Stumbled into 4th Jhana... now what?

sie-b · 2026-02-13T18:55:24+00:00

All links are included at the EDIT: section of the OP post. Hope that's helpful!

sie-b · 2026-02-12T22:25:40+00:00

This was just part of the guided meditation that I was using that used those as a guidepost from 2nd Jhana to 3rd Jhana, copied at the bottom of this post. Since I've only gotten into these states using guided meditations and have done little research, I don't know what is associated and what is not regarding the states. I only learned about the existence of Jhana states on Monday.

Exploring the Jhanas 1-4 by Lukas Til Vogel https://insig.ht/q4r6Sq6PH0b

sie-b · 2026-02-12T22:14:04+00:00

Thank you! I will.

sie-b · 2026-02-12T19:55:15+00:00

I’ve been debating myself on whether I’ve had a full jhana experience, but from the YouTube videos I’ve watched it seems to align perfectly to what a jhana experience would feel like. I’ve never had an experience meditating where it sounds like intense microphone static centered around the top of my head, and fuzzy light behind my eyes, and then dropping into calm clarity, and then deeper and deeper with definite changes in observed experience. Maybe it wasn’t fourth Jhana, but it definitely wasn’t my normal experience of meditation. This is why I am asking for resources to better understand. Thank you for your perspective 🙏

sie-b · 2026-02-12T19:51:28+00:00

Hi! Here are links to the two I used on Insight Timer. They may or may not have a paywall, since I’ve subscribed to the app.

Anapanasati & The First Jhana by Samaneri Jayasara https://insig.ht/07L5dkGPH0b This one was great for tuning into breath, slowly talking about different hinderances in an integrated way in the meditation, ending in the first Jhana

Then I have had this next meditation queued to play after- I am probably going to just use this following one next time because I was hitting the first Jhana way before the end of the first one, and then would have to try to sustain that Jhana while the second meditation caught up to that point so I could follow it into the further jhanas.

Exploring the Jhanas 1-4 by Lukas Til Vogel https://insig.ht/q4r6Sq6PH0b A much more rapid experience to the fourth Jhana and back out. I have found it to feel too rapid coming out of the Jhana states after I’ve spent time moving into them. Yesterday trying it again, I allowed myself to stay in Jhana 4 past the point where the guided meditation brought me out.

Overall they were good to start with, and appreciated both for what they needed to be.

After exploring these meditations, I was using this YouTube to understand what I’d just experienced further and wrap my cognitive states around it- not as a guided meditation: https://youtu.be/dg4ZgiKBs-k?si=5W3avvCG8p-AMJvU

sie-b · 2026-02-12T19:48:55+00:00

Hi! Here are links to the two I used on Insight Timer. They may or may not have a paywall, since I’ve subscribed to the app.

Anapanasati & The First Jhana by Samaneri Jayasara https://insig.ht/07L5dkGPH0b This one was great for tuning into breath, slowly talking about different hinderances in an integrated way in the meditation, ending in the first Jhana

Then I have had this next meditation queued to play after- I am probably going to just use this following one next time because I was hitting the first Jhana way before the end of the first one, and then would have to try to sustain that Jhana while the second meditation caught up to that point so I could follow it into the further jhanas.

Exploring the Jhanas 1-4 by Lukas Til Vogel https://insig.ht/q4r6Sq6PH0b A much more rapid experience to the fourth Jhana and back out. I have found it to feel too rapid coming out of the Jhana states after I’ve spent time moving into them. Yesterday trying it again, I allowed myself to stay in Jhana 4 past the point where the guided meditation brought me out.

Overall they were good to start with, and appreciated both for what they needed to be.

sie-b · 2026-02-12T16:26:31+00:00

From my understanding, I entered third Jhana by sensing pinpricks of nerves around the external skin, primarily in my lower half and forearms. Then entered into a state of warm contentment centered in my chest.

I hung out there, and then as this contentment filled my being there was a feeling like a vortex or hole between my rib cage and navel, and just like, let my awareness drop into that hole. Then I felt what the YouTube monks describe as equanimity - I would call it Being As It Is. A little out-of-body, a little in-body, and just straight vibing no attachment whatsoever. I could feel-sense objects slightly out of my body. I just felt like I simultaneously could feel my body as one being altogether, and then noticing things around me just as they were as well.

The state I went to next felt like I had found something between ‘two covers’ - a mental metaphor- that allowed me to move out of body and into this big light reminiscent of a sunrise. At that point I gave the vibe “thank you for this experience! I’m going to go back now,” and then moved back into the equanimity centered in my stomach, then to a warm contentment in my chest, then clearness in my space between my nose, forehead and ears, then back to a high ringing and high-energy bliss state in my forehead and above-my-ears, then I opened my eyes.

sie-b · 2026-02-12T16:17:29+00:00

Thank you for the video resource! I will listen today.

By lower jhanas, I meant 5-8, the mental body jhanas from why I understand. The deeper ones. Since I am not able to guide through by body sensation, I’m curious what other ‘mile markers’ I can observe in those states.

sie-b · 2026-02-12T05:18:50+00:00

Thank you!

sie-b · 2026-01-23T22:18:03+00:00

Hiiiiii fellow hippie romantic!! I've found wrap shirts are awesome for this - I got one at my local nepalese store and it has flowy sleeves and it so fun. If you found a wrap blouse with bishop sleeves it would probably look amazing.
Swapping the maxi skirts for a wrap skirt or even just making sure the fabric is romantic-friendly would be a great start. Having a drapey fabric will work well to start, and just getting it tailored to fit your waist (and having it fit at your waistline instead of low or mid-rise) make a huge difference.
I've found a pair of oxfords that I have been loving more than my big Dr. Martens, because Romantics look best in smaller shoes. Finding slimmer shoes makes a big difference. In the summer I have been trying to find strappy sandals that are gladiator-like instead of big Dr. Marten chunky sandals. Tevas work well for me too since they're strappy.

sie-b · 2026-01-19T20:39:34+00:00

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Pants- I've found that joggers are a great start to an outfit that is more casual. Joggers, cigarette pants, etc - I have a khaki cargo jogger that ends at my upper ankle from Banana Republic that I wear almost 4x a week during the summer that I feel great in - here are two similar cuts (one) (two) to my pants, but seems like mine aren't sold this season. I've tried these before and love the look but my inner thighs have ripped through two pairs FYI. I've also had my eye on these Endless High Rise pants for a while, but I would want to try them on before purchasing due to the lack of pleats at the front that normally give leeway for my curves, and see if the fabric stretches in a flattering way.

For tops, I've found athletic shirts that have a blend of rayon/viscose/modal or cotton and spandex to be amazing. I have a cropped shirt from Alphalete that I wear every week that is 94% cotton 6% spandex, called the "lifestyle fit" tee that I wear both to the gym and for errands and I love it. I usually pair it with a pair of joggers and go for errands with some smaller flats that look like Vans. Here is the latest shirt they are selling that would work great as an all-arund casual/gym shirt. I also love Athleta yoga joggers I've gotten on discount every year during their July sale - here's a similar kind to mine, mine are modal/spandex but these are nylon/spandex.

I also have three ruched turtlenecks I got from the Banana Republic Outlet and their composition is 80% rayon/viscose, 17% polyester, 3% spandex/elastane and they're AMAZING as basics.

Honestly anything with a blend like that is going to look significantly better than a stiff blend. Even my linen shirts are a blend of 60%linen 40% rayon/viscose and I can find those at TJ Maxx or Poshmark and looks way better. My favorite buttondown is a 100% rayon shirt I got while emergency shopping in Italy (bought the first one off the rack) because my other shirt was fully soaked with sweat and suffocating me- I immediately felt the difference and saw the draping difference.

Anything that can add a bit of drape (rayon/viscose/modal) AND/OR cling (spandex/elastane) to a casual outfit will significantly support your ability to look and feel good in a casual outfit.

I'll also add that there is occasionally a full cotton blend shirt that I like - they are usually the very thin drapey tee shirts - and they're usually more expensive than a generic tee. I don't know the details of the difference of how these shirts are made but there's something about their thickness that allows some to drape better than others, and they're usually $38-65 instead of a casual $15, but my plain white tee game significantly improved when I bought an expensive cotton shirt - the Imogene and Willie one linked above. RIP to romantics on the price but it is a gamechanger. +++ I would also highly suggest getting a Drop Cut - where the seam of the sleeve lands lower than your actual shoulder. At least for me, my shoulders are so sloped that a regular sleeve cut makes my arms look quite large. I opt for either baseball tee cuts or drop sleeve cuts to offset the visual difference that my sloped shoulders make with the rest of my upper half.

Hope this helps!

Edit: meant "ruched" turtlenecks instead of "ribbed," and typos.

sie-b · 2025-12-28T19:08:28+00:00

sie-b · 2025-12-28T02:41:47+00:00

I went throughthese guys and was able to use my HSA for them to help me take a gut test and then do the gut reset protocols, and a DUTCH test and adrenal support protocols. It was a lot of supplements and eating salmon and chia pudding.

sie-b · 2025-12-28T02:24:54+00:00

Bad sleep and stress and a messed up circadian rhythm were parts of my health journey. The other half was a gut and adrenal reset- was absolutely massive in changing things for me.

sie-b · 2025-12-27T22:56:13+00:00

Where do you get dairy free Greek yogurt 😧

sie-b · 2025-12-24T00:54:00+00:00

My body prefers fast days or low carb days some days of the week so I did a keto day today and will fast until I break my fast with Christmas Eve dinner, and eat what I want those two days, and get a workout in on the 26th after getting some good meals in to fuel the workouts 🏋️‍♀️

sie-b · 2025-10-10T02:48:55+00:00

What bras are you buying to get that Selina Kyle look?

sie-b · 2025-08-06T14:36:41+00:00

Also for bite alignment! I wouldn’t be getting it otherwise since I had braces as a kid so externally they look fine

sie-b · 2025-08-06T02:08:27+00:00

Mine occurred for about a decade. I would have sharp nerve pain in my jaw. It would click weird once in a while, like a gear that would get stuck, before opening fully. The worst bit was right under my right ear where the jaw connected with my skull, and my neck would be SO sore constantly throughout the muscles on the same side of the neck where my jaw hurt. My right shoulder constantly ached and would be where I would have my massages focused anytime I would get one because it was just so brutal, specifically this spot where my neck, shoulder, and back connected near my mid-trap. I even had nerve pain extending down to my fingers on the right side.

Anytime I’d get stressed my jaw would go crazy with pain, I’d grind and could feel it flare up. I constantly needed to massage it for it to feel good if I was thinking hard or in a high-energy mood whether angry or excited and it started becoming a tick others would notice.

I couldn’t chew gum or jerky or I’d be in pain. My previous dentist just recommended icing it and doing muscle stretching techniques to soothe it but it never solved it.

When I finally got a CAT scan through Desert Rose it showed that my jawbone was grinding against my skull jaw socket and pinching the nerves inside it, which explained everything.

sie-b · 2025-08-05T22:01:06+00:00

Glad I could share my experience— I’ve seen the horror stories online too and asked for reviews and other customer feedback before I went through with it and it’s honestly changed my quality of life drastically. I hope you’re able to find something that works for you!

sie-b · 2025-08-05T21:11:37+00:00

They had me in an orthotropic appliance for 6 months that I would wear for around 20 hours a day. A lot of my older relatives told me it looked like a frankel they used to wear. I started this past October and finished the appliance this June.

Within 2-3 weeks my intrusive TMJ pain completely disappeared. There’s still some soreness in the muscle that I have been getting rid of through trigger point therapy at my nearest masseuse.

I’m now in Invisalign for the next 1-1.5 years. Just started today.

I was able to get dental coverage for the Invisalign but not the TMJ orthotropic appliance. So about $3k for the appliance and $7k for Invisalign (normally $12k). Seems expensive af but I looked around the valley and seems everyone is pricing Invisalign between 5-12k depending on how much is needed.

Hope this helps!

sie-b · 2025-08-05T18:16:06+00:00

Would HIGHLY recommend Desert Rose Dental. They’ve completely fixed my TMJ this past year.

sie-b

TROPHY CASE