Morning Meditation

Why the morning suits practice

The early morning has been a favoured time for practice in many traditions. Yoga teaching recommends the quiet period before sunrise, and monasteries of several faiths begin the day in silence. The practical reasons are simple. The house is quieter. The day has not yet filled your head with messages and tasks. And a practice done first is a practice that cannot be crowded out later. You do not need to rise before dawn to benefit. Ten minutes earlier than usual is enough.

Before you sit

• Get out of bed. Sitting up under the covers usually ends in dozing.
• Use the toilet, drink some water and splash your face.
• Leave the phone alone until you have finished. Use a separate timer if you can.
• Have your seat ready the night before: a chair or cushion, and a shawl if mornings are cold.
• Loosen up for a minute. Roll the shoulders, stretch the arms overhead and take a few fuller breaths.

A simple shape for ten minutes

Give the sitting three parts. For the first two minutes, arrive: feel your weight on the seat, hear the sounds of the morning and notice how you slept. For the next six, rest attention on the breath, keeping the spine tall and the eyes open a little if you are drowsy. For the last two, look ahead. Ask yourself what matters most today, and choose one quality you would like to bring to it, such as patience or attention. Keep it to a word or a short phrase. This is an intention, not a to-do list.

Sleepiness and other obstacles

• Still half asleep: sit near a window, straighten the back, or do the first few minutes standing.
• Planning the day: this is the main morning distraction. Note ‘planning’ and return. If something really must be remembered, write it down and carry on.
• No time: do three minutes. A short sitting kept daily is worth more than a long one that keeps being skipped.
• Children or housemates: practise in the room you wake in, before you open the door, or sit with the noise as part of the practice.
• Missed days: start again the next morning without making up the time.

Making it stick

Tie the practice to something you already do every morning. After brushing your teeth and before the kettle is a common slot. Keep the same seat and the same length for the first two weeks, then add two or three minutes if you wish. In the third and fourth weeks, carry your chosen word into the day and check in with it once, perhaps at lunch. If mornings are impossible for you because of shift work or caring duties, treat the first quiet moment after waking as your morning, whenever it comes.