Spending time with the Dalai Lama over this weekend was a lifetime tick-a-box for me, being in his light, airy and cheerful presence was something I will never forget.
One of the things that struck me was when he spoke about his daily routine, when he gets up and how long he sleeps for, and his daily exercise regime. So, when does he get up?
3.30am!!! He shared the importance of a good nights sleep on mental clarity and that 8 hours of sleep is good to aim for if we don’t want to fall asleep in meditation. We worked back from there and found he must go to bed at about 7.30pm, the same time as my children!
He said he gets up and the first thing he thinks about is Buddha and the Tibetan texts, he meditates and prays and does some exercise. That this is very important for our day, to shape the day.
He stressed the importance of a routine and of sticking to it, that the regularity of practice is vital.