Mindfulness is a word that may keep popping up in your life, but it is certainly more than a buzzword. Including mindfulness activities throughout your day is proven to increase your focus, reduce your stress, and help you to experience a more well-rounded and fulfilled life. Morning mindfulness, in particular, starts your day off right and sets the tone for what you will accomplish in your day.
It is something that I have been practicing for years and it is not a practice that I will be giving up anytime soon. It really matters to me. I truly believe in the power of positive thoughts and practicing mindfulness gets me into the positive mindset that I need.
That being said, it definitely is a practice.
Expecting perfection is unreasonable.
It is a morning practice that will deepen over time. Whatever you experience in the moment is okay. It’s a journey, not a destination. Additionally, morning mindfulness helps me to live more volitionally. I am more grounded, centered, and tapped into my spirit.
I am able to create the life that I want versus responding to life events. It helps me live from my highest place and sets the tone for what is destined for me.
When you first wake up in the morning, you may experience a flood of thoughts.
To-do lists start popping up in your head along with yesterday’s worries and tomorrow’s anxieties. We need to reflect on how we can shift our thoughts to be more positive, calm, and less chaotic. First thing’s first – DO NOT pick up your phone to begin engaging with your world. I know it’s tempting. We want to check our messages, emails, and notifications to get up to speed with the day or what may have happened overnight.
We check the news, we check our social media, and our already full minds are filled with even more information. We become easily distracted and can lose focus on what is most important.
Before I even start my morning mindfulness ritual, I remain lying in bed.
I place one hand on my heart and one on my belly and drop back into my body and get out of my mind. The goal is to quit feeding the thoughts and focus on my breath. I start my day with an empowering mantra or expression of gratitude.
Next, I do pick up my phone, but under specific conditions. If you’re like me and you use a meditation app (my current favorite is Calm) that’s on your phone, I recommend going directly to the app and placing your phone screen down to avoid distractions.
Keeping your phone on “Do not disturb” is also beneficial in eliminating distractions.
It is also important to prepare your bedroom, or alternative space, for your morning mindfulness practice. In my space, I have a small water feature with a gentle trickle. I have a Himalayan salt lamp and candle.
As I light my candle, I prepare for my morning ritual. Find what is most calming and inspiring for you and set it up in a designated area.
Next, I complete some sort of inspirational reading to set the tone.
Then, I complete a guided mediation on the Calm app. I do this for 10-12 minutes. When it ends, I take some extra time to just breathe. Right after, I record the things that I am grateful for in writing.
I write my “gratitude’s”, 3 intentions for the day, and a “turn over”.
A “turn over” is something that I am finding challenging or that I am in need of inspiration for. I send it out into the universe, and this makes me more in tune with the inspiration that I need. This helps me break through in an area that I am feeling stuck or where I need to break a negative thought pattern.
My entire morning mindfulness routine probably takes between 30-45 minutes.
You may want to start with less and slowly build up to what is manageable, but also effective for you. Rushing this practice won’t be of benefit and it is something that deserves priority in your life. You are worth it and the abundance of positive experiences that are attracted by positive thoughts will follow. I also find it helpful to keep a notepad and pen nearby so that if something keeps popping into my head, I write it down to deal with later.
Whatever I can do to reduce interruptions and ensure that my morning practice is successful, is worth doing. Find what works for you and prepare to benefit from positive thoughts by starting your day off right.
