Mowditate
Mowditate
Knowledge
Clear, calm, and scientifically grounded articles about meditation, mindfulness, and the questions that arise in practice.
Basics
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is a practice in which you deliberately direct your attention to a particular anchor, such as your breath, sounds, physical sensations, compassion, and so on.
Read article BasicsWhat Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness means consciously noticing the present moment: with kindness, openness, and, as far as possible, without immediately judging it.
Read article BasicsHow Do You Meditate?
You do not need special equipment or a perfect posture to meditate.
Read article BasicsWhy Does the Mind Wander?
Almost everyone finds that thoughts arise and attention wanders during meditation.
Read article BasicsHow Long Should I Meditate?
There is no perfect duration for a meditation!
Read article BasicsWhat Is the Right Posture?
First things first: there is no ‘right’ posture. In general, though, your posture should be comfortable, help you stay attentive rather than fall asleep, and be sustainable for…
Read article BasicsEyes Open or Closed?
This, too, varies from person to person. You can absolutely be mindful with your eyes open. During walking meditation, your eyes will usually be open as well.
Read article BasicsDo I Have to Watch My Breath?
The breath is particularly useful because it is always there, making it a good place to begin.
Read article BasicsDo You Need a Meditation Anchor?
That depends on the technique. In research, meditation techniques are often divided into two broad groups: Focused Attention Meditation (FAM) and Open Monitoring Meditation…
Read article BasicsWhat Does Non-Judgment Mean?
When we talk about mindfulness, we often encounter the idea of avoiding judgment as far as possible.
Read article BasicsWhy Meditation Is So Hard to Turn into a Habit
You would really like to meditate regularly. Perhaps you have decided to sit for ten minutes every morning. It works quite well for the first few days.
Read article BasicsHow to Trick Your Brain into Meditating
In the article ‘Why Meditation Is So Hard to Turn into a Habit’, we looked at why ten minutes of meditation can have surprisingly poor odds against five minutes of social media.
Read articleDuring Meditation
I Can’t Concentrate.
As we have mentioned several times already, concentration is not something you have to maintain throughout the entire meditation.
Read article During MeditationI Get Tired.
Getting enough sleep should generally be a firm goal in a healthy lifestyle. Adequate sleep is also an important foundation for meditating well.
Read article During MeditationI Get Restless.
As long as the restlessness still feels tolerable, it too can become an object of attention. Where do I notice it? Does it change?
Read article During MeditationMy Body Hurts.
If mild discomfort develops during meditation, you do not have to change your posture immediately.
Read article During MeditationCan I Move?
Absolutely. Keeping still is not necessarily a feature of meditation. What matters most is being mindful as you move.
Read article During MeditationShould I Block Out Sounds?
No. Sounds are just as much a part of your experience of the moment as everything else.
Read article During MeditationWhat Do I Do about an Itch?
An itch rather reliably produces the impulse to scratch. That is exactly what you can observe for a moment during meditation. Where exactly does it itch?
Read article During MeditationWhat If I Fall Asleep?
It can happen, especially if you are tired or meditate while lying down. Sleep and meditation are not the same, however.
Read articleScience
What Happens in the Brain?
During meditation, your brain is anything but switched off. Different networks are involved depending on how you meditate.
Read article ScienceWhat Does the Research Say?
Meditation has now been examined in hundreds of controlled studies. There is evidence of positive effects, particularly for mindfulness-based approaches, including for stress…
Read article ScienceThoughts, Perception, and the Self
When you meditate, your thoughts will eventually wander. We have covered that more than enough already.
Read article ScienceMore about the Default Mode Network
The Default Mode Network, or DMN, is not a single area of the brain, but a network of interconnected regions.
Read article ScienceHow Quickly Does Meditation Work?
Some effects can arise surprisingly quickly. Even a single short meditation may, for example, influence your current perceived level of stress.
Read article ScienceWhat Meditation Can—and Can’t—Do.
Meditation can help you deal more consciously with thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
Read article ScienceMeditation and Stress.
Stress is part of life, and meditation will not change that. But it can influence how strongly you experience stress and how you respond to it.
Read article ScienceMeditation and Sleep.
Meditation can help with sleep—but it is not a substitute for sleep.
Read article ScienceMeditation and Pain.
Pain does not arise only where it hurts. The brain processes and evaluates signals from the body, and our conscious experience of pain arises from that.
Read articleWhen Meditation Gets Difficult
I Feel Sad.
That can happen. During meditation, there is less external distraction. Thoughts, memories, or feelings that are quickly overlaid by the next task in daily life can become more…
Read article When Meditation Gets DifficultI Feel Anxious.
Anxiety can also arise during meditation. When external distractions fall away and attention turns more strongly inward, thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations may become…
Read article When Meditation Gets DifficultWhen Is Professional Support a Good Idea?
For most people, meditation is a safe practice. But unpleasant feelings, memories, or thoughts may sometimes arise during it.
Read article