Developers and Meditation

For some time, my mind had become cluttered with various worries. In such situations, exercise and reading can be solutions. I was already exercising regularly, so I significantly increased my reading volume. I read books on topics I thought were necessary for my life, rather than technical books. Yet, something was missing. I thought, "I need time to organize my thoughts," but it was hard to actually make time for it. Looking back now, I'm unsure if it was genuinely difficult or if I was afraid to directly confront my thoughts. My body was in the present, but my mind and thoughts constantly oscillated between the future and the past. My mind was not at peace.

At the end of last year, I read an amount of books in a few months that would normally take me three years. It was probably the year I read the most books in my life. In several impressive books I read, the word "meditation" frequently caught my eye. I hadn't given it much thought until I saw an interview where Yuval Noah Harari, an author I respect, mentioned gaining equanimity and focus through daily meditation. Being easily influenced, I decided to give it a try.

As of writing this, I have been meditating for 170 days, and the benefits I've gained from meditation are as follows:

Achieve genuine rest by investing 20 minutes a day.
Relieve stress and reduce anxiety.
Improve work and learning efficiency.
Understand my current state of mind.
Change my attitude towards negative thoughts.

Truthfully, meditation is helpful not just for developers, but for everyone. Some developers might think that just breathing for 20 minutes isn't very efficient. However, being a developer is a profession that heavily uses the brain. We sit in front of computers all day, navigating, modifying, and improving complex structures in our minds through code. There's much to remember, learn, integrate, and apply. To navigate the daily life of a developer with a sharp mind, the brain occasionally needs rest. Meditation not only rests the brain but also trains the mind, improving one's approach to life. To avoid burnout and have a long career, let's take care of our minds too. The effects of meditation have already been proven through numerous studies.

Starting Meditation

Although I decided to try meditation, I didn't really know how to begin. Information found through internet searches didn't quite resonate, so I looked for books. I wanted to "do" meditation, not "study" it, so I aimed to read the most efficient single book and start right away. After much consideration, I chose [Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn] and read it thoroughly. It was a great book that taught not only about meditation but also about attitudes toward life. However, some parts were rather philosophical, making them difficult and less practical. While I couldn't master meditation by reading just one book, I got a general sense of it and decided to make meditation a part of my life.

While reading Jon Kabat-Zinn's book, I simultaneously started meditating using an app called Headspace. It contains guided meditation audio on various topics and includes personal meditation management features. Headspace offers various paid courses, but the free Basic course is sufficient to start. I grasped the basics of meditation through the Basic course. Once I got a feel for it, I wanted to learn more. So, I subscribed to Headspace for a month and completed up to the Pro course. Headspace's guided courses typically offer advice on meditation at the beginning and end. After paying and finishing the Pro course, I stopped using Headspace. While the guidance itself was very helpful, the guides were recorded in English, often leading to situations where understanding was difficult, making it hard to focus on the meditation itself. Also, once I established a certain pattern in meditation, I no longer needed a guide.

Making it a Habit

Without judging too much beforehand, I wanted to fully experience meditation. To make meditation a habit, I used an app called Streak to track my meditation frequency. Although I did it almost daily, I didn't want to stress about missing sessions due to circumstances, so I set a goal of meditating at least 5 times a week. Except during overseas business trips, travel, or severe hangovers, I think I meditated almost every day. Since I enjoy drinking, I thought not being able to meditate due to hangovers would make it hard to form a habit, so I pushed through mild hangovers with sheer determination.

It's generally recommended to meditate early in the morning or in the evening. The important point is that it should be done on an empty stomach. I haven't looked into the specifics of why an empty stomach is necessary, but from my experience, it definitely feels more comfortable. When your stomach is full, drowsiness is more likely, and the digestion process can disrupt concentration. I mainly used the morning time to meditate for 20 minutes on an empty stomach. On days when time was short, I sometimes did about 10 minutes. If I couldn't do it in the morning, I did it after work before bed. Since this is meant to reduce stress, I was flexible. Of course, I did it either before dinner or sometime after eating when I felt hungry again. Anyway, I just did it.

How to Meditate

Simply put, the method of meditation is sitting in a correct posture and focusing on each breath I inhale and exhale. During meditation, thoughts will rush in. When thoughts come, recognize that they have arrived (awareness), and let them pass. Then, return focus to the breath. Thoughts come regardless of my will, so they say they are not mine. And the thoughts that rush in are usually useless delusions. Only the memory that such delusions or worries occurred remains. The frequency matters more than the content. Although usually pointless, they help me judge what things I've been concerned about lately.

Prepare for meditation. Meditation is a process of focusing solely on the breath. Before starting, create an environment conducive to concentration. I usually utilized the early morning when my family was asleep or late at night after everyone had gone to bed. Occasionally, when using morning or afternoon hours while the family was awake, I would lock myself in a room, wear earplugs, and even turn on a fan. During times when the family is active, earplugs alone are insufficient, and noise like a fan helps. A cushion that allows comfortable sitting for an extended period is also necessary. Sitting still for 20 minutes is harder than you think. It can be uncomfortable and painful. They sell meditation cushions, but I stack two pillows and sit on them like a cushion. It's surprisingly comfortable.
Sit down. Sit in the Korean style known as 'yangban-dari' (simple cross-legged sitting). The full lotus position (Gabhujwa) is said to be the most balanced posture, but just achieving it is a feat. If you have the physical structure for the full lotus, do that. I feel like I'll never be able to do the full lotus. Sit comfortably and keep your back straight without arching. Don't support your back with anything behind you. Maintain a straight posture solely with your own strength. Initially, sitting cross-legged with a straight back for 20 minutes was difficult, but I quickly got used to it. Straighten your back and tuck your chin in to maintain proper neck posture. While meditating and wrestling with thoughts, my head tends to tilt back, and my chin juts forward. So, I often readjust my neck posture during meditation.
Take deep breaths. With eyes open, slowly inhale through the nose and slowly exhale through the mouth. This deep breathing calms the mind. Repeat for about 30 seconds, and on the final exhale, slowly close your eyes. Doing it slowly is important.
Scan body sensations. Check sensations from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Mentally scan down through your body, observing each cell. Notice if your shoulders are tense today, if your back hurts more or less than yesterday. As you scan your entire body, simply notice differences or sensations without changing anything. Not changing anything means not massaging tense shoulders or moving if your back hurts. Just feel it and move on. Sometimes muscles might move unintentionally during deep focus, which can't be helped. This process helps channel my mind, which busily jumps between past and future, to focus entirely on the present and myself.
Breathe. Now, finally, engage in the core act of meditation: breathing. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose. Abdominal breathing is better than chest breathing. The breathing speed should be your natural, unconscious rhythm. In other words, don't consciously control the speed to be faster or slower; just breathe comfortably, at the pace you would during daily life. While breathing, strive to focus entirely on the breath itself. Focus on the cycle, the sensation of oxygen entering through the nose, passing through the airway into the lungs, and then exiting again. Breathing happens regardless of my consciousness; I am merely observing it. This is the relationship between me and my breath. The ideal relationship is to simply watch my breathing self, much like watching a baby sleep, just observing it as it is.
Think of nothing. While meditating and trying to focus on breath, thoughts will inevitably arise, regardless of your will. Sometimes they are literal thoughts or worries. For music lovers, a catchy tune might play; for others, specific movie scenes or lines might appear. Anyway, all sorts of things pop up in the mind trying to disrupt the meditation. Let's broadly categorize these as "thoughts." When a thought arrives, notice its arrival and gently return your focus to the breath. This process repeats throughout the meditation. Visualizing this repetitive process helps. For example, imagine clouds: when a thought-cloud appears, let it drift away, and refocus on the breath. I find clouds too slow, so I imagine thought-balloons popping when they arrive. Small balloons, big balloons... while the body remains still and quiet, the mind is busy.
Return to life. Now, prepare to come out of meditation and return to daily life. Use a meditation timer app to know when the session ends. Alarms aren't suitable because they keep ringing until turned off. We need a tool that gently signals the end of the meditation time. There are many meditation timer apps available; choose one you like. The app I chose allows selecting calm bell sounds. It chimes twice, dividing my meditation into three sections according to my pattern. When the bell chimes, give yourself permission to think freely for about 30 seconds to a minute, especially after wrestling with thoughts. Actually, spoiler alert: in this moment of free thought, often fewer thoughts arise, and the mind becomes quieter. Since thoughts don't obey even when we want them to, they truly don't seem to be "mine." Finally, focus on your breath again for 10 breaths, then open your eyes. Carry the attitude you adopted towards thoughts during meditation into your life. Then, slowly stand up. Or rather, you can't help but stand up slowly. My legs are incredibly numb.

Effects

After meditating, sometimes I feel like I've visited somewhere completely detached from daily life. That's how clear and refreshed my mind becomes. On days when I achieve full focus, I feel the tranquility one might experience during a leisurely walk in a quiet arboretum. Is that too sentimental?

I strive to focus solely on breathing while battling thoughts. By concentrating on this simple, primal act—the basis of human survival—the brain gets to rest. They say that in the effort to eliminate human suffering, only breath remained. You can't stop breathing just to rest your brain.

So, I fight these thoughts and try to focus entirely on breathing. By trying not to think and focusing on something simple, the brain rests. You might have heard that spacing out is effective for resting a tired brain. Meditation is intentionally creating a state similar to spacing out. Ideally, one can reach a hypnagogic state, a "dream-like quality," but I haven't experienced it yet. Or perhaps I have, but didn't realize it.

Meditation induces alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves occur during states of calmness, relaxation, and eased tension. In this state, stress is relieved, and learning and work efficiency improve.

It's definitely effective in relieving tension. I conduct internal or external technical training about once a month, and I usually get very nervous during the first session of a new course. This sometimes causes me to miss explaining things or overlook important points. Since starting meditation, whenever I face situations requiring public speaking, I make sure to meditate for at least 5 or 10 minutes beforehand. Even deep breathing alone helps reduce tension, and meditation helps dispel baseless worries. It would surely be effective before interviews, important meetings, or presentations.

Thoughts that arise during meditation are mostly delusions or excessive worries, so they are largely unimportant. However, by observing the types of thoughts that arise, I can identify what I am currently concerned about or stressed over. Becoming aware of what I am thinking allows me to view problems objectively instead of being overwhelmed by thoughts. If thoughts about worrying over a specific situation frequently arose during meditation, after meditating I can recognize, "Ah, I've been worrying a lot about that!" And usually, such matters turn out to be easier than worried about. I become aware that I worry about specific problems or tasks, and experientially recognize that they often resolve smoothly. In other words, I realize that I tend to worry excessively. Since worries, stress, and delusions repeat in patterns, my attitude towards these thoughts gradually improves. Training to notice thoughts without being overwhelmed by them is helpful in navigating today's rapidly changing world, where individuals can feel overwhelmed by everything yet simultaneously isolated.

Tips

Initially, your legs might feel numb during meditation, as if they'll break or have serious issues. They won't break. For me, I got used to it within a month.
A soft cushion helps with meditation. However, it shouldn't be so soft that it compromises balance, as trying to maintain balance distracts focus. I use two pillows: a long one and a short one. I place the long one underneath and the short one on one side on top. I sit on the short pillow, with my legs resting on the remaining part of the long pillow. Stacking two long pillows in a "ㅜ" shape also works. You can find meditation pillows online, but purchasing one doesn't seem necessary.
When overwhelmed by thoughts, breathing often quickens. Conversely, consciously regulating your breath can help detach from thoughts.
Counting breaths helps when focus is difficult. Count from 1 to 10, then repeat. This is helpful initially. However, with practice, you might find yourself thinking even while counting breaths, accurately repeating the 1-to-10 count. I heard humans can't multitask, but maybe that's not entirely true.
Sometimes, work-related ideas pop up during meditation. The moment they appear, you might want to quickly write them down, but that would stop the meditation, and worrying about this disrupts focus. Let those thoughts go too. Just retain a keyword summarizing the idea in your mind. After meditation, jot down the idea. If an idea leaves your mind before the meditation ends, just let it go. Truly important ideas always remain. In fact, this very point is an idea that came up during meditation. I remembered the keyword "idea" and wrote it down afterward. Also, ideas tend to be overestimated. Unless an idea is immediately actionable, it usually ends up buried in a memo pad.

Finally

Although it hasn't even been a year, starting my day with meditation has undeniably brought many positive changes to my life. The concept of observing thoughts objectively and either ignoring them or separating the emotions I might feel from them seems truly novel. I know I will face many struggles in the future, but I hope to overcome them through meditation. And I hope this post is helpful to you, the reader. 20 minutes a day, isn't it worth a try?