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What would be a good way to start meditating? Nothing too intense - just to dip a toe in.

by AlexMuir 10y ago

smhost 10y ago
Step 1: Observe your breath. Step 2: Don't get distracted. If you get distracted, go to step 1.
- closure 10y ago
  One observation here from someone who has taken a mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) class but isn't currently meditating (but would like to get back to it!): Expect to get distracted a lot, like your mind wandering continuously. The key here is to observe that happening, and gently bring yourself back to your breath. Don't let it frustrate or discourage you. Watching yourself become distracted and gently bringing yourself back is part of the process of meditating, not some sign that you're failing at it. The noticing of the distraction is in itself mindfulness. As Jon Kabat-Zinn suggests, you need to approach this with non-judgmental moment-to-moment awareness.
  - westoncb 10y ago
    I'd second this: the way you deal with distraction isn't stopping it, it's calmly returning to the object of focus after realizing you've been distracted. This is a 'rep' if you want to compare meditation to training a muscle. In time you get distracted less, but it's not because you 'stop yourself' from getting distracted, it's because in time your tendency to not getting distracted develops through meditation practice.
taylorlapeyre 10y ago
I found the app "Headspace" to be a good introduction to the process and concept. After completing the first 10 guided sessions, I read most of "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Henepola Gunaratana. It was good for a deeper dive into Vipassana meditation in particular and did a good job of keeping the more religious overtones to a minimum. I definitely recommend it.
- reubenswartz 10y ago
  Agree with the Headspace recommendation. It seems cheesy to need an app to concentrate, but Headspace makes it so easy to get started...
- abrkn 10y ago
  I highly recommend Headspace. Its founder, Andy, has guided me through over 100 sessions, the most recent being this morning.
- vidarh 10y ago
  > I read most of "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Henepola Gunaratana. It was good for a deeper dive into Vipassana meditation in particular and did a good job of keeping the more religious overtones to a minimum. I definitely recommend it. It was the book I started with, and I just wanted to second this. As a lifelong skeptic by nature, finding a book that introduced meditation without the "woo" made all the difference. For more of the same, look up the podcasts by Gil Fronsdal and Audiodharma. Like with Mindfulness in Plain English, it comes from a Buddhist starting point but he goes to the same length to keep the religious parts out of it.
mikkom 10y ago
I would recommend the buddhist mindfulness method, this site has one of the best explanations I have seen (I have shared this multiple times around the web) https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/mindfulness-breathing https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/mindfulness-breathing The meditation has four progressive stages leading to a highly enjoyable level of concentration. To start with five minutes per stage is a good period of practice. 1. In the first stage you use counting to stay focused on the breath. After the out-breath you count one, then you breathe in and out and count two, and so on up to ten, and then you start again at one. 2. In the second stage you subtly shift where you breathe, counting before the in-breath, anticipating the breath that is coming, but still counting from one to ten, and then starting again at one. 3. In the third stage you drop the counting and just watch the breath as it comes in and goes out. 4. In the final stage the focus of concentration narrows and sharpens, so you pay attention to the subtle sensation on the tip of the nose where the breath first enters and last leaves the body.
sametmax 10y ago
Seat in a comfortable position with your back straight in a quiet place. Close your eyes, and try to observe the way the air goes in and out of your nose for 10 minutes. Don't try to relax or achieve something, just observe. When you realize are not observing anymore for whatever of the 1000 possible reasons, which can happen quickly and a lot, simply try again without pushing yourself. The beauty of this exercise is that you can't fail. Keep at it regularly until you feel to take a more serious course with somebody experimented around you. Don't try to get anything special from it as meditation is very ordinary. Do not worry about you being bad at it or being boring. None of what you experience will prevent you from benefiting for it.
guilhas 10y ago
Check meetup for meditation meetings around you. Also, I think meditation is very practical, so just try to sit 5 minutes, forcing thoughts to go away. That's it.
- westoncb 10y ago
  Except don't 'force' them! These is very central to the whole practice: you make things worse by forcing, your mind settles on its own if you just learn how to not disturb it for a sufficient amount of time. (Source: hundreds of hours studying meditation literature and listening to lectures, daily practice for ~2 years.) A common example is to compare the mind to the surface of some body of water: it starts rough and active and you'd like it to be still. However, any mental action you take in attempt to still it (as opposed to allowing it to settle on its own) is akin to using your hands to 'settle' the water's surface; you just disturb it more.
robaato 10y ago
Tim Ferris has done quite a few episodes on meditation. I like the podcast with Tara Brach. But he also recommends Headspace and you can easily find quite a few references with a quick search.
willwagner 10y ago
Maybe more than a toe dip based on the price, but for me, getting a MUSE device helped me start meditating and I haven't stopped since. The thing I like about it is that it gives you feedback when your mind is focused (and feedback when you are not) and quelled my own internal fear of 'am i meditating correctly?' I can't vouch for the scientific basis of it but it has helped me in my everyday life. http://www.choosemuse.com/ http://www.choosemuse.com/ (I am no way affiliated with this company)
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- kranner 10y ago
  I went through a period where I used a Muse almost daily, and it's definitely fun/useful when you're starting out, but I found the positive feedback (birds) only kicks in when you have a particular type of focus on your breath. There are both false positives (you may be distracted and thinking while keeping a superficial focus on the breath and the device will report that you're totally focussed) and false negatives (you are well-focussed on both body sensations and breath but the device is reporting that you are distracted). So it works for a particular type of meditation, if you're relaxed in a particular way, if the battery level and contacts are good, if the initial calibration went well. It's great for starting/restarting a meditation habit but I would say one outgrows it fairly quickly. Edit: the following pay-what-you-want course really helped me; it even improved my Muse scores! I have no affiliation. http://www.peterrussell.com/HMWET/index.php http://www.peterrussell.com/HMWET/index.php
double0jimb0 10y ago
The Mind Illuminated book. It's new and is pretty quickly becoming a go-to recommendation for meditation how-to for lots of various practitioners.
mikevm 10y ago
I got started with this book: https://www.amazon.com/Minute-Meditation-Expanded-Quiet-Change/dp/0399173420 https://www.amazon.com/Minute-Meditation-Expanded-Quiet-Chan... I highly recommend it.
finid 10y ago
You can start by chanting HU [1] for 5 minutes every day. No need to go to a retreat or embark on a Buddha-type adventure. Just you, in your home, for 5 minutes every day. [1] http://www.eckankar.org/Video/play.php?name=Miracles+in+Your+Life http://www.eckankar.org/Video/play.php?name=Miracles+in+Your...
- mindfulgeek 10y ago
  I love Hu. Very good to help fall asleep. My goto version https://rootlight.myshopify.com/products/hu-sacred-sound-instant-download https://rootlight.myshopify.com/products/hu-sacred-sound-ins...
praneshp 10y ago
I found this on Hacker News and found it useful https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13523943 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13523943
abrkn 10y ago
You could also listen to or read the book 10% Happier by Dan Harris. It's motivating and extremely funny. I recommend the audio book[1] which is narrated with the author's booming newscaster voice. I happen to own more Audible credits than I can spend. If anyone wants to listen to the audio book, email me and I can give away around 20 copies. Contact info is in my HN profile. [1] http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/10-Happier-Audiobook/B00I8NRAE0 http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/10-Happier-Audiob...

What would be a good way to start meditating? Nothing too intense - just to dip a toe in.

smhost 10y ago

Step 1: Observe your breath. Step 2: Don't get distracted. If you get distracted, go to step 1.

closure 10y ago
One observation here from someone who has taken a mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) class but isn't currently meditating (but would like to get back to it!): Expect to get distracted a lot, like your mind wandering continuously. The key here is to observe that happening, and gently bring yourself back to your breath. Don't let it frustrate or discourage you. Watching yourself become distracted and gently bringing yourself back is part of the process of meditating, not some sign that you're failing at it. The noticing of the distraction is in itself mindfulness. As Jon Kabat-Zinn suggests, you need to approach this with non-judgmental moment-to-moment awareness.
- westoncb 10y ago
  I'd second this: the way you deal with distraction isn't stopping it, it's calmly returning to the object of focus after realizing you've been distracted. This is a 'rep' if you want to compare meditation to training a muscle. In time you get distracted less, but it's not because you 'stop yourself' from getting distracted, it's because in time your tendency to not getting distracted develops through meditation practice.

taylorlapeyre 10y ago

I found the app "Headspace" to be a good introduction to the process and concept. After completing the first 10 guided sessions, I read most of "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Henepola Gunaratana. It was good for a deeper dive into Vipassana meditation in particular and did a good job of keeping the more religious overtones to a minimum. I definitely recommend it.

reubenswartz 10y ago
Agree with the Headspace recommendation. It seems cheesy to need an app to concentrate, but Headspace makes it so easy to get started...
abrkn 10y ago
I highly recommend Headspace. Its founder, Andy, has guided me through over 100 sessions, the most recent being this morning.
vidarh 10y ago
> I read most of "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Henepola Gunaratana. It was good for a deeper dive into Vipassana meditation in particular and did a good job of keeping the more religious overtones to a minimum. I definitely recommend it. It was the book I started with, and I just wanted to second this. As a lifelong skeptic by nature, finding a book that introduced meditation without the "woo" made all the difference. For more of the same, look up the podcasts by Gil Fronsdal and Audiodharma. Like with Mindfulness in Plain English, it comes from a Buddhist starting point but he goes to the same length to keep the religious parts out of it.

mikkom 10y ago

I would recommend the buddhist mindfulness method, this site has one of the best explanations I have seen (I have shared this multiple times around the web) https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/mindfulness-breathing https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/mindfulness-breathing The meditation has four progressive stages leading to a highly enjoyable level of concentration. To start with five minutes per stage is a good period of practice. 1. In the first stage you use counting to stay focused on the breath. After the out-breath you count one, then you breathe in and out and count two, and so on up to ten, and then you start again at one. 2. In the second stage you subtly shift where you breathe, counting before the in-breath, anticipating the breath that is coming, but still counting from one to ten, and then starting again at one. 3. In the third stage you drop the counting and just watch the breath as it comes in and goes out. 4. In the final stage the focus of concentration narrows and sharpens, so you pay attention to the subtle sensation on the tip of the nose where the breath first enters and last leaves the body.

sametmax 10y ago

Seat in a comfortable position with your back straight in a quiet place. Close your eyes, and try to observe the way the air goes in and out of your nose for 10 minutes. Don't try to relax or achieve something, just observe. When you realize are not observing anymore for whatever of the 1000 possible reasons, which can happen quickly and a lot, simply try again without pushing yourself. The beauty of this exercise is that you can't fail. Keep at it regularly until you feel to take a more serious course with somebody experimented around you. Don't try to get anything special from it as meditation is very ordinary. Do not worry about you being bad at it or being boring. None of what you experience will prevent you from benefiting for it.

guilhas 10y ago

Check meetup for meditation meetings around you. Also, I think meditation is very practical, so just try to sit 5 minutes, forcing thoughts to go away. That's it.

westoncb 10y ago
Except don't 'force' them! These is very central to the whole practice: you make things worse by forcing, your mind settles on its own if you just learn how to not disturb it for a sufficient amount of time. (Source: hundreds of hours studying meditation literature and listening to lectures, daily practice for ~2 years.) A common example is to compare the mind to the surface of some body of water: it starts rough and active and you'd like it to be still. However, any mental action you take in attempt to still it (as opposed to allowing it to settle on its own) is akin to using your hands to 'settle' the water's surface; you just disturb it more.

robaato 10y ago

Tim Ferris has done quite a few episodes on meditation. I like the podcast with Tara Brach. But he also recommends Headspace and you can easily find quite a few references with a quick search.

willwagner 10y ago

Maybe more than a toe dip based on the price, but for me, getting a MUSE device helped me start meditating and I haven't stopped since. The thing I like about it is that it gives you feedback when your mind is focused (and feedback when you are not) and quelled my own internal fear of 'am i meditating correctly?' I can't vouch for the scientific basis of it but it has helped me in my everyday life. http://www.choosemuse.com/ http://www.choosemuse.com/ (I am no way affiliated with this company)

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
kranner 10y ago
I went through a period where I used a Muse almost daily, and it's definitely fun/useful when you're starting out, but I found the positive feedback (birds) only kicks in when you have a particular type of focus on your breath. There are both false positives (you may be distracted and thinking while keeping a superficial focus on the breath and the device will report that you're totally focussed) and false negatives (you are well-focussed on both body sensations and breath but the device is reporting that you are distracted). So it works for a particular type of meditation, if you're relaxed in a particular way, if the battery level and contacts are good, if the initial calibration went well. It's great for starting/restarting a meditation habit but I would say one outgrows it fairly quickly. Edit: the following pay-what-you-want course really helped me; it even improved my Muse scores! I have no affiliation. http://www.peterrussell.com/HMWET/index.php http://www.peterrussell.com/HMWET/index.php

double0jimb0 10y ago

The Mind Illuminated book. It's new and is pretty quickly becoming a go-to recommendation for meditation how-to for lots of various practitioners.

mikevm 10y ago

I got started with this book: https://www.amazon.com/Minute-Meditation-Expanded-Quiet-Change/dp/0399173420 https://www.amazon.com/Minute-Meditation-Expanded-Quiet-Chan... I highly recommend it.

finid 10y ago

You can start by chanting HU [1] for 5 minutes every day. No need to go to a retreat or embark on a Buddha-type adventure. Just you, in your home, for 5 minutes every day. [1] http://www.eckankar.org/Video/play.php?name=Miracles+in+Your+Life http://www.eckankar.org/Video/play.php?name=Miracles+in+Your...

mindfulgeek 10y ago
I love Hu. Very good to help fall asleep. My goto version https://rootlight.myshopify.com/products/hu-sacred-sound-instant-download https://rootlight.myshopify.com/products/hu-sacred-sound-ins...

praneshp 10y ago

I found this on Hacker News and found it useful https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13523943 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13523943

abrkn 10y ago

You could also listen to or read the book 10% Happier by Dan Harris. It's motivating and extremely funny. I recommend the audio book[1] which is narrated with the author's booming newscaster voice. I happen to own more Audible credits than I can spend. If anyone wants to listen to the audio book, email me and I can give away around 20 copies. Contact info is in my HN profile. [1] http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/10-Happier-Audiobook/B00I8NRAE0 http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/10-Happier-Audiob...