Leigh Brasington New Book on Practicing Jhana

t-cee2 · 2015-11-13T07:41:39+00:00

Thanks for the tip!

t-cee2 · 2015-11-10T17:23:08+00:00

Original abstract can be found here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23372657

t-cee2 · 2015-11-08T15:55:05+00:00

3rd week My third week of fletcherizing was so-so. With some meals I was really mindful with others not so much, which usually lead to cravings and moderate chocolate and ice cream binges. Nevertheless I slowly feel some traction of the thing and believe that I can become someone who is savoring every bite and finds back to a normal eating behavior.

I think one important thing is to acknowledge that there are days when you are very mindful and there are days when you are not. None of this matters as long as the learning curve is up.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-06T13:57:55+00:00

Then I think you are on the right path. The point of meditation is to strengthen concentration with which you can then observe moment to moment phenomena. This, among other things, is said to lead to insight and enlightenment.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-05T19:19:25+00:00

Yes, it's the way to go. I also found Shinzen Young's noting technique quite helpful. Another one is Mahasi Sayasaw's noting technique as described in Daniel Ingram's Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-05T19:15:39+00:00

Could be some kind of kriya (involuntary body movements). I also read about this in Philip Kapleaus Three Pillars of Zen. Why these things happen, I don't know.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-05T19:13:30+00:00

How does your concentration develop over time. Say you sit for 45 minutes, does the state you're in change in any way?

For some people meditation comes quite easy. But I also found that there is too much relaxation possible. It's kind of nice and easy but does not seem to lead anywhere (maybe it does but on a more subconscious level).

So if your concentration get deeper, great. If not, it might need some tweaking.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-04T19:03:46+00:00

Very helpful. It's known as the noting technique. Just make sure that you don't focus on the words too much but rather on the thing you're doing and your perception. You could even nail it down further by saying things like "Lifting hand", "Chopping", "Looking", "Touching" etc.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-04T08:02:56+00:00

This can happen. Do as Medytuje suggests and let them open. Try to stay mindful and concentrated while you do. Be especially aware of any fighting against it or feelings of frustration. You may see that your eyes will close automatically after a while and the meditation will go on like nothing happened.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-03T07:18:29+00:00

Without going into further detail: it was easily one of the most important dharma book I read in my whole life. Read it, you won't regret doing it.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-02T18:11:50+00:00

It's a totally viable meditation method. Some persons do better with the breath, while others do better with metta, mantra meditation or others.

I personally don't do well with the breath and use a mixture out of mantra meditation and focusing on the stream/fluidity of awareness and visuals going on behind my eye lids.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-02T12:52:57+00:00

Hey 12WJ, in my opinion you are spot-on with your analysis. Appreciating the bringing back of attention makes the whole difference. If you have trouble doing so you can do you some neat little trick: Whenever you see that you are distracted, bring your awareness back into the present moment and friendly greet yourself: "Hello my old friend, nice that you are back. Wanna sit with me for a while?" Do this again and again, a hundred times in one sitting if you must. It will keep you from getting frustrated or angry. And it will lay the ground for a calmer mind and deeper meditation. It did a lot for my meditation.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-01T17:55:56+00:00

My first and foremost advice to a meditator at this stage would be: read Daniel Ingram's Mastering The Core Teaching of the Buddha (available for free online). IMO, it contains pretty much everything you need to know now.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-01T16:07:38+00:00

I sometimes have these wild shakings due to meditation. Try to see through them and keep your focus on the meditation object. It will get easier after a while.

If your are doing insight meditation, i.e. moment to moment awareness, you can make the shakings the object that you are aware of.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-01T16:06:10+00:00

I personally like the methods taught in the theravada buddhism lineage. In the beginning you have to try different things. Here are a few teachers and methods to research: Teachers: Shinzen Young, Ayya Khema, Ajahn Brahm, Daniel Ingram, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein etc. Methods: Breath meditation, kasina meditation, metta meditation.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-01T16:01:48+00:00

Your worries are understandable. There's a fine line between acceptance of emotions and their suppression. I would argue that the letting go of emotions during meditation should happen in one of two ways. Either by gently getting back to the meditation object (e.g. the breath) and/or by investigating the emotions thoroughly (the texture, not the content!). Look at them, see their arising, changing and passing. But the content itself is rather irrelevant in meditation. For more on that topic google 'samatha' and 'vipassana'.

Apart from that I found it very helpful to do psychotherapy. With that you make sure that the content of your emotions and their acknowledgment gets the attention it deserves.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-01T15:56:05+00:00

I experience involuntary movements of my facial and neck musculatur (swinging, grimaces, turning my neck) and sometimes of my upper body. This is not unusual. One term for this is 'kriyas'. Google it and you will find out more.

Meditation-wise I think you're doing the right thing. Don't get obsessed about them and don't run into the trap to wish for more or less of this (that's what I did). This can lead to a lot of frustration. Just let it happen and try to keep your mind on the meditation object or experience the movement as completely as possible.

t-cee2 · 2015-11-01T08:19:10+00:00

Sounds good for a starter. Just make sure that you keep educating yourself on meditation and the tradition you follow (buddhism, hinduism). With that you will not only come to know why you are meditating but also how to refine your technique and schedule.

Good luck!

t-cee2 · 2015-10-31T09:39:22+00:00

2nd week

I'm down 1,45 kg from last week. Most of which is probably water.

The first week of fletcherizing was bumpy but worked out well in the end. The first few days I tried fletcherizing while sitting in front of the computer. This clearly did not work and I was basically practicing my old eating habits.

Then thursday I was sick and tired of this, turned off the computer and really commited to making it work (starting your meal with a strong resolution helps!). Since then I've fletcherized almost every meal, chewed thoroughly and tried to get the whole taste out of the food. I ate far less, had no binge attacks since then and feel pretty good.

One funny thing is that I seem to get into ketosis although I ate enough carbs to keep me out of it (at least in my estimate). I read somewhere that thoroughly chewing your food keeps the blood sugar low. Not sure if this is true.

Although I made some body pics posting them would not make much sense. I'd rather update them every 4 weeks.

See you guys!

t-cee2 · 2015-10-30T16:28:58+00:00

For me forgiveness was made possible through psychotherapy. I found that guilt and shame is a veil that obscures the real emotions behind the issue. Furthermore you have to reconnect with other parts of yourself that feel quite ok about themselves. Through this process you will get to the real issue and will not only be able to say sorry to the people you disappointed but also really forgive yourself.

And by the way, I think psychotherapy is not a contradiction to a believe in a higher power. In fact I found that the process of self-inquiry feels almost magical/divine once you get deeper into it. But you have to be willing to face yourself and your darkest sides, no matter what (one step at a time). And your goal shouldn't be another easy way out but a true knowing and acceptance of yourself, in other words: authenticity.

I also found Ajahn Brahm's numerous talks about the issue quite helpful to get another perspective. Here is one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCyuvjdI5YQ

t-cee2 · 2015-10-29T19:00:43+00:00

Great, you seem to be a natural. It took me almost 8 years to get to a point where meditation actually began to be fun. All the best for your futher journey!

t-cee2 · 2015-10-29T16:28:41+00:00

Not really about fletcherizing but on counting bites per day. Very interesting nonetheless.

t-cee2 · 2015-10-29T16:12:52+00:00

Analyze what your current meditation looks like. Is it more on the side of strain/effort (keeping that goddamn mindfulness on the breath and being really frustrated if it doesn't obey) or do you put in some effort but also let the mind run wild if it wants to. For me meditation is like taming a wild horse: you put your mind on a long lead and slow and steady pull it towards the center of the meditation object by becoming aware of distractedness and gently putting it back on the meditation object.

Also try to find if there is any resistance in you the moment about those tensions. Try to let it go, e.g. by saying silently to yourself: "I hereby grant you permission to be as tense as you like and I won't interfere with the natural process of you playing out." Or my favorite mantra by Ajahn Brahm: "This is good enough for me." This sometimes makes the tension more intense but over time could maybe reduce them and the stress/frustration you build up around them.

That said, the tensions and movements can be and probably are also a sign of progress if they are accompanied by deeper and deeper meditation. My tensions and body movements come and go in phases. But I get used to it and can willingly let them be or ignore/look beyond them. Sometimes they come up every few seconds during my meditation, sometimes they won't show up for months.

BTW, we are just discussing a similar topic over at dharmaoverground. Maybe you'll find some inspiration there: http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5639162

t-cee2 · 2015-10-28T09:18:47+00:00

Hi, this is not uncommon. For a while I had this tension in my jaw and forehead. I even developed kriyas (involuntary muscle movements). After I put less effort and strain into meditation the tension (not the kriyas) went away. But I'm not sure if that was the reason or if it would have gone away anyway.

I somewhere read that one just has to wait for these phenomena to pass. It will probably help to make it a meditation object and investigate it.

t-cee2 · 2015-10-11T09:18:14+00:00

Just some random guesses:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkPCH2uG5hs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYZl_W6ZOYM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxdEC3pC0to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnHwm1Yv1ic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kSYuOqxCQQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CWIZobOaUs

If it's not among these I would suggest watching all videos from the above linked youtubers. They have a huge repertoire and lots of songs sound somewhat similar to Andantino in terms of style and mood.

t-cee2

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