Is There Any Point In Meditating For 30 Mins A Day?

[electroBeam]

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that Leo was giving shit to someone who was only meditating for 20 mins a day, and it was suggested that the individual should meditate for 10 hours per day.

To be honest, I kind of agree that 20 minutes of meditation per day doesn't really do anything. I have been meditating for a long while now(30 mins a day) and I haven't seen any benefits(if at all) or even any changes to my perspectives of life. And when you look at how people meditated back 2000 years ago, they spent literally all day meditating, and it still took them heaps of time to start seeing through their dogmatic bullshit.

So is there any point of meditating if you are only going to do it for at most 1 hour per day? Or is that time spent meditating much more worth while spent in reading personal development books, or homework or something? It doesn't seem reasonable to spend 1 hour or 30 minutes of your day on meditation if the benefits obtained from it will only start to arise in like 40 years or something.

[ElenaO]

I do see benefits even from 20 minutes. Even though I have to say that I only see the real benefits when I actually stay focused while meditating. I often tend to become lazy and just let the minutes pass just to get over with. However, when I stay focused and notice my thoughts I sometimes have crazy levels of awareness throughout the day. This happens quite rarely, though. Unfortunately.

[Leo Gura]

@electroBeam Until about 6 months ago, I meditated for no more than 60 mins per day, and I was seeing good results.

The intent and focus you put into your 20 mins is way more important than sheer quantity of minutes.

I said 10 hours per day in the very radical context of using meditation to fix all of life's problems.

You guys need to listen more carefully. I notice a lot of sloppy listening, where you listen without any nuance and your ego runs away with it.

Sloppy listeners are not cut out for spiritual pursuits.

[Juan Cruz Giusto]

@Leo Gura How much are you meditating nowadays? I've just reached the 1 hour mark and I plan to maintain it for a couple of years and some retreats once in a while...

[key]

Is there any point in meditating for 30 mins a day? 

Nope, not really.

2 hours ago, electroBeam said:

I I have been meditating for a long while now(30 mins a day) and I haven't seen any benefits(if at all) or even any changes to my perspectives of life.

Maybe because there is no life. Gets spoken about a lot, but really, you're constantly comparing thoughts which have no relation to each other and hoping for something radically different, sound familiar? Maybe something an ego would do?

2 hours ago, electroBeam said:

is that time spent meditating much more worth while spent in reading personal development books, or homework or something? It doesn't seem reasonable to spend 1 hour or 30 minutes of your day on meditation if the benefits obtained from it will only start to arise in like 40 years or something.

Why not live life? Because you're so unhappy? Because you want to self actualize? Self realise? Be Content? Am I listing real obtainable goals or just more thoughts?

Meditation is a concept, that concept helps us* notice what's going on in the moment, don't trap yourself in thinking you must sit still, quitely, while implementing a technique, because "meditation" can be done anywhere at any time.

2 hours ago, electroBeam said:

To be honest, I kind of agree that 20 minutes of meditation per day doesn't really do anything. 

 It's okay to believe in thoughts, but maybe those very beliefs are the actual problem you think you have, not what you think it's pointing to... 

* you are ego, I am ego, life is ego, death is ego, culture is ego, society is ego, ego is thought. 

Nothing need be done, it's only you who says so. 

Edited October 22, 2016 by key

[Prabhaker]

2 hours ago, electroBeam said:

meditating for 20 mins a day

 what will you do in the remaining time? Whatever you will gain in twenty minutes…what are you going to do in the remaining twenty-three hours and forty minutes? – something anti-meditative. Naturally your twenty minutes will be defeated. The enemies are too big, and you are giving too much juice and energy to the enemies and just twenty minutes for meditation.

You can learn meditation for twenty minutes or forty minutes – learning is one thing – but then you have to carry whatever you have learned day in, day out. Meditation has to become just like your heartbeat.

You cannot say, “Is it enough, to breathe for twenty minutes every day?” 

Twenty minutes time is not meditation, that time is only to refresh yourself – and then again you will have to work, earn, do your job and a thousand and one things. Just remain alert whether it is still there inside or it has disappeared.

This continuity then becomes a garland of twenty-four hours. Only then, will you be able to experience divine – not before it.

[Bob84]

@electroBeam In its most basic form: to calm the mind.
And since the mind is often like a monkey on steroids, calming it down can be very useful.

 

[LaucherJunge]

There are tons of scientific studies which show the benefits of meditation and the control groups would very unlikely do  no more than 15-45 minutes a day. There are tons of videos, ted talks, google talks you name it.. that show the benefits enlightenment is not everything in fact i would be still meditating 2 hours a day if there would be no such thing as enlightenment.
If you do not see changes keep in mind:
1. not constant, sometimes you might be doing even worse than without meditation for a period of time because you are purging a lot of garbage.
2. If a small change comes over a long period of time you just do not notice it.
 

Edited October 23, 2016 by LaucherJunge

[Xpansion]

Meditation is about being, not getting or doing. Sitting or formal practice is not something you just do and then expect miraculous changes to your life. That is called spiritual bypassing.   Formal practice is just the base. You sit, you observe, you get to know your mind and you cultivate loving kindness towards yourself. You see how everything that arises is impermanent, suffering and not self. Even the most pleasant things are suffering because they end.  Because you get to know yourself in this way you will then begin to see others with more compassion.  You then need to begin to live the practice ie you need to bring mindfulness and compassion into every thing you do whenever you can. Your life must become a meditation. 

What you see when you sit is not always blissful or enjoyable.  It's more often than not painful and requires great patience and courage.  Once you are still and the purification process begins you are going to face your demons. A lot of shit will surface and your mind will run rampant.   These thoughts you are having about it "not working" are exactly what happens. It's your mind or ego demanding something, demanding results, achievement, accomplishment etc. This is craving. Watch these thoughts and see how they are not self, not permanent and cause you suffering.   Stop looking for an effect or experience. Let  go of all expectations and just sit.   

Edited October 22, 2016 by Xpansion

[RossE]

I've definitely had effects and I've only been doing it consistently for 3 months - mainly using the do nothing technique with some others thrown in. How about changing the technique?

[Prabhaker]

2 hours ago, RossE said:

I've definitely had effects and I've only been doing it consistently for 3 months - mainly using the do nothing technique with some others thrown in. How about changing the technique?

The mind is always searching for novelty, for something new. You can feel effects in 3 months, what more do you want ?

If you can sit, not doing anything, this is the ultimate in meditations. There is no need for any other thing.  If that is possible just sit, do nothing – everything settles by itself, everything simply flows by itself. You are not needed to do anything. But the problem is: can you sit doing nothing?

[ajasatya]

i'd recommend no less than 25 minutes. on the first 20 minutes we usually just witness mental earthquake and no actual stillness.

[Boss]

I meditate about 10 mins a day and I could feel the benefits, But I also do 5 mins of prayer after as that helped me personally.

Time actually flies when I meditate so I could see why meditating longer will be better.  

[RossE]

@Prabhaker I'm not sure why you said this, I was suggesting that electroBeam changes his practice.

[Prabhaker]

3 minutes ago, RossE said:

I'm not sure why you said this, I was suggesting that electroBeam changes his practice.

Meditation is not a technique,  technique may help in growing to a state of meditation, but meditation is an attitude. so whatever you do can become meditative. 

Do whatever you are doing -- walking on the street, running, taking a bath, eating, going to sleep, lying on the bed, relaxing -- and remain with the activity totally. With no past, no future, remain in the present. It will be difficult in the beginning -- very difficult and very arduous -- but by and by you will get the feel of it and then a new door will open, a new realm. Live in the present. Live in the meditative quality of the present is more important than technique.