60 Days of 60 Minutes of Meditation - Let's Not Do Anything Together

[MTF]

I'm on day 122.

This quote by Naval Ravikant is 100% true:

“Proper meditation, proper examination should ruin the life that you’re currently living. It should cause you to leave relationships. It should cause you to re-establish boundaries with family members and colleagues. It should cause you to quit your job. It should cause you to change your eating patterns. It should cause you to spend more time with yourself. It should cause you to change what books you read. It should cause you to change who your friends are. If it doesn’t do that, it’s not real examination. If it doesn’t come attached with destruction of your current life, then you can’t create the new life in which you will not have the anxiety."

I don't mean it as a joke. It's more of a warning that he's 100% right. If you keep up with meditation for more than a few weeks, you'll have to deal with some very upsetting stuff.

 

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[MakeItHappen]

I don't mean it as a joke. It's more of a warning that he's 100% right. If you keep up with meditation for more than a few weeks, you'll have to deal with some very upsetting stuff

Interesting, care to elaborate?

 

[MTF]

Interesting, care to elaborate?

The basis of spirituality (at least as taught by Michael A. Singer but also Buddhists) is that you don't need the outside world to feel okay. So the Western approach to life, things like setting goals and expecting that they'll make you happy, is the antithesis of this approach. Doesn't matter what it is: money, love, fame, a nice body, whatever you want, it won't give you what you really want because it doesn't come from the outside.

For example, previously I would set goals, writing down motivators like "if I make x amount of money, I'll feel peace of mind." Then meditation teaches you that you'll never get peace of mind through outside objects. It can only come from within, regardless of what's going on outside.

So you find yourself in this strange predicament where you're accustomed to manipulating the outside world to make yourself feel good (and that's particularly common for entrepreneurs). But at the same time, you lose belief that the pursuit of things can "fix" something. Ask yourself how long you feel joy after buying a new car or how many ultra-wealthy people are actually happy in their daily lives.

Until you learn how to operate purely out of your higher self (so for example being an entrepreneur out of empathy, compassion, creativity, love, joy, NOT out of greed, materialism, etc.), you're stuck in a difficult transition phase where you lose motivation.

This is one problem. Then there's all the questioning you start engaging in. Questioning your old beliefs. Opinions. Relationships. Default responses.

Then there's becoming a person who doesn't want to argue. Who doesn't want to sit and complain with their friends about stuff. Who is working on being fine by themselves and which can alienate you from other people because you may be too focused on dealing with your own stuff (which over the long term is BETTER for them than you not working on yourself - it's sort of like putting your oxygen mask first).

In general, once you start examining your life, you'll change rapidly and this will cause a lot of friction.

 

[Madame Peccato]

Days 73 - 80

Some awful sessions (especially on day 76 - Sunday), and some great sessions (day 78 and 79 especially). Today was so and so because of poor sleep.

Aside from how the sessions went, I can tell this exercise is producing change in my life. I feel much better in my daily life. Stress is slowly disappearing, and I enjoy the little things a lot more.

 

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[KushShah9492]

Haven't meditated since a week. Starting again today with WAKING UP.

 

[MTF]

Day 131 for me. I recently had an interesting experience where randomly I realized how incredible it is to be able to see. I felt extreme joy and gratitude to realize it. It was at the level I don't think I've ever attained before.

These transient experiences aren't the goal of meditation but they sure show how much better can it be inside with enough practice.

 

[Madame Peccato]

Day 90 here. Still going strong. I got interrupted twice a couple of days ago, and I didn't get annoyed at all, something that would have happened earlier on this journey.

The benefits I described in my earlier posts are still there, a bit "better" maybe, but nothing major. As @MTF said multiple times, we're still complete newbies in meditation.

 

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[Deleted78083]

Ok, i guess imma start.

What do i have to do? Sit there and focus on my breath?

 

[MTF]

@monfii welcome! The simplest way is this:

Meditation: start watching your breath. Watch your breath go in and out while you're sitting there, preferably diaphragmatic breathing. Count your breath because you're practicing staying centered. Count to 20 and start over again. And if you get lost, just bring it back. Don't say one word. Don't get mad at yourself. Don't think about it. Don't get mad at yourself. Don't get down on yourself. Don't do anything. It's part of the practice. Just start counting again.

From one of Michael A. Singer's lectures. Counting your breath is optional but it may help.

 

[Antifragile]

I practice TM.
Here is an intro video

 

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[Senecal]

The rules are simple:

1. You meditate one hour a day for 60 days, ideally in the morning. You sit down and do nothing (don't use any apps or guided meditation). Naval's suggested method is:

If thoughts come, thoughts come. I’m not going to fight them. I’m not going to embrace them. I’m not going to think harder about them. I’m not going to reject them. I’m just going to sit here for an hour with my eyes closed, and I’m going to do nothing.

No focus, no mantra, no dharma, no chakras, no Buddhas, no gurus, no gratitude, no scripture, no temple, no music, no gadgets, no apps.

2. You meditate every day. If you skip a day, you go back to day 1. We want to prioritize our mental health, build momentum and turn it into a daily practice. This is akin to a workout for your mind. It won't work well if you start and stop.

3. It needs to be at least an hour (use a timer). You can't do two 30-minute sessions or four 15-minute sessions. Once you start, you keep sitting until 60 minutes pass.

Just joining the gang.

Day 1 - done

Thanks @MTF for starting this thread. I feel this habit can help me clarify a lot of thoughts and emotions. I tried meditation apps in the past, even did them for months on end. But I feel the voice instructions are distracting and gets in the way of having real peace of mind.

 

[MTF]

Welcome @Aldrino! When you listen to the instructions in guided meditations, you're still in your human mind. So while it can help if you're starting out, eventually meditation is something where you go alone yourself. So you're right it may get in the way.

 

[Bora.s]

This is an interesting video about meditation. Some of the meditation techniques are more then 1000 years old, so I believe they have their raison d'etre.

View: https://youtu.be/KmnPpOvgwtI

 

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[Senecal]

This is an interesting video about meditation. Some of the meditation techniques are more then 1000 years old, so I believe they have their raison d'etre.

View: https://youtu.be/KmnPpOvgwtI

Always loved Sadhguru's humor and simple explanations.

Here's a couple of things he said that I think are fundamental to meditation. It's something that's been discussed in this thread continously, and rightfully so.

"With a little distance, suddenly everything is crystal clear."

"Meditation is not an act, it's a consequence (a result)."

Btw,
Day 2 - done

 

[Senecal]

Day 3 - done

I feel this practice is teaching me patience. Sitting for an hour can feel like forever, but I'm slowly learning to sit still and just watch my thoughts and emotions -- not get carried away by them.

 

[MTF]

Day 3 - done

I feel this practice is teaching me patience. Sitting for an hour can feel like forever, but I'm slowly learning to sit still and just watch my thoughts and emotions -- not get carried away by them.

You definitely learn how to feel good with yourself even when there's nothing around you to distract you. Imagine a social media addicted teenager sitting quietly for an hour. They'd rather get slapped in the face repeatedly than be alone with their thoughts.

 

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[Senecal]

You definitely learn how to feel good with yourself even when there's nothing around you to distract you.

Feels super peaceful.

The one hour duration seems to do the trick. In the first half hour my mind still wanders, but after that, it's still.

Day 4 - done

 

[CruxisKnight]

If you make money teaching people meditation does that mean you make money telling people to do nothing? That's brilliant.

 

[MTF]

If you make money teaching people meditation does that mean you make money telling people to do nothing? That's brilliant.

Haha.

On a serious note, making money on spiritual-related stuff is controversial as it's often the domain of fake gurus.

 

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[CruxisKnight]

Haha.

On a serious note, making money on spiritual-related stuff is controversial as it's often the domain of fake gurus.

I kid somewhat. Only somewhat because like you said there are fake gurus out there.

But at the same time meditation does have value. It calms me for sure and recharges and resets my mood. So I'm not undermining its value. I just found it funny, again like with people making money teaching intermittent fasting. I guess that means you can make money telling people to eat nothing? That is also brilliant.

 

[Senecal]

Still at it.

Day 10 - done

 

[BlackLynx]

Sup y'all.

Decided to join in. Day 1 in the books. Started with 45 mins this morning.

I have been meditating for a good ten years - but always guided meditations. I completed the entire Headspace catalog - as well as the "Waking Up" one.
And therein lies the problem.

MFT, your words made something click for me.

These guided meditations helped me tremendously - but I treated them as another todo-list. Everything in my life is a todo-list nowadays.
Books to read. Movies to watch. Things to learn. I have some strange wiring in my brain- I don't know if anybody recognizes this but for example, my Netflix watchlist is a to-do list that lingers somewhere
in the back of my mind.

I read books because I have set myself the goal of reading 60 books this year and I find myself rushing through the books.

I have my eyes on "the prize" at all times. I don't savor the journey. I miss beautiful sentences because I'm rushing to the end - for the little dopamine hit when I "finish" the book.

I'm like this in everything: with my family, with my friends and in business. And I have it dead wrong.
I think the act of goal-setting might be destructive in itself. That's not what Western business books would like you to believe - S.M.A.R.T. goals - BHAGs... Ugh ..
Everybody needs to fulfill his purpose - fulfill his destiny. Set Goals. Hit Targets.

The older I get (45 now) the more I come to realize this approach might be wrong or misguided. Maybe my purpose is to learn to release any sense of purpose.

Hunter S Thompson had it right when he wrote the following to his friend :

The answer— and, in a sense, the tragedy of life— is that we seek to understand the goal and not the man. We set up a goal which demands of us certain things: and we do these things. We adjust to the demands of a concept which CANNOT be valid. When you were young, let us say that you wanted to be a fireman. I feel reasonably safe in saying that you no longer want to be a fireman. Why? Because your perspective has changed. It’s not the fireman who has changed, but you. Every man is the sum total of his reactions to experience. As your experiences differ and multiply, you become a different man, and hence your perspective changes. This goes on and on. Every reaction is a learning process; every significant experience alters your perspective

So it would seem foolish, would it not, to adjust our lives to the demands of a goal we see from a different angle every day? How could we ever hope to accomplish anything other than galloping neurosis?

If there's a goal to set - it might be to learn to look around you.

Or like Ferris Bueller used to say: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

It is not about purpose. It is not about the destination. It's about savoring every little part of the journey. We're only here a little bit.

The reality is: you will never arrive.

 

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[CruxisKnight]

Sup y'all.

Decided to join in. Day 1 in the books. Started with 45 mins this morning.

I have been meditating for a good ten years - but always guided meditations. I completed the entire Headspace catalog - as well as the "Waking Up" one.
And therein lies the problem.

MFT, your words made something click for me.

These guided meditations helped me tremendously - but I treated them as another todo-list. Everything in my life is a todo-list nowadays.
Books to read. Movies to watch. Things to learn. I have some strange wiring in my brain- I don't know if anybody recognizes this but for example, my Netflix watchlist is a to-do list that lingers somewhere
in the back of my mind.

I read books because I have set myself the goal of reading 60 books this year and I find myself rushing through the books.

I have my eyes on "the prize" at all times. I don't savor the journey. I miss beautiful sentences because I'm rushing to the end - for the little dopamine hit when I "finish" the book.

I'm like this in everything: with my family, with my friends and in business. And I have it dead wrong.
I think the act of goal-setting might be destructive in itself. That's not what Western business books would like you to believe - S.M.A.R.T. goals - BHAGs... Ugh ..
Everybody needs to fulfill his purpose - fulfill his destiny. Set Goals. Hit Targets.

The older I get (45 now) the more I come to realize this approach might be wrong or misguided. Maybe my purpose is to learn to release any sense of purpose.

Hunter S Thompson had it right when he wrote the following to his friend :

The answer— and, in a sense, the tragedy of life— is that we seek to understand the goal and not the man. We set up a goal which demands of us certain things: and we do these things. We adjust to the demands of a concept which CANNOT be valid. When you were young, let us say that you wanted to be a fireman. I feel reasonably safe in saying that you no longer want to be a fireman. Why? Because your perspective has changed. It’s not the fireman who has changed, but you. Every man is the sum total of his reactions to experience. As your experiences differ and multiply, you become a different man, and hence your perspective changes. This goes on and on. Every reaction is a learning process; every significant experience alters your perspective

So it would seem foolish, would it not, to adjust our lives to the demands of a goal we see from a different angle every day? How could we ever hope to accomplish anything other than galloping neurosis?

If there's a goal to set - it might be to learn to look around you.

Or like Ferris Bueller used to say: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

It is not about purpose. It is not about the destination. It's about savoring every little part of the journey. We're only here a little bit.

The reality is: you will never arrive.

Having no purpose is the best purpose. It is like being a kid again

 

[MTF]

Welcome @BlackLynx! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. In a sense, you can find a sense of purpose in the present moment. Just learning to fully experience whatever is going on is a lifetime journey. Just like meditation.

 

[MTF]

Day 150 completed.

I have to admit that these last few weeks I had way more sessions when I was hoping the session would end as soon as possible. I was bored or frustrated. I even had some days when I was wondering if I was wasting my time with this.

But I'm still doing it as before, still one hour in the morning. There are some days when I feel peace of mind most of the session. But like I said above, sometimes a week goes by where I feel like I won't be able to sit for a full hour.

So as expected, the first 60 days are just the beginning. After 150 days, in some aspects it's even more difficult than before. But in some it's easier.

Those who have completed the first 60 days - how is it going?

 

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[Antifragile]

150 day streak - epic.

When I first started TM I did 90 days of 20min x 2 each day. The hope was to discover something new and establish a habit. Unfortunately I discovered that commitment of this magnitude was too much. Meaning I had to give up something in my life to accomplish this. And no, there was no Netflix or other freebies left in my schedule. As a result I relaxed my TM practice to a few times a week, as much as I can but no stress.
In my experience, there are periods of our lives when we can and should commit to the One Thing, but it better be top priority. Meditation will be the One Thing for some, but it may become less relevant after a while.
Love this thread! Great topic and great sharing of experiences.

 

[ZCP]

thoughts or anyone have experience using devices to help?

FocusCalm | Brain Training Technology

FocusCalm trains your brain for better focus and a calmer mind. Using advanced neurofeedback and biofeedback techniques, FocusCalm's games, activities and meditations can improve your sense of wellbeing, change the way stress affects you and build strength and resilience to handle difficult...

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Smart Sleep & Wellness Wearable Technology

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[CruxisKnight]

thoughts or anyone have experience using devices to help?

FocusCalm | Brain Training Technology

FocusCalm trains your brain for better focus and a calmer mind. Using advanced neurofeedback and biofeedback techniques, FocusCalm's games, activities and meditations can improve your sense of wellbeing, change the way stress affects you and build strength and resilience to handle difficult...

shop.focuscalm.com

Smart Sleep & Wellness Wearable Technology

Hapbee is the next generation of wearable wellness technology. A Sleep Aid Gadget to get you to sleep faster. Chemical-free and guaranteed to improve your sleep, energy and mood. Naturally Fall asleep faster, Stay asleep all-night, Improve your REM sleep and Wake up feeling refreshed.

hapbee.com

What kind of devices? I usually just use my phone and free youtube videos for guided meditation. I especially like listening to Alan Watts in chillstep songs, and its free too

 

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[Bora.s]

Day 150 completed.

I have to admit that these last few weeks I had way more sessions when I was hoping the session would end as soon as possible. I was bored or frustrated. I even had some days when I was wondering if I was wasting my time with this.

But I'm still doing it as before, still one hour in the morning. There are some days when I feel peace of mind most of the session. But like I said above, sometimes a week goes by where I feel like I won't be able to sit for a full hour.

So as expected, the first 60 days are just the beginning. After 150 days, in some aspects it's even more difficult than before. But in some it's easier.

Those who have completed the first 60 days - how is it going?

Day 94
meditation 15 minutes versus 60 minutes, my mind/ voice doesn't notice much difference. It is more a question of discipline, but it is easier now to meditate sometimes for 15 minutes in the morning as it is now very short and easy. It is still difficult for me to meditate for an hour every evening. My mind/voice no longer wants to meditate for an hour a day, but my higher self isn't satisfied with "only" 15 minutes.

Rather, letting go of things is a completely new and fascinating topic for me, as M. Singer explains in his book and lectures. That changed my life in these 94 days. The classic concept/expectation doesn't make me happy: the perfect house, perfect husband, perfect children, and even the dog has to be perfect. It's crazy. I let go of stressful things every day, and it actually works and makes me happy. I try not to build up new blockages in myself and to let go of the many old ones when they come up. Lately, I let go of the idea of the perfect dog.....

 

[Andreas]

I have a question for those who are able to relax your muscles and stay still as much as possible.

Every time I do this I get into a really quiet and blissful state. By quiet, I don't mean no thoughts. It's hard to explain, but it's like hearing someone speak softly from across an empty white room. There is no background noise, so thoughts that come in are being heard very clearly.

I noticed a weird thing about this however. Although everything feels serene, I start to get an urge to move, or in case I am doing this before sleep, I just lay on my stomach on order to sleep. It's like there is a lot of discomfort and extreme comfort co-existing at the same time.

Is this just my body not knowing what to do with the bliss? Normally, throughout the day I experience constant scatterbrain activity, so when I lay down to relax my muscles, it's the only time that my brain slows down the 'Ring of Fire' type of symptoms. I don't know if I have ADD, but the symptoms are very real.