Is Strict Routine a Prerequisite to Meditative Progress?

[TurkeyOnRye]

Is strict routine a prerequisite to meditative progress? Is it necessary, for example, to meditate 20 minutes twice daily to witness marked improvement? Is spontaneous meditation (without a routine) a hindrance to progress? An advantage?

 

[Covellite]

Is strict routine a prerequisite to meditative progress? Is it necessary, for example, to meditate 20 minutes twice daily to witness marked improvement? Is spontaneous meditation (without a routine) a hindrance to progress? An advantage?

IMO, yes. At least twice a day, 15-20 min is minimum. Stick to the same routine as long as you can, even there is no visible progress. Progress will come sooner or later, for sure.
I love spontaneous meditation, too. Sometimes I just feel like long meditation. Once I spent 2 weeks meditating all day (vipassana), (with some short breaks). It was a great experience to me.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Good advice. Some routine is preferable. You will come to like it. Do not make it too strict, hide-bound. Meditation is sure a restraint on monkey mind, but do it gently. Also, it is good to know about Yama and Niyama. I won't go for whole-day meditation.

योग: चित्त-वृत्ति निरोध: (yogaḥ chitta-vritti-nirodhaḥ) - - Yoga Sutras 1.2

"This terse definition hinges on the meaning of three Sanskrit terms. I. K. Taimni translates it as "Yoga is the inhibition (nirodhaḥ) of the modifications (Vritti) of the mind (Chitta)"."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga#Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali

 

[Rick O'Shez]

It's good to be regular.

 

[Jedster]

Is strict routine a prerequisite to meditative progress? Is it necessary, for example, to meditate 20 minutes twice daily to witness marked improvement? Is spontaneous meditation (without a routine) a hindrance to progress? An advantage?

I agree with all the previous posts whole heartedly. Enjoy your time.

 

[Banjankri]

Is strict routine a prerequisite to meditative progress? Is it necessary, for example, to meditate 20 minutes twice daily to witness marked improvement? Is spontaneous meditation (without a routine) a hindrance to progress? An advantage?

What progress are you talking about? What is your goal?
I am in "the business" for years and didn't witness anyone improving in some special way. Of course, people change because of their practice, but this is because everything you do changes you. No magic.
There are hundreds of meditation techniques, each different from the other. Time spend on a particular method also brings a different result. Picking one, and doing it for X minutes will give you a random result. Is this your goal? You may not only waste a huge amount of your life, but it can literally hurt.

It's good to be regular.

Please, explain why.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I was not a regular. I practiced it in front of a busy road in Delhi with honking buses, cars. Got what I wanted to achieve in a weeks time and have never needed to do it again. IMHO, regularity is for unprepared beginners. Cultural background, education helps. Like sitting cross-legged or eating meals while sitting on the floor comes easier to an Indian. We are accustomed to that.

Pangat (community feast), Satsang (religious congregation), School (Vedic teaching).

 

[Rick O'Shez]

You may not only waste a huge amount of your life, but it can literally hurt.

Very inspiring.

Do phenomenolologists actually meditate?

 

[crossfire]

It is good to have a routine while you are learning meditation and becoming settled in the practice, for the simple reason that it helps you to learn the skill.

Afterwards, you may settle into a natural routine that fits in with your normal lifestyle quiet times, so a strict schedule would not be necessary.

 

[Banjankri]

Very inspiring.

It wasn't suppose to be. Some people think that they need to inspire every meditation beginner, but will always fail to explain why.

Do phenomenolologists actually meditate?

Not blindly.