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how to 48X your meditation in 4 weeks
written by dan goldfield 5th of August 2023
read time: 6 minutes
the average meditator aims for 15 mindful minutes per day.so what about the other 945?for thousands of years monks have done hours of meditation each day.but if you’re reading this you’re probably not a monk.do you have hours each day to meditate?even if you did, that still wouldn’t be enough to realize ultimate wellbeing in all circumstances.good news: there’s a more streamlined way to that realization.through 30,000 hours of study and practice i trimmed the fat from traditional meditation teachings.i also studied modern personal development and educational theory for 4 years.then i compared notes with my wife, a neuropsychologist.if you read last week’s letter then you’ll know the teaching i ended up with has gotten impressive results.today i’m going to show you exactly how i get those results.but first a little history…
how to practice mindfulness and get food in ancient india
2500 years ago the buddha stood in the hot, busy indian marketplace and saw that it was difficult for people to practice mindfulness.most people, he noticed, were trapped in a savage routine:🔹 wake up
🔹 do 12 hours’ manual labour and/or barter
🔹 collect wages (enough for one meal)
🔹 eat that meal
🔹 go to bedthey did this 7 days per week.so no matter how available the buddha made his teaching, most people wouldn’t have had time to hear it.there were no books or even scriptures back then.so if people wanted a teaching on mindfulness they had to be wherever the buddha was. and since he could only be in one place that usually meant a long journey… on foot.but most people couldn’t afford even a single day off work.still, the buddha was determined to make it possible for people to realize ultimate wellbeing like he had.so he established the sangha (“spiritual community”).there was already a culture of monastic living in india, rooted in hinduism. the buddha just rebooted it.he effectively made a deal with the public. they’d donate to his community so he could train people in wisdom. in return, the community would expand and give teachings all over the country.this gave people the option to stop working in the marketplace 7 days a week and study mindfulness 7 days a week instead.the buddha asked the public to provide 4 things for the monks:1. food
2. shelter
3. clothing
4. medicinethe public donated enough to keep the monks alive and the monks, in return, shared wisdom with the public.sweet deal, right?i know what i’d have been doing if i were alive back then.
how to practice mindfulness and get food in 2023
i don’t know anyone who works 7 days a week.if they did i’d expect them to afford a lot more than one meal a day.we’re now secure enough on 40 hours of work per week that we also have time to practice mindfulness.if you’ve never considered becoming a monk, this is why—you don’t have to.now, some folks are into hardcore sitting practice and that’s great.they work 8 hours, meditate 4 hours, sleep, repeat.but other folks started to use the insight they were gaining through a modest sitting practice to continue their meditation as they were going about their daily lives.and these folks found that there was actually a rich tradition of “blurring the lines” between formal meditation sessions and everything in-between.
the direct path to ultimate wellbeing
"do you want to be a meditator or do you want to be free?"
–Ram Dass
i want to repeat one more time: meditation is a wonderful practice.i’m not suggesting anyone should stop meditating.quite the opposite: i’m recommending everyone meditates 24/7.“but dan,” you might ask, “don’t i have to sit with my eyes closed to meditate? i can’t do that while operating a forklift.”i hear you.let’s take a second to break down exactly what meditation is.
meditation: not what you think it is
the typical image of meditation is someone sat in full lotus position concentrating on their breath.with the help of my first teacher i figured out i could concentrate on other stuff too:🔹 body
🔹 thoughts
🔹 feelingsthen i figured out i didn’t have to sit down to do it.i could get up and walk around while maintaining meditative stability!then i could play drums...then i could talk to someone...all while maintaining the “good stuff” about a formal seated practice.now, if you’re someone who’s practised deep states of absorption then you may be wondering how you’d continue those.well, you wouldn’t.those states are wonderful, but they’re states.they come and go; they’re conditional.so they’re not what we’re interested in when we're talking about irreducible truth.as i learned to “meditate” (AKA be mindful) in more and more circumstances, i discovered something amazing.i discovered that meditative stability is actually our default mode.in the beginning of your journey meditation feels unusual.you’ve been busy doing, getting, objecting, judging, interpreting and desiring for at least 2 decades. so to shut all that down seems impossible.but if you persevere then you see in meditation that you can exist without all those mental processes.when i experienced this a question arose that i knew i had to answer…“if i can exist without those troublesome mental processes in formal meditation then can i exist without them all the time?”this began a years-long investigation, which led somewhere really fucking good…i’m now delighted to report that the answer to that question is “yes”.you absolutely can exist without those troublesome mental processes in every moment of your life.but i didn’t just figure out that this was possible…i went on to figure out how to teach people like you how to live this wonderful reality, free of anxiety, self-doubt and depression.i call this teaching…
MINDFUL 24/7
MINDFUL 24/7 is a 4-week cohort course that achieved incredible results for 12 students back in april.it’s designed to guide you to 8 specific results:unshakeable confidence in a new method for realizing wellbeing as your default mode 24/7—for the rest of your life.freedom and relief from the drudgery of discipline—your practice will no longer depend upon long formal sits (because your whole life will be a meditation).crystal-clear clarity on the common truth to which all wisdom teachings point. No more doubt when you encounter a new perspective.unity with a community of like-minded, wholesome friends who share your positive nature, ready to uplift and encourage you in your journey.unwavering trust in yourself to assess and refine your practice based on evidence—resulting in the empowerment to become your own guide.rock-solid courage to overcome your life’s challenges—no matter how difficult they used to feel.genuine, lasting happiness, free from stress, anxiety, worry or guilt—without relying on fleeting moments of instant gratification to get you through your days.the certainty of consistent peak mental performance to apply to all areas of your life—health, work, family, friends and making your impact on the world.here’s how the program’s structured:
the program begins with the most powerful teaching i have to give.teachings like this introduction to natural wellbeing have been given in many cultures over many hundreds of years, but never before in such plain language.this is the foundation for the entire course and, as such, it must be attended live. but don’t worry—it’s the only teaching in the course that requires attendance. all other teachings will be recorded and can be viewed at your own leisure.
the rest of the course is made up of video lessons, guided practice audio's, practical assignments and interactive Q&A.the Discord chat is open all hours and i’ll be there to respond to your questions within 24 hours, 7 days-a-week. on fridays we’ll meet on video to talk in person. i’ll also drop into voice chat throughout the week.the students in cohort 1 found one other thing to be of great value: each other. the way they bonded and supported one other was amazing to watch. that said, it didn’t surprise me—peers were a huge part of my own mindfulness journey.want to hear from those students themselves? i featured them in last week’s letter.
a little something from inside the course
what if you’re already getting good results in your meditation and you don’t feel you need a whole 4-week program to take your practice to the next level?i still want to help you out.so i’m including here the first guided walking meditation from the course.if you try it i’d love to hear how it goes for you.
if you’re keen…
you can get $65 off by entering code EARLYBIRD at checkout.more info on the course here.and if you have questions, dm me on twitter.with love from my desk,
dg 💙
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10 inspiring mindfulness success stories
hi, i'm dan goldfield.
i studied with a monk for 5 years, meditated for 29,366 hours then married a hot neuropsychologist. mission: normalize wellbeing for 1 billion & 1 people.
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Dan Koe
7-Figure Brand Advisor
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★★★★★
Takezo
Meditation coach
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SELF-HELP AUTHOR
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