Regarding your last sentences in your second to last paragraph, perhaps it's a both/and. Perhaps, accepting what is starts first AND then acting. I have found when my actions come from resistance, I am fear based. When Acceptance of it all lies as the foundation, I act from love, and there is a sense of flow, of meaning, of purpose.
I grew up Christian and transitioned towards Buddhism in my late 20s. It's interesting you say spending time meditating pushed you more towards Christianity. In comparison, I feel a lot of messaging in Christianity does not give you a toolset or instructions on how to do what it says you should do. Whereas Buddhist lessons are actionable how-tos, giving you instructions on how to actually see reality and then start to transcend suffering.
But also, I spent years thinking all I should read / focus on were Buddhist teachings, only later to really appreciate we are animals, physical beings in this world, and the best practice is taking the skillset and engaging with all this world has to offer. A balance of both. All the active things you suggest.
Id be interested to know if it was a vipassana retreat you attended? Vipassana means ‘insight’ which is essentially aimed at seeing reality without judgements or illusions, using mindfulness and concentration as the tools to achieve this..
Many of us are identified with the incessant voice (our egoic, rational mind) that likes to narrate our every experience, passing judgement and preference to how things should be. However, you only need to observe the pauses in this voice to see that it’s not you. When it stops, you’re still there watching.
You can do this wherever and whenever you want, and it helps you remain present and peaceful. This is a form of meditation, and I think if you manage to implement it, you may eventually find yourself drawn back to the meditation cushion through your own inquisition. It certainly shouldn’t feel like a chore though (not that you need me to tell you that!)
Thanks for this post Tommy. It was beautifully written with some lovely insights.
Love this: “Generally, I've fallen away from meditation and moved towards embodied rituals that I find more helpful. Journaling, exercise, and time in nature, among others.”
I’ve spent a lot of time meditating in my life. But it was more out of a sense of compulsion because meditation is just the thing all successful and smart and insightful and wise people do. Or so we’re told. Did it help me? Maybe, hard to say. Does exercise or getting out of my head and into my body help me? 1000% it does.
I’ve settled on more active practices over meditation. Journaling, running, lifting, hiking, walking all day, interacting with people. Something different works for everyone, but I find these practices much more helpful than sitting on a cushion (I already sit at my lap top 8+ hours per day).
If you want to examine your soul, exercise until you want to drop to the ground. You’ll get a crystal clear picture of exactly who you are.
Joe Rogan describes this philosophy as exercising to “let the demons out” - the more intense, the better. Though I would love to find deep value in meditation, and I sometimes do with yoga, I definitely find myself pursuing physical activities as a sort of mental + physical exercise.
Working in the trades, this is a balance that I strike on the daily. My work demands a physical ability to shoulder carry heavy material and throw concrete bags while also meticulously calculating and planning the layout of a project to ensure an appealing finish.
Have you found serenity in any work activities that require physical and mental sharpness, such as building?
Wow. You’ve provided a solution for the question I’ve had for about a year: why won’t I sit and meditate? I’ve had a few bouts of realization of a meditative practice. At one point, I had an intuitive message that sitting and meditating wasn’t for me, I was meant to go out and explore the world - to find oneness and connect with the land and beings on this earth. However, until I read this article I don’t think I completely understood how being in the world was like meditation. Like you said, it brings us closer to our bodies. Closer to our animal selves. I love that! The one activity that brings me closer to my body is working with horses. The horses have helped me develop a grounded practice to work on my body, and through that work with them. It’s wild. It’s cool. It’s amazing. I notice changes in my body when I don’t go spend time with my horse regularly. I fall out of it. She’s my teacher and it’s the most amazing connection I have.
Beautiful and meditative essay as always! I’d want to push back though on that idea from Sarris that meditating just contributes to more sitting so we should just skip it and do embodied practices/activities. I’m all for embodied practices - any time, any day! But! I think if one’s life contains too much sitting, the answer isn’t to cut meditation, but to reduce the other kinds of sitting (work standing if possible, etc). Totally agree we shouldn’t stop at Meditation, because it can trap us in our head. I believe, however, that the skills we hone meditating will transfer to the more physical practices we do. Sam Harris said that cycling or swimming (or any other physical activity) can indeed be meditative, but we first need to develop the sensibility in meditation to truly know how to pay attention.
Anyway, i I truly enjoyed this piece because I believe the message is truly important!
I've felt eerily the same: "But nowhere did I find more embodiment than my three months of Brazilian jiu-jitsu." Many iterations of meditation, therapy, yoga did not even come close to how the repeated exposure to the demands of a few months of BJJ to make myself be safe/functional in a very scary (but actually safe), immediate situation. And I would say I'm the 'right' type of person for a lot of those introspective practices. My theory is that practicing BJJ helped my body differentiate between fake-unsafe and real-unsafe situations. I do think the combination of both types of practice is where it's at, but also meditation-heads can really overemphasise the one-size-fits-all benefits of it as you say.
Your journey through the meditation retreat was quite the adventure! I resonate with your emphasis on an active lifestyle—I try to run or do calisthenics daily. It's refreshing to hear your perspective on finding clarity through embodied rituals. Keep planting those trees! 🌳
"At the gym or on a long run, I still think about nagging problems or essay ideas or my to-do list. Not in BJJ. There was a need to be intensely present or find myself in a triangle choke, arm bar, or ankle lock. I forgot entirely about the external world of wanting and achieving. I forgot entirely about myself. There was a certain primal joy. The physicality, the force, the measured aggression, the sheer exhaustion. I felt like an animal."
Great post, Tommy. BJJ is terrific, I think, because it's kickstarts your fight-or-flight instinct. No time for introspection when you've got a sweaty dude (or gal!) on top of you and you're trying not to pass out!
If you're trying to mix it up, here are some other ways to get into that "primal" flow, feel like an animal, and not revisit mental drafts of your next newsletter:
- Set a repeating 1-min timer. Do 10 burpees and when the timer goes off, do 12, then 14, and so on until you miss the interval and feel like you just got chased down by a grizzly bear.
- Pick a weight that's between 50-70% of your 1RM in any exercise (squats or bench press are a favorite). Do 20 reps of that exercise, but, in between each rep, and without setting the weight down, take 2-3 big slow breaths. Keep a spotter or safety bars close by since this replicates the feeling of wrestling with a anaconda.
- Throw on a backpack with 20-40 pounds of weigh loaded on to it. Hop on a treadmill at 15:00min/miles and every 2 minutes, up the incline by 1%. See how long you can last without rolling down the metaphorical mountain.
- With very heavy dumbbells or kettlebells, do a 40-yd farmer carry and then 20 shrugs over and over -- never putting down the weight -- until either your grip or shoulders can't handle the pressure.
...in attempting to determine which animal to become i distracted myself by looking at funny animal pictures (https://discover.hubpages.com/animals/Top-10-Most-Funny-Looking-Animals-in-the-World)...there are many who look down on multitasking but i have enjoyed adding meditation/prayer to some of my active tasks...hike AND find god...anyhow I settled on becoming a gloster canary...wish me luck and soup...
Reading the comments and struck by what an interesting, engaged, and wise collection of readers you've brought to your party Tommy. That's something to note. Agreeing here with all of the diverse perspectives touched upon. As a friend I have to admit I'm a little sad you've drawn your conclusions about meditation already. Generally, I'd advise that the conclusion making process start after the age of 50. : ) But no one knows their path better than the one who is on it. I always enjoy the view you share of your own.
As always, I really enjoyed your writing here. It’s great that you received more clarity on your direction in life by going on the meditation retreat. I always thought of meditation as something you can do anywhere. The sitting is a practice. You’re sitting practicing being present, so when you go about your day you can also be present. I’ve also heard from psychiatrists that you only need to sit 10 to 20 minutes a day to see benefits from meditation.
I have an interest in religion especially Buddhism and Christianity. There are many ways to practice both. Have you read Thich Nhat Hanh’s books on the comparisons between Jesus and Buddha? I think you would enjoy them. Many of their teachings were similar. Loving all, compassion, openness, being present. Much of the Christian sects have taken Jesus’ teachings and twisted them. I don’t like to call myself a Christian, but a follower of Jesus.
There are more things that I appreciated in your writing here. But this is a long enough comment. 😀. Have a great week.
Sitting quietly, gently pushing away thoughts as they float into my brain, breathing deeply, and becoming calm.
The concept of meditation is attractive. Yes, I would like to be still and get lost in shadowy nothingness.
I am better when I do guided meditation. I can emerge from those sessions feeling peaceful, rejuvenated, focused, and ready to act.
I can feel the same benefits when I practice a musical piece, repeating a difficult passage until my hands can perform it smoothly. I can calm my fevered mind by coloring an intricate line drawing. I can allow ideas to enter my consciousness by listening to favorite music while walking in my neighborhood.
Going on a retreat, isolating from companions, listening instead of vocalizing, and tapping into thoughts that have been percolating beneath the surface sound like worthy activities. My preference would be to find ways to reach that inner peace at home, surrounded by familiar, beloved comforts.
Reading your essays can also be a meditative exercise, Tommy!
As a person who thinks a lot, I’m also learning the immense value of doing embodied things. I believe that we’re created as embodied beings (another thing I’m relearning as I read Genesis), and I’m finding it’s good to remind myself of that!
I love reading your Substacks, Tommy.
Regarding your last sentences in your second to last paragraph, perhaps it's a both/and. Perhaps, accepting what is starts first AND then acting. I have found when my actions come from resistance, I am fear based. When Acceptance of it all lies as the foundation, I act from love, and there is a sense of flow, of meaning, of purpose.
I grew up Christian and transitioned towards Buddhism in my late 20s. It's interesting you say spending time meditating pushed you more towards Christianity. In comparison, I feel a lot of messaging in Christianity does not give you a toolset or instructions on how to do what it says you should do. Whereas Buddhist lessons are actionable how-tos, giving you instructions on how to actually see reality and then start to transcend suffering.
But also, I spent years thinking all I should read / focus on were Buddhist teachings, only later to really appreciate we are animals, physical beings in this world, and the best practice is taking the skillset and engaging with all this world has to offer. A balance of both. All the active things you suggest.
Id be interested to know if it was a vipassana retreat you attended? Vipassana means ‘insight’ which is essentially aimed at seeing reality without judgements or illusions, using mindfulness and concentration as the tools to achieve this..
Many of us are identified with the incessant voice (our egoic, rational mind) that likes to narrate our every experience, passing judgement and preference to how things should be. However, you only need to observe the pauses in this voice to see that it’s not you. When it stops, you’re still there watching.
You can do this wherever and whenever you want, and it helps you remain present and peaceful. This is a form of meditation, and I think if you manage to implement it, you may eventually find yourself drawn back to the meditation cushion through your own inquisition. It certainly shouldn’t feel like a chore though (not that you need me to tell you that!)
Thanks for this post Tommy. It was beautifully written with some lovely insights.
Love this: “Generally, I've fallen away from meditation and moved towards embodied rituals that I find more helpful. Journaling, exercise, and time in nature, among others.”
I’ve spent a lot of time meditating in my life. But it was more out of a sense of compulsion because meditation is just the thing all successful and smart and insightful and wise people do. Or so we’re told. Did it help me? Maybe, hard to say. Does exercise or getting out of my head and into my body help me? 1000% it does.
I’ve settled on more active practices over meditation. Journaling, running, lifting, hiking, walking all day, interacting with people. Something different works for everyone, but I find these practices much more helpful than sitting on a cushion (I already sit at my lap top 8+ hours per day).
If you want to examine your soul, exercise until you want to drop to the ground. You’ll get a crystal clear picture of exactly who you are.
Great piece Tommy, thanks for sharing.
Joe Rogan describes this philosophy as exercising to “let the demons out” - the more intense, the better. Though I would love to find deep value in meditation, and I sometimes do with yoga, I definitely find myself pursuing physical activities as a sort of mental + physical exercise.
Working in the trades, this is a balance that I strike on the daily. My work demands a physical ability to shoulder carry heavy material and throw concrete bags while also meticulously calculating and planning the layout of a project to ensure an appealing finish.
Have you found serenity in any work activities that require physical and mental sharpness, such as building?
Wow. You’ve provided a solution for the question I’ve had for about a year: why won’t I sit and meditate? I’ve had a few bouts of realization of a meditative practice. At one point, I had an intuitive message that sitting and meditating wasn’t for me, I was meant to go out and explore the world - to find oneness and connect with the land and beings on this earth. However, until I read this article I don’t think I completely understood how being in the world was like meditation. Like you said, it brings us closer to our bodies. Closer to our animal selves. I love that! The one activity that brings me closer to my body is working with horses. The horses have helped me develop a grounded practice to work on my body, and through that work with them. It’s wild. It’s cool. It’s amazing. I notice changes in my body when I don’t go spend time with my horse regularly. I fall out of it. She’s my teacher and it’s the most amazing connection I have.
Beautiful and meditative essay as always! I’d want to push back though on that idea from Sarris that meditating just contributes to more sitting so we should just skip it and do embodied practices/activities. I’m all for embodied practices - any time, any day! But! I think if one’s life contains too much sitting, the answer isn’t to cut meditation, but to reduce the other kinds of sitting (work standing if possible, etc). Totally agree we shouldn’t stop at Meditation, because it can trap us in our head. I believe, however, that the skills we hone meditating will transfer to the more physical practices we do. Sam Harris said that cycling or swimming (or any other physical activity) can indeed be meditative, but we first need to develop the sensibility in meditation to truly know how to pay attention.
Anyway, i I truly enjoyed this piece because I believe the message is truly important!
I've felt eerily the same: "But nowhere did I find more embodiment than my three months of Brazilian jiu-jitsu." Many iterations of meditation, therapy, yoga did not even come close to how the repeated exposure to the demands of a few months of BJJ to make myself be safe/functional in a very scary (but actually safe), immediate situation. And I would say I'm the 'right' type of person for a lot of those introspective practices. My theory is that practicing BJJ helped my body differentiate between fake-unsafe and real-unsafe situations. I do think the combination of both types of practice is where it's at, but also meditation-heads can really overemphasise the one-size-fits-all benefits of it as you say.
Your journey through the meditation retreat was quite the adventure! I resonate with your emphasis on an active lifestyle—I try to run or do calisthenics daily. It's refreshing to hear your perspective on finding clarity through embodied rituals. Keep planting those trees! 🌳
"At the gym or on a long run, I still think about nagging problems or essay ideas or my to-do list. Not in BJJ. There was a need to be intensely present or find myself in a triangle choke, arm bar, or ankle lock. I forgot entirely about the external world of wanting and achieving. I forgot entirely about myself. There was a certain primal joy. The physicality, the force, the measured aggression, the sheer exhaustion. I felt like an animal."
Great post, Tommy. BJJ is terrific, I think, because it's kickstarts your fight-or-flight instinct. No time for introspection when you've got a sweaty dude (or gal!) on top of you and you're trying not to pass out!
If you're trying to mix it up, here are some other ways to get into that "primal" flow, feel like an animal, and not revisit mental drafts of your next newsletter:
- Set a repeating 1-min timer. Do 10 burpees and when the timer goes off, do 12, then 14, and so on until you miss the interval and feel like you just got chased down by a grizzly bear.
- Pick a weight that's between 50-70% of your 1RM in any exercise (squats or bench press are a favorite). Do 20 reps of that exercise, but, in between each rep, and without setting the weight down, take 2-3 big slow breaths. Keep a spotter or safety bars close by since this replicates the feeling of wrestling with a anaconda.
- Throw on a backpack with 20-40 pounds of weigh loaded on to it. Hop on a treadmill at 15:00min/miles and every 2 minutes, up the incline by 1%. See how long you can last without rolling down the metaphorical mountain.
- With very heavy dumbbells or kettlebells, do a 40-yd farmer carry and then 20 shrugs over and over -- never putting down the weight -- until either your grip or shoulders can't handle the pressure.
"Worship the sun" had me laughing. Inspired by this, thanks for writing!
...in attempting to determine which animal to become i distracted myself by looking at funny animal pictures (https://discover.hubpages.com/animals/Top-10-Most-Funny-Looking-Animals-in-the-World)...there are many who look down on multitasking but i have enjoyed adding meditation/prayer to some of my active tasks...hike AND find god...anyhow I settled on becoming a gloster canary...wish me luck and soup...
Reading the comments and struck by what an interesting, engaged, and wise collection of readers you've brought to your party Tommy. That's something to note. Agreeing here with all of the diverse perspectives touched upon. As a friend I have to admit I'm a little sad you've drawn your conclusions about meditation already. Generally, I'd advise that the conclusion making process start after the age of 50. : ) But no one knows their path better than the one who is on it. I always enjoy the view you share of your own.
As always, I really enjoyed your writing here. It’s great that you received more clarity on your direction in life by going on the meditation retreat. I always thought of meditation as something you can do anywhere. The sitting is a practice. You’re sitting practicing being present, so when you go about your day you can also be present. I’ve also heard from psychiatrists that you only need to sit 10 to 20 minutes a day to see benefits from meditation.
I have an interest in religion especially Buddhism and Christianity. There are many ways to practice both. Have you read Thich Nhat Hanh’s books on the comparisons between Jesus and Buddha? I think you would enjoy them. Many of their teachings were similar. Loving all, compassion, openness, being present. Much of the Christian sects have taken Jesus’ teachings and twisted them. I don’t like to call myself a Christian, but a follower of Jesus.
There are more things that I appreciated in your writing here. But this is a long enough comment. 😀. Have a great week.
Sitting quietly, gently pushing away thoughts as they float into my brain, breathing deeply, and becoming calm.
The concept of meditation is attractive. Yes, I would like to be still and get lost in shadowy nothingness.
I am better when I do guided meditation. I can emerge from those sessions feeling peaceful, rejuvenated, focused, and ready to act.
I can feel the same benefits when I practice a musical piece, repeating a difficult passage until my hands can perform it smoothly. I can calm my fevered mind by coloring an intricate line drawing. I can allow ideas to enter my consciousness by listening to favorite music while walking in my neighborhood.
Going on a retreat, isolating from companions, listening instead of vocalizing, and tapping into thoughts that have been percolating beneath the surface sound like worthy activities. My preference would be to find ways to reach that inner peace at home, surrounded by familiar, beloved comforts.
Reading your essays can also be a meditative exercise, Tommy!
As a person who thinks a lot, I’m also learning the immense value of doing embodied things. I believe that we’re created as embodied beings (another thing I’m relearning as I read Genesis), and I’m finding it’s good to remind myself of that!