I went to a Zen Buddhist temple for a week-long retreat a couple of years ago. Their schedule [1] was basically this: 1) 3:25a: 108 deep bows. Basically, this

I went to a Zen Buddhist temple for a week-long retreat a couple of years ago. Their schedule [1] was basically this: 1) 3:25a: 108 deep bows. Basically, this is going from a standing position to fully prostrate, 108 times. This is quite a workout. This awakens the body. 2) 4:00a: chanting. This is done in ancient Chinese, and you honestly have no idea what you are saying. It's not important, though. This awakens the mind. 3) 5:00a: Sitting meditation. This brings the other two together. This awakens the self. What I took away from this experience was that the benefits of exercise when combined with meditation are quite powerful. [1] http://www.musangsa.org/english/sub04/sub04_4.php http://www.musangsa.org/english/sub04/sub04_4.php