Meditation for the Working Professional
The key to any practice is commitment.
In 2010, I dove head first into meditation, more out of necessity than desire. In 2009, my sister passed away, I was dissatisfied with my job, and dating was dismal. On the flip side, I was fortunate enough to be living in Hawaii, where I was introduced to zazen and had time on my hands to delve into it (see Zazen: Getting Started).
When I relocated to Los Angeles in 2011 to be closer to family, I left the beautiful and idyllic environment of the Honolulu Diamond Sangha, where I had been furthering my practice, for a fast-paced, energy-charged lifestyle in L.A. My commitment to meditation plummeted as I worked long hours to stay on top, feeling torn in multiple directions (none of which involved meditation).
I needed a change and a return to meditation. After some soul searching and future-envisioning exercises, I changed my job to work in a more balanced environment and re-committed myself to (near) daily meditation. I also changed my mindset on meditation: instead of feeling like I had to meditate for a 1/2 hour a day, with weekly one hour intensive sessions, I started meditating 5-10 minutes a day. This small commitment leads to great rewards when done consistently.
Getting Started
Having learned to meditate in an environment where all one needed was a zafu and zabuton (meditation cushions), I initially swore off meditation apps, leaning toward traditional methods. However, as my devotion to meditation began to wane with a continued active L.A. lifestyle, I started to use apps and gadgets to assist. I now use them regularly.
Here are some apps that worked for me:
Unplug Meditation App. The videos and meditations are high quality, and the variety is excellent. If you stream the meditations on a larger screen, such as a television, they provide the setting of being in a class. I particularly like Andrew Clark’s sound bath on a large screen with surround sound. If that melodic sound doesn’t provide motivation to sit still, I don’t know what will. :)
Calm App. I used this App before Unplug, and appreciated the selection and multi-day focus of the meditations. I now prefer to stream videos with Unplug, but this is a worthwhile app to get started or to focus your meditation for the week or month. Some people swear by Headspace, which I haven’t tried so I can’t comment on it. But it undoubtedly is another great app in the meditation world.
Muse. If you don’t mind shelling out the money for the futuristic-looking head band, this app is worthwhile. It tracks brain signals during meditation (with birds chirping during calm moments and thunderstorms during stormy moments). At times, I found the sounds distracting (“where are the birds? The storms coming … I need more birds!”). But, after awhile, I was able to tune that out and focus more on my practice. Overall, I’m glad that I purchased this device, and would recommend it. (Note: I purchased this during a Black Friday sale, which decreased the price about $100. Unless you have an immediate desire or urgency to use this device, you may want to wait for a sale.)
There also are websites, guided programs, and podcasts that can assist you in starting this lifetime journey, such as:
Insight Meditation by Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein. I used this in Hawaii when I was getting started as well, and found it beneficial in letting go of unnecessary baggage.
Mindful Living and Spiritual Awakening podcast by Marijo Puleo PhD. What a treat this podcast is. Dr. Puleo invested countless hours, days, weeks, and months into preparing this free, well-informed podcast series on a range of mindfulness and spiritual topics. Thank you, Dr. Puleo for enriching our lives. I highly recommend this podcast, which is easy to listen to during a commute.
Tara Brach Guided Meditations.
Dharmawoman. In full disclosure, my mom started this site in 2018 and it is still under construction. Despite the family connection, I have learned new meditations and Buddhist principles from her site that I found helpful.
In addition, I would recommend all of the beloved books, such as Three Pillars of Zen and Everyday Zen (see books cited in Zazen: Getting Started), that got me started on this path.
Whichever path you choose, remain dedicated to your practice to achieve the full benefits. Don’t give up. Meditation can be difficult getting started, but it is a life-long and essential practice. For me, it was life transforming, and I hope it is for you too.