Timing

Invincible_summer

For those of you that do different things during a meditation session, how do you time yourself?

What I mean is, I know some people start or end with metta bhavana, do some samatha, then vipassana, and then finish with either samatha or metta bhavana.

Or, some samatha advice would tell you to spend a certain amount of time focusing on the breath, then on body scanning, then on X, etc etc.

I've read various formulations regarding how many minutes one should spend on each type... but how do you know how long to spend on each for without peeking at your timer?

lobster

I have two watches with silent 'vibrators', gifts, never used ether. Built in timer in IOS and Android works. One round of a mala is time dependent, did I think three rounds this morning. Guided meditations, did one this morning, are timed.
http://www.tarabrach.com/audioarchives-guided-meditations.html

On the whole do not time meditation, ends when it ends. Sometimes I need to know, so look at a clock at start and end. Some people use a stick of incense.

anataman

I stopped timing myself when I realised I was just waiting for the big hand to reach the 6.

DairyLama

anataman said:

I stopped timing myself when I realised I was just waiting for the big hand to reach the 6.

So what do you do now? Just sit till you've had enough?

anataman

No when I sit I sit until I've finished meditating. I like to do meditation in action now, as it starts when the action starts and finishes when the action finishes, or someone or something interrupts me. I sit to be still and silent, no sense timing it really.

fivebells

I don't do it any more (which gets me into trouble sometimes), but I used to do 15 minutes of resting-with-the breath samatha at the start, and 10 minutes at the end. This was based on advice in Ken McLeod's book Wake Up To Your Life and is a good idea if you practice is heavily insight-oriented (which that book is: even the chapter on the Four Immeasurables is comprised entirely of insight meditations. )

These days, I usually sandwich the meditation hour between two dhamma talks, which can have the same effect if the topics of the talks fit, but is more versatile. I work to establish jhana and generally do insight with whatever obstructions I run into in the process. If I'm too disturbed, I don't, though.

BhikkhuJayasara

I have my daily meditation outside at my office before work. I start usually around 8:25 and I have an alarm set for 8:55, that's about all the planning I do.

I usually start with walking meditation then whenever it feels right I go to sitting.

for my walking meditation I use metta and samatha and vipassana. I start out standing and I usually give metta to myself, then spread it out to the whole world. I then do a body scan from the feet up, and when I walk I am attempting to concentrate on the lifting, falling, and stepping of the feet.

whenever I'm ready to sit I attempt to just observe the breath, sometimes after doing my walking I am able to sit and the natural breath appears and I observe it. other times I just observe whatever is going on in my mind and body.

how

Bare bones Soto zen meditation. Timex watch timer. Usually 30 minutes morning & evening but if pushed for time, any time, even a minute, spent in formal meditation is better than not.

.

Jeffrey

Microwave timer. Due to psychiatric life energy pain I can only do 5 minutes sitting. So I do a numerous amount of 5 minute sittings and 10 minute walking. I do shamata-vipashyana all in the same meditation method. I only do metta if it occurs to me. In the same way I do tonglen and mantras when it occurs to me.

federica

I have sporadic meditating habits.... during the day, I will suddenly decide to 'meditate' (no matter what I'm in the middle of) and I generally make Effort to continue doing so - until I'm interrupted.
Living in a shared household, this could be anything from 4 minutes to a half-hour.....

Invincible_summer

@anataman - As awesome as that sounds, I don't have the luxury of sitting for an indefinite amount of time. Even most meditation retreats are structured as to when the sitting meditation periods are, when walking meditation is, etc.

I too try to do the whole "mindful living" thing, but it doesn't compare to seated meditation, at least for me.


@jayantha - So you don't really time your sections of metta, samatha, and vipassana, but rather go by feel?

How do you "know" when it's feels right to switch?

BhikkhuJayasara

Invincible_summer said:

@anataman - As awesome as that sounds, I don't have the luxury of sitting for an indefinite amount of time. Even most meditation retreats are structured as to when the sitting meditation periods are, when walking meditation is, etc.

I too try to do the whole "mindful living" thing, but it doesn't compare to seated meditation, at least for me.


@jayantha - So you don't really time your sections of metta, samatha, and vipassana, but rather go by feel?

How do you "know" when it's feels right to switch?

thats a good question, there have been times where i did my walking meditation, went to sit, and the alarm went off, and times where I sat for much longer then usual. I think I have a "general" feel of a half way point but I just go with my "gut", intuition drives my practice more then most things. I don't worry anymore about how much of this type of meditation I got in vs how much of that type, however it flows it goes.

pegembara

I have this beautiful free app called Mindfulness Bell.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.googlecode.mindbell&hl=en

anataman

Invincible_summer said:

@anataman - As awesome as that sounds, I don't have the luxury of sitting for an indefinite amount of time. Even most meditation retreats are structured as to when the sitting meditation periods are, when walking meditation is, etc.

I too try to do the whole "mindful living" thing, but it doesn't compare to seated meditation, at least for me.


@jayantha - So you don't really time your sections of metta, samatha, and vipassana, but rather go by feel?

How do you "know" when it's feels right to switch?

That's part of my point. I can't just give myself that time. I take it when and where I can for as long as I can. Nothing priveliged about that. Here I. Am in the Gym 10 mins into workout maximising the tme I have (208 calories in 16 minutes so far on bike). Doesn't stop me contemplating or readng NB threads and replying to them. Hold on just going up a simulated hill! Back when I get to the too. Lol

anataman

Watch out as today I am the lauguring Buddha !

Laughing to myself, at myself and with myself. No need for anyone or anything else today. Ha ha ha lol

Shhh your in a gym this workout stuff is supposed to be serious! Lol. Oops


Mettha, and enjoy day people! Ha ha ha . Tomorrow I am going to be myself again !

anataman

If you want to see a beaming smile come to Bromley today. Practicing humour today. Meditation in.action!

Losing the Buddha belly though, perhaps I Can lose the rest of him during the course of the day. Let him just evaporate in a smile! How many calories n a smile. Oops sorry @fivebells would that count as wasting the earths precious resources. Lol

lobster

4 minutes to a half-hour.....

So many ways. Doing things, household chores at half speed, mindfully - meditation. Listening to dharma talks and chanting, contemplation and Pureland entry . . .

Can you generate emotive force? . . . Tantra magick. Can you enter the Zen Now Zone?

In the devout Islamic Sufi mysticism, many pray at least five times a day just as many orthodox Muslims and then some . . .

Time is short. When I was not working part time, I used to spend my days at a Buddhist temple, popping into the shrine room as often as possible. When the sun was shining, occasionally the thought would arise, 'isn't there something you would rather be doing out there?'

No. Duh.

"Already know you that which you need."
Master Yoda