Make Your Morning Routine More Spiritual - Lessons from the Dalai Lama
“It’s not trendy, it’s a lifestyle”
Most people start a morning routine so that they can be more productive and work toward some goal that they have.
And in most cases that goal is either related to health or wealth. You want to get up early and work on a new side hustle, or you want to rise at 6am and be the first in the gym to shed 50lbs and everything in between those two poles.
But what if you’re the highest spiritual leader of the Tibetan monks?
The Dalai Lama rises at 3am and I highly doubt it’s so that he can work on his new dropshipping side hustle.
The Dalai Lama sees himself as a ‘simple buddhist monk’ and follows those principles throughout his daily schedule.
If you’re using the No More Snooze morning routine builder, you will know that the morning routine has 1 of 4 desired outcomes: Stillness, Energy, Vigour and Purpose.
I’m sure if His Holiness was using our morning routine builder he would select ‘Stillness’.
In fact, Nick Keomahavong, a buddhist monk says the purpose of the morning routine is not productivity in the monastery, it is intention. It is used as a way to train the mind, a way to cultivate the wisdom and as an outcome the mind becomes stable, clear, bright, neutral and healthy. Then automatically productivity, motivation and inspiration comes and you’re positive and relaxed.
“Use it to train your mind to develop wisdom to apply the information and knowledge that you know to fix your own habits and continuously improve your life.”
If you’re new to morning routines or you’re just starting on your own journey of discipline and self-discovery, try to adopt a small habit that develops stillness of mind.
The Dalai Lama rises at 3am. An action made easier by retiring at 7pm each night. We know that it’s easier to wake up early if we go to bed earlier. Yet most of us spend the hours between 7pm and 11pm watching tv or playing video games. It’s safe to assume the Dalai Lama isn’t binge watching Netflix every night.
After rising at 3am, he starts the day with prayers, meditations and prostrations…for up to 2 hours!
I challenge anyone that has never meditated to last longer than 10 minutes. It’s actually pretty painful to begin with and you’ll realise how busy and engaged your mind is. It’s why so many have tried and failed, as have I.
2 hours of prayers, meditations and prostrations is based on 2600 years of teachings and decades of selfless practice.
What’s the easiest way to start a meditation habit? Meditate for 1 minute. Just sit there for 1 minute and then tick it off your morning routine as a job well done. Tiny changes, remarkable results, now where have we heard that before…
From 5am, the DL takes a walk outside and if the weather is not to his liking he takes a walk on the treadmill right before breakfast is served at 5.30am.
Whilst chowing down on his porridge, His Holiness tunes in to BBC World News, no doubt to keep abreast of the latest worldly disaster and to stay informed.
I’m actively avoiding the news, tv and social media during my morning routine but that’s because it doesn’t add any value to what I’m trying to achieve with my morning routine.
But the beauty of the morning routine is that it is personal. If you must be informed about the political and economic tensions across the globe then tune in, as the Dalai Lama does.
Around 3 hours have passed since he woke but the spiritual leader is not yet finished with his morning routine. After breakfast, the Dalai Lama continues with his meditations and prayers…for another 3 hours!
Let’s not pretend this is even remotely possible for somebody other than a monk, but the entire routine is centred around the outcome. The outcome of stillness and peace of mind.
The takeaway from the morning routine of the highest spiritual leader and the buddhist monk lifestyle
If you want to be more productive and disciplined then slow down, don’t speed up.
Calm the mind, clear your thoughts and inspiration and motivation will come.
The modern world is frantic and your mind is over-stimulated. Surrounded by easy pleasures and wandering the streets high on dopamine with the next fix sitting in your pocket.
Incorporate some habits that help you attain stillness like meditation, prayer, chanting, mindfulness or breath work before starting your day.
And focus your morning routine on the outcome you want.
“Along with physical hygiene, we need to teach children to cultivate emotional hygiene so they can learn how to tackle their destructive emotions and achieve peace of mind” - Dalai Lama.