Getting the most

out of meditation.
By Bart Mendel and Pamela Gayle White
Ready, Set, Sit!
Mindfulness. Awareness. Zen. Insight. Thinking about your motivation will help you
understand what the different types of meditation
Tibetan. Pure Land. Chanting. Mantras.
can offer you. And trying different types of
Transcendental. Lovingkindness. When
meditation on for size may well cause your
you start to realize how many types of motivation to evolve. Many people start to sit for one
meditation are out there, you may well reason—say, stress reduction—and find that after
wonder which is the best, and how a time their practice leads them to go further and

to get the most out of it. The answer deeper. Once you’ve found a good fit, there’s much to
gain from sticking with it rather than buzzing about
is both simple and complex: of all the
from one method to the next. You’re working directly
many forms of meditation, the best is
with the mind and its infinite possibilities: there’s no
what’s best for you. telling what you might discover if you stay put.

What do they all have in common? First, a

willingness to try and remain centered in the
present moment without giving in to distraction.
Second, an interest in exploring the experience of
being centered. But there are also some significant
differences in how meditation is practiced and
where it leads, from feel-good to profound personal
development to spiritual awakening.

It can be helpful to ask yourself why you’re interested

in practicing meditation in the first place. Is it for the
mental and physical health benefits? Do you need
some dedicated “you” time? Are you interested in
developing more calm and focus? Are you serious
about personal growth and transformation? Is
meditation an avenue of expression for your “spiritual
self”? Or are you mainly looking to delve deep and
explore the mechanisms of consciousness?

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 Why Meditate?
For the sake of simplicity, we’ll group
the main reasons why people meditate
under four categories. Bear in mind that
the list is not exhaustive, and that the
categories and their benefits overlap.

1 To improve physical and mental

health through stress reduction
and relaxation.

2 To increase the mind’s ability to

concentrate and remain focused.

3 To cultivate empathy
and compassion.

4 To develop insight
and wisdom.

Let’s have a look at which forms of meditation might help you reach your goals.

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1.
To improve physical and mental
health through stress reduction
and relaxation.
Generally speaking, meditation has a positive effect focusing on the breath, following relaxing guided
on body and mind. While meditators have known imagery and visualizations or silently repeating a
this for centuries—even millennia—science has mantra2 activate the parasympathetic (rest and
only just begun to take a closer look at meditation’s relaxation) branch of the autonomic nervous system,
effects on individuals’ mental and physical health. allowing the body to recover more efficiently from
The effects of meditation in the workplace, schools, acute and chronic stress.
prisons, rehab, the military, clinical and other
settings have been documented in studies carried
out all over the planet.

In an article published in the Annual Review of

Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University’s J. David
Creswell1 takes a close look at the results of
some of the better-organized studies. One of
the many insightful conclusions presented in his
comprehensive paper is that many of the health
benefits attributed to mindfulness practice—whether
mental or physical—are related to stress reduction.

When the goal is better health and stress reduction,

people often turn to methods such as mindfulness,
guided meditations, transcendental meditation,
chanting and meditation in motion—yoga or t’ai chi,
for example. Studies have shown that simply
remaining grounded in the present moment and

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An article published on the Mayo Clinic website
entitled Meditation, A simple, fast way to reduce
stress3 gives a broad overview of the different Studies have shown
forms of practice and possible positive outcomes.
The authors list the potential emotional benefits of that simply remaining
meditation as being:
grounded in the present
• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
• Building skills to manage your stress
moment and focusing
• Increasing self-awareness
on the breath, activate
• Focusing on the present
• Reducing negative emotions the parasympathetic
• Increasing imagination and creativity
• Increasing patience and tolerance branch of the autonomic
Meditation is not a panacea. It may not help with nervous system, allowing
your hay fever or bunions, but it can improve your
overall health and help you relate more positively to the body to recover more
whatever ails you. How? By gently and repeatedly
bringing your mind back to the breath, guided
efficiently from acute
meditation or mantra, you learn that you can be
and chronic stress.
aware of physical or mental discomfort and not grasp
it and wish that the situation was different, if only for
a few minutes. You learn that you can just breathe
and be present. How liberating is that?

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2.
To increase the mind’s ability to
concentrate and remain focused.
Modern life, with its endless distractions, quasi- magazine states that “meditation in classrooms is
constant multi-tasking and gushing streams of skyrocketing.”4 And according to another in Forbes,
information, isn’t exactly conducive to a settled, one study “found that children with ADHD who
focused mind. And indeed the human mind is learned meditation with their parents twice weekly
remarkably prone to wandering regardless of the in a clinic setting, and kept practicing at home,
circumstances. Just spend a few minutes meditating had better concentration at school, among other
in a quiet spot and take an honest look at how long benefits.”5
it takes for your concentration to fly the coop!

Meditation has been shown to cultivate the mind’s

capacity to remain focused. With practices such
as mindfulness, Zen and meditation in motion, for
instance, we develop awareness of the mind’s errant
ways and train in bringing it back to the breath, or
movement, or physical sensations time and time
again. With regular training, the mind becomes more
compliant and naturally settles with less prompting.
Improved concentration may be just one of the many
perks of a settled mind, but it is indeed a great ally in
these distracting times.

Meditation has effectively and quantifiably improved

concentration in a great variety of settings.
Nowadays, some form of meditation—“quiet time”—
is often folded into school curricula from pre-school
to college. An article that appeared in Atlantic

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 It’s such good stuff that a piece featured on
HealthyChildren.org quotes the American Academy
of Pediatrics as encouraging parents to “Share
Research has shown meditation with their children—and teachers to
incorporate mindfulness training into their lesson
that regular 20-minute plans. The simple act of teaching children how to

meditation sessions stop, focus, and just breathe could be one of the
greatest gifts you give them.”6

can boost memory and

On the other end of the spectrum, meditation also
improve brain function for helps with the memory loss and difficulty focusing
that often accompany aging as brain function
those living with early- gradually declines. Based on research involving
elderly populations, scientists now believe that a
stage dementia or other consistent mindfulness practice can help bolster
mental acuity and decelerate memory loss. In
cognitive issues.
fact, research has shown that regular 20-minute
meditation sessions can boost memory and improve
brain function for those living with early-stage
dementia or other cognitive issues.7 And meditation
not only supports memory and attention, it also
enhances mental agility and alertness.8

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3.
To cultivate
empathy and
compassion.
All forms of meditation center on presence and
focusing. When you practice compassion meditation,
your focus is well-being: the well-being of others
as well as your own. Compassion is a virtue that
can be trained and “muscled” through exercise and
repetition. And as it so happens, focusing on others’
well-being actually—and quantitatively—makes you
feel better too.

One very popular form of meditation is metta, a

traditional, centuries-old practice also known as
lovingkindness meditation. The word metta comes
from an ancient Indian language called Pali. Regular metta practice not only focuses the
mind, it also increases the meditator’s feelings of
In this kind of practice, meditators focus on mindfully compassion and benevolence towards others, as
sending wishes of love, well-being, gratitude and well as their sense of connectedness. Indeed, science
compassion out into the world. Often they will has confirmed what meditators who fold metta
choose a specific person or group of people—or into their practice have known forever: it increases
animals—and wish them well with words such as, well-being.10 From enhanced feelings of empathy to
“May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be improved relationships to better resilience to helping
safe, may your mind be at ease.”9 The words can be with PTSD and other trauma-based conditions,
spoken out loud, chanted, or imagined in silence. The regular lovingkindness meditation has been linked
same wishes can also be directed towards oneself. to a host of benefits, much like those arising from
This form of meditation may be presented as a mindfulness and awareness practices.
guided practice.

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Well-being
and Wisdom.
A quick recap before we continue. Let’s look again
at our categories. From another perspective, we
might rearrange our four goals under two essential
outcomes of meditation: well-being and wisdom. The
first three goals above—a relaxed mind, improved
focus/deep concentration and an open heart—are
connected to the former, well-being.

Likewise, all of the many forms of authentic

meditation practice have traditionally been
regrouped under one of two main categories:
mindfulness meditation, and insight or awareness
meditation. These may also be designated by the
Sanskrit terms shamatha (for mindfulness) and
vipassana (for insight).

Mindfulness is the practice that leads to well-being.

The final outcome, wisdom, can only be attained
through awareness. We’ll look more closely at
wisdom and awareness in a moment.

Most of us are familiar with mindfulness in its

many permutations. Remember: mindfulness is go and mindfully bring our attention back to that
about training the mind to remain settled on an object, whatever it may be. It makes no difference
“object” or reference point such as the breath, what the thoughts or emotions are—pleasant or
physical sensations, a mantra, movement, wishes unpleasant, fascinating or boring, based on the past
of well-being, etc. During our practice, when we’ve or the future. There’s no value judgment, censorship
become aware of thoughts that are unrelated to or applause. There’s simply abiding in the present
the object, we gently and purposefully let them moment, the mind united with its object.

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As the mind becomes more compliant, it wanders less others, well-being is certainly a welcome benefit of
and settles more readily—even joyfully! This naturally meditation practice, but the quest goes deeper. For
results in a sensation of peaceful well-being. Until we them, the real goals are the profound insights and
started meditating, we may not have noticed how lasting positive transformation that translate as
uncomfortable our incessant mental ramblings could wisdom. Here is where all meditation is not alike.
be. Indeed, research related in an article from Science
Magazine entitled A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Meditation as we practice it has ancient roots. Most
Mind begins with the observation that:
11
of the forms of meditation that we’re familiar with
today are based on practices that were developed
long ago in the East. Meditation is an essential
“Unlike other animals, human beings spend
component of many transformative secular and
a lot of time thinking about what is not going
spiritual paths whose goal is less about temporal well-
on around them, contemplating events that
being and more about cultivating the enduring wisdom
happened in the past, might happen in the
born of deep insight and connectedness. Wisdom here
future, or will never happen at all. Indeed,
can translate as spiritual wisdom, profound insights
“stimulus-independent thought” or “mind
into the nature of mind and matter, or deep-rooted
wandering” appears to be the brain’s default
personal transformation: actualizing your potential
mode of operation. Although this ability is a
and becoming the best human being you can be.
remarkable evolutionary achievement that
allows people to learn, reason, and plan, it may
People have always interpreted their spiritual
have an emotional cost. Many philosophical and
experiences according to their backgrounds and
religious traditions teach that happiness is to be
beliefs, but true wisdom seems to transcend such
found by living in the moment, and practitioners
boundaries
are trained to resist mind wandering and “to
be here now.” These traditions suggest that a
While insight/awareness meditation can be
wandering mind is an unhappy mind.”.
practiced by anyone who has a solid basis in
mindfulness, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, it
For many meditators, the sensation of well-being that does have its roots in the teachings of the Buddha.
arises from a focused, peaceful mind is enough. For Which conveniently leads us to the fourth goal.

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4.
To develop
insight and
wisdom.
A couple thousand years ago, the Buddha taught
that knowledge, insight and goodness are the only
reliable antidotes to dissatisfaction and suffering.
True happiness, he said, can’t be contingent on
ever-changing external circumstances. In truth, the
seeds of true happiness are already present within
us. They simply need to be cultivated by adhering
to a principled lifestyle and learning to temper,
investigate and work with the mind. Wisdom begins
with this process of looking inward and recognizing
the innate qualities of mind. Awareness meditation
is the method that guides us in looking inward
and discovering these innate treasures. Through
meditation, we realize that plenitude, spaciousness
and joy are our mind’s true nature—they’ve always
been right there, awaiting discovery.

Once the mind has become comfortable with

remaining mindful and letting go of distractions,
we can use this stability to investigate the nature of
our perceptions and sense of self. It’s a more active,
inquisitive form of meditation than mindfulness. To
practice awareness in a way that can lead to deep
insights about ourselves and our world, we need
authentic teachings that help us understand the
methods and to lead us to recognize our strengths
and learning curves.

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Experiences that arise from is sincere and has a reliable guide. An article by
awareness meditation. Mindworks founder Bart Mendel12 summarizes the

There are variations in the ways that vipassana or profound benefits of awareness meditation:

awareness is practiced in the different schools of

Buddhism as well as how they have been explained
and interpreted in secular presentations. In some When we practice awareness, we learn to work
traditions, it is very similar to mindfulness, while in more deeply with the mind, leading to profound
others it has a distinctly different flavor. In all cases, and abiding insights into its nature and the
the practice of awareness uses our innate curiosity nature of the thoughts and emotions that arise
to develop insights and wisdom. within it. Based on our understanding, we
can actually disrupt—and ultimately uproot—
During our formal practice, we investigate our tendencies that cause us to react to situations
experiences with impartiality and openness. This in non-beneficial ways. Because we see the
can lead to life-changing insights and experiences. gaps in our mind, we learn not to respond with
The insights may have to do with the nature of stress, panic, or anger. Our self-importance
our sense of ourselves and the world, of the power and attachment to coming out on top begin to
of love and compassion, of selflessness, etc. Over decrease. This vital transformation can lead to
the years, people have used different terms to remarkable changes in our lives:
refer to their experiences–light, awareness, clarity,
emptiness, bliss, etc.–all while agreeing that the • increased flexibility, understanding and tolerance
experience itself is beyond words.
• more realistic expectations of oneself and others

Off the cushion, ordinarily our attention is focused on • more kindness and compassion

other people and things, the past and the future, and is • improved self-esteem and genuine confidence
tinged with preconceptions and expectations. But if we
• positive emotional responses and relationships
learn the right techniques, we can apply our meditation
to many of our daily activities. Our actions, thoughts,
With awareness, we become more resilient,
feelings and emotions, however blissful or painful, can
more open and tolerant—we recognize that we
be used as objects of meditation and we can continue
genuinely care about others. This interest in the
to learn from them. Our intent is not to control the
well-being of others outshines our own fears
mind, but to gradually experience the freedom of an
and anxieties, which can take up a lot of space
inquisitive and open mind without barriers.
otherwise. And the beauty of it is, the more we
focus on benefiting others, the better we feel!
Again, this form of meditation takes practice and
a willingness to look at yourself honestly; the full
benefits can only be accessed if the meditator

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Awareness meditation enhances
well-being, too!
That’s why awareness
Because awareness takes us so much deeper than
some of the “meditation lite” forms of McMindfulness is so powerful: it leads
that seem to pop up everywhere these days, its
positive effects inform our other practices as well. us to the freedom of
Take compassion. The openness and flexibility
gained through awareness naturally supercharge
experience beyond our
compassion and metta practices: it gives them
usual tendencies. As
more teeth.

a result, we naturally
This happens naturally because the deeper our
insights, the more spontaneously and joyfully we let become less defensive
go of our assumptions and programming. That’s why
awareness is so powerful: it leads us to the freedom of and individualistic;
experience beyond our usual tendencies. As a result,
we naturally become less defensive and individualistic;
we’re less firmly locked
we’re less firmly locked into unhelpful habits. In fact,
our old patterns may feel like old skin that we’re now
into unhelpful habits.
free to shed, leaving us renewed and reconnected to
our innermost selves, others and the world.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF MEDITATION | MINDWORKS.ORG 13

Motivation,
redux.
We’ve come full circle, back to the starting point.
Choosing the form of meditation that’s best for you
is going to be a question of commitment, available
time and guidance and, especially, motivation.

Even though we may think of meditation as being

our “me time,” the benefits go deepest when our
“me time” intention is to replenish our batteries so
that we can have a more positive presence in the
world. As Trungram Gyalwa, PhD, writes in his
article Meditation Benefits for Mind and Body:13

We can motivate ourselves to practice by

remembering that dissatisfaction and negative
emotions are contagious—by their very nature,
they tend to harm others. As the saying
goes, misery loves company. It is even more
important to remind ourselves that good
intentions and feelings are also contagious in
just the same way. Just think of others. Even a
small gesture of kindness has a ripple effect.
If you smile at somebody, they’re touched and
smile back at you.

Benefiting others starts with good intentions

and taking care of our minds. And taking good
care of our minds starts with meditation.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF MEDITATION | MINDWORKS.ORG 14

Bottom line.
Don’t imagine that the measure of You can develop both mindfulness and awareness
in your formal meditation sessions and in your daily
how “successful” your meditation
activities. Traditionally, these two methods are
is has to do with how long you described as the two wings of one soaring bird—the
can sit still and one-pointedly combined practice is by far the most uplifting and
contemplate your belly button. It transformative. And it takes no more time than any
isn’t. The measure of your practice other daily meditation session.

becomes clear once your session

So if you want to get the most out of your meditation,
has ended and you’re back in the
choose a tradition that teaches both mindfulness
world. Is it easier for you to stay and awareness. Once you’ve found the one that
focused? Are you kinder, more really works for you, stick with it. Your commitment to
patient, more flexible? Are you able regular practice—whatever the tradition—is the key

to remain centered when faced with to accomplishing your meditation goals.

challenges? Do the insights that

arise during your meditation have a About Mindworks Journey
positive effect on your relationships Looking for an online meditation program that can

and everyday life? unlock the full potential of your practice?

Whether you’re motivated by personal well-being, Mindworks Journey offers the skillful integration of

the development of positive qualities, stress mindfulness and awareness practices. The basis of

reduction, access to wisdom and spiritual insights our 9-module course is the natural progression from

or simply a healthy curiosity about how the mind mindfulness to awareness to their synergy. Every

works and how to work with the mind, meditation member of our international team of teachers has

can help you on your quest. If your goal is to be walked the talk. With decades upon decades of

more effective in creating lasting positive change meditation practice between them, they are able to

in your life and the lives of those around you, transmit the essence of these profound teachings

awareness is the answer. without jargon, dogma or cultural trappings.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF MEDITATION | MINDWORKS.ORG 15

Portions of this eBook have already been published on Mindworks.org

1 https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-psych-042716-051139

2 http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2009/issue61/

3 https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

4 https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/schools-turn-to-meditation-to-help-children-focus/432981/

5 https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2016/10/18/the-many-benefits-of-meditation-for-children/#1e1c8d8cdbe3

6 https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Pages/Just-Breathe-The-Importance-of-
Meditation-Breaks-for-Kids.aspx

7 http://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/news/article/mindfulness-as-medicine

8 https://mindworks.org/blog/focus-meditation/

9 https://mindworks.org/blog/what-is-compassion-meditation/

10 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/feeling-it/201409/18-science-backed-reasons-try-loving-kindness-meditation

11 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/330/6006/932

12 https://mindworks.org/blog/benefits-mindfulness-awareness/

13 https://mindworks.org/blog/benefits-meditation-mind-body/