Life is often turbulent, and the water gets rougher with each passing year. Some days it feels like there is no calm water, that there are only rapids, waterfalls, and hydraulics.
How do you practice when CHAOS screws up your day; or week; or month?
One thing that helps me is that my “maintenance practices” are rather short, so that even when life gets crazy, there’s really no excuse for me not getting them done. These include:
- ganpati kriya in the morning (11 minutes), followed immediately by the Five Tibetans (about 7 minutes);
- around midday I do sat kriya (4 minutes), pray (4 minutes), and some yoga or calisthenics of some sort (5 to 30 minutes);
- and kirtan kriya in the evening (12 minutes).
That probably doesn’t sound like much; in terms of “hard work” it isn’t. But it keeps me feeling good, fit enough, and healthy enough; enough for me.
Another thing that helps me is to prioritize my practices. I’m a stay-at-home dad, so maintenance practices come first, then household, writing, the mechanics of blogging (page design, etc.), research, and modeling (like statistical models).
Do first things first, and accept that last things can’t always be done today.
My daughter has had a headache since last Wednesday. As I write, we are at the emergency room at Children’s Hospital. This has definitely been a white water day: doctor appointment, chiropractor appointment, my own appointment, and now the ER. In between I’ve managed to fit in the maintenance practices, organize storage in the basement, and type this post in the waiting room.
Life isn’t all about getting things done. My daughter is much more important than any practice. But the practices help me be a better father, and getting these small wins in the midst of chaos make me feel confident of a better tomorrow.
circleofpractice 