how did you learn meditation?

[Cathal]

hey

i am struggling a lot with developing my meditation routine, i really have a strong desire to get into it but i just really feel like i need proper teachings and guidance at this point, mostly i am really struggling between my regular life of eating and shitting and meeting people and things like this  and going deeper into meditative practice i can't seem to find balance, so yeah i just feel like i need guidance

i would also appreciate if you have a community/know of a community of people trying to meditate and learn that you could pm me?

basically just wondering did you struggle trying to do this yourself and how did you learn/ what did you do? (such as go on retreat, i havent yet) 

thanks a lot

Edited November 10, 2021 by catcat69123
spelling error

[Salvijus]

Well going to the retreat is probably a number 1 thing you could do. They will fuel you with intense seeking and inspiration if you attend like a yoga program or smth like that also works.

Another way is to simply find some videos that you like, like I used to do with mooji videos. And just listen and meditate upon it. It kept me going for a very long time. More engaging also.

?

Edited November 10, 2021 by Salvijus

[TheAlchemist]

I have found the Waking Up app helpful in developing a consistent practice. I like it because it has a combination of more basic mindfulness with also serious nondual pointing instructions.

It also has some awesome mini-courses by Adyashanti, Loch Kelly and Richard Lang for example that focus on different approaches and angles "towards" nonduality. That way you can find something that resonates with you and go deeper into that. For example I found Henry Shukman and Zen koan practice from the app that really struck me, probably would have never looked in that direction without it. 

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by TheAlchemist

[Carl-Richard]

Practice a lot.

[Cathal]

@Salvijuswhat do u think of online retreats?

@TheAlchemist yeah im about to try that out now, looks interesting

[Consilience]

The book The Mind Illuminated. Everything you need to develop an incredibly robust practice. From there, you can begin exploring, but foundation is key. 

[Emotionalmosquito]

I can’t remember exactly or which inspiration came first or in what order but I do know that ironically, one of the reasons I got into it was for purely egoic purposes. Like I thought how cool it would be if I got good at sitting like a statue for multiple hours on end. So I started doing that and it worked. Just by sitting perfectly still and keeping your attention on the breath everything slows way way down and it gets easier the more you practice like with anything. I got into yoga for similar reasons. On a side note, doing asanas regularly is super helpful if you want to get good at strong determination sitting.

I also found out it can remove a great deal of suffering and get you super high if you practice enough so after learning that I was pretty much sold. After my first ten day vipassana, I felt like I was fifty pounds lighter and my raging mind was a whopping 50-60% quieter for weeks after, no exaggeration. And the peace kept on growing the more I maintained the practice. The bliss grew so strong I almost didn’t know how to handle it all. Easily the closest I’ve ever been to full enlightenment.

The danger with me saying all this, however, is that the recipient will hear it and say hell yes, sign me up! The natural tendency is to expect to feel blissed out from all the meditation but that expectation actually blocks you from making progress because spirituality doesn’t like greed. So you have to be very patient. You can avoid that trap by finding the right technique. Vipassana has stood the test of time but it can be ridiculously difficult to get into. 

After my second retreat, I didn’t get anywhere close to the same result like I was expecting to. So it goes to show just how deep this work actually is.

 

Edited November 11, 2021 by Emotionalmosquito

[Fearless_Bum]

@catcat69123 Here's some advice: 

Keep it simple, start small. Everyday find a time (any time) and sit down and just be yourself with your eyes closed, no need to breathe deeply, no need to do any particular technique. Just observe your own natural existence. 

Set a rule that you'll do this for at least 10 minutes a day.

[Moksha]

4 hours ago, Consilience said:

The book The Mind Illuminated. Everything you need to develop an incredibly robust practice. From there, you can begin exploring, but foundation is key. 

^^^ This. The Mind Illuminated was my introduction to meditation. It is all about developing the capacity of presence, beyond the clamoring of the conditioned mind.

[Adodd]

I was recently given the advice to do small 20 minute sessions 2 or 3 times a day and than a hour session once a week.

Also heres some great guided meditations. Check out their documentaries as well.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8qL2YhfbR-uJKC5b7s2tvZNEQ7qkc2_8

[Moksha]

@Adodd You will likely get more benefit from a single, longer session than from several shorter sessions. At least, that is what John Yates recommends in The Mind Illuminated. I would try both, and see what works best for you.

[Flowerfaeiry]

Dhamma Vipassana 10-day courses. Look into one in your area. dhamma.org

[SQAAD]

I have been meditating for the last 5 years on and off (mostly on) and i was in the same situation like you. I've read articles, watched several videos, etc and was feeling very confused at times about what meditation really is...

The last year i have been meditating consistently. I regard myself as an intermediary level meditaror who can enter into meditative states with not much thinking or monkey mind involved. Nowadays i really enjoy meditation. Its like a drug for me.

My advice to you is: Do not overcomplicate. Just find a technique, test it out and see if you enjoy it. Personally my favourite technique is just observing my breath and the space between thoughts and sensations. When your mind starts thinking , just bring it gently into the present moment, focusing on the object you wanna focus.

But remember, meditation is not just a focus exercise. It is also relaxation. You focus on the breath but also you relax your attention. For me meditation is more like a relaxation exercise.

After a while, you will not be meditating. Meditation will just happen to you.But it takes couple of years to get to that point.

Its not a doing when you are experienced meditator. But in the beginning its a doing for sure.Meditation is the best thing i ever did for myself. It really works but it takes some years. Advanced meditators can get into very deep states. But newbies don't get much from it until they become more experienced.

Also you need to distinguish between having thoughts and thinking. These are two different things. If you are having thoughts while meditating, thats not an issue. But if you are actively thinking about stuff, thats definitely an issue,

Check this great video out if you are interested in learning the difference. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnDsZSIWUDU

Edited November 11, 2021 by SQAAD

[Salvijus]

11 hours ago, catcat69123 said:

@Salvijuswhat do u think of online retreats?

Good enough, but nothing beats a 10day vippasana course. You'd be blown away with inspiration for meditation ? 

?

[The0Self]

The Mind Illuminated, lots of practice, and various other resources which are relatively unimportant in comparison to the previous two items. Though Rob Burbea's Seeing That Frees was quite helpful when I was much more advanced.

[gettoefl]

9 hours ago, Salvijus said:

Good enough, but nothing beats a 10day vippasana course. You'd be blown away with inspiration for meditation ? 

?

or what about just sit in a chair for 10 days ... minus bathroom kitchen stretching... 100 hrs in this way would probably turbo charge consciousness

[Salvijus]

@gettoefl that would imply that he's already a very intense seeker. And the thing is, doing 10 days in a retreat setting has many benefits that you wouldn't get at home setting. There's much more to a retreat like vipassana than meets the eye. The energy is also very supportive for meditation. And the level of dedication and commitment that is in the air is also very helpful. To do a solo 10d retreat is probably 10x times harder than doing it in a retreat setting. There are few people capable to meditate 10d straight at home. But in a vipassana retreat even begginers are able to pull it off. That's the value of these retreats. Plus the collective energy from all the meditators in the atmosphere does 50% of the job for you which is also great.

[BipolarGrowth]

I just said fuck meditation and did other methods until 80% of my life became meditation no matter what I was doing ? 

But before that, I did Heartfulness meditation which uses transmission. Transmission produces much faster results usually than pretty much any other types from what I’ve started to see more and more hearing from others who use it. You’ll need to find an actual meditation trainer in that tradition to get the transmission. It’s worldwide. I had a group in my small town of 40,000. There are other types of transmission done on videos or online. 
 

Listen to this whole series on the Satipatthana Sutta if you want to become a champ relatively quickly. 
 

 

Also you can watch hundreds of 1-on-1 coaching from the Buddhist master Dhammarato on his YouTube channel. He does free coaching if you call him on Skype at the username Dhammaratog between 10 am and 4 pm Thai time. Here’s my first coaching I did with him. 

 

[Adodd]

17 hours ago, Moksha said:

@Adodd , and see what works best for you.

this is something I have been working on amd getting better at. Ive spent at aleast a year and half doing more asking for opinion than actually practicing. Its a common trap I'm told.