A NEW LEVEL

Going deeper in your practice

Meditation is a continual journey—there is always more to learn or experience about yourself and your practice. Once you’ve established meditation as a strong daily habit, you might be asking yourself: “What next?”

After practicing the same meditation technique every day for several months, many meditators begin to feel as though they aren’t making as much progress anymore. This is completely normal. You can try any of the following ideas to help you go deeper in your practice. Choose whichever are most practical for you.

MEDITATE FOR LONGER

There are no fixed rules for how long your sessions should be, but a general guideline is to arrive at a point where you meditate for at least 20 minutes per session, every day. If you already do that, you can try increasing this to 30–40 minutes. However, if you are seeking the spiritual benefits of meditation (see here and here), many teachers recommend that your daily session lasts for at least 40 minutes to 1 hour.

FOCUS ON QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

You can improve the quality of your meditation in two ways: by increasing its intensity and by preparing for your practice.

To increase the intensity of your practice, have a strong intention to really give yourself fully to your practice. We pay attention to what we consider important, so make sure you are taking it seriously. Mastering the art of concentration will also help you to generate some of that inner fire (see here).

Just as you need to warm up before exercising, calming your body and centering your mind will help you achieve the optimal state for meditation:

Alternate nostril breathing, Humming Bee Pranayama, and Mini-meditation 1 calm your body and breath.

Incorporating an element of ritual into your practice helps to center your mind (see here).

INTEGRATE MEDITATION INTO YOUR DAY

The quality of your meditation influences your daily life, but the quality of your mind in daily life also influences your meditation. Keep your mind less busy and restless during the day by integrating pauses and mini-meditations into your life and making your activities meditative (see here).

CONNECT MORE DEEPLY WITH THE PRACTICE

Spend time reflecting on your practice and learning more about it so it becomes a greater part of your life. You can try:

Journaling your experiences and progress

Reading around the subject (see here).

Joining a meditation group and spending time with other meditators

Finding a meditation teacher that you can talk to, be inspired by, and ask questions

Going to a meditation retreat (see here).