The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

fact that we’re running late, a recent argument with our significant other or family member .
    For others, we have trouble just getting going on most mornings. We feel sluggish, lazy, and unproductive. So, for the great majority of us, the mornings are either stressful and rushed, or slow and unproductive. Neither of these represents the optimum way to start your day.
    Silence is one of the best ways to immediately reduce stress, while increasing your self-awareness and gaining the clarity that will allow you to maintain your focus on your goals, priorities, and what’s most important for your life, each and every day.
    Here are some of my favorite activities to choose from and practice during my period of Silence, in no particular order, followed by a simple meditation to get you started: 
Ö   Meditation
Ö   Prayer
Ö   Reflection
Ö   Deep Breathing
Ö   Gratitude
    Some mornings I do just one of these activities, and other mornings I combine them. All of these practices will relax your mind and body, calm your spirit, and allow you to be totally present and open to receiving the benefits that will come from the remaining Life S.A.V.E.R.S. which make up the rest of your Miracle Morning .
    It is very important that you don’t stay in bed for this, and preferably that you leave your bedroom altogether. The problem with staying in bed—or even in your bedroom, where your comfy bed is within your line of sight—is that it’s too easy to go from sitting in Silence, to slouching, to falling back asleep. I always sit on my living room couch, where I already have everything set up that I need for my Miracle Morning . My affirmations, journal, yoga DVD, the book I’m currently reading—everything has its place and is ready for me each day so that, in the morning, it’s easy to jump right in and engage in my Miracle Morning , without having to search for anything.
    Meditation
    Since there are plenty of great books, articles, and websites that concentrate on meditation, I won’t go into too much detail in describing the proven benefits and the various approaches to meditating. Instead, I’ll just mention a few of what I believe are the most significant benefits, and give you simple step-by-step meditation that you can begin immediately.
    The essence of meditation is simply silencing or focusing the mind for a period of time. You may or may not be aware of all the extraordinary health benefits of meditating. Study after study shows that meditation can be more effective than medication . Studies link regular meditation to changes in metabolism, blood pressure, brain activation, and other mind and bodily functions. It can alleviate stress and pain, promote sleep, enhance focus and concentration, and even increase lifespan. Meditation also requires very little time. You can take advantage of the benefits of meditation in just a few minutes a day.
    Well-known celebrities, CEOs and highly successful people like Jerry Seinfeld, Sting, Russell Simmons, Oprah and many more have publically stated that regular, often daily, meditation has become an invaluable part of their life. Tupperware TM CEO Rick Goings told The Financial Times that he tried to meditate for at least 20 minutes every day, stating, “For me, it’s a practice that not only burns off stress, but gives me fresh eyes to clarify what’s really going on and what really matters.”  Oprah told Dr. Oz that Transcendental Meditation TM has helped her “connect with that which is God,” according to the Huffington Post .
    There are many genres and types of meditation, but generally speaking you can divide them into two categories:  “guided” and “individual” meditations. Guided meditations are those in which you listen to another person’s voice and receive instructions to help guide your thoughts, focus, and awareness. Individual meditations are simply those you do on your own, without assistance from anyone else.
    Miracle Morning Meditation
    Here is a