Practice Through the Day



“I have realized that the past and the future are real illusions, that they exist only in the present, which is what there is and all that there is.”
Alan Watts



“Pray without ceasing.”
St. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17


Time gives the impression that it is linear. It seems to run from past to present to future. We remember the past and we can envision the future, so they seem to have existence separate from the present. The past, however no longer exists and the future is always a mirage. We live in the present moment. Now is when we experience life. To be more in the Now is a key to living well.

Still, the past has formed the present moment and the present moment forms the next moment. What we do now creates the conditions of our future. Our nervous systems have momentum. If we get angry, frightened or otherwise energized late in the evening, we probably won’t go right to sleep, because our body/mind needs time to calm down. For many of us, awakening in the morning is a gradual experience. The state of sleep lingers, perhaps for hours after rising. What we do in the early hours affects how we will experience the day. What we do in the evening affects our experience at night.

This being the case, it would be wise to create habits or ritual practices that create the state of mind we would prefer as an ongoing process through the day. The Muslim practice of praying five times a day addressed this. So does the ancient Christian practice of praying the divine office, sometimes referred to as praying the hours. Prayer at fixed hours of the day was an ancient Jewish practice that was continued by early Christians. It has persisted in Christian monastic traditions, and recently has been resumed by many lay Christians. Buddhist monastic life too, has been designed to repetitively, persistently remind the practitioner to return to mindfulness. Ceremony, chanting, and prayers for each activity of the day remind the monk that every moment is important and dedicated to the practice.

Practice:

Consider how you move through your day. Is your mood and state of mind determined randomly by events as they unfold? Do you often say, “I’m having a bad day, because…”? Do you set yourself up to feel bad by persisting in negative, angry, resentful or anxious thoughts? Do you get caught up in the events of the day and find yourself distracted, ungrounded, or swept away by thoughts and emotions? If so, you could help yourself by establishing a pattern of daily rituals to remind you of what you are about.

To design your own daily practice consider these factors:

What form will your practice take? It can be a combination of activities including:
How often do you intend to practice? Options include:

Whatever form your daily rituals take, they will become your second nature by repetition. Like any habit, you may need to repeat the practice for a significant period of time for it to seem natural and part of you. You may want to write down what you intend your practice to be and refer to it now and then to keep on track. Practicing with other people can also deepen the meaning and help keep you on track.

If you plan to say specific prayers for specific activities, write them down and place them where you will see them at the appropriate time.



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