Do you time your sessions? How?

shannobn

Most of the time I want to sit for a designated amount of time. 30 minutes. So I use a countdown timer for that purpose. But I'm finding a lot of the session is spent trying to get the 30 minutes in and it seems that it is becoming a bit of an ego game. I'm going to start meditating without a countdown timer and just use a watch and see how that goes.

patbb

i use a timer most of the time.

See the thoughts and feelings that pops up about the "i need to finish the 30 minutes" "how much time is left on the counter" just like any other thoughts and feelings that pops in your mind and body while meditating.

There is no difference.

This is a big reason of why you are meditating, to give you an opportunity to face and deal with these thoughts and feelings without reacting to them...

In fact I would recommend that you do use a timer eventually, so you can face these thoughts instead of avoiding them.

truthseeker

If it's a longer session, I like to use a candle, especially in the evening. It's sort of an old-fashioned timer.

Cheers, Thomas

FoibleFull

Perhaps 30 minutes is too long ... you could try two 15-minute sessions, either back-to-back with a break in-between, or at different times of the day. My monk/teacher says that it is better to have 5 minutes of skillful meditation than a longer period where we lose our focus.

I know that if I used a watch, I would be just as tempted to check the time as with my countdown timer (but more distraction and motion would be required to check the time).

patbb

FoibleFull wrote: »

Perhaps 30 minutes is too long ...

or too short maybe.

if you have been meditating for a little while, why not try 1 hour sessions?

1 hour sessions is the length of every sessions when you do a retreat anyway... and you do this several times a day.

shenpennangwa

shannobn wrote: »

Most of the time I want to sit for a designated amount of time. 30 minutes. So I use a countdown timer for that purpose. But I'm finding a lot of the session is spent trying to get the 30 minutes in and it seems that it is becoming a bit of an ego game. I'm going to start meditating without a countdown timer and just use a watch and see how that goes.

Just like most other things in life meditation functions much better by the "quality over quantity" principle.
Forcing yourself to sit for 30 minutes if its poor quality isnt going to do you much good.

Engyo

We have a timer that uses an incense stick - a piece of fire-proof thread is looped around the stick, suspending a weight. When the stick burns down far enough, the weight is released and strikes a bell. We generally use this for writing meditation sessions, though; our meditaton services are structured in such a way that using this timer wouldn't be practical.

patbb

Engyo wrote: »

We have a timer that uses an incense stick - a piece of fire-proof thread is looped around the stick, suspending a weight. When the stick burns down far enough, the weight is released and strikes a bell. We generally use this for writing meditation sessions, though; our meditaton services are structured in such a way that using this timer wouldn't be practical.

sweet!

this will be my DIY project for this weekend!

TreeLuvr87

Don't know if this will help, especially if it's REALLY important to you to be able to meditate for thirty minutes straight. I LOVE structure. I thrive on structure in every part of my life, except for my spirituality. I struggle with being too hard on myself if I don't do something perfectly (sit up straight, remember the chants I tried to memorize earlier, etc.) and so I'd suggest trying to be a little more fluid and listening to your intuition. I meditate for however long it feels right. It sometimes is only a very quality five minutes, sometimes a very frustrating 45 minutes. I've learned to listen to my intuition, and I know that when it gets to the point where I am too distracted or too groggy, it's my body telling me to stop and give it a go tomorrow.

Good luck to you!

patbb

TreeLuvr87 wrote: »

I've learned to listen to my intuition, and I know that when it gets to the point where I am too distracted or too groggy, it's my body telling me to stop and give it a go tomorrow.

but the thing is that you can overcome these.

This is meditation.

Just to be, no matter what happen, what sensations arise in your body, how hard it gets etc... You can face these and simply observe them without reacting to them...

It may be good for some beginners to begin slowly and easily. But after you have gain some experience, you should simply set a timer and stay until this timer run out.
There is no such thing as a bad meditation.
Even the meditations where you were completely distracted are good.
You are learning.

Simonthepilgrim

I used to use a timer and, with the support and instruction of my teachers, varied the length of my meditation periods until the 'right' period became apparent. This I have used ever since unless, on retreat, a longer or shorter time are suggested - I find it useful to practise obedience when on guided retreat.

My experience now is that I no longer need a timer. Setting a time as part of my preparation and within the same exercise as purifying my intention results, more and more often these days, and without timer, watch or clock, in ending the session within a couple of minutes of the time decided.

Ficus_religiosa

I started out with 15 minutes, but it was too long. I lost too much focus too quickly. I then set the timer to 10 minutes, and that was much more fitting. When I found 10 minutes to be too short, I set the timer two minutes longer. I now meditate 12 minutes, preferably every day but it slips once in a while. When 12 minutes feel like too short I'll set the timer to 14, then 16 and so on

andariza

my meditation became much better when i stop timing, at least to me was stressful.

Mick

I find that I meditatr longer and better if I use a timer.

I use the countdown function on an old mobile phone.

lightwithin

I use a timer and meditate for 30 minutes. I set the timer to count down from 31 minutes, as the first minute is spent leaning sideways and back and forth, so that my position becomes more settled and stable. After that, it's 30 solid minutes of meditation.

I put the timer on the floor behind me so that I can't steal a glance at it if I get restless. So I just start the thing and begin and I don't see it until I'm done and I hear the chime.

Sometimes my mind drifts to the time passing, and I think "I wonder how many minutes I've been sitting?", or "I think I should be almost done by now", "any minute now".

But then other sessions, the time doesn't even cross my mind and the chime rings even quicker than I expected it. I guess it all depends on the quality of my concentration and focus.

GuyC

The more content we are in our meditation, the less frequently thoughts such as "I wonder how long there is left to go?" arise. See if you can cultivate contentment. I sometimes, instead of watching the breath, use the mantra "this is good enough" as my object and just say it over and over in my mind.

kc39850p

I find this useful, you can use them online, or you can download them, the programs are good too. I personally use a timer for seated meditation, and just go a set distance walking:

http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/meditation-timers/

fivebells

15 minutes of just sitting to let things settle, 35 minutes of whatever I'm working on, 10 minutes of rebalancing. Once in the morning and once in the evening. I wrote a little program to ring a bell on my computer after each of these intervals. There are other ad hoc sessions during the day, but I don't generally time them.

Olarte

Although expensive I bought an Enso meditation clock, if it had a bit more flexibility in the options\settings it would be perfect but then again I guess nothing is.

Still, I use it to meditate at home, setup a first bell for 2 minutes to relax, and settle in, then another 35 or 40 minutes to meditate.

I used to use Mala beads but found using them to count occupied my mind more than it should, yet with the timer, it's like having a Sangha teacher being there for you to ring the bell when it's time to come out of meditation.

Sine I got this timer, I can meditate without looking at the clock. And while the experience is not always as "deep" as I'd like time is no longer an issue, and regardless of the quality of the experience the 35 or 40 minutes pass by as if they were no more than a few minutes at most.

lamaramadingdong

I use the "Chi Gong" alarm on my Blackberry for timing my sessions. Very nice sounding alarm. I also use the chi gong alarm for my email alert and use it throughout the day as a bell of mindfulness- I take 1-3 conscious breaths whenever it rings, wherever I am. Leads to anti-daydreaming...

DairyLama

I just have a large clock next to my shrine. I meditate with eyes open, which makes things easier.:)

P

zider_red

I tend to use the alarm on my mobile phone, not perfect but it does the job, or if I'm in the same room as the pc I sometimes use http://www.mindfulnessdc.org/bell/index.html

seeker242

shannobn wrote: »

Most of the time I want to sit for a designated amount of time. 30 minutes. So I use a countdown timer for that purpose. But I'm finding a lot of the session is spent trying to get the 30 minutes in and it seems that it is becoming a bit of an ego game. I'm going to start meditating without a countdown timer and just use a watch and see how that goes.

Having this "game" pop up in meditation, I find to be a good practice myself. I see it as an opportunity, rather than a hindrance, to practice letting go and returning to the breath.

I use a countdown timer, 30 minutes, on a cell phone and this "game" does pop up occasionally. So it goes something like "Breathing in, breathing out --> Is it 30 minutes yet?!?! When is that timer going to ring?!?!, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. ----> Oh, hmm ----> Breathing in, breathing out, Breathing in, breathing out" ---> Ding, Ding!