Our Daily Practice

Ironically, when we get busy, the first thing that tends to get cut back is our meditation practice. Most of us know from experience that we function much better when we give ourselves time each day to sit in silence. And the more "things" we have to do, the more we need that solitary, quiet time for the day ahead.

Expanding our morning meditation by just 10 minutes can make a big difference, as can the addition of short meditations into our daily schedule. The truth is, no matter how busy we are, unless we are in the midst of a crisis we always have five or 10 minutes to spare. The key is convincing ourselves that spending that time in meditation is the best choice. We could be getting our dishes done or heading into work earlier instead, so it’s important that we come to value the importance of meditation in the context of all the other things competing for attention in our lives.

We can also add short meditation breaks into our schedule, from five minutes before or after lunch, to a meditation at night before we go to sleep. When we come from a place of centered calm, we are more effective in handling our busy schedules and more able to keep it all in perspective. If more time in meditation means less time feeling anxious, panicky, and overwhelmed, then it’s certainly worth the extra time.

Here's a Buddhist 21 day practice I recently started. It takes ONE MINUTE! Read the practice below. Perhaps a minute or two of centered calm will help your day and your night.

21 DAY DAILY DHARMA PRACTICE

Daily Gassho (gosh ho)

The act of gassho is done by putting the palms of one's hands together in front of the heart and bowing the head. Gassho may be done sitting or standing; with eyes closed or open; and with or without beads.


Harmony Gassho

The verbal recitation accompanying your morning gassho can be the word “harmony.” Other recitations can be introduced later. Your recitation can be spoken with any degree of loudness or simply be said to yourself. The depth or power of the recitation is facilitated through your breath. After a moderately deep (but not overly long) inhalation through your nose, make your recitation as you exhale through your mouth. The sound of the last syllable should be extended until the end of the exhalation. As an approximate guideline, your inhalation can be about 3-5 seconds long, whereas your exhalation should be about 9-15 seconds long. Keep your body and head erect as you inhale. As the last syllable of the recitation is being extended, slowly bow your head, keeping your hands and body still.

At the end of the recitation most people like to stay in the finishing position for a while (perhaps for 1-3 normal breaths, saying the words harmony, understanding, wisdom) so that one doesn't get the feeling of rushing off immediately after the recitation. The underlying sentiment of the Harmony Gassho is that you will try your best to have a spirit of cooperation with others, and always be as calm and patient as possible. The seed of this sentiment will gradually blossom into an understanding that can be called wisdom.


The Gratitude Gassho

Use the same procedure as described for the Harmony Gassho except that your recitation is the word “gratitude.” On your normal breaths say the words gratitude, blessed, wisdom.

The underlying sentiment accompanying the Gratitude Gassho is an awareness of interdependency—that one is supported by nature, by other people, by everything. There is a feeling of “counting one's blessings,“ of “grace,” or of “how grateful I am.” The seed of this sentiment will naturally blossom and be expressed in compassionate ways.

An Important Consideration

The Buddhist way is “purposeless purpose” or “effortless effort.” In the context of this program, this means being as earnest and sincere as possible while doing your daily gasshos—and letting their effects gradually and naturally spread into other times of your day.