This is part of The Daily Meditation Experiment, where I am practicing one school of meditation per week to understand the overall structure & effects of each.
Meditation Method: Mindfulness (Vipassana)
I sit on a cushion, eyes closed, for 20 minutes, listening to theta wave binaural beats.
I breathe deeply & naturally, focusing on my breath and on allowing my thoughts to pass through me without capturing me.
When thoughts do capture me, and I notice them, I label the thought broadly (e.g. plan, worry, memory), and return to my breath.
If I am able to achieve total empty mind, never for more than the space of a few breaths, I feel my mind open and relax, while I notice my breaths & the total emptiness of thought between them.