We make time for things we want to do

So, are you ready to start meditating but unsure how to work it into your busy schedule?

I’ve been there–corporate job, two kids, husband, daily commute–sometimes insanely long (1-1/2 hours one way) and most of the time we were building a house and probably living in a camper to boot.  Exercise routines were always part of my daily activities, but meditation wasn’t a part of my life during those years, and it is clear to me now that it sure would have helped! 

Fast forward to today. Retired from corporate life now, but still as busy or busier than ever with the Inner-Revolution, but my mind is set that meditation is a priority in my daily schedule.  Four hours a day are dedicated to sitting quietly, watching my thoughts.  If I had a job, I’d still meditate for four hours a day.  We make time for things we want to do, right?  You’ve just got to tell yourself that meditation is something you want to incorporate into your life and make time for.  Where did I find the time? 

I’ve always been an 8 hours of sleep per night kind of gal.  Any less than that and I wasn’t much fun to be around the next day.  Turns out that meditation is a sort of conscious rest, so it substitutes for some of your sleep–really!  It works.  I now sleep for 5-1/2 hours at night and feel great.  That means that I picked up a whopping 2-1/2 hours for meditating just from cutting down on sleep time. 

At the time I began meditating I had already given up tv.  People were more surprised that I gave up tv than when I got a divorce–go figure!  Although I didn’t watch tv, Facebook, the black hole of Pinterest, and YouTube had replaced channel surfing (YouTube does have tons of good educational material though). I picked up another hour or so just giving up spending too much time each day piddling around on unnecessary social media. There’s probably some other time waster you can recognize in your daily routine; be honest with yourself!

You don’t have to meditate for four hours either.  If you’re just wanting to learn how to deal with stress, anger, or relax more, 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night will work wonders.  To do this, all you’ve got to do is get up 30 minutes early and stay up 30 minutes later–pretty much a no-brainer.  If you want to meditate more, you’ll have to adjust your schedule.  Consistency is the key. 

I get up at 5:00 am and meditate from 5-6, then I meditate from 8-9. (During the summer I get up at 4:00 and sit from 4-6 so I can spend more time outside :-)) I then sit for an hour after lunch, and again from 9-10. This schedule could easily be adapted to a work schedule by getting up 2 hours earlier (it is possible, just takes getting used to) rather than the 8-9 session, and juggling the mid-day session. It could even be broken up into 2-30 minute sessions. 

Why do I sit four hours?  Because there is a part of me that will live forever. It’s the “me” part–that spark of aliveness. I want to get to know this part of me and I want to know what life is really like.  Avi teaches that life is totally different from what we know it as, and that if you sit and watch your thoughts enough, you will have a definite physical experience of realizing the Truth about who you really are and about life that cannot be questioned or denied. That’s what Jesus called being “born again”. That’s what Buddha was teaching. That’s what Avi is talking about. That’s what I’m seeking.