Shamatha 24 in 24

"Samatha or śamatha is one of two qualities of mind which is developed in Buddhist meditation, the other being vipassana. Samatha is the quality of tranquility of the mind, or mind-calmness. Tranquility of the mind is achieved by practicing single-pointed meditation."

Dreaming Yourself Awake
Lucid Dreaming and Tibetan Dream Yoga for Insight and Transformation
By: Brian Hodel (editor), B. Alan Wallace.  Wallace recommends starting samatha for 24 minutes a day (a ghatika) for beginners. I am committed to practice daily while in NY 24 minutes a day.

Calm vigilant observation is the essence of a balanced life. My new mantra.

Note: Samatha meditation is focused on calming the mind, whilst Vipassana meditation is focused on insight or clearing the mind. Both meditations have their uses but which one you should practice depends on what your goal is. For me, an open question to explore.