New to practise, a few questions.

[Snufkin]

Hello everyone, I've been practising meditation for just over a week, I've been doing this daily and try to fit in two sittings a day when possible. I am just wondering about the length of time I should be practising for, initially I started off with doing it for about 10 mins, and now my sittings are almost 20 minutes and progressing a little each time,

I have a couple of queries, my first one is should I try to aim sit for longer, or just naturally allow time to increase? And also, should I put a timer on my sitting so I know how long to aim for?

Thanks in advance!

[bodom]

Hi Snufkin and welcome too the forum!

I highly recommend reading this short chapter entitled Structuring Your Meditation from Mindfulness in Plain English a classic best selling manual on meditation:

Structuring Your Meditation
http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/min ... ish_10.php

I hope this answers all your questions and more.

[Snufkin]

Hi Snufkin and welcome too the forum!

I highly recommend reading this short chapter entitled Structuring Your Meditation from Mindfulness in Plain English a classic best selling manual on meditation:

Structuring Your Meditation
http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/min ... ish_10.php

I hope this answers all your questions and more.

Excellent, thank you very much, I have actually just started reading this book. Perhaps I should have read it in it's entirety before posting on here.

[LonesomeYogurt]

Haha don't worry! It's always good to ask. Congratulations on starting down the path!

I think it's probably best to let the time organically grow, but do be sure to push yourself slightly so you don't get stuck in one spot. A timer is a good idea if you find yourself wanting to peak at the clock; it can help you to be determined and say, "I will sit until this bell rings no matter what." Otherwise that chapter is a really good resource, as is the entire book. Good to see you reading it!

May your practice be successful!

[Cittasanto]

I have a couple of queries, my first one is should I try to aim sit for longer, or just naturally allow time to increase? And also, should I put a timer on my sitting so I know how long to aim for?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Snufkin,
well it depends what your reason is! are you aiming for a regular practice of a specific duration per day or something else?
A timer is handy if you have to finish by a certain time, but I personally prefer no timeing of sits that way I can sit for as long as I choose, but also I use a timer when I have a specific time I have to finish for.
unless there is a specific reason you are training to sit for a certain length of time, I wouldn't, and allow nature to take its course, but it is a good idea to keep a regular time you sit at and not follow urges to get up from a sit unless necesarry

[Snufkin]

I definitely had trouble with wanting to get up after a short amount of time, but I've started to let these thoughts go. My main aim is just to increase the length of time I'm sitting for really, so I can have a better quality of meditation. I'm starting to sit for about 25 minutes now.

I've started to encounter something else that may or not be an issue. After I follow my breath for awhile, and thoughts begin to settle down and my concentration becomes deeper. Nothing else happens, I just follow my breath, discarding the odd thought that pops up until I end my sitting. No insights arise, no emotions, nothing, just a calm concentration.

Am I doing something wrong? In my mind it feels more like my idea of what Samatha meditation is, as opposed to Vipassana.

Thanks for the kind replies.

[LonesomeYogurt]

I definitely had trouble with wanting to get up after a short amount of time, but I've started to let these thoughts go. My main aim is just to increase the length of time I'm sitting for really, so I can have a better quality of meditation. I'm starting to sit for about 25 minutes now.

I've started to encounter something else that may or not be an issue. After I follow my breath for awhile, and thoughts begin to settle down and my concentration becomes deeper. Nothing else happens, I just follow my breath, discarding the odd thought that pops up until I end my sitting. No insights arise, no emotions, nothing, just a calm concentration.

Am I doing something wrong? In my mind it feels more like my idea of what Samatha meditation is, as opposed to Vipassana.

Thanks for the kind replies.

It really depends on the tradition you're interested in. Some who follow the Mahasi or Goenka methods would say that, once such calm is obtained, it is better to then move towards a more "active" scanning of the body or noting of sensation. Other traditions, like those of Ajahn Chah or Buddhadasa, would say that the development and purification of that concentration to the point of Jhana is the best road to insight. Again, it's all about your personal technique and path. In my opinion, based solely on the path I follow, which may not be right for you, I would recommend continuing the cultivation of concentration until you begin to experience more profound stillness and/or Jhana states, which I believe are best for the eventual obtaining of insight. But do ask around for other opinions! Buddhadasa is just one teacher =]

[marc108]

Hi Snufkin and welcome too the forum!

I highly recommend reading this short chapter entitled Structuring Your Meditation from Mindfulness in Plain English a classic best selling manual on meditation:

Structuring Your Meditation
http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/min ... ish_10.php

I hope this answers all your questions and more.

I would second this recommendation and second your idea to read MIPE in it's entirety... basically every question on meditation for beginners is answered there.

[Snufkin]

I would second this recommendation and second your idea to read MIPE in it's entirety... basically every question on meditation for beginners is answered there.

I finished MIPE this morning, I'm not sure it clarified my question of no insight or emotions arising though.

[marc108]

I definitely had trouble with wanting to get up after a short amount of time, but I've started to let these thoughts go. My main aim is just to increase the length of time I'm sitting for really, so I can have a better quality of meditation. I'm starting to sit for about 25 minutes now.

I've started to encounter something else that may or not be an issue. After I follow my breath for awhile, and thoughts begin to settle down and my concentration becomes deeper. Nothing else happens, I just follow my breath, discarding the odd thought that pops up until I end my sitting. No insights arise, no emotions, nothing, just a calm concentration.

Am I doing something wrong? In my mind it feels more like my idea of what Samatha meditation is, as opposed to Vipassana.

Thanks for the kind replies.

You have only been practicing for a week & are only sitting for 25 minutes... meditation conducive of Right Concentration and any sort of true Insight will take a lot of dedication & time, it's a life long practice. Calm or concentration is not really an accurate translation of the word Samadhi. Calm (relaxation, still thinking), per say, is not really what is meant by Samadhi... Samadhi is profound and beautiful. If your breathing does not feel profound, beautiful and blissful then just keep watching the breath. The next step would be to see if you maintain your practice and keep that calm concentration for an hour.

I would also suggest you read a few books that are a little more beyond the basic concepts of meditation presented in MIPE, that will familiarize you with what Buddhist Meditation really is and entails...

Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond – A Meditators Handbook by Ajahn Brahm.
http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/upl ... ndbook.pdf

Meditation – A Way of Awakening by Ajahn Sucitto
http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/upl ... ucitto.pdf

Wings to Awakening An Anthology from the Pali Canon by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Part III, Section E: RIght Concentration
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... index.html


Vipassana and Samatha as separate meditation systems were not taught, as such, by the Buddha... This separation into two distinct forms of meditation came about later in commentarial works. Insight and Tranquility are things that happen as a result of meditation, not types of meditation. A good simple explanation of this can be found here:

The Path of Concentration & Mindfulness by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... cmind.html

[Snufkin]

Thank you so much for such a comprehensive post. And thanks to everyone else. I feared I was getting very much ahead of myself but it's difficult when there doesn't seem like anything to measure progress. I'll get started on the reading material and continue to increase my sitting times.

[Snufkin]

More physical problems have started to rise, the chief one being towards the end of my sit, one sit of my neck becomes quite stiff and achey, it becomes harder to focus on anything else. My legs also seem to be going to sleep more often these days. Could these issues be something to do with the cushion I'm using?

[marc108]

More physical problems have started to rise, the chief one being towards the end of my sit, one sit of my neck becomes quite stiff and achey, it becomes harder to focus on anything else. My legs also seem to be going to sleep more often these days. Could these issues be something to do with the cushion I'm using?

legs going to sleep is normal if you're sitting lotus. you can try different leg positions, just sit in a chair or just ignore it... it wont hurt you, its just an annoyance.

spend 5-10 minutes stretching or doing some Yoga before you sit... this is useful for the body AND the mind. you can also give the areas that are commonly achy a good massage before hand. also check up on your posture, you may not be sitting correctly.