Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

This month I resolve to do three Anapanasati sittings a day: morning and evening sittings for 60 minutes, and an afternoon sitting of 40 minutes duration.


20140615
Morning sitting.
Afternoon sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140616
Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140617
Morning sitting.
Afternoon sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140618
55 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
45 minute Evening sitting.

20140619
55 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140620
55 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140621
55 minute Morning sitting.
Afternoon sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140622
55 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140623
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140624
50 minute Morning sitting.
Afternoon sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140625
40 minute Morning sitting.
30 minute Afternoon sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140626
Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140627
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140628
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140629
55 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140630
Morning sitting.
<Failure>
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140701
<Failure>
20 minute Afternoon sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140702
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140703
55 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140704
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140705
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
40 minute Evening sitting.

20140706
55 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140707
Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140708
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140709
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140710
45 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140711
55 minute Morning sitting.
35 minute Afternoon sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140712
45 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
45 minute Evening sitting.

20140713
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
45 minute Evening sitting.

20140714
50 minute Morning sitting.
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

This month I resolve to do at least two Anapanasati sittings a day: morning and evening sittings for 60 minutes. Motivation for a third sitting has evaporated, I'll just aim to maintain two sittings/day for now. If someday I sit in afternoon I'll just add that to daily record instead of setting expectations and then recording failure.


20140715
55 minute Morning sitting.
40 minute Evening sitting.

20140716
55 minute Morning sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140717
50 minute Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140718
40 minute Morning sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140719
40 minute Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140720
50 minute Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140721
50 minute Morning sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140722
55 minute Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140723
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140724
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140725
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140726
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140727
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140728
55 minute Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140729
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140730
Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140731
Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140801
Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140802
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140803
55 minute Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140804
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140805
55 minute Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140806
Morning sitting.
50 minute Evening sitting.

20140807
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140808
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140809
<Failure>
Evening sitting.

20140810
Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140811
55 minute Morning sitting.
55 minute Evening sitting.

20140812
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140813
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140814
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

This month I resolve to do at least two Anapanasati sittings a day: morning and evening sittings for 60 minutes each.

20140815
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140816
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140817
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140818
Morning sitting.
Evening sitting.

20140819
Morning sitting.

My goal is to meditate at least one half hour a day. So far I've been pretty good about keeping up with it but don't do it at a set time each day which I feel is not optimal.

Is this a good thread to post other resolutions (such as abstaining from listening to music, which I find reduces my mindfulness in daily life) or is there some separate thread for that?

Each day or every few days I'll post some brief notes on the length and type of meditation done and what posture (I frequently use restorative poses from yoga as I find many of them enhance calm and concentration.) I also want to track how concentrated the mind is during each session.

10.22.14
16 mins guided lovingkindness (Ayya Khema)
15 mins mfulness of breath

inverted

concentration: 2/10

Thanks for your support, all.

10.23.14

am
10 mins
breath
inverted
2/10

pm
guided lovingkindness
15 mins
inverted
1/10 - dozed off

This seems like a pathetically short amount of daily meditation time... maybe posting will shame me into meditating more!

10.24.14

am
none

pm
16 mins guided metta
14 mins breath

inverted
3/10 - again dozed off; need to find time of day when I'm more alert

guided metta meditation
inverted

15 mins breath - dozed off
supta baddha konasana


concentration 4/10

new schedule has me getting less sleep so I'm far more likely to doze off than I was before. mfulness during the day has improved greatly, however, which at the moment to me is more important than my lvl of concentration during formal practice.

metta meditation helping greatly... going to continue trying a new guided one each day. I've been using Ayya Khema's, in case anyone is interested.

thanks for support, all

am
5 mins guided metta
15 mins breath
inverted

pm
20 mins breath
inverted

concentration in formal practice 6/10
mfulness daily life 4/10

I am going to post my meditation intentions and activities here each day so as to strengthen my new practice, since I found reading through this thread so helpful.

Reflecting for a few moments each morning on the Four Noble Truths and the Five Precepts., just familiarising myself with these.

Yesterday I watched a video on meditation for beginners by Ajahn Brahms as well as talks by Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, did some reading on the history of Theravada.

Sat for two meditations of 20 minutes each in the morning and evening. Still very distracted (unable to stay with the rise/fall of the abdomen for more than a few moments at a time) but for the most part felt relaxed and alert, Some backache and itchiness.

Today I am going to do the same: two meditations of 20 minutes each and also a guided meditation while I have time during the day for this. Reading websites and checking out forum links and resources.

Friday morning -- yesterday very sleepy during the morning meditation of 20 minutes. Guided meditation (10 minutes) from an Ajahn Brahm video. Evening meditation of 20 minutes also sleepy, distracted.

Reading a guide to meditation, Finding the Missing Peace by Ajahn Amaro, and articles by Thinissaro Bhikkhu.

Today's intention: two 20 minute meditations and reading /listening to talks or articles for beginners.

Sat for two morning and evening meditations of 20 minutes each, less distracted. Also did 15 minutes and 30 minutes of guided meditation following videos from Ajahn Brahm and Joseph Goldstein. Read articles by Joseph Goldstein and Ven Thinissaro Bhikkhu.

Settling into daily practice and meditating for 20 minutes, spending an hour or more reading resources, did 30 minute walking meditation.

From now on I'll post once a week, see if I can increase the times of meditation to 30 minutes and then 45 minutes each day.

Mary50 wrote: From now on I'll post once a week, see if I can increase the times of meditation to 30 minutes and then 45 minutes each day.

A good approach. Like with physical exercise it's good to be regular and build up stamina slowly.

Thanks Norman, I want to build a very steady stable sitting practice this year.

And now steady sitting practice at 45 minutes in the mornings and again in the evenings, also using 20-minute video guided meditations a few times during the weekfor added motivation. A time of quietening down, bouts of sleepiness but getting re-acquainted with the body and breath.