I have problems meditating in the morning. I usually feel very tired when getting up early on a weekday and then have a limited timeframe (~ 30 min.) for meditation. My body feels so tired, that I am unable to meditate. This is often accompanied by the tendency to get into a negative, rejecting mindstate.
Life is a Mind-Body phenomenon wherein the six senses are continuously coming in contact with their objects. Since we all have taken birth, the above process is unavoidable. Mental states affect our bodily states and vice versa. Hence, physical tiredness and negative mental states seem co-related.
An effective way to deal with any problem is Yoniso Manasikara or wise reflection. This applies in conventional sense and also in the ultimate sense. In conventional sense, one tries to go to the root of the problem and then tries to get rid of the underlying causes of the problem. In ultimate sense, one tries to understand Anicca (Impermanence), Dukkha (Source of Suffering) and Anatta (Non Self) on the basis of sensations on the body and then realise that fretting over something that is Impermanent, Source of Suffering and Non Self is futile. Ven Yuttadhammo talks more about cultivating wisdom in this talk.
The Importance of Wise Reflection by Steve Weissman is a nice article. It specifically talks about how to cultivate positive mental states in the morning.
Waking up in the morning
This method is a helpful way to begin the day, as it not only helps us
to develop compassion but also motivates us to think of how fortunate
we are, for which we give further advice in the next section. This
helps to expand our concern from simply ourselves and those we know,
to feel more connected with people we do not know and the universality
of dukkha.
Upon waking, reflect deeply on a situation in the world where heavy
dukkha is occurring. Imagine yourself vividly in such a situation in
order to empathise with those involved and wish them all compassion
and loving kindness.
Two suggested phrases to use, when wishing compassion and loving
kindness, are:
“May _ be able to learn, practise and develop methods, techniques
and tools of mental development, so that can cope with,
understand, accept and overcome the difficulties and challenges of
life. May find peace of mind.” “May be able to let go of
anger, fear, worry and ignorance. May also have patience, courage,
wisdom and determination to meet and overcome difficulties and
problems, challenges of life. May _ find peace of mind.”
How fortunate we are
Simply reflect on all the different ways that you are fortunate, materially and mentally. Watch out for the word “but”—it is
not part of this reflection. This reflection is also very good when
waking up each morning.
It can be especially helpful to consider the odds of being born human
compared to being born another being on this planet. Then consider how
many have the chance to read or listen to the Dhamma. Then consider
how many have the chance to actually practise the Dhamma. How very,
very fortunate we are.
To truly understand how fortunate we are is extremely helpful, in
particular, with letting go of self-pity. This then allows more joy,
contentment and energy to arise.
Self-pity is a major hindrance for so many meditators. One main reason
is because they are not looking at themselves objectively and
truthfully. But in this practice we try to be objective with our view
of life. We try to see life truly for what it actually is. Thus
reflecting on how fortunate we are is a very simple and effective
technique to find more inner peace.
I do not know if the author is suggesting to do loving kindness meditation before reflecting on our fortunes, but I think that counting our fortunes, then sitting meditation and then loving kindness meditation would be the right order.
