Morning Necessities

Regardless of where and how we live, in a big or small house, alone or with an extended family, or at a young or old age, we all have morning necessities that have to be performed.

In the privacy of our effort, thoughts and feelings as we perform these things, we once again have the opportunity to see how as human beings we are bound by the same physical needs and actions.

This tendency of all human beings to be bound by things also translates over into the mental and emotional realm of our being.

We all have tendencies to lust, greed, desire, impatience and anger just as we can have tendencies to peace, insight, wisdom, loving kindness and compassion.

The way societies and cultures work, with their emphasis on materialism and ego, can hinder us from seeing these things in our day to day activities and actions and seem to be more likely to inspire the former while blinding us to the wholesomeness of the latter.

Someone that we see has more money or less money then us, or a job with higher or lower status or power then us, or has nicer clothes then us or drives a nicer or newer vehicle then us.

Our life may be built around comparing and competing with other people that we are aware of, see, know and work with.

Such a way of living and interacting with the world does not bring one any peace, insight or wisdom.

Generally our morning necessities are to bathe and feed ourselves and those family members that we take care of.

The morning after waking is a time of great activity for many, and people immediately get involved in those habits that are part of their daily activities, actions, and interests.

Many reach for a cup of coffee, a cigarette, the newspaper or to turn on the television even before they have breakfast or take a shower or bath.

In doing such a thing, individuals are stimulating their mind, consciousness and senses in a way that may not be in their best interest or health.

These morning activities will influence how they think, feel, speak and act throughout day, sometimes in ways that are not healthy or wholesome.

One morning necessity for some individuals in addition to bathing and eating is to sit quietly and practice concentration  meditation.

These individuals have found and realized that such an activity is of great importance to their life and how they will think, feel, speak and act during the day.

This activity of sitting meditation practice, especially when practiced early in the morning allows a person to calm the mind which means that one will be more focused and energized as they go about their activities of the day.

Many of the things that we do when we first wake up that we are habituated to do nothing more then drain our energy, compromise our mental and physical health and get the mind and consciousness into an agitated state.

In doing a morning sitting meditation practice we do not need to have electricity such as we would need for watching television or making coffee, or cigarettes, or a newspaper.

We do not even need a lot of time.

What we need is the mindfulness and discipline to find a place that is quiet and then sit in a posture that is both comfortable and steady for as long as possible while being mindful about our concentration object, usually for many this being the breath.

Depending on our morning schedule and routine, we can set a goal of how long to practice, say, 15 minutes.

Most people have that much time available in the morning, even of it means that they get up 15 minutes earlier then they usually do.

The habitual practice of meditation in the morning before going off to work will make any individual more focused, calm and energized for the days activities, actions and tasks.

It would be beneficial for all people to understand the benefits that can be derived from it in making it part of their morning routine and necessities and try to make it part of their life based on that understanding.

)2005 John C. Kimbrough (April 2nd, 2005)