EP262: Meditation in Three Minutes a Day Richard Dixey
Sep 19, 2023
auto_awesome
Richard Dixey discusses his book 'Three Minutes a Day' which introduces a convenient approach to meditation. Topics include the transformative effects of meditation, the role of Asian meditation traditions, cultivating inner balance and boundless energy through rituals, the power of perception in finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, and the importance of systematic meditation. The podcast also explores the concept of meditation as an action and the pursuit of cognitive freedom.
Meditation can be practiced in just three minutes a day, offering profound insight and transformation.
Meditation helps us break free from our conditioned perception and make choices based on present-moment awareness.
Consistent and regular meditation practice, even for short periods, can have a powerful transformative effect on concentration, resilience, and creativity.
Deep dives
Meditation as a Path to Engagement and Awareness
In this podcast episode, Richard Dixie discusses the transformative power of meditation and its ability to cultivate presence and awareness in our daily lives. He shares how meditation can help us move beyond the limitations of our map-making minds and access a deeper level of engagement with our experiences. By simplifying our focus and savoring each moment, we can develop concentration and clarity, leading to profound insights and more conscious decision-making. The practice of meditation is presented as an action-oriented approach that can bring about resilience, creativity, and a greater sense of freedom.
The Nature of Reality and Perception
Richard explores the concept of reality and highlights the importance of meditation in understanding our actual experience. He encourages us to question our maps and recognize that our perception of the world is shaped by our past conditioning and beliefs. Through the practice of meditation, we learn to engage with our senses and thoughts directly, gaining clarity and insight into our true nature. This shift in perception allows us to make choices based on present-moment awareness rather than reacting to our conditioned responses. Richard emphasizes that meditation is not about attaining an extraordinary experience, but rather about accessing the extraordinary within the ordinary.
The Power of Three Minutes a Day
Richard emphasizes the accessibility and practicality of meditation, urging listeners to start their practice immediately, without the need for elaborate preparations or specific time slots. He recommends simple objects like a candle and a bell as meditation aids, but highlights that engaging with our experience and being fully present are the essence of meditation. Richard offers a 14-week course that gradually introduces various meditation exercises, allowing participants to develop concentration, resilience, and creativity in their daily lives. He underscores the importance of consistent and regular practice, as even short periods of meditation can have a powerful transformative effect.
Engaging with Perception Beyond Map-Making
Richard delves into the concept of engagement and the role of meditation in breaking free from the limitations of our map-making minds. He highlights the distinction between adverting, fixing attention on an object, and savoring, fully immersing in the experience. By learning to savor our perceptions and engage with them directly, we cultivate calmness, clarity, and an imperturbable presence. Richard encourages listeners to embrace meditation as an action and an ongoing practice that leads to discernment, agency, and a deeper understanding of oneself and the world. By awakening to the present moment, we tap into our innate intelligence and experience the richness of ordinary life.
Transforming Lives Through a Systematic Practice
In this episode, Richard emphasizes the importance of a systematic and practical approach to meditation. He contrasts the need for engagement with the tendency to intellectualize or romanticize the practice. Richard's book and app provide a structured 14-week course with a clear roadmap for developing a reliable meditation practice. He stresses the need to move beyond conceptualizing meditation and to actually engage with the practice. Richard believes that meditation has the potential to bring about substantial positive changes, such as increased kindness, resilience, and creativity. He emphasizes the value of finding freedom from our map-making minds and awakening to the inherent possibilities of each moment.
Richard Dixey, PhD, a scientist and lifelong student of Asian philosophy, believes that we don’t have to sit in lotus pose for twenty minutes or more to feel the benefits of meditation. In his new book, Three Minutes a Day: A Fourteen-Week Course to Learn Meditation and Transform Your Life, he introduces a convenient approach to cultivating a daily meditation practice, requiring just three minutes each day. Delving into the creation of our experiences by our senses, their processing in the brain, and the resulting construction of our worldview, Richard explores how we can establish a solid foundation for profound insight in almost no time at all.
Guest Bio
Richard Dixey, PhD, is a scientist and lifelong student of Asian philosophy. He runs the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation in India with his wife Wangmo, the eldest daughter of Tibetan lama Tarthang Tulku. He is a senior faculty member at Dharma College in Berkeley and divides his time between California and India. For more information, visit RichardDixey.com.
Guest’s book:Three Minutes a Day: A Fourteen-Week Course to Learn Meditation and Transform Your Life Paperback – August 29, 2023 by Richard Dixey (Author)
Kristen Manieri is a coach who works with teams to increase both productivity and wellbeing. She also helps individuals navigate transition with clarity and confidence. Her areas of focus are: stress reduction, energy management, mindset, resilience, habit formation, rest rituals, and self-care. As the host of the weekly 60 Mindful Minutes podcast, an Apple top 100 social science podcast, Kristen has interviewed over 200 authors about what it means to live a more conscious, connected, intentional and joyful life. Learn more at kristenmanieri.com/work-with-me.