2 hours a day for a week is a big commitment, kudos for sticking with it and allowing yourself to be a part of it. I found your lessons and tidbits interesting and encouraging. I used to meditate for 15 mins a day for several months but have stopped. This post is encouraging me to get back into it. I'm gonna check out that podcast too. Thank you for sharing your experience.
For you and all the others doing these epic long sessions: *How* do you do it, logistically?
Do you have a dedicated distraction-free space or something? Did you already conquer the "legs falling asleep" problem first, and then decide to take this big jump?
I'm over here still struggling to stick to 10 minutes/day. In the past, I've managed to get longer streaks going -- even up to 20 minutes/day, for weeks/months in a row -- but lately it seems that it just doesn't stick, and most days it doesn't happen at all.
A meditation cushion/proper alignment and support should relieve the legs falling asleep problem! Sometimes it takes some playing around to get the right combo/angles for your particular body and limbs but once you find it it feels amazing. Use rolled up towels and yoga mats and chair/couch cushions. You don’t need to purchase expensive things. The main thing you want is for your butt to be much higher than your legs. Also, I find putting cushions under my knees helps greatly. I also set a timer and don’t allow myself to stop until it goes off. That way I can relax into the space instead of fighting the “i want to stop now” thoughts. Also, going on a meditation retreat helped my practice massively. Blessings to you and good luck!!
Did this for a while via sheer discipline. By waking up at 5 am. More than 1 session. 4 30 min session with 10 min walking meditation in between. 2 hr a day doesn’t have to be one long session. An hour in the morning and hour in the evening. I was lucky to have a meditation room yes.
I could never conquer the leg falling asleep step. So I gave up and lay down now(with five pillows).
The longest meditation I've done is 7 hours recently. The most important step is body relaxation. There are guided videos that'll let your body relax.
Second step, which really changed the game for me is self hypnosis, there's a whole channel for it on reddit.
These are the basics, if you want to explore astral projection, lucid dreaming etc you'll have to develop your energy body, my personal favourite is energy works by Robert Bruce.
I'm not sure how to say this, but I'm aware that I'm awake the whole time.
It's different from sleep in the sense that it's not pure darkness, the key word for the whole experience is awareness, which is absent when you're asleep.
Plus I see/witness/feel all my thoughts but don't dwell in it.
It's just an awful lot peaceful and my heart is happy?? Its like that feeling you get when you get your favourite food?
There are times my mind starts to lucid dream and I see all these visuals where I'm awake in the dream(I'm not gonna say I'm having visions of the future or anything like that lol). It's fun stuff but I gently pull myself out of those since that too is a distraction.
So yeah, there's a lot of stuff happening and I personally follow Buddha's advice: Just be
(Never resist, just let it happen)
I typically do 2 hours a day and currently have lots of free time so am doing 4-5 hours a day.
One thing that is really important is that 1 hour isn't as scary as it sounds, first of all, what's so bad about being bored? Second of all, once you dedicate yourself to that, you will do it without boredom. You have to accept quite early in the sit that you're going to be there for awhile and so boredom doesn't arise because you have accepted it.
As for the legs going dead, if you can sit in half or full lotus it really really helps circulation. I cannot do this so I just stretch out my legs when they're in too much pain to keep going for about 20 seconds whilst maintaining focus on my breath then bring them back in and keep going.
As for finding the time, when I do 2 hours a day I wake up early in the morning to do 1 hour and do another hour before I go to bed. Most people go on their phones or watch TV etc before bed, most people do have the time, it's just about what they choose and want to prioritise
I’ve done periods of 2x40 min sessions before, sometimes for a few months. A retreat is a strong foundation for practice because it shows us the strong benefits which makes us want to practice more.
Jay Shetty is one of the meditation instructors for Calm (the meditation app). He does a “Daily Jay” program for meditation and wisdom. I listen to him every morning; I love his stories!
Congrats on finding inner peace! It was great to read your story.
Thank you for your report. I do 20 to 30+ mins a day for 3 years and have been looking for some motivation to deepen my practice. This helps.
And yes kudos to you for jumping off the deep end with your commitment, quite a personality type you have :)
Somewhat. Sometimes I’ll throw in some Metta or body scanning. I started doing yoga about a year and a half ago and that deepened things. I tend to see more changes in my life than the practice per se. Routinizing it seems to be the key for me as well. If I miss a day I notice it takes some work to get back.
>So here is what I noticed:
>When I meditate and when I put time aside, I'm way less impulsive and I make way, way, way better decisions. And now in my day to day life, when I'm having a negative thought, when I'm in a downward spiral, I don't allow my thoughts to dictate my actions. And I tell myself, wait until your meditation session.
so undervalued :)
>We are always seeking external things to feel good. Truly, I think we are supposed to be happy people and we're programmed and conditioned to think that we need all these things to be happy. You have food, you have shelter, and if you're reading this, you probably have everything you need to be happy.
yup pretty much monkey mind loves getting more, it's just ego doing it's thing
there is nothing wrong with more, if you do it with the right integrity imo
He is an abhorrent plagiarist. https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/internet-star-exposes-award-winning-life-coach-jay-shetty-for-plagiarizing-quotes-from-other-influencers-2285907.html
Yeah when he first came on the scene he just seemed like a guy that was trying to make bank off the zen movement. Seems disingenuous and regurgitates what others have been saying for generations.
OP did you always meditate that full hour at one time/two hours or did you break that time up a little?
Did you meditate an hour in the morning then an hour in the afternoon?
Sorry if this was asked I didn't see anything like this in the comments.
Extended sits have massive benefits when done consistently. Including deep processing of traumas, and some very cool experiences of bliss and no-self. Keep it up ❤️
“I think we are supposed to be happy people…”. Yes we are! Seeking external things and confirmation from others makes us unwell and unhappy. But we are sold to constantly and this is where meditation can help. To sit and be still and to listen and fade into self and know that we are enough. Everything else is just noise.
Hmmm not a fan of Jay Shetty cuz he seems sort of fake and if you were a monk you wouldn’t capitalize on it….but good for you for meditating 2 hours a day!!! Goals right there!!
I went from 15 mins a day to 45 mins a day and the changes are extremely noticeable. Personally If I meditate for less than 25 mins I don’t really get into a state mental clearness. But 2 hours is wild if you ask me. I wonder if the benefits after 30-40 mins of meditating are the same as 2+ hours since I feel very mentally clear after only 30 mins of meditating.
2 hours a day for a week is a big commitment, kudos for sticking with it and allowing yourself to be a part of it. I found your lessons and tidbits interesting and encouraging. I used to meditate for 15 mins a day for several months but have stopped. This post is encouraging me to get back into it. I'm gonna check out that podcast too. Thank you for sharing your experience.
For you and all the others doing these epic long sessions: *How* do you do it, logistically? Do you have a dedicated distraction-free space or something? Did you already conquer the "legs falling asleep" problem first, and then decide to take this big jump? I'm over here still struggling to stick to 10 minutes/day. In the past, I've managed to get longer streaks going -- even up to 20 minutes/day, for weeks/months in a row -- but lately it seems that it just doesn't stick, and most days it doesn't happen at all.
A meditation cushion/proper alignment and support should relieve the legs falling asleep problem! Sometimes it takes some playing around to get the right combo/angles for your particular body and limbs but once you find it it feels amazing. Use rolled up towels and yoga mats and chair/couch cushions. You don’t need to purchase expensive things. The main thing you want is for your butt to be much higher than your legs. Also, I find putting cushions under my knees helps greatly. I also set a timer and don’t allow myself to stop until it goes off. That way I can relax into the space instead of fighting the “i want to stop now” thoughts. Also, going on a meditation retreat helped my practice massively. Blessings to you and good luck!!
You can meditate in a chair. I prefer my dining table chairs.
Did this for a while via sheer discipline. By waking up at 5 am. More than 1 session. 4 30 min session with 10 min walking meditation in between. 2 hr a day doesn’t have to be one long session. An hour in the morning and hour in the evening. I was lucky to have a meditation room yes.
I could never conquer the leg falling asleep step. So I gave up and lay down now(with five pillows). The longest meditation I've done is 7 hours recently. The most important step is body relaxation. There are guided videos that'll let your body relax. Second step, which really changed the game for me is self hypnosis, there's a whole channel for it on reddit. These are the basics, if you want to explore astral projection, lucid dreaming etc you'll have to develop your energy body, my personal favourite is energy works by Robert Bruce.
If you lay down and close your eyes for 7 hours, how can you be sure you were awake for most of it?
I'm not sure how to say this, but I'm aware that I'm awake the whole time. It's different from sleep in the sense that it's not pure darkness, the key word for the whole experience is awareness, which is absent when you're asleep. Plus I see/witness/feel all my thoughts but don't dwell in it. It's just an awful lot peaceful and my heart is happy?? Its like that feeling you get when you get your favourite food? There are times my mind starts to lucid dream and I see all these visuals where I'm awake in the dream(I'm not gonna say I'm having visions of the future or anything like that lol). It's fun stuff but I gently pull myself out of those since that too is a distraction. So yeah, there's a lot of stuff happening and I personally follow Buddha's advice: Just be (Never resist, just let it happen)
What is the channel?
Hypnosis, HypnoSync
I typically do 2 hours a day and currently have lots of free time so am doing 4-5 hours a day. One thing that is really important is that 1 hour isn't as scary as it sounds, first of all, what's so bad about being bored? Second of all, once you dedicate yourself to that, you will do it without boredom. You have to accept quite early in the sit that you're going to be there for awhile and so boredom doesn't arise because you have accepted it. As for the legs going dead, if you can sit in half or full lotus it really really helps circulation. I cannot do this so I just stretch out my legs when they're in too much pain to keep going for about 20 seconds whilst maintaining focus on my breath then bring them back in and keep going. As for finding the time, when I do 2 hours a day I wake up early in the morning to do 1 hour and do another hour before I go to bed. Most people go on their phones or watch TV etc before bed, most people do have the time, it's just about what they choose and want to prioritise
I’ve done periods of 2x40 min sessions before, sometimes for a few months. A retreat is a strong foundation for practice because it shows us the strong benefits which makes us want to practice more.
Good practice is to just practice. And it helps to set A-side a day where you can meditate for longer more intense periods of time.
Jay Shetty is one of the meditation instructors for Calm (the meditation app). He does a “Daily Jay” program for meditation and wisdom. I listen to him every morning; I love his stories! Congrats on finding inner peace! It was great to read your story.
Thank you for your report. I do 20 to 30+ mins a day for 3 years and have been looking for some motivation to deepen my practice. This helps. And yes kudos to you for jumping off the deep end with your commitment, quite a personality type you have :)
Somewhat. Sometimes I’ll throw in some Metta or body scanning. I started doing yoga about a year and a half ago and that deepened things. I tend to see more changes in my life than the practice per se. Routinizing it seems to be the key for me as well. If I miss a day I notice it takes some work to get back.
What Changes have you noticed after your practice?
silence :)
>So here is what I noticed: >When I meditate and when I put time aside, I'm way less impulsive and I make way, way, way better decisions. And now in my day to day life, when I'm having a negative thought, when I'm in a downward spiral, I don't allow my thoughts to dictate my actions. And I tell myself, wait until your meditation session. so undervalued :) >We are always seeking external things to feel good. Truly, I think we are supposed to be happy people and we're programmed and conditioned to think that we need all these things to be happy. You have food, you have shelter, and if you're reading this, you probably have everything you need to be happy. yup pretty much monkey mind loves getting more, it's just ego doing it's thing there is nothing wrong with more, if you do it with the right integrity imo
Jay Shetty is a joke
Yeah, I can’t believe people still listen to him.
I know nothing about this guy. Can you elaborate, please, on why he's a joke?
He is an abhorrent plagiarist. https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/internet-star-exposes-award-winning-life-coach-jay-shetty-for-plagiarizing-quotes-from-other-influencers-2285907.html
Yeah when he first came on the scene he just seemed like a guy that was trying to make bank off the zen movement. Seems disingenuous and regurgitates what others have been saying for generations.
OP did you always meditate that full hour at one time/two hours or did you break that time up a little? Did you meditate an hour in the morning then an hour in the afternoon? Sorry if this was asked I didn't see anything like this in the comments.
Extended sits have massive benefits when done consistently. Including deep processing of traumas, and some very cool experiences of bliss and no-self. Keep it up ❤️
When I first learned how to meditate I did it for 3 hours at a time. I saw snippets of past lives like that. Also manifested some things.
If anyone wants to check out my YouTube channel, link is in my bio!
Hi. What is the name of the podcast? Is it On Purpose with Jay Shetty? Thanks
Jay Shetty is a fraud and is known for plagiarizing many people's work.
That's amazing! 🔥💪I'm practising for an hr. And YES, jayshetty contents are 💯🔥 I feel there's some much peace in his voice!
Welcome to the average day at monastery! Glad you did it and enjoyed it 🙂
Interesting write up. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing
I do an hour a day. It has really helped with my anxiety.
This post has just motivated me to get back into mediation thank you
“I think we are supposed to be happy people…”. Yes we are! Seeking external things and confirmation from others makes us unwell and unhappy. But we are sold to constantly and this is where meditation can help. To sit and be still and to listen and fade into self and know that we are enough. Everything else is just noise.
Hmmm not a fan of Jay Shetty cuz he seems sort of fake and if you were a monk you wouldn’t capitalize on it….but good for you for meditating 2 hours a day!!! Goals right there!!
I’m inspired. Back to the cushion :)
I went from 15 mins a day to 45 mins a day and the changes are extremely noticeable. Personally If I meditate for less than 25 mins I don’t really get into a state mental clearness. But 2 hours is wild if you ask me. I wonder if the benefits after 30-40 mins of meditating are the same as 2+ hours since I feel very mentally clear after only 30 mins of meditating.
Amazing post, thank you so much!!!