mindfulness and meditation is you can take it with you and incorporate it into all your daily activities. It helps you pay more attention to the way you move throughout the day, the thoughts and conversations you have with yourself and others, and how you react to certain triggers.

It’s never too late or too early to begin a meditation practice, and there’s nothing you can lose from carving out a few moments of your day each morning to invest in yourself.

The 21 Best Meditation Podcasts to Listen to Right Now

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sharma H.Meditation: Process and effects.Ayu. 2015;36(3):233–237. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182756Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: in depth.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sharma H.Meditation: Process and effects.Ayu. 2015;36(3):233–237. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182756Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: in depth.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Sharma H.Meditation: Process and effects.Ayu. 2015;36(3):233–237. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182756Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: in depth.

Sharma H.Meditation: Process and effects.Ayu. 2015;36(3):233–237. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182756

Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Meditation: in depth.

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