With the word “meditation” comes the image of Buddhist monks sitting crosslegged with their eyes closed in a deep trance, completely at peace with the world around them. Indeed, this is meditation. However, meditation is also something that the practicing Stoic can use. There is the well-known death meditation, of course, but what other meditation practices can one include in their life?

The foundations of meditation

There are many different forms of meditation other than perhaps the most popular one of counting one’s breath. Breathing patterns are generally an important aspect of meditation, but they are far from the only one.

The general “state” that one wishes to acquire during a meditative practice could be summarised as one of “peace and tranquillity”. I’m sure that is of no surprise, though what is often unconsidered is that there are many ways to achieve this state.

Most people will resonate with a particular way of meditation more than others, but the defining quality of meditation is that it allows you to reduce the inevitable noise that builds up around us in day-to-day life and re-clarify your true values and purpose.

Death meditation

As mentioned above, meditating on one’s death is a well-known Stoic practice. It includes pondering your mortality. It isn’t obvious that such a practice would allow you to reduce the noise and anxiety in life, but understanding on a deep level that you will no longer be here one day (and one day soon at that) puts you in a headspace where some things that you may have thought were a “big deal” are ultimately specks of dust. Death is a scary topic for most people, but the Stoic meditates on this regularly to refocus on what is truly important and what is not.

Meditating on circles of concern

Another practice worth integrating is meditating on your circles of concern. Selfpreservation is important to a Stoic, but only to the extent at which it aligns with their immediate family, their community, their country, the world, and the Cosmos as a whole.

A simple way of understanding this concept is by understanding the methodology behind the requirement to secure your own mask before helping someone else on an airplane (in the unfortunate circumstance that the plane loses pressure). Put simply: you are of no use to anyone if you do not self-preserve.

To start, the Stoic can self-reflect: who they are, what they strive to be, what they need, what they don’t need, etc. Then, they can extend this same thought pattern to their family, then their community, etc. Finally, bring it all together by imagining full alignment between all these circles of concerns. That is harmony, in a nutshell.

Premeditation of evils

In modern project management, there is a document known as a “risk register”. It is developed prior to the project starting and is simply a list of every possible thing that could go wrong during the project, followed by the solution. This is a mirroring of the ancient Stoic practice of premeditation of evils.

Imagine everything that could possibly go “wrong” – exile, death of a family member, loss of a limb, poverty, etc. Next, consider how you would manage that on a philosophical level. Which quotes would you tell yourself? Whom would you go to for advice? Which toxic thought patterns would you wish to avoid?

By meditating in this way, the Stoic is prepared for the situation if it were to actually happen.

Immersion into nature

The last meditation that I would like to discuss is that of immersion into nature. Stoics are familiar with the doctrine to “live according to Nature”. This has many layered meanings, but the overall idea is that we must live in a harmonious state with ourselves and the world around us. That feeling can be achieved through meditation.

Sit or lie down outside, ideally where there are some elements of nature (i.e., trees, birds, etc.). Close your eyes and reach out with your senses. Feel the wind on your skin and through your hair. Take in all the sounds – the wind, the birds, the car buzzing 30 miles away, the lawnmower next door. Try and hold all these feelings together at the same time. Eventually, you will begin to feel immersed in nature, and somewhat detached from your body. It’s quite a lovely feeling!

Final remarks

Although meditation isn’t often associated in popular culture with Stoicism, it is hopefully clear that there are many forms of meditation conducive to a Stoic lifestyle. I’ve outlined four practices in this article, but the possibilities are truly endless. The key is to find the practice or practices that work for you.

Brandon is most well-known for his podcast, The Strong Stoic Podcast, where he discusses philosophical ideas both solo and with guests. He also coaches individuals to help them be their best selves, writes articles, plays music, manages projects, and several other things.

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