Exercise: Alternating Meditation and Activity

To get myself out of a recent rut, I developed a fantastic, really effective trick! For when we have an overly busy mind and have resistance to getting to study, practice, work or some activity - otherwise known as procrastination.

Alternate setting 3 mins shamatha (calm-abiding) meditation and 3 mins study/work/organising. Then gradually increasing to 5 mins meditation and 5 mins activity.

Adjust according to where you are right now to balance. Maybe you need to do more of one than the other right that moment, so then you may do 5 mins meditation and 10 mins activity. Maybe you need to settle more and work less, so you could try 10 mins meditation, 5 mins activity. Or more equanimity with 10 mins meditation and 10 mins activity.

Maybe they need to be longer, shorter. Adjust each of your meditation/activity sets as you go along. Like in my hatha yoga classes - my teacher Anna encourages you tune into where your body is at all the time, so you may modify each salutation differently. It's a live practice!

How did you go?