Gratitude for waking up: 10 minutes, on a train

About this practice

10 minutes to meet waking up with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, on a train. A guided session of about 10 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: waking up

On waking, the brain passes through a slow transition rather than switching on. Rushing it leaves you foggy for the first hour.

It tends to show up as:

• Needing a long time to feel awake
• Foggy, irritable mornings
• The day starting before you are ready

Giving the body a few unhurried minutes at the start changes the tone of everything that follows.

Doing this on a train

• Pick a window seat if you can and let the view do part of the work
• Set an alarm for your stop
• Keep the bag on your lap rather than unfastening to find it later

The motion can make reading or screens uncomfortable, which is another reason audio works better here.

How gratitude works

Gratitude here is an attention practice, not a demand for a positive mood. Attention defaults to threats because they are urgent, so pleasant and ordinary things get skipped simply for being safe.

• Pick one ordinary thing rather than something impressive
• Stay with it for two breaths — depth beats length of list
• Do not aim at feeling grateful; aim at noticing

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Loosen your grip on whatever you're holding, or imagine loosening it.
2. 0:12If nothing comes, notice that something did not go wrong. That also counts.
3. 0:25Let your attention settle on the space between your nose and your upper lip, where the air passes.
4. 0:41Let your body feel heavier than it did a minute ago. Let the chair or the floor take it.
5. 0:57Feel the pause at the top of the in-breath. It's shorter than you think.
6. 1:11Follow one full breath from the moment it starts to the moment it ends.
7. 1:25Notice your lower back. Let it curve however it curves.
8. 1:37Let your thumbs rest wherever they landed.
9. 1:47Start at the top of your head. Notice the scalp, which you almost never notice.
10. 2:01Feel the tops of your thighs.
11. 2:11Let the fog of just-woken be exactly as big as it is, and let your breath be exactly as slow as it is. They can coexist.
12. 2:30Nothing about the morning body that needs a moment has to be explained or justified in this room.
13. 2:46Notice if you've been frowning at your own thoughts.
14. 2:57Let it be unimpressive. Small good things are the most reliable ones.
15. 3:10Quiet now. The next part will wait for you.
16. 3:21Notice any part of you that wants this to be over.
17. 3:33We are not forcing positivity. We are just noticing what went right, however small.
18. 3:47I'll leave a gap here. Use it however you like.
19. 3:59Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
20. 4:13Stay with it for two breaths. Gratitude deepens by staying, not by listing.
21. 4:26A gap. Don't rush to fill it with thinking.
22. 4:37You might be planning something. Notice the planning, then come back.
23. 4:49Let your belly rise first, then your chest, then the tops of your lungs.
24. 5:03Keep following the air.
25. 5:12Notice the small movement in your belly when you breathe.
26. 5:24Feel your breath move down your back, all the way to your lower ribs.
27. 5:38Stay a moment longer than is comfortable.
28. 5:48Feel the back of your neck. That's a place that holds a lot.
29. 6:01Follow the breath down into your belly and feel it come back up.
30. 6:14Let it be this simple.
31. 6:23Feel your upper back against whatever is behind it.
32. 6:34Notice how many breaths you take in a minute. Don't change the number, just check.
33. 6:48A short silence. Let it be empty.
34. 6:58Imagine the slow start of the day as a room you can walk out of for a minute. The room will still be there.
35. 7:17You are allowed to be unimpressed by the fog of just-woken. Indifference is a legitimate response.
36. 7:32Breathe in for four, out for six, if you'd like something to count.
37. 7:45Each time your mind hands you the morning body that needs a moment, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
38. 8:05If your mind has wandered, that's not a mistake. Noticing is the practice.
39. 8:18If you feel numb, that's a valid thing to feel. Nothing to fix.
40. 8:31A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
41. 8:42Pick one ordinary thing from today — a warm drink, a dry walk, a message — and let it count.
42. 8:59Let your body keep settling.
43. 9:08Come back at your own speed. The room will wait.
44. 9:20Take one last look at whatever your attention settled on.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.