Ask HN: Recommendations for meditation course/exercise with proven benefits?

[wfsch]

Are there folks here who take meditation seriously? Do you recommend any specific meditation course/exercise? Preferably something that has proven benefits?

There are many meditation courses available online but all of them make claims about their techniques, the efficacy of which we cannot verify independently from other sources. They could as well be placebo! I am looking for reliable courses/exercises that are proven to have positive benefits.

The positive benefits could be include any positive benefit (ranging from something like better clarity of thinking to something like better digestion). I am keeping the definition of "positive benefit" open to interpretation so that we can get a variety of responses under this thread.

[_448]

Depends on how deep you want to go with meditation and exercise (these are two different things, btw).

I will suggest few very basic and easy "exercises" of Yoga that have long-term benefits. But Yoga has to go hand-in-hand with dietary discipline. And as they say, good things take time. This is very true with Yoga. It is not a quick-fix type of solution.

So, here are the exercises, they are collectively called as "Praaṇaayam". These are breathing and gut exercises:

https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Pranayam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYu6V0PxIyU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcQW1P6Y7AA

Do these exercises 10-15 mins every day early in the morning and before going to bed. Try to sleep early and wake up early. And have fresh(home cooked) "light and easy" diet as much as possible.

Following these principles will help with general health benefits. It will take some time to see the results of this.

[alecst]

Help me by answering the following questions: what's your experience with meditation already? Are you looking exclusively for an online course? How often are you willing to meet, and how much time do you have to practice? These will help people give you better suggestions.

By the way, a lot of serious folks hang out on r/streamentry, and you may be better off asking there. They're a thoughtful, welcoming, and kind community as a whole.

I'm going to be taking this course in January. It's an online, 3-day course on tummo. There will be a followup in August. https://ligmincha.pl/event/kurs-tummo-styczen/

Incidentally if you're anywhere near NY, I'm trying to put together a tummo practice group in Brooklyn, and you're welcome to join.

[helph67]

This article may help. https://worldfinancialreview.com/meditation-app-for-2021-top... This one contains a warning but also useful advice. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2251840-mindfulness-and...

[antb1235]

Waking up Sam Harris audio book

[blockwriter]

I use the Waking Up app. I don’t know if it meets the “proven claims” standard, but it presents a very intuitive framework. You are simply taking to time to notice the phenomenon of consciousness; the more time you spend in this state, the more nuanced it will become; and a guided meditation helps you stay on the tracks, so to speak, so that a fluency like that of language can develop naturally. I would be put off by anything more esoteric than Sam’s methodology.