Secular Sangha: A Secular Buddhist Group discussion

Use this thread to record your time in meditation. Also, given that Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body has argued that different forms of meditation should be recorded separately as they can have different effects (i.e. mindfulness and metta are done differently and have different effects), you may want to follow that advice in your recording of your meditation sessions.

[Note: Please delete/edit your older messages in this thread as you post updates to your meditation history to avoid clutter in this thread. Please try to maintain one message for yourself with your most up to date accumulated meditation time.]

Last Session of Mindfulness/Vipassana Meditation: 5 minutes
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Total Time in Mindfulness/Vipassana Meditation: 7 hours 00 minutes

MJD, if you don't mind me asking, can you explain to me the sort of mindfulness you are practicing?

Piyangie wrote: "MJD, if you don't mind me asking, can you explain to me the sort of mindfulness you are practicing?"

While sitting, I try to focus on the process of breathing. Also, when random thoughts occur I try to just observe them - not focus on them - and (hopefully) allow them to disappear as they appeared; and then I return focus on the breath.

My practice is influenced by what I've read from several of the books I've read, but mostly from Dan Harris and Sam Harris.

For a guided meditation for the kind of meditation that I practice I would advocate for the 8 minute 53 second one (I give the time because there are two guided meditations with different times on the link) on this link: https://samharris.org/podcasts/mindfu...

[Note: Even if you are not into guided meditations, I would recommend listening to the audio on the link because I think that it would give you a better idea of the kind of mindfulness that I am practicing.]

Thank you, MJD for explaining what you practice and thanks for sharing the links. I listened to the 8 min 53 sec guided meditation clip.

I used to do breathing meditation and kind of got frustrated with my mind constantly drifting to other sensations. But now I understand that it just happens and all you got to do is be aware of them and refocus on breathing.

So, I finally restarted with my meditation yesterday.

I'm practicing mindfulness through breathing meditation.

Yesterday I attempted on two sessions.
First Session : 7 minutes
Second Session: 5 minutes

Overall, happy to have begun.

Being unable to keep to a daily practice is my weakness. Hope to work hard on that.

John wrote: "I missed my meditation time yesterday. The day felt incomplete.
..."

My feeling exactly when I miss my meditation session.

Piyangie wrote: "Rather an unsatisfactory week at meditation. Missed on two days entirely!..."

I have a vacation coming up next month and I'm a little concerned with how I'll manage to fit meditation in with my wife and daughters in the same hotel room (no quiet time!)

John wrote: "Piyangie wrote: "Rather an unsatisfactory week at meditation. Missed on two days entirely!..."

I have a vacation coming up next month and I'm a little concerned with how I'll manage to fit meditat..."

I too have this problem coming in May for about two weeks. :) It is difficult to find quiet time with you family living in the same room. My present plan is to either meditate early morning before others wake up or do at night when they are asleep. Hope that will work out for me. So if I may, I would like to suggest the same for you John.

Piyangie wrote: "Was a pretty bad week for meditation."

At least you got to it! On my vacation, I didn't get one day in. I try to think of the days I don't miss as providing a bit of surplus for those days that I do miss.

John wrote: "Piyangie wrote: "Was a pretty bad week for meditation."

At least you got to it! On my vacation, I didn't get one day in. I try to think of the days I don't miss as providing a bit of surplus for t..."

Thank you, John. I should try and think likewise. I'm about to go on a ten day holiday in May. That is when I might totally miss too. It is difficult to find a quiet time when you are away from home.

MJD wrote: "Use this thread to record your time in meditation. Also, given that Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body has argued that different forms..."

Thanks.

John wrote: "I've been missing more days than I like, but...

Total meditation: 30 hour 52 minutes
Last session(s): Friday (9 minutes), Saturday (16 minutes), Sunday (11 minutes), Monday (13 minutes)...and some..."

Great paradigm. How do you feel with the longer sessions (e.g. Saturday and Monday)better, worse, unchanged?

Definitely better on the longer days.

Thanks 🙏!

Total meditation this week = 5+ hours. Feeling fine. How is everyone else feeling?

India wrote: "Total meditation this week = 5+ hours. Feeling fine. How is everyone else feeling?"

The day is lot more calm when I meditate in the morning.

Glad! Yay.

John wrote: "India wrote: "Total meditation this week = 5+ hours. Feeling fine. How is everyone else feeling?"

The day is lot more calm when I meditate in the morning."

Happy to hear that, John. I normally meditate at night. Except on a rare day, I can't meditate much in the morning.

May the days and calmness flow...like a river. Blessings are found in nature.


“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you.”

—Buddha

Piyangie wrote: "Not a good week at meditation. Very unproductive."

Maybe, but hopefully your good days get you through your dry days.

John wrote: "Piyangie wrote: "Not a good week at meditation. Very unproductive."

Maybe, but hopefully your good days get you through your dry days."

It does, John. But somehow there is a frustration within you when you miss your daily session; like your day is somehow incomplete.

I agree. Keys are found in the silence of meditation.

Good job!

“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.”

—-Buddha

Progress in silence.

I missed a whole week! And I'll also be travelling for two weeks so I'll be missing more.

Nice job John. How do you feel?

Piyangie wrote: "I missed a whole week! And I'll also be travelling for two weeks so I'll be missing more."

It's always a little rough getting out of our routine. Good luck!

India wrote: "Nice job John. How do you feel?"

If I had to describe it, I guess I'd say "more stable".

Glad to read such. Trying meditation on vacation too.

I've been leading meditation groups since 2005. I've been practicing since 1991. For some good information or recorded guided session please go to foundation for active compassion.com

John wrote: "Piyangie wrote: "I missed a whole week! And I'll also be travelling for two weeks so I'll be missing more."

It's always a little rough getting out of our routine. Good luck!"

It is John. It is really upsetting when you miss your daily meditation session. I was very sick, so there was no way I could concentrate on my mind.

Nice numbers on meditation. How do we all feel? Peace within.

Good job John.

Allow nothing to interfere with your internal state of peace. On vacation it’s ok to ask for me time daily.

I have been using the Calm App, though I do sometimes use YouTube or "The Little Book of Mindfulness." I sometimes do my own unguided and will usually fall into meditation during yoga practice at some point.

I'll go ahead and keep track of my Calm minutes here though, as that seems the easiest approach given the app automatically updates my time.

Calm Meditation Time: 28 hr 32 min (1/9/2020)

Last sessions: Tuesday (19 minutes), Wednesday (20 minutes), Thursday (13 minutes), Friday (14 minutes), Saturday (11 minutes), Monday (10 minutes)

Total time of meditation: 75 hour 29 minutes

Last sessions: (Monday) 21 minutes, (Tuesday) 10 minutes, (Wednesday) 10 minutes, (Thursday) 19 minutes, (Friday) 18 minutes, (Saturday) 23 minutes, (Sunday) 19 minutes

Total meditation time: 98 hours and 40 minutes