
Ask HN: Do you meditate? How/Why?  - fredoliveira
I've been doing a little bit of meditation lately and it helped me take time off to put things in perspective and generally feel a little less stressed out about life and work. However, I sometimes find myself thinking that maybe I should spend that time doing something useful (even if I know meditation is good for me).<p>What's your take? Do you do it? How and why do you do it? Care to share your experience? I guess what I'm looking for is a bit of peer validation for either side of the coin, and your thoughts. Thanks everyone.
======
flatline
I can relate a little about my experiences doing zen-style meditation over the
last few years.

After long periods of meditation, like a weekend retreat or even a day of
sitting, I tend to be very focused and relaxed. My normally chaotic emotions
are subdued and I have a profound feeling of well-being and peace. This
generally lasts for several days to several weeks depending on the lengths of
sitting. Sitting daily sometimes has this effect as well, it is more
intermittent for me.

On the other hand, I am sometimes consumed by the strongest, most negative
emotions I've ever experienced after sitting for extended periods. Since
starting meditation, I've had numerous anxiety attacks and periods of rage.
For the first time in my life, it became really real to me that I was going to
die. A lot of anxiety that I had apparently suppressed over the years came to
a head, which was anything but pleasant. I've had numerous health issues which
I largely attribute to stress, so it's not like my life has been stress-free
from the meditation. I've also been pushed towards examining most of my
beliefs, particularly of a religious/spiritual nature, and have had to let go
of a lot of things that used to give me comfort.

To paraphrase the buddhist doctrine, life is suffering, and everything is
subject to change. Meditation has many benefits but I'm not of the opinion
that there is a steady state of happiness/bliss that can be achieved. I think
the best that can be done is to deal with difficult situations more
gracefully, as they are unceasing, and to show compassion towards our fellow
beings, as they are struggling under the same delusions, prejudices, and pains
that we are.

~~~
cmchugh
Regarding negative feelings after meditation, I am grateful that you mentioned
it because I had these too and this is the first time I've heard from anyone
with a similar experience.

I took up regular meditation last Spring, sitting 30-40 minutes daily in my
best approximation of zazen. I found the meditation quite relaxing and on some
days I felt much better afterwards or had small insights about my life. Other
days were not so pleasant. I believe I experienced a sharper awareness of the
stress I felt at work (which in the past I would have denied feeling at all)
and I was much more likely to notice when I became distracted at work,
resulting in growing frustration and anxiety. I think it also made me more
aware of the shallowness of my relationships with my coworkers and my own
reluctance to engage with them.

Overall I suppose it's been a positive and educational experience.

~~~
thomas11
Preparing you for these (transient) negative feelings is a standard of
Buddhist meditation teaching. At least it's in the foundational texts and it
was mentioned in the few Buddhist groups I've attended. It would be
unfortunate if modern meditation guides would leave that out.

------
kingsidharth
I love meditating! Been doing it since age of 6 (I was born in India & my
Grandmother is an awesome teacher). Why? It's like bathing for mind & soul.

I even started a blog about it: <http://www.meditationrocks.us/blog>

You can find my experiences and learnings there.

    
    
      Summing-up:
    
    

_How to Meditate (Easiest Way):_

Sit in comfortable place.

With back straight (or you will fall asleep).

Close your eyes & focus on your breathing.

Count in as 1 and out as 2 till 15. Start back at 1 after 15

If you find your mind wandering, and it will, just start back at 15.

    
    
       FAQ
    
    
    

_Do I put on music?_

Light music, optional.

 _Do I need special equipment or place?_

Nada, anywhere you can sit with back straight is fine.

 _I've too much energy for meditation_

Cool! Then enjoy, meditate when you are feeling low.

PS: Will be eager to answer any questions, or help someone find their way...
or maybe do some HN Meditation Group :P Just thinking out loud.

~~~
ced
Can you sit against a wall? How long should one persevere before giving up if
nothing interesting happens?

~~~
jinfiesto
I don't recommend sitting against a wall. If you plan on meditating, I
recommend investing in a zafu and zabuton. They'll provide much better back
support than a wall or just the floor.

~~~
kingsidharth
Wall is fine! But it is better if you can sit with back straight without any
support at back. It keeps you alert.

~~~
Gizzle
Please explain: if it keeps you alert, you also have to concentrate your
thoughts on this. Isn't this in contradiction to let all thoghts go? Thanks
for an answer...

~~~
kingsidharth
You make me want to go into Zen teachings now. So I will summarize them as
much as I can:

What I meant:

Thoughts: Things going on.

Alert: Being aware of something. Observing something (can be thoughts)

Not being alert: You will drift off to sleep.

Meditation: Focusing (as in deliberative) and/ or Observing something that
doesn't go on into endless thinking tank.

Let go of thoughts: that become an essay. Start thinking about Python and you
can write an essay right now. Start listening to your breathing. And _release
any other thought_ that comes in. Yes you can keep repeating word _Python_ and
try to release thoughts that follow but it's easier with things like sound and
mantras.

Sure there is much more to it than what I've written but hope you get the
idea.

~~~
Gizzle
Thank you for the kind answer. It's a beginning...

------
fredoliveira
To those curious - like I once was - about how you actually get started with
meditation, I've used the introduction to mindfulness series over at
audiodharma [1]. It's often hard to find resources that manage to actually
separate meditation from zen/buddhist practices, and they do it quite well.
The lectures are from Gil Fronsdal who's a Ph.D. from Stanford.

[1] <http://www.audiodharma.org/series/1/talk/1762/>

~~~
jonhendry
There's also a podcast available from them.

------
getpost
I started meditating in 2007, and it has completely changed my life. The
benefits I've noticed are too numerous to list, but for example:

\- My ability to sustain attention and keep a lot of details in mind (say, for
writing code) has improved significantly. Before I started my practice, my
ability to code was declining with age.

\- I'm much less reactive than I used to be. I have more ability to choose
what I say and how I act. Of course, I still can and do make unskillful
choices.

\- Rather than expend energy on judgement, on right vs. wrong, I now focus on
skillful vs unskillful. Meditation does change your view of the world. You
realize you can't control your mind. So it's not, "I think, therefore I am."
It's, "I think, therefore there are thoughts." A healthy relationship to your
thoughts removes many obstacles.

The thing about meditation is that you have to actually do it. No amount of
knowledge of the various techniques can substitute for actual practice. For
this reason, as michael_dorfman says, you really do need a teacher. Don't just
read the menu, eat the food.

Buddhist Geeks[1] is a great podcast. It has interviews with various Buddhist
and non-dual teachers.

In Berkeley, there's an excellent pay-what-you-want 6 week beginner class
offered by James Baraz[2]. The first session is presented without any Buddhist
stuff. The remaining sessions have Buddhist content, to elucidate the
foundations of practice. Plenty of people who are not interested in Buddhism
take the class. Many of James' talks are on DharmaSeed[3], another great
source of Buddhist audio.

[1] <http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/> [2]
<http://www.insightberkeley.org/calendar.html> [3]
<http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/86/>

------
michael_dorfman
I do pretty traditional, mainstream Buddhist-style meditation on the breath
every day. At the moment I'm sitting 30 minutes a day; there have been times
when I've averaged an hour a day.

I find it has great benefits-- much more than any other activity I could do in
the time I'm spending.

I'd definitely recommend that you (or anybody else interested) go to a center,
and take a few sessions with an in-person teacher. Learning to meditate from a
book (or website, etc.) is a bit like learning to swim from a book: it might
be possible to do it that way, but it is far from optimal.

In my experience, Buddhist centers are happy to show people how to meditate
with absolutely no expectations or conditions; there's nothing special you
have to believe or commit to, or anything like that.

~~~
jonhendry
There are a number of sites with downloadable dharma talks, guided
meditations, etc. Those would be helpful people who don't have a nearby
center. (Or whose nearby center is of a variety that isn't agreeable. For
instance, when I took a meditation class at a Korean Zen temple in Chicago,
full-length prostrations were a significant part of it. I'm not keen on
prostrations. As an atheist, they feel silly.)

------
alexophile
Before I decided to start meditating, I read a ton of material on how and why
to do it and none of it really stuck. So instead, I just sat down on the floor
and started thinking.

At first, it was just free-association. I would let my mind wander, noting
rather passively the landmarks along the way. As I refined my process a bit, I
was able to spend more time noting than wandering, until a single topic could
span weeks worth of almost-daily sessions.

So I firmly believe that there's no one right way to meditate, but there is a
deep and proven benefit to _setting aside part of your day for contemplative,
abstract thought._

------
levifig
I know I'll get some heat for this, but here it goes anyway.

Disclaimer: I'm a Christian. Not of those that make the news or your typical
"fundamentalist". I read and study the Bible and do my best to be a good
person, understanding the world around me yet living as closely as possible
from that which God has asked of me, through the Bible. And if you ask, I've
been doing pretty good at it while remaining relevant in the world around me,
even in the tech community, so often agnostic or even atheist.

Meditation, unlike commonly thought of, is not about "emptying your mind" or
"getting in tune with the Universe". Meditation is all about letting a
thought, concept or idea completely soak your brain. That allows you a
superior cognitive understanding of it. The different areas of your brain will
be called to process it from all different angles. From a Christian
standpoint, there are a few things that we are called to meditate on: "(…)
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if
there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
(<http://bible.us/Phil4.8.ESV>) If you read the previous verses on that
passage (4-6), it talks about "rejoicing" and "not worrying". That is only
possible when you let your brain soak in the pure, lovely, commendable,
excellent, etc thoughts.

Now, I'm not trying to preach or ask you to follow Christ or God. What I'm
telling you is that meditation is _actively_ thinking about certain things and
those things alone. It's not passive. It's not "emptying your mind". That is
relaxation and it's also a good thing. But "emptying your mind" without
filling it with the right things can have terrible consequences.

Personally, I'm trying to "disconnect" a little bit more. Less Twitter. Less
RSS. Less… Apple rumors. Why? Those are all fine things and I enjoy knowing
the latest news on the things that interest me. But living on the "now" has
terrible consequences over how I analyze the past and prepare the future. I
need to read more books and… meditate on what is important.

Bottom line: take time off, unplug, relax. Read/listen to things that fit the
verse I quoted or bring up things that are either troubling or exciting you.
Then allow yourself to unwind by letting the silence around you help you focus
on what you have soaked your brain in. And I'd say "pray", but that mind be
beyond the scope of your question… ;)

~~~
jcromartie
I agree with your take on meditation (theologically), but to play devil's
advocate: I think the common idea of "emptying your mind" could actually be
seen as focusing on something, even if that something is "nothing," or
silence.

I've found that one of the best things for "unplugging" is actually Instapaper
and other readers. Instead of flitting from link to link and doing shallow
reading on HN or Reddit, I tend to send a few things a day to Instapaper so I
can focus on them in a better context for reading. I absorb a lot more, and I
am less distracted by articles while I'm trying to work, and less distracted
by work while I'm trying to read! I'm very thankful for that app.

~~~
levifig
I use Instapaper religiously (hah!). The bad thing is how it became a
graveyard of oh-so-awesome-must-read articles and less a queue of stuff I do
read. :) As to the "emptying your mind", all I said was that if you're focused
on "emptying" you might miss what goes on to "fill" it. If your focus is on
what you're filling it with, you'll automatically start "emptying" it of what
shouldn't be there. :)

------
klondikered
I meditate to awaken (in the deeper sense), to bring calm to a wild mind (as I
think Robert Pirsig said, peace of mind is not the most important thing, it's
the only thing), and to try to become a better, more compassionate person.

You don't have to meditate in a convoluted sitting position if you choose not
to (although there are good reasons for sitting in lotus).

I would start by just regularly sitting or walking quietly, being aware of
your breathing, and watching thoughts and emotions flowing into and right back
out of your mind's I.

~~~
vidar
I have been meditating for a while, always sitting in a chair. What are the
advantages of the Lotus?

~~~
pjscott
My cynical suspicion is that the lotus position is traditional, and looks
cool, and therefore people have come up with rationalizations for it.

Someone has already quoted Wikipedia, so I won't repeat it, but most of those
sound like benefits that you can get by lying down, or finding a really
comfortable chair, or something similar. And the bit about improving digestion
sounds especially dubious, since it doesn't really say what that _means_ , and
a lot of Yoga folks have a bad habit of making vaguely shiny-sounding medical
claims without evidence.

(Do I sound negative? I actually do sometimes meditate, because it's a
pleasant thing to do. I just want to make sure I'm not fooling myself about
why I'm doing it.)

~~~
flatline
Speaking from my own experiences, and pulling loosely from the zen tradition
in which I practice:

Sitting meditation keeps you more alert, makes it easier to reach a state of
samadhi, or focused, non-discriminating awareness. For a while, due to back
pain, I switched to lying meditation. I was not a fan, it was much easier to
drift off. Zen meditation typically involves leaving the eyes partly open to
avoid daydreaming or entering some sort of trance state. I also found this
difficult to maintain while in a prone position.

Sitting in full lotus is difficult for me, and I'm relatively flexible. I
generally sit half-lotus or in a chair. Sitting without a chair for long
periods causes pain in the legs and back/shoulders. That's part of the
practice, learning to maintain focus and equanimity through pain and
discomfort.

To the best of my knowledge, the common sitting postures - lotus, half-lotus,
burmese, seiza - came about because they were maintainable for long periods.
Sitting indian style with legs crossed in front, for example, your stomach
muscles will quickly tire and you'll be hunched over.

------
jasonshen
As a gymnast, I found meditation to be be a powerful way to train my mind to
focus. This was particularly important for the pommel horse, which is a super
nuanced event that you can can't "muscle" your way to success. I do believe I
noticed a difference in my performance as time went on.

Now I try to meditate simply as a way of introducing calm into a life that is
jam packed with work, socializing and outside projects. One of my goals for
2011 is to spend at least 2,000 minutes in meditation.

~~~
shadowpwner
5 minutes a day? ;)

~~~
trobertson
Better than zero.

As a former collegiate gymnast myself, I happen to know that you don't have a
long time to meditate (in the gymnastics world, it's called visualizing your
routine) before it's your turn to compete. Being able to get into a meditative
state quickly can make or break your performance. Take to long, and you don't
reach the state, and are more prone to errors. Almost all of the high level
gymnasts visualize every routine they do, with varying degrees of success.

As you pointed out, Jason's goal does only average at about 5 minutes a day.
But that's more time than a gymnast usually has (unless he wants to dismiss
his teammate's routines, which is not exactly... nice). So for him, 5 minutes
may be all he needs to reap the benefits, whereas someone who hasn't had the
training to quickly get into that state may need more time.

~~~
shadowpwner
Interesting perspective.

------
hivelogic
I've been meditating daily in the Mindfulness (aka Insight) meditation style
for about 6 years, and it's completely changed my life and my health.

I've written about this (with a focus on geeks like us) here:

[http://hivelogic.com/articles/an-introduction-to-
mindfulness...](http://hivelogic.com/articles/an-introduction-to-mindfulness-
meditation) [http://hivelogic.com/articles/how-to-start-a-meditation-
prac...](http://hivelogic.com/articles/how-to-start-a-meditation-practice)
<http://hivelogic.com/articles/meditation-gear>

I hope this is useful to you.

------
mmaunder
When I run, I no longer listen to music and I just let my mind wander. My
layman's theory is that it's a form of meditation. At the end I'm full of
mental energy and new ideas.

~~~
nagnatron
While I'm sure that what you describe works for you, one meditation technique
is precisely the opposite of what you are doing. Next time you go out to run,
try to be perfectly in the moment feeling every sensation and try not to
create little movies in your head.

------
metageek
I don't have much patience for the claims that not thinking can yield profound
insights; but I have found mediation techniques useful for simple relaxation.

I got the techniques from an ebook called "Mindfulness In Plain English":

<http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html>

------
ewanmcteagle
I do not meditate because I fear that doing so may cause me to ascend to a
higher plane of existence and I'm not prepared for that.

~~~
cmchugh
I meditate regularly. I fear losing my ambition or competitive drive, and I
suspect that this will hold me back from making real "spiritual" progress.

------
lethargus
Here are some books and audio that have been insightful and enjoyable to read
about mindfulness and related topics.

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life - Thich Nhat
Hanh

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face
Stress, Pain, and Illness - Jon Kabat-Zinn

Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation - Alan Watts

Also, these two audio CD collections are helpful:

Out Of Your Mind: The Nature of Consciousness - Alan Watts

Guided Mindfulness Meditation - Jon Kabat-Zinn

~~~
phrotoma
Really enjoy Jon Jabat-Zinn's material. He's got a couple videos on google
tech talks and his guided CD's are very good. I came to meditation knowing
nothing at all and his clear and simple explanations helped immensely.

~~~
CeiII
I agree, I find his material very good. I think he has good timing and his
voice is in no way annoying; something I often find off putting with audio
CD's. He has a good ability to remove the 'mumbo bumbo bullshit' (as he puts
it) and get to the core of what is important.

I also started with the Google tech talk and went on to his other work.

~~~
fredoliveira
Here's the referred Google Tech Talk - saw it took, liked it a lot:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc>

------
eof
Minute for minute I don't think there is much more useful work you can do than
focused meditation.

Sitting on a pillow with your eyes closed with your mind wandering is probably
not productive. But honing your mind to focus on just that one image; or on
nothing at all.. that is very very powerful.

------
al3x
I try to do <http://www.natural-stress-relief.com/> meditation at least once a
day. When I make the time, it hugely improves my focus, productivity, and
general mood.

Yes, that site is sketchy as anything. But the technique works.

~~~
ZeroGravitas
The technique seems (from what little info they give) to be a simplified
version of TM. A Harvard Cardiologist also created a simplified version of TM
and you can probably get the book _The Relaxation Response_ from a library.

Even better, here's an online step-by-step guide:

<http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/>

------
rvb
If you can set aside 10 days during which you are completely cut off from the
outside world, check out Vipasanna. I found it tremendously valuable. It
teaches you to filter less of the info your senses are continuously delivering
to your brain, and be more aware of every sensation.

What's the point, you ask? Well, beyond the obvious benefits of being more
aware of physical sensations, in the process of disciplining your mind, you
find out a lot about yourself -- what issues in your life are constantly
distracting you from the task at hand, etc.

This only works when you starve your mind of new distractions -- hence, no
talking, writing, reading, or even eye contact during the 10 days. It's a lot
of time, I know, but for me it was well worth it.

------
markbao
Yes. Meditation is instrumental for me in my day-to-day life. Meditation is my
medium for self-reflection, relaxation, and clearing my mind. For me, it's
also been helpful for combating depression.

I highly suggest the Reddit meditation subreddit —
<http://reddit.com/r/meditation>. Basically the Hacker News of meditation. The
archives are a great place to browse to learn more about meditation, like
different techniques, advice (like should you scratch an itch or watch it?
meditating under the influence? etc.), and everything related.

Edit: if you have an iPhone, the Equanimity app is pretty cool for timing your
sits as well as recording thoughts or notes about your sit.

------
fjabre
I recently started meditating about 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes
in the evening. I've been sleeping much better and I can remember my dreams
more easily. I also notice that I generally feel much more relaxed. It's not a
cure all but it really does help.

I do not prescribe to any of the spiritual/pseudo-religion around it though.
In fact, if it weren't for the noticeable benefits the 'religion' would have
scared me off. There are different types but I'm more into the vedic/mantra
and breathing exercises.

------
prakash
Slava (coffeemug) has some excellent thoughts on this subject:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=455008>

------
initself
I meditate in the tradition of Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka:
<http://www.dhamma.org/>

One can take a 10 day course at many centers around the world to learn the
technique from qualified teachers in its purity.

I knew about Vipassana for a long time but I did not attend a 10 day course
until I was completely at rock bottom suffering from depression. Once I
learned the technique, experiencing reality as-it-is for the first time in my
life, it changed me fundamentally from the inside out. It was there that I
found out that the results of my poor actions in this lifetime (and possibly
others) were stored within my physical body and that I could remove them via
observing them objectively without reacting to the sensations that came up via
this observation. Having that direct realization meant that I could never go
back to the ignorance of not being aware of how the law of karma has direct
results upon one's experience of life. After the course had finished, I
continued practicing Vipassana morning and evening for one hour each sitting
for many months/years and continue to experience profound benefits.

I am much less angry and much more calm, much more adept at handling life's
inevitable challenges. When I do find myself reacting strongly to certain
situations, I am able to witness my reactions objectively and thereby reduce
their negative effects swiftly. Emotions disturbances that used to persist for
weeks are now gone in minutes.

I am happy and grounded in the knowledge that I have within my possession a
technique to control my mind. That is a very liberating knowledge and worth
pursuing for one's self!

------
rajivn
I used to meditate regularly until I decided to take a break a couple of
months ago.

On the positive side it has helped me a lot - lowered stress, better sleep,
improved communication, creativity and a lot of the things others have already
covered. I want to highlight a few things on the not so positive side.

1) lowered drive at work. I had to take more conscious effort to get myself to
take action on things when I previously reacted quickly as I was more "on the
edge". 2) feeling very emotional / sensitive. I found myself crying to myself
a lot more and generally being affected by things around me. 3) Ignoring
certain things that needed attention. I think at some point it started to
become a crutch. Some relationships needed my attention / action in my
personal life and I found myself doing nothing about it because I think in
some way I started using meditation almost as some place I could escape into
and feel good internally when externally things weren't great.

In spite of all the above, I want to resume my practice soon as I feel that
the fact that I can see the issues give me the ability to address them. I
highly recommend the site <http://lorinroche.com>

------
nhangen
I do, in fact I built an app to help me do it better (<http://zazensuite.com>)

The thing about meditation is that it's tough to get past those first few
minutes, but when you do, it really helps you feel better.

I learned a lot about the philosophy of meditation from reading books like Be
Here Now and The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

~~~
Herring
Yeah, meditation timers make a huge difference. I'm currently using Zen Timer
on iOS.

------
Joakal
Generally sleep and relaxing with friends is the best meditation for me.

------
rfugger
A while ago I was having a lot of trouble being productive in my life, and was
considering using some of the anti-akrasia techniques posted on HN to keep
myself in line. But I also had a nagging feeling that there was more to my
procrastination than just laziness, and that I needed to get more deeply in
touch with my own motivations so my work could be harmonious rather than a
constant struggle against myself. Honestly I didn't even really know what I
wanted.

So instead of resolving to stick to a schedule for pursuing a particular
project, I resolved to meditate every day and let the rest sort itself out. I
have meditated sporadically for about 10 years, and always appreciated it, but
recently had gotten out of the habit.

So far it's been pretty good. The productivity is coming more naturally,
albeit in somewhat random bursts, but mostly I'm just more at peace with
myself, which I think is more what I'm really after than anything.

------
rlbrackett3
I have been maintaining a steady meditation practice for several months. It is
something I have become more and more attached to as I really focus on taking
the time to have stillness. A good 20 minutes of simple quietude and deep
breathing twice a day definitely helps me be more productive and more focused.
The hardest thing is not thinking about all the things you have to do after
this, and really just be still.

A practical and pragmatic source on meditation is Lawrence LeShan's "How to
Meditate". I found it to be an informative read and provide a lot of places to
both start and expand a meditation practice.

From time to time I will write about interesting meditation experiences or
just ways of becoming more disciplined in my practice.
<http://www.putafonit.com> if anyone is interested.

Seeing this post made my day, glad to see some love for good old peace and
quiet in our busy lives.

Robert

------
sudoman
The way I understand meditation is that it is a way of stepping out of "worlds
of becoming" that the mind is constantly entering and wandering around in.
(Until things go bad, and then it jumps to another world.) The way I try to
deal with this is through the ongoing practice of calming the mind and giving
it good mental food. A good source of this food is the blameless pleasure that
comes from the ability to settle on a single range of awareness such as the
body or the breath, and then to stay there for long periods of time, which is
actually more satisfying than it sounds at first. It's inevitable that the
mind will keep pulling itself away to harmful yet tempting subjects, so
learning how to return peacefully, yet firmly and repeatedly is a skill that
I've been trying to develop.

It becomes somewhat obvious as one begins to meditate that this wandering, and
the repetition of unskillful mental qualities, is connected with what stress
and suffering there is in life. The accompanying insight into these thought
worlds and how they keep originating and pulling stress and suffering with
them can supposedly allow one to grow dispassionate for those addictions and
give them up to at least a greater or lesser extent. It's interesting to see
what repeated mental habits the mind thinks are good ideas, simply because it
hasn't taken a good look at them since before the age of two. Giving those
habits up, even if only temporarily, can be a great relief for the mind.

The tough part about all this is putting in the effort on a regular/continual
basis when the initial results can come and go without your really seeing why.
Looking at my own practice, I can say it's worth the effort so far, despite
the difficulties. When I'm in a tough spot, remembering the moments that I
have been at greater ease in the meditation give me reason to keep working in
that direction.

If you're interested, here are some talks by my favorite meditation teacher:
[http://dhammatalks.org/Archive/BasicsCollection/BasicsCollec...](http://dhammatalks.org/Archive/BasicsCollection/BasicsCollection.html)

I hope this helps your practice. ;-)

------
sever
I've a little bit periodically over the past few years. The most I've ever
done is 20m at a time, but every day.

I've had the same reservations as you, is it doing any good, how can I tell?
It is trivially easy to be wrong.

I do like something I see in the people who are more advanced practioners and
I keep being drawn back to it.

My latest thinking is that since I can not for the moment find anything
longterm to measure, I'll do it for the immediate enjoyment I get directly
from the session - from physically relaxing if nothing else. This has now made
my sessions very short, just a few minutes at a time before I stop enjoying
it.

I'll add another recomendation for "Mindfulness in Plain English", I like it a
lot. I'm slowly consuming it, reading a few paragraphs before each meditation
session.

------
RoyG
It seems that people associate meditation with Zen-style sitting meditation,
which seems to be the canonical example. However, there are also standing,
walking and moving forms of meditation, as practiced in Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Ba
Gua and Yoga.

These practices emphasize mind-body unity and alignment, and focus on the
moment, and the results are very similar to sitting meditation, with the added
advantage of physical involvement, and less time per session.

I do a Tai Chi short form at different times throughout the day, as a stress
break. It only takes 5 minutes or so, and is very helpful in calming the mind
and aligning the body. The down side is that the learning curve is long, and a
teacher is needed, in order to ensure that ur doing it right.

------
jomclaughlin
Thanks for posting this. It was great reading through this and seeing how
meditation has helped people retain a little sanity in this crazy world. My
take on meditation is heavier on faith than most of what I've read here so I
thought I would submit it as an alternative.

I've been practicing zazen on a daily basis for almost twenty years now, and
Tai Chi Chuan for almost as long. I am extra lucky in that my wife practices
as well, and often we spend whole weekends and even vacations meditating
together.

We get most of our inspiration to practice from Uchiyama Roshi, who wrote
"Opening the Hand of Thought", and his student Shohaku Okumura who is now
teaching in Bloomington, Indiana (and has just published "Realizing Genjokoan"
which has also been profoundly helpful to us).

There have been many experiences both painful and joyous, but none of them
last, no matter how much I've wanted them to. The lesson of course, is that
you must let go, no matter what. According to Uchiyama, the first step to
sincere practice is to clarify death. Since none of the stuff we normally
value (status, wealth, relationships) stay with us when we meet that final
experience, it is obvious that we must let go of them and settle on what is of
true value. As a buddhist, what has true value is the true self, which is the
self that is connected to all other beings. We practice zazen to let go of our
petty self, and allow the true self to manifest, similar to how a Christian's
or Muslim's true faith in God could allow God's love to act through them. For
me, zazen has always been an act of faith towards the belief that there is
this true self, that it is interconnected, and interdependent, and that it is
in all of us and that it transcends each of us. This faith allows me to let
go, to trust everything to zazen, and unclench however slightly from my
selfish preoccupations.

I would say the greatest benefit of meditation for me is this realization that
I can let go, that I am not a prisoner of my delusions no matter how
persistent they may be, and also this faith in a true self that carries me
through difficult circumstances and helps me correct course when my actions
fall short of my ideals.

------
jacobroufa
Hope I can be helpful with this. I believe in active meditation, for lack of a
better term. All of my activities I take in stride, paying attention to what
I'm doing instead of just walking blindly through life. At least, that's the
goal!

I got started on this when I decided to start working for myself actually. Now
that I have a say in my schedule, the pressure of "getting there" practically
doesn't exist! With that out of the way I only do what I enjoy doing and it
allows me to take the time I need. I get to spend time each day on ME because
I don't have to answer to THEM.

Good luck mate! Freeing myself from the cyclical struggle was the best thing
I've ever done. It wasn't nor is easy but it's worth it for all the benefit
I've seen!

------
enduser
Yes, every day with very few exceptions.

I recommend the Golden Flower method, generally, as described in The Secret of
the Golden Flower translated by Thomas Cleary. The Wilhelm translation of the
same text is broken.

What is significant about meditation is not specific to sitting. Sitting
quietly is a way to clear the everyday human mind so that a more profound
awareness can arise in awareness. Then one can hold that awareness through all
activity, practicing quiet when quiet is appropriate and acting when action is
appropriate.

Meditation can be mundane: a way to relax, to enhance concentration, to feel
peaceful. Or it can be greater, a way to understand reality in a way that is
denied to the analytic mind.

------
niclupien
I use to meditate a lot. Now it's like 2-3 times a week. The difference
between when im not meditating is of course a lot of reduced stress. I just
have a clear sight of everything happening, the solution to problems are
always obvious. This is a great feeling and this is why i enjoy and i
encourage you to meditate. What to do is simple, there is plenty of meditation
you can find on the web. Just find one you like and do it. Do it a lot like
for 2 years and master it. Once you master it, it will be natural for you to
get this state of mind, this lucidity, even when you are not meditating.

------
mattgreenrocks
It isn't meditation, but it is similar. I've started journaling as a sort of
auto-psychotherapy, and it seems like it can really work if you start digging
into issues. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to people if they don't already
know something about mindfulness, as it seems like it is easy to get yourself
stuck in an emotional rut if you're not careful.

This is actually part of the treatment that a book prescribes for dealing with
RSI. I'm giving it a shot, because I can only learn more about myself from the
experience.

Every hacker-type should experiment with mindfulness. Creativity flows out of
knowing thyself.

------
febeling
I recently started to exercise the Five Tibetan Rites. That is not meditation,
more yoga. And even that they constitute yoga is disputed. But what is more
important is that it really increased my energy level throughout the whole
day, and it helps me a lot to start things, stick with things, and after a
whole day of work still by motivated to have conversation, do everyday chores
and enjoy life. Give it a try. (There is a small booklet by one Peter Kelder
about it, telling an unbelievable story how they become know in the west
through the quest of one British Army officer.)

------
gyardley
Never meditated in the Buddhist sense. I'm not a particularly spiritual
person, and the idea of doing some sort of 'meditating' doesn't appeal to me
at all - it's not something that fits my concept of 'me'.

That said, I do spend a little bit of time - every day if I can - thinking
about the many good things in my life and how much worse things would be
without them. By doing so I find that I appreciate my situation a lot more, am
much less likely to take things for granted, and am a lot more stoic about the
not-so-good things that happen to everybody from time to time.

~~~
flurie
With respect to your own self-examination, I don't find that one need be a
spiritual person in order to meditate according to some Buddhist traditions.
And interspersed in a lot of Buddhist teaching seems to be the caveat that the
same approach may not work for different individuals.

------
ramkalari
I used to practice meditation but have largely replaced it with Iyengar Yoga.
I generally felt very good immediately after a session and I think it helped
me in my productivity as well. However, I'm not so sure it helped me when I
had to deal with high stress situations. The big problem that I have is when
something becomes greater than just a hobby. For instance, when I did yoga for
purely health reasons, I felt happier and better. But, when I started doing it
with the thought of becoming as good as BKS Iyengar, yoga itself contributed
to the stress.

------
neworbit
Not precisely the same thing, but I do make a point of spending ten minutes a
day with either a mug of tea or a glass of wine, simply sitting quietly to
watch the world outside. Helps me "change gears".

------
jinfiesto
I meditate fairly regularly as well. It's interesting that I've seen
meditation characterized very differently in this discussion so far. I've
never particularly thought of it as "emptying your mind" or "letting one
thought soak into the mind." Uchiyama Roshi characterizes meditation as
"opening the hand of thought" and I really feel that this is the most accurate
description of meditation for me. We are not rocks after all! To think is part
of human nature :)

------
rednum
Simming through the comments, it seems that there is noone who actually had
bad experiences with meditation or at least decided that it was waste of
time/lacked any significant effects. I really would like to read that kind of
opinions (to get fuller picture of this activity), however most topics (sites)
about meditation are full of people who actually do and 'like' it or who want
to start. Can somebody share that kind of stories (or point to them)?

------
metageek
Just saw this, and it doesn't seem to have come up here. MRI scans show

"Mindfulness meditation training changes brain structure in 8 weeks"
[http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/01/21/mindfulness.medi...](http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/01/21/mindfulness.meditation.training.changes.brain.structure.8.weeks)

Submitted here: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2130351>

------
andremarq
I highly recommend checking out IFS (Internal Family Systems):
<http://www.selfleadership.org/node/7285>. It's really helped deepen my
meditation practice.

Awareness by Osho is also a great book on meditation:
[http://www.amazon.com/Awareness-Living-Balance-Osho-
Insights...](http://www.amazon.com/Awareness-Living-Balance-Osho-
Insights/dp/0312275633)

------
cal5k
We actually took the radical step of hiring someone to come and do group
meditation in our office once a week. It's entirely optional, but typically
our entire team gets involved. Everyone really looks forward to it. A great
many have extended it into a daily meditation habit, which is great.

Makes sense - if our team is less stressed and has better control over their
mental state, that means a happier, healthier, more productive company.

------
PixelRobot
I do it whenever it feels like my brain needs a reboot, that is, when my
mental processes seem to be frozen and don't flow properly. That's like a pair
of times every day. Some days more, some other less.

Nothing fancy, I just sit there breathing and take everything else out of my
mind.

Since I do it when I feel I need it doesn't feel like a waste of time or
anything like that. I know I'll be more focused after meditating and will do a
better job.

------
rokhayakebe
I have been doing some research lately on how to meditate. You should do some
light wikipedia reading on Pineal Gland, and Chakra, as well as the 528 mhz
frequency.

Several techniques will suggest you keep your mind blank while meditating.
This is next to impossible. Instead focus your mind on simple image and try to
visualize it (with your eye closed) at the area of your forehead between your
eyes.

------
praveenaj
Yes. You've found the best and scientifically proved method for relieving
stress! Keep it up. I'm a buddhist but you don't need to be like me to
practice this. I can recommend you the "breathing meditation" (anapanasathi)
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKFl4E3YhlI>

------
ohmethinks
I do meditate. It's important though to realize that meditation is not a
passive exercise where one sits and just thinks. For me, meditation is about
actively letting go and maintaining perspective. It can be painful at times,
especially when confronted with certain truths about yourself or situations
that you're in.

------
MikeMacMan
When I was in high school, I started meditating before my bowling
competitions, using this book as a guide: <http://amzn.com/B002VGXFVW> (Zen
Mind, Beginners Mind).

It definitely helped my performance, and I want to bring meditation back into
my life. Maybe this thread will help :)

------
ylem
I found vipassana to be useful (www.dhamma.org). It definitely helps in
dealing with adverse events in life...

------
checoivan
Guided meditation. A work-mate started a group, so we meet over in a room at
lunch. He brings speakers and plays the recording from his ipod, so we
meditate listening to the mix for about half an hour with our eyes closed.
It's very relaxing and afterwards I find it easier to focus and code.

------
naba
I have found the Gil Fronsdal lectures mentioned elsewhere in the thread
extremely good and helpful. I recommend meditation to people I think would
benefit from it, but have difficulty in convincing them to do it, especially
when their perception of meditating is "doing nothing".

------
takameyer
I've gone back and forth with meditation. Generally if I feel that my emotions
are negatively affecting my actions, then it's time to sit back and analyze
it. Clearing my head through breath meditation allows me to attack my problems
one at a time.

------
MaxGabriel
I tried it a few times last fall, but I feel REALLY awkward doing it around
other people. Since I'm in college I don't have many spaces for 'me' where I
could meditate, but maybe I'll find some this semester in the library.

------
coffeeaddicted
I do sometimes the "close your eyes and care only about breath and nothing
else for 30 breaths" thing. It sometimes helps me to get back on track when my
thoughts start completely spinning off.

------
jmenu
I meditate on the Word (Jesus) of God day and night. I also read the Bible and
pray. Just talk to him like any friend. I receive peace and incite about
things happening in my life.

~~~
ernestipark
Ditto!

------
wchrisn
you should continue meditation. It's ok if you start with 2 minutes daily and
then slowly move to 5 minutes and then to 10 minutes..

I find the "Tai Chi - Standing Meditation" easy and effective

Refer: [http://www.yogiimpressions.com/product-authordetails/The-
Sma...](http://www.yogiimpressions.com/product-authordetails/The-Small-Book-
Of-T%E2%80%99ai-Chi-104.aspx)

------
byteclub
I've been meditating for a few months now. It helps reduce stress, improves
ability to focus and resist distractions. Love it.

------
ahoyhere
There's lots and lots of research out there that meditation increases insight,
memory, improves sleep, reduces stress, reduces the physical perception of
pain, improves, well, just about everything.

Useful refs:

[http://www.amazon.com/Destructive-Emotions-Scientific-
Dialog...](http://www.amazon.com/Destructive-Emotions-Scientific-Dialogue-
Dalai/dp/0553381059) (the Audio CD set is even better, imo, with actual
dialog)

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_on_meditation>

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/articles/A43006-2005Jan...](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/articles/A43006-2005Jan2.html)

My favorite intros to secular meditation (that is, non-religious Buddhism):

[http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-There-Are-
ROUGH/dp/140130...](http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-There-Are-
ROUGH/dp/1401307787)

[http://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Fall-Apart-
Difficult/dp/B0...](http://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Fall-Apart-
Difficult/dp/B001TKNAIY)

[http://www.amazon.com/Being-Nobody-Going-Nowhere-
Meditations...](http://www.amazon.com/Being-Nobody-Going-Nowhere-
Meditations/dp/086171198X)

Doing what I learned in from three, plus the Destructive Emotions audio book,
absolutely transformed my life. Like night and day. Now I'm one of the best-
adjusted people I know, despite having gone through (and, in a few cases,
done) some horrendous things.

What mindfulness meditation teaches you, above all physical side effects, is
to accept things as they are. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to change
them, if they're truly bad, but most people deny what is reality. As if that
helps. (I sure did.) But denying just hurts more, doesn't make it untrue, of
course, and denial makes it impossible for you to improve things.

I think most of the troubles in life are caused by denial.

And, bonus, the level of mindfulness makes it easy for me to spot user
interface/process (and therefor product) opportunities because I almost never
just "tune out" and work on autopilot.

------
rubashov
For the last few months every morning I brew a cup of coffee and then sit down
in a chair for ten minutes and stare at a dracaena plant across the room,
coffee in hand, taking an occasional sip. I try not to let my mind wander and
just focus on the plant and my breathing, and make sure to relax when I notice
muscular tension anywhere. That's it! That's meditation, as far as I'm
concerned. Totally worth it! My ability to notice stress and shut it off
during the day has gone way up. When I get flustered at work I conjure up the
dracaena in my mind's eye for an instant and get everything under control.

The bit of literature that turned me on to the "meditation" practice is this:
[http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/06/meditation.htm...](http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/06/meditation.html)

------
jschuur
That's kind of a personal question.

Oh wait, MEDITATE? No, not that one. Takes too long.

~~~
fredoliveira
I didn't mean for this to be a personal question - I don't think it is. To me,
meditation is scientific (although to some, and in some religions, it is a
spiritual thing). I could just as well have asked about whether you sleep or
do sports, or code using vim vs textmate. It's as personal as you want it to
be - but I respect your opinion, and your reluctance to reply.

~~~
jschuur
I was making a joke because at first I misread the word 'meditate' as
something else.

I'm beginning to realize that there's a humor tax on your karma if you're
prone to make sarcastic jokes in well meant questions. Seems only fair.

But to answer your question in ernest, I've been thinking about it after
hearing folks like Dan Benjamin and Leo Babauta talk about it, but currently
don't. I'm sure it can benefit a lot of people (even me), but somehow there's
a motivational hump I haven't gotten over yet and there always seems like
there's something else to do.

...which basically means I'm the perfect candidate for someone who ought to do
it.

~~~
cgs1019
<http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html>

