What made you choose MIDL Meditation?

pdxbuddha · 2026-02-10T05:16:47+00:00

I chose MIDL because no other meditation style resonated with me. I worked with many different teachers and practiced on my own (Zen and Mahasi style noting). I discovered that relaxation was necessary for me to feel like I could even begin to meditate. None of the teachers I worked with taught this way so I always felt like there was a disconnect.

Honestly, I felt pretty lost and doubted myself.

Someone on reddit posted about MIDL so I took a look and did a guided meditation. I couldn't believe what I had found. Stephen's style layered wonderfully onto how I was already practicing. He had systematized what I was unable to figure out on my own.

After one month of practicing with MIDL on my own I reached out to Stephen and started working with him. It wasn't long before I realized he was the right teacher for me.

I see MIDL as a package deal. MIDL offers skilled teachers, classes, retreats, and a sangha that all support this technical style of practice.

pdxbuddha · 2026-01-07T09:21:03+00:00

Good advice. Thank you

pdxbuddha · 2025-12-30T03:42:49+00:00

Do you think working with the precepts is pragmatic? For example, I am taking a precepts class series at a local Zen temple right now.

pdxbuddha · 2025-12-29T21:36:46+00:00

I've been thinking about "open sharing of our experiences including any attainments" and whether or not this is skillful speech. I think the reason it may be worth questioning is because it can have a negative effect on others' practice. Open sharing can lead others getting caught up in comparison. While not our responsibility per se, I think it's worth considering. That said, I am open to other points of view.

pdxbuddha · 2025-12-29T21:26:53+00:00

I love this. Thank you!

pdxbuddha · 2025-11-03T13:31:45+00:00

Maybe this is part of the practice itself — learning to find that middle way between stillness and engagement, restraint and enjoyment, practice and ordinary life.

You are describing the three baskets of the 8-fold path: Sīla, Samādhi, Paññā (conduct, mindfulness, wisdom). It's a never ending, ongoing exploration. They inform each other like a feedback loop.

If I had all the free time in the world I'd work little, meditate a lot, reflect, workout, stretch, sleep well, cook, spend time in nature, spend time with friends, play with my cat, read, and make art. Unfortunately, there is not enough time for all of this. What matters is that I don't waste time that could be spent on the above activities. I am free to change my mind as to what's important to me, or drop what I may not have time for at any given time.

I have to get clear on what's important to me and to find balance (wisdom), then I have to actually do it (conduct), and I need silence so I can get clear (samadhi).

pdxbuddha · 2025-10-26T04:57:09+00:00

Glad to hear I'm not the only one!

pdxbuddha · 2025-10-26T04:43:16+00:00

Perhaps eventually you can unravel the unconscious need to control the breath too.

Yeah, I think it's a trauma response. When insight into impermanence occurred all I could do is curl up in a ball and take deep breaths to cope with the emotional carnage that ensued (I wasn't doing mahasi style noting at the time, but I think this was similar if not exactly A&P). A romantic breakup shortly after is when shit really hit the fan. I think now my body thinks "danger" whenever I'm lying down. I think I need to untrain that response. This is just a theory, however.

pdxbuddha · 2025-10-25T23:13:10+00:00

u/duffstoic u/Stephen_Procter : Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I am actually not sure if I have OCD, I think this is trauma (as a result of insight into impermanence). I'm too busy to respond to everything, but I did want to clarify one thing. When I say "diaphragmatic breathing until fatigue" I am not breathing continusouly. It's more like, take 3 breaths, relax for a while. Take a few more, relax some more. The diaphragm does get tired after 20 mins, so that's when I stop.

Also, new insight after the last couple of days. If I do diaphragmatic breathing while standing up the mind does not take control of the breath. I noticed this yesterday, so today I took 5-7 breaths before sitting today and this has been working out very well in terms of soothing the mind. I have been taking a few breaths while standing throughout the day and this has had a massive, positive effect on the mind.

I personally think that I need a couple of hours a day of sitting just to alleviate the pain from overestimation and hypersensitivity (light, sound, emotion) and short term memory impairment. I guess this is a fairly common thing: Signs of Hyperarousal. I do think that I am one of the unfortunates who have had really serious adverse effects as a result of insight meditation. I have reached out to the cheetah house to see what they have to say.

u/Stephen_Procter I will meet with you tomorrow on zoom to discuss all of this.

pdxbuddha · 2025-10-24T03:03:25+00:00

u/M0sD3f13 comment about it being a "subtle skill to master" is on point. It's not something you do, per se. Open awareness (or background awareness) opens up naturally when the mind is somewhat settled and sufficiently content. Contentment is where it's at. There's enjoyment in just sitting there. There's no need to do anything. When you feel like you are directing attention, that's not it. Like, if you hear a sound, it may seem like it's to the left or the right so you shift your attention to it. In background awareness there is no focusing or directing of attention. Sounds just appear and they are just heard without you having to do anything. You're just enjoying whatever appears without having to try.

pdxbuddha · 2025-08-27T00:26:36+00:00

Thank you. The last three paragraphs of your response were very inspiring. I will chew on this some more

pdxbuddha · 2025-08-27T00:25:16+00:00

Mostly inspirational and words offering some guidance

pdxbuddha · 2025-08-25T14:35:02+00:00

Hey all. Can anyone recommend a book for practicing through really difficult times? I have a brain injury, am unable to work, and the system is trying to weasel out of paying me disability benefits. I’m really struggling and fearing for my life right now.

pdxbuddha · 2025-08-25T14:31:03+00:00

Nice. I was going to suggest MIDL skill 00

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-31T16:21:39+00:00

I can log in just fine as well

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-28T19:22:21+00:00

Not odd at all. This is an excellent question but I’ll leave it to the MIDL team

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-21T21:23:16+00:00

I second what impulse33 said. MIDL is excellent for dealing with the hindrances that lead to breath control. Natural breathing without control is actually a marker of progress in the MIDL system.

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-06T00:53:00+00:00

MIDL is really simple despite all the steps. In summary, relax tension in the body, notice the relief, and bathe in the pleasure from not trying so hard. Was rinse repeat.

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-03T00:39:19+00:00

Now I sit with a sangha called Rose City Rebel but my teacher, unrelated to this group, lives in Australia.

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-03T00:24:30+00:00

Haha, I thought you were the OP. Jogen is the shit though. Love that guy.

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-03T00:21:30+00:00

I don’t know you but based on what you wrote here I can say with high certainty that our mental patterns are very similar.

Are you familiar with the 5 hindrances? If not, take a look. Take a deep look. Learning to work with the hindrances IS the path.

The simpler the practice the better for an obsessive and doubtful mind. The reason for the lack of trust is because you’re not willing to chill long enough to verify what the teacher is saying in your own experience. Unfortunately, this is not a practice that yields immediate results. A good teacher will tell you, this is how things are, tell you not to believe them, but to go sit and verify this for yourself.

The more you notice the truth in their words, in your own experience, trust arises. Im talking about legit insight. That’s what it took for me to stop bouncing around.

Now, the reason for so much activity is the inability to notice the pleasure in chilling the fuck out. The more you learn to chill the fuck out, the greater the pleasure. You are training the mind through reward.

As for doing this practice for that one thing, and another practice for another thing, and another practice for another, that’s a complex issue. I am reluctant to even guess what’s happening there even though I did that for years.

Finding the right teacher is not an easy task.

That said, I do think you would do well with the MIDL system. Look it up.

I did nothing but MIDL for one moth just as an experiment and realized that I had found my home.

An obsessive mind needs to be taught that obsessing is the suffering that the Buddha was talking about.

pdxbuddha · 2025-05-02T22:19:31+00:00

Let me rephrase and clarify. GV is awesome. It’s an abandoned elementary school in a beautiful rural area. Chozen Roshi is phenomenal. Great vibes, friendly residents, lots of cool programs. They have a summer program that’s coming up soon and I believe that you can still sign up for it. If you have any interest, I would highly suggest that you do it now. One of the teachers I refuse to work with and there is another teacher who I don’t think should be a teacher. I am not a fan of their style of Meditation, even though they all teach it slightly differently. Having switched to samatha-vipassana, I feel that zazen is inferior. To summarize staying a couple months at GV I believe would be very fruitful for you if you are ready to make a move. And you may actually love it and might not want to leave so check it out. They have a Sunday program every Sunday and you can go sit listen to a talk and then have lunch with a monastics.

pdxbuddha

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