There is dispute in the Buddhist community about the value of psychedelics ‘on the path’ and if you’re interested in the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics, I highly recommend the book Zig Zag Zen. There are plenty of other articles on this topic, but today I’m just gonna share a bit of my story and how these two things have weaved their way into my life.

Discovering LSD

I first tried LSD as a curious guy keen for new experiences. As someone who enjoyed being creative, I was especially interested in new ways of thinking. I also wanted to have fun. I had little idea what I was in for when I put that little piece of paper in my mouth, but looking back, I now see those first experiences as pivotal in my life. Though they’ve affected me in many ways, one that stands out is how they lead me to meditation. At the time I had never tried meditating, nor had any real idea what it was, but if I had never tried LSD, I honestly doubt I’d have started meditating.

How Psychedelic Experience Lead Me To Meditation

On the tail end of my first LSD trips, I didn’t have any ‘comedown’. The post-trip chapter I experienced would more accurately be described as a serene, contemplative afterglow. After the ecstasy and madness of the peak, I descended to a more peaceful state which was in its own way, my favourite part of the whole experience. Though at the time I didn’t have any clear idea of what ‘meditation’ meant, I described the afterglow state to friends as meditative; my mind was sharp and clear and I was deeply reflective. I also noticed that my breathing naturally became long and slow. This tuning into the flow of my breath was a naturally induced meditation session.

When my friends and I didn’t naively first time candy flip on a Sunday and have to go to work the next day without getting a wink of sleep (see: my first time on acid – I started a new job that Monday – another story, another time), an ideal recovery day would be spent chilling with my fellow travellers. We’d order pizza, smoke joints and get comfortable on the sofas for a run of movies. After a long session, we were always physically exhausted, yet my mind was always energised. With this mental energy I’d wander philosophically through themes and ideas that came up in the films, conversation, music or anything else. As we watched movies I’d interpret them in all kinds of novel ways, see metaphors the writers and directors had put in, and understand concepts that I hadn’t considered before. I’d make notes in my journal about interesting ideas that came to mind and, of course, just generally enjoy hanging out. Relaxed but attentive, naturally contemplative, it was a taster for meditation.

In the wake of these experiences, my mind was clearer. I had a greater awareness and detachment of my thoughts. I felt wiser. I was looking at things from a greater perspective more often and more naturally, like that mental trick you do when something bad happens and you ask yourself “how much will this matter in 5, 10 or 20 years?”, or you zoom out on google maps to try and coerce the overview effect. I was thinking more creatively and seeing metaphors in almost everything, and my behaviour became less guided by fear and petty concerns. The effect was sudden and obvious, and lasted some months before beginning to fade and older mental habits and ways of being began to return.

I missed my newly found but now fading clarity and wisdom, but I’d experienced another way of being that I wouldn’t forget in a hurry. Following a wikipedia trail, I was lead from psychedelic drugs to non-ordinary forms of consciousness to meditation; a method of changing awareness, without substances. Though my access to psychedelic substances was gone, my newly whetted appetite for discovery remained, and I moved to Asia with a job teaching English.

From the UK to China

In my new home city of Shanghai, I started going to classes on meditation and reading books on the topic. Reading books about Buddhism felt like I was reading books about psychedelic experience, and in retrospect, they were some kind of integration texts. I began a daily meditation practice, and soon after went on my first silent retreat in 2012.

Temple stay in Korea

In the 6 years that have passed since, meditation practice has become a key foundation in my life. I’ve been back on other retreats and temple stays, was part of a Zen sangha in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh in Spain, and last year started a weekly meditation group in Berlin. Meditation is what a friend of mine would call a fundamental – others include exercise, diet, community and creative projects – and mindfulness is a skill I find applicable in so many situations of life. 

Like many others, my practice started with psychedelics. And while my first psychedelic journeys lead me to meditation, meditation has boomeranged back around and played its role in my psychedelic sessions. Today I’ll share one example.

How Meditation Helped On A Deep Journey

On a grey Saturday a couple years ago, alone in a friend’s house whilst he was away for the weekend, I took 250 micrograms of LSD. In the months before, I’d been reading various psychedelic-therapeutic protocols and had prepared accordingly for the session. I managed the anxiety of a turbulent come up by relaxing myself many times as I noticed myself getting anxious and tightening up, and directing my attention to my breathing. Around an hour in, as the lysergic waves really began to come on strong, I was lying down, looking up at the ceiling.

In one moment, a monster appeared above me. It was hovering over me, looking down at me from the ceiling. I was looking directly at its face, and it was looking right back at me, right into my eyes.

I was instinctively gripped by fear. My shoulders and rest of my body tightened up instantly as I stared in shock. The beast was of course not physically there, it was a manifestation of my fears, a representation of what scares me and had been avoided.

I held the monster’s gaze, took a deep breath in, and with a long exhale, relaxed my body, letting tension go. As I did this, the monster dissolved into harmless patterns right before my eyes. The visual information was in fact the same – the rich ceiling patterns that made up the monsters face were still there – but they no longer appeared scary or even as a being to me. What changed wasn’t the sensory information I was receiving, it was my perception of it. What made up the ‘monster’ was still there, I just saw it differently. I had a new perspective.

There were a few other moments leading up to this confrontation where I noticed myself getting anxious and tightening up, and I consciously relaxed my body. I see these as like smaller hurdles that once passed, allowed me to get to the point of this confrontation. The dissolution was like a jumping off point, and after this I dropped deep into ineffable experience.

The journey was deep and had many chapters: there were visions of a past life, alternate realities, and repressed emotions burst up and were released though uncontrollable bouts of sobbing. In the most profound chapter, it was a transpersonal experience; ‘I’ disappeared, along with time, and experience just happened.

I’ll share this story in more detail another time but for now I think its enough to say it was a significant experience that shifted something deep inside of me. The next day I felt lighter and clearer. I had more understanding and compassion. And my meditation practice was revived with a spark. I hadn’t been this affected since those very first journeys – the ones that spurred me on to meditation. I didn’t become a holy and all-understanding being overnight, but I inched in that direction. 

Reflecting on the session afterwards, I saw how techniques that I’d learnt in meditation helped me to relax, to let my guard down and open to the experience with lessened resistance. And this is why I recommend meditation to anyone considering a first psychedelic experience. Including you.

Thanks for reading.

The post Psychedelics and Meditation – How They’ve Informed Each Other On My Path appeared first on Maps of the Mind.

The other day I stumbled upon this short video which begins with an interviewer saying to Bill Murray:

“Tell me what it is that you want that you don’t have.”

His answer is surprising and meaningful. I’ve long been a huge fan of Murray as a comedy actor (who isn’t?) and I was pleasantly surprised to hear him talking about the power of mindfulness and being present. I won’t speak for him so I’ll say no more on his intriguing answer, you can see for yourself.

– If you can’t watch the video I’ve posted some quotes below.

• N.B. The volume is low on this video so you’ll probably want to crank it up a little.

Without using the word mindfulness, Bill is clearly aware of the benefits of raising your consciousness and being more aware and present, and I hope someone recommends him to start meditating. If anyone knows Bill please send him over to my page – Why You Should Start Meditating Today

Quotes

‘Are you here? And most of the time you’re not’

‘That’s not me there, that’s what I’m doing now, but that’s not necessarily me’

‘I’d like to just be more here all the time and I’d like to see what I could get done, what I could really do, if I were able to not get distracted, to not change channels in my mind and body – so I’m my own channel, really here, and always with you. You could look at me and go ‘OK he’s there, there’s someone there…”

‘This is not a dress rehearsal, this is your life’

‘You kill a man, you kill every opportunity he ever had’

‘It resonated, it rang a bell inside of me, a bell that rings a lot that says “Remember Bill, come back, remember, remember. This is your life, this is the only one you’ve got”‘

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Do you know of any other famous people speaking about meditation or mindfulness? We’d love to share it too, send us a message or leave a comment!

The post Bill Murray Talks Deeply On The Power Of Mindfulness appeared first on Maps of the Mind.

Guided meditations are one of the best ways to get started. Just like a class, an experienced meditator will walk you through it and tell you what you should be doing. Before you know it you’ll remember the instructions and will be able to meditate without a guide. If you’ve already tried meditation but found it didn’t quite click with you, I’d suggest trying different styles or techniques – I’ve tried to include a variety in this list. If you’re not using guided meditations and are finding it hard to maintain focus during your sit, they’ll help in gathering your attention.

So, I’ve scoured the web and tried a host of different meditations from different resources, made this list of the best ones, free of course. For beginners and ease of trial I’ve put a direct link in green to a short meditation from each resource so that you can dive right in.

• A few useful links:
  • 7 Best Youtube Guided Meditations – Mindful Muscle
  • Five of the Best Meditation Apps – The Guardian (paid apps)
  • 10 Ways To Develop Your Meditation Practice

UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Centre

A great place for beginners to start, the site has a few different meditations ranging from 3-20 minutes, all of them straightforward and easy to follow. You can stream the tracks direct from the site or download them for later use. All of them are by the same woman so if you’d prefer a male voice or a different accent, perhaps try one of the others (if you’d like a British accent – scroll down to Mental Health Foundation).

Stream/download: Yes/Yes
Podcast in iTunes store

Recommended meditations for beginners:
Body scan meditation [3 mins]
Breathing meditation [5 mins]

The Free Mindfulness Project

The Free Mindfulness Project has a wider variety than UCLA in a selection of different types of meditation ranging between 3 and 45 minutes, they have meditations with a few different teachers, so you should be able to find someone with a style that you like. The only downside is that you can’t stream the tracks directly from the site, they need to be downloaded first and then played.

Stream/download: Yes/No

Recommended meditation for beginners:
Breathing w/ Peter Morgan [3 mins] – Direct download link

Tara Brach

Tara Brach has a massive selection of meditations. She adds a new meditation each week and for ease of use you can subscribe to her podcast channel and access them that way. She also has a page on her site specifically for those new to meditation where you can find shorter basic meditations – a fantastic place to start – as well as some talks and a lovely letter welcoming you to the practice of meditation!

Stream/download: Yes/Yes
Podcast in iTunes store

Recommended meditation for beginners:
Ten-Minute Basic Meditation Practice (10 mins)
A short introductory meditation with a body scan, bringing focus to the breath, sounds, then resting in awareness. Click here for direct download.

Mental Health Foundation

As well as meditation and mindfulness, this UK-based organisation also has materials on topics such as relationships, nutrition, and exercise. If you’re only after meditations and mindfulness, you’ll find most of the stuff on this part of their soundcloud page, but you’ll have to poke around their podcasts page to find everything. If you like a British accent, give them a go.

Stream/download: Yes/Yes (from soundcloud)

Sample meditation:
Mindfulness Practice Exercise [10 mins]
This relaxation exercise is narrated by mindfulness expert, Professor Mark Williams, and features a series of breathing and visualisation techniques. Direct download link
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/17058507″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

F*ck That: An Honest Meditation

[Youtube – 2 mins]

• Tip: When using guided meditations from youtube, turn off autoplay. This’ll stop some other video playing immediately after, leaving you in peace after your meditation.

This meditation may sound like a joke but that doesn’t stop it from being calming as well as damn funny. If you are in need of a smile, go for this one. The creator Jason Headley said that the meditation was created for the realities of today’s world and it’s certainly connected with a lot of people – it’s been massively popular collecting over 8 million youtube views. Many people have reported they find it difficult to meditate to because they are laughing so much – but laughing is healthy and relaxing, and coming out of a meditation with a smile on your face can’t be a bad thing.

• Due to the popularity of the video, Jason created an app for $2 with longer meditations called H*nest Meditation – iTunes app store / Google Play

If you like the ‘F*ck That’ meditation, maybe also try Inner F*cking Peace: A Guided Meditation (youtube – 5 mins). It’s in a similar comical vein and a couple minutes longer.

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I hope that you’ve found something useful here or better yet a teacher with a style that you like and can regularly meditate with. I am always interested in finding more resources, so if you know of any good ones I’ve missed, please leave a comment. All the best and mindful meditating

Still not sure if you should be meditating? Check out this infographic on the science behind how meditation makes you happier.
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Want to meditate in silence without a guide? Check out the How To Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide

In search of some motivation? – Why You Should Start Meditating Today

The post The Best Free Guided Meditation Resources Online appeared first on Maps of the Mind.

1. Make It a Daily Practice

If meditation isn’t yet a daily practice, make it one. I can’t emphasise the importance of consistency enough. Making it a daily habit is the best thing you can do for your practice over the long term. Make a 100% commitment to it and don’t leave it as a choice, make it an obligation. If you struggle to find time, then you should actively schedule time for it.

If a day comes thats just full of obstacles, then shorten the meditation, just don’t skip it. If it’s that desperate just sit for 2 minutes (but really, you can’t spare 10-20 minutes?). This way you will still retain the habit of sitting down and taking the time for yourself. It will become a habit rather than a chore and will become a regular part of your day. When you have to brush your teeth, do you ever think ‘but I don’t have time today’ or ‘I’m too tired’ – no, you just do it because you always do it. Make it so with meditation. The best way to form the habit is commit to a month without skipping a day.

• When you do miss a day… don’t miss the next!
  If you do miss a day – because hey, you’re human – make absolutely sure that you don’t miss the next day. The next day is crucial to make sure you get straight back to it and don’t allow a run of missed days to form. Accept the missed day and just like you’d bring yourself back to your point of focus during a meditation, bring yourself back to your practice: calmly and smilingly.

2. Have a Meditation Buddy

Having a friend that you meditate with is a tremendous way to support your practice. When I first started meditating in China I was lucky enough to have a close friend who was also just starting to learn at that time. We went to classes together, exchanged tips and shared our experiences on the learning curve. We lent each other books on the topic and meditated together after work before going out for noodles. At the time we were both working as teachers at the same school and when we both had a long enough break between classes we’d take an empty classroom and sit for 20 minutes. We turned out to be a great support to each other and both of our practices were strengthened because of our influence on each other.

• Alternatively, your meditation buddy doesn’t have to be someone you physically meditate with, it could be an accountability buddy. You can check in with each other regularly to make sure you are both keeping it up.

3. Create a Dedicated Spot For Meditation

Set up a ‘meditation space’ in your home. It could be anything from a small spot with cushions on the floor to a particular room with an altar. Ideally this space will be used exclusively for meditation and you will not do any other activity there. The physical segregation will create a ‘safe haven’ and this will help your mind to settle down more quickly and allow you to go deeper with each meditation.

4. Read a Book About Meditation Or Mindfulness

Each time I read a book about meditation or a related topic my awareness gets a little boost because I’m getting reminders and calls to awareness whilst reading – and I could be doing this anywhere (commuting, in the park, before bed). I’m generally more aware of the mind and its wanderings and I ‘catch’ and therefore place my mind, far more often. When reading you also learn new techniques and get new insights into the practice of meditation, deepending your understanding and expanding your practice. Thich Nhat Hanh’s books have been hugely influential in extending my mindfulness from my formal meditation to daily life and everyday tasks.

Photo by Amber Metcalfe

Two Books I’d Recommend

• Thich Nhat Hanh – Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
• Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

5. Do a Course Or Silent Retreat

Doing a course is a surefire way to boost your practice. You will get the time and mental space you need to do serious meditation. Escaping the distractions and frenzy of the modern world will enable you to develop your level your focus and you will almost certainly learn something new about the technique of meditation as well. Moreover, after an intensive period of meditation it seems much easier to extend the duration of your daily meditations and integrate it further into your life. I have done temple stays and meditation courses and if you are serious about meditation then one course I’d happily recommend is the 10 day vipassana meditation course – I even convinced my Dad to do one. They’re available all over the world and there’s lots of info online. You can read my advice about how to make the most of a 10 day course here.

6. Join a Weekly Group

Like meditating with a friend, meditating with a group can be a superb boost to your practice. It’s a great way to meet other meditators and a place where you can share your experiences and receive support. Having a weekly appointment in a set time and place is a great way to make meditation into a fun and sociable event on your calendar and mixes up your practice helping to keep it fresh.

Meditation groups can be found almost anywhere- I’ve attended meditation groups while I’ve been based in China, Spain and Korea and they’ve helped me in many ways. I’ve often found the quality of my meditation was improved when sitting with a group and others said the same. Groups are great for learning different techniques of meditation and meeting new people in the process. Search online for a group and if you can’t find one, try starting one yourself, all it takes is setting up a facebook group.

7. Meditate For Longer When You Can

Yes, I’ve banged on about the importance of consistency and cementing the habit. Shorter and daily is better than longer and less frequently. But it doesn’t always have to be shorter, meditate for a little longer when you can. If you normally meditate for 5 minutes a day but on Sundays have more time and an easier schedule, then meditate for 20 minutes. You’ll likely notice a difference in the meditation.

8. Integrate Mindfulness In To Your Life

The aim of meditation isn’t to become skilled at watching the breath for 20 minutes a day, it’s to become more aware of our minds and lives. Mindfulness is basically meditation in a non-formal setting and is the practice being aware of where your mind is when you aren’t sat down in a quiet spot with your eyes closed. While mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and anytime, it will be much easier in the beginning to practice during activities that are done alone and that can be done slowly: taking a shower, brushing your teeth, taking a walk, eating. Choose one or two of these, and everytime you do that particular activity, make it an exercise in mindfulness, a mini-meditation if you will.

• Read more: Transforming Everyday Habits Into Mindfulness Practices (+ 5 Habits To Transform)

Mindfulness really can be extended to anything. Just like meditation, it is the practice of choosing one thing, your anchor in the present moment, and being totally conscious of it. Simply do as you would do with a sitting meditation, but rather than using your breath or mantra as an anchor you will use the activity you are doing. Focus on the thing that you are doing, taking care to do it calmly and with all your attention. This will keep your attention in the present moment and not swept up in unrelated thoughts. Every time you notice your mind has wandered off, calmly bring it back.

9. Don’t Beat Yourself Up If You Do Miss it

When you’re meditating and realise you’ve drifted off in to ‘thought-land’, it’s important to retain your equanimity and calmy, smilingly bring yourself back to your point of focus. The same is true when you miss a day or fall out of rhythm with your meditation practice; it’s the same teaching on the macro level. When you realise you’ve let your regularity of practice slip or skipped a few days, don’t be annoyed at yourself or feel guilty. Calmly accept the reality and return to your practice, just as you would return to your point of focus.

10. Don’t Keep It a Secret: Come Out As a Meditator

When I first started I was a bit timid about sharing the fact that I was a meditator; I was worried about being judged and seen as a weird hippy. Despite its growth meditation still isn’t the most commonplace practice and for many people conjures images of ascetic monks and brings to mind religious practices of exotic Eastern religions. Whilst there’s no real easy way around this until perceptions change, it’s better just to be honest and open that you’re a meditator (isn’t that the case with most things?). You may be surprised to find that someone you know is interested and may even want to learn – you could even find yourself a meditation buddy.

Housemates, friends and those close to you will understand that you need that quiet time alone and it will be easier to make time to sit without worries of distraction. If your boss knows you could even ask if there’s somewhere at your place of work where you can meditate. By ‘coming out’ you’ll identify yourself as a meditator and this shift in mentality will help you to maintain your continuity of practice.

In this way you can also break the stereotype that meditation is only for buddhists and hippies. A former work colleague of mine was surprised when it came up that I meditated regularly and went to a local meditation group. It turned out that he’d already read a few articles about meditation online and was curious to try it. Upon finding out about my practice he seemed relieved and said ‘well… if normal people do it too’. (!)

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These methods have all helped me along the way and I’m sure will help you too. Do you have any tips for how to improve a meditation practice? Or maybe you can recommend a course? Post a comment below.

The post 10 Ways To Develop Your Meditation Practice appeared first on Maps of the Mind.

What To Expect

You Will Seriously Learn to Meditate

Perhaps you’re aware of all the purported benefits of meditation and are eager to learn but would like some guidance. Maybe you’ve started but aren’t sure you’re doing it right or that you can sense any tangible change in yourself… that’s normal; meditation is a slow burner… the practice is a subtle one and the effects are gradual. Whatever the case, completing one of these 10 days courses will clear up any doubts you may have about meditation. Over the duration of the course you will systematically learn how to meditate, and gain a lot of practice too. There are teachers on hand to give you guidance should you want it: they will answer any questions and respond to any doubts you may have. Everything is arranged and set up for you to be able to focus solely on learning and practising meditation. It really is the ideal environment to learn because as well as the support on hand there are….

No Distractions

All external distractions are removed; you aren’t permitted to talk, touch or even make eye contact with other students. You aren’t allowed to read, write, listen to music, use a phone or use any electronics or other means of communication or entertainment. You are cut off from the outside world and there is complete gender segregation. You are basically living like a monk for 10 days. All meals are taken care of and a bell is rung every morning to wake you up. You have nothing to worry about and can dedicate your time and energies to meditation. And it’s a lot of time too, here’s how the daily schedule shapes up:

4:00 a.m.                           Morning wake-up bell
4:30 – 6:30 a.m.               Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30 – 8:00 a.m.               Breakfast break
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.              Group meditation in the hall
9:00 – 11:00 a.m.             Meditate in the hall or in your room
11:00 – 12 noon                 Lunch break
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.              Rest, and interviews with the teacher
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.                Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.                Group meditation in the hall
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.                Meditate in the hall or in your room
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.               Tea break
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.               Group meditation in the hall
7:00 – 8:15 p.m.                Teacher’s discourse in the hall
8:15 – 9:00 p.m.                Group meditation in the hall
9:00 – 9:30 p.m.                Question time in the hall
9:30 p.m.                             Retire to your room; lights out

If You Already Meditate: The Course Will Enable You To Go Much Further

If you are already meditating and want to take your practice and focus to the next level, I seriously recommend you find the time to do a course. For the reasons given above, it is an environment most conducive to meditation. When I went into my first course I’d been meditating 20-30 minutes everyday for the 4 months leading up to the course. Subtle though they were, I’d started feeling the benefits of meditation after the first month. Meditation by meditation, I slowly improved my focus and gradually felt change in my day to day life. More often I would find myself aware of where my mind was, able to place it to more beneficial areas of focus and to view things from a more positive perspective. The progress was tangible but if I’m honest; it was slow.

However, on this ten day course the depth of my focus and the ability to retain my attention skyrocketed. I remember at the end of a one hour meditation on day 3, I couldn’t believe that I had maintained my focus on my breath for the entire hour. Yes, the entire hour. There was no moment when I realised I wasn’t meditating and had to bring my attention back to my breath: my attention never left my breath. Prior to that I’d never managed a full 20 minute meditation without losing my attention and having to bring it back a few times. Rather than ‘coming round’- realising I was thinking of something and then bringing my attention back, I was able to sense when my attention was about to drift off before it had actually left, and was able to pull it back to centre before it had gone anywhere. This may sound strange but this is heightened awareness: the meditation was working.

This course is full on. That is the reason why you can make so much progress in such a short amount of time. All you do is meditate all day, everyday. You pack in almost 100 hours of practice into 10 days. By comparison, if you meditated 20 minutes every single day, it would take you 300 days to reach 100 hours of practice, almost 10 months! By this measure you pack in a month’s practice into each day on the course… not bad. Not only that but beause of the environment the quality of meditation is superior and the continuity of practice has a snowball effect on your concentration.

Advice

Keep Plugging – One Meditation at a Time

Don’t expect to feel enlightened or have all the answers to your life after a few hours. Stick at it, maintain your patience and keep going. It will be testing and there will be times you won’t want to do the meditation properly. You´ll be tempted to go out for a walk, take a toilet break, or just ease up on your meditation and let yourself drift into thoughts and daydreams. This urge will be reinforced if you feel like you’re not making much progress. On top of that the 10 days can feel like a lifetime and slacking off for a bit might not seem such a big deal. If the amount of time seems overwhelming or you’re struggling for motivation try to focus on the current meditation and do that one as best you can. You’ll make it to the end, can take a break, and go again for the next meditation. Remember the aphorism: ‘you get out what you put in’. Meditation is a skill and like any other skill, the more you practice the better you become, and the more you stand to gain. Of course at times it may be beneficial to take a break but don’t kid yourself. You are there to meditate so make the most of your time there, at the end of it all you will be glad you did.

Finish The Course

If you sign up to the course, complete it. Every course has people drop out and this doesn’t surprise me. On my first course I wanted to up and leave almost every other day! I questioned what the hell I was doing and wanted to get out of there back to where I was comfortable and life was familiar. But in the end I didn’t and I’m so glad I stuck it out; I even went back for another the following year, and intend to go once every year. The point is it’s not easy (seriously). If you’re imagining a relaxing spa-like retreat, think again. You will be working with your mind everyday, and the days are long. Your body will ache at times (trust me) and there will likely be times when you question what you’re doing, are convinced (or have convinced yourself) ‘it’s not working’ or ‘it’s not worth it’ and want to leave. The mind will play all sorts of games to try and regain familiarity.

Be clear of your intention and why you are there and make a strong commitment to see it out. Remember that you have taken a spot on the course and if you drop out you’ve used a space that someone else could have taken- you will have spurned an opportunity for someone else (as well as yourself) to learn this technique of meditation.

For myself, and from speaking with others, the general feeling on the last day (when the rigorous schedule is eased up and meditators are again allowed to speak to each other) is one of accomplishment, jubilation and joy. If you don’t see it out you’ll also miss out on this, and I have to say the final day is a really wonderful occasion that’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t been through the process and come out the other end.

Don’t Mind the Philosophy; Do the Meditation

Every evening there is a one hour discourse (like a lecture) from the founder of the course. It is a welcome break from the meditation and often very amusing. He talks about what you may be going through, the technique, tells tales and philosophies. Despite the claim that the course has no religious affiliation, the tales and messages presented are essentially Buddhist. Seemingly ironic, this does actually make sense as the original teachings of the Buddha were essentially non-religious and anti-dogma. Buddhism is, as Alan Watts aptly put it, ‘the religion of no-religion’.

However strong your aversion to religion may be (and in many respects I don’t blame you) I urge you not to be put off. Personally I enjoyed the discourses and most people do but I know of some people that had a problem with them and it disrupted their meditation and hampered what they could’ve potentially got from the course. My advice would be if you don’t agree with what is being said, then don’t worry about it. Just continue the practice and come to your own conclusions. You needn’t agree with everything that is being said to remain on the course or to gain benefit from meditation.

Likewise, there are some hymnlike mantras/chants played during some meditations. To some people it feels cultish or weird. If it bothers you, I would say don’t worry about it. It needn’t affect your meditation or experience negatively, in fact, it’s actually there to help!

Abolish Your Expectations (or at least don’t expect too much)

The course is a very personal experience and what people take from it both during and after can vary greatly. I first heard about vipassana from a Chinese girl who told me that the course had changed her life in a profoundly positive way (this was a major catalyst in my decision to go – I’d signed up for one within a few weeks of her telling me this). Likewise, on my first course I met a younger guy who went in a miserable rut and then left elated with apparently all the answers he wanted (!).

However, the perceived sense of change isn’t as dramatic for everyone. For most, many of the effects are less discernible and more subtle. I spoke to a guy on his second time round who said he didn’t really realise how much his first course had affected him until months later. Indeed, while I felt rejuvenated and generally more level headed immediately after, I too was unaware of a few things that had changed in myself until a long time after. If you are expecting to feel great and have figured out all your life’s problems, you may well be disappointed. Try to abandon your expectations and to treat the course as an experiment. Be like a scientist, follow the procedures and observe the results. Go with an open mind, work at the meditation and take what comes as it is without pre-conceived notions. This way, and with some time and perspective, you will really find out for yourself how this type of meditation affects you.

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That’s it! There are many personal accounts online if you are curious to find out more but I would recommend that if you decide to go, try to avoid reading them so as not to shape your expectations too much. In summary, if you are serious about meditation, I’d absolutely recommend the course. Beginners learn the ropes and experienced meditators go deeper.

If you decide to go, best of luck!

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Have you been on a vipassana meditation course? What advice would you give to a first-timer? Leave your comments below.

The post How To Make The Most Of Your 10-Day Vipassana Meditation Course appeared first on Maps of the Mind.

Photo by Zoe Kerslake

You’ve heard about meditation and have an idea about all the apparent benefits, but you’re not sure exactly how it works and if its really worth doing. I’ve been meditating for a few years now and credit it with lots of positive changes in my mindset and life, so I wanted to share how it might help you too.

Science Backed

Research shows tonnes of benefits to consistent meditators – studies at Harvard have shown that regular meditators grow grey matter in key areas of the brain associated with self-awareness and compassion, and shrink matter in the areas associated with stress. Yes, meditation actually changes the physical structure of the brain. The stereotype that meditation is just for buddhists and hippies is dying and thats why its drawing in people from all sorts of high profile arenas, from professional athletes to workers at google. This is because it can benefit people from all walks of life.

“Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even improves memory. Suppose, finally, that the pill is all natural and costs nothing. Now would you take it?
The pill exists. It’s called meditation.”
Jonathan Haidt – The Happiness Hypothesis

Sounds to good to be true right? Well, here’s the kicker- it requires patience, commitment, time and practice. But so does anything that is truly worthwhile. A crucial foundation when embarking on any new journey of learning or discovery is motivation. With more and more research being done it’s becoming clearer by the study that meditation offers numerous benefits to the consistent practitioner. So here’s a few examples to kickstart that motivation and get you keen to start meditating…

Be More Present

The past is already gone and the future never comes – the truth is that the present moment is all we ever really have. If you spend all your time in thoughts of the past or future you will miss the amazing world we live in. Meditation is the practice of tuning in to the present, leaving thoughts of past and future behind – being aware and in the moment and really alive. This is powerful in many ways, not least of which is how it helps to clear your mind which as well as being rewarding in itself will…

Improve Your Focus and Concentration

Being able to focus your mind is one of the most powerful tools you can have at your disposal. Meditation is a continual practice of retaining your attention and sharpening single pointed concentration. When you meditate you practice being conscious of your thoughts and where your mind is, and when you realise it isn’t where you would like it… you bring it back. A formal practice trains this awareness ‘muscle’ and with it comes a greater capacity for focus and attention.

It improves not only performance but efficiency too. And this can be applied to anything, to whatever it is you want to put your energy into. You will be more precise and able to work with less distraction and greater proficiency. You will upgrade in everything that you do. With increased efficiency you will save time. Less time spent in useless and unproductive thoughts and more time for you to think about what you actually want to think about. Less time spent procrastinating and more time doing what you actually want to do. Less actions through habit and more through conscious will.

Less Stress, Fewer Worries

Meditation triggers what psychologists call the ‘relaxation response’ which lessens stress and hypertension. This is because it trains us to let go by calmly observing our current reality without reaction or resistance. Rather than getting wound up or agitated, meditation helps us to accept the reality of any situation. In meditation we practice accepting things we cannot change and this helps to stop us from worrying unnecessarily.

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”

The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is someone whom I suspect has clocked up his fair share of meditation time. Of course we can understand intellectually that worrying is not helpful but we all still have times when we do it. Meditation as a practice helps us to embody this understanding and to accept the unexpected and sometimes undesirable twists and turns as an inevitable part of life, rather than resisting them and creating stress and tension. We observe our thoughts and feelings and learn to let them pass. As we become more conscious of our anxieties and troublesome thoughts we have more ownership of them and are less affected by them. Meditators find it easier to relax, they’re practiced at it.

Gain a Greater Understanding of Yourself

So often we think something and we are that thought. We don’t recognise it as a thought, we just think it before thinking something else and continuing in a series of thoughts. These thoughts grow into opinions and inform our actions. They form the basis of our belief system and define our truths. They shape who we are.

With meditation we learn to observe thoughts and see them from a greater perspective. This increases awareness and clarity of the mind’s habits and thought patterns; what occupies your mind and how you think. In this way meditation gives you the opportunity to know yourself better and also to gain insight into why you are the way you are.

With an improved self-awareness you’ll have a clearer perception of your strengths and weaknesses, your personality and your emotions. A clearer perception of your strengths allows you to use them more effectively and the ability to be honest with yourself about your shortcomings reveals room for growth. With a clearer understanding of the unique traits of your personality you will become more aware of how other people perceive you, and of how you perceive others. Relationships will improve and social situations will feel more natural, whether it’s meeting new people, making friends or collaborating with others in creative pursuits and business ventures.

Improve Your Health

Meditation doesn’t only improve mental health but physical health too. Enjoy being healthy? Another reason to start meditating. Your body’s response to potential illness improves with meditation: it boosts antibodies, stimulates immune system brain-function regions and with its reduction of stress increases oxygen uptake and blood flow. This is why meditators take less sick days and why meditation is now being prescribed as a preventative medicine for all kinds of ailments. It boosts your immune system. Research has linked meditation with a long list of health benefits and this shouldn’t really be surprising given the link between physical and mental health and the correlation between stress and sickness.

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These are just a few of the benefits meditation can offer; if you’re still hungry for more there’s a heap of literature online about the topic… go dive in. Hopefully by now you’re ready to set up the pillows on the floor. It’s something I think anyone can benefit from. In twenty years I reckon it will become like how eating vegetables, exercising and brushing your teeth are today; a complete no-brainer. So get on your ass and start the habit today.

Have no idea how to meditate or where to start? Head over to How to Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide.

The post Why You Should Start Meditating Today appeared first on Maps of the Mind.

Photo by Isabell Winter

When settled in one place it’s not too hard to allocate a spot in your home and routine and keep a daily practice. Life on the road is a different story. Days can vary massively and finding time to meditate isn’t always a priority. You want to go out, explore, see the city, hike a mountain, socialise with others. Sitting down with your eyes closed isn’t always top of the list. On top of that, if you’re sharing a room and have no private space, it can seem unrealistic.

Knowing that the fruits of meditation come with consistent rather than sporadic practice I realised I needed to find ways to make sure I got my practice while on the road. With a few fixes, I’m happy to report I managed it. Whether you’re planning a trip and want to keep up your practice, or already on the road and struggling to find time to meditate, these tips can help.

Go to Churches and Temples

Churches and temples are often some of the most beautiful and culturally significant buildings to be found in a city. Not only are they in every city but they are perfect for meditation; they are peaceful and have places to sit or kneel without distraction. By their nature they are places where people will leave you be to sit quietly with your eyes closed – they are built for spiritual practice. Wherever you are you will find an edifice of the local spiritual tradition and these are ideal places to meditate. I’ve meditated in impeccable Zen temples across Japan, the grand sanctuary at Lourdes, and rustic Taoist street shrines in Taiwan.

Rock garden at one of Daitoku-ji’s sub temples, Kyoto. Great spot for meditation.

Remember, it doesn’t always need to be a grand place; the smaller, lesser known places are always quieter and it makes a nice change. When I arrive in a new place, I find out where the closest church or temple is to where I am staying and often I find a local spot a short walk away to meditate everyday. I like to visit in the morning on the way out to start my day, but of course it’s possible to pop in on the way home from a day out or at any place you may happen to pass during the day. It’s a nice way to see the local neighbourhood and a more typical place of worship too. Go, take in the architecture and the history, and then pop yourself down for some zazen.

Parks & Nature

However much of a metropolis you may find yourself in you’ll be able to find a park in the city. The atmosphere in a park often lends itself to slowing down and relaxing. Take a stroll and do a walking meditation. If you have nice weather, sit on the grass or Buddha it and sit beneath a tree. If you are out for a picnic, take a minute before you eat to be present. If you are out on a hike or exploring a national park, choose a stretch of the walk to slow down for walking meditation. Choose a distance or an amount of time and allocate it to meditation.

The Japanese Garden in Buenos Aires

Waiting

Bus stops, train stations, airports, queues… wherever it is, there is always time spent waiting when you are travelling. Perfect time to meditate. Depending on where you are in the world, there may be a dedicated room for prayer or worship. If not, just try to find a relatively quiet place where you can relax and find your anchor. I set a timer, put my headphones in, close my eyes, then meditate. A pair of headphones allows me to hear the bells (I use a meditation timer app on my phone) and people passing by just assume I’m listening to music.

If I’m not familiar with the transport in the city or the exact whereabouts of where I need to be I will usually aim to arrive an hour early for an important bus or train ride. Often it turns out to be very simple and I end up with an hour spare. I always use this opportunity to meditate. It’s a large enough chunk of time to get seated and settled, and it’s time that’d just be spend waiting in a bus station – hardly the most thrilling part of travel adventures.

Watch Sunrise, Sunset, or the Night Sky

Sunrise from Huangshan (Yellow mountain), China.

This is one that will hopefully naturally sync with your routine. It often seems to be the case that travellers catch sunrises and sunsets far more frequently than those not travelling. It’s a real treat to view the colours at sunset, especially from a scenic viewpoint over mountains, or overlooking a new city, and it naturally coerces meditation.

Use the Hard Times as Opportunities

When you travel, as in life, things go wrong and you feel stressed or anxious. It’s unavoidable. In unfamiliar surroundings with little knowledge of local customs and language, far from family and friends, these feelings can be greatly heightened. Whether it’s a missed train, a lost wallet or your first time walking through a neighbourhood of which you aren’t entirely sure of the safety level… you will feel some kind of tension. And these are actually fantastic times to practice mindfulness. These are the times when we can really benefit from a clear and calm mind and a few deep breaths to calm down. In these situations I return to my breath. You needn’t try to repress whatever you are feeling but you needn’t allow it to overwhelm and consume you either. When you become aware of the unpleasant feelings or emotions bubbling up, just calmly observe them. Go to your breath or your anchor of choice and stay with it for a couple of minutes. You will slow down and your thoughts will become more clear. If a decision then needs to be made regarding your misfortune you will be in a much better state of mind to do so.

Communicate with Travel Buddies

If you are travelling with someone else, let them know that you are a meditator and want to keep up your meditation practice. Ideally they will be interested and want to meditate with you. This will make everything easier and you will even probably be more likely to make time to meditate now that you have a meditation partner. I travelled with a good friend before and he often even suggested times for us to meditate – perfect. If they aren’t a meditator then hopefully they will at least be understanding and happy to amuse themselves while you sit quietly. Or you can always wake up 20 minutes before them, or sleep a little later.

Still not meditating? See the final tips…

Allocate Unavoidable Spots in Your Routine For Mindfulness

It might not always be possible to have a regular dedicated formal sitting practice, and this is where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness is basically meditation in a non-formal setting and regardless of your vagabonding lifestyle there are certain things that you will always do that can be used as exercises in mindfulness. While mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and anytime, it will be much easier in the beginning to practice during activities that are done alone and that can be done slowly- taking a shower, brushing your teeth, eating. Choose one or two of these, and every time you do that particular activity, make it an exercise in mindfulness, a mini-meditation if you will.

• Check out: Transforming Everyday Habits Into Mindfulness Practices (+ 5 Things You Already Do That You Can Transform)

One I like to use is the ‘shower meditation’. Showering is an opportune time because it is a time you will be alone anyway, and something you do everyday (or atleast regularly, I hope). When showering, feel the splash of the water against your skin, the temperature, the pressure of the water. Be there in the shower and not somewhere else thinking, planning or worrying about the past or future. Be in that moment. When you realise you are thinking of something and your mind is elsewhere simply do as you would do in a meditation and bring yourself back to the present, back to the shower, the water, the sensation. When you turn the shower off take a few moments for conscious breathing while you drip dry, then feel the texture of your towel against your skin as you dry yourself.

Mindfulness really can be extended to anything. Just like meditation, it is the practice of choosing one thing, your anchor, and being totally conscious of it. Every time you notice your mind has wandered off, calmly bring it back. Simply do as you would do with a sitting meditation, but rather than using your breath or mantra as an anchor you will use the activity you are doing. Focus on the thing that you are doing, keeping your attention in the present moment and not getting swept up in unrelated thoughts.

Just Practice! However, Whenever.

As true as it is that a formal seated meditation in silence is the best foundation for day to day mindfulness, it might not always be possible to find a place where you can sit with perfect posture and without distraction, let alone time alone. In which case just practice wherever and however you can. If you haven’t meditated for a couple days and find yourself on a long distance bus journey then meditate there – sure it might not be the ideal environment- you mightn’t be able to sit upright with perfect posture and there may be a few bumps on the drive, but it’s still practice and is far far better than nothing.

If I come to the end of the day and I haven’t meditated I’ll ‘meditate myself to sleep’. I’ll lie flat on my back in bed, relax every muscle in my body and do one of two meditations; centre on my breath, or, focus on the feeling of the weight of my body on the bed. If you’ve ever done a yoga class then it’s similar to the savasana (corpse pose) usually done at the end. It’s great to use if you have problems sleeping.

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Integrating meditation into your daily life is crucial to cementing the habit, and cementing the habit is crucial to becoming more mindful day by day.  It can be a challenge when on the road but there are always opportunities.

So that’s it, go – hit the open road, explore, adventure…. and meditate along the way.

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Recommended Read:

One of my favourite reads with great examples of how to integrate mindfulness into your life is Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. I first read it lying in a beach hammock in Thailand and have been more mindful for it ever since, both on and off the road. Full of wisdom and with a beautifully calming style, Nhat Hanh outlines techniques on how to live mindfully and gives examples of mini-meditations and exercises in mindfulness in daily life. I recommend it to anyone who is short of time to meditate and wants to live more mindfully.

The post How To Meditate When You’re Travelling appeared first on Maps of the Mind.

• Many people find it easier to start by using guided meditations. Guided meditations are useful in that you will have someone telling you what you should be doing as you go along, almost like a class. Check out – The Best Free Guided Meditation Resources Online

Make Time To Meditate

Firstly, you need to have time to meditate. As obvious as this sounds it’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of your day and never manage to find time. So pick a time in your schedule that suits you… first thing in the morning, before dinner, before bed, 8pm… whenever… but choose a time and stick to it.

Make It Easy To Begin With

Decide in advance how long you will meditate for and stick to it. Don’t be a hero in the beginning! As much as you might like the idea of sitting down to meditate for an hour everyday, are you realistically going to be able to keep it up? Any long term meditator knows that the more consistent your practice, the greater the benefits. Choose a length of time that you can definitely fit in. It’s better to meditate for 10 minutes a day than an hour once a week. If you’ve never meditated before I’d recommend starting with 5 minutes. If that’s still too much, just do 2! But get your habit going. Once you’ve cemented the habit, you can always increase your time bit by bit.

Free Yourself Of All Distractions

A big part of meditation is the practice of focus and concentration. Needless to say if your phone is ringing or the TV is on in the background it’s not going to help. Switch your phone off, switch your computer off, switch anything off. Don’t worry, the world won’t stop turning without you being distracted for a few minutes. Tell anyone you are living with that you would appreciate being left alone without distractions for the duration of your meditation. A sign on your door, whether that be a ‘do not disturb’ or even something as simple as a sock on the door handle will do the job so long as it’s understood that you want to be left alone.

Make Yourself Comfortable

Put a couple of cushions or pillows on the ground and sit cross legged. Your bottom should be raised slightly off the ground and higher than your feet. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable, meditation isn’t about withstanding torture or being able to do the full lotus. You should be able to sit up straight comfortably, with your vertebrae stacked. If you have knees that are prone to getting sore easily then you can sit on a stool or chair, but your upper body should be freestanding without your back resting against the back of the chair.

Perfect posture, as you’d expect from the Buddha. Don’t worry about sitting on a lotus flower, some cushions will do.

Settle Yourself

Sitting quietly by yourself with no form of external stimulation may feel uneasy at first. Most of us are so used to some form of sensory stimulation in one form or another that once we are alone without distraction our mind will start to run and look for something to amuse it. Just be clear on why you have set aside time for this and have a timer set and ready for your designated window.

Sit up straight, float the crown of your head up high and relax your shoulders. Release any tension in your face and tuck your chin in just slightly so that your gaze isn’t floating upwards. Rest your hands somewhere comfortable. Close your mouth, breathe through your nose.

Take a few slow, deeps breaths and settle yourself. Relax every muscle in your body and let go of any tension you are carrying. Listen to the sound of the present moment and allow yourself to be there. Start your timer and gently close your eyes.

Meditate

Allow your breath to flow naturally. Don’t try to control it, just let it flow how it wants to flow. If your breath is shallow and short, let it be shallow and short, if it is deep and long, allow it to be so. Just observe without any effort or control.

Focus on your breath going in and out. Focus on the sensation of the air coming in and going out where you can feel it most clearly. It might be the touch of the air coming in and out on the tips your nostrils, or your diaphragm rising and falling. Wherever is easiest for you to fix your attention on the cycle of your breath, anchor your attention there and just observe.

Inevitably, thoughts will arise, and your mind will wander. When you notice this has happened, just take note of it and return your attention to your breath. Don’t feel disheartened or disappointed that your mind has wandered, this is what all minds do. When you realise that your mind has wandered or thoughts have arisen, just gently, smilingly, bring your attention back to your breath. This is the mental action you want to practice: becoming aware of where your mind is and bringing your attention back to where you want it to be. This is a skill that will help you in innumerable situations in your day to day life. With practice and improved concentration you will be able keep your attention where you want it for longer and longer periods of time and will be quicker to notice when your mind goes walkies.

Remember not to feel anything negative when you realise your mind has wandered, just observe… this is the practice. Smile at your wandering mind and bring it back. As many times as your mind wanders, patiently, persistently and diligently bring your mind back to your point of focus: the breath.

If you realise your posture has gone awry; your shoulders tightened, your back slouched, or your face tightened, just gently reset yourself.

Take Your Awareness With You Outside of Your Formal Practice

When your timer signifies the end of your practice, slowly open your eyes, stretch, and continue your day bringing the awareness from your meditation with you. The aim of meditation isn’t to become skilled at watching the breath for 20 minutes a day, it’s to become more relaxed and aware and to have more ownership of our minds and lives. So take the awareness with you and whenever you see your mind somewhere it doesn’t need to be or your body tightening up… breathe.

The post How To Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Maps of the Mind.