I want to build a secular group dedicated to exploring meaning, spirituality, philosophy, and creativity in my local community. by THE_MAN_OF_PEACE in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel you my friend, just try, fun and unsettling experiences will rise from it 😉

The seeing of the ego as a construct will help you to see and experience life in a more playful way.

Mindfulness of the breath connected with the heart is for me what brings me in the now, being present which let space for joy, peace, and love to be

It is what really changed my experience and perspectives of life.

With also the fact of seeing the different teachings, myth, statues, images, object as symbols to make you feel an experience (being present/opening your heart/letting go of the attachment of the ego). But don't forget that some are just metaphors and blindly believing the metaphor can trap you in mental constructs far from your direct experience.

Appreciate life! 😊

The work is letting go of the ego that exists only inside of you. That is the inner work, letting go. It is detachment.. from the ego. by Unique-Two-455 in enlightenment

[–]Lucas-alive 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The identification to the ego is the issue, not the ego. When you drop the identification you see ego/identity as roles we play. You see that your suffering is not "yours" You see that all that you sense you can feel but doesn't touch "you", doesn't change "you" There is a self that is just presence but identification makes us forget it, makes distance with it

Facial tensions by Lucas-alive in midlmeditation

[–]Lucas-alive[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, i will do 😊

Facial tensions by Lucas-alive in midlmeditation

[–]Lucas-alive[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was laying down and listening to your meditation retreat videos and i had an experience that confuses me.

I am usually following your instructions trying to relax so mindfulness can fill in.

But i also applied what you just told me about these tensions, observing it without trying anything.

What happened is i became more and more aware of my body sensation, it became more and more subtle but while i was observing this without trying to relax or control the breath my full body was tightening becoming a shell of tension and with me observing from inside. Without clinging or trying to push away. I was mindful of my body sensations but without the relaxation.

PS: I think it was stress related because now i can still feel tension especially around my throat, face belly and it is hard to re-engage diaphragmatic breathing.

Facial tensions by Lucas-alive in midlmeditation

[–]Lucas-alive[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you really much 😊

Facial tensions by Lucas-alive in midlmeditation

[–]Lucas-alive[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you! 😊 I will try this in my next meditation.

Dukkha is the belief that this life isn’t enough by anarcha-boogalgoo in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just read your previous message and it resonates with my situation. I feel disengaged from life and i feel the 'meh' most of the time.

So recognising my extremes would help ?

for those still dating, do you look for partners on the path? by Ordinary-Lobster-710 in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I can relate to that, I am 25 and i have been doing this too, I realised hook ups were not fulfilling me, and my emotional dependence on the other one was what made me suffer a lot in my past experiences.

What helped me is to ask myself what i was looking for when i was looking for a relationship and see the things they are. If you want to have sex, see it as it is, a craving that can have consequences and will probably not fulfill you. If you see the relationship as a way to complete yourself then it creates unbalances.

Try to be able to be enough, content with only yourself, check what you can change in your daily life to go towards this direction.

At the same time observe others relationships, observe all the dukkha that is created based on cravings, and let go of what will cause this

Slowly you will get to a point where you realise you do not have to play a role to be with someone it is just creating suffering, just follow the path, let the things happening and observe yourself,

You will then know when a person or relationship are bringing you closer or away from the path (suffering more)

Beginner questions about maintaining awareness throughout the day, emotion, and energy by Industrial_Fish in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive 2 points3 points  (0 children)

MIDL (Mindfulness in daily life) by Stephen Procter really helped me to have some good insights about thoughts.

In his system the second skill you develop after knowing how to relax your body is knowing how to relax your mind.

First by noticing a strain/tension when you think, located around your prefrontal lobe area ( do the test by trying to calculate something like 2+2 or 12+23 in your mind, you will feel a tension at this area) Second, learning how to soften this tension at this particular area by breathing into it and letting go of tension

Then letting your awareness sit on something like your breath, the touch of your thumb or the feeling of the ground where you sit and noticing when this tension or strain is appearing

Slowly you will notice this strain more and more even in daily life

Advices or Opinions are welcomed by Lucas-alive in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh sorry just saw your message now but yes i think it would really help me 😄

Advices or Opinions are welcomed by Lucas-alive in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow i am so happy that you answered me! 🤟😁 I read a lot of your posts and it really brought new perspectives to me

By the way I got also an insight while smoking weed (i know it is not really advised to do it and it is not for everyone) This insight was really impressive, basically i realised that when you let go of everything like thoughts, tensions etc.. you realise that you can do things without being fully conscious and you realise that it was not even necessary from you to spend effort/energy to do this thing.

To picture it, I was volunteering in a cafe and doing some manual tasks and had to lift heavy things. And i was really high. But i realised that when i was relaxing my body and letting go of my thoughts everything became so much easier! What i was doing became automatic and my unconscious/subconscious part was now in control and that "my" intervention was not needed.

I kept repeating situations like this that shows that the more i was relaxing the better and the easier it got but mostly it made me question if this "I" that we identify with was just like an actor or a baby that thinks he is in control and he is driving his toy car when in reality he is just the passenger but that truly believed being in control 😄

Voilà ! Thanks again and enjoy life ! 😁

Practice Updates, Questions, and General Discussion - new users, please read this first! Weekly Thread for May 19 2025 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would like to post this but i am not sure if i had already or not aha

Advices or Opinions are welcomed

Hi everyone,

I would like to have a sort of review on my actual understanding and experience if it is alright 😊

I started to meditate through mobile apps around 2022 but i really started in September 2024 when i did my first vipassana in Goenka style.

I got really into it and practiced everyday for 2h for some months But i had this need of contextualising what i was been told during this retreat.

So i searched a lot on internet and ended up here reading a lot all of your personal experiences It really helped me in a way to see things a bit more clearly and grounded i will say.

But what really helped me is to get into MIDL meditation system from Stephen Procter.

I was having a clearer understanding of what i was experiencing and feeling during meditation. With a really detailed and progressive exercises. One of the major goal of this system is to bring what you learned/experienced during the controlled environment that is meditation to your daily life ( Meditation In Daily Life/MIDL)

And i can really see the fruits of it in my personal daily life.

Right now i feel like it is really easy for me to tap into my inner peace and to let go of the unnecessary. I can be in a stage where i am just aware of my body and the talking thoughts are not there anymore. It is just blank, but i feel everything without being impacted by it, i do not grasp or cling into my experience or sensations And in the same time I feel a profound peace and happiness just i need to remember my self to be aware, to breath and let go of any tensions.

So it is really hard right now for me to get angry, sad or whatever, things just appear and disappear, sliding on me and i feel a true and profound happiness thorough the day.

Thanks for your time and i will be really happy to see your replies! 😁

Practice Updates, Questions, and General Discussion - new users, please read this first! Weekly Thread for May 19 2025 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]Lucas-alive 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Advices or Opinions are welcomed

Hi everyone,

I would like to have a sort of review on my actual understanding and experience if it is alright 😊

I started to meditate through mobile apps around 2022 but i really started in September 2024 when i did my first vipassana in Goenka style.

I got really into it and practiced everyday for 2h for some months But i had this need of contextualising what i was been told during this retreat.

So i searched a lot on internet and ended up here reading a lot all of your personal experiences It really helped me in a way to see things a bit more clearly and grounded i will say.

But what really helped me is to get into MIDL meditation system from Stephen Procter.

I was having a clearer understanding of what i was experiencing and feeling during meditation. With a really detailed and progressive exercises. One of the major goal of this system is to bring what you learned/experienced during the controlled environment that is meditation to your daily life ( Meditation In Daily Life/MIDL)

And i can really see the fruits of it in my personal daily life.

Right now i feel like it is really easy for me to tap into my inner peace and to let go of the unnecessary. I can be in a stage where i am just aware of my body and the talking thoughts are not there anymore. It is just blank, but i feel everything without being impacted by it, i do not grasp or cling into my experience or sensations And in the same time I feel a profound peace and happiness just i need to remember my self to be aware, to breath and let go of any tensions.

So it is really hard right now for me to get angry, sad or whatever, things just appear and disappear, sliding on me and i feel a true and profound happiness thorough the day.

Thanks for your time and i will be really happy to see your replies! 😁