The Lazy Yogi

We’ve been friends for so long but I hadn’t seen him since starting residency in 2020.

Tonight we enjoyed a night out in NYC just wandering the humid evening and dropping in on some magical cocktail bars. One was a tiki bar set in hell and the other was a japanese inspired izakaya.

I also met a parrot who reminded me of my cat Iroh. The parrot showed unusual interest in me, making lots of eye contact. I feel like he wanted to cuddle. I might be projecting.

The ego’s needs are endless. It feels vulnerable and threatened and so lives in a state of fear and want. Once you know how the basic dysfunction operates, there is no need to explore all its countless manifestations, no need to make it into a complex personal problem.

Here is the key: End the delusion of time. Time and mind are inseparable. Remove time from the mind and it stops — unless you choose to use it. To be identified with your mind is to be trapped in time: the compulsion to live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation.

Why is [the Present] the most precious thing? Firstly, because it is the only thing. It’s all there is. The eternal present is the space within which your whole life unfolds, the one factor that remains constant. Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be. Secondly, the Now is the only point that can take you beyond the limited confines of the mind. It is your only point of access into the timeless and formless realm of Being.

Not because they reveal anything true about you, but because it is through your fears that you will learn vulnerability and authenticity.

For the past 17 days I’ve been doing a daily meditation using the Medito app as part of a 30‑day challenge. The intermittent voice prompts are really helpful; they bring my focus back whenever my mind wanders.

I’ve always avoided apps or videos for meditation, so I feel a bit like I’m cheating. At first I used noise‑cancelling headphones, but now I’m switching to just the phone’s speaker so I can get used to external sounds and possible distractions.

My ultimate goal is to stop using the app once the 30‑day challenge is over.

What do you think? Is this a good approach to getting back into meditation? The app is well designed—it offers breathing exercises, body scans, compassion meditations, etc.

I also listen to a great Tibetan‑bowl track and’m considering buying a physical bowl, though I’m not sure how to use it. I was thinking of ringing it at the beginning and end of the session so it doesn’t interrupt the middle.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hi friend! So sorry for the delay in my response.

Anything that helps you towards a daily meditation practice is a blessing. Using an app is not cheating at all. The only reason why I never used apps is simply because they did not exist when I first began daily meditation 😅

As you continue in your daily practice, your mind will become more and more settled. Eventually having any prompts will disturb your inner stillness rather than guide you toward it. When that starts to happen, you can transition to silent meditation.

I recommend sticking to one particular meditation technique for your daily practice, at least for a few weeks. Outside of that daily practice, feel free to experiment with anything else in addition to it. It takes time and repetition in order to find out how a meditation technique will effect you, what benefits it yields and what growth it offers.

Tibetan singing bowls are lovely and cool. If their sound and presence moves your mind and heart towards peace, freedom, and happiness, then all the better.

Much love!