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Last active October 2, 2022 00:20
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Meditation Checklist
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meditation.md

Meditation

It's practically an all-purpose training of the mind.

Meditation has the objects of stable attention and mindfulness (sati in pali), the latter being the optimal interaction between attention and peripheral awareness.

The practice consists in listening to the meditation object (the breath). Whenever you realise the mind wondered off, you happily move back to the meditation object. That's it, everything else are techniques to remove the time you're not following the meditation object.

Advantages Explained

  • Stable attention will allow you to... do everything better
  • Mindfullness will allow you to see more opportunities, enjoy the moment

How is this achieved?

  • If you can keep your attention on something as boring as the breath, keeping it on anything else is easier
  • When realising you're thinking of something you shouldn't, you redirect the attention to the meditation object: this makes it easier, when you are worried, to move your attention away to something else
  • Techniques to ensure you stay on the breath involve scanning the mind for distractions, this training will help you catch yourself saying or doing things you will regreat
  • When you fence off the minor distractions, the brain tries with bigger ideas
  • The mind wonders off and once you realise you should happily move back to the breath, this teaches you equanimity (acceptance)
  • You stop worrying about things that you can't control, you learn to accept them
  • Standing itches etc, as you shouldn't move, will train you for equanimity
  • Scanning the mind will reveal to you the nature of the mind
  • In the process you'll train to be calmer, with all its known benefits
  • Kindness follows with the increasing power of the brain and equanimity

Checklist

Here are a list of keywords I think about before starting my meditation. Based on The mind illuminated from Culadasa.

Preparation

Reasons for meditation

Goals

  • Relax (and control position)
  • Stay still
  • Focus on the present
  • Look for the joy
  • Follow the breath

Expectations

Discipline

  • Diligence: I want to meditate, not mind wonder
  • Checking in (leads to continuous introspective awareness)
  • Let it come; Let it be; Let it go; Label; Level; Laugh; Intent; Checkin in

Possible hindrances

Position

Awareness

Estrospective Awareness

  • And its equanimity

Introspective Awareness

  • And its equanimity

Meditation Object

Everything (the present)

  • I love you Earth/Universe
  • Thank you Earth/Universe

Body

  • Peripheral awareness
  • Meditation object

Spine And Head

Head (relax the face)

Breath

  • Following
  • Connecting

Count to 12

  • Stop thinking in words

Meditate...

  • Until the time is over

Stretch

  • Think about how it went
  • The only bad meditation is the one you don't do
  • Your worst meditation is the one you needed most
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