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Hi Shabana,
Similar to what others have said, my daily practices tend to vary based on how I feel, what I need, etc. However, I recently completed yoga teacher training and several of the assignments were to complete a meditation, yoga kria, mantra, etc., for a set number of days (we started with 11 min a day for 11 days and worked up to 40 days). I had never before actually completed a 40-day practice (I tend to get "bored" and begin to crave variety), but I found it to be a really interesting experience.
For one thing, doing something for a set number of days, I could experience that some days it's wonderful, some days it's irritating, some days I'm chanting while I'm driving because that's what was convenient that day (and I did discover that I LOVE to chant while I'm driving and it increases my focus and lowers my stress!). Just like with physical muscles, repetition can be very effective at building the spiritual muscles and increasing capacity for discipline, distress tolerance, commitment, etc.
Once all of my assignments were completed, I didn't do anything planned at all for about a month or so. Each morning includes some meditation, some yoga, some chanting, usually reading/journaling, usually singing/music. Now that I've had my "variation breather" I've started another 40-day practice (Ho'oponopono), but the rest of my routine is fairly fluid. One of the things I like about having a set number of days to practice is that there is a definite end I can "check off" and reflect on the experience. For me, it's similar to setting a timer for meditation so I can relax and not worry about how long I'm doing it for.
My kids and I use 40-days as a marker for establishing new habits, so we have a little dry-erase chart on the fridge where we can track something that we're working on, so I've been marking this on there. If I miss a day, I DO NOT beat myself up (oppty to practice forgiveness of myself there, right?) and instead do what I call a "Fibonacci Makeup" which means that for the first day I miss, I make up that day +1, if I miss another, I make up that one +2, and so on through 3, 5, 8, etc. (though I've never had to go that far so far!). You don't "have" to make up days at all, but this is what feels good for me.
My best advice is to try something and see how it feels. You could come up with a couple of options, try each of those for 3 days, then pick one for a longer time....there's no rule, of course. Just be gentle with yourself and allow for feelings of resistance to whatever you choose at various points along the way. My other suggestion for anyone starting a new habit is to START SMALL. Most of my habits I have now I started by doing for five minutes a day, because that was super easy for me to commit to. I have learned that I work better when I begin where I am, vs. where I want to be in the future. :)
Have fun and enjoy the fruits of your sacred time!
Sat nam,
Becky
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