A post-evening meditation ritual

Vedic meditation is pretty unique in a lot of ways, one of them being that we meditate twice each day. This often draws a few gasps or questioning looks, and I understand why – we’re not accustomed to taking frequent time out for ourselves. It can feel like a luxury to take any time out for yourself, never mind twice in one day. However, having multiple opportunities to stop, reconnect to our deep inner nature, or Being, each day is the key to integrating a still, calm and clear mindset even in the midst of busy daily activity. As we get swept up in the doing of life, our twice-daily practice is a moment to stop in and remember our being. So we are balancing all that doing with some much-needed being.

I’m such a fan of rituals and practices, and last week I shared a beautiful little contemplation practice you can do at the end of your morning meditation. Here, I’m going to share some simple questions for you to consider at the end of your second meditation. Most of us do this meditation between work and dinner, so it’s the perfect time to cast your mind back, reflect on the day, and turn all your experiences into lessons, insight and deeper understanding of yourselves. This helps the intellectual mind to process the day too, meaning you’ll probably notice that when your head hits the pillow for sleep, there’s less mental churning. This plus your daily meditation provide the means for processing and digesting the day, so when bed time rolls around later, you’re free to settle into sleep.

The ritual

1 Take your usual 20-minute Vedic meditation practice.

2 Once you’re around the 20-minute mark, let go of the mantra and practice and contemplate the following questions:

What am I proud of today?

What’s one thing I learned today?

What’s one thing I could do better next time?

Take your time to cast your mind back over the day as you answer these questions. When you are done, take a few moments, then gently open your eyes and move into your evening.