Time Dedicated to Worship/Prayer, Meditation, and/or Silent Contemplation

[SalixIncendium]

How many hours in a typical week do you currently spend in dedicated worship/prayer, meditation, and/or silent contemplation outside of everyday secular activity? I'm not talking about a quick petition to your god to help you find your car keys or get a job or living in accordance with your religious or spiritual views, but dedicated practice.

If you would like to indicate which of the above practices you perform, feel free to do so below.

And preemptively, no, posting on RF doesn't count.

 

[Rival]

I'm doing novenas now, which takes maybe about 10-15 minutes. I combine that with personal prayer.

I have novenas to the Holy Ghost, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy and a book of Scriptural novenas.

It's not long, but I'm not good at that. I figure God doesn't want forced prayers. So my 15 minutes or so seems good to me at the minute.

I'd like to try the rosary again.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I meditate for 60-90 minutes daily, on average, give or take 30-40 minutes on some days. This doesn't include practicing meditation or mindfulness while doing something else (e.g., walking meditation); only silent meditation and contemplation.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I don't turn meditation off and on like a light switch.

Eternal Sesshin .

 

[SalixIncendium]

I don't turn meditation off and on like a light switch.

Eternal Sesshin .

So your degree of engagement in worldly matters is static?

 

[Twilight Hue]

So your degree of engagement in worldly matters is static?

Naw. Life itself is one big meditation.

 

[Vinayaka]

My morning Saiva atmartha puja, including japa, takes about an hour. I attend koyil once a week for 2 hours. But I don't see this question so much in time, but more by intensity, which is subjective.

 

[SalixIncendium]

But I don't see this question so much in time, but more by intensity, which is subjective.

This is why I used the term "dedicated" in the title and OP. It's intended to communicate time spent at the highest intensity one is capable of.

Outside of my time spent in mediation, my engagement in the world varies from moment to moment.

 

[JustGeorge]

I don't really know.

I'm trying to get away from the division of sacred and secular. Because of the way life is right now, I'm unable to really 'set time' for things, so I do them as I'm able. If I spent ten minutes chanting a mantra, I'm not going to say it 'didn't count' because I was driving as opposed to seated in the puja room. If I actually get time in the puja room, I'm going to be realistic and attempt Surya Namaskar as opposed to a half hour meditation, because a half hour uninterrupted is not realistic.

With Karma yoga, anything can become a sacred act as well. No need to divide.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I don't really segregate my time into secular and otherwise...I try to be aware and thankful for everything as I go through my day...

 

[mangalavara]

I'm doing novenas now, which takes maybe about 10-15 minutes. I combine that with personal prayer.

That sounds like a good spiritual practice.

I have novenas to the Holy Ghost, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy and a book of Scriptural novenas.

If I were a Christian, my spiritual practice would likely involve novenas.

I get the feeling that your spirituality is similar to mine: very inward, contemplative, and whispery.

With Karma yoga, anything can become a sacred act as well. No need to divide.

I always found karma yoga as taught in the Bhagavad Gītā to be difficult with regards to withdrawing the mind from sense objects. Doing karmas/actions without desire for the fruits is the easy part though (in my experience).

 

[mangalavara]

How many hours in a typical week do you currently spend in dedicated worship/prayer, meditation, and/or silent contemplation outside of everyday secular activity?

I voted 4–6 hours in the poll.

If you would like to indicate which of the above practices you perform, feel free to do so below.

Most of my spiritual practice, lately, is nāmajapa, the chanting or repetition of a divine name. I sit on a floor cushion reserved for the practice and chant the name Śiva (vocative case) with the aid of a mālā of 108 beads plus a Meru bead. Currently, my rule is a minimum of 10 rounds every solar day. I typically do one or two additional rounds after 10 have been completed.

 

[JustGeorge]

I always found karma yoga as taught in the Bhagavad Gītā to be difficult with regards to withdrawing the mind from sense objects. Doing karmas/actions without desire for the fruits is the easy part though (in my experience).

I'm not always good at withdrawing the mind from the sense object. At this point, I don't think I'm ready for that. I try to focus more on non-attachment to the sensation. Yes, that doughnut was delicious! But its gone now. Don't need 5 more. (For example.)

 

[SalixIncendium]

Yes, that doughnut was delicious! But its gone now. Don't need 5 more. (For example.)

Clearly, you've never tried medu vadas.

 

[The Hammer]

I put zero. Mostly because I have been very busy lately. But I try to dedicate everything I do, to the Gods. I try to live my beliefs so to speak.

 

[PureX]

The only thing conscious and deliberate is that every morning as I leave the house to go to work I verbally express my gratitude for the gift of life, for life as a human being, and for all the fellow humans I get to enjoy it with, and my hope and desire to convey this joy and appreciation for these things to the world around me throughout the day.

As I'm writing this I'm thinking that if I had a watch or something that could somehow signal me periodically throughout the day just as a reminder, this would probably be very helpful. But I don't wear watches. So maybe something else.

 

[SalixIncendium]

As I'm writing this I'm thinking that if I had a watch or something that could somehow signal me periodically throughout the day just as a reminder, this would probably be very helpful. But I don't wear watches. So maybe something else.

If you have a smartphone you can set a reminder to go off to accomplish this.

If not, you can PM me your phone number and I can call you to remind you to do this. You don't even have to offer me gratitude, because I'm already a part of the "we" of which you are already expressing gratitude.

 

[PureX]

If you have a smartphone you can set a reminder to go off to accomplish this.

If not, you can PM me your phone number and I can call you to remind you to do this. You don't even have to offer me gratitude, because I'm already a part of the "we" of which you are already expressing gratitude.

Imagine living life alone. How much that would truly suck! I think about that a lot. About what a gift it is to be part of a "we". Even if we ARE all nuts.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Imagine living life alone. How much that would truly suck! I think about that a lot. About what a gift it is to be part of a "we". Even if we ARE all nuts.

I don't have to imagine it. I've tested it. It doesn't suck as much as you might think it would.

There's always some loon out there offering to call you to remind you to express gratitude.

 

[JustGeorge]

Clearly, you've never tried medu vadas.

I haven't had that opportunity, no.