Relaxation Moments

Relaxation, Peace and Serenity for the Mind and Body

5 Actions That Feed Your Soul

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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the soul is defined as “The immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life.” This is a commonly held understanding for the term although many interpret it in their own ways. Essentially though, the soul is body and mind combined to make up who we are and how we act. (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soul).

We need to maintain our soul just as we maintain our bodies and we do this by feeding it with positivity. If we wish to have a happy and prosperous soul, we need to find ways to enrich our lives making us more compassionate and caring people. 

1. Meditation

According to Holistic Occupational Therapy.org meditation has the ability to improve our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Regular efficient meditation can help promote positive mental states easing symptoms of conditions such as depression and anxiety. Focusing on positive energies and repeating inspiring phrases during meditation can feed the soul. (https://holisticot.org/the-power-of-meditation/#:~:text=%20The%20Power%20of%20Meditation%20%201%20Sit,caught%20up%20in%20thoughts%20or%20feelings,…%20More).

Practitioners of meditation have found the practice helps to decrease feelings of grief and sadness. At the same time, it can promote self love and acceptance. This practice strengthens us against the hardships in life and helps us become happier, more inspired souls. We strengthen our souls with the focus meditation brings as well as the feelings of calm and serenity. 

2. Be a Generous Person

The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research suggests that studies have shown a correlation between charitable activity and general life satisfaction. Essentially when people make donations, they feel happier and more content knowing they have helped someone else.

Generosity is a boost to our souls especially when we understand the need of the person we are helping. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evidence-based-living/201711/giving-is-good-you).

When we find a cause that means a great deal to us, perhaps something we have struggled with ourselves, we can enrich our souls. There is no greater feeling than providing help to someone who needs it. The support may be financial or it could be a donation of your time but whatever way you can help will strengthen your soul. 

3. Forgive Someone

The Harvard Medical School believes that there is power in forgiveness and this is certainly true when it comes to maintaining our souls. When we hold on to anger against other people for the things, they have done to us we do damage to our own emotions. As anger festers and builds up in us, we can become resentful  of others and obsessed by the wrongs done to us. (https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-power-of-forgiveness).

The greatest release of these negative feelings of anger and resentment is to find our way to forgiveness. We must learn the importance of releasing negativity so we may enrich our souls with only the positive. When we can forgive, we can leave those hurts behind us and embrace love and happiness. 

4. Get Some Natural Beauty

There is nothing so inspiring as the calm and serenity we can find by walking in a place of natural beauty. It is important we find time to locate places where we feel inspired by the natural world. We can breathe in the fresh air and walk around and get exercise. All of this can help soothe our souls and allow us to clear our heads and find peace. 

5. Embrace Your Creativity

Deep inside us all there is some level of creativity just waiting to get out. Art experts often speak of the emotion they perceive in an artist’s work and that is because they pour their souls into their work. Make an effort to find some type of creative pursuit that brings you pleasure and happiness to pursue. You don’t even have to be very good at the thing you choose, you merely need to enjoy it.

5 Reasons To Work Out Every Morning

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morning rituals

According to the Mayo Clinic regular exercise has a number of very important positive effects in our lives. If we can start our day off with a workout, we can help maintain a healthy weight, improve our mood, manage medical conditions, and actually boost our energy levels. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389).

Exercise should be spaced out throughout the week to ensure the best results as this maintains the benefits better. One or two days a week in terms of working out can quickly lose its effectiveness if you are sedentary the other 5. So, make this a daily practice and remember the morning may be the best time to get in your exercise. 

1. Work out When You Have the most Energy

Many people plan to go and work out after they have finished their day at work but this is a surefire way for plans to fail. When we have worked all day, we often do not have the energy and motivation to exercise so it may get skipped. In the morning, however, as long as we carve out time before our day starts is perfect for a workout.

After we wake up, we are rested and have the most energy we are likely to have for the day. Working out in the morning gets it out of the way with the minimum of resistance. There are no excuses of I’ve had a long day” or “I’m tired.” Once the workout is complete you may be surprised how great the rest of your day may progress. 

2. Inspiration to Have a Healthier Day

When we work out in the morning, we make ourselves feel physically healthier and more energized for the day ahead. This feeling of health is infectious and can lead us to make better food choices throughout the day to try and keep that good feeling. Having gotten exercise in the morning we may find we have energy to walk around more perhaps while we eat lunch or just a short stroll while on break. 

3. Improved Sleep

The Mayo Clinic suggests that regular exercise is very beneficial in terms of helping us set a solid sleep schedule. When we work out and burn calories our bodies become tired making it much easier for us to fall asleep at night.

The clinic does suggest that you do not work out close to bedtime as this can actually cause you to find it hard to get to sleep. This is why the morning is the best time for a workout as it helps to combine with your full day in making you tired and ready to sleep at night. 

4. Exercise Sharpens Your Mind

Psychologist Mylea Charvat, Ph.D. believes that regular exercise can have not only an effect on your body but also your mind. Regular aerobic exercise which gets your heart rate up increases blood flow around the body. This helps transport oxygen to the brain more efficiently which helps in a process known as neurogenesis. It is essentially the production of new neurons in the brain which aid memory function. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-fifth-vital-sign/201901/why-exercise-is-good-your-brain).

5. Improves Motivation

It takes will power to get up each day and exercise, it’s an achievement which should inspire you moving forward. The feeling of getting up, working out, showering, and eating breakfast before we even go to work should be great.

Having already achieved so much before your day really begins should be used as a motivation to try and do more things. A morning workout can inspire you to work harder during your day hopefully impressing your bosses with your motivation levels. Start the day with a workout and you may just find your career starts to bloom as well.

Morning Yoga Can Improve Your Day

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Yoga In The Morning

The National Institutes of Health say that yoga is an ancient practice which originated in India. Initially used as a spiritual practice, it has since become a popular regular workout. Traditional yoga focuses greatly on spiritual enlightenment and often features chanting as well as physical elements. The more modern equivalent focuses more on the physical aspects of the practice. (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-what-you-need-to-know).

This is often a light impact way to get exercise making it a perfect early morning practice. Without expending too much energy 30-60 minutes of yoga each morning can have a number of benefits which can improve your day as a whole. 

Improves Strength And Flexibility

According to WebMD light daily yoga can greatly improve your flexibility. This is because the poses and stretches work the muscles improving their elasticity. With more relaxed muscles this also helps to minimize stiffness and tiredness within the muscles as well. (https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/the-health-benefits-of-yoga#:~:text=The%20Health%20Benefits%20of%20Yoga%201%20Yoga%20for,blood%20pressure%20and%20slow%20the%20heart%20rate.).

More intense so-called power yoga, such as Ashtanga, can help to improve muscle tone and strength. There are a wide variety of poses meaning that potentially all of your muscle groups can be worked. If performed properly most of these poses will work your core muscles along with the other targeted areas. 

Helps Your Posture

The way a person holds themself can often have an effect on how people perceive them. Poor posture on a subconscious level can cause people to judge you as lazy or unmotivated. Daily morning yoga sessions can help you develop a more proud, confident posture.

As core strength improves our ability to stand tall without excess effort grows. Additionally, as we get to know our bodies through yoga we can better realize when our posture is poor and we can consciously adjust. 

Heart Health Benefits

Yoga by nature is not an aerobic exercise so you might imagine it does little for your cardiovascular system. However, there are elements of yoga that can help improve your heart health over time which is obviously beneficial.

Daily morning yoga helps us learn breathing techniques that relax the body which in turn help us to lower our heart rate and blood pressure. When we improve our circulatory health, this can gradually assist in fighting heart disease.

The low impact nature of most types of yoga means that they can be done easily while still receiving beneficial health boosts. People coming back from a heart attack or stroke who may not be able to work out vigorously can find yoga a gentle way to get in shape.

Stress Management

Those people who have a stressful job to face daily may find that yoga each morning could really help them cope with their day ahead. According to WebMD the benefits of yoga include not only strength, balance and flexibility but also stress relief.

It is believed that the practice’s emphasis on the connection between mind, body and spirit can have powerful emotional benefits. (https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/yoga-for-stress-management#1).

Practitioners of yoga often claim to get better sleep at night and to feel less stressed in general. When we are well rested, we have more energy and feel more capable of facing the day ahead. This combined with the release of feel good hormones in the brain post workout, make people happier and more relaxed to face the day ahead. 

Final Thoughts

When you factor in the cumulative effects of daily morning yoga with the positive feelings of working out each morning there are a great many benefits to your day. Not only does yoga help you be more emotionally ready to face the day but it also makes you feel stronger and more energized as well.

Morning Meditation Can Improve Your Day

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Morning Meditation

The National Institutes of Health say that meditation is an historic mind and body practice that offers a wide variety of benefits to its practitioners. This often-solitary mental exercise has been around for centuries originating in Asia and has stood the test of time with its effectiveness. ( https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth).

There is not much required to attempt meditation merely a quiet space, a comfortable resting position, a point of focus and some well chosen Mantras (Positive phrases). As a morning practice daily meditation has the power to improve your day in so many ways. It does not take a lot of time out of your day and does not require a huge amount of effort either. 

Relaxation Response

According to Holistic Occupational Therapy.org, one of the first and most common benefits you notice with meditation is a sense of relaxation. This makes sense because you have found a quiet place and you are actively sitting or laying calmly.

As part of the practice, you are breathing slowly and evenly and focusing on just one thing. This allows you to clear your mind of other distractions which may include things that are causing you stress. (https://holisticot.org/the-power-of-meditation/#:~:text=Meditation%20is%20the%20practice%20of%20focused%20attention%20that,quality%20of%20life,%20and%20has%20many%20health%20benefits.).

With a clear mind and a calm, even breathing technique mastered, meditation helps you relax and in doing so opens you up to positive things. With even young children these days reporting feelings of being stressed out a short time each day in which you can find relaxation is beneficial. 

Meditation for Inspiration

The Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute suggests that with complete silence during meditation the mind can drift and become unfocused. This is why many people use mantra chanting as part of the process so they can focus on something positive while they clear their minds of other distractions.

One of the other benefits of using mantras in meditation is a boost in positive thinking. This can lead to inspiration. (https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/how-mantras-enhance-meditation).

When our attitude is made more positive, we often feel more confident and if we use mantras that inspire us to do something great, we have a better chance of success. If, for example, we chant a willingness to improve our health it can help us to find the willpower to act.

Also, if we use a mantra to inspire us to professional success, we give ourselves the focus and confidence to seek that success. Essentially what you put out into our minds while meditating can inspire us to action. 

The Pain Killer Effect

According to the National Institutes for Health there is some evidence that regular meditation practitioners have some control over their pain responses. In a 2016 study by the NIH the results indicated that mindfulness meditation helped control pain in the body without the need of the body’s natural opioids. (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth).

A second study of those suffering back pain showed that those taught to use mindful meditation managed their pain better than those taught cognitive-behavioral therapy. Those who meditated found they were able regain more mobility in their backs than those using traditional methods. This means that daily morning meditation can potentially stave off the general aches and pains of the day. 

Changes To The Brain

The NIH suggests that studies exist showing a potentially greater ability to process information by regular meditation practitioners. In comparing brain scans of adults who meditate regularly and those who do not the meditators exhibited more folds in the outer layer of the brain. This indicates that they may have a great ability to process information.

With regular morning meditation you may be building up your brain strength, improving concentration and your ability to learn.

5 Positive Ways To Start Your Day

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morning rituals

When we wake up in the morning what happens in those first few hours can have a big effect on how the rest of the day will go. A bad morning full of stress and problems can have a knock-on effect in terms of your mood and potentially the smooth flow of the day’s plans. When things go wrong, they can cause delays in your day meaning you have a feeling of constantly having to catch up.

We need to take control of our mornings to allow us to develop a positive outlook and be better prepared for the challenges of the day. There are many things we can do to start our day off in a more positive manner helping us have a better day in general. 

1. Wake Up Early

Does this morning routine sound familiar – wake up, shower, eat breakfast, leave for work? If your day starts out like this with no time between these activities you are not starting your day right. A very simple way to create a more positive foundation for your day is to get up earlier, plan to give yourself 1-2 hours of time to spare in your morning routine.

When we allow ourselves more time in the morning we avoid being rushed and stressed from the very start of the day. Getting up a little earlier gives us a chance to deal with problems that may arise such as a car breakdown, problems with the kids or any other emergency that may pop up. 

2. Morning Meditation

The Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute (EOC) suggests that meditation, which includes the recitation of positive mantras, can help your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Carve out some time each morning for some quiet meditation. Establish some positive mantras that will help you focus on having a positive day. (https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/mantra-meditation).

Some morning meditation will help you find calm and prepare yourself mentally for the challenges of the day. If you can begin a day with positivity you will find it easier to face challenges as the day progresses and you may find with positivity you can have greater success. 

3. Eat a Good Breakfast

According to WebMD it is very important to eat a healthy breakfast daily. This is because it helps prepare our bodies for the day ahead, helping us perform better and generally feel better.

After having fasted for so many hours our body is starved of fuel by the morning so one of our first missions is to eat. With the extra time we have given ourselves by waking early we can take our time and choose a healthy way to start the day. (https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/many-benefits-breakfast#1).

It is important to opt for a healthy breakfast because we want to have the best nutrition and fuel to get us through the day.

·        Whole grains from cereal or bread

·        Low-fat dairy for protein

·        Fresh Fruits

·        Nuts or legumes for protein 

4. Read Something Inspiring

Use some of your time in the morning to read something inspirational. It may just be positive inspiring quotes or it could be from a book by someone you respect. If you are trying to get ahead in your profession read something pertinent to your career advancement. 

5. Plan to Do Something Positive

Give yourself a goal for the day, something positive that you feel will make an impact. This may be performing above expectations at work or trying to help a friend. Just choose something that you feel can be achieved. If it can make someone else’s day better as well as giving you a feeling of positivity then it is all the better.

Morning Rituals: Setting the Stage for a Serene Day

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Rituals can change the way we view the day and can improve our well-being and quality of life. Having a set routine helps us develop good habits and reach our goals and aspirations, while rituals improve our mood and shape our beliefs. They allow us to keep ourselves accountable and stay motivated on the days we do not want to get out of bed.

Morning rituals are the best way to set our days up for success and stay in control of the day, regardless of outside factors. The way that you wake up each morning will dramatically increase your quality of life and balance your stress levels, allowing you to feel calm and at peace throughout the rest of the day.

What is a Morning Ritual?

Both routines and rituals are crucial to a positive state of mind and maintaining mental stability. However, it is important to know that they are not the same thing but that they complement one another. A morning ritual takes on a task that may be part of one’s routine and puts meaning and intention behind it.

Rituals are habits that an individual develops to nurture and build a strong mindset. They allow us to appreciate the benefits that our routines provide to us for our daily lives and provide value beyond completing a task.

Rituals are self-empowering and allow us to change our perspective on reality. They allow us to reinforce habits with reasoning behind them that can be very effective on improving our mental health and emotions.

Examples of Morning Rituals

Gratitude

Gratitude reinforces happiness and can set the tone for a positive outlook on the day. It allows you to appreciate the little moments that occur throughout the day and finding ways to be grateful for whatever the day presents.

One way to practice gratitude is through journaling. By making a list each morning of the things you are most grateful for, you will train your mind to look for moments of appreciation throughout the rest of the day. Starting your day off with a grateful mind is the best way to stay positive and full of joy each and every day.

Goals and Aspirations

Writing down your goals and how you will achieve them is the best way to stay motivated and keep yourself accountable. It is easy to say a goal out loud but writing it down and staying attuned to it each morning will make you more likely to achieve it and stick to it.

Along with your gratitude journal, writing down the ways you will try to achieve your goals and make progress each morning will get you closer and closer to your goals. Goals that you think about each and every morning will keep you dedicated and committed no matter what obstacles arise.

Meditation

Meditation is a great practice to keep your mind healthy and productive throughout the day. By clearing your mind for a short period of time each morning, you will notice the positive impacts that meditating has on many different components of your life.

Research has shown that meditation has direct links with happiness, reduced anxiety and depression, balanced emotions, and alertness. When you acknowledge and sit with your emotions, you will notice that they no longer follow you throughout the day and prevent you from completing your daily tasks.

Meditation has tons of benefits that will improve your perspective on reality and your calmness throughout the day. Meditating will also help you realize gratitude and focus on your aspirations while staying as productive and dedicated as possible.

How to Nurture Your Mind and Body Every Morning

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Morning Routines

 

It’s easy to put your self-care last on the list of things you do. Then you reach the end of the day and you don’t have enough energy to do anything else. So, you skip your kickboxing class or fall asleep before you can finish your facial.

But when you start your day with self-care, you put yourself at the top of the list. You’ll feel better physically and mentally. You’ll have more energy. You’ll find it easier to focus and enjoy your day even more. Here are some simple ways you can nurture yourself each morning:

Hydrate

Start your day with a glass of water. It boosts your metabolism and flushes toxins that have built up over night out of your body. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try adding lemon or cucumber slices into your glass. The taste will be refreshing and wake up your taste buds.

Exercise

You don’t have to jog twenty miles before breakfast to get the benefits of exercise. Even low key workouts like yoga or stretching can energize you for the day. If you’re not used to exercising in the morning, try it for just ten minutes each day. As you adjust to your new exercise routine, you’ll be able to exercise for longer periods of time.

Eat

Like exercise, breakfast boosts your metabolism. This means your body burns the calories you eat more effectively. It also gives you energy to face the rest of the day. Keep in mind breakfast can be as simple as jam on two mini bagels or banana bread with cream cheese.

Cuddle

Cuddle with a partner, with your kids, or even with your pets. This will give you a boost of endorphins which are the feel-good chemicals your brain produces when you’re happy. If you can’t cuddle, reach out. Connect with a loved one or friend. Send a text message, call, or Skype.

Inhale

Certain smells can energize you for the day ahead. Try using a diffuser designed for essential oils. Some good morning choices are lemon and orange since their citrus smell will wake up your mind and body. You can also try peppermint or spearmint, both of which improve concentration and focus.

Reward

Plan to reward yourself at the end of your day. This reward might be something simple like watching an episode of your favorite TV show on Netflix or saving a special dessert for later. When you know you have a treat waiting for you, the anticipation builds boosting your happiness level all day.

Be patient. At first, taking time for yourself every morning may feel weird or uncomfortable. That’s because you’re not use to self-care. But the more you care for yourself, the more you’ll grow to enjoy mornings.

 

Morning Routines to Center You

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Morning Routines to Center

Imagine this: you’ve been given one cup of water. Throughout the day, you’ll meet other people who are thirsty. They’re going to ask to drink from your water. Most of these people will be loved ones, like your friend who needs you to listen as she talks about her difficult day or your child who needs help with homework.

Without morning self-care, you start the day with a cup that’s only half full of water. Now, you have to carefully ration your time and attention so there will be enough for your loved ones and for you. This can make you feel grumpy and cause you to resent your friends and family.

But what if you started the day differently? If you used your mornings to fill your own cup, then you’d be able to share your water freely with others. This is why morning self-care is so powerful.

Start with Silence

When you wake up and immediately reach for a screen, you start your day with noise. This can distract you and make it difficult for you to mediate. You might try meditating afterwards but your focus would be on the headlines you just read or the Twitter debate you’ve responded to.

Instead of noise, try to begin your day with silence. Don’t pressure yourself to do anything or review your to-do list. Let yourself relax and focus on being present in this moment. Dial into your five senses and listen to what your body is telling you.

Capture Your Reflections

When you’ve quieted your mind, you’ll notice that some thoughts naturally bubble to the surface. It might be that you’re thinking of a fight you had with a loved one or the funny conversation you had with your kid after school yesterday. Whatever you’re thinking, capture it in a special reflections journal.

There’s no right or wrong way to express your thoughts. You can draw, journal, or color those thoughts. Give yourself space to explore how you feel without judgement or fear. You are safe to voice your inner emotions.

Read Something Motivational

Once you’ve expressed your inner emotions, reach for something motivational to read. Try to read a physical book, not a digital one. Reading on a device will tempt you to stop and check your email or send text messages.

If you don’t have any motivational books, you can start with one like Miracle Mornings by Hal Elrod and Robert Kiyosaki or The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. But don’t think you have to read a certain type of book or that you must read something you find dull. Any book that inspires or motivates you is a good choice.

Your morning routines should center you and bring you comfort. If you try a self-care routine and it doesn’t feel right for you, then let go of it and try something different. The important thing is that you discover what morning activities fill your cup and you focus on doing those. This will allow you to be the best version of yourself and give you extra water for friends and family.

 

Eliminating Morning Stress

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Eliminating Morning StressEveryone experiences a stressful morning occasionally. It might be that your alarm clock didn’t ring or your car wouldn’t start. Maybe you forgot the report you needed at the house or you left your grocery list on the kitchen counter.

If your mornings always feel stressful, then it’s a sign something needs to change. The good news is most morning stress can be eliminated by creating new habits. It can take a while for a habit to become routine but once it does, your morning will be so much smoother. Here’s how you can reclaim your mornings:

Prepare the night before.

A lot of morning stress can be eliminated by preparing for the morning in advance. Choose your clothes the night before so you already know what you’re going to wear. Pack your lunch and leave it in the fridge so you only have to grab it as you head out.

Skip the news.

Thanks to smartphones and tablets, you can now check the news without ever having to leave the comfort of your bed. But reading or viewing the latest new stories can cause you to experience anxiety and discouragement. Instead of looking forward to a new day, you feel overwhelmed and fearful.

This doesn’t mean you have to avoid the news all day. Staying connected to what’s happening around you is important. But pick and choose what types of news you really need to hear first thing in the morning. For example, you could look over the entertainment news or sport scores but choose to skip the main headlines until later.

Play positive tunes.

Create a morning playlist of music that makes you feel encouraged and play it as you’re starting your day. This will help you wake up and make it easier for you to focus on the positive. Music can also boost your productivity and creativity.

Don’t check your email or social media.

Most people experience their highest energy levels after waking up. Yet the first thing you may be tempted to do is check your email and social media networks. The problem with this is your inbox and networks are often filled with “urgent” messages. These urgent messages quickly crowd out the important tasks you need to get done today. The next thing you know it’s noon and all you’ve accomplished is answering your email and checking social media.

To prevent this, don’t check your email or social networks until later. After an hour or two of working, take a break to check your messages. Since you’ve already tackled the important tasks today, you can devote as much energy as needed to the urgent tasks you ignored earlier.

Morning stress can be a sign that it’s time to step back and evaluate your routines. Look at what’s causing you the most stress and seek simple solutions to fix them. By doing this, you can change your mornings from stressful to delightful!

 

 

 

Why You Should Make Meditation Part of Your Morning Routine

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morning routine

A morning routine consists of activities to help focus your intent for the day ahead. It can be comprised of things that make sense for you, and everyone’s morning routine will be different. However, one thing you should definitely think about including is meditation. The benefits of implementing an everyday habit when you first wake up are quite vast, and meditating during that time can totally boost those advantages. Let’s take a closer look at this concept to help you understand why you should make meditation part of your morning routine.

About Morning Routines

A morning routine is a habit of setting aside a regular amount of time each day for some sort of purposeful intention. It sets the tone for the rest of your day, and it can be comprised of various activities. The amount of time you spend on your morning routine is up to you. However, an hour is a significant amount that doesn’t seem to give people too much trouble to attain. You can fit a great deal of purposeful meditation and spiritual growth work into that time. Beyond meditation, you may want to consider adding some of these activities to your morning ritual:

• A glass of water with lemon for hydration and energy
• Stretching or short exercise routine to warm your body up
• Reading to open your mind and motivate you
• Journaling to flesh out the ideas from what you’ve read or to reflect on issues of interest
• Daily planning to get set for your day and to limit any surprises
• Goal setting to place focus on your intentions for the day ahead and to provide you a map

These are just some examples. Your morning routine should be meaningful and useful to you. Feel free to get creative with it. You’ll probably need to experiment a bit to figure out the best combination. But don’t worry; it will come with time.

Why Morning Meditation?

Meditation is an excellent form of self-care. You’re purposefully setting aside time to focus your thoughts and to spend a quiet moment to work toward achieving your highest self. Meditating helps you to create the calm and quiet mindset you need to start the day off right. It also helps you to develop the focus that can be carried onward as you encounter various problems or issues, making problem solving much easier. In fact, your overall state of mind will be enhanced through meditation. You’ll feel you’re more motivated to accomplish your goals, you have more persistence to push through obstacles and you’re more patience when encountering minor difficulties. All of these are good things.

How to Make It a Habit

Creating a morning routine of meditation and mindfulness might take some work. Like most new activities, it will take practice to become a habit. However, there are some things you can do to help make this a habit that sticks. One way to do this is to know your why. Write down the reasons why you’d like to make this routine a daily habit. Stick the list somewhere visible as a reminder and to motivate you. You may also want to recruit a buddy to share the experience with you. Having an accountability partner is useful because you’ll have a support system and someone to whom you must answer if you find yourself slacking. Your morning routine buddy can be a spouse or roommate within your home or a friend who doesn’t live with you. Just be sure to check in with that person at least every few days and as needed for encouragement. Don’t give up. Try to at least commit to your morning routine for a month. As you may know, repetition is the key to forming lasting habits.

Meditation is a crucial part of a strong morning routine. Hopefully, you now get a better picture of how the two go hand in hand, along with the powerful benefits they can offer. Give it a try for a month and see just how your life transforms.