Try This Tomorrow!

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A Simple, Five-Minute Meditation to Get Your Day Off to a Chill, Centered Start

Got five minutes tomorrow morning? You can make a profound difference in the flow of your day with this simple, timesaving meditation technique.

Before you eat breakfast, splash your face with tepid water to wake up; follow that with a couple of good stretches. Once you’re feeling awake and the blood is flowing throughout your body, find a seated position on the floor, your meditation cushion or your favorite chair in which you can easily maintain a relaxed-but-alert posture for five minutes.

Breathe in and out deeply but naturally, in full awareness of the air entering and leaving your body. You might want to silently say:

Breathing in, I am aware of my in-breath.

Breathing out, I am aware of my out-breath.

Simple awareness of breathing is all you’re going for here; don’t chase any particular feeling or attitude. Focus exclusively on the air filling and leaving your lungs. You may want to place a hand on your abdomen and feel the natural rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.

Breathing in, I notice my in-breath becoming deeper.

Breathing out, I notice my out-breath becoming slower.

By the third or fourth breath, the deepening and slowing of your breathing should become noticeable. The rise and fall of your abdomen becomes deeply soothing at this point; holding your hand over it gives you a sense of self-protection and safety.

When a dog or cat gives you his unprotected belly, it’s a mark of genuine and unalloyed trust. This part of the five-minute meditation is therefore important for establishing a sense of safety and confidence at the cusp of your new day.

Breathing in, I smile to the coming day.

Breathing out, I know it will be a wonderful day.

This final bit of the mantra makes intentional your desire for a happy, calm and productive day. All of this is achievable inside five minutes; if you’re anything like me, it will transform the potential of the day to come in radical and marvelous ways. Give it a try!