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Meditation exercises for morning grouches
Meditation doesn’t take much time but can have a real impact, making us healthier, happier and calmer. Starting the day with a meditation ritual will prepare you for everyday stresses, both large and small. If you’re a beginner, try these three exercises to establish a routine.
What’s the first thing you think about when you wake up? Your busy schedule? Worries? Or do you dwell on the dreams of the night before? Meditation can help you to collect yourself and avoid stress. You will feel more awake, gain inner strength and let go of negative thoughts. And the best thing of all? It takes very little time. In fact, you’ll gain extra time by increasing your concentration and mindfulness. It doesn’t matter whether you do five, ten or twenty minutes, particularly when starting out – the main thing is that you set aside the time for a short mindfulness exercise. Americans are ahead of the curve on this one: "mindful mornings" are already a trend. A healthy morning ritual lays the foundations for a successful, energy-packed day. Scientists confirm that meditation has many positive effects. To find out more, read our article on the blog of Urbanrise.
Morning is the ideal time to meditate – preferably before breakfast, when your mind is still calm. Once you’ve eaten, your body will be busy digesting. This makes it harder to immerse yourself in the meditation.
The great thing about meditation is that you can do it anywhere and don’t need any equipment. Find a quiet corner, ideally a spot that you can use every morning. Turn off your phone so that you won’t be disturbed.
Breakfast meditation exercises
Want to get started but don’t know how? These three meditation techniques will help you to relax and be mindful – and to tackle everyday life with renewed energy.
At first, it can be quite tricky to sit quietly and focus on your breath. However, this breathing exercise can be extremely powerful, particularly in the morning.
- Sit comfortably on a cushion or on a chair with your feet on the ground.
- Make sure your spine is straight.
- Relax your shoulders and the muscles in your face.
- Close your eyes.
- Now turn your attention to your breath without changing how you breathe.
- Notice how it gently moves in and out of the nose, how your abdomen and chest expand when you breathe in and sink when you breathe out. Can you feel that the air coming into your body is slightly cooler than the air going out?
- Where can you feel your breath the most? Your nose, abdomen, ribs, sternum or back?
- Now focus on this area.
See what works best for you. Start by doing five minutes of breathing exercises, then increase this to ten minutes or however long you want. It’s totally normal for your mind to drift occasionally and for thoughts to intrude. Don’t fight this – simply let go of these thoughts and return to your breathing.
Still finding the breathing exercise a little difficult? Thoughts constantly drifting? Experiences with yoga show that repeating an internal mantra gives your mind something to do and allows it to let go of everything else. It’s also said that continually repeating mantras – aloud, quietly or silently – has the power to reprogram the subconscious.
The most famous mantra is probably “om”. In the philosophy of yoga, “om” is the primal sound of the universe and has a calming effect. Too spiritual for you? Choose your own sentences or expressions and repeat them inside your head. “Let go” can be a very effective phrase.
Interested in yoga? The blog article “Healthy morning routine with yoga” includes a video of an efficient 10-minute programme.
This technique originated in Buddhism, and is known as metta meditation (metta = friendliness and goodwill). It helps you to boost your energy in the morning through love, gratitude and forgiveness. Repeat the following sentences three times.
- In round one, address the words to yourself:
May I be happy.
May I feel safe and secure.
May I be healthy.
May I go through life with love and ease.
- In round two, address these sentences to someone very close to you.
- In round three, address them to someone with whom you have a strained relationship.
- Finally, address the words to yourself again.
Helsana Coach introduces you to the basics of meditation.
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