Daily Practice

I seem to go through phases of being diligent and committed to a strong daily practice and then stumbling and letting it fall by the wayside when life gets busy. I then have to remind myself to be gentle and forgiving with myself and not be to hard on myself.

I do find that having a daily practice has led to me using mindfulness, tonglen, and self-love more in every day life when I'm off the cushion. So even when the daily practice gets left aside briefly, I should reflect at how it is growing and integrating itself into daily life and how I live my life. That is the goal after all.

It also helps to have people to connect with about these things. I notice that when I have people I discuss meditation, etc. with I am more likely to make it a larger part of my life. Having a sangha, spiritual partners, and a spiritual community in general is very helpful. It's not easy to always make it the most important aspect of one's life, even if we know and feel that this would be the best use of the rest of our lives.

I was saddened to lose my Android as it's biggest role in my life currently is the means by which I listen to Pema and dharma talks. Luckily, I'll get a similar replacement soon and I'm sure I can make do in the mean time. It just shows how valuable Dharma talks are to me and the ability to take them to work, on my bike or to massages with me.

I think it all comes down to the little ways we use our practice to soften up and open to the world. Even those habits can harden into attachment if we allow it. Flexibility in all things. :)