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

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’s that supposed 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 psychotherapist Colleen 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.

The Power of Morning Meditation 

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.

Susan Chen, founder of Susan 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 

• In the mornings your mind is often clearer and your body is more relaxed, so you may find it’s easier to meditate.
• This daily habit prioritizes a moment of self-care.
• It allows you to start your day with intention.
• This practice sets a good tone for the day.
• Morning meditations may help you feel less stressed throughout the day.1
• You may also find that your focus and mental clarity is better during the day.
• Consistent meditation can foster memory and help regulate emotions.2
• These sessions may provide more clarity for how you want to move through the day.

Mindfulness and Its Role in Our Daily Lives 

Mindfulness and 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.3

“Mindfulness is the practice of present-moment awareness, characterized by non-judgmental observation. It can be seamlessly incorporated into daily life and the actions one engages in throughout the day,” Blake-Miller explains. “Mindfulness can enhance one’s meditation practice by improving focus, reducing distractions, and deepening awareness.”

The Morning Meditation Routine: Step By Step Guide

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 to set a clear intention for 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 

Create a ritual around the conclusion of your meditation. Maybe this is taking a moment to say a word of gratitude, by setting an intention for the day, or by ending with a calming Ohm.

Meditation Tips for Beginners

The beauty of meditation is that you can do it anywhere and at any time, and even a few minutes can be grounding. As you flex this muscle, you’ll become even better at it. Follow these tips to improve your practice.

• Use guided meditations: Whether you’re new to meditation or have been practicing for years, using guided meditations is often quite helpful. You can find these for free on YouTube or Spotify, or you can purchase a subscription.
• Let distractions come and go: Distractions are a natural and realistic part of life, and they’ll pop up during your meditation sessions, too. “It’s crucial not to be too hard on yourself when they occur during meditation,” Blake-Miller says. “The key is to acknowledge these distractions and gently guide your focus back to your practice.”
• Let thoughts move through you: Similarly, don’t be hard on yourself if thoughts pop into your mind. “In Vedic Meditation, we embrace thoughts during meditation. We emphasize that thoughts are not the enemy; it’s the resistance or rejection of thinking that makes meditation feel challenging.”
• Be consistent: Carve out time to create a consistent practice. Making meditation part of your morning routine can help it become a normal part of your day. And remember, the more you practice, the deeper your meditation practice will become.
• Incorporate other mindful practices: Beyond morning meditation, weave in additional ways to soothe and ground yourself in the early hours of the day. This might look like mindful stretching, mindful eating, or simply setting a positive intention for the day.

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.