Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long should I meditate? Many people wonder what is a reasonable time to give to meditation.

One kind of answer is: meditate for a comfortable period of time, long enough to allow the mind to settle down and to enjoy it.  At first this may be just 10 or 20 minutes. It should be a length of time which you can enjoy without a lot of discomfort, either physically or emotionally. Using a timer allows you to stop worrying about time and other responsibilities, knowing that you are okay until the timer rings.

After you are comfortable with this period of time, you might like to experiment with gradually lengthening the time. But do this because you want to and are ready to--not as some sort of achievement, not for bragging rights! It is worthwhile to lengthen the period of meditation. You can reach a depth of calm and clarity not possible with shorter periods. But since goal-orientation and meditation do no mix, be sure you can do this comfortably and enjoyably.

On a deeper level: you should meditate all day long. Use your time of sitting meditation as the base from which you cultivate mindfulness throughout the day. Touch base with your meditative calm throughout the day: moments between phone calls, work breaks, waiting at stop signs and traffic lights, standing in line at the bank or grocery store.

2. Do I have to give up my own religious faith (or lack of one!) and become a Buddhist to practice living more mindfully?

Of course not. If you look for them, many religious traditions contain elements of mindfulness. For example, Christ said not to be anxious about tomorrow, but to let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day. Keep an eye out for these elements of connection. The great thing about mindfulness practice is that you do not have to subscribe to any particular belief system at all. It is in fact a wonderful way to enjoy your life, and to be in touch with your own inner wisdom or Buddha nature. If it is possible to maintain contact with your own faith tradition, this is usually helpful, unless your experience of that tradition was simply too negative.

3. Do I have to give up things I enjoy to practice mindfulness?

This is a tricky one. One of the difficulties of many spiritual paths is the notion of having to give things up. While it is true that some things are not as conducive to mindfulness as others, we think it is best to discover these as you go along. Be hesitant about giving up any simple human pleasures which help make your life feel worthwhile. When you do this kind of thing, your practice becomes a struggle more than a joy. Instead, engage in those pleasures as mindfully as you can, and let your own mindfulness show you the way. Occasionally, try to break up your usual patterns just to experience what this is like. For example, if you generally watch TV in the evenings, try to do this as mindfully as you can. Be aware of the effect the programs you watch have on you. And occasionally, as an experiment, try an evening without it, just to see what this is like and to break up the automatic nature of the habit energy. But be very careful about doing things which cause a feeling of deprivation.