user7548: Should one practice vipassana every day in a formal sitting? If so, how long should it be compared to samatha meditation, should it be practiced right before/after (not asking which comes first!) samatha or at anytime during the day?

user295: When meditating from person to person and even from session to session the following can happen:

insight develops before calmness
calmness before insight
neither calm nor insight
both calm and insight

Calmness and insight should be balanced through personal effect and also you should seek guidance on balancing both. [(Samatha Vipassanā) Samādhi Sutta 1 - 3]
Also it is helpful if the calmness is developed through concentrating on one of the Satipatthana [Saṅkhitta Dhamma Sutta] as the object of meditation is not tainted by a Vipallasa [for more on Vipallasa see: Vipallasa Sutta].

user7764: I would like to recommend a great book:
Mindfulness in Plain English by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana:
I learned that it is good to practice various types of meditation until you are quite comfortable with them.  
After that, a normal meditation session could start with Loving Kindness meditation, followed by Samadhi until you get a good concentration, then continue with Vipassana (to see the 3 marks of existence). 
Enjoy your meditation.

7548: <p>Should one practice vipassana every day in a formal sitting? If so, how long should it be compared to samatha meditation, should it be practiced right before/after (not asking which comes first!) samatha or at anytime during the day?</p>
 295: <p>When meditating from person to person and even from session to session the following can happen:</p>

<ul>
<li>insight develops before calmness</li>
<li>calmness before insight</li>
<li>neither calm nor insight</li>
<li>both calm and insight</li>
</ul>

<p>Calmness and insight should be balanced through personal effect and also you should seek guidance on balancing both. [<a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/41.3-Samatha-Vipassana-Samadhi-Sutta-3-a4.94-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Samatha Vipassanā) Samādhi Sutta 1 - 3</a>]</p>

<p>Also it is helpful if the calmness is developed through concentrating on one of the Satipatthana [<a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/46.6-Sankhitta-Dhamma-S-a8.63-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Saṅkhitta Dhamma Sutta</a>] as the object of meditation is not tainted by a Vipallasa [for more on Vipallasa see: <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/16.11-Vipallasa-S-a4.49-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vipallasa Sutta</a>].</p>
 7764: <p>I would like to recommend a great book:
<em><a href="http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.php" rel="nofollow">Mindfulness in Plain English</a></em> by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana:</p>

<p>I learned that it is good to practice various types of meditation until you are quite comfortable with them.  </p>

<p>After that, a normal meditation session could start with Loving Kindness meditation, followed by Samadhi until you get a good concentration, then continue with Vipassana (to see the 3 marks of existence). </p>

<p>Enjoy your meditation.</p>
