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January 20, 2025 • 12min
#789: Ease Into Stillness — Guided Meditation with Zen Master Henry Shukman
The Tim Ferriss Show
This episode introduces a new format called "Meditation Monday" featuring Henry Shukman, one of only a few dozen masters authorized to teach Sambo Zen. The meditation focuses on addressing stress around meditation itself, particularly regarding thoughts during practice. Tim Ferriss shares that he has been using Henry's app "The Way" once or twice daily, which has significantly reduced his anxiety.
#789: Ease Into Stillness — Guided Meditation with Zen Master Henry Shukman
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Key Takeaways
- Meditation Monday is a new experiment featuring short 10-minute guided meditations with Zen master Henry Shukman
- The goal is to develop a Zen toolkit over four episodes to help find greater calm, peace and effectiveness in daily life
- Common misconception: Meditation is not about having no thoughts - it's about developing a different relationship with thoughts
- Three categories of thoughts during meditation: memories, plans, and imaginings
- The most important aspect is spending quiet, still time without reaching for distractions, not how "well" you meditate
Introduction
This episode introduces a new format called "Meditation Monday" featuring Henry Shukman, one of only a few dozen masters authorized to teach Sambo Zen. The meditation focuses on addressing stress around meditation itself, particularly regarding thoughts during practice. Tim Ferriss shares that he has been using Henry's app "The Way" once or twice daily, which has significantly reduced his anxiety.
Topics Discussed
Understanding Meditation Stress (1:10)
- Common challenges:
- People often get stressed about meditation itself
- Being still and quiet is uncommon in daily life
- No access to usual distractions during practice
- Misconception about needing to measure up to certain standards
- Key insight: "Our brains naturally secrete thought" - Henry Shukman
- Goal: Developing a different relationship with thoughts rather than eliminating them
Getting Comfortable (3:11)
- Physical setup:
- Find a comfortable seated position
- Option to close eyes or keep them lowered
- Release tension in the jaw
- Let arms hang relaxed
- Find warmth and softness in chest, belly, and hips
- Approach: Coming home to ourselves and our life as it is
Working with Thoughts (5:15)
- Three-folder system for categorizing thoughts:
- Memories
- Plans
- Imaginings
- Process:
- Notice when thoughts arise
- Recognize when mind has wandered
- Categorize the thought type
- Thank the thoughts for showing up
- Return to present moment awareness
Resting in Presence (7:16)
- Key elements:
- Maintain a restful state
- No need to "do" anything
- Notice thoughts as they arise
- Rest in present moment when no thoughts are present
- Anchors for presence:
- Sensing the calm, relaxed body
- Noticing sounds in the environment
- Being with experience as it is
Concluding the Practice (11:19)
- Gentle transition:
- Bringing movement back to the body
- Optional swaying or moving fingers and toes
- Raising the eyes
- Important insight: "The most important thing is not how well we think we do it or how good a time we might have doing it" - Henry Shukman
- Key benefits:
- Impact on unconscious mind through stillness
- Value of quiet time without distractions
- Gradual positive changes over time
Conclusion
This inaugural Meditation Monday episode provides a gentle introduction to meditation practice, focusing on developing a healthy relationship with thoughts rather than trying to eliminate them. The guided practice emphasizes the importance of simply being present and quiet, regardless of how "well" one thinks they're meditating. Henry Shukman's approach makes meditation accessible by addressing common stressors and misconceptions while providing practical tools for categorizing thoughts and returning to presence.