This type of meditation - a secularized form of Vipassana in which one passively observers mental events - is very popular in the West.<p>But it's not the only one, and shouldn't be called merely "meditation" without regard to the vast body of practices that exist.<p>Another form of meditation that's traditionally talked about in Buddhism is shamatha, which translates to something like "concentration" or "tranquility." In this type of practice, the meditator works with a meditation object, commonly the breath, but possibly a sound, mental image, etc. The meditator learns to stabilize the mind and remain fully aware of the object, and in the process learns to debug the mechanisms that direct (and destabilize) conscious attention.<p>A recently published book called _The_Mind_Illustrated_ by John Yates is fa fantastic resource for this kind of practice.<p>If you're interested in scientific attempts to categorize and study meditation, the Center for Healthy Minds at UW-Madison does some fantastic neuroscience & psychology research.<p><a href="https://centerhealthyminds.org/assets/files-publications/DahlReconstructingTICS.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://centerhealthyminds.org/assets/files-publications/Dah...</a><p>In the scientific terminology that is emerging these days, Attentional, Constructive, and Deconstructive types of meditation are mapped onto various types of traditional practices (there's a handy chart in the paper).
I had always had some kind of anxiety or ocd for as long as I can remember. I'd searched for various ways to deal with it but only discovering meditation really worked for me.<p>After meditating for 6 months every day (starting with 5 minutes daily, ending with 20-30) I've completely got rid of it. A nice side effect was that I got to be a happier person overall (though that wasn't ever a problem for me), and learned to deal with any kind of stress whatsoever.<p>I'll happily recommend the, oh so often mentioned on hn, book "the mind illuminated" it really is great to start with: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrating-Mindfulness-ebook/dp/B01INMZKAQ" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrati...</a><p>Recently I haven't been meditating as much as I'd like to unfortunately (I'm trying to get back to it), but the effects are lasting nevertheless. And I still know how to calm myself in a matter of minutes or get more distanced to the situation.
> <i>I try to meditate every morning for about 15 minutes and been doing that for quite some time now.</i><p>I find that doing any Self-Imposed Daily Challenging Healthy Activity will improve your life tremendously, meditation being just one type of SIDCHA.<p>While the benefits differ slightly, the magnitude of benefit from other SIDCHAs -- like exercising, drawing a picture, writing a blog post, writing three business ideas, cooking a meal from scratch, etc every day -- can be just as great. You develop discipline, ability to overcome internal resistance, self-awareness, etc.<p>I'm a big fan and practitioner of SIDCHAs and wrote them up: <a href="http://joshuaspodek.com/sidchas-the-series" rel="nofollow">http://joshuaspodek.com/sidchas-the-series</a>.
I began meditating every day after I wake up four years ago and it has been the most beneficial change I ever introduced into my life, quitting cannabis securing a stable second place.<p>I began with five min and worked my way up to 15. Now I have an iOS shortcut “hey Siri, start meditation” which sets a timer randomly between 15 and 20 min to counteract the body clock expectation of a fixed duration.
I just want to share that I'm finding the practice of Zen meditation in the context of its overall philosophy to be profoundly helpful. I've read a substantial number of books on the subject. Books are only useful as pointers for how to practice; knowledge alone is useless in Zen. You have to practice, period. But the best books <i>are</i> useful as pointers for how to practice. And if anyone here is interested in exploring Zen, the single book that I feel does the best job of giving you what you need to really practice is "Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice" by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi[1]. "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" [2] is also a wonderful book, and it's where I started. Its poetic manner of expression made me feel there was something there that I needed to explore. But the Uchiyama book just takes the cake for being very clear and down-to-earth, without watering down either the practice or the philosophy. After that it's helpful to read commentaries on writings by Dogen. And, ideally, sitting regularly with other folks in a Zen center is extremely helpful. Avoid overly simplistic beginner's Zen books. I can't recommend them because they seem to distort the essence in an attempt to make it seem as approachable as possible.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Hand-Thought-Foundations-Buddhist/dp/0861713575/ref=sr_1_1" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Hand-Thought-Foundations-Budd...</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditation/dp/1590308492/ref=sr_1_3" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditatio...</a>
Personally, I find meditating on a daily basis for longer periods (months), the most difficult.<p>Whenever I go through a "down" phase in life, I start meditating and observe it being really beneficial, but the routine quickly starts to bore me.<p>When I feel good and energized, I jump out of bed, enjoy a day at work and fill the evening with stuff I enjoy.<p>I totally forget to meditate and (digital) reminders are easily dismissed.<p>(It doesn't help that I'm an evening person, so most of the time I tried to do as less as possible in the morning in order to arrive at a "normal" time at work)<p>How do other people cope with this?
I have the habit now of meditation for 1 hour each morning and then for 20-30 minutes before laying my head to pillow. It's really helpful to me to get myself in a space to start a productive day and end it with a good relaxing sleep. I usually get 4.5 to 5.5 hours each night. Up at 4:30am without an alarm and to bed by 11-midnight usually.<p>I attended a 10 day silent meditation retreat last year and it really had an impact of my technique and focus along with realizing my life is what I indeed make of it.<p>If anyone wants to start meditating, start slow. maybe just 10 minutes of trying to do basic breathing exercises.
10 minutes of guided meditation per day is the only non-medical option that helps my ADHD other than removing caffeine and getting more sleep.<p>It's insane how little I need to feel much more in control of my thoughts.
I have been meditating 20 years now (zazen). I do 2-4 hours a day. Several 7 day retreats per year.<p>My starting motivation was philosophical and academic interest. I was curious how it affects the mind. Then I did it because it seemed so hard to do, mind seemed like a buggy device I had no control over. I also had self improvement goals at some point. And feeling balanced is a good feeling.<p>But there is no way I can justify the amount of time I spend meditating with any of those. Meditation teachers say that first you start to work with meditation, then it starts to work with you. The whole view of the world changes.<p>I'm completely secular humanist but meditation has turned into spiritual practice. If I worship something, it's this moment. Asking why I meditate is like asking why people go surfing. Staying in the moment and balancing on the wave between the past and the future is not a activity you do for gaining any other goals. Being alive and experiencing the raw existence is something you sacrifice other things in your life.
Hindu sages have advocated meditating for thousands of years, they do this in a specific time called Brahmamuhurtha in the morning when its most potent. Its the same sages that promote Yoga and Ayurveda<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmamuhurtha" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmamuhurtha</a><p>It won't be long before the West I hope catches onto the next phase which is learning about Mudras - kind of an accupressure to target certain nerves.
In my experience, apps (like Headspace) mostly distract you from witnessing. Any type of guided mediation has an entertaining aspect to it - you have to follow the guidelines instead of pure witnessing.
Mindfulness meditation is absolutely great, a miracle, a root. I don't meditate regularly but every time that I do it again (and if properly), the thought that opens is something like "where have you been so long / why have you denied this to yourself for so long" type of question.<p>And yet, I feel like doing that every day is not fully compatible with the type of consciousness which is optimal to get me from day to day in my life as a software engineer.<p>Meditation sharpens your senses -- you may then find yourself distracted by sounds of road traffic that you previously didn't care about, you may discover that the air in your area smells bad to you from time to time, you may realize how locked most people are in their own patterns (that includes you). You may find yourself thinking about going to a Buddhist monastery somewhere and trying this for a longer time. I'm just saying it's really _that_ good.<p>Whereas, if I do what I love, and I let my consciousness to its own momentum, I feel like it's auto-tackling the daily roughness of life more on its own and not bothering me with otherwise unimportant things that much. In essence, you were born into this physical reality to be a thought / to have thoughts, not to be thoughtless / formless.<p>That said, mindfulness meditation as a consciousness-momentum modification tool, applied (even daily) within the proper bounds, can a venerable weapon for life.<p>I guess I just find it to be an extra overhead to manage if everything else in my life goes really well even without it.<p>p.s. If you use meditation as a daily crutch(?)/bandage(?) to something that _really_ bothers you, there are much more effective weapons to try (one-off, by no means regular use): Ayahuasca, Shrooms, Family Constellations -- after healing with these, the meditation itself can provide you with much more, as a cherry on the top.
I've been meditating for the last 2 years, and I've found many benefits. Stress reduction, better control of feelings, better understanding of self, and joy are just a few.<p>It's really simple to start out:<p>1) Devote 10 minutes of each day to meditation time. Early morning is best, as your mind is fresh and not as distracted.<p>2) Find a quiet/non-distracting place to sit in a comfortable position. Legs crossed on the floor or in a chair are fine. You want to keep your back straight to help keep from falling asleep.<p>3) Focus on the sensation of your breath, wherever it is strongest. Typically this is the tip of the nose, or in the nostril, but chest can work as well.
Your mind will become distracted with work, worries, thoughts of food, etc. When this happens, congratulate yourself on noticing that it happened, and bring your attention back to your breath.<p>That's it! It blows my mind how developing concentration can have such a profound impact on your life.<p>Here are some good resources for those interested:<p><a href="http://dharmatreasure.org/wp-content/uploads/beginning-meditation-handout.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://dharmatreasure.org/wp-content/uploads/beginning-medit...</a><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrating-Mindfulness/dp/1501156985/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3AWJMAYQPSKPY&keywords=the+mind+illuminated&qid=1565973855&s=gateway&sprefix=the+mind+illu%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-3" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrati...</a><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TheMindIlluminated/wiki/index#wiki_getting_started" rel="nofollow">https://www.reddit.com/r/TheMindIlluminated/wiki/index#wiki_...</a>
The Tibetan Texts on "Mind Training" (called <i>Lojong</i>) maybe helpful for people looking for instructional techniques;<p>* Mind Training: The Great Collection - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Training-Collection-Library-Classics/dp/0861714407/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mind+training&qid=1566021731&s=books&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Training-Collection-Library-Clas...</a><p>* Essential Mind Training (subset from the above book) - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Mind-Training-Tibetan-Classics/dp/0861712633/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=mind+training&qid=1566021789&s=books&sr=1-16" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Mind-Training-Tibetan-Class...</a>
I had been reading articles (like this one) that raves about the benefits of meditation and so I decided to try it for 30 days every day.<p>I did not see any improvements in any areas. Could I be doing something wrong? I really don't get meditation and I feel like I'm the only person who feels this way.<p>All the benefits that this article specifically talks about is my default state. I'm never stressed and I don't feel anxiety unless I drink alot.<p>Is it be possible that meditation simply have no effect for some people?
Whenever I hear about a particular technique that is supposedly backed by evidence I wonder what specific protocol was used in the studies supporting it. I also wonder how many studies have been conducted and for how many years.<p>For those of you who want an actual evidence-based practice check out Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). It's the most frequently studied protocol and it's been studied for decades. When you read stories about studies showing how meditation does XYZ and ABC, it's almost always MBSR that the researchers are using.<p>"Meditation" is a huge category, there's a lot of stuff in there. Some of it probably works, a lot of it doesn't (other than the placebo effect).<p>What you think of as "meditation" may not be what actually has been researched in a given study.<p>Of course, all of the above is only applicable to those of you who want to pursue evidence-based techniques. If you're just satisfied with trying stuff you read about on random blogs and HN posts then go ahead and try anything: prayer, astrology, witchcraft, etc - you'll probably realize a little positive benefit as long as you genuinely believe it will work.
This reminds me of an article shared here on the value of doing nothing.<p>How does walking around with a clear head compared to meditation practically speaking?
I can recommend meditation for people with social anxiety. When I meditate on a regular basis, the way I interact changes completely. It's more intuitive and I say and do things I wouldn't do otherwise, yet people are completely fine with it and like me more. Like I am really authentic
> Meditation can open up surprisingly many doors when it comes to being more aware, mindful, focused and just at piece with yourself<p>"At piece with yourself" reminds me of Iron Maiden's album Piece of Mind. Which is also good for mindfulness and focus.
In my humble opinion, meditation is the only way. There is no substitute for meditation. There is a nice app for free called Plumb Village. It’s by Thich Nhat Hanh, who I think gave a talk at Google once.
I can testify to the benefits of meditation<p>When I don't meditate, I feel restless, I doubt myself more and always feel empty.<p>After meditating, I feel at peace.<p>And I only meditate once every 15days.<p>Meditation also helped me reverse acid reflux.
Meditation sometimes reveals itself through meditation. It's kinda like recursion in programming. I come from Vietnam. Meditation in Vietnamese is translated literally to "sitting zen" (ngồi thiền). Sitting seems like the optimal balance point for meditation. Standing/walking has more distraction. Lying down makes you prone to sleeping. Now, I haven't figured out which sitting position is more optimal. Perhaps, the lotus position is popular for a reason.
There's a small urban park 5 minutes away from my apartment, I live in Oregon so the greenery is very lush and evergreen. It's the perfect spot for a quick 10 minute headspace session.<p>The mind is an incredible thing, it's difficult to know if tech has reduced my mind's ability to remain still -- but it's quite something to sit and realize that my mind goes it's own way and I struggle to keep up, like a dog walking it's master.
I'm sold on meditating being beneficial. This article is a reminder that I need to start doing it regularly again. How difficult it is for me is probably a reflection of how much I need it.<p>I wonder about some of the _negative_ effects of meditation. Actually, I don't even mean negative, but just effects period. For example, does it make you less aggressive? In many ways this is a good thing but there are also benefits to being aggressive.
In the Viniyoga tradition of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar, yoga poses/exercises (asana) are used to prepare the body for meditation. The meditation is a process of exercises while focusing on an object. The object could be gross, such as a mountain, or subtle such as a concept. The teacher chooses the object for the student.
I strongly recommend Shambavi mahamudra Kriya taught by Sadhguru <a href="https://www.innerengineering.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.innerengineering.com/</a>
I’ve been practicing their 18 minute meditation for almost a year and it has been quite amazing.
I've been meditating for about 3 months now. Mostly focussing on building the habit part of it.<p>I could definitely recommend 10% happier book, It's a fun read, and a kind introduction to meditation. I had an easier time connecting with that author then all the other writers that have all have been meditating for 20+ years with countless 10/30 day retreats.<p>This week I finished Waking up from sam harris. Have been listening to his podcast for ages. If you are interested in meditation, from a non-religion perspective I would definitely recommend it. I'm still having a tough time understanding what all this no-self and no-ego is about. That will just take some time I guess.<p>For me personally I've been mixing meditation and stoisism a bit to find some peace and acceptance for my very critical self image. But it's hard to find good stoic teaching, most of it just seems written by sleazy marketeers.<p>Last thing I would recommend for anyone interested in meditation, starting with tools like headspace a good way to get into the habit. But to be honest, I'm having a hard time still getting value out of their teachings. I went from<p>headspace > just settings a timer with the Oak app for 20-30 min > back to headspace.<p>I feel if made less progress then the simple timer. of course I'm not 100% sure if it the headspace app, or me just simply plateauing but my I think I'm going to go back to a simple timer. The headspace app is just so damn noisy.
I have been meditating for sometime now however lately I have been thinking that this is one more attempt at managing the stress of daily life. Its not the cure and definitely does not help in finding out why we need to do this to begin with.
For those interested, there is also Suizen [1] meditation which involves playing shakuhachi bamboo flute.<p>[1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suizen" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suizen</a>
I personally don't find it useful. But it might be my own problem because I cannot get rid of the idea of questioning meditation itself.<p>However if you are in doubt like me try take a nap. I find 20mins nap at noon also works great.
You can listen to this article here:<p><a href="https://www.listle.io/#/article/3127906797" rel="nofollow">https://www.listle.io/#/article/3127906797</a>
Good start. It becomes even more beneficial with more time and by learning from a real live person.
My life has improved dramatically doing TM for the last 15 years.
I started meditating in the beginning of the year and it really has helped me with a lot of things. It has helped me the most with anxiety and my ADHD/concentrating.<p>Ive been using Waking Up with Sam Harris, which is talked about in the article. It has a ton of learning materials, self-timers. It follows vipassana meditation and the app offers metta as well.
i tried meditating myself but ended up with taking a short nap, 15-20 minutes that is, no need to go to bed though, but seems nap-taking recovers the most energy for me for the rest of the day.