How are you feeling right now? If your go-to response is ‘tired’, you’re not the only one. The weather has done a complete 180° from the sunny 26°C we were enjoying two weeks ago, and as the dark mornings and evenings of autumn settle in, many of us are fighting off grogginess, struggling with brain fog or just feeling a bit under the weather.

If one thing’s for sure, we’d all be grateful for a little energy boost right now. But if you don’t drink coffee – or prefer to limit the number you have daily – it can feel as if you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. While it may not offer quite the same buzz as a cup of the good stuff, meditation can offer some relief from feelings of grogginess. And the best bit? You only need five minutes to reap the benefits. 

“As we transition into the colder weather, we can often feel like we are running out of energy,” observes Sarah Rush, senior yoga teacher at the London-based studio East Of Eden. “While it’s important to listen to the wisdom of your body as nature calls on us to slow down and rest, there are simple tools we can use to help reboot our energy, too.” 

Meditation, according to Rush, can help to boost our energy levels because it provides us with a chance to “gather” ourselves when we’re feeling frazzled.

“As we slow our breathing down, we also slow our thinking down,” she explains. “We can then focus our mind on that which brings us joy and gratitude, decreasing the levels of stress hormone in the body and leaving us feeling brighter and more vital.”

Want to give it a go? Try Rush’s five-minute energy-boosting meditation by following the step-by-step instructions below and save this article so you can come back to it when you’re feeling groggy in the morning (or whenever you’re in need of a quick boost).  

1. Sit tall and lengthen your spine. Notice if you feel tired or energised without the need to change anything.
2. Take a deep breath in through your nose, pause at the top and then allow a long exhale out through the nose.
3. Your mind will drift but try to stay focused on the experience of breathing. Perhaps you notice the sense of the breath coming in and out of the nose or maybe you can tap into the sensation of where you feel the breath in the body, beginning in the belly and rising up into the chest.
4. Notice any part of the body that feels tense or tight and imagine the breath is moving to that area – soothing, relaxing and helping you let go. Breath by breath, let the body relax.
5. As the body relaxes, tune into your energy field. Notice the energy of your emotions – they might feel scattered, all spread out or incomplete in some way.
6. Use each breath to draw in anything that feels scattered.
7. As your energy gathers use the breath to breathe it in, building energy within you. Keep the body and face relaxed. Enjoy any scattered energy coming back together as you anchor yourself into the present moment.
8. Stay with this awareness breath by breath and call to mind an image of something you’re grateful for – a loved one, a pet or something you do that brings you joy.
9. Stay with this image and breathe in and out for a minute or so, visualising that you are breathing in joy and gratitude to the cells in your body. 

Images: Getty