4 Reasons You Should Meditate in the Morning

Mornings are the ideal time for many people to meditate. I’ll try to convince you that this is true, but if you have a meditation practice at any other time of day that’s not the morning and it’s working for you—please disregard this entire post. I always advocate for choosing a time that works best for you and your schedule when it comes to meditation and mindfulness practices. If you’re already consistent at another time of day—you’re doing everything right, and keep doing what you’re doing.

With that said, I love meditating as soon as I wake up. If you are not yet consistent with meditation and exploring different times of day to practice, here are four reasons why mornings are ideal…

1. Mornings Offer Fewer Obstacles

Nothing can get in the way of that meditation if you refrain from checking your phone, email, or getting involved with any other activity before sitting. You can wake up a little earlier than you’re used to, take care of bathroom business, and meditate. It’s that simple. You really have the best shot at following through with your meditations if it’s before other activities begin.

2. Mornings Are Quiet

Mornings are generally quiet compared to any other time of the day—it’s the time before meetings, classes, responsibilities, and emails. It’s helpful to match the quiet mode of meditation to the time of day that has similar energy.

3. Decisions Are Hard When You First Rise

I’m really not great at making decisions as soon as I wake up (I can’t imagine anyone is), so with this routine, there’s nothing to decide.

What should I do first this morning? The answer is always: Meditate.

There’s nothing else to remember or consider. It’s before you decide what you’ll have for breakfast, what you’ll wear for the day, what tasks you’ll conquer first, and what kind of conversation or mood you’ll offer to those first people who cross your path. Typically, you finish meditation in a much clearer, alert, focused state of mind than when you started.

So when you’re done with your meditation, you’ll be ready to think about the rest of your day with that clearer mind space.

4. Meditation Sets the Stage for an Awesome Day

The first thing you do when you wake up will set the tone for your entire day. If you want to move through your day with ease, energy, awareness and confidence, start your day with activities that encourage those states of mind, like meditation.

Advice for Non-Morning People

If you’re not a morning person and want to transform into a creature of the a.m., consider this advice:

• Keep your blinds open to let the light in at sunrise. It’s harder to get up when it’s dark. This obviously doesn’t work if your goal is to get up before sunrise, in which case you can turn your light on as soon as your alarm sounds.
• Splash cold water on your face as soon as you wake if you find that refreshing and energizing.
• Splash hot water on your face when you wake if that feels good.
• Take a deep inhalation with peppermint oil under your nose to energize your senses.
• Hop in the shower first thing.
• Exercise before you do anything. Getting endorphins pumping is an effective way to charge your mind and body. Even just 20 jumping jacks or a few sun salutations will wake you up quickly.
• Don’t make giant changes overnight. It won’t work if you are someone who hates waking up before 10:00 a.m., is used to going to bed after 2:00 a.m., and you try to shift your schedule four hours earlier overnight. Move your wake-up time slowly and implement morning rituals incrementally.

If you’re convinced, start your first morning meditation tomorrow. Use those first 5, 10, or 20 minutes of your day—perhaps it’s the time you are currently hitting the snooze button—to settle your mind and be still.

If you’re really into the whole idea of starting your morning off with mindfulness, you can create an entire morning routine. Follow this guide to create and maintain a mindful morning routine that will inspire and motivate you to take your days to the next level.