In the seemingly never-ending whirlwind of life's duties, tasks, and responsibilities, it can be challenging to carve out time for personal care and wellbeing. It's easy to become caught up in the hustle and let self-care practices fall to the wayside. However, your personal routine is one of the most critical aspects of your life - and indeed, the core element of our teachings. Therefore, the integration of meditation and Yoga practices into your daily routine should not be an afterthought, but a well-planned, intentional action.

The first step in weaving meditation into your daily life is to set aside time each morning before breakfast. Establish meditation as a pivotal part of your morning routine. If you start your day with a shower, consider transitioning to your morning meditation right afterward. This approach aligns your body's freshness with a similarly alert mind, providing an optimal environment for deep, reflective meditation. If you're not an early shower person, at least ensure your body is refreshed before you sit down for meditation with a half-bath*.

Only after you've concluded your morning meditation should you engage in daily activities such as eating, checking messages, perusing social media, or beginning work or school. To accommodate this new routine, you may have to wake up slightly earlier than usual, which in turn might prompt you to hit the bed a bit earlier. While adjusting your sleep schedule can be an initial challenge, overcoming this hurdle and prioritizing morning meditation is an important step in your journey.

The second meditation slot should be in the early evening, before your evening meal. As soon as you get home from work or school, take some time to refresh your body and transition into your evening meditation. Following your meditation, you're then free to interact with family and friends or engage in other activities. If your home environment doesn't lend itself to peaceful meditation, consider finding an alternative space. Perhaps your workplace has a quiet area, or maybe there's a peaceful park en route to your home where you can center yourself.

If circumstances ever prevent you from meditating before your evening meal, consider meditating before sleep as a last resort. While this isn't ideal due to the likelihood of falling asleep mid-meditation, it's better than skipping your session altogether.

No matter what, strive to complete two meditation sessions each day. To begin, these sessions could be as brief as 10 minutes each. Gradually, as your comfort and skill with meditation grow, you can extend these periods. Nonetheless, make sure to meet the minimum requirement of twice daily meditation, every day.

Incorporating meditation into your daily routine not only enhances your mindfulness and overall wellbeing but also lays the groundwork for a balanced, harmonious life. Committing to this change may be challenging, but the rewards - mental clarity, stress reduction, increased focus, and overall serenity - are well worth the effort. Dedicate yourself to this transformative practice, and watch as the benefits permeate every aspect of your life.

*half-bath: a Yogic technique to refresh all sensory and motor organs in order to re-energize the body.