The benefits of morning meditation
There are some things we all know we should be doing to feel better: drink more water, walk more, use less tequila benders. Meditation is another – research has shown that it helps with everything tension And depression Unpleasant sleep betterlower stress levels And relief from chronic pain.
But if you’re new to meditating, it can be hard to know where to start. So start small – with five minutes of breathing exercises to calm and focus the mind every morning.
Not only will it “set the tone for the day,” said Dr. Eva Tsuda, a meditation instructor at the UMass Memorial Health Center for Mindfulness, but meditating earlier can make it easier to stick to. In a recent research of the meditation app’s nearly 900,000 users, those who meditated in the morning were more likely to keep up the habit.
Here’s how to start your day – every day – with a quick and easy meditation.
Decide where and when to meditate.
Alma Ivanovic, the owner of Sun and Moon Meditation studio in Chicago, meditates every morning after waking up, sitting on the floor against her bed frame. Pinpointing a specific spot helps with consistency, she said, because “it’s like a pattern.” When you see that space, it’s like, ‘OK, that’s what we’re doing there.’”
Link the exercise to something you already do every morning, such as brushing your teeth. A small study found that people who did an in-app meditation “anchored” to a morning routine stuck to meditation longer.
Set a timer.
Even if your mornings are chaotic, research suggests that just five minutes of meditation can reduce stress and anxiety the rest of the day. Ms. Ivanovic likes to use an hourglass so she can stare at the moving sand, but a digital alarm on your phone works too, she said — “just make it something soft, like a gong or a bell.”
And don’t be afraid to go half way. “If you’re in a very anxious state or feeling pain, even five minutes can feel like too long,” she said. “Set your timer for two and a half minutes, see how you feel, then hit repeat.”
Concentrate on your senses.
Then bring your attention to your body. “What are the physical sensations you feel? Maybe it’s your feet touching the ground or pain in your back,’ Dr. Tsuda said. Notice any morning sounds or smells, the quality of the light, even a lingering taste in your mouth.
After about a minute of this, “my favorite exercise that feels helpful is just watching your breath,” says Aditi Shah, a meditation instructor for the fitness company Peloton. “Pay attention to every inhale and exhale.”
Add a mantra.
Research has shown that mantra-based meditation can and does have a positive effect on mental health reduce hypertension.
To help you focus on your breathing, Ms. Ivanovic said, repeat “in” as you inhale and “out” as you exhale — either silently or out loud.
You can tailor your mantra to “any quality you want to add to your day,” she said. Experiment with “I am” on the inhale and “thankful,” “present,” “at ease,” or whatever word feels appropriate on the exhale.
Correct yourself with compassion.
Meditation can feel intimidating because “we don’t have a clear picture of what success looks like,” said Ms. Shah. When she first started meditating, she often felt like “a bad meditator” when distracted.
Despite your best efforts, stray thoughts will often creep in. The key is not to see this as a failure.
“No matter how experienced you are, your mind will wander,” Ms. Ivanovic said. When this is the case, gently direct yourself back to your breath. Use the patient, forgiving tone you would strike with a child or pet, she added. “Like, ‘oops, no, not over there, come back here.'”
You may find that listening to a guided meditation helps you stay more focused and gives you the building blocks to meditate on your own.
“The whole purpose of meditation,” said Dr. Tsuda, is “to train ourselves to be present with our experience without criticizing or judging ourselves.”
Add some movement.
Not everyone will be comfortable with sitting meditation, even a five-minute meditation, especially those who are easily distracted. Also, “when you’re very anxious, it’s almost impossible to sit still with your thoughts,” said Dr. Tsuda.
Combining mindfulness with exercise can multiply the benefits of both. After you wake up, while the day is still cool, consider a quick walking meditation research has shown that it can reduce (and possibly alleviate) psychological distress depression And improve balance in older people).
As you walk, look for something around you in all the colors of the rainbow: a red flower, an orange sign, a yellow shirt, and so on.
And if other thoughts creep in, Dr. Tsuda said, “bring yourself back and notice how your body feels when you walk. Hear the birds chirping. Be fully present.”
Holly Burns is a regular contributor to The New York Times.