At this point, 1-2 hours per day of practice, at least 45m upon waking. Mostly sitting, sometimes walking. Usually of the "do nothing" variety, which is to say resting in expansive awareness. My approach is pretty closely detailed here: https://sashachapin.substack.com/p/what-i-wish-someone-had-told-me-about
Lately I've been doing koan practice, which is like do nothing but with a little enigmatic spiciness.
Thank you very much. That article was a great read. Have spent a few months in trial and error experimentation mode myself and it has really smoothed out since a recent shift towards a more metta flavour of sit.
I think as far as i know Sasha mentioned in one of his last interviews that he does "Do Nothing" Meditation now & the "Mu-Koan"? Before I don't know :D
Thank you sincerely. This is a keeper. You have no idea how many lives you are positively influencing, commenting or not, paid or not. Today was my day evidently, along with I’m certain many, many others. All the best
>Practice, now, is about going towards it, placing it right in the center, befriending it.
This reminds me of the story of Buddha and the demon Mara where even after enlightenment the Buddha was still visited by the demon (negative, low-level thoughts) and rather than running, fighting, or shooing him away - he invites him in for tea.
Remembering this has become a practice in and of itself.
Where's the balance between wanting and getting and making our way through our material culture, and beating back the ego to maintain our sanity? Where's the tipping point?
I don't think that meditating in a monastery and carrying buckets of water up and down a mountain is a life well lived, but constant ego feeding with productivity and achievement and social pats on the butt ain't the way to go. Aiming to walk somewhere in between.
This is exactly what I needed to read right now. I've lost my interest in spirituality/meditation for nearly the past year and am slowly coming back to it. I've turned into one of those "people in the kind of background psychological pain and stress" but I will gladly heed your advice.
this sounds so much like a direct reflection of what I've been experiencing. unable to explain it well to friends or my therapist, but having a sudden unabashed self-assuredness and mental clarity???? time stretching out before and behind??? and everything is god!
I feel as if I've put one foot on the path that you're much further down, very much inspired by your post "How I Attained Persistent Self-Love, or, I Demand Deep Okayness For Everyone." I'm meditating for an hour+ each day; I am directly attacking the unworthiness that has been so central to my approach to life for so long; I am feeling just the edges of what you describe; and I am certainly assailed regularly by resurgences of those child parts who are stuck and trying to keep me safe with old defenses. Thank you, as always, for sharing your experiences in such clear and connected terms. It's inspiring and your total honesty is refreshing.
I have been silently asking myself this question as well - "how my day is going". I left Hong Kong to London with my wife and 2 kids over the past year or so and we just returned home a few weeks ago. I went out to meet my friends from school. I love the sense where I don't have to explain myself since we have known each other and even our families by heart. but at the same time I am conscious we all need that attention and we are longing for someone to really ask, "hey, how is your day going lately?" "how have you been?" when you have someone who is willing to set aside other stuff and give full attention to you, it is an amazing gift.
Do you have any posts about what kind of daily practice you engage in? Lovely write-up
At this point, 1-2 hours per day of practice, at least 45m upon waking. Mostly sitting, sometimes walking. Usually of the "do nothing" variety, which is to say resting in expansive awareness. My approach is pretty closely detailed here: https://sashachapin.substack.com/p/what-i-wish-someone-had-told-me-about
Lately I've been doing koan practice, which is like do nothing but with a little enigmatic spiciness.
If that gets too edgy/austere I like to mix in the warmth of heart practice, lately I like this guided meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t45O5g_sVE4
Feel free to email me with any questions you have!
Thank you very much. That article was a great read. Have spent a few months in trial and error experimentation mode myself and it has really smoothed out since a recent shift towards a more metta flavour of sit.
I think as far as i know Sasha mentioned in one of his last interviews that he does "Do Nothing" Meditation now & the "Mu-Koan"? Before I don't know :D
I'll have what you're having.
Thank you sincerely. This is a keeper. You have no idea how many lives you are positively influencing, commenting or not, paid or not. Today was my day evidently, along with I’m certain many, many others. All the best
This was a really beautiful read, thank you so much for writing this down.
Reading this post reminds me of the PNSE paper: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/tMhEv28KJYWsu6Wdo/kensh?commentId=rdspAcLwuwS85kGKx
The PNSE paper has some issues IMO, but it's perhaps the closest thing I've found to a perfect description of the experiences I've had.
>Practice, now, is about going towards it, placing it right in the center, befriending it.
This reminds me of the story of Buddha and the demon Mara where even after enlightenment the Buddha was still visited by the demon (negative, low-level thoughts) and rather than running, fighting, or shooing him away - he invites him in for tea.
Remembering this has become a practice in and of itself.
Thank-you. Beautifully said, and it gives me something to look forward to—if not in this life, then in the one to come.
Where's the balance between wanting and getting and making our way through our material culture, and beating back the ego to maintain our sanity? Where's the tipping point?
I don't think that meditating in a monastery and carrying buckets of water up and down a mountain is a life well lived, but constant ego feeding with productivity and achievement and social pats on the butt ain't the way to go. Aiming to walk somewhere in between.
They call it, "the middle way" ;)
I'm answering emails while carrying a bucket.
This is exactly what I needed to read right now. I've lost my interest in spirituality/meditation for nearly the past year and am slowly coming back to it. I've turned into one of those "people in the kind of background psychological pain and stress" but I will gladly heed your advice.
this sounds so much like a direct reflection of what I've been experiencing. unable to explain it well to friends or my therapist, but having a sudden unabashed self-assuredness and mental clarity???? time stretching out before and behind??? and everything is god!
This sounds so nice. But as someone that has a podcast or audiobook or music constantly playing it feels pretty far away.
So lovely to hear how you're doing!
Belated happy birthday! 🤗♥️
You might enjoy: https://unalienation.substack.com/p/the-valence-conspiracy
I feel as if I've put one foot on the path that you're much further down, very much inspired by your post "How I Attained Persistent Self-Love, or, I Demand Deep Okayness For Everyone." I'm meditating for an hour+ each day; I am directly attacking the unworthiness that has been so central to my approach to life for so long; I am feeling just the edges of what you describe; and I am certainly assailed regularly by resurgences of those child parts who are stuck and trying to keep me safe with old defenses. Thank you, as always, for sharing your experiences in such clear and connected terms. It's inspiring and your total honesty is refreshing.
Yes to this statement - “I am directly attacking the unworthiness that has been so central to my approach to life for so long”
What kinds of meditation practise do you do?
Described above in reply to top comment!
I have been silently asking myself this question as well - "how my day is going". I left Hong Kong to London with my wife and 2 kids over the past year or so and we just returned home a few weeks ago. I went out to meet my friends from school. I love the sense where I don't have to explain myself since we have known each other and even our families by heart. but at the same time I am conscious we all need that attention and we are longing for someone to really ask, "hey, how is your day going lately?" "how have you been?" when you have someone who is willing to set aside other stuff and give full attention to you, it is an amazing gift.