
Tibetan monks are known for their devotion to religious traditions and their expertise in meditation. They spend hours each week meditating, and their dedication has led to various studies exploring the impact of sustained mindfulness on the brain. Research has shown that meditation can induce a heightened state of awareness and focused attention, offering benefits such as stress relief, anxiety management, improved memory, and reduced inflammation.
Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques often include visualization practices, where meditators reimagine themselves and their surroundings as benevolent beings and pure realms. This elaborative practice aims to stabilize and train the mind, leading to lasting well-being.
A typical day for a Buddhist monk might include an early morning start with an hour of meditation followed by chanting, and then another two-hour session of meditation and prayer in the evening.
What You'll Learn
Tibetan monks spend hours meditating each week
Tibetan monks are known for their devotion to religious traditions, and this is reflected in the many hours they spend meditating each week. Their dedication to the practice of meditation has made them experts, and there is much we can learn from them about the impact of sustained mindfulness on the brain.
A typical day for a monk starts early, with an hour of meditation from 4 am, followed by an hour of chanting. After walking barefoot around the neighbourhood and receiving offerings of food from locals, they return to the temple for breakfast at 8 am. Classes in Buddhist teachings begin at 1 pm, and the day also includes time for temple maintenance, homework, and free time. Despite these varied activities, meditation remains a key focus, with another two-hour session starting at 6 pm.
The specific meditation techniques practised by Tibetan monks include visualisation practices, where they reimagine themselves and others as benevolent beings in a heavenly realm, often accompanied by mantras. This is quite distinct from the quietude of mindfulness practice or the rigours of Zen. However, the end goal is the same: to attain lasting well-being by stabilising and training the mind.
The benefits of meditation are well-documented, and studies have shown that it can help relieve stress, manage anxiety, reduce inflammation, and improve memory and attention. These advantages are not limited to Tibetan monks but are accessible to anyone willing to incorporate meditation into their daily routine. Even a brief two-minute meditation every hour can be beneficial for calming and focusing the mind.
The dedication of Tibetan monks to their meditation practice has provided valuable insights into the impact of sustained mindfulness on the brain. By studying the brains of monks with extensive meditation experience, researchers have found that long-term meditative practice decreases activity in the default network, leading to better self-regulation and improved brain resource optimisation.
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Meditation is an essential part of Tibetan medicine
Tibetan monks meditate for hours each week, making them experts in the practice. Meditation is an essential part of Tibetan medicine, which emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and behaviour. The purpose of meditation is to investigate the nature of reality, tame the "monkey mind", and transform the mind into a tool to create health and happiness.
Tibetan monks spend years of their lives engaged in meditation practices, which has led to scientific interest in the effects of sustained mindfulness on the brain. Studies have shown that meditation can help relieve stress, manage anxiety, reduce inflammation, and improve memory and attention. It is not entirely clear how meditation confers so many health benefits, but researchers have found that long-term, active meditative practice decreases activity in the default network of the brain, which is associated with the brain at rest. This means that the brain can more easily get itself into a relaxed state.
Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques include deity yoga, which involves the recitation of mantras, prayers, and visualization of the yidam or deity, along with the associated mandala of the deity's Pure Land. Advanced deity yoga involves practitioners imagining themselves as the deity and developing "divine pride", understanding that oneself and the deity are not separate. Other forms of meditation in Tibetan Buddhism include Mahamudra and Dzogchen teachings, dream yoga, tummo, the yoga of the intermediate state or bardo, sexual yoga, and chöd.
There are many options for taming the mind through meditation. For example, one can meditate while sitting, walking, lying down, dancing, or listening to music. One can start with a brief two-minute meditation every hour or so to calm and focus the mind. Tibetan meditations such as meditation on compassion and Tibetan prostrations can help one let go of negativity and develop loving-kindness and compassion toward oneself, others, and the world.
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Monks may meditate while sitting, walking, lying down, dancing, or listening to music
Tibetan monks have a variety of options when it comes to meditation practices. They can meditate while sitting, walking, lying down, dancing, or listening to music.
Sitting Meditation
Sitting meditation is a popular choice, as it can help one feel less distracted. To begin, one should make themselves comfortable, straighten their back, and relax their body. The focus should be shifted from external distractions to the mind, and circular breathing should be practised throughout the meditation.
Walking Meditation
Walking meditation involves focusing on one's feet and connecting with their surroundings. One should begin by standing and doing a mental sweep of the body from the top of the head down to the feet and back up again. Then, one can start walking, lifting the right foot and stepping forward slowly. If one becomes distracted, they can stop, note their feelings, and then return to the walking.
Lying Down Meditation
Lying down meditation follows a similar structure to sitting meditation. One should make themselves comfortable lying down, straighten their back, relax their body, and shift their focus from external distractions to their mind. Circular breathing should be practised throughout the meditation.
Dancing Meditation
Tibetan prostrations are a form of dancing meditation, which are similar to Sun Salutations in yoga. This practice involves a series of movements and postures that help to harmonize the mind and body.
Meditation While Listening to Music
Meditation while listening to music can help one focus their mind. This can be combined with other forms of meditation, such as sitting or lying down, and circular breathing.
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Meditation is like training a mental muscle
Tibetan monks are known for their devotion to their religious traditions, and this includes spending hours upon hours meditating each week. While the daily routine can vary depending on the temple, a typical day might include a one-hour meditation session in the early morning (4-5 am) and another two-hour session in the evening (6-8 pm). This level of dedication to meditation is not surprising, as it is an essential part of Tibetan medicine and Buddhist philosophy.
Meditation is like training your mental muscle. Just as physical exercise strengthens your body, meditation strengthens your mind. The more you practice, the better your brain becomes at self-regulation and optimizing its resources. This is supported by scientific studies, which have found that long-term, active meditative practice decreases activity in the default network of the brain, leading to better relaxation and improved cognitive skills.
Tibetan meditation is designed to tame your "monkey mind" and transform it into a tool for creating health and happiness. It emphasizes the connection between the mind, body, and behavior. There are various meditation techniques that Tibetan monks may use, including visualization practices and chanting mantras. These practices aim to develop positive qualities such as compassion and goodwill by reimagining oneself and the environment as pure and benevolent.
One simple Tibetan Buddhist meditation technique involves focusing on the figure of the Buddha. The meditator imagines the Buddha sitting above them on a golden throne, radiating golden light that fills their body and heart with a sense of plenitude and well-being. This visualization helps to harness the mind's creativity and imagine the qualities of a Buddha, such as infinite love, kindness, and wisdom, up close and personal.
By regularly engaging in meditation, Tibetan monks are essentially optimizing their brain function and reaping the benefits that come with it. These benefits include improved attention, reduced anxiety, enhanced immune system, and better stress management. As such, meditation is increasingly being recognized as a valuable practice by the medical community, with some doctors prescribing it just as they would an anti-depressant or blood pressure medication.
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Monks' days are strictly regimented, but also surprisingly normal and free
The life of a monk is a unique one, with a daily routine that is both strictly regimented and surprisingly normal and free. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, as the practices can vary between temples, Tibetan monks are known for their devotion to their religious traditions and their expertise in meditation. They spend hours upon hours each week meditating, with an average of 15 years of meditation experience under their belts.
A typical day in the life of a monk might look something like this: at 4:00 am, the temple wakes up and the monks meditate for an hour, followed by an hour of chanting. At 6:00 am, they walk barefoot around the neighbourhood while the local people offer them food. After returning to the temple for breakfast at 8:00 am, they have a light lunch before noon, which is their last solid meal until the next morning. The afternoon is spent attending classes in Buddhist teachings, and at 6:00 pm, they have another two-hour session of meditation and prayer. The monks then retire to their quarters at 8:00 pm to do homework or temple maintenance, or to enjoy some free time.
Despite the structured nature of their days, monks still have time for themselves and their hobbies. They can spend time with family and friends, play sports, and engage in other activities that bring them joy. This balance between discipline and freedom allows them to cultivate their spiritual practices while still maintaining a sense of normalcy and connection with the outside world.
Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques often include visualization practices, where meditators reimagine themselves and others as benevolent beings in a heavenly realm. This is accompanied by mantras and chanting, which help to induce a state of compassion and lovingkindness. The ultimate goal of these practices is to attain lasting well-being by stabilising and training the mind, rather than relying solely on external factors that are subject to change.
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Frequently asked questions
Tibetan monks spend hours upon hours meditating each week. Their daily routine includes waking up at 4 a.m. to meditate for an hour, followed by an hour of chanting. They then have another two-hour session of meditation and prayer starting at 6 p.m.
Tibetan meditation emphasizes the connection between the mind, body, and behavior. It is designed to tame the "monkey mind" and transform it into a tool to create health and happiness.
Some Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques include visualization practices, where meditators reimagine themselves and/or others as benevolent beings and the environment as a pure, heavenly realm. Mantras and circular breathing are often associated with these visualizations. Another technique is Tibetan prostrations, which are similar to "Sun Salutations" in yoga.
Studies have shown that meditation can help relieve stress, manage anxiety, reduce inflammation, and improve memory and attention. It induces a heightened state of awareness and focused attention, leading to improved psychological and emotional well-being.