We live in the age of Kali, which is a difficult age. Here’s what is said about it: “O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men but have short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.”
With such a flattering background, it’s not surprising that early morning spiritual practices are hard for us. If it’s the choice between more sleep or getting up for meditation, it can be a battle between the mind and the mattress. We know getting up is good for us, but…
The key is the night before. I know someone who turned his whole life around by working on ‘the night before’. So here are some night before tips to guarantee a good early morning japa meditation the next day:
1. Find our beads: There is nothing worse than getting up and being ready to start chanting and we can’t find our beads. We can’t remember where we left them – maybe the car, or the kitchen, or our backpack? Find them and put them in an obvious and visible place.
2. Put clothing out: It’s good to take a shower before chanting. Set out clean clothes so you don’t have to think about it then.
3. Establish a meditation area: Make a place with a good sitting cushion or chair. It should be clean and tidy.
4. Place the alarm clock/ phone on the other side of the room: Sleep is powerful. It is considered the mode of ignorance, and it is hard to pull ourselves out of it. When the alarm goes off and we have to get out of bed and cross the room to turn it off, there is a better chance we will stay out of bed.
5. Get enough sleep: 6.5 to 7 hours is good for most people. Some need less, some more. If we sleep at 10pm we can get up at 4.30am and get at least a good hour of chanting in before we start the rest of our day.
6. Unplug early: Wind down by turning off the computer and reading an inspirational book or having a good conversation. It’s also a good time to reflect on the day or write in a journal. In the morning don’t go online until later. Nothing worse than reading some disturbing early-morning e-mail or the latest news of the world before we start our meditation. Both will be patiently waiting for us after our japa.
The main point is to get to our early morning practice with the least amount of difficulty or distraction. Each one of us will have our own circumstances to contend with. But for all of us, the early morning hours are pure gold when it comes to meditation. Treasure this quiet time and draw from it. It is one of the biggest factors that influence our quest for spiritual knowledge and realization.
Source:http://iskconofdc.org/the-night-before/
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