People meditate because they want something from it. Most serious meditators I know, the people who made real progress, were miserable. The two main benefits from meditation might be classified as “capacity” or “exercise” and “insight.”
When I was younger, I could run 10 miles in 50 minutes and not be exhausted afterwards. I can’t do that now because I don’t run regularly.
Some benefits from meditation are like this. Concentration meditation, where you hold your attention on something like your breath or a mantra, or the spot between your brows or a candle is “mind exercise.” The more you do it, with proper technique, the better you get. If you stop doing it you lose the benefits: being more relaxed, more able to focus on anything and more able to ignore stuff like pain and anxiety.
The other main set of benefits are like learning to ride a bicycle. At first it’s impossible, then you get the knack for it, and from then on you have the benefit. Most of these are insight benefits: if you truly realize that you aren’t the body, say, then you let go of it and suffering is permanently reduced. If you see thru conditioning and realize you don’t have to obey it, you become free of it (often this goes in steps, by types of conditioning.)
Some other similar benefits are skill based. If you practice bringing up emotions on demand after a while they become “on tap” and you can just experience them at will.
Now meditation methods tend to work in concert. The reason Shamatha (concentration/mental exercise) is often done alongside Vipassana (insight) is that if you want to see the mechanics of how sense objects like emotions and thoughts work, being able to concentrate: having a focused mind make it a lot easier.
Of course there’s some overlap: I know how to run properly. I know how to get in shape. If I were to take up running again, those would make it easier for me and even when I’m in bad shape I run better than people who have never learned proper running technique (plus I’m used to the suffering of pushing myself.) Same is true of concentration: I’m out of practice, but I know how it’s done and I’m better than someone who’s never done a lot of concentration meditation. But I’m nowhere as good as someone who’s kept up a practice of an hour or two a day. (Two hours is about the minimum to be able to get reliably into certain states.)
Whatever it is you want from meditation, and there are lots of different possible achievements, you need to know what you need to do to get them, and how to keep them. But no matter what you want, meditation is either like exercise (for capacity) or like learning a skill.
Know what you want and find out how to get it.
Joan
I commented on one of Ian’s posts on meditation some years ago and told of how my attempt at mindfulness (empty mind) meditation had actually made my anxiety worse. Years and lots of self work later, I realize that at the time I was in very bad circumstances, and rather than getting myself out, I was being passive and stuck. Now I think that when I was attempting meditation my mind was bringing up all the causes of my anxiety and asking whether I was going to address it.
I remember another commenter here encouraging me to consider taking up meditation at another time. Thank you.
These days I do five minutes of discursive meditation in the morning alongside some mentalism/memory exercises and that so far is working well for me.
Ian Welsh
People with trauma shouldn’t do mindfulness as their first or primary meditation type. Some form of loving kindness meditation is best. If you’re going to do mindfulness or Vipassana, do them after you’ve done some loving kindness (same session) and if shit comes up, immediately move to a mantra, then back to loving kindness.
This is the problem with a lot of meditation advice or teachers: the best type of meditation varies depending on the meditator, especially at the start of the journey. Mindfulness is NOT the right type to start with for everyone.
mago
I was going to comment on the heart sutra in response to your other post on spirituality, but refrained.
Regarding this thanksgiving day (USA)
post I was tempted to say a couple of things about shamatha/vipassana but refrained once again, figuring there would be no insight or elucidation.
However, I remember Ani Pema some twenty years ago mentioning in a conversation how one of her meditation students was so proud of doing ten minutes of shamatha daily. Ani Pema sighed, and said, How do you untie the Gordian knot?
(Nothing to do with Joan’s comment, btw. I’m just talking.)
Thanks Ian and to your readership and all who support this site and those on the path.
May all our aspirations come to fruition.
db1787
Thanks for this, Ian.
Can you suggest resources for learning and practicing the various types?
I know there are countless books/videos/posts about this and I’m sure many are not nearly as good as others.
Thanks again.
Ian Welsh
db1787. Tons of books.
Here are some posts on how to meditate:
https://www.ianwelsh.net/category/meditation/how-to-meditate-series/
Books: the mindful geek
“The Mind Illuminated” is probably the best book on concentration meditation.
db1787
Cool! Thanks, Ian.
GlassHammer
If your the type that finds mild physical activity more calming than being still is there a type of meditation that pairs well with it?
Ian Welsh
GH,
most types of meditation can be done with mild exercise. A mantra is easiest.
Or put your attention in a specific part of your body. When walking, perhaps your shoulders then your hips. Move it back whenever you notice it’s strayed. Over time include more and more of the body. Feel it.
Or you can meditate on your breath.
The advantage of sitting meditation is that after about 30 minutes of sitting still your body will suddenly massively calm and relax.