daily practice

Photo by Nick Hillier on Unsplash

unpolished thoughts 3/24/2019

I haven’t been getting quite enough sleep recently, but last night my body marched me to bed way before the traditional hour, closed my eyes, and only woke me up once in the middle of the night to turn off the lights.

Sometimes are bodies are smarter than we are.

The question of how we spend our energy is inescapably important. There are simply way too many invitations to spend it on things that leave us no better off tomorrow. Charting a long-term path of improvement takes strategy as well as persistence.

Spinning your wheels won’t get you anywhere if they aren’t engaged with the road.

What things do you do consistently, day after day, that contribute to your growth?

Two things that are consistent for me are fifteen minutes of sitting meditation each morning, and writing these daily “unpolished thoughts.”

There are many other practices I hold dear, but none besides these that I maintain with total consistency – unless drinking coffee counts?!

I have no question whatsoever about the value of my meditation. If anything, I would like to increase the time I spend with it each day.

My writing is a newer practice, and takes more time and effort. It has been very important for me thus far as a reflection of my practice of the Feldenkrais Method, which has opened up so many things in my life.

Writing daily allows me to address the wide range of questions where Feldenkrais offers a unique perspective. Because it focuses on such a basic element of the human experience – how we move in the field of gravity – there are few arenas of life where can’t illuminate something.

In short, there is plenty for me to talk about!

What writing offers me that I cannot find in meditation is the practice of making meaning. Although we might not rank it as high as food and water, we all need meaning in our lives in order to want to get out of bed each morning.

The more meaning we feel in our lives, the more energy we spring out of bed with.

But we still need to make sure we get enough sleep!

So, a logical follow-up question is how much energy does it take you to make meaning?

Because we can’t only make meaning with daily practice. We need energy left over to respond to the unpredictable flow of each day and the offerings it brings. In my mind, an ideal daily practice is the one that increases our capacity to improvise with the unknown.

As a teacher – in other words, as someone who regularly must engage with the unknown, and the potential frustrations that accompany that experience – cultivating calm and the ability to make meaning are vital skills for me to develop.

What is your daily practice?

(If you think you don’t have one, look again. You might not have formalized it, but there are likely things you do every day that are shaping your experience – for better or worse.)

Does it serve to make you more prepared for parts of your life where you can predictably expect the unexpected?

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Would you like some guidance to help you create a meaningful daily practice that could create new possibilities in your life?