Is it necessary to have a formal meditation practice?

The other day, I received this question from a participant in The Open Heart Project.

…what is the importance of formally sitting down to mediate? Just to be clear, I often kind of meditate when I’m taken into an activity that absorbs my concentration but not too much. For instance knitting, or cooking: all thoughts are flowing through and passing as I sort of do things and breath slowly, simply; instead of “concentrating”, or better, listening to my breath, I listen to the rhythm of knitting. Does this makes any sense, or does it simply show that I’m not getting yet something important about meditation? I ask this question, because I have similar feelings when I engage in my 10 minutes meditation or in an half an hour easy knitting…… When I have finished I feel calmed and soothed and energised at the same time!

My answer below, in video and audio (for those who are having trouble playing the videos).

VIdeo:

The audio is here:

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Also included in this post: a new 10-minute guided meditation practice. Just cuz.

Video:

The audio is here:

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1 comment

  1. 1
    anu { 05.02.11 at 4:32 pm }

    I read about the writing on the osama killing…and then followed the he minute meditation…

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