My 10 Best Morning Meditations To Wake Up Positive
The best morning meditations wake you up positive, energised, and ready for the day ahead.
There’s nothing quite like a positive morning meditation to start the day happy and relaxed.
Every morning when I wake I want to feel refreshed, happy, and positive about the day ahead of me. The key is to prepare your mind early on, before you actually start doing those morning chores. I like to say that the body needs breakfast, and the mind does too. The breakfast the mind needs is morning meditation.
But what type of meditation is best in the morning?
While you can practice any of the 31 meditation techniques in the morning, some are better than others, just like some kinds of yoga are better for positivity, too.
In a moment I will share with you my best morning meditations for waking up positive and happy. But first, let’s look at why it is such a smart idea to meditate in the morning.
The benefits of doing morning meditations
Science suggests that the morning is the single most important time of the day.
A study conducted by Roy Baumeister, psychology professor at Florida State University, showed that it is vital to make the most of the morning because that is when our willpower is at its strongest.
Willpower is similar to a muscle. The longer you work the less willpower you have.
Therefore, willpower is stronger in the morning, and that is when we are most able to get things done.
That is why you are best off doing morning meditations when you wake up, first thing—and you might want to do morning yoga right after.
We have to make the most of the morning because that is when we are at our most productive.
So, whatever you need to do, do it in the morning. Meditation included.
National Wellness Expert Lynn Taylor says:
“How you begin your morning often sets the tone and your attitude for the day. Your morning can derail you or direct your focus. If you remain committed to good morning work habits, you won’t fall prey to feeling unproductive and distracted at the end of the day or week.” [1]
Laura Vanderkam, author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast agrees. Her book reveals that successful people begin their day with important spiritual, intellectual, or physical pursuits. By having a fulfilling morning you will motivate yourself to work positively for the rest of the day.
So what are the best morning meditations to wake up positive?
10 Best Morning Meditations To Wake Up Positive
Try each of these morning meditation techniques and let me know how big a difference they make to your daily routine.
1: Do A Morning Meditation On Gratitude
The best way to start the day positively is to express thanks for the day itself. Do a morning meditation on gratitude.
The day is a blessing.
Prince (okay not the best spiritual guru, but bear with me)… he said, “Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful.”
What a great mantra for the morning.
My advice?
Welcome the day mindfully with a morning meditation on gratitude.
Open the curtains and mindfully observe the fresh light of day swimming upon your skin. Tell yourself that this is your day; a valuable, precious day to achieve great things.
As the Dalai Lama says:
Every day, think as you wake up, Today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.”
2: If you’re stressed, do an easy relaxation meditation when you wake up
One of the best ways to wake up positive and happy is with a relaxing meditation.
I personally do a relaxing morning meditation for half an hour a day. And I like to vary the type of meditation I do (see the link above).
When you meditate in the morning you focus your mind for the rest of the day. That perhaps is why Buddha meditated first thing every morning.
Morning meditations are akin to sharpening a blade. No knight would desire to enter a battle with blunt sword.Why start a day with a blunt mind? Meditate first thing in the morning and your mind will be in tip-top condition for the rest of the day.
3: Do some morning mindfulness by eating breakfast mindfully
Mindful eating is one of my personal favourite ways to start the day positively. And it is another great morning meditation.
Mindful eating is a process that involves nonjudgmental observation of the food we eat.
When we eat breakfast mindfully, we intentionally eat slowly, focusing the mind 100% on the sensations of the food we are eating.
We observe what the food looks like, tastes like… and we also observe any thoughts that enter our mind while we eat.
Mindful eating is extremely beneficial for both mental and physical health. As Dr Susan Albers, a New York Times bestselling author [3], says:
“Studies show that mindful eating can 1) reduce overeating and binge eating, 2) help you to lose weight, 3) help you to cope with chronic eating problems such as anorexia and bulimia, and 4) improve the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.”
But mindful eating isn’t just for people with eating disorders. Eating mindfully helps you to focus on the present moment, and also makes eating a much more pleasurable experience. It’s definitely one of the best types of morning meditations.
4: Combine your morning meditations with morning yoga
If you want to know how to wake up positive and be fit at the same time, do some gentle morning yoga.
It’s great to start the day positively with some exercise, and morning yoga is the best (in my opinion).
Research shows that the immune system is not ready to deal with intense exercise first thing in the morning [5].
But some gentle morning yoga? Now that’s perfect. And tai chi and Qigong are good too.
Take a look at the top 28 forms of yoga. And try one of the gentle forms for your morning yoga session.
5: Do a morning meditation on the sangha (your community)
If you asked the Buddha how to wake up positive, he’d say to meditate on the “sangha”.
Buddha spent every morning finding a way in which to benefit the people in his community. This helped both his community and helped Buddha himself.
Positive psychology tells us that a sense of social importance is immensely valuable to our mental wellbeing.
When we feel that we are important to the community around us we find the positivity and motivation to do work that matters.
In the morning, meditate on your community and ask how you could help out.
5b: Do one thing that actively helps your community
Having found a way in which to help your community, immediately set to it.
You don’t have to move mountains in the morning—that’s really much more of a mid-day activity—but you can make a start.
When you do something worthwhile in the morning you have already had a successful day.
6: “Metta” is a wonderfully positive morning meditation to start the day
Psychologists have proven that self compassion is the key to self esteem.
You have to love yourself.
You have to forgive yourself your wrongs.
You have to appreciate and respect your strengths.
Only then, with proper love of self, will you fulfill the many wonderful things that you are capable of.
The best way to do this is with metta (Loving Kindness Meditation). 10 minutes metta meditation in the morning will make you feel just chipper.
7: For A Happy Morning, Smile (and maybe do Smiling Buddha Meditation in the morning)
What easier way how to be happy in the morning than just to smile.
Not feeling like it? Try these 5 joy-filled ways to let yourself be happy.
Amy Cuddy proved that we can create our emotions by modelling them through our body language.
If we slouch we feel lethargic. If we stand tall we feel strong. If we smile we will feel happy.
Smiling is a free mind hack.
Try staying angry while smiling.
You can’t.
When you smile, serotonin and endorphins flow to the brain, creating happiness.
The pronoia sets in and you get off to a great start for the new day.
Smiling has been shown to reduce stress, reduce blood pressure and boost the immune system [6].
Scientists at the University of Cardiff Wales researched the effects of cosmetic botox injections on emotions [7]. Their tests showed that people who have had botox injections that prevent them from being able to frown are actually happier than the average person. Conversely, fMRI studies conducted by scientists at the Technical University of Munich in Germany showed that people whose botox injections prevent them from smiling had much lower activity in the brain circuits involved in emotional processing and responses—in the amygdala, hypothalamus and parts of the brain stem.
Why not try doing Smiling Buddha meditation in the morning?
8: Mindful breathing is one of the best morning meditations to start the day
The simplest way how to be happy in the morning is with meditative breathing.
Breath is the stem of life. As the roots of a tree must connect with fertile soil in order for that tree to grow strong, so too must the human mind connect with the root of life, the breath, in order for the mind to grow.
Don’t baseline to shallow breathing. That way leads to stress for both body and mind.
Breathe deep.
Fill your body with fresh life through your breath. And as you breathe, focus on the sensation of breathing. Connect with the breath. Mindful breathing will breed happiness deep within.
Peace activist and meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh says:
“Our breathing is the link between our body and our mind. Sometimes our mind is thinking of one thing and our body is doing another, and mind and body are not unified. By concentrating on our breathing, “In” and “Out,” we bring body and mind back together, and become whole again. Conscious breathing is an important bridge.”
For a good morning meditation, take 108 mindful breaths.
9: Do this morning meditation technique
Some meditation practitioners might advocate waking up at the crack of dawn and watching the sunrise while doing some yoga.
Good for them.
Doubtlessly there are many great health benefits of doing so. But most of us need sleep after a busy day, and need to wake up and get to work. So let’s get real, shall we?
Setting the alarm just ten minutes early seems pretty real to me. That’s ten minutes we can give ourselves to meditate without losing too much sleep.
So, waking up ten minutes early, we can now leap out of bed and immediately . . . errr. . sit on the floor for ten minutes to meditate.
But remember, meditation improves sleep. So if you meditate you will need less sleep in the first place.
1: Sit comfortably:
Find a comfortable sitting position that works for you, preferably on a good meditation chair.
It is also better to be somewhere quiet and alone where you will not be disturbed (especially is there’s someone still lying in bed snoring!)
2: Close your eyes and focus on your breath:
First thing in the morning your mind may still be full of visions from your sleep, or you may find yourself thinking of the day ahead. Either way, close your eyes and focus on your breath in order to release these waking thoughts.
3: Listen:
In order to truly wake-up and start feeling energised, listen to the sounds around you. If you are so fortunate you may live in an area near running water or with birds singing that you can listen to. If not, simply find a piece of relaxing music, put it on your iPod and listen.
4: Connect with your body:
It’s important to reconnect body and mind in the morning. The best way to do so is with a quick five minute body scan. Begin by focussing your attention on the crown of your head. Feel the sensations there. Then, gradually move down your body, scanning as you go. Notice the sensations in your neck, arms, torso, legs, right down to your feet. Not gradually return your focus back up towards your head.
5: A bright start:
To make the morning meditation more effective, you may wish to take a couple of minutes to recite a positive mantra.
You might recite a line about the day ahead (for instance, “I am feeling positive about the day ahead” – something simple like that, it’s best not to be too complex in the morning, after all—or a loving kindness mantra (for instance “I extend love and happiness to all”). It’s entirely up to you which words you choose to use as a mantra, but choose something positive about the day ahead and recite it a few times over.
And you’re done. Ten minutes of this morning meditation will start your day on a happy note.
10: Morning Mantras And Mudras
Another excellent way to meditating in the morning is with mantras and mudras.
In my experience, the best morning mudra is the Prana Mudra. When used in the morning this mudra provides energy for the day ahead.
The best morning mantra (in my opinion) is Sa Ta Na Ma, which is a Kundalini mantra. Recite this mantra each morning 108 times.
Did you know about Buddha’s morning meditation he used to start the day?
The Buddha had a daily routine that he is said to have done every day. This was when he did his morning meditations.
Buddha started the day with morning meditaiton, starting at 4am then going to noon.
The Buddha’s morning session began at 4am and ended at noon.
Buddha would begin the day by washing and would then meditate. Buddha’s morning meditation would last for one hour. Afterwards he would spend one hour looking at the world through his third eye.
This meditation period begin at 5am and ended at 6am. During this meditation, Buddha would seek those who needed help. He would immediately help anyone he could.
Your own morning routine makes or breaks your day. That’s why it’s important to start the day positively and mindfully. When you make your morning a mindful and positive experience, you create the right foundation on which to build the rest of your day.
And that is how to wake up positive and happy.
Make the most of it.
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Paul Harrison is a meditation teacher, author and journalist based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Paul has helped thousands of people to discover their true potential. Don’t miss Paul’s inspirational and enlightening book: Your Best Meditation