Carl Barenbrug

Research + product design

lab

A Little Meditation

I have always appreciated the practice of meditation and what it can do for the mind, including how it can help control our emotions. I've been reading up on it a little more recently and have spoken to some friends who also practice it, so I was really interested in giving it a go. Well, now I am giving it a go.

I want to ease myself into it by practicing for a short period everyday. For the next month, I will get up at 06:15 and meditate for 10 minutes, hopefully free of disturbance and distraction. My cats might have other plans, but we’ll see.

Because this is so new to me, I think it’s really useful to experience guided meditations, so I decided to download the app ‘Waking Up with Sam Harris’, which a number of people have recommended to me. Although I’m going to begin with 10 minute sessions first thing in the morning, I do plan to eventually book-end the day with another 10 minute session in the evening, which my friend, Zen Buddhist, and meditation teacher Andō suggested I try.

Although I do see myself as a calm and collected person, I do experience anxiety, stress, and agitation from time to time, so I do feel there’s a lot of value I can get out of practising meditation. I’ll publish a follow-up to this in a few months time to share my experience.

If you’re already practicing, what works well for you? How did you start and how do you practice today? Let me know.

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