How To Start a Serious Meditation Practice

What lies beyond basic Mindfulness that apps aren’t telling you

This is a long post that condenses several large books worth of knowledge and practical advice about meditation into a single read. I’ve split the content into sections, covering key topics: what is advanced meditation, the amazing long-term benefits of meditation, and how-to instructions on how to start advanced meditation: meditation habits, meditation skills, and a daily advanced meditation practice. Let’s begin with some context around my own practice.

I’ve been meditating with increasing seriousness for the past three years. In the early days, I followed the basic apps like everyone else. It was great for a while. Initially, you get a real sense of discovery, finding a new “muscle” that you can build to cope with stress and anxiety, among other things. But after a while, you level off, and it just doesn’t seem to go any further. Why?

Well, because like many good things, meditation has been productized by capitalists. Some former monks, granted, others just your average MBA looking to ride the latest trend. Right now, when it comes to apps, content is king. That’s what sells. So, if you look at meditation apps, you’ll see marketing slogans like “100,000+ guided meditations” or “10,000 teachers”.

For me, the more I digested this content, the less progress I made, and the more confused I felt. Should I get into insight sessions or stick to mindfulness…