The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness

by Culadasa (John Yates)

Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish in this particular session. Think about the problems you’ve been working on in recent sits, and decide how you can best apply yourself to the practice today. Then choose a goal for this sit that’s reasonable given your recent progress. At first, your goals can be simple, such as not giving up and daydreaming, or remaining patient when your mind wanders or you get drowsy. Understanding the Stages and which one you’re at is a powerful tool for setting realistic goals, so periodically revisit the Overview. 3. BEWARE OF EXPECTATIONS You should set goals and practice diligently to achieve them, but be careful of ambitious expectations about where you “should be.” You can easily set yourself up for disappointment. Resolve to hold the goals you’ve set very lightly, to find enjoyment in every meditation no matter what happens, and to savor any achievement. Simply sitting down to practice is an accomplishment. There will be sessions where it’s easy to focus. This is the fruit of your previous practice. But don’t expect to notice obvious progress each time you sit. There will be plateaus where nothing seems to change for days or weeks. Today, you may have less stability of attention or mindfulness than you did weeks or even months ago. That’s normal, so stay relaxed. Make your effort diligent, yet joyful. Don’t get caught up in expectations. And always remember, there is no such thing as a “bad” meditation. 4. COMMIT TO DILIGENCE Diligence me...