Day 22: Morning Meditation for a Positive Day

Welcome to Day 22 of the Mindful Mornings Challenge. Focusing on breath and body and connecting with the energy of the morning, this meditation is an invitation to reflect on the day ahead, thinking about what will make today a good day.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to day 22 of the Mindful Mornings Challenge here on Insight Timer.

My name is Kate James and it's a pleasure to be here starting the day with you.

Today I'll be sharing a little bit about my morning routine before guiding you through a morning meditation for a positive day.

Meditations have always been my most favorite time of the day.

Since having my daughters over 30 years ago,

I've made a habit of waking up before the rest of the household.

I love beginning my day when the house is still and quiet.

I wake and spend a few minutes listening to the sound of the birds and then I begin a 20 minute meditation practice.

My meditation is a blend of mindful awareness and mantra.

I start by noticing the sounds around me.

I pay attention to my breath.

I notice how my body feels today.

And then I go into a silent mantra meditation where I also allow myself to connect with the energy of the morning.

At the end of my meditation,

Part of my morning ritual is spending a few minutes focusing on the day ahead,

Thinking about what I have on for the day and reflecting on what it is that will make today a good day.

And this is what we're going to practice together this morning.

Begin by moving into a comfortable seated position now.

And gently close your eyes.

Rest your hands wherever they feel comfortable.

And bring some stillness into the body.

Align your spine so that your body feels strong and awake,

But still soft and calm.

Bring a small amount of alertness into the upper part of the body without making the body rigid in any way.

Lifting gently from the top of the head and tucking the chin in slightly.

Now take your breath deeply into your lungs and feel yourself waking up with every inhale and feeling grounded and calm with each exhale.

Breathing in the energy of this new day.

Breathing out,

Feeling grounded and at peace.

And allowing the breath to bring you into a state of calm.

Take a moment to be aware of everything you're experiencing this morning.

Become aware of the sounds around you.

Notice how your body feels today.

Notice the thoughts that come and go.

And be aware of the emotions that are present this morning.

There's no need to change anything or make it different in any way.

Just allow yourself to soften into everything that's here.

Exactly as it is.

Gently scan across your body now.

Softening the muscles in your face.

Relaxing the neck and the shoulders.

Breathing some openness into the chest area.

And a feeling of softness into the abdomen.

Relaxing your arms and your hands.

And letting go of any tightness across the hips.

And softening into the thighs and all the way down to the feet now.

Continue to breathe deeply and imagine that each breath helps you to dissolve the boundaries of your body as you allow yourself to connect with the energy of this beautiful new day.

Become fully aware of the space around you.

And imagine you are calling in the vitality and the lightness of the morning.

Now take a moment to think about the day that you have ahead.

And consider how you'd like to be on this day.

What is it that will make your day a good day?

You might like to set the intention to use your day wisely.

To be gracious and calm.

To be focused and productive.

Or compassionate and kind.

There might be specific tasks you hope to achieve today.

But it's helpful to remember that even with the best of intentions,

Sometimes our days don't go to plan.

And the best we can do is to embrace everything we encounter with grace and ease.

Consider now how you might care for your body today in a nurturing way.

And how you might interact with others with patience and understanding.

How you could embrace your tasks with wisdom and confidence.

And how you can approach every aspect of your day with mindful awareness.

Once again call in the energy of this morning,

Knowing that it will guide you as you go through your day.

Trusting that in any moment of difficulty you can find your way back to the experience of calm.

Take your attention back to your breath now.

And once again breathe deeply into the belly.

And with each in-breath notice you feel lighter,

More positive and hopeful than before.

With each out-breath you feel grounded and calm in this present moment.

Connected with the energy and the lightness of the morning.

Now as we come to the end of the meditation gently guide your awareness back into the room.

Notice the sounds that are around you.

And lift your arms over your head now,

Stretching your body to allow yourself to feel alert and awake.

Take your time opening your eyes as you finish your meditation with one last deep breath.

Congratulations for making it this far into the mindful morning challenge and for making this commitment to take care of your health and wellbeing this year.

I wish you all the best for tomorrow,

Which is day 23.

Reviews

Loved this guided meditation… it was exactly what I have been looking for. Kate’s voice and well chosen words are just what I need to hear in the morning. I’m going to check out the challenge it is part of. Thank you!

Took part just before bed, even though feeling tired I felt a new awareness of body and mind. I feel totally at peace mixed with a calmness. Thank you. 🙏

Thank you, Kate, for this wonderful way to start the day. It feels so good to come back to this meditation after almost five years with a fresh ears and a more open heart. Metta blessings to you always. 🙏💞

Very nice. Great pace. Grateful for this bringing me into another day.

Perfect! enjoyed her voice and cadence ..very lovely way to start the morning

Combination of what she says, and how she says it really reach me

One of my favourite go-to morning meditation practices. Thank you 😊 🙏🏾

Beautiful morning meditation for intention. Thank you for sharing

Wonderfully positive start to the day. Thank you for your guidance.

Wonderfully relaxing and setting the scene for calm, thank you 🙏🏼🌀

What a lovely , calming way to start the day. Thank you 🙏🏻

Kate, irs always nice to hear your voice and follow you guided meditations! Thanks for you reassuring and inspiring insights.
Donna

I’m not doing the challenge but I really enjoyed this meditation thank you

Thank you so much Kate. A wonderful morning meditation.

Your voice is very calming. I enjoyed this, thank you 🙏🏼

Thanks this helped on a rough beginning of the day.

Really nice calm meditation. Kates voice is calming in a very natural way.

This was really satisfying, grounding and awakening ☺️
Thank you 🙏

Lovely meditation to start the day and I love your soothing kiwi voice! 💖

As usual, Kate teaches us to approach each new day with wonder and awe.