I started 'meditating' at about 18 or 19 years old. My Mom introduced me to it via an article in the tabloid, National Enquirer. She seemed to think I would benefit from it. So, I went home, read the article (less than 200 words), and followed the directions. That was the extent of my instructions.
There was no access to books or teachers in the beginning, so it was all on my own. I can't explain how I 'knew' some of the techniques, they just seemed like the natural evolution of the practice. The benefits I've seen in my life has generated a deep affection for meditation. By now, I have probably spent 12,000 - 15,000 hours in meditation practice.
By luck, or by Karma, I've been privileged to be able to study under the guidance of some of the most revered meditation masters in the forest tradition. From November, 2015 until May, 2017, I lived in two monasteries in Sri Lanka, where I completed more than 5,000 hours of meditation. I feel like the experience is so deeply ingrained in my being, it would be virtually impossible to ever live without mindfulness in this lifetime...
