What can you accomplish in just five quick minutes? How about a 5-minute morning meditation? Learning to shape your day with a few well-spent minutes to yourself can make a huge difference in the way your day plays out.
Benefits of Morning Meditation
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1. No cost or low cost—meditation is free if you do it on your own, and there are many free guided meditations available online and especially on YouTube. Simply type in “guided meditation” in the search bar, and you will be presented with a plethora of options. If you do choose to go with a paid app like Calm, Insight Timer, Aura, Buddhify, Headspace, or others, there is typically a nominal fee, but they can also help keep you on track with progressive meditations and daily reminders.
2. Can be done anywhere, anytime—this is something that can be done virtually anywhere, at any time. You can even do a 30-second meditation while in a crowd of people with no one the wiser.
3. Manage your anxiety—coping with daily life can be challenging enough, and finding a way to manage your anxiety may be anxiety-producing in and of itself. A few minutes of meditation, however, can calm the choppy seas of the mind and help you relax and react from a place of power, rather than fear and frustration.
4. Reduce stress—taking time out to relax your brain can help you notice and release stress-inducing thoughts. A few minutes of meditation can let you calm down, reassess situations, and even find solutions you couldn’t imagine while you were feeling stressed.
5. Improve health markers—the act of slowing down, releasing toxic thoughts, and aligning with your body are powerful when it comes to your health. According to scientists, a few minutes of meditation a day can keep the doctor away with improved blood pressure, better weight management, decreased depression, improved sleep, better pain management, and more.
Morning Meditation Routine: How to Get Started
1. Start by finding a quiet, comfortable spot where you won’t be distracted or interrupted for at least five minutes. This may be the most difficult part of the 5-minute morning meditation routine! If you live with others, let them know this is your space and your special time that you are reserving just for you.
2. Decide if you will use an app, music, or simply focus on your breathing. There are a number of meditation apps and even guided meditations that you can find online, on YouTube, or on various apps. You can also try playing some soft, soothing music that puts you in a calm, relaxed mood. Experiment and find what works best for you.
3. Set up soothing lighting. Generally, some sort of subdued lighting or a soft light source like candles or salt lamps is most conducive to a meditative environment. Harsh lighting can inhibit your ability to relax and get into an introspective mood.
4. Do your meditating at the same time each day, preferably first thing in the morning. Since the way you start your day determines how the rest of your day will go, getting started on the right foot is important. It’s tough to win your day if you don’t start by winning your morning.
Try This 5-Minute Morning Meditation Routine
Setting yourself up for success with a 5-minute morning meditation routine can radically change your day. When you release the stress and worry and learn to focus your mind and concentrate on gratitude, your day will change direction for the positive as well.
Get started by going to your designated meditation area. Sit in a comfortable position or lie down. Place your hands either loosely on your lap or at your sides, palms up. Close your eyes and slowly breathe in and out deeply; in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on each breath in and out. Allow all tension in your body to be released as you blow your breath out.
As you focus on your breathing, take a few moments to simply center yourself and allow any thoughts to come and go effortlessly. Notice them and release them, moving your attention back to your breathing.
Next, begin to think about a happy time in your life and recreate the circumstances of the event in your memory. What was happening at the time? Who else was present? What sounds did you hear? What smells did you encounter? Was it hot, cold, winter, summer, spring, or fall? Were you indoors or outdoors? Try to remember as many details as you can about the situation. Feel the happiness flooding your body and realize that you can summon this happy energy any time you desire. Linger on these happy memories for a moment or two.
Bring your attention back to your breathing for 30 seconds.
Next, make a mental list of the things you’re grateful for. Picture them one by one as you gratefully acknowledge each positive thing in your life. Focus on all the wonderful things you have to be grateful for as you go through your gratitude list.
Bring your attention back to your breathing for 30 seconds.
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Lastly, imagine the things you need to do today. Picture each item on your to-do list as you do it and imagine it turning out the way you want it to. Imagine your satisfaction with a job well done, a smile as you complete each task, and the sense of accomplishment as you successfully and easily go through each challenge in your day.
Refocus on your breathing for 30 seconds as you prepare yourself to start your day; energized and with feelings of positivity, self-control, thankfulness, and bliss.
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