Day 400: Every Day means EVERY day!

Day 400 (2019-02-01)  When I learned about meditation about 30 years ago, I would give it a go for a couple of days here and a week there; the greatest number of days I ever stuck to before now was 60 days in a row.  Something always came up:  it was too hot, or too cold, or too early, or too late, or too stormy, or we had guests using my meditation room, or I was sick or I had work commitments or I had an early conference call (yes I actually used to wear a double-breasted pinstripe suit!), or I had a late meeting.  There was always some excuse as to why I just couldn’t meditate today.  A few weeks would go by, and I’d remember, “Hey, when I meditate regularly, I’m a lot happier”.
For the past 400 days, I have meditated EVERY day.  This week, both my wife and I have a really bad flu; and my meditation room is usually about 5 degrees celcius when we’re experiencing a deep winter freeze, like we’ve been having this week!  That’s just too cold when you’re sick and have a fever, aches & shakes!

So, with no podcasts or videos playing, I propped myself up on my pillows, sitting in bed and did my 90 minutes of meditation in our bedroom, for the past 2 days.  This requires the help I can always count on from my amazing wife, Sue!  As I’ve said before, your partner can make or break your commitment to your spiritual practice.

Last weekend, before the flu hit us, I attended an all-day meditation retreat with my friend and meditation teacher, Bhante Saranapala at the West End Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Ontario.  I got up at 5:00am, a full 2 hours earlier than normal, so that I could get in my regular 90 minute, daily meditation ahead of going to the retreat.  I was pretty certain there wouldn’t be a 90 minute sitting meditation, and I wanted to maintain my increased commitment to 90 minutes of meditation per day, all in one sitting that I’ve maintained since my one-year anniversary.

Why now?  I still really can’t say.  Perhaps this is how my mid-life crisis manifests.  Or perhaps, the seeds that were planted in my 11 year old self, have just now germinated and firmly broken through the soil, reaching ever upward toward the Light.

Happy Meditating