Derrick:
I’ve been sitting for about six years. I got my start in Vipassana as taught by S.N. Goenka a very austere practice. I am now involved in Shambhala; a more tantric practice which is more applicable to my householder status.
I usually sit in the morning and the evening. Sometimes 15 minutes, sometimes 60 minutes. I have taken my Bodhisattva vows so I have a lot of work ahead of me.
Gregor:
I came to Buddhism approximately 18 months ago. I am a rank novice at meditation and still struggle with being very diligent about it. I have however been working to cultivate ethics training in my life. The transformation in myself and general happiness is amazing. Typically I only sit once a day for about twenty minutes. I am working up towards more. I enjoy using a stick of incense as my meditation timer.
cmiller73:
I have been drawn to Buddhism for a several of years now, but have only been actively sitting for 10 months. I have an insatiable appetite for reading both contemporary and ‘classical’ spiritual texts, but was hesitant to actually put my reading into practice.
I guess it took a long time to get over my fear of the unknown, hold my breath, and dive in. I am now involved in Shambhala, an organization started by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Now I wonder why I waited so long! My family has noticed that my practice and my involvement in Shambhala has had a positive impact on my life. I am getting better at cultivating a regular sitting practice – even if only for fifteen minutes a day though I am still inconsistent at times. My challenge now (besides taming my mind) is how to carry my practice into my life off the cushion.
