problems with meditation in the morning I have problems meditating in the morning. I usually feel very tired when getting up early on a weekday and then have a limited timeframe (~ 30 min.) for meditation.

My body feels so tired, that I am unable to meditate. This is often accompanied by the tendency to get into a negative, rejecting mindstate.

Should I try to meditate anyway or try to bring up energy (going outside, cold shower)? Is it possible to influence the habitual tiredness in the morning (at least a bit), or is this exclusively a body thing?
There are two descriptions here of the Dalai Lama's morning routine:

Routine Day

When His Holiness is at home in Dharamsala, he wakes up at 3 am. After his morning shower, His Holiness begins the day with prayers, meditations and prostrations until 5 am. From 5 am His Holiness takes a short morning walk around the residential premises. If it is raining outside, His Holiness has a treadmill to use for his walk.


At Home With the Dalai Lama

At 3:45 a.m. ... At a time when only the street dogs were up, the Dalai Lama began his prostrations. ... I lost count after a while, but I figured he must have done about three dozen full prostrations. ... With his prostrations done, he walked to a treadmill tucked away by the window. He hung his prayer beads on the handle bar next to a draped towel and began to pace rapidly on the moving belt. Almost immediately he closed his eyes as he surrendered to the machine's rhythm, and meditated as he exercised. it was a much faster version of walking meditation. ... After showering, the Dalai Lama took me up to the roof of the residence. ... The Dalai Lama stared into the distance, absorbing the quiet, allowing all his senses to experience the tranquil majesty of the surroundings. ... It was chilly and we didn't stay long on the roof. After we returned to his room, the Dalai Lama immediately went into meditation. He sat on a cushion behind his desk ...



Perhaps this indicates how the Dalai Lama awakens his body before and during morning meditation.