Morning Meditation and Yoga Practices for a Calm Start

October 19, 2023

If you had to pick one single thing to give you a better start to the day, what would it be? Perhaps you’re wishing for a long lie-in. We can understand that, but we’d like to suggest that there is something else that would be even more beneficial, like morning meditation.

Morning meditation and a yoga practice focused on giving you energy and clearing your mind may be just what you need. Granted, rather than having a lie-in, you may need to get up a little earlier, but we promise it’s worth it. Here’s how to make space for a calmer start to the day.

What Are the Benefits of Morning Meditation in Yoga Practice?

Practicing meditation and yoga is beneficial at any time of the day, including reducing stress, helping you focus, and giving you a chance to step back from the frenzy of daily life. But given a choice of time of day to meditate, mornings have a few advantages over other times. 

To begin with, mornings are generally considered to be the most auspicious time for any spiritual practices. Traditionally, practitioners would meditate at sunrise or just before. This hour is also known as the time of Brahma Muhurta. Meditating in the morning can increase your focus and help you be more productive during the day. 

Morning meditation also allows you to remove negative thought patterns from your mind and lower your anxiety levels before tackling other tasks. It simply builds a stronger foundation for a better day. Incorporating morning meditation and yoga into your routine also means you no longer need to think about how you want to start your day. This makes it less likely to back out. 

Are 5 Minutes of Meditation Per Day Enough? 

As simple as this sounds, any meditation is better than skipping your practice. 

Ideally, you start with ten to 15 minutes and build up to 20 minutes of meditation every day. However, if that seems like too much to commit to without meditation experience, try a shorter amount of time. As with your yoga practice, it’s more important to be consistent and practice regularly than to practice perfectly. 

If five minutes is all the time you can spare, then meditate for five minutes. The benefits will soon accumulate. 

Can You Meditate to Beat Anxiety?

Anxiety is a complex mental health condition, and many of those suffering from anxiety attacks or episodes of heightened anxiety are best advised by a mental health professional. Having said that, both yoga and meditation can help practitioners deal with their anxiety and control their emotions. We will be taking a closer look at the connection between yoga and mental health in our next blog. 

Meditation has been practiced for centuries, with stories about its benefits being passed through generations of practitioners. More recently, scientific evidence has started to back up the anecdotal evidence. Regular meditation has been shown to help manage anxiety. Especially if you practice in the morning, meditation can help you establish a sense of calm that lasts all day. 

How does meditation do that? Meditation encourages your mind to come back to the present moment – rather than worry about past or future events. By bringing your mind back to the here and now, you can often manage your response to potential stressors and sources of anxiety. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Morning Meditation

Establishing a meditation practice can seem daunting at the beginning. Follow these steps to get started and ensure you stick to your routine. 

1. Establish a space to meditate. Clear out a small corner of your home that you dedicate to meditation. Remove any clutter and make sure you have something comfortable to sit on.
2. Decide how long you want to meditate and commit to that duration. If you do this on the previous evening, there is less chance that you will back out of your commitment. 
3. Before sitting down to meditate, perform a few gentle, stretching yoga poses or a series of sun salutations to remove stiffness from your body.
4. Sit down, and close or soften your eyes. Take slow, deep breaths and try to focus only on your breath, allowing other thoughts to pass. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath. 
5. Set a timer or choose a guided meditation to help you with your practice, especially in the beginning. 
6. Once you finish your meditation, sit with your breath for a few minutes before starting your busy day. 

Uptown Yoga Flow and Meditation Classes

Still feeling a bit daunted by the idea of starting a meditation practice? Our team at Uptown Yoga has a solution for you. Join one of our Flow + Meditation classes to help you get started. Contact us and don’t hesitate to talk to our team of instructors about how to establish an at-home practice. 

You may find that it’s both easier and more powerful than you think to sit quietly for a period. Stay with the practice for a few weeks, and you’ll see how your focus and concentration shift. Meditating is a powerful start to the day!