My Routine

Inspired by the notion of making every moment a meditation, I generally follow the same daily routine. 

The foundation is a late-night sequence that takes about 15 minutes before going to bed. First I relax in my recliner and do my modified version of the 4-7-8 breathing that I learned from Andrew Weil, who learned it from Indian mystics. I close my eyes, breathe in through my nose for a count of four, hold that breath for a count of seven, exhale through my mouth for a count of eight, and repeat eight times, primarily paying attention to my breathing and quickly letting go of any thoughts that come to mind. To simplify matters, I keep track of the number of cycles with my fingers.

Then I do Basic Practice, as learned from Dick Price at Esalen Institute. With my eyes closed, I pay close attention to each of the following for two breaths: smells (if any), sounds, the flow of air through my nostrils and into my lungs, my body, my emotions, my thoughts, and lingering images.

I then recite, usually silently, the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then I identify three gratitudes, either individuals or recent facts in my life for which I’m grateful.

Lastly, I ask myself a question to sleep on and go to bed, usually at midnight.

When I wake with no alarm, usually around eight, I pay attention to whatever is on my mind, including remembered dreams. Often what I notice relates to the question from the night before.

Then I write spontaneously in my journal for 15 minutes, as prompted by Julia Cameron’s “morning pages” that she recommended in her The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. With this journal, I mostly brainstorm to-do tasks and sort out my feelings about recent events. Sometimes I just record those events “for the record.” I consider this “contemplative journaling.”

I eat breakfast while reading my tweets, mostly Giants-related and those posted by Jesse Eisnger. I glance at the online Chronicle to see if there’s anything of interest there (usually, no) and read their items about the Giants while I digest my food. Roma Guy once commented on the value of mindful eating, but I’m afraid I fail here with my multi-tasking.

I then jog for 30 minutes. A comment by Rhonda Magee about her running style prompted me to no longer listen to music when I jog. Instead I pay attention to my breathing, my posture (leaning forward enables one to run faster), my feet landing on the ground (I prefer landing flat-footed), and any thoughts that come to mind. I’ll reflect on significant thoughts for a half-minute or so before letting them go and trust that important ones will pop up again later. Lately, I’ve shifted back to interval training, running as fast as I can for two minutes and then slowing down for two minutes.  I consider this “contemplative running.”
.
William Styron once reported that he divided each day into three two-hour segments: writing, reading, and correspondence. I consider that schedule quite sensible and try to follow it, though I often mix the reading and correspondence.

After an invigorating shower, I write for 90-120 minutes, often for Wade’s Weekly or other substantial pieces.

Then I prepare and eat lunch while streaming “The Daily Show,” which is delightful and often informative. Then I lie down for 15-30 minutes, often sleeping for 15, using an alarm clock. Some sleep studies have found that the body has a natural tendency to nap half way between waking and sleeping. So maybe traditional cultures that used siestas knew something modern cultures neglect.

Next I look at and process my email. Lately I try not to open my email program until after I write for 90-120 minutes, for otherwise the audible notifications too easily distract me. First I look for personal and other pressing emails. Then I go through the remaining emails in chronological order.

On days that I drive taxi I process my email while riding the bus to work and waiting in line for a passenger at the airport, where I also use my Kindle to read the New York Review of Books, New Yorker, New York Times Book Review, and books.

When driving taxi, I often do my 4-7-8 breathing and some elements of Basic Practice at traffic lights and on the freeway. As much as I can, I try to do “contemplative driving.”

I often repeat mantras to myself to keep myself grounded. My favorite one now is: “We can only do what we can do.”

Though the real world often interferes with me following this routine, I find that I do much better when I can.

I share this report in case any of you find anything here that is of use to you. Most of my life, I was relatively undisciplined. Now that I’m developing some self-discipline I wonder how my life would have gone if I had done so earlier. But it is what it is.