Collective meditation will begin in...

Alexander Ignatiev

4 December, 2024 16:40 • updated 10 January, 2025

My journey from meditating "just for fun sometimes" to a daily 7-year practice, a long break, and coming back.

The full habit of meditating for 15–20 minutes every morning and evening started forming on December 5, 2017. Before that, I might meditate once or twice and then return to it only a week later, or something like that.

As a child, I also tried meditating a couple of times, but I didn’t think it affected me in any way. I was simply imitating what I saw in cartoons and comics.

In April 2024, I broke my 7-year streak.

How It Happened #

Before I decided at some point to take a break (which, I think, has dragged on too long), I gradually began encountering periodic problems. Starting with scheduling conflicts, for example, when a shoot day lasted from early morning until the next morning (very rarely). And it reached a state where it felt like a “worm” settled in my head, making it hard to focus during meditation sessions (especially in the last months before the break).

Naturally, over these 7 years, I stuck to the rule – especially early on – that even 1–5 minutes of meditation is better than none. Perhaps I should have kept going, but I chose to see what would change if I paused.

Meditation Techniques #

Here are the meditation methods I’ve tried.

1. Breathing #

Focusing on your breath, staying in the moment, “here and now.”

Before starting, it might seem simple, but when you actually begin, breathing can feel awkward at first. Yes, you focus on your breath, but because of that, you start trying to control it.

I think the best approach in this case is to choose a comfortable pace for inhaling and exhaling – eventually, the awkwardness will fade.

2. Mantra #

Transcendental Meditation™

Wow, this is that cool technique used by half the show and business industry in the US!

A controversial but well-known topic. If you start Googling and exploring it instead of just thinking, “If Grandpa Lynch¹ says only TM™ (yes, the trademark symbol is there for a reason) is the way to go, then it must be true,” you’ll learn a lot.

The basic rules of this technique:

Pay us, and we’ll teach you something that’s already available if you know where to look.
Those who give out a basic how-to are lying – they’re “leaving something out,” so see point 1.
Oh, and delete the instructions, or “we’ll do it ourselves because, can’t you see, we have a registered trademark.”
We might even sue you for revealing trade secrets (you sign something like an NDA during the first session).
And, of course, “the choice of mantra is personal – not every mantra will work, and the wrong one might even harm you.”

If someone wants to dive deeper into what’s dubious about Transcendental Meditation™ or how to practice it, but there’s no certified guide in your area and they charge a fortune for training, here are some resources to check out:

minet.org;
tmfree.blogspot.com;
the documentary David Wants to Fly (2010);
web searches and forums.

By the way, I didn’t pay or train under a certified TM™ guide. These are my assumptions and conclusions from revisiting this topic over time.

I’m one of those people who prefer to research everything available and review prior findings before feeling confident in their conclusions.

This means I won’t pay for free knowledge hidden behind a paywall. And likely exploiting the average person under the guise of an original, unparalleled, and "most correct" meditation technique.

In any case, everything is subjective. Criticism is usually directed at the company (though they at least sometimes offer free training for children and veterans with PTSD), not the technique itself. It’s just regular mantra meditation with its own nuances.

Diamond Way (Vajrayana, Karma Kagyu)

In 2019, I visited an offline center three times with a friend, Stasya. During the introductory session, they explained the school’s philosophy, how the center operates on donations, and that this practice focuses on positive thoughts. Afterward, they gave a quick tutorial and provided a mantra.

Skipping the formalities, advanced meditator licenses, and other commercial or religious quirks, the essence of mantra-focused meditation boils down to this:

Sit with your back straight.
For the first 1.5–2 minutes, take a few slow, deep breaths (whatever feels comfortable).
Relax, “scanning” your body from head to toe.
Start repeating the mantra.
- You can choose absolutely any sound, but avoid actual words.
- The mantra shouldn’t evoke associations or meanings for the mind. It’s just a sound that brings you back to focus and creates a “hedgehog in the fog” state.
Hedgehog in the fog
- If your mind “wanders” and the mantra fades, simply notice it and return to repeating the mantra.
When finishing your meditation, repeat steps 2 and 3 (or 3 and 2, whichever feels better).
This is to transition gently back into your everyday state instead of jumping up abruptly.

Early on, when I started trying mantra meditation, I wondered: Should I repeat the mantra out loud or silently?

Answer: Silently, though saying it out loud isn’t necessarily wrong.

At the Diamond Way center, there were a few guys who said the mantra aloud. I think in group meditations, it could be distracting for some and helpful for others to immerse themselves.

3. Sensations #

I came across this instruction by accident while researching meditation methods online. I found a blog post by Pete on beardstrokings.com. Although the website is now down, it is archived in the Wayback Machine: Quick Meditation Hack.

The core idea is that the brain, much like a computer, processes a multitude of tasks. If we “overload the RAM,” it may start glitching.

This method involves engaging six categories of experience:

Vision
Sound
Physical sensations
Taste
Smell
Thoughts

Here’s what you do:

Sit, preferably with a straight back, and wait.
When your attention shifts to one of the categories, acknowledge it. For example:
- You hear a biker passing by or birds singing, and note it as sound.
- Then you feel cold in your legs and mark it as a physical sensation.
- A thought arises: “Should I mentally label each category, or just notice it?” That’s a thought.

As you recognize a sensation, let it happen. Observe it until it transitions into something else. This way, you focus on one thing at a time, but it keeps changing.

Continue observing the shift in focus, categorizing the sensations as they occur.
At some point, you may find yourself unable to fit the current state into any category.
That’s the moment of finding “nowhere.”

Final Thoughts #

Start with just 2 minutes of meditation, gradually increasing to 5, 8, 10, or 15 minutes. Initially, it might feel hard to sit still without checking how much time has passed (spoiler: it’s probably seconds). But that’s the point – train your patience and acceptance of what has already been, and don’t dwell on what’s ahead. The only real thing is that you’re sitting right now, relaxed, with loose shoulders, and all is well. Everything else is unreal and unimportant.
Playing meditation music can help but is unnecessary. If it becomes a habit, meditating in real-world situations without music may feel challenging.
Meditating lying down is possible but not recommended, especially on your bed. Sitting with a straight back helps maintain natural, deep breathing and focus without falling asleep.
It’s best to get enough sleep, so you don’t doze off during practice. If you feel drowsy, take a short nap and return to the session afterward.
Don’t expect ✨enlightenment✨ – neither the first time nor the hundredth. The process matters more than the result.
If you feel the urge to open your eyes (feeling restless, wanting to check the timer, or thinking enough time has passed), try to resist this impulse — chances are, you’re almost there.

This is all I remember for now. I’ll add more details if anything comes to mind later.

And now, if you’ve been unsure where to start meditating or kept postponing it… The collective meditation begins in 10 minutes, regardless of the time on your clock.

If you found this text helpful, got inspired to start meditating or resume the practice, or have feedback or additions, reach out to me or respond to this post using the button below.