Here’s a simple suggestion to start your day off right: try meditating on a positive word each day when you wake up.
I know it’s tempting to reach for your phone and check emails as soon as your alarm goes off. Or spend the morning shower thinking about work or whatever you’ve got going on that day. I find myself doing that more than I’d like.
But that also means we start the day off in a bit of a frenzy. We’re so busy thinking about what’s coming that we don’t pay attention to where we are right now. That energy tends to stick with us, and cause more stress as the day goes on.
Taking a few minutes to meditate, whether on your breath or a positive word or saying, is a great way to ground yourself in the present moment. It’s an opportunity to pause and just be where you are, and break yourself out of the cycle of planning and thinking ahead. This can be quite liberating!
I like to pick a word like gratitude, for example, and just sit with it for a little while. Think about what it means to me, ways I can express gratitude, and people I’m grateful for. I can imagine myself sending love to them too. It starts to feel really good the more I get into it.
Sometimes I mix it up and do breath meditation instead. This can be a little strange at first, because we get so used to chasing our every thought. But it’s simple: just making a practice of paying attention to my breath going in and going out, and gently returning my attention to my breath every time it wanders.
If you like to pray, I find the morning is a great time to ask for guidance for the day ahead. For people who like to read, there are also lots of books that have a spiritual or inspirational phrase or quote or prayer for each day of the year. Reading one of these each morning can also be a wonderful way to tap into some positive energy.
Whatever your preference, any sort of morning meditation practice works best if you do it consistently. If you feel yourself giving up after a few days, be patient with yourself, but keep with it. It’ll start to pay off. You might not even notice at first, but as time goes by you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Everyday life starts to feel more peaceful and gentle.