Waking Up Mindfully

Each morning, we can do our best to wake up mindfully. By setting a thoughtful intention the night before to focus on mindfulness from the first minute we wake up, we'll more easily be able to direct our attention to the present moment as soon as we start to stir in the morning. As soon as we notice we’re awake, we connect to the present moment by breathing in and out deeply. We breathe for a few minutes, concentrating on the sensation of our breath, staying out of our thoughts. If our mind bounces around to our daily schedule or current events, we simply return our attention to our breath. We can organize and think about important tasks later, but if we invest a few minutes in strengthening our mindfulness at the beginning of the day, we’ll have more clarity and focus to accomplish activities later in our day.

We anchor with our breathing, then we start exploring the present moment more deeply with our senses. We mindfully observe the things around us -listening to the sounds of the morning, feeling the texture of our bedding against our skin, tuning into the weight of our body resting in bed- all while being connected to the vitalizing and rejuvenating energy of our breath. If we have any thoughts about anything other than the present moment, we gently return our awareness to our breathing. Once we’re ready to get up, we can mindfully swing our legs over the edge of the bed and focus our attention on the sensation of our feet stepping on the ground, one foot at a time. We walk slowly as we enjoy the unique sensations of each morning, careful not to get ahead of ourselves in our mind. We continue to breathe as our mindful walking takes us to our first morning activity. We can extend our focused awareness into each task we do throughout the day. Being conscious that we’re waking up, and waking up into the present moment is a wonderful way to strengthen and cultivate a sense of mindfulness that can soothe our feelings all day long.

Deepen Your Awareness: Once you're ready to get out of bed, you can extend your mindfulness by carrying this awareness forward. Try walking mindfully as you get water, use the bathroom, or do your normal morning routines. 

Mindful Walking

Morning Mindset Meditation

Our morning focus influences our entire day. What are your early-morning habits? Whether we snooze our alarm or dive into our phone straight away, we can be mindless about how valuable our first impressions of the day are. Are we greeting the day already stressed out? When we welcome the morning with gratitude, we’ll help set the tone for the rest of our day. As soon as we wake up, we can begin to breathe mindfully.

1. Bring as much oxygen as you can into your lungs in deep, full breaths, enjoying the sensation of each part your body waking up. 
2. While breathing, stretch the right side of your body, starting with your toes and working all the way up to your head and jaw area. Breathe appreciation into each part of your body and repeat for your left side. Inhale as you stretch, exhale as you release. 
3. Repeat this stretch cycle, alternating from side to side, and begin to visualize yourself handling your day with clarity, peacefulness, and confidence. Imagine what it would look and feel like to manage whatever arises with grace and ease. 
4. Continue to breathe, stretch, and visualize for as long as you like. When you’re ready, take a two more deep breaths and welcome the morning, physically and mentally ready for the day.

Mindful Morning Check-In 

We can incorporate more mindfulness into our day and inspire a deeper presence by taking a moment to practice right when we wake up. Sometimes we shuffle through our morning rituals with a detached and sleepy attitude; but when we remember to pause for a moment when we first wake up, we'll have more concentration and clarity for the rest of the day.
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Getting ready for work, school, or other daily activities can be chaotic and can certainly challenge our ability to be mindful. This is an especially great time to practice because it helps us become more skillful in offering extra effort, patience, and kindness to stressful moments. 

When we concentrate on the present moment, we'll reduce our stress and soothe busymindedness. There’s always something new to observe and plenty of inspiration for joy and appreciation in the here and now.

Easy Mindful Morning Routine:

1. Wake up.
2. Take a moment to pause. Lie still. 
3. Breathe mindfully. Inhale 1-2-3-4. Exhale 1-2-3-4-5. Breathing in, I am breathing in.  Breathing out, I am breathing out. Observe your breathing, is it relaxed and calm, or is it tense and shallow? Deepen your breathing by taking slow breaths in and extending the exhale to be longer than the inhale.
4. Bring your awareness to your body. Breathe deeply as you observe how your body feels resting and how it feels when you start to move around. 
5. Continue to breathe, offering yourself rich oxygen. Acknowledge three things you’re grateful for as you deeply inhale and exhale. Allow yourself to really feel the energy of appreciation in your heart while you think of these things. 
6. Tune into the room around you. Breathe and notice the beauty of the morning light, the stillness, and the unique details of your space.
7. Slowly get out of bed and try to keep your awareness on your body and breath. Feel your feet as they touch the floor. If you start thinking other thoughts, simply guide your attention back to your awareness of your breathing, the sensations of your body, and the present moment.
8. Do your morning tasks mindfully, and enjoy the freedom from being on autopilot. If you get distracted from being present, smile, and return your attention to consciously breathing, observing, and acting. 
9. Observe your morning routines with nonjudgmental awareness. What insights can you gain from observing yourself in this way? 

Deepen Your Understanding: After waking up mindfully, we can extend our awareness forward by choosing, preparing, and eating our breakfast in mindfulness. From the first glass of water we drink, to the beverage we choose to stimulate our system, to the nourishing food we consume to energize and nourish our body for the day, there are countless opportunities for mindfulness in the morning.

Mindfully Drinking Water

Mindfully Drinking Tea

Mindful Eating

Mindful Body Scan