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I used to for a long time, and have a big history with meditation—having started when I was 17 until recently. I discovered it was not doing what I wanted it to do for me, at which point I spoke to a Zen priest who was my kind of mentor for these things (I’ve had the good fortune to have a few of these over the years). He told me it was okay for me not to do it, which made me feel like it was okay to stop. I haven’t meditated since.
Not really. I try to think about my day and how I’m feeling while I drink my first coffee and look out the window. And I definitely use any walking time to meditate on problems or opportunities. I call it “little ‘m’ meditation” because I don’t follow a particular process or method.
Sort of. As I drink my matcha tea, I do a gratitude ritual.
I look at all the hanging plants around me, the wooden beams, the textured white walls of the cottage, and I feel thankful. I list all the things I am grateful for under my breath or write them down. This boosts my energy and helps me handle tricky things during the day. I take bits and pieces from the twenty-eight-day gratitude challenge taken from the book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne.
After tea, if I have time, I meditate.
I stay on the floor and play some mantras on Spotify with my headphones on. I softly chant for fifteen minutes or so. I like chants such as “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” or “Om Mani Pedme Hum.” I find chanting very soothing. Some days I even find it healing, like it is nourishing old emotional wounds.
I downloaded the Headspace app about 18 months ago now, and I have stuck with it almost every day since. I love it. They have lots of packs covering a range of topics; they also have a one-off meditation every day, and lovely little animations. It is really informative.
I started meditating on an informal basis when I was about 16. I had occasional training, but for the most part I had a very random practice. Now, 30 years later, I am truly recognising the importance and usefulness of daily meditation. It is transformative. I call it beditation, as I find the best place for me to keep the daily practice is while I’m still in bed.
I wish! I’ve tried doing meditation on and off over the years, but it has never stuck. I used to have a consistent yoga routine, which was the closest to meditation I can get, but I always did it at the end of my day, not at the beginning.
No meditation at all. When I do yoga, I avoid Savasana.
I don’t meditate. I’ve never felt the need or desire to.
Meditation is another thing I have been trying to do more often, but I have not been successful in turning it into a regular practice. When I do get in a routine, I meditate once or twice a week and use the Headspace app.
One practice that I stick to on a daily basis is repeating certain affirmations. The idea behind this is to put your positive thoughts out into the universe, so that the universe knows to return those things to you. Incorporating these practices into my mornings only happens occasionally right now, but they are both on my list of things to add to my daily routine.
I love the Headspace app. I use it once or twice a week, though I aspire to do so more.
No, and it’s one of those things I have been meaning to start, but I haven’t been able to get into a rhythm.
I do meditate occasionally in the evenings. I use the Muse meditation device. You wear it on your head and use an app that talks you through the meditation and gives you audible feedback based on your brain activity.
I like to sneak in some meditation (I like Headspace) after my morning workout, before I do work, but to be honest I only get this done about 40 percent of the time. I would like to be more consistent with this.
What I do is really basic. I sit down on a mat and just focus on my breath. I don’t do anything more complicated than that. It’s just ten minutes of re-centering.
Living in both the Middle East and Asia for many years, I have always embraced many spiritual traditions and customs, and have incorporated many of them into my morning routine. My root meditation is based in Tibetan Buddhism, which I have practiced for decades.
I do! I love the Simple Habit meditation app and listen to at least one five-minute meditation a day. I love Simple Habit’s “On-the-Go Quick Picks” for morning, commuting, walking, and getting through tough days.
Nope! Meditation was part of my afternoon routine for a while, but I got out of the habit. I know getting back into it will include a few days or weeks of falling asleep, and at the moment, there’s no space for naps on my to-do list.
I’m not going to pretend I’m any good at meditation—I’m really not. However, I bought a year-long subscription to the Calm app, which has helped me to be consistent with my practice.
I sit down around midday, throw a fifteen-minute meditation on, and settle down. I can’t always be bothered to do it, but when I do I never regret it. There’s such a sense of self control that it brings.
I try to meditate every morning, but in truth, it’s probably about four times a week. I have no clue what kind of meditation it is. I just close my eyes and coordinate my breath with the mala beads (one breath, one bead), until I’ve gone all the way around once. It generally takes me about ten minutes.
I don’t carve out minutes for meditation per se, but I take breathing breaks many times a day. I stop everything and focus on my breathing for just a few seconds.
I often get overwhelmed with my day. I have many irons in the fire at all times—training, recovery, work (I basically have three jobs), and keeping up with folks on social media.
When demands on my attention get too heavy and I feel like I’m being dragged down by the weight of it all, I stop! I focus on my belly. I breathe into it deeply, making sure to open it up by bringing my belly button forward. In through my nose, out through my mouth. Sometimes I close my eyes, sometimes not. But I focus on my breath like it’s only thing that matters, because it’s kinda true.
This helps me center. I still have the stuff to deal with when I’m done, but the perspective shift—realizing that without my breath I’m dead—really helps put things on the correct shelf in my brain instead of just being scattered all over the floor.
The breathing also feels good on my lumbar spine. It feels like a good stretch is happening deep inside me in that area.
I love guided meditations! I have a very busy mind that loves to drive me insane. I usually do a gratitude meditation that incorporates breathing techniques, muscle activation and relaxation, and mantras to set the day up as stress-free and positively as I can. Our minds are powerful tools, and once you get the hang of it you can truly manifest anything you desire.
My personal practice is like a mezze platter—a bit of this and a bit of that, and it varies day to day depending on many factors (mood, location, weather, schedule, life events, etc.). It’s a mixture of the following:
The lying-in-bed/sitting-still type of meditation gives me anxiety. I don’t like scanning my body for sensations or observing my thoughts. Realizing that I am an isolated consciousness trapped inside a body makes me feel sad, lonely, and terrified of death. Drawing and running are much more calming to me because I can achieve a meditative state but still do something active with my body and mind.
I’ve been meditating for over three years. I’m a TM (Transcendental Meditation) fan. I also meditate at lunch or in the evening, but that is much more sporadic.
I’m not as consistent with my evening meditation, but when I do it, it’s a nice way to ease into my evening routine. So, I guess the evening is for relaxing, whereas the morning helps me clear my mind for the day. And lunch time is great for getting energized for the afternoon.
I use the Oak meditation app, which tracks my streaks. I’m currently up to 121 days, a personal best!
On the weekends I’ve been reading The Complete Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron during breakfast (it’s three books in one, so it’s taking me a while to get through it). When I do yoga on the weekends, mostly from YouTube videos, there’s usually a short meditation part at the end.
My morning meditation routine is a time for me to sort of say “this is the morning, I’m waking up to it.” I like it because it allows me to focus on how things really are instead of being inside the same circle of recurring thoughts.
As I meditate I’m focusing on the weather, the sound of the birds, what’s happening outside my window, the changing shadows, and letting that calm me down and empty my head. I see it as a way to greet the morning sun and absorb its energy. If I do it well, which is about half the time, sometimes a little bit more, it keeps me afloat during the entire day. It puts me in a good mood that will last quite a while. Not forever, but quite a while.
Yes, I switch between two apps—Simple Habit and Headspace—for guided, mindful meditation. I also do mindful breathing throughout the day.
I used to have one and I loved it. It was the fifteen-minute daily mindfulness on Headspace, and even though I know it was good for me, I’ve found it stressful to be mindful this year. Counterintuitive or completely daft? I know, but with the book launch, the reinvention of my career, my new baby, etc., I can’t handle fifteen minutes of not thinking. I need to think and win every second of every unforgiving minute. (I realize I sound like a freak as I write this.) I hope to get back to it next year.
Not yet, but this is a goal of mine—I would love to add meditation to my routine. I am trying to learn more about being still and listening to my body.
I currently work out three days a week in the morning. On the other two days I sleep in an extra half hour, but I’m hoping to use that time to meditate or to think more about the day ahead.
The only thing I try to do as much as possible is take a couple of moments in the morning to lay on the floor, stretch, and do a little deep breathing.
I am getting better at it. I don’t meditate in a traditional way, but for a few moments in bed in the mornings I often do some affirmations and practice gratitude for all God has blessed me with.
Meditation is essential to me. I usually visualize and do affirmations and quiet time while hiking through the mountains. This typically happens around 7:30am.
I don’t believe in one type of meditation. I feel like life is a constant moving meditation—I consider affirmations, visualization, and deep presence all as forms of meditation. Sometimes I sit and do Japa meditation around 8:30am (only when I am alone, as this is a louder meditation to call in your dreams).
To be completely honest, I’ve had the hardest time meditating ever since my daughter was born. It’s ironic, because I did HypnoBirthing sessions and meditated multiple times a day when I was pregnant. I recently did a sound-bath meditation that was incredible, so I’m trying to incorporate that into my evening routine.
Over the years, I’ve practiced meditation on and off (I spent a year studying Tibetan Buddhism in a divinity school). Recently, I’ve gotten into using Headspace, usually when I take a morning off of working out, on weekends, and sometimes on public transport. It’s especially useful if I have an extra-challenging day ahead.
When I was studying Buddhism, I learned that even a little bit of meditation goes a long way. Five or ten minutes can have an enormous effect on my day. I also learned to try to calm the stresses of everyday life with little moments of reflection and calm. I’m not saying I have that down by any means. But it sure helps to feel that clarity every once in a while.
I’ve meditated for the last fifteen years but I rarely go over ten minutes. I’ve stuck with a light version of Transcendental Meditation (TM) using the repetition of a daily mantra to stay focused. I love the focus the mantra helps me keep—without it I’m more likely to drift into thoughts about client work or something else related to business.
I’ve been using Headspace for maybe two years. I recently left my job at Google, but when I was working there, I’d often do Headspace on the Muni bus downtown. Now that I’m working from home writing most days, I try to do a session before I start.
When I can convince myself to meditate, I love it… but right now it’s teetering on the edge of my routine. It’s not quite there yet, but it’s early days.
My morning meditation routine is to take time for myself by having an hour of quiet time to ease into my morning and believe in the impossible.
Once my day starts, it takes off like a roller coaster, so I’m very protective of my quiet time in the morning. Just like you’re supposed to warm up and stretch your body before a hard workout, my morning routine is how I warm up my mind for the rest of the day. What I do is mentally exhausting, and if I don’t get my mind ready to take on the day, then my day is just off.
I use apps for my meditation. I love Oprah and Deepak’s 21 Day Meditation challenges, especially with the journal questions they provide each day. My favorite one of those (and I’ve tried almost all of them) is the Miraculous Relationships one. I love doing it every few months and seeing what I wrote in those journal entries four years ago.
I also use the Stop, Breathe & Think app, which is really fun because they “gamify” meditation and give you stickers the longer you meditate without missing a day. My top score is 74 days in a row. My favorite meditation is called “Lion Mind Meditation,” and a second favorite is the “Alternating Breaths” meditation where you press your right nostril down and breathe through your left nostril, then you let go and hold down your left nostril to breathe out though your right nostril. Then you breathe in through your right nostril, exhale through your left, and the whole process starts over again. It’s deceptively simple, and yet brings big rewards because the nature of it forces you to slow down, and having something to do with your hands and your breath really helps you stop thinking.
I also practice Byron Katie’s The Work which is a type of meditation that has helped every aspect of my life. I also like Carolyn Elliot’s meditations “Existential Kink” and “Deepest Fear Inventory”. They have a witchy (or straight up witch) vibe that can be very refreshing in a sea of holier-than-thou meditation practitioners. Currently I’m obsessed with School of Life Design’s mindfulness journal “Monthly Manifestation Manual” and combining that with the exercises I do in my book. School of Life Design is run by two lesbians in Cleveland and they are so darn charming and mindful.
My forty-minute commute to SoHo is the time I take for myself. I like to focus on my breathing and embrace the feeling of sun on my skin. It’s the perfect time to reflect and prepare for a busy day ahead.
No. I would really like one, though. Everyone I know with one seems to massively benefit from it.
I use Headspace, and I love it. I just can’t get enough. I think they really nailed it with the app—the ease of use, the tracking, and I just love that voice. I think it’s great.
I have a slight obsession with Andy from Headspace (#marryme), but I’ve found that morning meditation results in me falling back asleep, which my boss isn’t too happy about. I love a good post-work meditation, though.
No. I really wish I did. I keep buying meditation apps, but for some reason just downloading them to my phone doesn’t have the intended effect…
I meditate in the car on the way to work. I practice something called the wide peripheral gaze when I am in a safe driving condition or stopped at a light, where I look at everything possible in my visual field, and relax my mind completely. This overloads the bits of information the brain can process and the mind clears of its thoughts. I combine this with six deep breaths which is enough to actually lower blood pressure. It’s a great way to make sure I always have time for meditation.
My morning routine is my meditation routine. The whole purpose is to elevate my thoughts to the mental state needed to bring out my best writing and creativity. I meditate and pray throughout the whole process.
Yes. Consistency with meditation is a priority for me. I either take one of the hundreds of meditation classes on YogaGlo, or I sit in silence and practice focusing on my breath, mindfulness/awareness, and non-attachment to thoughts. I aim for twenty minutes at a minimum, but I prefer to get 30-40. Some days I’m rushing to leave early and only get in a few minutes.
I don’t meditate—that’s another part of my husband’s routine that I don’t subscribe to. I admire him for meditating with such consistency.
I usually meditate when I get home in the afternoon. I learned meditation through a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class and practice the type of meditation I learned there, usually just with bells for starting and stopping.
Rather than doing meditation first thing in the morning, I try to do it at some point in the middle of my day. I do 5-10 minutes of unguided meditation, continually returning to my breath when my thoughts wander. Doing it in the middle of my day helps me to have a kind of reset switch and return to calm even on busy or stressful days. I am not consistent with meditation on a daily basis.
It’s not really a meditation routine, but during my workout I try to be intentional about my day. I glance at my calendar and note things like, “Here are all the meetings,” and “Here are the events of the day.” Then I make decisions like, “Okay, I’ll be in this meeting, then I’ll have this event, and then I’ll do this activity with the kids.” I try to set an intention for all of those periods of time so I go into them more prepared.
I started doing this after I had my first baby and I was going through a bit of postpartum depression. Some of the strategies I learned to get out of it are:
I cannot meditate. I have tried! For me, meditation is the silence, smells, and sounds of making tea, and the peaceful waiting while it steeps. This is when I clear my mind and get ready for the day.
The Jewish prayers take about twenty-five minutes every day, and then the scripture studies take another twenty minutes or so. Those prayers and studies ground me, remind me that there is a world outside of myself, and align me to a greater cause, which I call the Core Cause in my upcoming book, Next Is Now. Together, they provide constancy and connectedness in an ever-changing world, one in which I sometimes don’t even recognize the city I’ve woken up in.
I don’t unless I’m working out. Doing yoga and meditating is a part of that particular exercise.
I read sacred texts like the Bible and Book of Mormon, think, and pray.
If I linger in bed on the weekends, I’ll listen to Audio Dharma or On Being, so I consider that my meditation time. Otherwise, I’ve just started using the Headspace app. I’m a little embarrassed to use technology to meditate, but it works. I love when Headspace tells me what my meditation streak is—and I hate when the streak is broken.
I’d say my own personal take on meditation has occurred over the years during these various routines.
When I was writing the notes, I was very self-reflective while also thinking about each kid individually. My mornings were consumed with trying to figure out how to best relay what I wanted to say to them—usually about something that was going on in the news, in our family, or between us personally. I was in relationship with those thoughts. That’s not the same as focusing your thoughts inward on yourself like you do in meditation, but it’s something. When I’m walking with Bear, I’m aware of him but also of the beauty and wonder the park provides—I think about the coming day, the increasing light, the season. But on work days I’m also thinking about what I have to do, solving whatever problems are coming up, writing whatever proposals I have outstanding.
I really consider my hike my morning meditation. While it’s not traditional meditation, it’s a peaceful time for me to be at one with nature, and it allows me to completely reset before starting another busy day. It’s something I love doing, and it truly keeps me balanced.
My routine is really just about doing it daily—having my mind in the moment without distractions or wandering. In our home in D.C. I have a peaceful view of the trees and river, and that helps calm my thoughts.
I was making illustrations for Headspace for a while, which prompted me to download the app. It was a short-lived trial (because I eventually went through all of the free sessions), but I did enjoy it and I hope to come back to it in the future.
I don’t meditate; I worry. Worrying takes up all the meditating space I have.
I take ten minutes when I first wake up to sit quietly, take slow, deep breaths, and clear my mind. I’m a huge fan of the teachings of Pema Chodron. One of her suggestions is to breathe in a very concentrated version of whatever you’re feeling at that given moment—whether it’s stress or fear or sadness—and let it consume your entire body. After taking ten or so breaths like this, the feeling starts to melt away into a sensation of peace. It sounds counterintuitive, but it really works for me.
I listen to my guided meditations on the Insight Timer app, which I love!
I don’t meditate regularly, but I do a Vipassana no-talking-reading-writing retreat once every other year or so, sometimes for ten days, sometimes for just five, three, or one day.
In the past, I have practiced meditation daily, but I find that my sidchas give me most of the value of a daily practice. Doing about one hundred hours of meditation in ten days at a retreat gives me depth.
I’d say praying and reading the Quran are forms of meditation.
Fifteen minutes after waking up, I sit in my chair that faces a window looking out on trees, close my eyes, and prepare myself for the day ahead. This helps me gather my thoughts and visualize my day; making me more adaptable to whatever unexpected things may occur. Also, this quiet time helps me stay positive and focused all day. Sometimes, when I need another short reinforcement of quiet meditation time, I take 5-10 minutes to myself in my office and reinforce the agenda from the morning.
I should meditate. My husband suggests this frequently since I’m always wound a bit too tight and nagging him about silly things. I don’t have the patience for it. I tried yoga and got bored. I prefer cardio workouts and lifting weights. That’s when I meditate.
Absolutely, it’s part of my daily life. I practice Vipassanā meditation. “Vipassanā” means to see things as they really are. It’s a Buddhist style of meditation and is said to be the style Buddha used to achieve enlightenment. The practice is to pay attention to your breath and the physical sensations in your body, which brings you to the present moment. I started practicing about fifteen years ago.
Growing up, we had yoga in school. Our home was very spiritual with morning prayer and meditation. It was a habit instilled in me when I was very young. I’ve always been curious about learning more about myself and the world around me, and meditation keeps me connected to that.
Yes. I pray, which is my form of meditation.
I’ve tried, but the dogs don’t believe in meditation. Maybe cuddling with them is all the morning meditation I need. That’s certainly what they think.
I think it’s important to mediate. As a working mom, my mantra is quite simple: ask for help, don’t put it on yourself to do everything, and, most importantly, find ways to stay balanced. I stay balanced by meditating daily - usually at night. I use the Simply Being app, which offers guided meditations for relaxation. All you need is a short period of time to meditate and your health will reap the benefits both instantaneously, and over time.
One of my goals for this coming year is to incorporate a more formal meditation practice in my morning routine. Right now, my morning dog walk is my meditation. We walk in the Presidio which is quiet and beautiful. We’re together, but obviously not talking, and I find that I’m able to think really clearly as a result.
This is a great question and it allows me to talk about moving meditation.
Personally I’m not able to do traditional meditation; I always say that a ten minute meditation is a nine minute nap. I like the idea of mindfulness and clearing your head - this is what I do when I’m walking in the mornings. I’m outside way before anyone else, and there is no noise or lights or distractions. It is very dark and I walk four steps inhaling, hold for two steps, and then exhale deeply. I don’t count the steps on the exhale. Exhaling is the follow through. We need to fully allow the lungs to come to a rest and move involuntarily in a reactionary function before we begin to control them. This means that as I walk faster, or as the terrain changes, my exhale changes.
The other thing I do during this period of time is incantations. These are great for clearing your mind of clutter and focusing intently on what you want the theme of the day to be. It is usually a word or phrase that I want to be in the front of my mind all day long. Some people think it is crazy to “manifest” and I have to admit that I also believe that manifestation is a bit of a misnomer - my true belief is that when you put something in the front of your mind and you focus on it, it becomes in your immediate purview and awareness. I tend to believe that everything and everyone we need in our lives already exists and that we just aren’t aware of it. And to a greater extent, people aren’t aware of what they want in their lives. By starting a moving meditation practice you are activating the part of your brain that is responsible for active thinking. So get moving (my rule is to wake up, drink 16-20 oz of water, then walk briskly for a minimum of half an hour).
I will read something uplifting or meaningful for ten minutes or so each morning. Years ago I wrote what’s called a “personal mission statement” that outlines my values and my highest priorities. I often read through that and just spend a few minutes on personal reflection before the day begins.
Exercise is my meditation, my grounding. I don’t think of it as “working out.” Rather, I think of it as “working in,” a way to bring calm, focus, and energy to all that awaits. Aware of the research pointing to the benefits of meditation, I tried for several months to develop a sitting meditation practice. I still like the idea of it. But let’s just say that it didn’t work for me. Perhaps when I am older and have less kinetic urgency in my body?
I also really enjoy making coffee for my girlfriend or hot chocolate for my daughter or something for friends who stay with me - important moments of intentional sharing in a life too often defined by possession and competition.
No. I’ve never been able to meditate or practice “mindfulness.”
I use the Headspace app for meditation for about twenty minutes every morning.
Doing that mood scan while lying in bed is my meditation. In particular, because I’m a fear specialist, I notice where I feel fear. It shows up for me as stress or anxiety, usually in my throat, when I have something pressing to get to. That discomfort usually motivates me out of bed and puts me to work faster.
Or I may feel sadness or anger. When it’s sadness, it’s usually about something or someone, and I lie in bed letting myself really feel it; it’s beautiful. Or I talk to my husband about it.
When it’s anger (haha), it’s usually because I didn’t get enough sleep, and I’m angry about that. I let myself feel that too. Joy is, of course, my favorite.
Yes, meditation is my medicine! It is the best thing I can do for my day, and it helps me feel calm, grounded, strategic, and creative. I use Insight Timer to track my sessions, and usually do a minimum of 20 minutes. I don’t practice any one particular style, rather vary it from day to day. Insight Timer has great guided meditations too, when I’m looking for something a little more directed.
I like to keep it simple. I usually do a simple mindfulness meditation.
Journaling is my meditation. Writing in my notebook clears my mind and helps me stay rooted in gratitude. Without my daily journaling practice, I’d be less grateful and full of joy. Also, I am a fan of Oprah and Deepak’s meditation programs. I listen to the programs before a nap or on an afternoon walk.
I meditate for 5-10 minutes every morning to this mantra: “I am, I can, I will, I do.” The mantra is from one of my favorite Peloton instructors and is the only one I’ve found that helps me focus on my breath.
Meditation is the greatest life hack that most people don’t use. I meditate for ten minutes each morning.
My meditation practice started when I was a young child. I stopped meditating regularly when I was in my late teens but then started up again in my twenties. I begin by focusing on my breath, eventually transitioning to a Sanskrit mantra that has deep meaning to me. I’m now thirty-seven, so this practice has been with me for a long time! It’s a profoundly important practice to me.
I’m trying! It’s really hard for me, and that’s frustrating. I used Headspace and didn’t have much luck. A few friends have recommended I try something called Calm, so that is next on the list.
It is not a routine, yet. I meditate once or twice every other week. But I aim to start doing it three or four times per week.
I practice Vedic meditation, and I find it invigorating! I attended a course several years ago that helped me develop a practice, and it has changed me from the inside out. I believe being able to enter such a complete sense of calm, stillness, and clarity is a superpower that we all have access to.
I do some kind of prayer/meditation and journaling once my morning coffee is ready. It almost always involves reading something and then writing my thoughts about it.
Moving my body is my meditation. I typically find actual meditation to be more helpful for me during my midday break. I get going so quickly in the morning that I hit a wall right after lunch, and it is helpful to reset my mind and body with ten minutes of “me time.”
I meditate for ten minutes every day on the G train on my way to work. You don’t have to sit cross-legged on a mountaintop with angelic light raining down to meditate “properly.” The thing about the present moment is that it’s always right now.
I’m practicing meditation more these days, but not in the morning. I think I’d probably fall back asleep if I did it then!
I actually think the reading in the morning acts as a mild form of reflection and preparation, so it may do for me at that time of day what meditation does for others.
It’s not a part of my routine, but once in a while - when I wake up before my alarm or when I’m on vacation - I meditate. I practice Transcendental Meditation, which is a twenty-minute mantra-based practice that works very well for me.
I don’t have a rigid practice, but I try to find small moments for mindfulness throughout my day. It often starts with a few minutes on our office’s rooftop deck before I start my day, and, on more stressful days, I will take a few minutes for a walk around the block or another stop on the roof to be calm.
I meditate for fifteen minutes every morning; sometimes a guided meditation, sometimes sitting.
I’ve had a daily meditation practice for about six years, and I find it’s a really soothing part of my day that I look forward to when I wake up. I appreciate having a time for silence and stillness by myself, which helps me with the discipline of quieting my mind. I have a hard time keeping this practice up when I’m traveling (especially when there is jet lag to contend with, or a different daily schedule, or if I’m staying with friends and don’t have a quiet space); after a few days, I usually notice that I’m more anxious and my mind is racing. At that point I try to reintegrate it into my routine.
I’ve tried meditation and I just can’t get into it. It’s not for me. I can’t sit still that long. The closest things I have are my workout and my gratitude exercise, which takes five minutes. It goes like this: I think about three things I’m grateful for this morning, as well as three people I’m grateful for, then I send a text message (or email) to those three people to let them know that I’m grateful for them and to thank them for being in my life.
I use the Calm app on my iPhone. I like the easy guidance and simplicity it provides.
When I have time, I meditate using Headspace. I know it’s sort of cheating, but I do it while lying in bed, which I find both meditative and relaxing. I always sleep well when I carve out the time to do this.
When I have less time or feel anxious, I use the app Unblock Me, which is a block puzzle game. I like that it involves visual problem solving. I do puzzles until I’ve completed one in a seamless fashion. Once that happens, I take a quit-while-you’re-ahead approach and turn it off so I can go to sleep feeling good about something I’ve done.
If I meditate, it’s at night before bed. It’s pretty much impossible for me to steal a quiet moment to myself in the morning, unless, of course, I were to get up earlier. But then I’d have to go to bed earlier, and who wants to do that?
I don’t do traditional meditation, but my journaling is a gratitude practice.
I have tried meditating and am pretty bad at it, but I would like to get better someday! Meanwhile, yoga and running serve as my meditative practices.
With yoga, I typically hold each pose for eight breaths, so the breathing helps me focus. With running, there’s a similar thing I made up several years ago to help me get through long, hard runs. I take thirty breaths, focusing on each body part, starting with the feet and moving up to the ankles, calves, knees, quads, hams, butt, hips, abs, heart, and head, and then back down again. Sometimes it’s really hard to stay focused enough to get to thirty, so I have to start again at zero. The point is to try to calm down my brain and center myself enough to focus on those breaths. I also use this method when specific body parts are hurting (e.g., cramps) to try to bring intention to the area and work through the pain. I made this thirty-count breathing thing up, and it’s kind of like my running meditation!
My meditations are my morning affirmations and intentions. I have a lot of Shakti feminine energy flow through me, so sitting down and forcing myself to think of nothing is basically torture. I love words, movement, creativity, and flow, and feel most meditative when I’m doing something that involves those things.
My first workout is my moving meditation. I use the time to consider my day, check in with my mind and notice my thoughts, and set myself up for what is coming in that day. When I practice sitting meditation, it’s later in the day.
I have a daily and constant meditation practice that is based in the mindful practices of vipassana.
I generally meditate for five minutes after waking up, for five minutes after working out, and in five-minute increments throughout the day - especially before focusing on certain projects or speaking engagements. I also meditate on the subway, and it generally adds up to at least 30-60 minutes of meditation a day. I wish I had a more lengthy regular meditation practice, but this is what currently works for my life and schedule.
I start my morning with a simple prayer: Lord, help me see. That’s it. Nothing fancy. I find it offers me the precise amount of perspective I need throughout the day - I’m always repeating it in my head!
When outdoors I like taking an hour or more in the early morning as the light changes and life awakes to become intensely mindful of my surroundings and push all else out of my mind. When home I am not always as disciplined but I strive to practice zazen meditation for 15-30 minutes before starting my work day.
Twenty minutes of Vedic meditation, and then three to five minutes of mindfulness/gratitude.
Yes, and it’s nothing special.
I sit on the floor with my eyes closed and let myself slip into the space between my thoughts. I don’t try to eliminate my thoughts, but I try to sit between them, as weird as that sounds. I use mantras but not the Sanskrit kind. I change them often and they evolve as the meditation goes, but they’re super simple. For example: “I am powerful.” “I’m seeking creative solutions.” “I’m open to all possibility.” They change all the time, and I just make them up according to what I need.
I guess drawing is my meditation.
I have had years where I prioritized seated meditation, but I find that running gives me the best headspace. I usually come up with ideas for stories or work projects in the middle or near the end of my run, and my mood and energy levels are at their highest after running.
I meditate every day. I usually do Vipassana or Primordial Sound meditation. I also do some visualization.
Yes! I find that meditation is the main, key habit for my having a good life. That sounds dramatic, but I absolutely mean it.
I primarily practice Vipassana meditation; occasionally I’ll practice Mettā meditation in the evening to change things up. I’ve had a variety of guided and unguided stints; currently I’m using Dan Harris’ wonderful 10% Happier app, which has excellent guided meditations from some of the best teachers around.
Two of the most influential meditation books for me were Dan Harris’s 10% Happier (surprise!) and Bhante Gunaratana’s Mindfulness in Plain English. I’d also recommend going on a retreat if you want to take your practice further - ten-day silent retreats are daunting, but weekend retreats are convenient and super refreshing.
No.
I do not. Admittedly, I have made a go at it, but I’m simply too amped up in the morning to make it stick.
I don’t.
I’ve studied a few kinds of meditation but none of them too seriously. Mostly, I just sit and notice and feel. I do alternate nostril breathing. My mind wanders and I bring it back. My practice isn’t fancy but seems to do the trick of keeping me centered.
Meditation has become part of my evening routine. This helps me calm my mind after a busy day and get a better sleep.
I have a morning prayer time routine, which is different than meditation in that I am actively talking to God. After I make my tea or coffee, I go right into whatever Bible reading I have set up for that morning and then spend some time in silent prayer.
I spend a good portion of that time thanking God for my family, my health, and my work, and then I give Him my intentions for the day.
I try to meditate for ten minutes each morning (sometimes I’ll extend it to half an hour). I guess it’s mindfulness meditation. I first concentrate on my breath, and then I search my body for points of tension that I allow myself to release.
Occasionally, if I’m feeling really stressed, I’ll try to fit in a short morning meditation. I use the Gaiam Meditation Studio app because there are a lot of different voices and kinds of meditations to choose from.
I meditate for thirty minutes each morning and free-write for another thirty minutes. I’m not sure what type of meditation this is, but I just sit up against my headboard on my bed and focus on my breath. If my mind starts to drift to a thought, then I bring my attention back to my breath.
Mantras and guided meditations feel distracting to me, and I like the simplicity of focusing on my breath. I used to have trouble sticking to a meditation routine, but last year I did a one-week silent meditation retreat and it really changed me. I fell in love with meditation, so now, instead of meditation being something I have to do, it’s something I look forward to doing.
I do not meditate. I’m known to have a naturally calm temperament and I do not stress out very often. I always try to be over prepared for the moment, whatever it may be that I am trying to accomplish, so that I can maintain a kind and calm composure.
My meditation routine can vary. I like guided meditation; I recently finished Oprah and Deepak’s 21-Day Meditation Experience and loved it. It was part Oprah with her inspiration, part Deepak with his contemplation, and part killer meditation music.
I couldn’t get enough. I signed up for the next round starting in a few weeks. It was twenty minutes and I did it twice a day.
I do 20-30 minutes of meditation before my workout routine.
I practice a few rounds of pranayama and mostly focus on breath awareness. Breath awareness is really the foundation of my meditative practice.
Pranayama is basically controlled breathing exercises. It is essentially a yogic practice and the idea is that the length and quality of your breathing is directly related to your mental/emotional state. By regulating the breathing directly, you basically learn to influence your mental state.
I do not have a morning meditation routine. I do, however, typically listen to a five-to-ten-minute guided meditation before falling asleep.
Not a regular one. I occasionally use the Headspace app if I’m particularly stressed or need the escape.
No, sleep is my meditation.
I’ve never really gotten into meditation. Too much to think about, and too little time to do it. That probably means I’m the perfect candidate for it, but I just don’t think it’ll ever happen…
I’ve tried to make meditation a regular part of my mornings a couple times in my life, but now, with familial responsibilities, I find it hard to get up before my family to create the time for early morning meditation. Instead, that morning walk or run with my dog is how I create and clear the mental space for the day. Being outside, walking in a park, is my way to add mindfulness into my day.
In the past, I tried doing a five-to-ten-minute meditation session every morning. I think it lasted for a couple of weeks, but then everything else got in the way. I would like to try it again, since it can have a great impact on mood and overall well-being.
My “meditation” is a little pocket of quiet I have every afternoon when I walk my beloved little dog in the woods near my house (thereby redeeming myself for her chronically late breakfasts).
I started meditating on January 28th, 2013, and haven’t missed a day since. My average session lasts twenty minutes, and if possible, I time it with the sunrise and meditate on a few pillows in front of an east-facing window. On days where I have an early flight, I’ll meditate for at least five minutes during takeoff. It’s a perfect opportunity to lean back, relax, and breathe deeply. And if I’m lucky, I’ll fall asleep in that position for a quick snooze.
I sometimes meditate in the morning. If there’s one thing I’m trying to improve about my mornings, it is to create a meditation habit. When I have had a consistent meditation practice I am at the top of my game.
For tracking my meditation, I like the app Calm.
Alas, I have no official practice but I do try to space out once a day. Usually after the kids are put to bed. I can tell I’m really stressed when I skip the spacing out and head directly for Pinterest.
I do, and I’ve found it extremely helpful in the past few years. At the very least I have twenty minutes of silence in the morning. Usually, I like to take the time to use Headspace for a deeply focused meditation. My uncle gave me that tip as a child but of course, I was stubborn.
Now that I’m an adult this has proven to be an excellent way to jump start my mind and to begin to get the creative juices flowing. I’ve also found an incredible meditation/yoga group at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and I invite everyone to visit.
On and off. It was a goal of mine last year to learn about meditation and start a practice. I don’t do it as regularly as I’d like but I usually do some kind of mindfulness meditation when I do. Create some intention and focus on that.
Meditation is something I’ve flirted with off and on for years - I’ll go a month without meditating, and then go a month meditating for fifteen minutes every day. I’ve found the most success following the guided meditations in the Headspace app.
No, but ideally I can focus my mind on the erg or the water to the point of attaining sort of flow, which to me is a form of meditation.
It’s hard though. It takes discipline. There’s always a lot going on at the boathouse and on the Schuylkill. It’s easy to get distracted. I noticed last year that distractions were really affecting my performance. I’ve had to learn to be less reactive, improve my focus, and discipline my mind.
Yes, I do light yoga stretching before I do my push-ups! Nothing too extravagant, just mainly concentrating on my breath and one good yoga flow. At least five simple minutes to gather my thoughts while getting a good stretch.
I practice whatever I’m studying at the time, I’m still very new to meditation, so just getting fifteen minutes in is a win for me. I use Calm or find a mantra on YouTube and listen to it while meditating.
I don’t, though I’d love to try. I think answering email is my meditation. If I can get through it before I leave for the office, I feel much more at peace.
I meditate daily, typically after I write in the morning. Right now I sit quietly focused on my breath, but other times I practice guided meditation.
I used to meditate somewhat regularly, but I seem to get similar benefits from piano so it’s been reduced. These days, I say that I need to meditate more than I’m actually meditating.
When I meditate, I tend to use guided meditations with the Headspace or Calm apps. I often use my commute for meditation: I try to keep a quiet mind amidst the hectic subway.
I consider my few minutes of breathing a meditative process; my coffee on the train can be deeply meditative. I think meditation can take many forms.
I don’t meditate in the morning, though I do a quiet time or devotional each morning. It involves some reading and learning and a whole lot of praying. Praying, I guess, is kind of the closest thing I do to meditating. Praying humbles me and reminds me every day that there are things beyond myself out there.
I usually only meditate at night, but my entire morning ritual is a type of meditation.
From using a hand grinder to prepare my coffee beans, to doing yoga and stretches in the sun, and even walking to the office; I’m extremely present during each activity. I learned this while doing a ten day silent meditation in Thailand that included something called walking meditation, which just involved being present in whatever you’re doing at the time.
I pray, reflect on the words from my Bible reading (I’m currently using the devotional/reading plans from She Reads Truth), and write in my gratitude journal a few things I am thankful for. This not only calms my spirit and feeds my soul, but it helps me start my day out with a thankful attitude.
The meditation part of my morning routine is only about six months old and happened when I found the Headspace app, which finally allowed me to get started on a habit that I’ve wanted to develop for years.
I’ve really enjoyed it, even though it’s not necessarily always easy. Sometimes I fall of the wagon for a few days at a time. The longest consecutive run I had was 54 days in a row, and then I overslept on day 55, planned to do it at night, and forgot.
I practice Vipassana meditation and spend 10-15 minutes every morning meditating.
In Mexico, three or four times a week I leave home at 7:40am and walk through el centro to our zen meditation group, about six minutes away. It’s led by an old, somewhat cranky Japanese master and held in the dance studio of one of the university buildings. We sit in silence for two periods of 25 minutes each.
I am loosely part of a meditation group in Eureka, too, but I’m more faithful to the Mexico group because the timing, format, and location work for me so well.
Meditation, in it’s essence, for me, is practising giving our full attention. In the morning, it’s about connecting with my body, clearing my mind, and focusing on the very act that keeps us alive: our breathing. In practising giving our full attention to our breath, we’re able to get out of our heads and be more present for our day and our loved ones.
Making tea is my meditation.
I met Sharon Salzberg last year at a community event I planned on meditation in the workplace. She is the woman who brought Buddhism to America in the 1970s. I recall her talking about turning teatime into meditation time, really staying present for the process, so I try to do that. I don’t take myself too seriously in this regard.
Meditation? No, but running can sometimes be like meditation, right?
I conventionally would show gratitude for another chance at life. Because I feel every morning you wake up, you’re favored and granted another opportunity to live and fulfil your purposes.
Waking up in a clean apartment, beautiful light shining through my windows, and Miles Davis playing is my meditation.
I consider my thoughts and morning writing in my journal meditation. I don’t practice traditional meditation. For me, meditation happens in the mind… all of the time.
My morning meditation is probably the most important aspect of each day. I see it as ‘making your bed’ for the day - whatever external or internal struggles I might have, meditation is the opportunity to iron things out from the other side of conscious awareness. Without any thinking or doing - just by becoming super aware of the vastness, depth, and richness of my being. Once in that state, everything falls in the right place, even if I don’t yet know what those things are.
Honestly, I could really do with more meditation. Currently I do about 15-20 minutes in the morning, and the same in the evening.
In a way, my morning reading is my meditation.
Transcendental meditation allows me to quiet my mind and feel healthier and happier. I am calmer and more patient, and better prepared to tackle the day’s challenges.
I’m a big believer in meditation, as it has been scientifically proven to reduce cortisol levels, lower risk of a heart attack and improve brain function. My morning meditation is only ten minutes long, because that seems to be the ideal amount of time for me to get the benefits from meditation and the length of time my mind can really focus on the moment.
Yes. I use the Coach.me app and I have two different meditation streams I check into, both of which provide guided meditations that I listen to that rotate through each day which are typically from 4-9 minutes long.
I also have a few different fifteen-minute guided meditations I found on YouTube that I particularly like that I’ll pull up, it just depends what I’m in the mood for and the timing I’m after.
Meditation is one of the most important things I do each day.
I meditate for twenty minutes, ideally twice daily. Sometimes I miss the afternoon session, but I always make the morning one. It’s been invaluable in terms of calming my mind and allowing me to think more clearly. I recently treated my team to an intensive transcendental meditation course. It’s proven to increase productivity at work and cut down on stress (doesn’t that sound awesome!?). We covered my team’s experience with transcendental meditation on my site.
I love it, but to say I do it every day would be a lie.
Morning workouts are meditative for me. It frees up my subconscious. Some of my best thinking happens when I let my mind relax and wander.
There are so many benefits to mindfulness, so I make a point to search for reflective time throughout my day, even if it’s in small ways. If I’m stuck on a long line or delayed on the subway, rather than be annoyed, I see it as an opportunity to reflect and practice being present and in the now.
I’m a big fan of meditation in the morning, especially before doing anything too cerebral. It has greatly reduced my stress, improved my sleeping, and made me a better manager.
That’s definitely a goal: I want to learn meditation and make the time to do it every morning.
My sense is that my whole morning feels like a meditation. I try to be present to each aspect of the morning routine. There’s a lovely story that I heard once that I love:
One day the Buddha was speaking to a prince. The prince asked him, “What do you and your monks do in your monastery?” The Buddha said, “We sit and we walk and we eat.” The prince replied, “How are you different, then, from my people, for we do those things as well?” The Buddha responded, “When we sit, we know we are sitting. When we walk, we know we are walking. When we eat, we know we are eating.”
I see meditation as any activity that either a) quiets the mind, or b) allows you to access source.
For example, when my fiancé cooks, he is in total meditation non-thinker mode. When I write, I’m in full-on channeling mode. I don’t think we need to be cross-legged on a pillow to meditate. I have to say though, I’ve really been digging the Headspace app for a daily dose of calm.
I do occasionally meditate in the mornings, though I prefer to do it in the evenings before bed. I love Susan Piver’s guided mindfulness meditations – she has such a lovely soothing voice.
I’ve tried all sorts of meditation, and I usually just get more annoyed and frustrated after sitting with my legs crossed for twenty minutes after doing it.
Again it is finding what works for you. I always make the last 10-15 minutes of my workout the most focused and hardest. As I finish the workout, I go and find a quiet spot in the gym and lie on my back and close my eyes.
I did a deprivation tank about four months ago in San Francisco. And the one thing I noticed was just how much energy our bodies produce. I got a real sense of connection with my energy levels, and how I felt like a steam train that was constantly on the go. So I pay close attention to this. I then just go through all the things I am truly grateful for in my life. It is so easy to want more and increase the speed and size of your life, but if you’re not content with what you have, you will never be content by what you add. This is my form of meditation.
I meditate, but never in the morning because I’ll fall back asleep.
I save meditation either for savasana at the end of yoga class, in the middle of the day when my brain needs a break, or at night if I can’t fall asleep.
I don’t meditate per say, but I love nothing more than being able to sit and enjoy my coffee and breakfast in total silence. I don’t need a book or anything; I just like to be present and have time to think. I suppose some people would call that meditation, but it’s not deliberate.
I used to practice autosuggestion, and I’m still planning to learn some techniques and make them a part of my everyday routine. The mind is a powerful thing when you can control it.
If I’m crashing in Los Angeles, or living with my housemates on Powder Mountain, I love waking up and meditating with friends. Otherwise, I’ll meditate first thing in the morning in my bed or after a workout on my own.
I try to meditate for ten minutes before I get to work. Some days are better than others.
I meditate for five minutes right after I get up and brush my teeth.
I have learned that meditation truly is a discipline, and it therefore needs to be practiced. I’m no longer frustrated if I don’t have a good session, or if I don’t get it done at all. There’s no point in stressing over something that is supposed to de-stress you.
I like to meditate at night. I’m pretty rushed in the mornings, and I don’t like to set a time limit on meditating. It helps me wind down before sleeping too, so I’m not awake for hours worrying about mindless stuff.
I don’t have the typical meditation session, but playing the piano clears my head and puts me in the flow. Also, my work as a ceramic artist is very meditative in itself, so I feel like meditation is happening throughout my day.
Not yet, but it’s something I’d like to start doing.
I recently signed up with Headspace to help get me started and have been doing it in the afternoon a few times a week.
I’ve found that the process of disconnecting from technology for a bit can have a really positive impact, so much so that we recently started a weekly no-technology day at home. We do it every Saturday and it’s amazing.
I can’t emphasize how important a mindful meditation practice is. Even if you just sit quietly for three minutes I find I get more creative insights and downloads in those moments than at any other point in the day.
A typical meditation session is about 35 minutes.
I meditate before getting ready to sleep as a ‘mind defragmentation’ exercise. Besides that, I try to be mindful while in the gym, so maybe that counts as morning meditation.
I tried to meditate because I like Jedis, but it didn’t work out for me. My mind is a creative tornado, and I’d like to keep it that way. This just proves not everything works for everyone.
Drawing and writing are my meditations ;)
A twenty-minute meditation is the first thing I do every day. As soon as I wake up - before peeing, before even leaving my bed - I start into twenty minutes of meditation. Sometimes my mind wanders a lot, and I allow it; those twenty minutes are a time when I solve problems before my mind has been tainted by the events of the day.
I love the idea of meditation and I tried to practice it when I graduated college because I was stressed. I think it’s a fantastic method to get ones mind right, but I never seem to remember to do it.
I currently meditate eight minutes every day. I usually add one minute a week, but I’m feeling a little resistance with this habit at the moment (travelling for a month didn’t help). Ten minutes a day is the goal I’m moving towards.
I’m in the process of implementing morning meditation prior to writing at 5:00am, but that hasn’t made it into the rotation just yet.
As far as meditation, I like to think and review my daily, monthly, and yearly goals. I’m not sure if this is considered a full meditation, but it helps to keep me focused and accountable for what I want to achieve.
I’ll usually sit in silence and do some deep breathing for a minute or two before I start reading my twenty pages.
Meditation makes me too relaxed and tired for the morning.
I meditate every morning for twenty minutes.
Reading or doing Lumosity is sort-of meditative. There’s a single-mindedness to it that is not unlike meditating. I sometimes meditate at night to prepare for better sleep.
Soto zen meditation, as I understand it and practice it, is basically just sitting there. No chanting, no visualizations or affirmations, just SIT THERE. Of course, the brain goes to various places – the “monkey mind” likes to play – but the idea is to just continually bring it back to here. Now.
I’ve taken to really enjoying that brief part of the day where my job is to just sit quietly. I think of it as gathering silence, of collecting a reservoir of peace that I can draw on as needed during the turmoil of the day.
Unless you count the ten minutes I use to wake up and listen to music, then no.
I’ve been digging into meditation recently but haven’t tried anything yet. I truly believe that meditation would help me to declutter my mind and prepare myself for the day.
I do tend to talk myself into being a badass, but nothing formal.
Having attended many meditation workshops, this form of ‘calm’ has not entered into my morning routine as yet.
I tend to do self affirmations and speak to the universe in the shower daily, opposed to traditional meditation. I absolutely love the process though!
I meditate in the evening.
On days where I have a lot to do, or am generally stressed, I’ll say to myself over and over again “I’m going to make today my bitch!” It’s not classy, but it works.
Instead of wasting time lamenting that I have to answer 100 emails, I say “I’m going to make today my bitch! I’m going to make these emails my bitch!” and I’ll be done in 40 minutes.
I like to do my meditation in my bathroom. It feels very sacred to me, my meditation routine includes listening to a mantra and letting it soak into my cells, or just breathing with my eyes open.
Before I actually get out of bed, I will do a very quick little touch-base moment with myself. A deep breath, a little reconnection to my internal stuff.
I’ve been a regular meditator for many years, but I don’t have a specific time or place that I sit. Since my days are so different from one to the next, I find it’s easier and more effective for me to tuck meditation into little pockets of my day.
I have ten to fifteen minutes of private reflection when I wake up. It’s more soothing than when I go to bed, where my mind it still analysing the day’s events.
There is also a moment when I walk from the bus stop through the park that my school is located in that I start to feel good about the day ahead. It’s sound naive, but I do like the optimism that an early morning brings.
Yes, I have been practising my morning meditation for about a month.
On my free days, my morning meditation will follow my morning coffee. I like to meditate on long-haul flights, too. The benefit of having short legs is that I can sit cross-legged on my seat without nudging the person who sits beside me.
It’s not something I have tried myself but a close friend is a great believer in meditation. Maybe something I should consider in the future.
I squeeze five minutes daily, maybe even less. Thich Nhat Hanh meditation style (Plum Village). I also do guided meditation every Monday afternoon.
Do you mean something like reading the Bible? If so, yes. I always read it in the morning, it’s my most important task.
No, though if I’m travelling in China and people are out meditating, I’m always game to relax and watch them.
I’ve done some yoga, but never meditated per se.
Sometimes I’ll lie in bed after turning off the alarm and recall a dream I had during the night, or take a minute to think about nothing before getting out of bed, but that’s about it.
I go through phases of starting my days with different guided meditations or chakra cleansing before I get out of bed. Other times I just listen to some uplifting music.
For morning meditations I do a combination of both Taoist and Buddhist styles.
The Taoist method usually has many health benefits, one of which is called six healing sounds. The Buddhist method trains you in mindfulness and clarity, and I particularly love the Korean zen methods.
Always, one way or another, even if it’s just two minutes of grounding.
Y’know, I’ve tried to incorporate this into my routine, but I always feel like a newb. I’d love to get meditation (as well as yoga) in to my routine though, as my deck seems to be absolutely perfect for it in the summer months.
Previously when trying to incorporate it in to my mornings, I actually found it hard not to fall back asleep… so I think I’m doing something wrong there! But I do love meditation from what I’ve tried of it, and it is something I have always wanted to get back into my life on a regular basis.
A few years ago I had a regular meditation routine using a guided meditation on my iPhone. It helped me manage anxiety and calm my mind immensely.
I wouldn’t necessarily call it meditation, but now I take twenty deep controlled breaths in the shower each day to calm my mind and start the day off on the right track.
At the beginning of the year I went to a number of Zen Buddhism classes nearby in Devon. I had wanted to study mindfulness but as soon as I started to read what the evening meditation was all about, I knew I had to attend.
I went for a couple of months, but due to working away a fair bit at the moment I haven’t been able to go as much I would have liked. However, I have kept up with my morning meditation of about 15-25 minutes. Apart from anything else, I know that it’s a way of me finding peace and it helps with my focus on a whole series of things. It’s just the start, and I intend to go much deeper with my study of Zen.
Not formally, though I do practice auto-suggestion as part of my writing. It is a sort of mental clearing and refocusing; it centres me for the rest of the day, which is an important part of a meditation practice.
I don’t do it. I know I should, I want to. I just haven’t made time for it yet. I’m an always-on-mind-always-racing type of person. I’d love to incorporate some meditation, it just hasn’t happened yet.
I pray every morning and use the time between me waking up and getting out of bed to center myself and mentally prepare for the day ahead of me.
I love morning meditations. I have a few that I like to do. Sometimes I get out of bed, turn on some quiet music, leave the lights off, and do a “dance wiggle” for a few minutes in the morning. It’s like a lions stretch, a toe touch, and then some loosening up of the cobwebs in my shoulder creases and legs. I love to dance and use my body, so starting the day this way brings a smile to my face.
On my more tired, reflective, or contemplative days, I’ll go sit on my yoga mat under the window for a few minutes with my eyes closed, treasuring the space in my mind quiet.
My third favorite meditation is probably taking a short walk – even just a 20-minute jaunt. On days when my brain is frozen or I feel a bit paralyzed by the hundred-thousand tasks I feel like I have to do, I take time to move through space and breathe in order to help shake and sort out the priorities and discover what’s urgent versus what can wait.
I wish. This is something I need to be much more deliberate about. My hustle is a bit of a blessing and a curse. I work hard, and I’m a productivity guru, but I need to work on shutting it off and shutting down, especially early in the day.
When I can I attend daily mass at 7:00am.
In the morning I do a type of qigong called Pan Gu Shengong. I like to do the moving form outside alongside a nonmoving meditation indoors afterwards (or I will do the nonmoving form first thing after I wake).
I’ve tried. But I can’t find my meditation by sitting. I need physical activity to meditate, like surfing or yoga.
Nope. Although, running is a sort of moving meditation for me, so I guess that counts!
Usually not. I think I would fall back asleep. I take twenty minutes a day to sit and do nothing, but it’s more of an afternoon thing for me.
You know, I forgot to tell you about one of the most important parts of my morning routine because it’s so routine that I don’t even think about it.
It’s not meditation, but Reiki. I first learned it while backpacking in New Zealand, and ever since then I have given myself Reiki at the start of every day, before even moving out of bed. It’s more important to me than breakfast, and that’s saying quite a bit.
Aside from the shower? No. My brain is usually racing a mile a minute in the morning and I struggle to get my thoughts down on paper fast enough before they instantaneously combust, never to be seen or heard from again.
For a zen student, this is the most essential part of the routine, no question. I have a corner in my apartment with an alter and cushion, and I light a candle and incense every morning. I also maintain a vase with cut flowers. It is very important to create and care for a sacred space if you want to have a regular meditation practice.
I read a short poem or gatha before sitting and chant the bodhisattva vows afterwards, followed by three full bows. In addition to having an incredible grounding effect, this practice is a constant reminder that this life is about much more than me.
This is something I’ve gone back and forth on for a while now. Finally, I have settled on the idea of being in a meditative state of mind while I carry out my morning routine. Meditating is an act of simply being aware. I tend to do that when I am making a fresh pot of coffee (the smell, the feel of cold water as I wash the pot, the gentle warm steam on my face as I bring the cup closer for a sip, etc), or while reading or taking a walk.
I have realized that I don’t have to be physically sitting down to meditate. Many times we begin meditation and make our body still, but the mind is still racing. Ideally, you want to have both mind and body still, but if you’re busy like me, I’d make the mind a priority over the body when it comes to meditation.
I think making tea or coffee is kinda like a meditation, but I don’t do it everyday.
I tend to let my mind drift for about two hours each morning. That’s my meditation.
I am always too distracted and my mind wanders. I have tried meditation but it’s not for me. I could however, sit quietly and be at peace with the sounds of nature.
In terms of meditation, on my travels this year I was interested so I stopped in to visit a few gurus along the way in India. Me personally, I found it a bit silly. Staring at a spot on the wall for an hour or so. A friend then recommended an app on the iPhone called Headspace, which I can honestly say is fantastic.
I don’t really meditate in the traditional sense in the morning, but when the river is calm and the sun’s coming up, taking a bit of time out to be quiet and breathe properly might count for something.
