How to Meditate with Vipassana Techniques

Meditation is not only good for you--it's a useful skill as well. Once you learn how to do Vipassana, you can manage your stress levels without much effort.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Extreme concentration, but don't give yourself a headache!

1. Close your eyes. Sit on the floor or on a low, comfortable cushion. Position yourself cross-legged, in the lotus position, or with your legs straight out in front of you. Start concentrating on your breathing by feeling the current of air exiting your nostrils. Feel how your breath touches the area above the middle of your top lip. Do not count your breaths; just be aware of the process.

2. Do not think or daydream or envision anything. When you notice that your mind is straying off, don't fight yourself--bring your attention back to your upper lip. After you have meditated in this style for a few hours (no joke) you can start bringing your awareness away from your breath. Move your awareness to the top of your head.

3. Slowly bring your concentration to your eyes, cheeks, lips, neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, pelvis, thighs, calves, ankles, heels, and toes. Do not lead your mind by force; just follow your body's natural flow of sensations. You will feel pain at certain points (especially if you are very still), but it will go away, inevitably. (Remember: and this too, will pass.)

Tips & Warnings

• Do not fidget or scratch your head, this will only lead to more fidgeting and will break your concentration.
• There is much more to Vipassana that only a certified teacher or Goenka could tell you (of course, you could also listen to your innermost intuition, at that point we are all Buddhas). I am not an expert in the least, but I do have some experience—not as a Buddha, but as a Vipassana meditation student.

[staysik]

on 12/12/2008 Wow, a few hours! That is really impressive. The longest I've done Vipassana is probably about an hour!

[MFoust]

on 12/11/2008 I just might try this...

[Alishamitchum]

on 12/10/2008 Sounds like a relaxing time! Thanks.