Mid-day meditation for advanced meditators

Nadaa Taiyab

September 25th, 2013

NTR 598

Founded by Paramhansa Yogananda

Daily practice of yoga meditation

Achieve bliss, peace, and liberation

30 min meditation morning & evening

Once a week group meditation

Practice calm and non-attachment

6 kriyas / 5 minutes of meditation mid-day is recommended

Strong desire to do this, but hard to remember and to motivate

How to build this habit during the day?

13 Participants: 12 Kriyabans, 1 non-SRF member

Personal friends from the SRF Phoenix Temple

Majority not practicing mid-day Kriyas on regular basis

Inspirational quote

Reminder

Smiley face response

Sent everyday at 12pm

• Motivation and inspiration

• Authority of the GuruQuote

• Habit trigger

• Give permissionReminder

• Accountability

• Social supportSmiley Face

This SMS intervention will help kriyabans increase weekly frequency of mid-day 6 Kriya practice

0.92

6.17

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Before Intervention During Intervention

Average Weekly Frequency of 6 Kriya Practice

• 10 / 12 Kriyabans

practiced all 6-7

days during

intervention!

• Non SRF-Member

only increased from

2 to 3

92% 92%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Motivated by text messages Enjoyed Receiving the Text Messages

% of Participants

Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree

• 92% of strongly

agreed that the texts

motivated them to

practice

• 92% strongly

agreed that they

enjoyed receiving

the quotes

• Non SRF-Member

felt she could not

“relate to the

quotes”

100%

92%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Plan to continue practice Would like to cotinue receiving SMS

% of Participants

Yes No

• 100% plan to

continue to practice

• 92% would like to

continue to receive

quotes

“On Saturday I was feeling lousy and I didn’t want to meditate, but when I got the text message I sat down and did it.”

“One day I was about to sit down for a delicious lunch and suddenly I heard my phone go off! I had to stop my lunch and do the meditation.”

“The quotes were beautiful and inspiring.”

“It was so inspiring to be reminded with a text and also with an amazing quote. Each quote was so perfect and helpful. I wish I got one every day!”

“The quotes were a great motivator to get started on the meditations. I would love inspiring messages like these prior to all the meditations I do!”

“It gave me a reminder to think spiritually vs getting caught up in the world.”

Accountability of sending the smiley face

Inspiration of the quotes

Obligation to the group as part of the study

Trigger to perform the practice

“Yes I loved sending the smiley face. It was very motivating. I had no hesitation to sit

down and do 6 Kriyas because it was simply my duty as part of this study. My ego

couldn’t get in the way so I really loved it!”

Poll participants next week to measure frequency without SMS

92% want to continue in some fashion

Continue the program, but costs 5c/text message

75% participants willing to pay $2/month contribution