One minute meditation?

betaboy

Is it okay to meditate just for a minute every time we get the chance in the middle of work instead of sitting down and meditating for a longer duration? That way, we would hsve done lots of one minute meditations throughout the day. Does it have value? Cumulative effect? Has anyone tried?

Cloud

Mindfulness of breathing meditation can be done even during your daily activities, so it's not restricted to "when I get a minute". Basically you just maintain awareness of your breathing while you go about your day. It works wonders. Ajahn Chah of the Thai Forest Tradition often advocated this method for those with busy lives. It amounts to the same thing as formal meditation; the mind becomes aware of phenomena on a deeper level, and is more calm and concentrated through its focus.

pegembara

Meditation in the middle of work is do able. Just be fully present with whatever you are doing.

"Furthermore, when going forward & returning, he makes himself fully alert; when looking toward & looking away... when bending & extending his limbs... when carrying his outer cloak, his upper robe & his bowl... when eating, drinking, chewing, & savoring... when urinating & defecating... when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, & remaining silent, he makes himself fully alert.

"In this way he remains focused internally on the body in & of itself, or focused externally... unsustained by anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html

betaboy

Mindfulness of breathing meditation can be done even during your daily activities, so it's not restricted to "when I get a minute". Basically you just maintain awareness of your breathing while you go about your day. It works wonders. Ajahn Chah of the Thai Forest Tradition often advocated this method for those with busy lives. It amounts to the same thing as formal meditation; the mind becomes aware of phenomena on a deeper level, and is more calm and concentrated through its focus.

But if I am focusing on my breathing, how can I drive or do any other activity?

Cloud

It's not at all to put full attention/focus on the breathing... it's just to remain aware of the breathing, to use it as an anchor to maintain mindfulness. Try it for a while, it's easier than you think! It takes a little getting used to of course, but gets easier with time.

DairyLama

But if I am focusing on my breathing, how can I drive or do any other activity?

The other option is just to focus fully on whatever activity you're doing, basically be mindful, be fully in the present. Quite a good approach when you're driving.
You might find it helpful to check out the four foundations of mindfulness ( body, feeling, mind, mind-objects ).

Zero

Is it okay to meditate just for a minute every time we get the chance in the middle of work instead of sitting down and meditating for a longer duration? That way, we would hsve done lots of one minute meditations throughout the day. Does it have value? Cumulative effect? Has anyone tried?

You'll know what value or cumulative effect it has for you - compare 1 minute with other types.

Taking an example of exercise - it is possible to do lots of 1 minute bouts of exercise throughout the day - if you do 60 of these then you have the equivalent of an hour workout - it is clear however that the nature of the 60 x 1 minute is different to the 1 x 60 minutes.

betaboy

It's not at all to put full attention/focus on the breathing... it's just to remain aware of the breathing, to use it as an anchor to maintain mindfulness. Try it for a while, it's easier than you think! It takes a little getting used to of course, but gets easier with time.

I am not sure what you mean by anchor. Normally, when we walk isn't it mindfulness to be aware only of walking to the exclusion of everything else? So if one is aware of breathing, isn't one not mindful of walking? Confused...

RebeccaS

It's because you're always breathing, you're not always walking. If you're walking you could pick walking to focus on if you want, it doesn't really matter, but I think people may find breathing easier because it's a constant.

Or you can just be aware of both if you don't know which one to pick, though I think some may find that more difficult.

It really doesn't matter. Choose one thing to focus on when you're doing something and focus on that. You can focus on a smudge on the wall if you really want to. It's not the object that you're focusing on that matters, it's the fact that you're focusing at all.

Sabre

It's not at all to put full attention/focus on the breathing... it's just to remain aware of the breathing, to use it as an anchor to maintain mindfulness. Try it for a while, it's easier than you think! It takes a little getting used to of course, but gets easier with time.

I am not sure what you mean by anchor. Normally, when we walk isn't it mindfulness to be aware only of walking to the exclusion of everything else? So if one is aware of breathing, isn't one not mindful of walking? Confused...

Mindfulness can be either towards something broad or towards something fine. You can focus on your entire body and mental phenomena, or you can focus on the tip of the nose when breathing. Or even on certain ideas and reflections. All that mindfulness does is remember the object you choose to be aware of and places awareness there. Mindfulness is recollection or memory, literally.

So some people prefer to practice a 'broad' mindfulness, including everything, but with the breath on the background, something to go back to. Others prefer to practice 'focussed' mindfulness, on just the breath, going into very still and focussed states. I personally think it's best to practice both, but it's not like one is superior to the other. In fact, there are many more objects the Buddha recommended.

So don't confuse mindfulness with concentration. While they are greatly dependent on one another, they are not the same.

So to answer your question, I would advice some 1 minute meditations for sure. It's very useful, although not a replacement for longer sittings. But apart from that you can also have a broader all-day mindfulness of what's going on in the mind. To notice: When does anger arise, when does a tendency to lie/steal/hurt arise? This is mindfulness as well. A very important aspect even.

I hope this can remove some confusion.

how

Is it okay to meditate just for a minute every time we get the chance in the middle of work instead of sitting down and meditating for a longer duration? That way, we would hsve done lots of one minute meditations throughout the day. Does it have value? Cumulative effect? Has anyone tried?

You can only meditate in the "now". This moment is the only nano second that any of us can ever live so all meditations are really just a collection of that moment. Zen's meditation practise (my path) is meant to be eventually incorporated with all such moments. Exploring daily life for the moments when one can meditate can eventually evolve into searching for what moments in life that one doesn't.

One minute of meditation at work is a great way to start connecting a larger amount of life's meditative moments together but if you choose to train this way just to avoid other longer meditation periods you will be handicapping your practise. Much of an average person's resistant identity conditioning that meditation can illuminate and dissolve, requires longer periods of meditation to unearth.

So Yes!, it has value, is cumulative and is a common practise but it should really be practised in addition to meditation periods of longer duration.

DairyLama

It's not at all to put full attention/focus on the breathing... it's just to remain aware of the breathing, to use it as an anchor to maintain mindfulness. Try it for a while, it's easier than you think! It takes a little getting used to of course, but gets easier with time.

I am not sure what you mean by anchor. Normally, when we walk isn't it mindfulness to be aware only of walking to the exclusion of everything else? So if one is aware of breathing, isn't one not mindful of walking? Confused...

Yes, it can be confusing. My experience is that it's more effective to focus on one thing at a time when developing mindfulness.

DairyLama

So don't confuse mindfulness with concentration. While they are greatly dependent on one another, they are not the same.

Good point. Generally mindfulness on a single object leads to concentration. This applies both on the cushion ( eg mindfulness of breathing ) and off the cushion ( eg walking meditation ).
Concentration then supports mindfulness.

Sile

Is it okay to meditate just for a minute every time we get the chance in the middle of work instead of sitting down and meditating for a longer duration? That way, we would hsve done lots of one minute meditations throughout the day. Does it have value? Cumulative effect? Has anyone tried?

I'd add that meditation isn't really different than physical exercise--you reap different benefits from different exercises.

For example, taking a minute to stretch, periodically, has a great benefit to your body, and taking a half-hour period to do more in-depth exercise also has great, and somewhat different benefit.

If you do one-minute meditations, you'll reap the benefit of a habit of one-minute meditations, and if you do longer meditations, you'll reap the benefit of longer meditations.

Like physical exercise for office workers, who are often advised to take a minute to stretch, as well as get half an hour of walking (or something prolonged) several times a week, doing both short and (at least a little) longer meditations would have great benefit.

But as a rush-around-y person myself, I find the concept of "meditating at the stop light" (not as dangerous as it sounds) very beneficial, and it lets the pressure of "I have to meditate!!" off enough that I'm actually more likely to do the longer meditations as well, if that makes sense