Yanda's Meditation Resources

Context

A regular meditation practice has changed my life in profound ways. I started meditating actively in 2017. Here are some of my favorite meditation resources.

Types of Meditation

1. My regular practice has been a relaxed approach focused on discovering and cultivating non-dual awareness and understanding the nature of consciousness. I originally discovered this method via Sam Harris' WakingUp program, but have also practiced it with Mingyur Rinpoche and Stephen Bodian. Beyond relaxation, this is an insight practice designed to help you discover the nature of mind and reality.
2. I've also incorporated some sitting practice in the 9 Bodies style of mediation. This has been an effortless way to access some deep concentration and spaciousness.
3. Most recently, I have been getting into the jhānas, thanks to the guidance from the awesome folks at Jhourney. These meditative states have allowed me to conjure up feelings of joy, happiness, contentment, and deep relaxation on-demand, not conditioned by "causes." This has been a life-changing discovery

Non-Dual Meditation

• Practice:

  • Sam Harris' WakingUp app. The introduction course is awesome, there are tons of great daily meditations both from Sam and other teachers. Stephen Bodian's has a Direct Approach series in the book, which includes one of my favorite guided meditations
  • Mingyur Rinpoche's meditation classes and retreats, some of which are online, some in-person. Start with The Joy of Living, and if called, follow it with the more advanced Path of Liberation
  • Stephen Bodian's School for Awakening

• Reading:

  • Waking Up by Sam Harris. The book that started my meditation journey in earnest.
  • The Joy of Living by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. An easy onramp to meditation, with actionable and immediate benefits. Meant to be read as an instruction manual (with practice meditations, etc).
  • Turning Confusion into Clarity by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. An instruction manual, with practice meditations, to the most important & fundamental insight of meditation: that the self is an illusion. If you want to go down the rabbit hole...

9 Bodies

• Practice:

  • The events from the fine folks at Dharma Ground. They also have a great library of guided meditations

• Reading:

  • Awakening through the Nine Bodies by Phillip Moffitt

Jhanas

• Practice:

  • I strongly recommend taking a retreat from the folks at Jhourney. They follow a scientific mindset approach to discovering and cultivating the jhanas.

• Reading:

  • Right Concentration by Leigh Brasington
  • The Path to Nibbana by David Johnson, which explains the metta-focused jhana practice known as TWIM (Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation)