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 since 2018 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. Starting in mid-2024, I have been getting more 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
3. Starting in late 2024, I have also been doing some guided inquiry practices to break the fetters, starting with fetters 1-6. I have been working with Michael Stroe as well as self-guiding some of the inquiry practices from The Work of Byron Katie.

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.
  • Seeing That Frees by Rob Burbea. One of the most clear and beautifully written books on Emptiness and Dependent Arising, including many lovely guided meditations that progressively take you deeper down the rabbit hole.
  • 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...

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)

Inquiry & Breaking Fetters

• Practice:

  • I strongly recommend working with Michael Stroe. Michael is incredibly kind and generous with his time. It's possible to do these inquiry practices by oneself, but I have found it helpful to have a weekly session with Michael to advance my practice.

• Reading:

  • For fetter 1-3 practices, I have enjoyed reading How to See Through the Self-Illusion by Christiane Michelberger. The website Simply The Seen also has some great materials and some great self-guidance outlines, particularly for the later fetters.
  • For The Work of Byron Katie, her website has plenty of materials including downloadable worksheets: the mobile app is also a handy tool I have on my iPhone. I've also liked her books, particularly Loving What Is and A Mind at Home with Itself.