Morning Meditations

So I've been trying something new lately: Meditating every morning! I used to turn my phone on automatically each morning after I woke up, but for the past two weeks, I've been trying to spend five to ten minutes sitting cross-legged, breathing deeply, counting my breaths, and allowing myself to think uninhibitedly. I simply allow thoughts to come into my head, such as thoughts about what I need to do that day, and once I understand what I need to do with that, I let the thoughts go. 

Image from Aquarianbookshop.com

At first, it was hard for me to do it. I kept thinking about things I needed to do and could not focus on my breathing. I felt impatient for the five minutes to be done and I wondered how I could possibly just sit for that long. But after a few mornings, I realized what a huge impact those quiet moments at the beginning of each day made on my mental well-being. I need that time to prepare myself for the day; I need to start each morning feeling refreshed and recharged. During those five minutes, I remind myself to be happy, to take it easy on myself and to be patient with others. I feel calmer and I find that I go through my day's activities with a renewed sense of purpose and flexibility.

I found the idea here from A Cup of Jo, one of my daily reads, and I think it's brilliant. I would recommend meditation to anyone - you don't have to be stressed or overwhelmed to reap the benefits of a daily affirmation of your beliefs and moment of calm before the events and information of the day start to set in. 

Give it a try! You might find that you like it. Good luck!