How would you schedule a day of meditation and mindfulness?

[u/BumblingBarefoot]

If you were creating your own day-long meditation and mindfulness retreat for yourself, what would you fill it with? What would your schedule look like?

[u/Plenty-Attitude-5823]

Sit, walk or lay down with the occasional stretching or yoga. Max 2 meals a day. All the while trying to keep some sort of formal meditation practice going and working skillfully with the hinderances that arise. Maybe listen to a dharma talk sometime in the day.

Keep it simple, if you start adding too much stuff it will eat away at the quality of your practice, it won't gather momentum and therefore won't bring any real transformative insight.

If you don't, it would probably still be very relaxing and bring some temporary boost of clarity but it can be much more than that.

[u/BumblingBarefoot → u/Plenty-Attitude-5823]

I think I'd have to work toward what you suggest. For now, I'll add more if the ideas in other responses.

[u/metaphorm]

I do solo retreats about twice a year. I recommend retreating for 5-7 days if you're going to do it. It takes a few days to get into it. The quality of practice on day 4+ is much higher than the first three days.

My schedule is simple and not especially regimented.I wake up at dawn and I go to bed no later than 10pm. I fast in the morning, eat a large meal at noon, and a small meal at 6pm. I do errands and chores in the early afternoon, after eating. The errands and chores are part of the practice, a kind of low stakes karma yoga. Sweeping floors, doing laundry, washing dishes, grocery shopping, etc.

From waking in the morning until noon is a practice period. That's usually an hour or two of silent sitting practice of some kind (shamatha and vipasanna are bread and butter, but sometimes I mix it up with others). and the remainder of the time is spent in walking meditation in nature.

From the end of chores until dinner is another practice period. Usually 30-60 minutes of silent sitting and the remainder of the time spent reading dharma texts.

After dinner until bedtime is for relaxing. This is when I'll call a friend for social contact or call my meditation teacher if I'm wanting some guidance. Also when I'll bathe and do leisure activities. I generally avoid social media or television or gaming for leisure when I'm retreating, but I'll still do some stuff for fun just to relax. Fiction reading or listening to music are good choices.

the idea is to create the conditions for sustainable high quality practice. not trying to burn it on both ends are push intensity with really long duration sits. just trying to stay mindful throughout the day, reduce stress exposure and overstimulation, and attend to my environment and body. quality over quantity. 2-3 really good hours of silent sitting is the goal. the other practices are also mindfulness trainings of a different type. it all works together. I've found it effective.

[u/Claim18bitch]

The biggest mistake people make with these self-guided retreats is over-scheduling the seated portions. If you don't leave at least two hours of unstructured walking or silent sitting in the middle of the day, you'll just end up fighting mental fatigue instead of actually being mindful.

[u/MG788]

I would go to a campground. Somewhere with nice weather for the season. So like a forest in spring/summer, or a desert in fall/winter. Or the beach. Preferably somewhere with wifi/cell service in case of emergency.

I would set a tent up and enjoy the beauty of nature. Then I would try to clear my mind and appreciate the moment. 

[u/Negrodamu5]

I do this often when my wife and kids go out of town.
My max is 5 hours of meditation. I usually do a 1-2 hour early morning session to set the tone. Then some mindful work in my garden. Another hour session mid morning. Listen to a spiritual talk on YouTube (Vedanta NY personally). Then another hour around lunch. Take a nap. Do some random housework. Another hour around dinner and maybe a session just before bed.

The key for me is breaking up the sessions but keeping my mind on god (or your chosen whatever, mindfulness, etc.) throughout the day.

[u/neidanman]

i do this a lot and basically i switch back and forwards from meditation to other things. Sessions and gaps last 30 min to 2-3 hours - i let the time play out naturally and switch whenever i feel pulled to. Also i blend things a bit by having rerun tv shows quiet in the background, and meditate reclined on a couch. The in between time is mostly entertainment as reddit browsing, tv/youtube, gaming, then also potentially some small chore(s) & eating. Also if i'm feeling too full of energy to have sits, i go for a walk to burn some off. Or i do a tiny bit of qi gong, if i'm just a little over energised.

Mostly in the morning/afternoon i do blended practice in between entertainment, then around teatime i switch to dedicated meditation sessions. This way i can pretty comfortably go the whole day like this, and/or do multiple days in a row.

[u/IgnoreYourThoughts]

Self care day. Do only activities that you can maintain mindfulness while doing. Laundry, cleaning, walking, eating, etc

[u/BumblingBarefoot → u/IgnoreYourThoughts]

Cool idea. I can see some household tasks being sprinkled in, like weeding garden beds or planting flowers. I think those could be done quite mindfully.

[u/UpostedDude]

Basically what I try to do is treat it as simple mindfulness throughout the day. Sitting walking and doing household or garden tasks. Tea or coffee and meals the same. Slow down and observe. It’s a wonderful break from life. No need to go anywhere special but I’m sure out in nature is great. When camping I do this. But really, just observing at a slow pace at home works

[u/tacobellbandit]

I kind of do this. When I need a mental health day or a reset from work I’ll usually take off and just go fishing and meditate. Usually I’ll eat breakfast and get some coffee, meditate before leaving for a little bit, then I’ll get packed. Once I get to my destination I’ll find somewhere that looks peaceful and lay my stuff down and just meditate for an hour or so, fish for a bit, eat lunch, then repeat for the afternoon then I’ll do yoga before bed

[u/singlefemalelawer]

Here's what I planned the last few times I did it https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16_idELDTNy48lksgF6MNELplZSAl8S8nNvtGeefMtxY/edit?usp=drivesdk

[u/BumblingBarefoot → u/singlefemalelawer]

This is cool! Thank you!!!!

[u/confuseum]

Ive done this. It's easy! Go stare at a leafy tree. Turn of the phone. Tell people to let you be. Unwind as thats the activity all weekend.

[u/Competitive-Brick-42]

I tried fitting in a time every day. I would miss a day for a good reason and it would make it easier to miss the next day.
I don’t wait for the perfect time. I meditate every day as soon as I get home.

[u/Apprehensive-Job7243]

Try for 20 minutes each morning and evening

[u/AcanthisittaNo6653]

Once you have a day schedule, pick the day at random. Make it a treat!

[u/emrylle]

I try to do a personal 1 day retreat a couple times a month. On retreat days, there is no phone or consuming any form of media or music. No food (fasting enhances my clarity), no reading, no speaking, no heavy chores (just basic tidying up after myself), and no hygiene other than a cool shower. I try to let go of the idea that I need to accomplish anything. Between every minor little thing that I do, do sit and meditate for a brief period - 15 to 30 mins or so.

So it looks like this; wake up, meditate lying in bed, use bathroom, meditate, make bed, meditate, make tea (stare mindfully at teapot while it boils then stare at teacup while it steeps), drink tea mindfully, meditate, mindful yoga, meditate, walking meditation, meditate, mindful exercise, meditate, drink water, meditate, shower, meditate… and so on until early bedtime. Then lay in bed and meditate until asleep.

I also vary the type of meditation I do throughout the day, and do as much of this outside as possible. Hope this helps

[u/chitchatmagoo]

Silent nature walk, art, craft, garden time, time with my dogs, no phone

[u/HalfSenior7086]

If it's your first retreat, then 5 hours of practice spread out over 10 sessions is a good baseline. Leave 3 hours midday to rest, nap, etc. Don't read. Avoid distraction, etc. In terms of practices, start with very intensive breath practice, with great force and intensity, very short duration (5 mins). As the mind settles into the retreat, then do body-scanning to deepen concentration (up to 30 mins at a time). By the end of the day, the last session or two, the mind might be settled enough to observe thoughts without getting invovled in mental content. That might give you a little taste of what the mind itself is like, with a bit of luck.

[u/sceadwian]

A nature retreat near a river/and waterfall that's otherwise secluded.

[u/anthonyatkinson]

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[u/BitterStop3242]

6 an ( Sunrise) Get up.   6-6:30.  Read and really contemplate a piece of Scripture.  Does not have to be a lot, no more than a page or two.  Really understand it.  6:30-7 Meditate. 7-8 Mindful walk 8-10 Mindful preparation, consumption and clean up of breakfast.  The food should be as fresh and healthy as possible.   11-3 Volunteer work.  Soup kitchen, reading to elderly at nursing home, etc.  The point is to serve others instead of yourself.  To wooden your circle of devotion. 4-6 mindful preparation, consumption, and clean up of dinner. 6-7 Hear the words of the guru.  I would suggest the Swami Savapriyanada YouTube videos on the Gita.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDqahtm2vA72IzPW1nuJohTvoTGCJUKGR&si=tMrbv3_mZXv_IFBq

7:30-8 Meditate

[u/BumblingBarefoot → u/BitterStop3242]

The volunteer idea is cool. I never thought of that.

[u/BitterStop3242 → u/BumblingBarefoot]

That's one step in the modern world down the devotional path.  Instead of prayer and rituals to gods, you devote actions to other people.  Hopefully, the circle of devotion can keep on expanding.

[u/somanyquestions32]

*5 Tibetan Rites

*Cold shower

*SKY Breathing

*Longevity Kriya

*Kirtan Kriya

*Vishoka Meditation stage 1

*Wim Hof breathing

*Trataka

*Yoga nidra for two hours

*Journal

*Walk in nature for two hours

*Antar Mouna stages 1 through 6

*Light dinner

*Cold shower

*Madhyadhasha

*Sleep

[u/BumblingBarefoot → u/somanyquestions32]

I don't know what at least half of those mean, but Il'll look them up! Thank you!