My meditation practice: condensed time, more unlimited sessions (the second week).

Screenshot (Jan 15, 2019 10_55_25)I reached the second week of My current meditation streak and therefore I find it a good opportunity to share further reflections (I'd like to do this each week).

What was most interesting during the recent 7 days of practice - was one particular 15-min. session. When I first learn that Meditation Assistant app propose 15-min. time span as a default one - it successfully encouraged Me to begin the challenge without really perceiving it as such (as something difficult to accomplish) - because 15 minutes seems pretty doable ;) . So I've begun My streak with that thought in mind: being happy on meditation quarters .

But this has changed during this week in which I've realized that unlimited sessions are the ones which I like more and more (?!?). It was a little bit of a surprise, but a nice one . Earlier on I was a little uncertain (shy ;) ?) on longer time span because I was afraid that I could fall asleep. But soon enough it became clear that this is not the case and I am always (so far) able to finish My session, however long it could have been (My concern had also to do with the timing, which is currently late night / early morning hours).

One thing worth to note is that I usually have a good-enough sense of time - i.e. more often than not I could say almost for sure if something last longer than (e.g.) 15 minutes - or not. One session I have that kind of a feeling in which I felt like meditating for a much longer time than just a quarter. I was pretty surprised when I felt a characteristic smartphone vibration indicating that I've reached a default - one quarter - time span (!). I found it an abstract and surreal experience: to feel very realistically that it must have taken much more time (half an hour, maybe longer) - and in the same time to have the proof that it hasn't. Maybe the reason is simple: I could "blackout" for a little while during the session, not being aware of it - but it could be enough to lost sense of time, or - to be more precise - to gain a new one.

There is something incredible about "blackout moments" and their timeless character, which may totally distort and confuse Your perception.

Probably it is the same thing like while dreaming, when You can experience time in an extraordinary, amazingly surprising way (for example You could take a few minutes nap whereas the dream You've been dreaming could last much, much longer for You - it can be amazingly authentic and realistic experience).

Besides My experience of such "condensed time" I could say that indeed I like unlimited sessions more and more (currently I treat 15-min. time span as a final solution to take when I feel too tired and have serious doubts if I could avoid blackouts).

Nice to say that almost every time after the session I post and check other meditators gathered "in the app" - it is always a pretty nice feeling to be aware of all of them (as I've mentioned before), various beings from all over this world, sharing the same "theme". In the app's description there is a mention on someone who posted over 500 days streak which impressed Me first, but then I've soon realized that much longer streaks are not so rare in the community gathered around Meditation Assistant . The longest streak I've seen so far was probable over 800 days . Congratulations .

Oh, and in terms of the background: I sometimes use Hemi-Sync recordings during My meditation - or I use just some nature-themed, ambient sounds (ocean so far, I'm thinking about birds, etc.). I especially like the idea that I could use an Internet radio to stream - let's say, ocean sounds - directly during My sessions . But I guess most of the time I just meditate without any additional soundtrack (although it may change, we'll see ).