This type of meditation - a secularized form of Vipassana in which one passively observers mental events - is very popular in the West.
But it's not the only one, and shouldn't be called merely "meditation" without regard to the vast body of practices that exist.
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.
A recently published book called _The_Mind_Illustrated_ by John Yates is fa fantastic resource for this kind of practice.
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.
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).
It's good to point out there are many different types of meditation, as some work better than others, depending on the individual. However, this article doesn't seem to be advocating Vipassana, rather, it states: "Meditation is all about being aware of how your body feels and the thoughts that go through your head without judging or getting caught up in them. Often, this is done by focusing on a certain part of your body, like the breath or your feet, legs, arms, hands and chest etc. At the end of the day, what you’re aiming for is to keep bringing your attention back to what you’re focusing on, everytime you notice your mind has drifted off."
I recently finished the Book of Joy (great read), an interview by Douglas Abrams of Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, which ends with an appendix full of different types of meditation and mindfulness practices.
I am intrigued to practice the Dalai Lama's usual practice of analytical meditation (listed in parent's linked paper alongside Vipassana), but it's certainly an advanced practice. Most resources I can find recommend a daily practice of Shamatha for some months before undertaking analytical meditation.
> 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.
I don't know how similar it is, but I was recently part of a "mindful lunch" at work. We all (3 + the person leading) had lunch in a small conference room in silence. We were told to concentrate fully on the food we were eating the texture, taste, smell, sound, and generally experience it as fully as possible. It was even suggested (and I went with it) to put your silverware down with each bite to give it as full of your attention as possible. It was an incredibly interesting experience to be sure.
And don't forget about Zen, where according to some you think about...not thinking. But, yeah, it's a pretty broad term along the lines of "church". That word is a good start, but is often not descriptive enough to be used as an umbrella term.
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.
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.
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've been interested in learning more about meditating and Raja yoga meditation specifically. I hesitate to read the book in parent as it seems that Buddhist meditation is focused on love, compassion, empathy or some kind of goal. I don't think the positive emphasis of Buddhism is bad. Rather I've been more interested in "abstraction of the mind" and the general non-religious approach of raja yoga.
(I am sorry if the previous comparisons are naive/incorrect)
I'd love to know of any western oriented books on Raja yoga, however.
> I try to meditate every morning for about 15 minutes and been doing that for quite some time now.
I find that doing any Self-Imposed Daily Challenging Healthy Activity will improve your life tremendously, meditation being just one type of SIDCHA.
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.
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.
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 bat you don’t need the timer now. I have been doing this for more than a year now and these days I open my eyes right around 20 mins mark. It’s freaky, try it.
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 are 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.
Personally, I find meditating on a daily basis for longer periods (months), the most difficult.
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.
When I feel good and energized, I jump out of bed, enjoy a day at work and fill the evening with stuff I enjoy.
I totally forget to meditate and (digital) reminders are easily dismissed.
(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)
Same for me. Though i am very "advanced" having been a yogi for over 50 years. What really helped me was meditating hourly, on chimes. i have found the practice mentioned a few times, eg Thich Nat Han recommends. Content wise, length wise etc etc there are many variations. Pick one. Maybe graduate to another. Or out, or on infinite repeat. Taking control of yourself, at all times, even when not "meditating" is to be awake.
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.
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.
If anyone wants to start meditating, start slow. maybe just 10 minutes of trying to do basic breathing exercises.
4.5 to 5.5 hours sounds ridiculously low. I thought humans need at least 8 hours of sleep to function well? Have you tried sleeping for longer and if you did, what difference did it make to your wellbeing?
I dropped my scrip when I realized a long morning sit has about the same effect but without the side effects of stimulants - which were considerable. Not to get down on stimulants, those can be amazing drugs.
I have been meditating 20 years now (zazen). I do 2-4 hours a day. Several 7 day retreats per year.
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.
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.
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.
Do you usually sit in seiza posture, or do you prefer agura for such lengthy sessions? I can put up with an hour in seiza, but four hours must require a fortitude of mind that I can't even begin to fathom.
> I do 2-4 hours a day. Several 7 day retreats per year.
I did the same in my 20s, but then slowly, my interest in sitting for hours a day, long retreats, faded. Not sure why, the experience itself is obviously deep, but it became a kind of attachment like coffee, and gradually I returned to the world.
> If I worship something, it's this moment
Wonderfully put.
May I ask, if you didn't sit, would this moment cease? Put differently, without practice would something be lost?
how do you find the time - sorry for asking personal questions but do you work full time, what about kids stuff?
I try but unable to consistently commit more than 20 min on an off.
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
> 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.
Mudras are awesome! I discovered them accidentally because I'd get spots on my fingers that felt "heavy" and would make me jerk and shiver when touched.
Pressing them can clear the tension, but it's always a temporary relief. If I can shiver then the energy release is much better.
I've tried various mudras but not known what to expect from them, or how best to use them. And never seen an explanation (or anyone else) experiencing what I do.
The Mudras are also specific yoga asanas, which are often referred to as poses or exercises in the west. These Mudras are an advanced practice and should be done with the guidance of a qualified teacher.
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.
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.
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.
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.
That said, mindfulness meditation as a consciousness-momentum modification tool, applied (even daily) within the proper bounds, can a venerable weapon for life.
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.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.
It's really simple to start out:
1) Devote 10 minutes of each day to meditation time. Early morning is best, as your mind is fresh and not as distracted.
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.
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.
That's it! It blows my mind how developing concentration can have such a profound impact on your life.
Here are some good resources for those interested:
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.
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.
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.
Is it be possible that meditation simply have no effect for some people?
Try asking someone close to you if they notice a difference. I went through a long stint of daily meditation a few years ago but I eventually lost the habit. A while afterwards my wife randomly said, "I wish you still meditated. You were nicer when you did." I was taken aback.
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.
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.
"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).
What you think of as "meditation" may not be what actually has been researched in a given study.
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.
Why would you need studies ? It's not like trying to introduce a new medication on the market.
If I like knitting 30 mins a day and I feel relaxed after that I'm not going to wait for a study to tell me it's actually making me feel better or not.
MBSR is well studied and proven, but it’s worth noting that meditation has only recently become an area of medical research. If we insisted on the rule that we only try what is proven through research, meditation would have “gone extinct” thousands of years ago and nobody would benefit from it today
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
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.
[+] [-] mr_overalls|6 years ago|reply
But it's not the only one, and shouldn't be called merely "meditation" without regard to the vast body of practices that exist.
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.
A recently published book called _The_Mind_Illustrated_ by John Yates is fa fantastic resource for this kind of practice.
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.
https://centerhealthyminds.org/assets/files-publications/Dah...
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).
[+] [-] jasonmcaffee|6 years ago|reply
The book is called The Mind Illuminated, and is an absolutely fantastic book on meditation. Super cheap too: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrati...
[+] [-] sixstringtheory|6 years ago|reply
I am intrigued to practice the Dalai Lama's usual practice of analytical meditation (listed in parent's linked paper alongside Vipassana), but it's certainly an advanced practice. Most resources I can find recommend a daily practice of Shamatha for some months before undertaking analytical meditation.
I found this poetic description of the thought process one might go through during analytical meditation: https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/mipham/wheel-of...
[+] [-] jedimastert|6 years ago|reply
I don't know how similar it is, but I was recently part of a "mindful lunch" at work. We all (3 + the person leading) had lunch in a small conference room in silence. We were told to concentrate fully on the food we were eating the texture, taste, smell, sound, and generally experience it as fully as possible. It was even suggested (and I went with it) to put your silverware down with each bite to give it as full of your attention as possible. It was an incredibly interesting experience to be sure.
[+] [-] mikestew|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mettamage|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kishoresurana|6 years ago|reply
I’ve been practicing their 18 minute meditation for almost a year and it has been quite amazing.
[+] [-] servercobra|6 years ago|reply
Where does transcendental meditation fall?
[+] [-] cube2222|6 years ago|reply
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.
I'll happily recommend the, oh so often mentioned on hn, book "the mind illuminated" it really is great to start with: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrati...
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.
[+] [-] aNoob7000|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] raidicy|6 years ago|reply
I'd love to know of any western oriented books on Raja yoga, however.
[+] [-] spodek|6 years ago|reply
I find that doing any Self-Imposed Daily Challenging Healthy Activity will improve your life tremendously, meditation being just one type of SIDCHA.
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.
I'm a big fan and practitioner of SIDCHAs and wrote them up: http://joshuaspodek.com/sidchas-the-series.
[+] [-] spectaclepiece|6 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] cols|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cryptozeus|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] newone21451|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cpeterso|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ghobs91|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] garyrob|6 years ago|reply
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Hand-Thought-Foundations-Budd...
[2] https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditatio...
[+] [-] mlangenberg|6 years ago|reply
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.
When I feel good and energized, I jump out of bed, enjoy a day at work and fill the evening with stuff I enjoy.
I totally forget to meditate and (digital) reminders are easily dismissed.
(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)
How do other people cope with this?
[+] [-] emanuensis|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jason_slack|6 years ago|reply
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.
If anyone wants to start meditating, start slow. maybe just 10 minutes of trying to do basic breathing exercises.
[+] [-] agent008t|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ptah|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] AlwaysRock|6 years ago|reply
It's insane how little I need to feel much more in control of my thoughts.
[+] [-] poslathian|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nabla9|6 years ago|reply
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.
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.
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.
[+] [-] vcoelho|6 years ago|reply
Just reading this gave me anxiety.
[+] [-] Tharkun|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] virtualwhys|6 years ago|reply
I did the same in my 20s, but then slowly, my interest in sitting for hours a day, long retreats, faded. Not sure why, the experience itself is obviously deep, but it became a kind of attachment like coffee, and gradually I returned to the world.
> If I worship something, it's this moment
Wonderfully put.
May I ask, if you didn't sit, would this moment cease? Put differently, without practice would something be lost?
[+] [-] tshanmu|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ptah|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] amriksohata|6 years ago|reply
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmamuhurtha
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.
[+] [-] pbowyer|6 years ago|reply
Mudras are awesome! I discovered them accidentally because I'd get spots on my fingers that felt "heavy" and would make me jerk and shiver when touched.
Pressing them can clear the tension, but it's always a temporary relief. If I can shiver then the energy release is much better.
I've tried various mudras but not known what to expect from them, or how best to use them. And never seen an explanation (or anyone else) experiencing what I do.
[+] [-] albanberg|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gnikif|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ypcx|6 years ago|reply
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.
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.
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.
That said, mindfulness meditation as a consciousness-momentum modification tool, applied (even daily) within the proper bounds, can a venerable weapon for life.
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.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.
[+] [-] Obi_Juan_Kenobi|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jasonmcaffee|6 years ago|reply
It's really simple to start out:
1) Devote 10 minutes of each day to meditation time. Early morning is best, as your mind is fresh and not as distracted.
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.
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.
That's it! It blows my mind how developing concentration can have such a profound impact on your life.
Here are some good resources for those interested:
http://dharmatreasure.org/wp-content/uploads/beginning-medit...
https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrati...
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheMindIlluminated/wiki/index#wiki_...
[+] [-] rramadass|6 years ago|reply
* Mind Training: The Great Collection - https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Training-Collection-Library-Clas...
* Essential Mind Training (subset from the above book) - https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Mind-Training-Tibetan-Class...
[+] [-] yjhoney|6 years ago|reply
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.
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.
Is it be possible that meditation simply have no effect for some people?
[+] [-] nefitty|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tryitnow|6 years ago|reply
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.
"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).
What you think of as "meditation" may not be what actually has been researched in a given study.
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.
[+] [-] flr03|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] devinjflick|6 years ago|reply
The mindful way through depression: Zindel Segal at TEDxUTSC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A4w3W94ygA The book that the talk is based on: https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Way-Through-Depression-Unhapp...
[+] [-] jammygit|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] slothtrop|6 years ago|reply
How does walking around with a clear head compared to meditation practically speaking?
[+] [-] le3dh4x0r|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] musicale|6 years ago|reply
"At piece with yourself" reminds me of Iron Maiden's album Piece of Mind. Which is also good for mindfulness and focus.
[+] [-] riskneutral|6 years ago|reply