meditation Archives - Meditation Mind

Bloom

Meditation Mind Team — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 07:45:57 +0000

One feature that really helps set our Discord community apart is Bloom, our custom bot. Bloom welcomes all new members, so it’s often the first name people will see when joining the server. While Bloom helps with a wide range of administrative tasks such as this, what makes the bot invaluable to our community members is the meditation tracking and stats functionality it offers. Bloom tracks meditation sessions, provides stats (with graphs!), and manages vanity roles for meditation streaks and total time meditated.

Keep reading to learn how to use these features, along with a handful of other commands that community members may find interesting or useful.

Meditation Tracking

Meditation Tracking Stats

Tracking and Stats Customization

Meditation Challenges and Courses

Community Enhancements

Meditation Tracking

For many users, /add may be the only command they ever need. Adding session times allows Bloom to keep track of your streak and total time meditated. Based on this data, the bot will automatically award the following vanity roles.

To add a meditation session, simply type the /add slash command. Make sure the Bloom command is selected, then input the time in minutes and hit enter or tap send.

There are also options to specify seconds, privacy, and a UTC offset. Setting the privacy to “private” will make the add anonymous. All adds use UTC by default, unless a custom offset is specified. For more information, see /customize, which allows you to set your own personal defaults for these settings. However, note that any settings specified when using the /add command will override your personal profile settings.

Note that when attempting to add more than 300 minutes at once, Bloom will ask you for confirmation, like the following.

One may wish to add large amounts of time on occasion, e.g., after a silent retreat. Time tracking is based on the honor system and members are welcome to track any legitimate time spent practicing. Vanity roles are purely cosmetic, so there is nothing to be gained from cheating. However, note that exceedingly large false entries will skew the server stats, which is unfair to other members. Please be considerate.

Bloom also supports importing sessions from some of the most popular meditation apps: Insight Timer¹, Waking Up², VA Mindfulness Coach³, and Finch⁴. If you use an iOS device, you can import sessions from your Apple Health data⁵, which expands support to any meditation app that tracks Mindful Sessions, and most of them do!

¹In the app, go to Settings > Features & Preferences > Sessions > Export log
²On the website, go to More > Account Settings > Export progress
³In the app, open the pop-up side menu and go to Export User Data (Mindfulness Logs Data)
⁴In the app, go to Settings > (Account) Your data > Export data > Export. Unzip the export file and import the BreathingSession.json and/or TimerSession.json file(s).
⁵See Share your health and fitness data in XML format and below for extracting Mindful Sessions

There are two ways to import data. The /import command uploads your log file directly to the bot and can be used in #meditation-tracking or in a DM with Bloom.

Alternatively, you can send a DM to Bloom with the log file attached, right-click (desktop) or long-press (mobile) the message, and select Import Tracking Data from the Apps > Bloom context menu, as shown below. Select the import type and click Submit. The file will be processed and the add will be announced in the #meditation-tracking channel, like usual.

This is especially useful on mobile when exporting from Insight Timer, since you can send the log file directly to a DM with Bloom, like shown below. Other apps will require additional steps to get the log file into a DM. Contact staff if you need assistance.

By default, Bloom will only import sessions that are newer than the session most recently logged with Bloom. If you would like to import all sessions included in the log file, set the Import Type to all entries, as shown below.

When you select “all entries,” Bloom will check to make sure entries in the log file do not conflict with sessions you have already tracked using Bloom.

If you are importing Insight Timer or Apple Health data, selecting “all entries” is completely safe because Bloom will check start and end times and skip any entries that overlap with existing data.

Unfortunately, log files produced by Waking Up and VA Mindfulness Coach include date and duration, but no start time. Bloom logs these entries at midnight and checks for conflicts based on exact duration. While unlikely to happen, this means that if you previously recorded a session at midnight using Bloom and your log file includes a session of the exact same duration on the same day, that entry will be skipped.

If you use an iOS device, we recommend using Apple Health data for the most accurate logging. Luckily, if you have Apple Health sync turned on, data from both Waking Up and VA Mindfulness Coach will be included.

The Apple Health data export can be extremely large, as it includes much more than Mindful Sessions. But don’t worry—we’ve created a program that will extract the data for you. Just download Bloom Bot Parser (available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux), run it on your PC, select your Apple Health export data file, and the program will supply a CSV file for use with /import.

If you ever wish to view of list of your previously added sessions, simply use the /recent command, as shown below. Optionally, you may also specify a page number (not shown).

While there are several reasons you might want to review past session data, the most common use for this command is to retrieve an individual session ID. This is required to remove a session, which we will cover below.

If you ever need to remove a session, simply use the /remove command. You will need the session ID*, which you can retrieve using the /recent command (see above). Shown below is a recently added entry, which we will remove as a demonstration.

*Session IDs use code block markdown, which makes copying easy on mobile—just tap the ID!

Note the session ID: 01J8YC2AT4W096QA2C8A0RKR9K. To remove this session, use the /remove command and offer this ID as input, as shown below. The session will be deleted and you will be given confirmation.

Meditation Tracking Stats

To check your meditation streak, just use /streak. Optionally, you may specify the user whose streak you would like to see. If no user is specified, your own streak will be shown.

(New!) In addition to your current streak, /streak now also shows your longest streak.

You can show the streak privately via ephemeral message by setting privacy to “private.” Also see /customize, which allows you to set your own streak to private or disable streak reporting. However, note that any settings specified when using the /streak command will override your personal profile settings.

Bloom can display stats for both individual users and the overall server, using the /stats user and /stats server commands, respectively.

All stats include graphs, with data displayed in orange on a black (dark mode, the default) or white (light mode) background, which can be toggled using the theme option. Stats for members who are monthly supporters on Patreon or Ko-fi will be shown using the member’s custom role color, which is a donator perk.

Below are examples of server stats in dark mode (left) and light mode (right).

Both user and server stats default to daily minutes. Optionally, graph data may be specified. You may choose either meditation minutes or session count, using a timeframe of daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Stats are also offered in multiple styles: bar chart (default, seen above), bar chart with combined data (below on left), and area chart (below on right).

Stats may be displayed privately by setting the privacy option to “private.” User stats always show the current streak, unless streak reporting is disabled in the user’s personal profile. For more information about these settings, see /customize, which also allows you to prevent others from viewing your stats.

Bloom can also display individual /stats bests.

When viewing an individual’s overall personal bests (the command default), an image will be generated that shows best day, week, month, and year for both time meditated and session count (below on left). Visibility honors the user’s stats privacy setting, and can also be optionally specified when using the command.

In addition to overall bests, you can view a Top 5 or Top 10 list for each combination of stat and period (top five weekly times shown below on right). Top 5 and Top 10 lists are shown privately regardless of privacy settings to prevent flooding of the channel due to their size.

Bloom also offers /stats leaderboard charts. Both Top 5 and Top 10 leaderboards are available in four timeframes (daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly), sorted by minutes, sessions, or streak, with support for both light and dark modes.

Leaderboards honor individual tracking privacy settings, meaning that private streaks will not be shown and members who have anonymous tracking enabled will be shown as “Anonymous.”

Tracking and Stats Customization

Users can use the /customize group of commands to create their own user profile to personalize their meditation tracking and stats experience. Profile settings include: UTC offset, anonymous tracking, streak reporting, streak visibility, and stats visibility.

Note that slash command options take preference, allowing user profile settings to be overridden when running the relevant command.

To see your user profile, use /customize show. The default settings are shown in the user profile below.

To change the UTC offset, use /customize offset. Select the appropriate hemisphere and then choose the offset for your local time. Whenever you track meditations using /add, the time will be recorded using the offset specified in your user profile.

Note that UTC offsets do not automatically adjust for daylight savings time. You will need to update your profile or manually specify the alternate offset when using /add.

To enable anonymous tracking, use /customize tracking. When you add a meditation session with anonymous tracking enabled, an anonymous entry is displayed in the channel to motivate others, but any personal information (total meditation time, streak and role info) is displayed privately via ephemeral messages, as shown below.

When combined with other privacy settings, this can produce potentially unexpected results. For example, enabling anonymous tracking without setting your streak to private would allow others to view your streak even though your adds are anonymized.

To avoid such surprises, a warning is displayed whenever anonymous tracking is enabled or disabled, and you will be offered the option to automatically adjust the relevant privacy settings, as shown below.

To set the visibility of your streak information or to completely disable streak reporting, use /customize streak.

When you set your streak visibility to private, using the /streak command will display your streak privately via ephemeral message and other members will be unable to view your streak. You can override the display behavior by using the /streak command and setting the privacy option to “public”.

If you turn streak reporting off, your streak role will be removed, your stats will no longer show your streak, and you will no longer receive streak notifications or streak roles when adding time. However, your streak will not be lost. You can still view your current streak by using the /streak command and you will be given the appropriate streak role should you ever decide to turn streak reporting back on.

To set the visibility of your stats, use /customize stats.

When you set your stats visibility to private, /stats user will display your stats privately via ephemeral message and other members will be unable to view your stats. You can override the display behavior by using the /stats user command and setting privacy to “public”.

Bloom will offer to log time spent in meditation voice channels automatically. After spending at least five minutes in an eligible* VC, Bloom will ping you and ask if you would like to log your time upon leaving the channel.

In addition to Yes and No responses, you can also choose Always or Never to specify a default response and prevent further prompts.

*Eligible VCs include both #meditate with me channels, #group meditation, and #Meditation Hall (Silent)

You can change these settings directly by using the /customize vc command. In addition to enabling or disabling meditation VC tracking, you can also specify how you would like to receive tracking notifications when using anonymous tracking: private thread (default), direct message, or not at all.

Meditation Challenges

Each month, we host a meditation challenge to help community members establish or rekindle a consistent meditation practice by making it a part of their daily routine. At the beginning of the following month, one participant is randomly chosen to receive a copy of PLAYNE: The Meditation Game.

For those who want to take on a bigger challenge, we also host a 365-day challenge. To enter a challenge, just use the /challenge join command. The command defaults to the monthly challenge. To leave a challenge, use the /challenge leave command.

To join the 365-day challenge, just set the optional challenge parameter, like below.

To leave a challenge, use the /challenge leave command.

We also have challenge-specific stats for those participating in our monthly and/or 365-day meditation challenges.

Just use the /challenge stats command in #meditation-tracking. The command defaults to stats for the monthly challenge. Use the optional challenge parameter to display stats for the 365-day challenge.

Stats include total and average time and sessions for the challenge period, and current and longest streaks (all-time), as shown below. Streak stat visibility honors individual tracking customization settings.

Use /course join to enroll in a course or /course leave to withdraw from a course.

The commands can be used in any channel where you can send messages, and an ephemeral (private) response will be shown in the channel where the command was used, as shown below.

The commands currently default to the Mindfulness Course, which is our free, four-week mindfulness course, based on MBSR and MBCT. When more courses are added, the optional course parameter can be used to specify the course you would like to join or leave.

Community Enhancements

You may have noticed that Bloom provides a random quote each time a user adds meditation time. Members may also request random quotes using the /quote command, as shown below.

As a donator perk, monthly supporters can also specify an optional keyword or phrase, in search engine format. A search is performed using the specified keyword or phrase to narrow the pool of quotes from which the random quote is chosen. If no matches are found, a random quote is chosen from all available quotes.

While the occasional quote in #the-lounge is fine, we ask that quotes and other bot fun generally be limited to #bot-commands to avoid interrupting member discussion.

By member request, Bloom will now provide a random Pali Canon sutta (Buddhist discourse) when the /sutta command is used in the #bot-commands or #eastern channels, as seen below.

Suttas are randomly chosen from Bhikkhu Sujato’s translations of the Suttapiṭaka, or Basket of Discourses, and retrieved using the SuttaCentral.net API.

Optionally, members can specify the collection (choices shown below) from which the random sutta is chosen. By default, up to 500 characters are displayed, to limit screen space required by the command. However, when the visibility option is set to private, the limit is increased to 3,500 characters.

Community members can now bookmark messages for their own personal reference. To add a message to your bookmarks, right-click or long-press any message and select the Add to Bookmarks command from the Apps > Bloom context menu. Specify an optional description in the pop-up dialog, or just click submit.

Note that context menu commands will not work in channels where you can’t send messages. To bookmark a message in such a channel, copy the message link and use /bookmark add in any channel where you can send messages.

To view your bookmarks, use the /bookmark list command. To remove a bookmark, use /bookmark remove and specify the bookmark ID*, which can be found in the bookmark list.

*Bookmark IDs use code block markdown, which makes copying easy on mobile—just tap the ID!

You can also search your bookmarks using the /bookmark search command. This will search your bookmark descriptions, so be sure to add helpful descriptions if you plan on using the search function later.

Search supports quotation marks to indicate that words should appear in a specific order, the “or” keyword, and minus/hyphen (“-“) to indicate that a word should not be included.

Because bookmarks use database resources, regular members are limited to 20 bookmarks. Unlimited bookmarks is a perk for members who support the community with a subscription on Ko-fi or Patreon.

If you’re ever wondering what some meditation-related jargon means, try using the /whatis command to get a quick definition! Since results are usually compact, the command may be used in all channels, but please use it reasonably. When in doubt, use #bot-commands.

Whenever you want more than a quick, compact definition, you can use the /glossary group of commands. As several of these commands produce significant output, usage is limited to #bot-commands.

Use /glossary info to get full details for an entry, /glossary list to get a list of all available terms, /glossary search for an AI-powered search, or /glossary suggest to suggest a term for addition.

Both /whatis and /glossary info support autocomplete, so if you already have a term in mind, just start typing the name and the available choices will appear.

Submitting a server suggestion is easy and anonymous. Simply use the /suggest slash command in any channel where you can type, as shown below. Note that you will not be able to type in the #server-suggestions channel, so you will need to use the command in a different channel. This is to keep suggestions anonymous and limit discussion to the automatically generated threads.

Bloom will post the suggestion in #server-suggestions on your behalf, add voting reactions, and create a thread for discussion. An example can be seen below.

Bloom also manages the server starboard. Any post that receives four or more star reactions will be added to the #⭐starboard channel. The example below is from a time when only three stars were required, but is retained for its historical significance.

As seen below, the message has been added to the starboard. All starboard entries include a link to the original message, and the number of stars received is updated dynamically. (New!) High star counts now receive an animated star emoji!

(New!) The starboard now supports media galleries! Messages can feature up to ten images/videos in a single media gallery. An example with two images is shown below.

(New!) The starboard will now properly display special content automatically embedded by Discord, such as Tenor/Giphy/Imgur GIFs and videos, Spotify links, etc. In order to display correctly, the format is slightly different from other starboard messages, as seen below. The star count button jumps to the original message.

(New!) Members can now opt out of starboard eligibility for any of their own messages by reacting with ❌. This can be used to remove a message from ⁠the starboard, and will also prevent a message from being added, or re-added, as long as the reaction remains. As soon as the reaction is removed, eligibility will be restored and existing star reactions will be taken into account.

Bloom also offers easy and anonymous reporting of messages, either using the context menu or by emoji reaction. While our moderators work hard to maintain a harmonious atmosphere, it can be difficult to keep an eye on chat 24/7. Community members can help alert moderators to potential issues, and reporting a message is the quickest way to do so.

To report a message using the context menu, simply right-click (long-press on mobile) and select Apps > Bloom > Report Message. Below is an example of a message being reported for excessive adorableness. (Just a joke! We love adorable animals!)

To report a message by emoji reaction, simply react with the :reportstaff: emoji (), as shown below. The reaction will be removed immediately by Bloom.

Both methods will notify the moderators immediately. For context menu reports, you will receive confirmation via ephemeral message (below, left); for reaction reports, you will receive confirmation from Bloom via DM (below, right).

Note that if Bloom is down, it will not be able to remove your reaction. This makes context menu reporting the safer choice, since anonymity will be preserved even in case of failure.

As you can see, Bloom adds a lot to the community, and it handles many other tasks behind the scenes, too. We are constantly working on not only improving efficiency and stability of the bot, but also adding new features, which will be added to this page as they are released.

The post Bloom appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Free Meditation and Mindfulness Apps

Meditation Mind Team — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 01:36:19 +0000

So, you’re curious about all this meditation stuff, but you aren’t quite ready to commit to taking a course that lasts several weeks and a book just doesn’t feel practical. Or maybe you’re already convinced and want to start a practice right away, but you’re not confident you can do it without guidance. Meditation apps are convenient and practical, with a wide variety of guided meditations, and can be a great way to get started, or even to just explore new styles of meditation.

Here we offer a selection of high-quality apps that are completely free (no in-app purchases!), plus two more with paid options that are still worth considering. We’ve also added a handful of free minimalistic timers, method-specific apps, and apps for study. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, join our online Discord community and ask other meditators which apps they recommend.

Special Mention: Fab Apps, Free Options

Special Mention: Paid… But Worth It

Smiling Mind is a FREE mindfulness meditation app developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life. Just as we eat well and stay fit to keep our body healthy, mindfulness meditation is about mental health and looking after the mind.
Our programs are designed to assist people in dealing with the pressure, stress, and challenges of daily life. Listen to meditations as guided by smooth and calming voices. Smiling Mind includes a number of meditations in Indigenous Australian languages (Kriol, Ngaanyatjarra & Pitjantjatjara). We offer programs for all ages including Kids (3-12), Youth (13-18) and Adults (19+).

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

With this easy-to-use app, you can practice mindfulness meditation anywhere, anytime with the guidance of the UCLA Mindful. Scientific research shows mindfulness can help manage stress-related physical conditions, reduce anxiety and depression, cultivate positive emotions, and help improve overall physical health and well-being.
This app offers: (1) Basic Meditations for getting started, in both English and Spanish; (2) Wellness Meditations for people suffering from challenging health conditions; (3) Informative videos exploring how to get started, supportive meditation postures, and the science of mindfulness; (4) Weekly podcasts from UCLA's Hammer Museum--a 30 minute meditation on different themes you can search for and bookmark; and (5) A timer to meditate on your own.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Backed by four decades of research from world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson and his team at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin - Madison & Healthy Minds Innovations, the Healthy Minds Program trains your mind through meditation and podcast-style lessons to develop skills - to gain focus, reduce stress, and maintain positive social connections.
The ground-breaking Healthy Minds Program App uses neuroscience, contemplative traditions, and skill-based learning methods to help you develop the skills for a healthy mind.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Mindfulness Coach 2.0 was developed to help Veterans, Service members, and others learn how to practice mindfulness. The app provides a gradual, self-guided training program designed to help you understand and adopt a simple mindfulness practice. Mindfulness Coach also offers a library of information about mindfulness (for example “What is Mindfulness?”, “How to Anchor Your Attention”), 12 audio-guided mindfulness exercises and a growing catalog of additional exercises available for free download, goal-setting and tracking, a mindfulness mastery assessment to help you track your progress over time, customizable reminders, and access to other support and crisis resources. Mindfulness Coach is free, doesn’t take or share any of your personal information, and doesn’t require add-on purchases.
Mindfulness Coach was created by VA’s National Center for PTSD.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Looking to touch peace, calm and ease in today’s frantic and often stressful world? The Plum Village practices are an invaluable support.
Use mindfulness meditation techniques taught by a renowned Zen Buddhist Master to connect deeply with the present moment, soothe anxiety, experience more joy and happiness, and taste enlightenment.
Explore a wealth of easy-to-use guided meditations, relaxations, and talks.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Breathr shows you easy and fun ways to practice mindfulness. It was developed for youth by BC Children's Hospital with experts and the help of young people - but open for anyone to give it a try.
Begin to explore and experience practices of mindfulness and self-compassion, choosing from a variety of practices. Breathr can help you to live in the present moment, while providing interesting facts about the many benefits of mindfulness.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Oak helps you decompress by transforming your meditation practice from an experiment into a habit. We support you from your first session to your 500th, with mindful, loving-kindness, and sleep meditations as well as unguided sessions and breathing exercises. Individualize your meditations by duration, and customize with silence or calming background sounds. Oak tracks your progress and encourages you to continue building a healthy meditation practice.

App Website | App Store (iOS)

Start & deepen your meditation journey with Idanim, a meditation app from India that is 100% free. Practice live & guided meditations in Hindi & English.
Guided meditations, mindfulness meditations, and mantra meditations in Hindi & English for inner peace
Morning sessions everyday with Live meditations by meditation experts for deep relaxation
Free meditation app that offers personal guidance by meditation teachers on various topics like mindfulness, focus, stress, and overall health & wellbeing
Various insomnia battling features like sleep meditations, sleep timer, sleep stories, relaxing music, and more

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

The number 1 free meditation app. Guided meditations and talks led by the world's top meditation and mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, psychologists and teachers from Stanford, Harvard, the University of Oxford and more. Music tracks from world-renowned artists. Join millions learning to meditate on Insight Timer to help calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, sleep deeply and improve happiness.
With 80+ new free guided meditations added daily, more meditation is practiced on Insight Timer than anywhere else. Great for both beginners and experienced practitioners.

Tons of Free Content + Best Free Timer

While some content is paid, Insight Timer still offers the world's largest free library of more than 130k guided meditations from 14k teachers (including us!). The meditation timer is one of the best - highly configurable, with a great selection of bell sounds. The app also offers extensive social features, including groups. Join ours here.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Discover daily mindfulness and meditation with Sam Harris—neuroscientist, philosopher, and best-selling author—and explore the theory behind meditation practice. Daily guided meditation sessions, lessons on zen, the stoic path, on-demand mindfulness sessions, as well as a practice timer will build your understanding, balance your mind, make your practice shine, and help turn meditation into a new habit. For inquiring and curious minds, learn the related science, philosophy, and ethics in short audio lessons with Sam and through his extended conversations with other influential meditation teachers, scientists, and scholars.

High-Quality Content + Scholarship Options + Special Offer

While most of the content is behind a paywall, the content itself is excellent and covers a wide variety of approaches to meditation and mindfulness from many of the top teachers today. For those who can't afford the price of subscription, partial and full scholarships are available - no questions asked.

We also have a special promo code for three months of free access, available to Meditation Mind community members. Join us on Discord and ask!

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

THE WAY is a new kind of meditation app: a single path, led by an authorized Zen master, that guides you on a deep meditation training program. Study alongside Zen master Henry Shukman as you uncover the deep peace, love, insight and awakening that meditation can bring.
The simple path to deeper meditation.

A star among single-path, journey-style meditation apps

While The Way is a relatively new addition to the meditation app scene, it has quickly become a staff favorite as a beautifully executed example of the single-path, journey-style design. Henry is also a fantastic teacher, which makes The Way really shine.

Henry will be joining the Meditation Mind community for a guided meditation, talk, and Q&A in January 2025. Community members can receive 30 free sessions of The Way, courtesy of Henry, by using the special code: MEDITATIONMIND. (iOS users click here.)

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Brightmind’s approach to teaching meditation is to “make it as simple as possible, but no simpler". So we take deep and transformational concepts and practices, and explain them in simple and practical ways. Making things as simple as possible, but not any simpler, leads to efficient and effective learning and growth.

Recommended + Community Partner

Brightmind was created by Toby Sola, a member of the Meditation Mind community who hosted a special guided meditation and Q&A in August 2023. While a paid app, many of our staff and community members have used and recommend Brightmind.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

No unnecessary voice over guide. No background music or ambient sounds. Just you and your mind, the way mindfulness meditation was meant to be.
Center is an elegant meditation timer which tracks your sittings in a beautiful and simple way. With HealthKit integration so you can see your daily mindfulness practice stats right from the Health app.
The app uses haptic feedback in addition to classic meditation chimes: one chime to start, one chime for intervals, and three consecutive chimes for ending a meditation session.
Before you begin you can edit your sit time, set a delay to prepare, plan interval sounds to keep you focused, and get meditation insights. After each session the app tracks your meditation practice and provides custom insights to help you. This is what makes Center a valuable app: simplicity and a tailored experience to improve your practice the more you use the app.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | ~~Google Play (Android)~~

A minimalist timer. Elegant and peaceful way to meditate or practice restorative yoga. Simply counts down your session, then chimes the Keisu zen bowl. No additional "stuff" or distractions. Set your Simple Timer, take a few deep breaths and relax. You can choose to record your session as Mindful Minutes in the Health App.

App Website | App Store (iOS)

A simple, free meditation timer.
- Vibrant UI and sounds

- Count up with no bell, or down with a bell

- Works with screen on or off

- Integrates with Apple Health

- View and add sessions manually

App Website | App Store (iOS)

Meditation Timer Online

Meditation Timer Online is the ultimate meditation timer for the web.
Set your desired meditation duration, select the intervals and let the gentle Tibetan bells guide you into a profound state of relaxation.

Website

Make meditating into a habit with Shellevate, the meditation app you'll get addicted to. Build a streak by meditating consecutively, earn gems to purchase streak freezes in case you miss a day, and coolest of all, collect and raise turtles from their eggs. The longer you meditate, the rarer the turtles you can find.
It's turtle-y awesome. Hopefully you have a shell of a time building one of the most useful habits you can.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | ~~Google Play (Android)~~

Explore this portal into the Headless Way - a modern path to the one faceless Self we are all looking out of! Enjoy the many short video clips that are nowhere else available, be inspired by the randomly chosen quotations, do the experiments, read the articles, and set your alarm to remind you about your Self!

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Learn to meditate in 12 easy steps, then take the 30 day challenge to make meditation a daily habit.
The 1 Giant Mind app is for anyone who wants to feel less stressed, more calm, present, and experience greater health and wellbeing. Our approach to meditation is easy and effortless. and no previous experience is required. Anyone can learn this technique in 12 short steps and begin to experience the benefits immediately.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Identify your feelings. Connect your feelings to underlying needs. Develop habits to support your underlying needs. Allow your mental health to flourish.
Humanly combines Spiritual, Philosophical, Scientific, and Practical perspectives to create a comprehensive guide towards mental health.
Through guided journaling, habit tracking, lessons, exercises, and insights users learn how to fulfill their needs and help make life wonderful for themselves and those around them.

App Store (iOS)

Practice self empathy with nonviolent communication (NVC).
For those of us who grew up in a dysfunctional environment, learning to communicate with empathy is like learning a new language, and practicing new vocabulary is part of the journey.
This app is designed to make the practice as convenient as possible.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Transform conflicts into connection with people in your personal, work, and societal life, and with yourself, with empathic communication.
The Mediate Your Life (MYL) app is an audio guide to help you when you are in conflict with someone in your life, or with yourself. Listening to the audios you feel better and find new insights and solutions to the difficulty you are facing. The MYL approach is based in the international work of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and integrates a mediation framework and mindfulness.
The app is free and fully accessible to use. And there are options within the app to support the work of Mediate Your Life if you would like.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

This is the entire offline version of John Bullitt's widely recognized and highly recommended Access to Insight (www.accesstoinsight.org) web site, a massive compilation of material about Theravada Buddhism and Buddhism in general.
Herein are contained over 1,000 *actual suttas* (skt: 'sutras') from the Tipitaka (body of Buddhist canonical texts) translated into contemporary English with scholarly rigor and precision by recognized subject domain experts.

Access to Insight Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Access a dynamic collection of teachings on the mind, straight from the source. The 84000 app offers a growing digital library of the Buddhist sūtras set within a minimal, functional design for a clean reading experience.
84000’s interactive Reading Room is a leading resource for accurate and nuanced translations of the words of the Buddha used by scholars of Buddhist Studies, Tibetan Buddhist teachers of the living tradition, and practitioners.

84000 Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

How We Feel is a free app created by scientists, designers, engineers, and therapists to help people better understand their emotions and find strategies to help them navigate their emotions in the moment. Conceived in conjunction with Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence and based on the work of Dr Marc Brackett, How We Feel helps people find the right word to describe how they feel while tracking their sleep, exercise, and health trends using HealthKit in order to spot patterns over time.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Transform your daily routine with Daily Thanks, the ultimate gratitude journaling and affirmations app designed to help you focus on the positive aspects of life. Whether you’re a seasoned journaler or just starting, Daily Thanks makes it easy to cultivate a habit of gratitude, mindfulness, and positive thinking.

App Website | App Store (iOS)

Transform your mindset with Delightful, the simple gratitude journal app that helps you focus on positive moments in your life. Just 3 good things each day can boost your happiness and mental well-being!

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

A simple way to track and improve your mental health.
Track seven major categories of needs and see how they influence feelings when met or unmet, so you can better understand why you feel the way you feel.

App Store (iOS)

Transform your well-being with Breath Ball, the ultimate app designed to guide you through scientifically proven breathing exercises that help reduce stress and anxiety, improve concentration, and promote mindfulness. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced practitioner, Breath Ball adapts to your pace, helping you find calm and balance in just a few minutes a day.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

Breathe2Heal is a modern breathing app rooted in ancient wisdom. Whether you're looking to reduce stress, improve sleep, enhance focus, or simply find a moment of tranquility, Breathe2Heal is here to support you.

- 4 breathing modes with 12 different rhythms

- Clean, elegant interface with light and dark themes

- Available in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and English

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android) | APK for Android

PAUSE before opening a distracting website or app. The most customizable app blocker. FREE. Easy to setup.

App Website | App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)

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Free Meditation and Mindfulness Courses

Meditation Mind Team — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 14:02:12 +0000

In this post, we offer a selection of free online courses that can help you learn about meditation and mindfulness and cultivate a practice. This is only a small handful of the many great courses and other resources available on the internet today. To find more, join our online Discord community and check the #resources channel.

Meditation Mind Four-Week Mindfulness Course
Mindfulness Daily with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
The Unified Mindfulness CORE Training
De-Mystifying Mindfulness (Leiden University)
Palouse Mindfulness Online MBSR Course
Meditation in the Theravada Abhidhamma with Bhikkhu Bodhi
Intro to Meditation with Mingyur Rinpoche
Buddhism Through Its Scriptures (Harvard University)
The Open Buddhist University (16 Courses)

Meditation Mind Four-Week Mindfulness Course

This self-paced course draws from MBCT, MBSR, and other scientifically validated methods to help participants develop a firm grasp of meditation and mindfulness basics, along with principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and establish a regular practice based on that understanding. The course is meant to be completed over a period of four weeks and includes text, handouts, guided meditations, video, and audio.

Link: https://meditation-mind.thinkific.com/courses/mindfulness

Mindfulness Daily with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield

Mindfulness Daily brings you a 40-day online training in mindfulness meditation with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Each daily 10–15 minute lesson includes a short talk and guided meditation designed to assist in establishing a meditation practice.

Link: https://courses.tarabrach.com/courses/mindfulness-daily

The Unified Mindfulness CORE Training

The interactive CORE training consists of 10 video-based lessons, each with its own self-paced quiz designed to test and reinforce what you’ve learned in each video. It was built for people brand-new to meditation AND for highly experienced meditators who would like to explore the Unified Mindfulness system.

Developed over fifty years of practice and research by the renowned meditation teacher Shinzen Young, Unified Mindfulness is a simple, yet highly effective meditation system built for the modern world. It brings together key elements of Eastern contemplative traditions and the technological, scientifically-based methodology of the West. And Unified Mindfulness is a secular form of meditation, which means it is not religious in any way – so anyone, of any faith, can do it.

Link: https://unifiedmindfulness.com/core

De-Mystifying Mindfulness

Evolving from the popular Honours Academy course at Leiden University, this innovative course combines conventional scholarly inquiry from multiple disciplines (ranging from psychology, through philosophy, to politics) with experiential learning (including specially designed ‘meditation labs,’ in which you’ll get chance to practice and analyze mindfulness on yourself). In the end, the course aims to provide a responsible, comprehensive, and inclusive education about (and in) mindfulness as a contemporary phenomenon.

Link: https://www.coursera.org/learn/mindfulness

Palouse Mindfulness Online MBSR Course

This online MBSR training course is 100% free, created by a fully certified MBSR instructor, and is based on the program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a blend of meditation, body awareness, and mindful movement: learning through practice and study how your body handles (and can resolve) stress neurologically.

Link: https://palousemindfulness.com/index.html

Meditation in the Theravada Abhidhamma

In this course, you’ll be guided by one of the foremost scholars and translators in the Theravada tradition, Bhikkhu Bodhi, through the study of meditation as it is taught in the Abhidhamma. Start lesson 1 today to begin your journey to discovering the forty meditation subjects in Buddhist literature, the role of attaining jhāna in the Buddhist path, the path and fruit of stream entry, and the meaning of meditative attainment. You’ll come away with a clear understanding of the entire terrain of Buddhist meditation, from beginning to end.

Link: https://wisdomexperience.org/courses/meditation-abhidhamma/

Intro to Meditation with Mingyur Rinpoche

In this simple, self-guided course, you will be introduced to practical ways of exploring the landscape of the heart and mind with awareness. You will also begin to discover that true and lasting happiness does not depend on the outer circumstances of your life. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche will be your guide for the course and will offer you a taste of meditation, allowing you to begin your own meditation journey.

Link: https://joy.tergar.org/courses/intro-to-meditation/

Buddhism Through Its Scriptures

Whether you are new to the study of Buddhism or have been studying it or practicing it for years, this course will provide you with the opportunity to become acquainted with a variety of Buddhist teachings while guiding you to think about them, and yourself, in new ways.

Through a combination of carefully selected readings, both scriptural and informational, as well as exposure to various forms of Buddhist practice such as art, devotional acts, and literary works, you will learn how to interpret, reflect upon, and apply the teachings of the Buddha to your own life and deepen your understanding of Buddhism.

Link: https://www.edx.org/course/buddhism-through-its-scriptures

The Open Buddhist University

The Open Buddhist University is an unaccredited, digital resource run by Khemarato Bhikkhu since 2020. Its mission is to provide a free, English-language curriculum in Buddhist Studies from the perspective of Early Buddhism.

The Open Buddhist University currently offers 16 courses, including: Buddhism 101, The Practice of Buddhism, An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Ethics, The Pāli Language: Level 1 and Level 2, Chinese Buddhist Writing, and more.

Link: https://buddhistuniversity.net/courses/

The post Free Meditation and Mindfulness Courses appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Online Meditation Course with Eric Rockey

Meditation Mind Team — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 11:11:33 +0000

We are starting a new online meditation course that is 100% free and accessible to anyone with a connection to the internet and the ability to use the chat program Discord.

Every week on Mondays, we gather in the #courses channel and learn more about meditation, mindfulness, and how to apply different techniques. The course is led by Eric Rockey.

Eric is a Unified Mindfulness Level 2 Coach and has studied meditation for over 12 years with teachers including Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Loch Kelly, Adyashanti, Janusz Welin, and Shinzen Young, who is the creator of the Unified Mindfulness system. While the course is aimed at beginners, it is open to meditators of all levels, ranging from those who are simply curious about meditation to advanced meditators who wish to revisit the basics or explore a new system.

The course will span a total of four sessions, each lasting around one hour, on Monday evenings at 4PM PST / 7PM EST, beginning Monday, May 31st.

Session Recordings

Eric Rockey – Part 1 – Course Introduction and the See/Hear/Feel Technique

Eric Rockey – Part 2 – The Feel Rest technique

Eric Rockey – Part 3 – The Feel Good Technique

Eric Rockey – Part 4 – The Feel Flow Technique

The post Online Meditation Course with Eric Rockey appeared first on Meditation Mind.

How to Meditate

Meditation Mind Team — Wed, 13 May 2020 18:39:05 +0000

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Nelson Mandela

We often get the question “How do I meditate?” or “Where should I start with my practice?” in our online community about meditation & mindfulness. We’ve created an easy and accessible way for you to start with your meditation practice. It involves 8 steps. In these 8 steps, we explain where to start, what you’ll need and what to do. Plain, clear and simple. This is the beginning of your journey on the path of training your mind. Let’s get going!

8 simple steps to start your meditation practice

1. Choose a space

First things first. Make sure your environment is allowing you to take this time for yourself. In a noisy environment, it will be hard to start your practice. Make sure you can be in a space for a certain amount of time without others disturbing you. It doesn’t need to be complicated, you can dedicate a space in your room. Simply tell your loved ones you don’t want to be disturbed for 5 minutes and put your beloved pet into another room. The quieter the better.

2. Find a seat

Next, make sure we have a comfortable place to sit. Take off your shoes and put on something comfortable to wear. Use a pillow, cushion, a chair or a knee bench for sitting. Make sure this is comfortable to sit on, yet also make sure your spine is erect. Posture is very important because it signals your body what to do. A straight posture will signal your body to be aware. However, don’t force yourself, do what is physically possible for you.

3. Set a timer

Decide how long you want to meditate for. It is important to set the intention of your practice. We recommend starting with as little as 5 minutes. It is better to start small and add time, later on, then to quit earlier because you’ve made it too hard for yourself. Stick to the time you intended to practice for. Don’t just give up because you feel it isn’t working. It takes a little time to train yourself. Set a timer on your phone, switch it to silent mode and put it away. You are ready to begin this journey.

4. Prepare

Time to prepare your body and mind to meditate. Take a few deep breaths. Deep breathing relaxes the body and helps reduce tension. One technique is to use a 2-to-1 breathing ratio. A longer exhale than inhale will signal to your body that it can relax. This is a great way to release tension and settle into your meditation practice. No need to rush, take the time to do this mindfully. Relax the muscles in your body as you settle in. Keep your spine erect where possible so you won’t fall asleep easily.

5. Focus on the breath

Now it is time to direct your attention to the sensation of air, flowing in and out of your nostrils. Be aware of the sensation of your in-breath and out-breath on your nostrils. If you find this hard to do, simply direct your attention to the rising and falling of your belly. With every breath, you feel the sensation of your breathing in these parts of your body. This is called mindful breathing meditation. Let your full awareness be in this meditation practice.

6. Noting

Here we start with a technique called ‘mental noting’. We note every in breath and every out-breath. This can simply be done by thinking “in” when you breathe in, and thinking “out” when you breathe out. Do this a few times and you will notice the mind begins to settle down. If you become agitated or annoyed, make sure you are comfortable, don’t force yourself in breathing patterns & simply bring your attention back to the noting. With patience and persistence, we can establish your meditation practice.

7. Stay focused

Don’t worry, it’s normal your mind will begin to wander off. It will start to think about things you need to do, things someone said to you that day or the fact that you haven’t called your mom in a while now. Basically, thinking about the future and the past. It is normal for your mind to drift off, this does not mean you fail. Returning from wandering off to your meditation practice is you building up focus. It is you training your awareness to be directed. Remember to be gentle with yourself. It takes time and persistence. Gently direct your attention back to your breath. Simply notice your thoughts, become aware of them and return to the method.

8. Stay consistent

The timer goes off. You might feel refreshed or actually tired. Congratulations, you’ve done your first meditation session!
This is the beginning of your journey. To make it work, schedule a time you want to dedicate to practice. Make it part of your everyday routine. Pick a time of day that works for you and commit to doing it at or around this time. We recommend somewhere in the morning or evening, just after you wake up or before you go to bed. If you meditate daily, you’ll experience its benefits more profoundly.

The post How to Meditate appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Episode 9: It’s all in the breathing with Dr. Brad Lichtenstein

Christiaan Neeteson — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 21:37:23 +0000

It’s all in the breathing

Dr. Brad Lichtenstein is a naturopathic physician in a private practice, and a professor at Bastyr University. His private practice is focused on Mind&Body Medicine, specialized in Clinical Biofeedback, Psychotherapy, chronic illnesses and end of life bedside care. He is recognized as a industry pioneer, and his perspective is published in several medical journals and publications. Dr. Lichtenstein believes in the power of breath to restore health and balance.

The Podcast Format

I’m sitting down and having a chat with other meditators from around the world to talk about their practice, the lessons they have learned and what they want the world to know. From Zen, Christianity to Secular, all traditions have valuable insights and approaches to awareness, and in this podcast, we explore those with you.

“Mindfulness is a prerequisite to being present.”

How to be resilient?

In this episode, we talk about what methods Dr. Lichtenstein uses in his private practice. About 15 years ago, Dr. Lichtenstein started to study the breath and found that the central theme of breath is a re-occurring theme in many spiritual practices.

“We might be breathing in a way that is dysfunctional for our physical health. So there are certain absolutes in breathing…….. Learning to breathe in a way which is very slow, abdominally. Where the inhale is never longer than the exhale. Where the volume is never really large. These are structural, functional types of breathing practices that can help our overall health and nervous system.”

We talk about essential practices for our health and nervous system. One of currently popular methods comes from Wim Hof and his breathing techniques. Dr. Lichtenstein shares that Wim Hof’s technique is Tumo breathing, which is an old meditation practice. This was used to raise the Kundalini energy up from the base of the spine. Wim Hof combines this with hydrotherapy (cold showers), which is recommended all the time by physicians.

Science and spirituality

We talk about the apparent separation in the West of science and spirituality. Should it really be separated? Ideas like interdependence or purpose are still very important and central to the work of Dr. Lichtenstein. What motivates you to practice? What gives you meaning and purpose? Without these central questions somewhat answered or brought up, there might lack a real purpose behind what we do. He shares about his first work in HIV care, where they constantly talked about “How do you want to live this moment right now?”. These are all spiritual questions. They are central to our existence and our practice. His one focus is teaching people to live the way they want to live.

“Feeling a sense of connection regulates the nervous system in a different way.”

Understanding a person’s values and meaning is essential for their healing process. Unfortunately, current health care seems to lack the time to look at these intrinsic values to all of us.

Habits & Routines

We talk about his personal daily practice and routines. What is the magic soup that fuels Dr. Lichtenstein? In my time practicing meditation and discovering the practice of others, I’ve learned that routines and habits are a central aspect of this whole journey. If you look at a monastic setting, there are very strict schedules to all they do. A structured life brings a structured mind. This doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun, it simply means living effectively.

“The first I do is feed my cats, because they are the most important thing in the world [laughter]”.

I won’t spoil too much, but cats, matcha and mindfulness meditation are certainly part of Dr. Lichtenstein’s morning routines. You will learn a bit about the Dalai Llama’s morning habits too.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about Dr. Brad Lichtenstein take a look at his website: /http://thebreathspace.com

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

This podcast is available on…
Anchor
Podbean
Apple Podcasts
Stitcher 
TuneIn
Pocket Casts
Overcast

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Episode 8: All about Flow with Joanna Turner

Christiaan Neeteson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 20:59:51 +0000

The Podcast format

What is flow?

You might have heard about Flow. It seems to be an upcoming buzzword like mindfulness… but what is it really? In this episode, I sit down and have a chat with Joanne Turner. We talk about her business, her practice and how she found her energy source to be successful.

Joanna is a leading Wealth & Success Coach, Certified Reiki Practitioner, Advanced EFT & Master NLP Practitioner. She is a mentor to women entrepreneurs and coaches women all over the world to gain momentum in their business. She helps them create a winning mindset, earn the desired income, gain confidence and have the freedom to travel.

How to get in your Flow?

Each person has this place of flow. It is a place of 100% engagement with whatever you are doing. We discover the relationship between Flow & Mindfulness and find out how each person can get in this place of pure flow. Lately, I’ve read up a bit about Flow theory in a course I followed on gamification. For a person to get into the flow, there has to be a reasonable challenge that matches our skill. Too much challenge and you become anxious, too little and you become bored. The sense of pure ecstasy when sliding down that hill on a snowboard or when running those last meters in a marathon. It is what boosts so many athletes and creative people to excel at what they are doing. The good news is; you are capable of accessing this flow state.

Whatever happens, happens for a reason

In our talk, Joanna points out that what helps her achieve a state of flow is a trust in life, whatever happens, and surrender to it. Whether it is a divine being, higher consciousness or a sense of destiny, it is crucial to achieving this state of flow. The trust that whatever is happening is happening for a reason. This, however, doesn’t mean we start being lazy and pray for things to happen to us. We work towards it. We do our very best to achieve our goals, and those goals manifest in due time. It is a matter of having a little faith in what you are doing. Trusting life and the outcome. Working with what you have at this moment and going from there. Every moment is trying to teach us something, it’s up to us to take the challenge and work with what we have.

Finding what works for you

“Not one way works for everybody. And I started with different access points. And then what I love and what works for me changes. If you are frustrated and meditation doesn’t work for you, that’s ok. Maybe you need to do some crazy bashing a pillow with the baseball bat.”

If something doesn’t resonate with you, go find something you do resonate with. However, sometimes your biggest teacher can be the one you absolutely do not agree with. There is a lesson to learn in everything, but there is a right time for everything. That seems to be the central message in the advice from Joanna. Finding your current access point to mindfulness and becoming your most authentic self.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about Joanne Turner and what she can do for you: http://www.missionforbalance.com/

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

This podcast is available on…

 Anchor

 Podbean

 Apple Podcasts

 Stitcher

The post Episode 8: All about Flow with Joanna Turner appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Episode 5: From Vipassana to Chan Buddhism with Mark Gilenson

Christiaan Neeteson — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 13:12:03 +0000

The Podcast format

From Vipassana to Chan Buddhism

For this episode of the podcast, I talk with Mark Gilenson.I’ve known Mark from our online community, where he helps out as a teacher in our team. Mark is a novice Chan Priest in the lineage of Master Hsu Yun in the Chan Buddhist tradition. We talk about his current practice and his past encountering meditation for the first time. From Vipassana practice to Chan Buddhism, the approach to meditation has slight differences that can prove significant for each person. Mark explains why he was drawn to Chan Buddhism and why exactly he chose for the lineage of Master Hsu Yun.

We talk about how Mark got into meditation. From his service in the military to break-ups… he got the suggestion from a friend in his orchestra to attend to a Vipassana retreat. After 6 days of hellish agony, suddenly there was a moment of realization. Herealizedd the sound of his thoughts are like a broken record and developed a sense of humor about it. Calmness and joyfulness followed in the last days of this retreat.
He continues to explain how he went from Vipassana to Thich Nhat Hanh. He practiced in a sitting group of his lineage for a while and at some point moved to a different lineage/school. Mark then got interested in Thrangu Rinpoche, a teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Ultimately he found the teachings of Zen (Chan) Master of Hsu Yun. He describes the teachings as non-sectarian, something that spoke to him personally.

Meditation is not enough

“I’m not striving for being calm, I’m striving for the uprooting of suffering.
Meditation plays a significant role but it’s only part of my practice.
Making my whole life my practice is what I’m doing.”

You’ll hear that at a certain point, Mark emphasizes how meditation in itself is not enough for him. Not enough for what? Besides meditation, the path of someone who follows the Buddha entails much more than the sitting practice itself. The classical way of describing this path is using the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Noble Eightfold Path, there are different attributes for each practitioner to apply in their practice and daily life. The idea is that through these practices, the suffering of a person is completely uprooted and a life of pure happiness remains.

Want to learn more?

If you’d like to know more about Mark and what he does, visit his website here: https://bodhibass.com/
To learn more about Chan Buddhism, listen or subscribe to Mark’s podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-mind-meditation-podcast/id1433677569?mt=2

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have some feedback or ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq .
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan

The post Episode 5: From Vipassana to Chan Buddhism with Mark Gilenson appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Episode 2: Swami J & Bhakti Yoga

Christiaan Neeteson — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 13:36:20 +0000

The Podcast format

My name is Christiaan Neeteson, 31 years young and currently living in Berlin together with my partner Rebecca. After encountering meditation & mindfulness a few years back it radically changed my life. From incredible emotional turbulence, unhealthy relationships and deep suffering to lightness and ease, the practice radically transformed both my own state of mind and the relationships around me.

International Team

For this second episode, I have a chat with Greg Jacoby about his transformation and his current practice. Greg and me, together with David (previous episode) and Benjamin (coming episode) have started to work as a team on themindfulcourse.com and the Meditation & Mindfulness community. For each one of us, meditation has a lasting and genuine effect on our lives and the lives of people around us. In these first three episodes I will explore what meditation means for each of the team members.

Greg & his transformation

Greg shares how he came from a low point of depression and drug dealing, decided to visit a retreat in India and how it changed his life afterwards. Greg mentions his teacher at that time, Swami J (http://www.swamij.com/) and the idea of staying with the breathe at all times as a practice. Seemingly with a mix of different traditions and techniques, Greg talks about how his life is enhanced with practices like Metta, Bhakti and Vipassana.

Four Paths of Yoga

I am not very familiar with Yoga and its practice, but was intrigued by Greg mentioning Bhakti Yoga. Up till recently , Yoga to me was another way to get in shape and look good.
I wasn’t sure how much of it’s spiritual practice was transferred to us here in the west. It seemed like another way to glorify the human body and feel good about yourself.
However, the more I hear and read about it, the more I start to learn about it’s roots that go beyond just a beautiful pose in the sunset on instagram.
From the Swami J website I found the following description for the four paths of Yoga:

“Jnana Yoga: Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge, wisdom, introspection and contemplation. It involves deep exploration of the nature our being by systematically exploring and setting aside false identities.

Bhakti Yoga: Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, emotion, love, compassion, and service to God and others. All actions are done in the context of remembering the Divine.

Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga is the path of action, service to others, mindfulness, and remembering the levels of our being while fulfilling our actions or karma in the world.

Raja Yoga: Raja Yoga is a comprehensive method that emphasizes meditation, while encompassing the whole of Yoga. It directly deals with the encountering and transcending thoughts of the mind.”

Greg describes how the path of Bhakti Yoga is continuous throughout the day in action and speech, and it’s something I personally feel inclined to discover more about.
The testimonial of Greg in this episode will surely inspire you to practice, to consider the importance of meditation and the impact it can have on each of our lives.

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have some feedback or ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq and simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan

The post Episode 2: Swami J & Bhakti Yoga appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Episode 1: Pragmatic Meditation

Christiaan Neeteson — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 21:04:03 +0000

Introduction

Building and supporting

Understanding the importance of this new habit, I set out to build an online community around the practice together with some incredible folks, every day we are growing and currently have around 1300 members from across the world. As of late, I became part of ‘The Mindful Course’ to help others develop and deepen their practice. In short, I believe meditation is for everyone and is a habit that can improve your life and the world around you. I’m determined to do what is necessary to help others decrease their suffering!

Having a community that shares the same goal and is both serious and able to have fun about their interest in the practice can create a remarkable dynamic, support and drive. Unfortunately for many people it is not possible to connect with a real life community around them. This is why I believe in the importance of online communities and sharing these podcasts with you.

What to expect?

For this first episode, I have a chat with David Bowman, 31 year young New-Yorkian, former Rabbi and a background of working in corporate finance. David found his way to Meditation through Judaism and discovered how Pragmatic Meditation can help people who don’t connect with a religion or have no interest in dogma, yet still want to be able to follow the Path of Meditation. David created a free course about access concentration, a way for anyone to practice Meditation with measurable results. You’ll find that the motivation and enthusiasm of David is contagious… and I believe this first episode is a great kick-off to the upcoming podcasts.

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have some feedback or ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/NyrM6KH and simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan

The post Episode 1: Pragmatic Meditation appeared first on Meditation Mind.

meditation Archives - Meditation Mind

Bloom

Meditation Tracking

Meditation Tracking Stats

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Meditation Challenges

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Free Meditation and Mindfulness Apps

Full-Featured Meditation Apps

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How We Feel

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Free Meditation and Mindfulness Courses

Table of Contents

Meditation Mind Four-Week Mindfulness Course

Mindfulness Daily with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield

The Unified Mindfulness CORE Training

De-Mystifying Mindfulness

Palouse Mindfulness Online MBSR Course

Meditation in the Theravada Abhidhamma

Intro to Meditation with Mingyur Rinpoche

Buddhism Through Its Scriptures

The Open Buddhist University

Online Meditation Course with Eric Rockey

Session Recordings

How to Meditate

8 simple steps to start your meditation practice

1. Choose a space

2. Find a seat

3. Set a timer

4. Prepare

5. Focus on the breath

6. Noting

7. Stay focused

8. Stay consistent

Episode 9: It’s all in the breathing with Dr. Brad Lichtenstein

It’s all in the breathing

The Podcast Format

How to be resilient?

Science and spirituality

Habits & Routines

Want to know more?

Episode 8: All about Flow with Joanna Turner

The Podcast format

What is flow?

How to get in your Flow?

Whatever happens, happens for a reason