monastic experience: day 1

I have taken it upon myself to become a Hindu monk for the next 14 days. not really. as part of my Survey of World Religions course, I am becoming a Hindu monk for the next 14 days. what this entails:

length: 14 days
coaching: check in daily with partners and professor. reminder of your commitment to the program.
food plan: eat only fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains—all without preservatives or other chemical additions. eggs and dairy products are acceptable in moderation. drink only water, fruit juices, and vegetable juices. no meat. eat your food slowly by being aware of each chew.
acts of kindness: each day, do one act of compassion, without anyone knowing you did it.
daily practice: 65 minutes of conscious physical movement (yoga), conscious breathing, devotional meditation, formal meditation, spiritual readings, journal writing.
modified silence: on Wednesdays during the 2-week exploration, observe modified silence, i.e. speak only when necessary. when necessary, be aware that you are speaking.
truth telling: tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, all the time.
spending record: record every penny you spend.
tv: record time you spent watching tv.
phones: only use your phone when necessary. texting to socialize is not necessary.
internet: use of internet for non-academic related purposes is limited to one hour per day.
progressive relaxation: when you retire to bed, spend 5 minutes doing progressive relaxation. focus on breathing and relaxing the muscles of your body starting at your toes and working up to your head.
karma yoga: do your work consciously. that is, with as much awareness of your body, thoughts, feelings, and environment as you can achieve. offer the work as a gift to your deepest self.
dream work: reflect on your dreams. write down dream content, feelings you had during the dreams, feelings you have as you remember the dream.

day 1
I let myself sleep in this morning—dreaming of job opportunities. people were there—in my dreams I mean—but I can’t remember what else. I planned to wake at 6 a.m. but woke at 7:50 instead. since I don’t have class on Tuesday, I leisurely downloaded a yoga podcast—the 20 minute sunrise salutation. I wanted to go somewhere outside where I could meditate uninterrupted. I live so close to campus that it is really the only place I know to go. so I found a place where only a few people would walk by (and only a few people did!). planted my heels to the ground and sent my sits-bones to the sky. downward facing dog. felt so good. the weather is so beautiful, as was 10-minutes of conscious breathing while the sun peaked over the mountains. finishing up with a little Hindu scripture and prayer, I got in the shower.

oatmeal for breakfast. honey and sliced bananas—no brown sugar. glass of silk. the weather was still beautiful as I walked to school. even though it was national pancake day, which I celebrated in style last year, and which the newsroom was celebrating, I refrained. and the frosting-smothered sugar cookies on my dining table have not tempted me. it’s my first day, and I’m strong.

checked in with my partners. I really tried to do a good deed, but probably didn’t. maybe there’s still time. after school (with limited texting I might add), I made a delicious snack. crisp bread with avocado, cheese, tomatoes, and spinach leaves. it was one of the most satisfying meals I’ve ever eaten. woah. did I really just say that? it was really good. after about 3 hours, I had 2 pieces of my mom’s love-filled, hand-ground-wheat, whole-wheat bread. thanks mom.

evaluation
truth telling: definitely could do better.
spending: $0
phone: limited—but could do better.
tv: obama’s speech – 20 minutes
internet: yikes.

tomorrow: modified silence.