50 Days of Meditation: A Review of the Waking Up App from Sam Harris
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares their experience after completing a 50-day meditation journey using the Sam Harris 'Waking Up' app, which they found superior to other apps like Headspace for its depth. They clarify that meditation isn't about silencing the mind but becoming aware of its constant activity. The 'Waking Up' app guided them through various techniques, emphasizing mindfulness and the importance of non-judgmental awareness. The benefits highlighted include calmness, mental clarity, and the ability to separate the observer from the experience. The speaker recommends the app for its comprehensive approach and encourages finding a meditation practice that works for each individual.
Takeaways
- 🧘 The speaker completed a 50-day meditation journey using the Sam Harris 'Waking Up' app and shares their insights without sponsorship.
- 🌟 They found the 'Waking Up' app to be the most beneficial for their practice, but also appreciates 'Headspace' for its foundational techniques.
- 📈 The speaker started meditating in 2012 and has used various apps, noting that 'Headspace' was limited in its techniques after a year of use.
- 💡 Meditation is often misunderstood as silencing the mind, but the true purpose is to become aware of the constant occurrences within one's mind.
- 🌀 The speaker recommends a 10-second exercise to focus on breathing, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining focus and the natural tendency to get distracted.
- 🏋️♂️ Meditation is likened to a workout, where each time one returns focus to the breath after being distracted, it's akin to completing a rep.
- 💪 The benefits of meditation include improved calmness, centeredness, and the ability to recognize that one is not every thought that comes to mind.
- 💰 The 'Waking Up' app offers a 10-day free trial, after which a subscription is required, ranging from $8-12 per month or $100 annually.
- 🌱 The app's introductory program guides users through various techniques, emphasizing the importance of non-judgmental awareness of one's experiences.
- 👀 The 'Waking Up' app also introduces techniques for expanding awareness, including focusing on different areas each day and integrating them into a cohesive practice.
- 🌈 The speaker encourages finding what works for the individual, emphasizing that meditation can be practiced anywhere and under any circumstances.
Q & A
What is the purpose of the video transcript?
-The purpose of the video transcript is to share the insights gained from using the Sam Harris 'Waking Up' app for a 50-day meditation journey and to discuss the concept of mindfulness and meditation.
Why did the speaker choose the Sam Harris 'Waking Up' app over other meditation apps?
-The speaker chose the 'Waking Up' app because they felt it helped them reach a new level of meditation and mindfulness, offering techniques beyond the basics found in other apps like Headspace.
What is the common misconception about meditation mentioned in the transcript?
-The common misconception is that meditation is about silencing the mind and thoughts, which the speaker advises against, especially for beginners.
What is the recommended exercise for beginners to try in the transcript?
-The recommended exercise is to focus on breathing for five breaths in and out, using this as a way to become aware of distractions and the natural flow of thoughts.
How does the speaker describe the benefits of meditation in terms of mental health?
-The speaker describes meditation as a mental exercise that can lead to calmness, centeredness, and the ability to observe thoughts and feelings without reacting to them, thus improving mental health.
What is the cost of the Sam Harris 'Waking Up' app after the free trial?
-After the free trial, the app costs about 8 to 12 dollars a month or $100 per year, which the speaker acknowledges as being steep for some people.
What is the main goal of the first stage in meditation according to the transcript?
-The main goal of the first stage in meditation is to develop a lack of judgment about what is being experienced, simply being aware of what is taking place inside the mind without labeling it as good or bad.
How does the 'Waking Up' app guide users through meditation?
-The 'Waking Up' app guides users through various techniques, starting with basic meditation focusing on breathing, and then expanding awareness by focusing on different areas each day, slowly weaving them together.
What is the role of the observer in meditation as described in the transcript?
-The role of the observer in meditation is to maintain a separation from the experience, allowing one to observe feelings and sensations without directly reacting to them, thus building distance and disentangling the observer from the experience.
What additional meditation techniques does the 'Waking Up' app introduce beyond basic breathing focus?
-The app introduces techniques such as expanding awareness to all five senses and a sixth sense, including physical sensations, hearing, and vision, allowing users to observe these perceptions as objects of meditation.
What advice does the speaker give regarding finding the right meditation method?
-The speaker advises that one should find what works best for them, emphasizing that meditation can be done anywhere and under any circumstances without the need for apps or specific tools.
Outlines
🧘 Personal Experience with Meditation Apps
The speaker shares their personal journey of completing a 50-day meditation program using the Sam Harris 'Waking Up' app. They emphasize that this is not a sponsored review and that they have tried various meditation apps, finding the 'Waking Up' app to be the most beneficial for their practice. The speaker discusses the limitations they experienced with other apps, such as Headspace, and how the 'Waking Up' app helped them to progress to a new level of meditation. They also address common misconceptions about meditation, clarifying that it's not about silencing the mind but rather becoming more aware of its constant activity.
🌱 Understanding Mindfulness and Meditation
This paragraph delves into the essence of mindfulness and meditation, explaining that it involves bringing awareness to one's consciousness and the associated feelings and sensations of the physical body. The speaker stresses the importance of developing a non-judgmental attitude towards one's experiences during meditation. They discuss the process of noticing judgments as they arise and treating them as objects of meditation. The 'Waking Up' app is highlighted for its guidance through various meditation techniques, including focusing on breath and expanding awareness to different senses, which helps in building resilience and the ability to observe experiences without reacting.
🔍 Exploring Advanced Meditation Techniques
The speaker talks about the natural progression of meditation to expand awareness beyond the breath, as facilitated by the 'Waking Up' app. They discuss the benefits of meditation, such as promoting calmness and centering, and the ability to recognize that one is not every thought that arises. The paragraph also touches on the importance of disentangling the observer from the experience to react appropriately to emotions and sensations. The app's approach to meditation is praised for helping users recognize and categorize different experiences, and for introducing techniques like open-eyed meditation to observe visual perceptions as objects of meditation.
🚀 Embracing a Mindful Lifestyle
In the final paragraph, the speaker recommends the 'Waking Up' app for reigniting excitement about meditation and providing a structured path for personal development. They encourage finding what works best for each individual and emphasize that meditation can be practiced anywhere and under any circumstances. The speaker draws a parallel between the mindfulness practiced by monks and the potential for everyone to incorporate mindfulness into daily routines and chores. They conclude by urging those who feel they lack time for meditation to make it a priority, as it contributes significantly to mental health.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Meditation
💡Mindfulness
💡Waking Up App
💡Guided Meditation
💡Body Scanning
💡Noting
💡Non-judgmental Awareness
💡Mental Exercise
💡Observer
💡Experience
💡Resilience
Highlights
Completed a 50-day meditation journey using the Sam Harris 'Waking Up' app.
The 'Waking Up' app is considered the best for the user, compared to other meditation apps like Headspace.
Meditation is not about silencing the mind but becoming aware of its constant activity.
Guided meditation is recommended for beginners to help focus on the breath.
A 10-second exercise to focus on breathing is suggested to demonstrate the nature of meditation.
Meditation helps in developing awareness and letting perceptions and feelings occur without judgment.
The practice of meditation is likened to doing reps in a workout, improving with consistent practice.
The 'Waking Up' app offers a subscription-based service with a 10-day free trial.
The app provides a guided program from day one to day 50, covering various meditation techniques.
Mindfulness and meditation involve bringing awareness to consciousness and physical sensations.
The goal of meditation is to develop a lack of judgment about one's experiences.
The 'Waking Up' app helps in recognizing and separating different categories of experiences during meditation.
Meditation builds distance between the observer and the experience, leading to better reactions.
The app encourages resilience in meditation, even in noisy environments.
Vision can be incorporated into meditation by opening the eyes and focusing on an object.
The user found the 'Waking Up' app exciting and a tool for personal development in meditation.
Meditation can be practiced anywhere and under any circumstances, promoting a mindful lifestyle.
Transcripts
hey sapiens I just finished fifty days
of meditation using the Sam Harris
waking up app and I want to share these
insights with you so this is not
sponsored I just did this on my own this
fell out of my previous video where I
review different meditation apps and
I've used a few you can check out those
reviews but I do think that the waking
up app is the best one for me I've also
really enjoyed headspace and I would
recommend that
so I started meditating in 2012 I
started off with different basic
meditations headspace was great I really
liked the narration I liked the timing
the guided nosov it but I do feel even
after a year or more of using both the
free and paid version of headspace they
were limited in a certain sense to their
techniques most of their techniques were
about body scanning noting which are
very important and I do think they're
foundational but there was a limit I
felt I reached where I was like where do
we go beyond this I do feel like the Sam
Harris waking up app helped me reach a
new level but I wanted to talk to you a
little bit about meditation and
mindfulness and what mindfulness really
means a lot of people have this idea
that meditation is about silencing your
mind silencing your thoughts and that's
actually really bad don't do that don't
even try to do that and definitely for a
beginner I would say it's good to have
some kind of guided meditation I still
use guided meditation I think it's great
now this exercise that I recommend is
only going to take you 10 seconds try to
breathe and focus on your breathing
for five breaths so in and out five
times so and you want to turn your
attention towards your breathing and
just like I said cover that breath with
your attention from the start at your
mouth down to your chest
and out
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you
most people are actually unable to
follow their breath five times without
being distracted by some and you'll
notice that it just pops up into your
mind so as I said meditation is not
about trying to silence your mind you're
simply trying to become more aware of
what is always and constantly occurring
in your mind when you get distracted by
a thought by a feeling or sensation and
in meditation where for 10 minutes out
of the day you're just saying for 10
minutes you're gonna let that perception
and feeling occur and you're gonna let
it go by returning to focus on the
breath or whatever your object of
meditation is this is a lot like doing a
rep in a workout so if you're doing
push-ups and you're doing one rep then
in meditation when you get distracted by
a thought and you're able to pull
yourself back and focus on your breath
that is like one rep so I hope you see
why the more you practice the better you
get even devoting just a small amount of
your time 10 minutes a day to do this
mental exercise I mean it you really
have to see for yourself the benefits
that it will give you in your own life
and something that makes me feel guilty
is if you're exercising your physical
body but everything is so tied to your
mental health why are you doing so much
for your physical health when you could
just do a small extra bit for your
mental health if you're not careful
meditation can be a confusing and very
frustrating activity I did the 10 day
free trial of the Sam Harris waking up
app after that you have to subscribe to
the app it's about 8 to 12 dollars a
month or $100 per year which is kind of
steep for some people it was a little
steep for me I ended up spending that
much partly as a commitment and partly
because I've been following Sam Harris
for a long time and I should give him
some of my money his introductory
program goes from day one to day 50 and
it really guides you through all kinds
of techniques the most basic form of
meditation is of course to simply
breathe and focus on your breathing
because what mindfulness and meditation
is is simply bringing your awareness to
what is occurring in your consciousness
what are the feelings associated with
being your physical body where are you
in space what are the sensations of your
body
there's the mental aspect of what it's
like to be your mind what are the fuss
that occur where do they come from what
about your emotions and really it's not
about silencing or minimizing anything
in fact the first goal you should have
is to develop a lack of judgement about
what you're experiencing you don't want
to say that thought was bad these
feelings you don't want to judge one way
or the other you don't want to say it's
bad or it's good you simply want to be
aware of what is taking place inside of
your mind and the next stage is you will
likely judge some of your experiences
and you have to notice that that
judgment is simply another perception
occurring in your mind and that
perception in your mind is simply
another object for you to meditate upon
to be aware of with each perception you
want to notice it be aware of it and
return your focus and attention to your
breath you want to cover the breath
completely so as you inhale through your
nose you want to feel it and focus your
attention on your nose and throat down
into your lungs and then as you breathe
out as well
notice where the air is where is your
attention where's your focus where's the
feeling so the waking up app in the
first 10 days it covers that really well
and I would
I recommend it it goes a lot deeper and
it definitely expanded my mind and
expanded my awareness of meditation in
most meditation apps that I've
encountered and a lot of introductory
and basic manuals on meditation what I
described where you notice what's
happening and occurring in your mind but
you do your best to maintain a stillness
and return to the breath and focus a
natural progression for meditation is to
expand your awareness and waking up
helps you do all of these things
focusing on one different area each day
slowly bringing those back and weaving
them together the main benefits of
meditation are that it helps you to be
calm to be centered is to recognize that
you are not every thought that comes
into your mind it can become very
difficult as we experience an emotion or
thought process or physical feeling to
be caught up in that sensation and to
identify with it and to feel like that
is what we're doing that is who we are
but meditation allows you to build
distance from what you're actually
experiencing and the observation of that
experience
we often get mixed we're the observer
and the experience feel like one and the
same meditation allows you to draw a
separation you're able to experience a
feeling and sensations without directly
reacting to that when the observer and
the experience become entangled you are
less able to react appropriately you
often react immediately and it creates a
feedback loop in a cycle so meditation
is simply building some distance and
disentangling the observer with the
experience so I was really interested in
how to build that distance how to see
and recognize categories of experience
and to separate them out so the waking
of that it does a great job of helping
you recognize experiences because often
we feel like oh I can't meditate because
it's too noisy or it's just any other
excuse the waking out that helps you see
the
any kind of sensation can be the object
of meditation it helps you be resilience
even if you're in an apartment by
freeway with lots of traffic the waking
up map walks you through all five of
your senses and actually the sixth as
well you can start with physical
sensations like where you are in space
where is your body located and oriented
to itching to look small pains and you
start to build in an awareness of your
sense of hearing listening for
everything in your environment noticing
that it the sound itself bubbles up in
consciousness and it fades away quickly
what I was really excited to get into as
well is bringing in vision into
meditation so that's where instead of
closing your eyes with meditation you
open your eyes and fixate on an object
and that allows you to see that vision
is still another perception that occurs
in your conscious mind and it's another
experience that we can observe I highly
recommend sam harris is waking up app it
made meditation exciting for me again
something to work towards now I am still
excited after the fact that I feel like
there's so many things for me to explore
I feel like I can develop much more on
my own now I thought this app was great
it was very helpful for me but you
should find what works for you and again
you don't need apps or anything else you
can do it anywhere and under any
circumstances there are many monks who
do everything in a meditative and
mindful way which might be a little bit
extreme but if we could just get a
little bit of that and part of why you
see monks in Zen gardens where
everything looks immaculate and
perfectly cleaned and cared for it's
because part of their training is to do
their routines and chores in a mindful
way you do anything with a mindful
quality so meditate wherever you are
whenever you can find the time and I
would say again if you feel like you
don't have the time to meditate then
that's when you should absolutely
meditate thanks bye-bye
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