What Meditating Every Day for 400 Days Taught Me

What I learned after meditating every day for 400 days. You're doing it all wrong.

#meditation #meditate #howtomeditate

My Early Days Of Meditation: 0:00
What Meditation ISN'T: 2:16
What Meditation IS: 4:33
A Small Guided Meditation: 6:06

𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙨

𝙈𝙮 𝙂𝙚𝙖𝙧

𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩
Hey, I'm Cole Hastings. I'm a vegan athlete/content creator with a passion for videography/video editing, among other things. I try to help people through sharing my experiences and evolution through life.

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[NemoK]

Respectfully re: mindfulness/transcendental meditation not being "real" meditation.

I've been meditating in some form since 8th grade. Inconsistent until four years ago when I decided to use tibetan bells. I'm unsure why you say mindfulness meditation and transcendental are "wrong" when the premise underlying meditation itself is that nothing is "inherently" wrong. There is no wrong way to exist. Mindfulness is a means to cultivate awareness of your body and train yourself to be spontaneously in the moment; Transcendental meditation is a means to focus on a beej (seed) so that your awareness of self dissipates into the moment.

Both - when done thoughtfully, and patiently without expectation - will bring you to the present moment. The end goal is to not have an end goal, but the mind is not naturally directed towards this inclination towards internal quiet.

What you describe when you talk about beginning your meditation journey is characteristic of most people who start the practice. Regardless of what means you choose to meditate you are learning to observe your mind and in so doing, separate yourself from it.

There isn't a "wrong" way to meditate. And to suggest that there is means that there is an ultimate goal to which you should achieve or a right end. Which, as you rightly point out is not the point of meditating. The point of meditating is to be.

So, while I don't think this video is bad, I would ask that you reconsider the framing of mindfulness and transcendental meditation as wrong when they are simply ways to discipline the mind to focus on the present moment. Which then brings about samadhi and spontaneous hereness and oneness after much practice, patience, and reflection.

All the best

[patrickguynn]

The best advice I was ever given on medication was from a monk. "When you try to meditate you'll fall asleep and when you try to fall asleep you meditate."

[calmambientstudyandreading]

I don't want much for my birthday. I just want the person reading this to be healthy, happy and loved. Wishing you a good day.

[XavierHarrison]

If you could erase all mistakes of your past. You would also erase all of the wisdom of your present Remember the lesson, not the disappointment.

[FilmyReact]

Breathing focus is only to bring you into meditative mode but meditation will happen by itself.

[andrewjohnson]

I am born into a Buddhist and Hindu family. My grandfather has been meditating for all of his life. He never meditated for any benifits in his actual life. He meditates because he enjoys it. Sitting with absolutely empty mind is an intoxicating feeling in itself.

[BasedBrothers]

"The goal of meditation is not to control your thoughts, it's to not let your thoughts control you".
Stay Based

[AhmetKaan]

❗ *6 GUIDELINES FOR LIFE:*
*1) When you are alone, mind your thoughts.*
*2) When you are with your friends, mind your tongue.*
*3) When you are angry, mind your temper.*
*4) When you are with a group, mind your behaviour.*
*5) When you are in trouble, mind your emotions.*
*6) When God starts blessing you, mind your ego.*

[fittlea]

It's crazy how doing nothing offers you everything, the world is a interesting place

[abundantras]

“Meditation will not carry you to another world, but it will reveal the most profound and awesome dimensions of the world in which you already live. Calmly contemplating these dimensions and bringing them into the service of compassion and kindness is the right way to make rapid gains in meditation as well as in life.”

-Zen Master Hsing Yun

[SomeJusticek]

I think something that isn't mentioned enough: a meditative state can be reached through doing tasks. You'll reach what's called a flow state and the calm will come.

[ctto]

"Hurt people, Hurt other people. Healed people, heal other people." Thanks Cole! For all the amazing content you make for us.🔥🐐🔥

[juliajodon]

The first couple times I practiced meditation I had panic attacks and concluded that meditation just didn’t work for me. However, I’ve recently got over my fears and tried again and again and again. While I did have another panic attack that first week, it never happened again. I think that since my body wasn’t used to acknowledging all my emotions and got confused, or overwhelmed. I’m much better with meditation now and I’m proud of myself.

[Will-mbus]

Kind of reminded me of this quote by Swami Muktananda: "Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind."

[carerami]

I started meditation not too long ago. I felt like ever since I started I’ve been more grounded with my goals and what I aspire. No matter what your philosophies are, meditation should be in support of that. Highly recommend. 🧘🏾‍♂️

[maaani]

I am convinced that even failures like not realising meditation is not about a great outcome of the practice is truly a part of meditation itself. Everyone who "learns" how to meditate by other individuals are already doing it wrong. Meditation is really about finding all out on your own without any help. This is a fundamental part of the practise!!!

[kylegood]

I still think meditation is the main thing that saved me from dying a drug addict.

What they say has been very true for me
.. First you fit your meditation practice around your life. But if you go far enough, you begin to organize your life around your meditation practice.

It has changed my life in ways I never could have anticipated.

[captainkacke]

To everyone who might think they are doing something wrong while meditating: Don't feel discouraged after watching this video.

First things first; You have the most soothing voice.
I can also see your point, but for me personally, guided "mindfulness" (as you call it) meditation has saved me from the depressive state I was in in 2019. It helped a lot and I carried on with it since. Mainly doing sleep meditation, because I have struggled with insomnia for most of my life.
Still, I think the "advice" you give here is certainly interesting and I want to be able to reach that point with the daily meditations as well.
I just hope your video doesn't discourage people to start incorporating meditation into their daily life because of being afraid of "doing it wrong".
To those reading this in case this applies to you: Don't feel like "simple 'doing' meditations" are wrong. If it's what helps you getting started, if it's what benefits you in your life personally, just go on with it.

[yashmjj]

Back in middle school about 10 years ago, we were forced to do meditation, our principal was hell bent on making us follow the good habits, back then I didn't appreciate the benefits that it had on my mental state and my mental clarity but for 2 weeks I've been getting back into it and I've never felt better

I don't know how the west got the idea that there are two different types of meditation.... There's only ONE meditation and it's practiced to clear your brain from the attachments of your surroundings and let go of the negative aura / energy / thoughts flowing through your body you're not supposed to control your body but let your emotions and worries perish in a state of absolute void

but when you practice and focus on breathing whilst meditating it's no longer meditation, it becomes "Pranayam" which is usually practiced to *control* the flow of your thoughts, concentrate your brain to perform certain activity and not multi task (like breathing, as you mentioned). The deep breathes are said to cleanse your body and help your lungs function better for the longevity of your life

When you chant mantras whilst meditating it becomes a "saadhna" (saa-the-nah) which roughly translates to "worshipping" or "praying to" of a certain god / deity in order to receive blessings.

I hope that was helpful, Thank you for reading

[descai]

The point of the focus method for meditation is to get control over your attention. You don't try to silence your thoughts, you simply take your attention away from them and bring it back to the thing you are focusing on. Once you have stronger control over your attention, the type of meditation you speak of will be easier. It allows you to sit and observe instead of getting caught up in whatever catches your attention.