Brahma Muhurta – A Golden Time for Meditators

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.

— Rumi

There is nothing quite like the beauty of early mornings. Something unique and magical runs in the stillness and freshness of the twilight air, something that starts to vanish as the Sun makes itself warm and comfortable in the sky. Besides the obvious natural beauty, mornings bring with them a host of benefits. There is probably no simpler mantra for living a healthy and successful life than the age old adage – “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Modern self-help books have dedicated pages upon pages to wax lyrical about the benefits of waking up before sunrise – quality sleep, more time for yourself, better concentration, enhanced productivity… and the list goes on. Even Indian culture considers this an auspicious time (Brahma Muhurta) for spiritual activities like Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation etc. 

The Creator’s Hour

It goes by different names. Guru Nanak Ji has called it Amrit Vela. Many Indian scriptures have referred to it as the Brahma Muhurta, or “The Creator’s Time”. While the exact duration of this period might vary depending on which text you refer to, it starts roughly 2 hours before sunrise, lasting for around 1 hour after sunrise. For instance, if sunrise is at 6 am, Amrit Vela begins at 4 am and ends at 7 am.

But what is it that makes this period of the day so significant, so… mystical? Taking Ayurvedic Science, Medical Science, Yogic Science, and combining them all with spirituality, Sri Guru unravels the mysteries behind this magic show put on by the Cosmos, revealing why it is truly a golden time for meditators.

Benefits of Meditation in Brahma Muhurta

• Minimum Thought Vibrations

The earlier you leave for office, the quieter the roads are — daily office commuters would nod their heads in universal agreement to give this fact their seal of approval. We can apply the same analogy to the “traffic” of vibrations in the environment. We know that everything in the Cosmos is nothing but energy, and this energy vibrates at different frequencies to create all matter and consciousness. Human thoughts are also varying forms of vibrations. Since most people are asleep during Amrit Vela, there are minimum thought vibrations in the air. This naturally helps increase our focus during meditation, making us more receptive to the Cosmic vibrations of Oneness and harmony.

• Dominance of Vaata Prakruti

According to Ayurveda, human nature, or Prakruti is determined by a combination of three doshas or biological energies, which are in turn derived from the five basic elements of Nature – Vaata (space and air), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water). The proportions of these three doshas constantly fluctuate in every human being according to their environment, diet, age, season, time of the day, and many other factors. 

During 2 am to 6 am, Vaata is the predominant force that energizes our body and mind. This makes our body more flexible (perfect time for Yoga), mind more creative (perfect time to chisel the mind’s intuitive power with meditation), and gives speed to our thoughts and actions (perfect time to put the mind to use once it has been activated through meditation).

• Anti-Stress Hormones

Neuroscience has established that the wee hours are when the body is primed for the secretion of Cortisol —a stress relieving hormone that eases your mind and makes you calm and peaceful. It is also the time when our body secretes another hormone vital for the brain’s cognitive functions like memory, clarity etc. No wonder that many students, professionals, and CEOs prefer these quiet hours to get the maximum output from their brains. But a stress-free and clear mind is also a prerequisite for meditation, which takes the brain’s cognition to an even higher level. So wake up in Amrit Vela, and put on your meditative caps before your thinking caps.

• Prana and Apana Vayu

Our ancient Yogis discovered that Prana (vital life force) could be further subdivided into energetic currents called Vayus (winds). Among those, the five primary currents are –  Prana-Vayu, Apana-Vayu, Samana-Vayu, Udana-Vayu, and Vyana-Vayu. Their subtle movements influence our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

During Brahma Muhurta, Prana Vayu and Apana Vayu are the most active. Prana Vayu increases the intake of Cosmic energy, while Apana Vayu helps with the outward movement of air, detoxing us from negativity. The combined effect of these two currents greatly aids the process of meditation.

Meditate with the Creator

All these phenomenal benefits aside, the most glorious feature of the predawn hours is the fact that it is, quite literally, “The Creator’s Time”. The Creator, or the Cosmic Energy which makes up every atom of this Universe, is most easily accessible during the golden hours of Brahma Muhurta. This energy is serving all our needs and nurturing us in ways beyond our imagination. And yet, it is our greatest misfortune that we have been conditioned to fixate our mind on thoughts of lack. For those of us blessed with the basic necessities of life (and you fall in that category if you’re reading this), every thought of lack is a huge act of contempt against the Creator. But we can change this conditioning – by waking up in Brahma Muhurta, meditating upon the Creator, counting the countless gifts that He has bestowed on us, and expressing gratitude for each one of them. Doing this consistently will lift the illusionary veil of lack and discontent, and it won’t be long before we discover an ocean of unending happiness.