The first ascetic exercise of the day takes place upon waking in the morning, and it concerns the very manner in which one wakes up. Since one of the goals of ascetic exercises is the awakening of consciousness, it is logical to treat the act of waking from sleep as an exercise in itself. It is beneficial to quickly shake off the lethargy of mind and body, preparing them to function consciously. While our body and mind require rest, sleeping more than necessary—whether as a way to escape stress or by remaining in a drowsy state after rising—is counterproductive.
Given the demands of our daily lives, formal meditation exercises can only be practiced at specific times. To sustain the level of awareness attained during these sessions, it is helpful to incorporate brief "pauses" or moments of stillness throughout our hours of work and leisure. These short intervals of heightened awareness allow us to observe how we are acting, feeling, and thinking; they provide material for later reflection during meditation and, furthermore, help us to relax and release tension.
We do not perceive things as they are, but rather as they impress themselves upon us—and it is this collection of impressions that we call "reality." The impression we receive is shaped by the cognitive filter our mind employs to organize and discern incoming information. This filter is the product of many factors, including our upbringing, personal and family history, current mood, level of intelligence, specific circumstances, the historical era in which we live, and the social or ethnic group to which we belong. If we add to this the dreamlike state of fantasy and aimless wandering of the mind, it becomes highly likely that we will use these impressions to reinforce both our own subjectivity and our tendency to justify our particular stance toward life. By consciously attending to the small events of daily life through moments of pause, and by receiving and accepting feedback, we gradually learn to control our subjectivity and grow accustomed to listening to, observing, and understanding our surroundings and our place within them. Working with what we perceive is also a form of meditation; it consists of living while learning, uncovering the messages life offers us.
The awareness that grants us discernment does not depend on extraordinary events, but rather on how we experience and understand the ordinary occurrences of daily life, and on the thoughts and feelings we habitually cultivate.
Amidst our busy lives, we often fail to find time to meditate. Yet, chronological time is a standard measure for everyone; we all have twenty-four hours a day at our disposal. How we use that time depends on the priorities we set for organizing our daily activities, the capacity and willingness we bring to reflecting on our experiences, our ability to concentrate, and our habits and preferences. That is why we always find time for what our habits, customs, and desires dictate. For everything else, we must find the time and reorganize our priorities. If we have time for action, how can we lack the time to reflect on the *why* and *what for* of that action? If we wish to grow, we must begin by dedicating time each day to cultivating awareness.
Just as we consider what and how we will do something before starting a task—and evaluate the result once it is finished—so too do we meditate at the start of the day to reflect on how we will live it, and review our experiences in retrospect at its end.
When discussing ascetic-mystical exercises within the context of a path of personal development, we proceed from a logical assumption: the person who wishes to learn about them also wishes to practice them. For this reason, insisting on the necessity of practice may seem like a paradox—especially when it comes to the practice of meditation. Yet, given the type of upbringing we have received, the lifestyle habits we bring with us when we embark upon the Path, and the heavy demands that modern society places upon us, it is necessary to gradually introduce ourselves to our inner world and to the habit of prayer.
The practice of meditation assists us in this endeavor. When we say that one should meditate, we mean that, in order to grow, we must live deliberately, understand how our minds function, identify our preconceptions, and learn to receive feedback. In other words, we need to train our minds to serve as a tool for our own development.
Given the demands of our daily lives, formal meditation exercises can only be practiced at specific times. To sustain the level of awareness attained during these sessions, it is helpful to incorporate brief "pauses" or moments of stillness throughout our hours of work and leisure. These short intervals of heightened awareness allow us to observe how we are acting, feeling, and thinking; they provide material for later reflection during meditation and, furthermore, help us to relax and release tension.
We do not perceive things as they are, but rather as they impress themselves upon us—and it is this collection of impressions that we call "reality." The impression we receive is shaped by the cognitive filter our mind employs to organize and discern incoming information. This filter is the product of many factors, including our upbringing, personal and family history, current mood, level of intelligence, specific circumstances, the historical era in which we live, and the social or ethnic group to which we belong. If we add to this the dreamlike state of fantasy and aimless wandering of the mind, it becomes highly likely that we will use these impressions to reinforce both our own subjectivity and our tendency to justify our particular stance toward life. By consciously attending to the small events of daily life through moments of pause, and by receiving and accepting feedback, we gradually learn to control our subjectivity and grow accustomed to listening to, observing, and understanding our surroundings and our place within them. Working with what we perceive is also a form of meditation; it consists of living while learning, uncovering the messages life offers us.
The awareness that grants us discernment does not depend on extraordinary events, but rather on how we experience and understand the ordinary occurrences of daily life, and on the thoughts and feelings we habitually cultivate.
Amidst our busy lives, we often fail to find time to meditate. Yet, chronological time is a standard measure for everyone; we all have twenty-four hours a day at our disposal. How we use that time depends on the priorities we set for organizing our daily activities, the capacity and willingness we bring to reflecting on our experiences, our ability to concentrate, and our habits and preferences. That is why we always find time for what our habits, customs, and desires dictate. For everything else, we must find the time and reorganize our priorities. If we have time for action, how can we lack the time to reflect on the *why* and *what for* of that action? If we wish to grow, we must begin by dedicating time each day to cultivating awareness.
Just as we consider what and how we will do something before starting a task—and evaluate the result once it is finished—so too do we meditate at the start of the day to reflect on how we will live it, and review our experiences in retrospect at its end.
When discussing ascetic-mystical exercises within the context of a path of personal development, we proceed from a logical assumption: the person who wishes to learn about them also wishes to practice them. For this reason, insisting on the necessity of practice may seem like a paradox—especially when it comes to the practice of meditation. Yet, given the type of upbringing we have received, the lifestyle habits we bring with us when we embark upon the Path, and the heavy demands that modern society places upon us, it is necessary to gradually introduce ourselves to our inner world and to the habit of prayer.
The practice of meditation assists us in this endeavor. When we say that one should meditate, we mean that, in order to grow, we must live deliberately, understand how our minds function, identify our preconceptions, and learn to receive feedback. In other words, we need to train our minds to serve as a tool for our own development.