The Meditation Technique That Backfired For Me (And The Simple Fix)
Tim Ferriss discusses his evolving meditation practice, sharing how traditional labeling techniques backfired due to his OCD tendencies. He found success with a simplified "just be still" approach recommended by his teacher Henry during a retreat.
Summary
Tim Ferriss reflects on his meditation journey during a recent retreat, acknowledging he's still a novice but emphasizing that meditation, like exercise, has many different approaches including vipassana, transcendental meditation, and zen. He describes the value of retreat feedback sessions where teachers like Henry and Valerie can observe his experiences and adjust techniques accordingly. Ferriss notes his tendency toward planning compulsions rather than typical wandering thoughts during meditation. He experienced frustration during the retreat but noticed significant benefits afterward - 3-5 days of blissful, calm attention without rushing or future-tripping. The breakthrough came when a traditional labeling practice (calling thoughts 'radio' or 'video') became counterproductive due to his OCD, causing obsessive repetition of labels. Henry then shifted him to a simple concentration practice of 'just be still,' which proved remarkably effective. This led Ferriss to realize that different meditation styles suit different people, similar to exercise preferences, and that he's better suited to concentration practices like transcendental meditation rather than open monitoring techniques.
Key Insights
- Ferriss argues that meditation is like sports or exercise with many different approaches, and people need to find what works for them rather than assuming one size fits all
- Ferriss experiences planning compulsions rather than typical memories or fantasies during meditation, defaulting to thinking about things he needs to do
- Ferriss discovered that meditation benefits often manifest after the practice ends, experiencing 3-5 days of blissful calm attention without rushing or future-tripping after returning from retreat
- Ferriss found that labeling meditation techniques backfired due to his OCD, causing him to obsessively repeat labels like 'radio radio radio' which became interruptive and stressful rather than helpful
- Ferriss discovered that a simple 'just be still' concentration practice was remarkably effective for him, leading him to prefer transcendental meditation-style approaches over open monitoring techniques
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] So, the retreat, let's finish that off real quick. So, we got together. >> What did you learn this time around? Cuz we've done this twice. You've dabbled in the world of Zen. You've always said, correct me if I'm wrong, but meditation has been a hard thing for you typically. >> Mhm. >> Where are you now with your practice? >> Well, what I would say is, you know, the first thing, speaking as a very much still a novice on any level, I would say that meditation is kind of like sports or exercise. It's like, do you like exercise? like well what kind of exercise right meditation there's so [0:31] many different ways >> to meditate…
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