I am aware that while I often write about contemplative practice here, I don’t often discuss how it is actually done. I am not a teacher of any kind or lineage; I am merely someone whose practice over many years has thrown up some things it seems worth sharing.
Nonetheless, I well remember reading Jiddu Krishnamurti in my twenties, and being fiercely frustrated by his lack of practical advice. “Just tell me what to do!” I wanted to shout. Now there are excellent reasons why people like Krishnamurti and Eckhart Tolle don’t tend to go in for explicit instructions, but they can certainly help.
Hands down the most useful source of practical advice I know is Sam Harris’ Waking Up. Explicitly devoid of religious baggage, but packed with philosophical and neuroscientific insights, this little book has all the step by step guidance and for want of a better phrase worked examples you could wish for. (There is also an excellent, very comprehensive Waking Up app for Android and iOS; but I’d suggest reading the book before signing up for the free trial.)
Linked below are a few posts of mine – in order of likely usefulness – that do offer something like background advice:
Choiceless awareness
What’s in a name?
Contemplative reading
NB!
Secular or supernatural?
Sangha and solitude
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Spiritual Crisis:
Difficult times in our practice can occasionally get out of hand. Do not take these occasions lightly.
If you do not have a trusted guide to whom you can turn, Cheetah House specialise in helping meditators who are experiencing meditation-related difficulties, and in providing meditation safety training to providers and organizations.
The Spiritual Crisis Network exists to promote understanding and support of those going through profound personal transformation, and to act as a resource providing help and information for those going through or recovering from spiritual crisis, professionals, carers, supporters and researchers.
Tara Brach, on her own website, has a useful downloadable guide to Working with Fear and Trauma.
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