Morning Sun

Morning Sun

Morning Meditation: A Peaceful Way to Start our Day

Morning meditation is such a key part to our day.  I want to look at it together and explore how we can make it a wonderful, transforming experience so that our day can go well each and every day.

When we first wake up in the morning, we have echoes of the previous night; echoes of our dreams that often resonate with us when we first wake up.  If you've had a restful, peaceful night of sleep because you mediated the night before, then you will probably wake up rested and peaceful.  If you went to bed stressed, worried and your dreams reflected that experience, then  you will probably wake up not very rested and beginning the day with worries and fears.

What can really be helpful is to change your morning experience into something positive, healthy and into something that can help you throughout the day.  Here are some steps that I recommend you implement every morning so that you can have a beautiful morning with a beautiful experience each and every day.  Of course you may not be able to do them right away or you may choose to make some changes and work towards having a beautiful, wonderful morning every day.  It takes time and effort to implement these changes and many of us are very, very busy.  It's up to you how you approach it, but either way you will benefit from beginning your day in a more positive way by implementing these techniques.

First let me talk about what you can do to start your day off right.  The first thing you will want to do is wake up in a gentle, calm way.  I am very anti-alarm clock.  The phrase itself portrays "stress"; alarm clock – waking you up with alarm.  Instead, I recommend you set your wake up clock to beautiful gentle music.  Have it play gentle, spa-like music.  Your MP3 player, iPod or such are great for this.

Next you will want to wake up and drink a glass of water immediately.  You've been dehydrated all night long and need to replenish your system with either cool or warm water, whichever is your preference.  Be sure to drink water and not other substances such as a morning cup of coffee or orange juice, etc. as the water is what your body truly needs.

After you've had your water I highly suggest you grab an inspirational book you can read.  Even if it's just a few sentences or paragraphs you can read to set your mind on something good, calm and peaceful.  Your thoughts and mind can now think about calming, peaceful and positive thoughts instead of the negative thoughts you may have woken up with.

Next I recommend doing a little yoga or stretching so that you can prepare your body for your meditation.  After your stretching or yoga, you can begin your morning meditation.  Find a quiet, peaceful place to meditate.  Work towards meditating about 30 minutes or more every day but you can start off with just a few minutes; perhaps five or ten minutes to begin with.  You need to sit quietly, comfortably and perhaps at first use a guided meditation.  You may also want to use a mantra or prayer word to help guide you.  As you breathe in you say "I am"; breathe out and say "peaceful".  You say this in your head each time as you breathe in and out calmly in a relaxing manner.  It really is a beautiful way to start your day on a positive note.

As you've had more experience meditating you can follow your breath.  As thoughts creep in, acknowledge them but release them and go back to concentrating your breathing again.  This is what is called "Breath Meditation" and it truly is one of the most powerful ways to start your day.  You present yourself to God and the Universe in a still, quiet, receptive mode and it is a beautiful way to start your day.

To finish off your beautiful beginning to the day I suggest you take a moment to connect yourself with the beautiful world around you.  Go to your yard or someplace outside and soak in a little bit of the nature around you.  If you live in a large, busy city you can even create something inside your own house that allows you to breathe in and soak in the beauty of nature.  A few ideas are to use something as easy as a small bubbling fountain with a plant or two, placed next to a window that allows the morning sun to come in at you as you relax.  It can be anything that allows you to connect yourself to the beauty of nature.

Then it's time to go to your breakfast table.  Take the time to sit and enjoy something "live", unprocessed.  Perhaps a piece of fruit, an apple, an orange or something healthy that will start your day off in a positive, healthy way.  Try to stay away from processed foods, instead enjoying what nature has provided us to nourish our bodies.  Infuse your body with vitamins and enzymes that are alive and nourishing.

Finally, perhaps as you sit down in your car to begin your journey into the day, take one last moment to pause and just thank the world for the beautiful day before you.  Be thankful that you can be in this beautiful world, present and participating in it peacefully throughout the day.  So as your busy day gets started, if you need to you can come back to how your day began and allow that peaceful start permeate throughout your day.  Starting with a peaceful, calm, relaxing morning will make a world of difference in how you see the rest of your day, no matter how hectic it can become.  You will always have that peaceful beginning to look back on.

 

About the Author

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net

 

What flowers will do the best in Southern California during the summer with the morning sun?

I don't want bushes or large plants as this is a very small border garden across the front of my house.Something showy but easy to care for would be great.The mornings get very hot during the summer, and the soil is sandy. I have used Miracle Gro Soil mixed with the soil and most of my plants are doing pretty good. Some of the same type seem to be dying out even though they all get the same treatment. Any ideas for color or plants would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Arctotis and gazanias would work well in your garden and they both love to flower their heads off. They also come in really bright colours and would flourish in the morning sun.

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