How to meditate - a 20-minute sitting meditation practice. This practice is comprised of two traditional Buddhist practices. Shamatha, or one-pointed concentration, helps to quiet and still the mind. Vipassana, or calm-abiding, helps us practice equanimity and awareness beyond thoughts and beyond concepts. Together, this practice is a life-raft to escape the turbulence of life's battering waves. Over time the practice becomes a surfboard, to ride the waves with joy.