Meditate Awake

When you wake up tomorrow morning, try this. Acknowledge that you’ve woken up: open your eyes, have a stretch, and mentally welcome the day. But instead of a) getting up right away, or b) rolling over and drifting back to sleep, set a timer on your watch or phone for 3 minutes and then close your eyes again. For the duration of those 3 minutes, notice every sound and sensation that comes your way. You might notice sounds from outside of the window or from elsewhere in the house; the texture of sheets against your skin; or the temperature of the air around you compared with the warmth of your body in bed. Keep noticing. And then when the timer goes off, take a deep breath; open your eyes; and get out of bed. You will start the day having already meditated — and an underlying sense of calm and steadiness will stay with you all day.