Hello,
Today is Supermoon! If you can, I recommend sitting outside and practising stillness meditation around midnight.
In this edition of the Nüwa Newsletter, I want to share a systematic and clear framework to help you establish a personal practice.
Establishing a Practice: Simplicity, Discipline & Constancy
The path to establishing a regular, personal practice is one of trial and error. Over the years, I have tried practising in virtually every way possible. What I’ve learnt is that it is far easier to establish a regular practice if you think about sequentially cultivating the following three principles: simplicity, discipline and constancy. If you cultivate these three qualities, your practice should not have too much difficulty putting down deep roots. And, if you find that your practice is fading, it’s probably because one of the of the following three qualities needs work.
Simplicity
Simplicity of daily schedule and routine. If you’re doing too much, then you won’t have time to practise. If we want something to grow, we first need to clear space around it.
Simplicity of thought and attitude. Overthinking who we are, our place in the world, our relationships with people and the finer points of Daoist philosophy will all create confusion, a sense of being overwhelmed and lead to a breakdown in practice.
External and internal simplicity are the bedrock of practice.
Discipline
Discipline is an essential element in any cultivator’s skillset. It is the ability to do something, even when there is internal resistance to it. There will certainly be times that you do not want to practise. In these situations, it is wise to engage the muscle of discipline and hold steady in your commitment to practice. The mind is famously likened to a monkey; it often wishes things that are not conducive to our internal development.
Discipline is a short-term solution that gets you through the mind’s fluttering. However, it should not have to be used too much. If you find yourself constantly having to use it, it is wise to go back and review the extent to which you have cultivated simplicity. As the internal landscape is harmonised and cultivated, resistance to practice diminishes and thus so does the necessity for discipline.
Constancy
Constancy means establishing a practice schedule and then keeping to it. It relies upon a foundation of simplicity and discipline. How do you create a practice schedule?
Begin by working out the priority that practice has in your life. To do this, you may want to do a basic contemplative exercise that involves listing your obligations and priorities, and from there work out where practice is located. This will help you approach your practice schedule realistically.
Next, work out the times of day you will practise and the lengths of time you will practise for. Practice sessions should be over 30 minutes to get benefit, and regularity is far more important than length. Try to practise at the same time(s) each day so that the body and mind get used to it.
It is wise to begin with a modest practice schedule and then titrate up if you have the time and motivation. It is not a good idea to start with a very demanding practice schedule, constantly fail to achieve it and become discouraged.
Final Thoughts
A major reason why people don’t make progress is because they don’t practise regularly. It takes effort to establish new habits, but far less effort to sustain them. In other words, the hardest thing is getting started.
Get in touch if you would like to join our community of Daoist practitioners, moving through a practical and stage-based system of internal development!
道炁長存,
Oscar