9:00 a.m. I’m not a big morning person. I start most days by relaxing, drinking a cup of coffee, and reading the news—I try not to doomscroll, though.
10:00 a.m. I’m a spiritual counselor, so my job is not only to listen to and support my clients as much as I can but also to offer tools to help them reframe their struggles and nurture their spiritual growth.
2:00 p.m. My wife, Kathy Cherry, and I eat lunch by the East River. Since she’s a somatic therapist and meditation teacher, we usually catch up about how our students and clients are doing.
3:00 p.m. Exercise is a natural antidepressant. It’s just as important as meditation for well-being. I do some cardio, which is good for brain function, and lift some weights to keep my body strong. It’s also a way for me to practice right effort.
4:30 p.m. Music helps me avoid engaging in too much self-referential thinking. Like exercise, it’s a task-positive behavior that can be a form of skillful spiritual practice in and of itself.
8:30 p.m. Meditating at night seems to work better for me than in the morning. It’s a way to reset from “pastor-counselor” mode to simply being a husband, a friend, and a human being.
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See more of Josh Korda’s day on Instagram @tricyclemag.
Check out previous installments of “A Day in the Dharma” featuring Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, the members of the Village Zendo, dharma teacher Valerie Brown, and six Buddhist teachers in quarantine.