Meditation Resources:
Why meditate?
“Why do we meditate? This is a question we’d be wise to ask. Why would we even bother to spend time alone with ourselves? First of all, it is helpful to understand that meditation is not just about feeling good. To think this is why we meditate is to set ourselves up for failure. We would assume we’re doing it wrong almost every time we sit down: even the most settled meditator experiences psychological and physical pain. Meditation takes us just as we are, with our confusion and our sanity. This complete acceptance of ourselves as we are is called maitri: a simple, direct relationship with the way we are.
Trying to fix ourselves is not helpful. It implies struggle and self-denigration. Denigrating ourselves is probably the major way that we cover over bodhichitta (awakened or enlightened heart-mind). Does not trying to change mean we have to remain angry and addicted until the day we die? This is a reasonable question. Trying to change ourselves doesn’t work in the long run because we’re resisting our own energy. Self-improvement can have temporary results, but lasting transformation occurs only when we honor ourselves as the source of wisdom and compassion.
We are, as the eighth-century Buddhist master Shantideva pointed out, very much like a blind person who finds a jewel buried in a heap of garbage. Right here in what we’d like to throw away, in what we find repulsive and frightening, we discover the warmth and clarity of bodhichitta. It is only when we begin to relax with ourselves that meditation becomes a transformative process. Only when we relate with ourselves without moralizing, without harshness, without deception, can we let go of harmful patterns. Without maitri, renunciation of old habits becomes abusive. This is an important point.”
- From Pema Chodon, The Places That Scare You
Learning Meditation:
There are two particularly well-studied styles of meditation that have been convincingly shown to decrease stress and various physical manifestations of stress. Both of these places offer short classes (ie a few hours a week for a few weeks) and the techniques they teach are not that demanding and quite easy to incorporate into modern life.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Palouse Mindfulness)
There are also MANY local places that teach meditation, many of which now offer online classes. Here are a few:
New York Insight Meditation Center
Apps:
Headspace I haven’t tried this but many patients have and it gets good reviews.
Simply Being - This is one of my favorites. You can choose the amount of time and what kind of background music you want. The instructions are simple, which I prefer.
Guided Meditations and Dharma Talks:
DharmaSeed This is a website and app that has literally thousands of talks and guided meditations. Many are by amazing teachers I deeply respect. Some personal favorite teachers are: Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield. Many of these teachers also have individual podcasts available on Spotify or other platforms.
Books:
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living
Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart
Pema Chodron, The Places that Scare You, When Things Fall Apart
Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance, True Refuge
Cheri Huber, There is Nothing Wrong with You
Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness Mediation
Meditation Retreats:
Insight Meditation Society (Barre, MA)
Vipassana Meditation Center (They have classes all over the world. Shelburne, MA is closest)