The APT Method: Sacred Transitions and the Efficiency Paradox

 

The modern age has given rise to innumerable and intractable illnesses – the suffering of which is shared by the planet, its flora and fauna, and all humanity struggling to find meaning and growth upon her surface. The modern era also offers us the never-before-seen possibility of bringing myriad esoteric, enriching, and perhaps essential Practices to light. The Information Age serves to prevent cultural amnesia and allows rapid retrieval of near-lost knowledge. It’s easier to find and remember such Practices but also harder than ever to make the time for these gifts from our ancestors. These are Practices that can offer a hand in recovering health, Practices that can reunite us with bliss and compassion, and Practices that offer spectacular shifts in human development. The trend the world is seeing is one in which more and more people are determined to devote themselves to the study of Practices once lost in culture, language, and time. It is amazing to think that the light of knowledge keeps more treasures of human insight and understanding from becoming lost in shadow. Further, more and more people seem to sense the value of such practices and find more and more modern-day benefits from them.

 

Modernity offers us Answers but Keeps us from them

Too often, we seem to A) Know about a valuable Practice and B) Begin the study and Practice of such a skill but…C) Fail to efficiently engage with the knowledge. In time, feeling the Practices have failed us (rather than recognizing that we have failed the Practices), we discard the Practice. It is after we toss away our nascent Practice that we embark on the addictive “what else is there” journey in which we bounce from promising Art to promising skill to promising promise. Always chasing the squirt of satisfying brain hormones. Eventually, the bouncing ends, and we find ourselves disappointed and maybe crushed. We point fingers at ancient Practices and ways without having recognized our own complicity in their failure to fruit.

Most ancient Practices inherently rely on (and demand) sincere application of self, presence, patience, and devotion. The trouble is, we are modern people living modern lives with modern technology as the myriad, manic demands of modernity pelt us from all directions at all times. Seriously, at all times. From every screen. And the screens are in more and more places and powered up more and more often. Our life is a nonstop onslaught of buzzes, chirps, pop-ups, and flashing lights. I mean, our phones PUSH data at us. Our screens are no longer windows affording us a glimpse into far-off places and distant times. Our screens are dams – tenuously straining to hold back the floodwaters of THIS, of NOW, of NEXT, of SALE, of Did you know that…, and OMG! Our saving grace in the face of this rising tide of dam screens will be wisdom.

Wisdom, by its nature, never dabbles in the extraneous, favoring instead the efficiency that is often the key to success. I don’t have a Time Machine, so I’m unable to create more training time or even revisit prior poor allocations of my time. My best bet for effectiveness is a cultivation of and commitment to efficiency. In fact, the paramount Principle for me, has always been a readily accessible suprapower – efficiency. So, rather than making another promise and see it fail to fruit or rail against how rotten the world seems to be, I plan to make efficient use of my time.

Earlier, we mentioned that all of the world’s age-old and powerfully profound Practices inherently rely on (and demand) sincere application of self, presence, patience, and devotion. A commitment to efficiency supports the expression of presence, patience, and devotion as these each grow in the fertile grounds of unhurried self-development.

Nowadays, we may have less total time to train, but we can still demand effectiveness with the wise use of that diminished time. Any sincere application of the entire self illuminates a need for a deep commitment to efficiency, and that efficiency helpfully provides a fecund seedbed for presence, patience, and devotion to take root and come into flower. The Practices that our ancestors so generously tended and passed on will rely on (and demand) the fruits of our efficiency: presence, patience, and devotion.

Be careful of the trap of appearances, though. What looks like Better is actually just More all dressed up to look like Better. Wisdom provides the sight and insight to see through such trappings draped over Better but which are truly just a gussied-up More. ‘More’ is wrongly equated with ‘better’ and ‘less’ with ‘worse’ in our society. Being determined to use whatever amount of time we have to greatest effect is the mark of wisdom.

The Sage, being devoted to efficiency, will make skillful use of both the preparations and the closings of a Practice. An onlooker may think that the Sage had failed to use most of her time Practicing. Meanwhile, a keen observer, knowing that ‘more’ is not ‘better,’ will smile knowing that the Sage had a most effective Practice session.

 

What Might Sacred Traditions Teach the Harried, Hurried, & Hectic?

What can we learn about efficient use of our limited practice time from a student of Zen?
For that matter, what might a Dàoist share with us about the wise use of our limited resources for addressing our personal health and evolution?

 

from a Zen perspective…

Transitional periods are viewed as moments of pure awareness, stripped of conceptual overlay and preconceived expectations. These intervals between known states are seen as potent opportunities for direct experience, where the mind can release its habitual grasping and simply encounter the raw immediacy of what is. In Zen understanding, transition is not a problem to be solved but a profound Teaching to be present for. Transitional periods can be experienced as a kōan-like space where the illusion of fixed identity dissolves and where one can glimpse the fundamental emptiness and interconnectedness of all phenomena. The practitioner is invited to sit in the uncertainty, to breathe into the groundlessness. In time and with Practice, the student of Zen may even recognize that these liminal moments are not wrinkles in the fabric of life but are the very texture of all existence. Here, in this space between breaths, between thoughts, between states, Satori may find us. Satori is the blessed rarity where enlightenment suddenly blooms – a spontaneous understanding that arises not through conceptual knowledge but through complete, unmediated presence.

 

from a Dàoist perspective…

Transitional periods are not disruptions to be feared or resisted, but are instead sacred moments of transformative potential. Moments that easily embody the profound Principle of continuous change inherent in the Dào. These liminal spaces represent the fluid, dynamic nature of existence, where seemingly opposing states blend and interact, much like water seamlessly transitioning between its solid, liquid, and gaseous forms. A Dàoist understands such transitions as opportunities for Wúwéi.

Wúwéi is what makes a Dàoist so Rock and Roll! You know: Don’t Rock the Boat and always Roll with the Punches. Dàoism is all about Rockin’ ‘n Rollin’! Wúwéi is about aligning one’s actions very sensibly with the natural flow of energy. Utilizing this philosophical prescription, one can observe subtle shifts without attachment and remember that transformation is the fundamental rhythm of the universe. Just as the Yìjīng (I Ching) reveals how change emerges from the interplay of complementary forces, these transitional moments are viewed as generative spaces where potential is most alive, and where the boundaries between what was and what will be become deliciously indistinct. Transitional periods are also where a spiritual Practice benefits from our commitment to remaining supple, open, and receptive to the emerging patterns of becoming.

 

OK, Back to Efficiency.

It is crucial to accurately determine the total time available for a Practice session. Of course, we cannot always control the time we have but we can work to make our best assessment of our time constraints and work to respect them.
Consider a scenario akin to dining at a restaurant for dinner. For our purposes, let’s anticipate a meal lasting 90 minutes. However, it is essential to account for the travel time to and from the establishment. Let us assume that accounting for the to/from travel time puts us at a new total of two hours. Additionally, we must allow for the time required to prepare for the outing. Let’s say this’ll take 30 minutes. We’re up to two and a half hours, now.
We could further extend this metaphor to include factors such as waiting for a table, potential delays during transportation, and the possibility of encountering a friend during the dining experience. There’s no need to factor that all, however. It’s sufficient to our purposes to see that, in essence, our 90-minute dinner would actually require approximately two and a half hours. It is imperative that we factor in this additional time to ensure that we fully benefit from and enjoy the dining experience, including the value we place on its nutrition and the social interactions.

 

Since, I’m thinking of Dinner, now – Here’s a Recipe for Efficiency

But first, some caveats:

For this article and simply for the sake of discussion, I’ll be presuming that there is a total of 10 minutes to Practice. The absolute time of your Available Practice Time (APT) is not important.

For simplicity’s sake, I’ll be referring to a 10 minute training window. The lessons of this article, however, would apply to any given period of time that one has available for studying and training.
Remember, a shorter Practice period could be appropriate for you. A longer Practice period could be appropriate for you. The actual amount of time that is available to you will likely be different than the ten-minute example period outlined here.

Be careful not to get hung up on the relative proportion of the time allocated to the phases of the APT mentioned. It’s not mathematical. It’s not precise. It’s not a commandment. Please don’t think that since your Practice time is 1/7 of the time I mention that you need to divide each segment by 7 and then write to me to find out if the ancient secret is to round up or round down…or else nothing will work. Inhale. Exhale. Again, please. Slower. Inhale. Enjoy that. Exhale, enjoy this. Ahhhh.

The proportions here are suggestive approximations and not law. What is important to bear and keep in mind is that all phases of the APT are necessary to a healthy Practice. Honor each in your organization of time and honor them again, each in their turn. The appropriate proportions will become clear only if we deeply value and deeply consider the needs of the Day…its interior and its interregna.

Meditation is the Practice I’ve presumed for the sake of this article. There are many millions of Practices brought into the light by our modern Information Age – any of which would benefit by an application of APT. Everything in this article applies perfectly well to the whole gamut of Practices designed to heal, nurture, and stretch us. Martial Arts, Poetry, Breathwork, Massage, Physical Therapy, Painting, Music-making are a few that come to mind.

 

An APT Recipe:

Visualize your Practice session (I’ll be imagining it as a meditation Practice session) as you would think of a complete day – not just the full daylight hours, but the gentle transitions of dawn and dusk. Neither is night but each contribute to the entire experience of each day. Rather than pushing for maximum time in formal meditation, we can create a more sustainable and effective Practice by honoring these natural transitions.

Imagine the luxurious feeling of beginning with a few minutes of preparation before easing into the actual meditation. In this way, we can spend quality time with a deeply nurtured Practice. Later, when we’re done with the actual meditation, we can be present for a few minutes of reflection. We can accept the invitation that the unfolding time allows us. We can take a moment to reflect on our experience, notice our state, and begin to collect ourselves for an easeful transition into mundane life.

We benefit from more high-quality Practice, not simply more Practice. To wit: If we have a five-minute practice period, let’s honor the dawn of that period of preparation, of coming into meditativeness. Let’s enjoy the first light of morning dew and enjoy that first sip. Similarly, after our core meditation Practice within our meditation Practice time, let’s honor the dusk of our Practice. Let’s welcome the coming quiet of Night and consider the newly revealed stars.

 

APT leads to APTitude

Just as your day every day has a daybreak period, the bulk of the day itself, and a twilight period – our Practice Period is most efficient when we view it as made of three distinct phases:
A time to shift into Practice.
A time of Practice proper.
And a time to shift from Practice.
Let’s refer to these three as Dawn, Peak Practice, and Dusk.

Now, let’s consider the role of our newly emergent Dawn, Peak Practice, & Dusk phases in our APT, our Available Practice Time.

 

Dawn:

Easing ourselves into a more meditative way of being.

Setting intentions, reviewing notes, lighting a candle, brewing tea. Any such things can serve to properly give genesis to a powerful and profound Practice.

Mindful preparation is the key here. This is an opportunity to generate, cultivate, and inhabit the reality of Practice. Our ordinary, daily life and its demands begins to have its fervor fade, its insistences lose persistence. You might see this period as a gate, a portal, a shift. Like every new day at dawn, we are welcomed with a fresh start and can keenly see more deeply into reality with new eyes. If we choose…so, choose to.

 

Peak Practice:

Working on and/or enjoying the Practice itself.

This is where supported by the Dawn and unhurried by the coming Dusk, we can properly give ourselves over to a full Practice.

The key in this phase is simply surrendering to Practice. Or deeply devoting oneself to Practice. Or, perhaps, profoundly trusting in Practice. Knowing that the temporal borders to this sacred time are secured, full engagement is our reward. Enjoy the bright daylight of awareness knowing that the dim, shadowy shoulder edges of the day are not intruding. Utter focus in this locus of Life…Practice.

 

Dusk:

Being as we’ve become.

Penning a journal entry, doodling, stretching the body, writing some notes, folding your meditation blanket, and cleaning the space. These are the small Practices that serve to anchor us in this twilight and forestall the coming stark light of mundanity. Practices embraced here can steer us smoothly into the part of our day that follows our Practice. The fullness of the dusk of Practice can also give us confidence in the Peak Practice periods we will encounter in our future. Knowing that we won’t need to snap out of Practice fully simply because a timer goes off invites us more confidently into Peak Practices to come.

The key here is to experience the ripening of the self. Unhurriedly resting in this now. Work to insist on Next waiting its turn. This crepuscular post-Practice and pre-Ordinary life phase allows us to distill, to integrate, to absorb. A gentle transition allows us to carry the fruits of Practice into our life beyond Practice.

This Dawn, Peak Practice, and dusk approach to our APT honors both the formal Practice and the important transitions that bookend it. Just as Nature doesn’t abruptly switch from night to day, we have no need for a jarring shift between states of mind. Instead, we can allow our Practice to rise and set with grace…and burn brightly in between.

 

So, we have to fit our Dawn, Peak Practice, & Dusk into our total ten minute Practice window.
Remember that we’ve arbitrarily decided to illustrate an example ten-minute Practice session.For our example ten-minute meditation period, consider this apportioning of its three sub-periods:

- Commence with 3-4 minutes of getting ready for meditation.

- Spend 4 or so minutes actually meditating.

- End with 2-3 minutes just being yourself and taking a moment to relax.

 

Additionally, in case it helps, here's a five minute version:

- 1-2 minutes of dawn.

- 2 minutes of Meditation Practice.

- 1 minute of twilight.

 

I know that you might see this and think, “I only have the tiniest bit of time to fit this in. I mean, five minutes?!” Then you think, “If I only have five minutes, I want to dive right in and get the most meditation out of this tiny time slot.” Please remember, the idea hasn’t ever been about more meditation; it’s been about better meditation. More efficient use of time leads to better meditation. That’s what we’ve been after. Not simply more. More of a bad thing isn’t at all the same as a little bit of a good thing. The reflexive reaction that leads us to think, “more is better,” when faced with a time crunch, isn’t important to act on. Have the feeling, sure. Then, return to the APT plan of efficiency.

APT isn’t about proportional allowances given to Sunrise time, Sun high overhead time, and Sun setting time. It is about a meaningful amount of time apportioned to dawn and dusk. Even if the emergent periods on either side of the midday take up a lot of what may seem to be a short Available Practice Time (such as with our ten minute example.)

The three elements of a day on Earth are not of equal duration. And yet, all three are necessary and integral to a complete day. What is important for us to remember is that they are all valued, given their time.

Did you know that in winter, when daylight hours shorten, dawn and dusk actually lengthen? Yes, it’s true. Dawn and dusk periods do change in length throughout the year, but interestingly, they actually tend to be longer in Winter when days are shorter (at least in mid to high latitudes.) This effect is most dramatic at the higher latitudes and less apparent when nearer the equator. In fact, in very high latitudes, twilight periods can be extremely long-lasting…even to the point of a continuous twilight at certain times of year.

 

Train Every Day, and Respect Each Phase of Each Day

On a given day, You might miss the sunrise. You might miss the sunset. You may sleep or work through them, you may be distracted. You can work or sleep through them, but each day arrives with a sunrise and departs with a sunset regardless of your attention. In our practice period, we’d like to allow ourselves to remember, notice, appreciate, honor, experience, and celebrate these dawn and dusk periods. They are happening anyway. The important idea is to value and consciously carve our time so as to be able to commune with and benefit from these periods. Remember: your ego is likely to only harbor a narrow interest in the primary Practice period at the center of your Available Practice Time. That’s OK. However, our souls will most appreciate the periods of transition on either side of the central Practice period. My advice? – starve the ego and feed the soul.

Have a nice day!

 

 

Bio:

Stephen Watson, the author, will be offering many introductory sessions this year through his studio Someday Farm. Most will be available via Zoom and archived on Patreon.com/SomedayFarm.
Introductions to Stretching, Breathing, & Meditation are in the works. Find out more and enroll by following the links here: https://linktr.ee/SomedayFarm
First up is a Meditation course designed to improve attention spans. Each Sunday in January 2025 at 1 pm, New York time: You can sign up here for our
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