
How Meditation Changes the Brain and Body - prostoalex
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/18/contemplation-therapy/
======
westoncb
I've had serious anxiety issues and meditation has been the only thing to help
significantly. I've spent ~1.5 hours/day meditating for the past six months or
so, and I've studied meditation literature pretty seriously for about the past
year.

At least in my case—and I think this isn't so unusual—there is a steep
learning curve: for most people there's just not enough reason to stick with
it. That said, at this point I can hardly imagine something more worthwhile.
After acquiring some facility with it, my everyday experience with life feels
more substantial—more 'real.' There's a kind of energy, curiosity, and
enthusiasm that now often presents itself which I hadn't seen in a long
time—maybe since I was ~22 or so (I'm 30 now). I also feel way less need to do
things like smoke/drink, and have a restored sense of smell and taste. If
you've felt like the world's turned grey at some point, give it a try.

This is my favorite source of info on the subject—very substantial content,
yet light and even entertaining at times:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEw2mHpVv9A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEw2mHpVv9A)

~~~
yoodenvranx
Do you happen to have a good link to a jump-start article about meditation. I
am in a sinilar situation as you, life is gray, anxiety problems, ...

How should I start doing this today (and the next 4 weeks) without doing too
much initial research?

~~~
manuelflara
I suggest you start with HeadSpace, it's an app with zero spirituality or
religion, and IMO killer content (if I'm not mistaken, the voice of the videos
is that of the founder himself, who used to be a monk). Most of the content
you have to pay for, but it provides the first 10 lessons (for the first 10
days, although you can replay them as much as you want) for free, and I think
they're a fantastic, easy way to get started.

~~~
foobarqux
"Killer content"? I did 5 of the first free sessions and the content was
essentially the same each time and the process is probably easier to do on
your own once you have learned the 3-4 steps that are repeated. Did I miss
something?

------
personjerry
For those of you who consider meditation a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, I get it, for
I felt (and sometimes still feel) the same way. But let me try to phrase
meditation in the terms I understand it as.

We often find ourselves in stressful or difficult situations, we are
constantly bombarded by external worries, and we think it is difficult to deal
with our problems. However, no matter how big external issues are, the way
that we ultimately interpret these problems is up to our mind. At times we
might find a dark joke about death incredibly funny, and at other times it may
make us cry. Meditation takes a break from dealing with these interpretations
of the world for a moment (instead concentrating on something basic like
breathing) and in doing so, gives us a way to acknowledge the fact that our
interpretations of the world are all in our head. So even if we can't extend
full control over them, these thoughts and feelings are still ours and we
might have some influence over them, and it turns out even briefly having this
feeling can affect your mind in the long term.

A side effect of meditating is that you might learn to replicate the sense of
"stepping outside the situation" even outside of meditation, allowing you to
relax and consider the big picture rationally in intense moments in which you
might've been originally felt too caught up "in the moment".

~~~
Scarblac
I don't consider it mumbo-jumbo. But I feel it doesn't fit well with my
Western mindset: it costs a lot of time, and is that really the best way to
spend that time?

I'd rather go out and walk, and think about problems I want to solve. Or use
the time to get something done.

~~~
manuelflara
A lot of time? I'd say 30 minutes a day (consistently) is enough to get
significant benefits. And after all, don't we all easily waste 30 minutes a
day or things which really don't contribute much to our lives? Say, browse
reddit or watch a TV show. Personally, I've found that trying to meditate in
the middle of the day, even late at night, when I'm all "wired" from/during
work, or just everyday life, is hard. What I found way easier to stick to is
meditate first thing in the morning, only after going to the bathroom. At this
point, if you're like me, you're the least anxious / stressed / wired or
however you want to call it, and it's way easier to justify spending 30
minutes just being present and quiet. Any other time of the day and it feels
like "I don't have time for this", even if I just wasted 30 or 60 minutes
procrastinating (or I know I'm about to).

~~~
Scarblac
I need to get up way too early, get myself and my children dressed and fed,
and commute to work. In the evening it's commute back, eat, get kids to bed,
do chores, and then there's about two hours of free time / social things /
time to interact with my wife.

So about a quarter of available time.

I would be a bit more relaxed, I know, it might have other benefits. But not
enough, I think.

~~~
suprfnk
There is this Zen proverb that goes like this:

"You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day -- unless you're
too busy. Then you should sit for an hour."

While I don't think it's necessary to sit an hour every day, it does inspire
me. In my experience, if you meditate every day for a few weeks/months, you
will start feeling more 'grounded'. You'll be more calm in most situations.
You will be chasing external happiness less, and just be more content with
being. It's pretty hard to describe, but to me, it seems like a good thing.

~~~
Scarblac
I know the proverb.

Zen is a form of Buddhism. Buddhism is interesting and many of the things is
says are wise, but ultimately it sees life as suffering and its aim is to
reduce suffering.

As interesting as it is, I come from a culture that is too different. No
matter how futile it ultimately is, I want to _achieve things_. Being at peace
with life feels good but is ultimately not enough.

~~~
rthomas6
Have you looked into Stoicism? It's got a lot of the Buddhist elements of
learning to accept the present while also focusing on achievement. I think of
it in some ways as a Western-friendly mindfulness approach. A Guide to the
Good Life [1] is a great book on the subject, and in the past has helped me be
more effective in life, while also being happier. I've also heard good things
about The Obstacle Is the Way [2].

[1]: [http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-
Stoic/dp/01953...](http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-
Stoic/dp/0195374614/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455899137&sr=8-1)

[2]: [http://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-
Triumph/...](http://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-
Triumph/dp/1591846358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455899281&sr=8-1&keywords=The+obstacle+is+the+way)

~~~
Scarblac
Marcus Aurelius has been on my reading list for years, but he never got to the
top of the list. Maybe it's time to read something on this subject, like one
of your suggestions, thanks!

------
glossyscr
First time I meditated was one month ago. 20 Minutes. It was a pain, doing
nothing, just breathing, keeping focus on your breath and body. I was
suffering every second, doing nothing, having no thoughts, no mind wandering.
It was so hard and awfully boring. Once finished I went back to my Macbook
welcoming me with an open Facebook tab from my last session. My first thought:

 _I didn 't do that shit for 20 minutes to be now on Facebook_—and closed the
tab.

~~~
methou
I had the same experience. Though I tried multiple times with different
methods, I have never benefited from meditation, or I never felt so, contrary
to most studies. Maybe we are in the <0.05 population?

~~~
Tharkun
You're (both) doing it wrong. For starters, meditation is a learned skill.
It's not something you can do right off the bat.

Second, it's not about 'not thinking'. It's about being aware of your
thoughts, as if watching them from a distance.

Third, you can't _not_ benefit from taking some to sit and quiet your mind.
That's as absurd as saying you don't benefit from sleep or rest.

~~~
kybernetikos
> Third, you can't not benefit from taking some to sit and quiet your mind.
> That's as absurd as saying you don't benefit from sleep or rest.

How do you know this?

------
AnthonBerg
Meditation didn't "click" for me for a long time because it wasn't ...
aggressive enough.

A friend taught me this: Sit or lie still. Burn your body with a white-hot
fire, starting at your toes. Incinerate yourself. Visualize intense fire with
a child's pure unfettered imagination. Let that fire burn your body slowly,
creeping up inch by inch with its quiet impersonal anger. When your body has
burnt up, the fire quiets down and the weightless ash blows away. Then you
open your eyes.

This worked for me - I felt it! - and opened up meditation for me. I have
since had very good success with the Headspace app, for instance.

Another important thought for me was "Meditation is watching your thoughts go
by like the bubbles in a glass of champagne."

Overall, in a nutshell, what meditation has done for me is: There is more of
what should be. There is less of what shouldn't be.

~~~
manuelflara
Your last statement really resonates with my experience. The effects of
meditation are indeed subtle but powerful. And I also vouch for Headspace.

------
erdojo
There is also a growing body of evidence that for _some people_ mindfulness
and meditation can cause intense and lasting anxiety and exacerbate
depression. (Just one of several recent stories on the subject:
[http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jan/23/is-
mindf...](http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jan/23/is-mindfulness-
making-us-ill))

That has been my experience. I've done meditation retreats and the like. I do
find it slows down my mind, but can also surface things that frankly I'm
perfectly happy to leave under the surface.

I also don't believe every trauma or internal struggle can be answered or
managed, or should be at a given time. Sometimes the best sanity-preservation
mode is to ignore it until enough time has passed when we have the mental
tools to face it. Mindfulness and meditation both make it hard to bury stuff
til you're ready to mentally dig it up. Perhaps day-to-day stress benefits
most from it.

I think it's a great idea for some people and I can see the attraction. But I
also get tired of people suggesting it to me.

Massage on the other hand...that's like miracle medicine.

~~~
mkesper
... can also surface things that frankly I'm perfectly happy to leave under
the surface.

Mind you they _will_ hurt you over time if you just push them away. You
probably should get professional help first before trying to meditate.

~~~
lomnakkus
> Mind you they _will_ hurt you over time if you just push them away.

How do you know that? (I'm not being facetious.)

I seem to recall there being reasonably solid[1] evidence that thinking about
traumatic experiences can actually worsen anxiety and other PTSD symptoms.
(Too lazy to look up references, and I don't have access to any paywalled
journals anyway, so...) The evidence seems to point to just leaving things be
may be better (well, less bad) than trying to "work through" the issues
because it means that you'll be wallowing in the traumatic experience over and
over.

[1] By psychology standards.

~~~
dceddia
No access to paywalled journals? Try Sci Hub! (formerly on the HN front page)
- sci-hub.io

~~~
lomnakkus
Whoever did this is a f'in hero!

------
achow
The original research paper from Sci-Hub: [http://sci-
hub.io/10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.01.008](http://sci-
hub.io/10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.01.008)

For those who are not aware of Sci-Hub:

Setting knowledge free: Sci-Hub is The Pirate Bay for research papers
[http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/Sci-hub-research-
pira...](http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/Sci-hub-research-
piracy/#ixzz40az6XNjQ)

~~~
sunyata
Search is broken?

------
stevenkovar
For those who "don't have time" or find it difficult to get into a mindful
state while doing meditation: try it while performing some sort of routine
task (something we do on 'autopilot').

    
    
      During a drive or commute
      While you play a video game or sport
      When you're cleaning your house
    

If you experience a side-thought like the clichéd, "did I leave the stove on?"
answer it ("no, I surely didn't") or eliminate it ("I don't remember, but I'll
find out when I get home") and move on to the next thought. Eventually you'll
run out of these side-thoughts.

Some people find it helpful to run through Maslow's Hierarchy as a guide for
this mental checklist:
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs))

It might take a few tries, or maybe many, to run through this subconscious
checklist of side-thoughts, but the goal is to run out of them. Then you're
left to yourself, no side-thoughts to distract you.

This, in itself, can be worrisome because many people aren't comfortable with
what it feels like to "just be," so hack your discomfort by creating another
checklist: how does this make me feel physically? Is this state of mind
stressful to me? What would it feel like if it wasn't? How would it look if I
were the kind of person who handled this particular stress easily?

Point is, don't rush it.

Give it several tries. You probably need more repetitions to consciously break
down your own checklist of thoughts.

Much of meditation's benefit (to myself) is in learning to handle decisions
and worries as they happen, and removing them from my checklist of things to
meditate over when I actually do take the time to meditate later in the day.
Most things people worry over don't matter.

Hopefully my lens helps someone.

~~~
ASpring
Please do not try to meditate while driving, especially if you are a novice.

Meditation is about not responding to internal or external stimuli which is
the antithesis of the mindset you should be driving with.

------
hellofunk
I often hear people say, "hm, I'll go meditate on that..." Or a guy I know who
says he meditates on his ideas for his art. But actually, that is the complete
opposite of what meditation is supposed to be. When properly meditating, the
goal is to _not_ concentrate or think about anything.

I just point this out because the basics of what meditation actually is are
widely misunderstood by most Westerners -- and even some I met in Asia.

~~~
tzudot
> When properly meditating, the goal is to not concentrate or think about
> anything.

I don't understand how have you got this notion about mediation. What you have
mentioned can be useful for relieving oneself of thoughts which are a burden.

On the other hand, mediation is to concentrate on a purpose, directing
everything towards the purpose, even the thoughts sprouting from your
subconsciousness, all which eventually fade away.

~~~
hellofunk
There is clearly a lot of misconception about what meditation is, even in the
responses to my comment, many contradictory ideas.

------
glossyscr
Meditation is a work-around only.

As written in another post: I started one month ago and then I was frequently
meditating with Headspace (which is awesome btw).

While meditation helped me to go through hard times it never solved the
underlying problem. It's like taking painkillers without addressing the real
cause. I solved the real underlying problem few days ago and I feel like god
again.

~~~
visarga
> I started one month ago

If I started programming one month ago and I couldn't yet get a high paying
job or have a brand new app that is surging on the App Store, would that be a
failure? I have been practicing meditation for 25 years and, even though I was
earnest, it took me more than 7 years to achieve a state of perfect
tranquility. I still have anxious moments in day-to-day life but I mitigate
those with meditation. It's like washing your body to keep it clean.

------
CuriouslyC
Just a small note, you don't have to do nothing to practice mindfulness, I do
it all the time while driving, walking, or doing anything that I have on
"autopilot". All you need to do is be non-reactive; when you experience
something (including a spontaneous thought), stop your mind from automatically
pulling up associated thoughts and memories.

I find it helpful to remember that the sentient fraction of matter in the
universe is vanishingly small, so your ability to experience is truly a
blessing. Mindfulness occurs almost by accident if you just focus on savouring
your experiences.

~~~
brahmwg
Totally agree, especially with the grattitutde aspect for existing. In my
experience, getting into 'the zone' while running, hiking or bouldering is
what I consider my meditation. Treadmill running doesn't cut it, it's got to
be outdoors where my brain is stimulated by all the natural colors, sounds and
patterns. It's a far cry from what alot of people think of when they think
meditation (sitting quietly doing nothing). When running trails or climbing,
its hard to be distracted by other thoughts, and the mind is clear but focused
intently on the next step or move. For others curious to try meditation, I
recommend trying minimalist running, or any activity which brings you closer
to nature and your own body.

------
rsaarelm
I really liked the recent book _The Mind Illuminated_ by John Yates as a basic
meditation guide. Goes from the basics to advanced concentration, has detailed
practice instructions for each stage, and is grounded in cognitive science
with basically zero mysticism in the mix. An earlier short article
[http://dharmatreasure.org/wp-
content/uploads/LightOnMeditati...](http://dharmatreasure.org/wp-
content/uploads/LightOnMeditationHandout.pdf) describes the same 10-stage
model the book is about.

~~~
pixelperfect
I really like this book as well. It would be my first recommendation to any
meditator, new or experienced.

------
lettergram
None of this really surprises, a lot of what meditation is, is controlling
stress and focus. By learning to control those, everything from the different
chemicals released in your body to the actual neural structures can change.

My startup is actually working on something very similar called
neurofeedback[1]. Which is very similar to meditation, in that we help users
better control the subprocess of their mind. It's not perfect, but it actually
helps significantly with people with epilepsy manage seizures (by helping them
realize when it is going to happen)[2].

Other conditions, specifically ADHD and anxiety have also been shown to be
treatable (to a degree) using this treatment[2]. Treatment using neurofeedback
for depression has also been shown to be better than placebo[3].

Unfortunately, there is limited research funds to study this, and there really
should be more. My startup is gearing up to do trials shortly, hopefully to
make this treatment more available.

[http://synaptitude.me/](http://synaptitude.me/)

[1] [http://synaptitude.me/blog/neurofeedback-
in-200-words/](http://synaptitude.me/blog/neurofeedback-in-200-words/)

[2] [http://synaptitude.me/blog/literature-overview-of-using-
neur...](http://synaptitude.me/blog/literature-overview-of-using-
neurofeedback/)

[3]
[http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/322290](http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/322290)

------
stronghead
Try this cool app: [http://www.calm.com/](http://www.calm.com/) I also enjoiy
using another app called Pause, developed by Monument Valley team.

------
Tharkun
If you're looking for a low-entry start to meditation, Headspace is a great
little app. It starts off easy, with 10 10 minute guided sessions.

~~~
fsloth
Even a lower entry: sit down, put five minutes on a timer, start counting your
breaths up to ten. one - out, two - in and so one. Once at ten, start from
one. The odd breath out functions as a check sum. If five minutes seems easy,
try 10.

If you notice you've lost count, it's ok, just start from one.

If you notice you are lost in your thoughts, it's ok, just try to gently move
focus back to counting and breathing. Do not "give extra energy on purpose" to
thoughts that pop into your mind, just aknowledge them.

This is, IMO, is the core of the meditation routine - training on
introspective perception and association of observation of personal thoughts
with calmness.

The focusing of breathing is a hack on autonomic nervous system as I
understand it. It's the only bodily function that one can control that
backfeeds into the brain, and calming the breath can be used to calm the brain
as well.

I'm not an expert, I've just read a few books that I've not double checked -
if this is somehow wrong please correct me.

~~~
mercer
There's not one 'proper' way to meditate, but what you're describing is indeed
the most basic, no-frills approach, and so far it's been my preferred form.

That said, even most basic teachings add a 'warmup' and 'cooldown' to the
breathing part. I've been using the Headspace app and the core template always
includes the following:

\- sit down comfortably, and use a soft focus on some point in front of you \-
breathe in and out a few times, audibly enough that someone sitting next to
you would hear it \- close your eyes and focus on the points of the body that
connect with the chair/floor/whatever. \- do a 'body scan' from the top of
your head to your feet. As you do this, make note of tensions, as well as
pleasant sensations, but don't dwell on them. \- this body scan often leads to
a more general awareness of how you're feeling physically and/or emotionally.
Make note of that too, but once again don't dwell. \- do the 'core part' that
you describe \- once you're done with this, basically do the earlier steps in
reverse. \- for bonus mindfulness practicing: think of what you want to do
next, and practice maintaining the state of mind you're in (focus only on what
you do now, rather than constantly being ahead of yourself in your mind)

Personally, I've found the warmup to be crucial to my own meditation, and the
cooldown to be very beneficial in 'maintaining' the calmness throughout the
day.

------
fibo
There is much more than meditation, there are many excercises you can do to
feel better, to "connect with your soul".

It is a matter of practice, same as for sport. If you go only one time at gym,
you will not get so much results.

It would be ideal to meditate twice a day, 20 minutes. If you can move your
energy from one chackra to another it is even better. You can also think of
chackras as your gland system, it doesn't matter if it sounds crazy for you we
have 7 whirls of energy in our (physical) body, if it makes you feel good, it
is ok.

In my personal experience I found that meditation is healthy, so I recommend
it. However keep in mind that there is much more than meditation, which is
just the first step.

~~~
krazemon
Can you refer someone who's interested in these whirls you're talking about to
any sources to get started with?

------
awl130
2009: 1 hr

2010: 30 min

2011-2014: 10 min

2015-present: 0-10 min

these are my daily averages. i have one rule: before I go to bed, I must
assume the lotus position on the floor in front of my bed.

2015 was particularly a challenging year for me (startup problems), and it was
all i could do to even assume the lotus position for a second. so for much of
2015 i really didn't meditate, which was ironically when i probably needed it
the most. such is my life.

it takes around 4 minutes for me to reach what i call stage 1. this is when
all the normal chatter in your mind ceases and your breathing is synced (i've
also noticed that it takes around 40 breaths, which is roughly 4 min, so
sometimes for shits and giggles i just count to 40). after much trial and
error i've noticed i don't even need to do anything; it's the mere passage of
4 minutes that gets me to stage 1.

thereafter is when the real effort begins. it is a constant effort to reach
what i call stage 2, or what i consider the beginning of true mindfulness,
which means you are neither thinking of the past nor the future. i would say i
only enter stage 2 at seconds at a time, only to fall out again into stage 1
(usually by an intruding thought, and that thought is usually "oh, i've got
it!").

to be honest, i don't know what the effects have been for me. i seriously
don't feel any different. anyway, how are we to separate the effects of
meditation with the normal process of maturation or aging? am i getting calmer
because of meditation or because i am getting older?

i take it on faith. faith in data and science. our personal experience with
meditation cannot be the guide with which we measure it's effectiveness,
because subjective experience is exactly that. i liken it to flossing. i floss
my teeth every day but still have worse gum recession than those who do not.
my periodontist and dentist chalk it up to genetics, because that is the best
they can conjecture based on the current science. we can measure flossing
easily; without a brain scanner in our basement we cannot so measure effects
of meditation. so from the research i take it on faith that the effects must
be beneficial on my brain.

~~~
tra3
A lot of what you say resonates with me and my recent experience. I found that
when I need meditation the least, it's easy to find time and the process is
effortless. When I need to meditate the most, this is when I can't find the
time and settling down for even a minute is tough.

I dont know what the long term effects are, but certainly short term effects
are striking. Keep on meditating :)

------
raldu
It is very surprising that researchers could measure changes just after
_three_ days!

One alarming detail about the article, however is the mention of "dose", which
I think reflects the general Western, mainstream attitude to meditation.
Mindfulness and meditation is being perceived as a tool of "relaxation",
"reducing stress", dealing with anxiety, and so on. And it might be because of
being "marketed" as such.

However, although meditation can in fact help you deal with stress and make
you more relaxed, reducing it just to "benefits" is missing the point. After
all, it is actually "you" who is dealing with stress, being more relaxed, etc.

Meditation is about paying attention to your thoughts _without_ any judgment,
experiencing your immediate thoughts and feelings directly, facing yourself,
gently watching your _unpleasant_ feelings, thoughts, memories and embracing
them with all their both unpleasantness and pleasant joy. In the end, you get
more and more in touch with yourself _and_ the reality, and become more alert,
observant, thoughtful, compassionate, etc.

And that actually makes it a practice of _not_ running away from stress,
anxiety, sorrow, but in contrast, facing all that with a gentle attitude.

Finally, it is a _constant_ and long-term practice, not something like a
"pill" with "doses" to deal with whatever "symptoms".

~~~
dominotw
Yep its such a western practice to cost-benfit analysis on everything.
Ironically it the same thought process that is causing anxiety in the first
place. People trying to make more money via meditation just sounds odd.

Pls guys do yourself a favor and listen to JidduK before you embark on
meditation

short version -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOLYN64dfKs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOLYN64dfKs)

long version -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b9E9gz3yTE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b9E9gz3yTE)

------
ca98am79
I have/had pretty bad panic disorder. There were times I panicked all night
and didn't sleep at all. I also wouldn't leave the house, and ended up at the
emergency room a few times. I tried therapy, medication, etc.. Meditation is
the only thing that worked. It has really helped me in many other ways, also.

In case no one else has recommended it yet - I _highly_ recommend a 10-day
Vipassana meditation course: [https://www.dhamma.org](https://www.dhamma.org)

They are free and not affiliated with any religious organization. But be
warned - it isn't easy! I like to call it "meditation boot camp." It breaks
you down, but you grow and learn from the experience. It really is one thing
you can try that can have a significant impact on your life and change its
course. It is a unique experience - you can't read or write or speak for 10
days.

------
amazingman
There's a lot of false disagreement going on in these threads. It should be
noticed that talking about meditation, and the resultant discussions about the
uses of meditation, the strange experiences of no-self/universality/etc, the
nature of the self-ing mind, et al are all ultimately recursive. At the edges
of all of these conversations is self-cancelling language, and if one is to
get too hung up on linguistic explanations of these things, one is almost
surely going to end up arguing with herself.

Meditation is useful, possibly life transforming, and the techniques and
effects are available to _most_ people. Unfortunately, this claim exists in a
grey area between/overlapping objectivity and subjectivity, and can only
really be tested in the laboratories of our own minds.

------
amelius
Does anybody here have experience with a meditation headset? (I.e.,
biofeedback device for the brain)

~~~
maneesh
yep i use the muse often and i actually discovered my device (pavlok) is
useful for training meditation, although we don't market it for that purpose

------
orasis
So I wrote a super geeky meditation timer that predicts your mood and learns
how long you should meditate:

Guru:Smart Meditation Timer
[https://appsto.re/us/ukUP-.i](https://appsto.re/us/ukUP-.i)

~~~
magic_beans
How does the app go about predicting one's mood?

~~~
orasis
You record your level from anxious->relaxed and distracted->present before and
after the meditation session.

As it gathers more personal data points it predicts more accurately your level
of improvement with different length meditation sessions.

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alexmak
I've done various meditation practices in the past, but found this one to be
the most effective: [http://www.ishafoundation.org/us/ishakriya/learn-
online/](http://www.ishafoundation.org/us/ishakriya/learn-online/)

It's a little different from other practices, in that it is more "active"
(you'll see what I mean) than just sitting there and watching your breath. It
takes just 15 minutes once you learn it, and the sense of peace and focus I
have after doing it for several months is incredible.

------
vinayakg
I have been practicing Heartfulness mediation for quite sometime and have got
immensely benefitted by it. It offers a simple and practical way to learn
relaxation and heart based meditation. Anyone willing to try can go and check
[http://en-in.heartfulness.org/experience-heartfulness](http://en-
in.heartfulness.org/experience-heartfulness) or try the iOS/Android app.

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alanwatts
For anyone interested, here are some of the resources I used to learn about
mindfulness:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVrnTNpVe5I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVrnTNpVe5I)

[http://www.amazon.com/Still-Mind-An-Introduction-
Meditation/...](http://www.amazon.com/Still-Mind-An-Introduction-
Meditation/dp/1577312147)

------
smartial_arts
Meditation brought about some massive changes for me: increased focus, better
and more acute introspection; I became way less irritable and my stress levels
reduced.

I briefly outlined my before and after experience in this blog post:
[http://nimblegecko.com/you-are-batshit-crazy/](http://nimblegecko.com/you-
are-batshit-crazy/)

------
pat_space
For anyone looking for a data-driven example, check out Wim Hof. This article
does a good job of explaining his method at a high level.
[http://highexistence.com/the-wim-hof-method-revealed-how-
to-...](http://highexistence.com/the-wim-hof-method-revealed-how-to-
consciously-control-your-immune-system/)

------
0xdeadbeefbabe
When I don't meditate in the morning I try to make up for it by meditating in
the car. One day I was meditating in the car trying to drive mindfully, trying
to feel each bump and notice what my body was doing. While I was driving 25 in
a 25 zone a toddler wandered out into the street in front of me. I'm glad I
was paying attention.

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crusso
Sam Harris' _Waking Up_ presents a non-woo-woo look at meditation. His
background as a neuroscientist really gave the subject the scientific
perspective that I appreciate. [https://www.samharris.org/waking-
up](https://www.samharris.org/waking-up)

------
qwtel
Having just doubled my workout routine I'm quite impressed how working out
changes the brain and body.

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Dowwie
David Levy, a Stanford computer science PHD that worked at Xerox PARC research
for decades before moving to academia is now a thought leader in the field of
"Mindful Tech", a different way to interact with technology. I am reading his
new book about it and find it valuable.

------
agumonkey
I don't know how unrelated it is but I found playing polyrythmic percussions
(4 limbs involved, doesn't have to be loud) often lead to a zen state. Dealing
with many different parallel momentums and abstracting over them as one just
massage your brain.

~~~
b6
That's interesting! It squares with what I've read in books like Mindfulness
in Plain English -- that some desirable mental states are achieved when
certain harmful habits of the mind are in abeyance.

~~~
agumonkey
I'm not sure I fully parse your message. But I too believe that the mind is an
odd loop, where you're own self can focus/amplify different emotions and while
it may feel absurd by constantly not trying to think or feel it may help
rebalance the whole thing.

~~~
b6
Sorry, my impression of how it is said to work is, if you deliberately devote
your mental energy to something non-harmful, e.g., strong feelings of
compassion for oneself or others, it seems to brown out some or all of the
harmful habits, at least to some degree.

~~~
agumonkey
Most of the time you can allow to live in negative emotions but under certain
circumstances you realize that it will never end and you're just wasting time,
better focus on positive emotions. It's not as good a genuine self emergent
good emotions though.

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SeeDave
I like to meditate on the bus on my way into the office. I have noticed a
significant increase in my ability to "get things done" when stressed as well
as my ability to take in sights and sounds.

I highly encourage everyone to start meditating.

------
Avshalom
to paraphase myself:

I mean sure, yeah, but...

[https://hn.algolia.com/?query=changes%20brain&sort=byPopular...](https://hn.algolia.com/?query=changes%20brain&sort=byPopular..).

so does walking in nature, poverty, cocaine, testosterone, inactivity, porn,
drugs, focus, menstruation, Alzheimer's, cellphones, the Internet, The
Knowledge, programming, football...

changing it's structure is how the brain reacts to basically any regular
stimulus. Thats how it works.

Also n=35, t=3days seems insufficient to rule out any sort of confounding
factors.

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perseusprime11
You guys should try the Headspace App. Really useful for me.

------
qkhhly
While meditation may be helpful in managing stress and other aspects, I am
skeptical that it will work if you just meditated for three days.

~~~
netheril96
When I was in high school, I meditated for the first time for two days and my
grades spiked, for I made much less stupid mistakes. After that, the effect of
meditation must be maintained regularly. If I didn't meditate for say three
days in the last month, the grade bonus vanished quickly.

What I am trying to say is that to someone who has never meditated before,
three day meditation may well have a significant impact. However if they do
not do it long term, those effects may be temporary.

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z3t4
I find working out or playing computer games meditating as I can completely
let my thoughts go.

