Chances are, you’ve had the feeling that you’re just not as productive as you’d like to be. And as much as you try, you feel like you can’t keep your focus on your goals long enough to get them done.
A possible remedy? Morning meditation.
If you’re unfamiliar, you might be wondering, “What is morning meditation?” Simply put, it’s a practice to center yourself at the start of the day, laying the groundwork for increased focus and productivity.
The real benefit here isn’t just about checking off tasks on your to-do list. True productivity means completing tasks efficiently, freeing up time for other essentials like family moments or advancing in your career.
So, before you get into the hustle and bustle of your day, take a moment to discover the tranquility within. And remember these wise words from Vishen, the founder of Mindvalley:
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. — @Vishen Share on XWhy Should You Add Meditation to Your Morning Routine?
There are plenty of reasons to sit in silence and observe your thoughts, especially at the start of your day. Here are a few of them:
- You set the tone of your day. Morning mindfulness allows you to cultivate a sense of inner calm, strengthen your mind-body connection, and reduce stress and anxiety before the stress of everyday life overwhelms you.
- You enhance your emotional well-being and resilience. You’re more likely to respond to challenging situations with greater equanimity. And as a result, you can make better decisions throughout the day and interact with other people more positively.
- Your intentions and goals are more likely to manifest. Visualizations and positive affirmations can help you align your thoughts and energies with your goals. This alignment can boost your motivation and drive, making it easier for you to achieve your goals and giving you a sense of purpose.
A few mindful minutes each morning can have a great impact on your day. And without a doubt, a morning meditation routine is a valuable habit worth adopting.
7 Benefits of Adding Meditation to Your Morning Practice
Imagine a sense of calm and focus reverberating throughout your day—heaven, isn’t it? The thing is, it’s not something that’s an elusive dream. It’s something that’s possible with meditation.
It’s simple yet transformative. And this practice has plenty of benefits that can transform your life.
1. Mood enhancement
Just 15 minutes of meditation each morning boosts positive emotions such as joy, optimism, and contentment, which allow you to take control of your day’s tone. Due to this sense of peace, relaxation, and focus, you may find it easier to feel hopeful, grateful, and energized.
By starting your day in a state of tranquility and morning mindfulness, you’ll find yourself better equipped to tackle tasks with heightened concentration and efficiency, leading to a greater sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in your daily tasks.
Those 15 minutes of morning meditation can shape your overall mood, promoting a brighter and more positive outlook on life.
2. Heightened awareness
According to Humanitas University, meditation in the morning helps you examine your thoughts, feelings, and emotions, allowing you to better understand and detach yourself from them. This practice allows you to manage negative thoughts while appreciating the positive moments in your day, giving you the clarity you need to navigate them effectively.
If you are having a negative thought, you might notice that it is just a thought. You do not have to believe it. You can simply observe it and let it go.
This can be difficult at first, but with meditation practice, it becomes easier. After all, when you are able to detach from your thoughts and emotions, you are able to experience greater peace and clarity. You are also better able to make decisions that are in your best interest.
3. Mind calming
Beginning the day with meditation brings a deep sense of calm, reduces unnecessary worry, and minimizes distractions throughout the rest of the day.
It can also help you appreciate the positive moments in your day, as shown in the aforementioned Humanitas University study. When you are mindful of the present moment, you are more likely to notice the good things that are happening around you. This can help you feel more grateful and happy.
4. Stress and anxiety reduction
When you meditate in the morning, you stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation by slowing down your heart rate and breathing patterns. This lowers cortisol levels and increases blood flow, making it easier for you to handle daily stress.
This is backed up by research, which proves that daily morning meditation indeed reduces stress and assists you in better handling everyday life difficulties. And that’s a great way to kick-start your day, isn’t it?
Learn more: Unlock Inner Bliss: 7 Powerful Meditation Techniques for Stress Relief
5. Improved productivity
With a morning meditation routine, you are able to take on tasks with enthusiasm and energy, resulting in increased productivity and satisfaction at work. A greater focus and energy enable you to tackle challenges more effectively.
Science and technology have led us into an age of incredible innovation and convenience. Unfortunately, along with this progress, we have become inundated with distractions.
In fact, research regarding a person’s ability to work consistently for eight hours has come up with a few surprises. It has been determined that you are most productive in the first three hours of your morning.
After that, most people begin to feel fatigued and lack inspiration. And expert psychologists believe the best contribution you can make to your entire day is in the morning.
A morning meditation routine, such as the 6 Phase Meditation, can help you use those three hours and more.
6. Enhanced concentration and focus
Regular meditation improves your ability to remain focused and decisive throughout the day; reduced stress and a clear mind enhance your concentration.
Consider the fact that MRI scans have shown that practicing Zen Buddhists are always meditating on some level. This means they are always attempting to understand and work with their emotions, distractions, and thoughts.
In this conscious, mindful, and relaxed state, they function with a clear mind. Meditation provides you with the tools you need (and already have) to be efficient, productive, calm, and focused.
By making meditation part of your morning ritual, you’ll be giving your day the best start it can possibly have.
7. Overall health benefits
Studies have shown that morning mindfulness can improve health and well-being overall. Further, it may assist in the reduction of headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, and insomnia, in addition to strengthening the immune system.
So, if you are looking for a way to improve your overall health and well-being, crafting a meditation practice first thing in the morning is a great place to start.
Learn more: Meditation for Sleep: A Proven Path to Restful Nights
Using Morning Meditation to Kick-Start Your Day
Science and technology have led us into an age of incredible innovation and convenience. Unfortunately, along with this progress, we have become inundated with distractions.
Emails, social media, and everything else—we all fall victim to these distractions.
In fact, research regarding a person’s ability to work consistently for eight hours has come up with a few surprises.
It has been determined that we’re most productive in the first three hours of our morning. After that, most people begin to feel fatigued and lack inspiration.
And so, morning meditation can help you use those three hours and more.
Consider the fact that MRI scans have shown that practicing Zen Buddhists are always meditating on some level. This means they are always attempting to understand and work with their emotions, distractions, and thoughts.
In this conscious, mindful, and relaxed state, they function with a totally clear mind.
And similarly, meditation provides you with the tools you need (and already have) to be efficient, productive, calm, and focused.
By making this practice part of your morning ritual, you’ll be giving your day the best start it can possibly have.
4 Free Guided Morning Meditations for Beginners
In order to help you get into the right mindset, you can learn how to meditate in the morning. This really helps if you are at the beginner level and are still practicing patience with your thoughts.
They’re also helpful for mornings when you feel it will be too difficult to get into a focused state of mind.
To help you get started, here are four short-guided meditation sessions you can use.
1. Kick-start your day with a meditation session
If you love the sound of crashing waves and ocean winds, you’ll find this session very appealing. The sounds and music immediately calm your thoughts, while a woman guides you through the whole process.
This is the type of session you want to use when you’ve got a hectic schedule ahead of you.
Experience this morning meditation:
2. Meditation for anxiety, fear, and worries
Many people wake up with worries and fear, which is more than just a small problem. It means they’re caught in a vicious cycle, and they need to get past these feelings if they’re going to achieve anything.
This is a beautiful session with guided instructions by Sonia Choquette, an intuition expert and a trainer of Mindvalley’s Sixth Sense Superpower Quest, on how to gain control of these emotions. No matter how you look at it, starting your day with fear and urgency will only have negative consequences.
Experience this morning meditation:
3. Meditation for positive thinking
Once you discover the power meditation has, you’ll also realize how important positive thinking is. During this meditation, you won’t just focus on your goals; you’ll also build positive affirmations toward them.
As with the other sessions, there’s subtle music in the background while Marie Diamond, a Feng Shui expert and Mindvalley’s Success Magic Quest trainer, guides you on this journey.
Experience this morning meditation:
4. Great Overall Guided Meditation
This signature meditation, designed by Vishen, is a Mindvalley favorite. During the 20-minute guided experience, he takes you through six different phases, each with its own great significance.
You may experience a revitalized sense of purpose and alignment in your daily life. Just like one of the Mindvalley Members, Angélica Bustos, experienced. She says, “Now my life is completely different, I love to start my mornings with this meditation because it gives me meaning and it brings me results immediately.“
Experience this morning meditation:
5 Tips for Your Morning Meditation Routine
If you were under the impression that meditating required endless hours of sitting still, think again. You can have a powerful session in 20 minutes and then go about your day.
Consider every time you meditate a dose of refreshment for your brain and a boost of energy for your body.
Morning meditation might be a personal journey, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. But here are five actionable tips to help you get started.
1. Start small and be gradual
Embracing a new habit can feel overwhelming, so take it easy and start with just a few minutes each morning. Begin by setting aside five minutes for meditation, and as you get comfortable, gradually extend the duration.
Emily Fletcher, the founder of Ziva Meditation and trainer of Mindvalley’s The M Word Quest, says, “We meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation.”
So remember, it’s better to meditate for a short time consistently than to overwhelm yourself with long sessions.
2. Create a calm space
Gelong Thubten, a well-known Buddhist monk and trainer of Mindvalley’s Becoming More Loving Quest, explains, “Meditation means choosing to be happy.”
So find a quiet corner in your home where you can meditate without distractions. It doesn’t have to be fancy; a cozy spot with a cushion or chair will do just fine.
Decorate it with a few meaningful items or soft lighting to set the mood and make it a welcoming sanctuary for your practice.
3. Mindful breathing
Focus on your breath to anchor your meditation. Pay attention to the sensation of each inhale and exhale. Whenever your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath. You don’t have to be hard on yourself when it comes to meditation.
Remember that it’s a journey, and it’s okay for thoughts to pop up. As Gelong explains, “Thoughts are not bad for meditation. Thoughts are part of the mind, like waves in the ocean. Just let them be. The ocean is bigger than its waves.”
The key here is to remain present and calm down.
4. Choose a guided meditation
If you’re new to meditation, guided morning meditation sessions for beginners can be incredibly helpful. There are plenty of apps (Mindvalley being one) that have them and that are tailored to different needs, such as relaxing, focusing, or expressing self-compassion.
The soothing voices of Vishen, Gelong, Emily, and other Mindvalley experts can help guide you through the practice.
5. Set a specific time to meditate
It’s easier to make a habit when you have a consistent time, whether it’s just after waking up, before breakfast, or just before heading to work.
Deborah King, a leading authority on energy medicine and trainer of Mindvalley’s Be A Modern Master Quest, says, “Meditation is incremental. It only works if done every day.”
And soon, it will become an expectation for your mind and body to begin your day peacefully.
Unleash Joy and Possibilities Through Daily Morning Meditation
“Rise and shine” has a new meaning with morning meditations. And as you do it on the daily, you’re nourishing your mind, body, and soul.
And here’s something great: You can find plenty of meditation resources at Mindvalley, no matter if you’re a novice or are already practicing.
When you sign up for a FREE account, there are daily meditations that you can check out for free. And if you’re a Mindvalley Member, the Mindvalley app holds a vast library of meditations you can try, even with the option of various Solfeggio frequencies.
And if you’d like some help making meditation a part of your daily routine, you can turn to the expertise of…
- Vishen in The Silva Ultramind System Quest
- Emily Fletcher in The M Word Quest
- Gelong Thubten in the Becoming More Loving Quest
- Jeffrey Allen in the Duality Quest
- And so much more.
So find that tranquil space. Take a few conscious breaths. And go on about your day.
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Images generated on Midjourney.
