My October Daily Routine 🎃

🍁🍃🍂🎃

Time  Action
5:40	   wake up, brush teeth, hydrate
6:10	   meditate
6:50	   shower
7:10	   strength training: calisthenics, 
           dumbbells, sprints, tándava.
           get outside for sunlight 
7:30	   yoga postures (asanas): 
           strengthening the endocrine 
           system with a tailored sequence
7:50    physical therapy: 
           musculoskeletal maintenance
8:00	   break the fast
8:40	   digestion walk
8:50    read a book
9:10	   journal: declarations & 
           affirmations for the day
9:20	   maker time: correspondence, 
           outreach, study, networking, 
           community organizing, teaching 
           (yoga, English, Spanish)
11:50  meditate
12:00  lunch
12:50  digestion walk
1:00    read
1:20    siesta
1:50    phone time
2:20    pick up students for the 
           afterschool program
3:00    help students 
           with their homework
4:30    maker time
5:40    asana practice
6:00    group kirtan & meditation
7:10    supper (supplemental meal, 
           very light meal for easy 
           evening digestion)
7:50    digestion walk
8:00    read, play guitar, relax
           in good company
9:00    brush teeth
9:20    buenas noches

🍁

This month’s routine is designed for health, wellbeing, longevity, spiritual evolution (sádhana), productivity, community service, and fun. It's not strict; flexibility and adaptability is key. I'll probably tweak it and change it regularly.

The intention for October is to be present. Hence, I'm (loosely) limiting my phone use to maker time. I like to employ the Pomodoro technique: alternating between 25 minutes of focused work and 5 minute breaks where I might get a drink, take a bio break, dance, jump around, have a chat, etc.

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s practice of observing silence every Monday, I am dabbling with remaining silent (referred to in India as “Mauna Vrata”) in the mornings until breakfast and for two complete days this month.

It's nice to eat with a commensal or a group.¹ The yoga center where I'm staying is a lively, full house so that's usually the case.

For the occasional solo meal, I'm tinkering with a variety of pairings. Books, episodes of Avatar, and YouTube are my go-to’s, and sometimes I dabble with giving my full presence to the process of eating — it's a kind of meditation.

~ prompts for you, my dear reader ~

1. What do you do while eating, aside from eating?

2. What's your ideal routine for the next month?

🍁 Oh, and peep these autumnal scenes from Ananda Kalpataru in Connecticut!

✌🏽🧡

1. “A fancy word for someone with whom you share a meal is “commensal”. Derived from the Latin word “commensalis”, meaning “sharing a table,” it refers to a companion at the dining table or someone with whom you share food or meals.” Thanks, ChatGPT!