Fountain-of-Youth.com
NOTE: I am currently still building this website, so please forgive, incompletness and errors at times.
Fountain-of-Youth.com
NOTE: I am currently still building this website, so please forgive, incompletness and errors at times.
Meditation
Meditation is more than an esoteric practice for me: it's the bedrock of my transformation - longevity or otherwise.
I started meditating in 2016 with my first Vipassana 10 Day Silent Meditation course in Cambodia. This marked a significant turning point in my life, leading to a profound transformation. Since childhood I struggled with super short attention span (I was borderline dyslexic). Then in my youth, I became consicious of my restless mind, and a sense of not fully utilizing my potential. Meditation opened a new realm of clarity, focus and reality-based existence for me.
The journey has been one of mastering my mind and alleviating personal suffering. Comparing who I was before to who I am now reveals a remarkable difference: a sharper mind, and unconditional self-acceptance. It's important to acknowledge that there are different tools for the job, but for me, meditation has been a fundamental tool in nurturing every aspect of my life.
Before Challenge:
- Feb. 2016: Attended my first 10-day Vipassana Silent Meditation retreat, then paused my practice.
- Nov. 2017: Completed a second 10-day Vipassana course. Continued meditating for six weeks afterward, but struggled to integrate it into my lifestyle beyond. Desire to meditate persisted, though I was unsure how to continue fitting it into my life.
- 2020: Answer found in discovering Individual Meditation through Dr. Kai Gutzeit and the teachings of Milenko Vlajkov. Began a daily meditation practice (20-25 min.), though regularly skipped (avg. 4/10)
- 2021: Making daily Meditation becomes more regular (sat avg. 6/10)
- 2022: Completed two 8-day Individual Meditation courses. Daily Meditations sat avg. 8/10
- 2023: Participated in two 10-day Vipassana courses, attending one and serving as a volunteer in the other. Daily Meditation feel like a habit now (sat avg. 9/10).
Changes for the Challenge:
- Commit to a daily meditation session, without exceptions.
- Persist in doing two 8-10 day meditation courses per year (next Jan. 2024).
- Introduce a weekly 45-minute meditation session.
Future Considerations:
- Add 20 minutes walking meditation daily.