Ending a session

I've not seen this question addressed and haven't been able to find a lot of information about it elsewhere so I thought I'd throw this out there for discussion.

I'm curious to know if there are some more effective ways of ending a meditation session than what I do, which is to sit quietly for a few moments and review what just happened and try to absorb some of the positive energy that may have been generated.

I've had moderate success with this, but if there are more effective techniques that help one carry the momentum of a sitting into the day, I'd appreciate hearing about them.

Thanks,

John

Hi John,

The technique you describe, of reviewing immediately after a sitting to "absorb some of the positive energy that may have been generated," is an excellent practice and highly recommended.

In addition, as you specifically asked about how to "carry the momentum of a sitting into the day," here are some thoughts:

We know that "the proximate cause for concentration is concentration." That means that the building and maintaining of momentum throughout the day and from one day to the next is critical. With that in mind, one of the most powerful things you can do is to think of the quality of attention as being continuous from the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you go to sleep at night. While lying in bed at night, waiting for sleep, have some clear focus of attention whether it is mindfulness of the breath, attention to the Witness, or pure awareness without an object. When you wake up during the night, even for a moment, or within a dream, take the opportunity to reestablish attention. In this way, when you wake up in the morning, you will naturally find yourself well established in attention. Keep coming back to this during the day, with a clear intention and resolution to "remember" as many times as possible throughout the day. No shame or guilt when you forget--this is a game, so have fun with it. Any sitting you do during the day is just an extension of the attention that you are committed to maintaining all day and all night long; the sitting is nothing special in that regard, it's just a welcome opportunity to be free of distractions for a few minutes. Make the sitting and the post-sitting seamless. When the sitting ends, the quality of attention does not wane in the least; it's only the objects of attention that change as you turn toward the things that must be accomplished during the day.

Kenneth

Excellent ideas, Kenneth -- thank you! I've been doing a little some of these lately, putting my attention on the witness in particular and I've noticed a that concentration seems to be getting stronger as a result.

this idea of reviewing in the conclusion of the session never accured to me! It will help in my reporting as well.

Thanks!

Amr

""I'm curious to know if there are some more effective ways of ending a meditation session than what I do, which is to sit quietly for a few moments and review what just happened and try to absorb some of the positive energy that may have been generated. - John"

Hi John,
This seems to be a very natural way to end a session... a means of continuity from the sit and then a nice flow into one's regular daily activities. I do something similar to this... as well as now giving attention to the energy (various aspects of energy) including noticing energy field vibrations, qi.

"We know that "the proximate cause for concentration is concentration." That means that the building and maintaining of momentum throughout the day and from one day to the next is critical." - Kenneth

This is such an important statement in so many ways. What we gain, and/or the aspirations of our meditation practice should not end at the end of the sit, but rather be enduring throughout the day, albeit in regular mind states. On going attention and mindfulness. Admittedly, sometimes this is easier said, than done... but we can keep reminding ourselves to keep practicing... and practicing...

"Admittedly, sometimes this is easier said, than done... but we can keep reminding ourselves to keep practicing... and practicing..."

Hey Khara,

You're so right about this...I start out with the best of intentions but my plans are often derailed by the first problem du jour I encounter. It's a bit like having monkey mind (no offense to our friend who posts here by that name , you just have to keep bringing yourself back to the task as often as you realize you've become involved in "content".