You will notice in your meditation that at times nothing is where we think it should be lol. Ricardo, eye position response is helpful for sure. The stage you are at may also determine any answer one might provide. To Lemmefly…there is a difference between the “initial appearance, and the acquired appearance of the breath…in the…[Read more]

It might be that as you say, your patience is well practiced. I believe you are actually leaning into stage 5 practice without the benefit of the earlier practices. I would certainly encourage going forward with the following, connecting, labeling! Best wishes,

N Darlene Tataryn (TMI teacher in training)

The body certainly is sensational and energetic as you have well experienced. Play around with it more…reduce the scope of attention to just one foot and so on…include larger parts such as both legs and pelvis, or just the torso. It doesn’t mean you won’t have sensations in other parts of the body but leave them to the periphery…[Read more]

Perhaps try this. Think bottom to top. Place your attention at tantien/hara about 4 inches down from the belly button and move attention to mid body or another 4 inches in. Breathe and experience expansion throughout the whole abdomen…as if radiating from the centre of the body in all directions. You should be able to feel the…[Read more]

You are welcome! Enjoy the exploration. Re Nick G and anatta…yes TMI definitely helps with strong dukkha in that it really explains in western language what Buddha was teaching about one of the three marks (anicca, dukkha, anatta) of existence and how we entangle in our own self contraction and suffer…quite the ride!

Darlene
(TMI…[Read more]

There is also The Hermitage on Denman Island off the Coast of Vancouver Island BC…a beautiful rustic setting for long term sitting and good teaching resources.

Darlene Tataryn (TMI Teacher in Training)

arrowriverforest@gmail.com; This is the email address to contact Punnadhammo at the Arrow River Hermitage near Thunder Bay…I’m sure he would be happy to hear from you!

Darlene Tataryn (TMI Teacher in Training)

Darlene (Teacher in Training)

Quite an exploration! I am becoming more and more interested in the kinds of involuntary movements you are speaking of and how they might be the same, or different, on or off the cushion. I’m glad you were able to speak to a Lama who was able to guide you regarding too much effort. Effort of any kind results in muscular tension…[Read more]

Good question…and an answer might depend on intention. If you are working with “the body of the breath” you can note the changes in your breathing as you experience the purification. When the body sensation is strong and has some attention and your chosen object is the breath you can say attention is alternating between breath and…[Read more]

In my mind, if the emotions are strong they already are centre stage. Pushing them away or holding them close and building into the emotionality are both problematic. However, as Blake says, if they keep pulling your attention they need acknowledgement at very least and at best be labelled for what they are.

To do this, return to…[Read more]

Perhaps, given you are still experiencing gross distractions, this would still be a good time to make what was an unconscious process (introspective awareness that prevented forgetting and wandering) into a more conscious and intentional process. Be curious about your minds capacity to be aware of its activity, and its…[Read more]

Thank you for the links…I’ve checked out the first one and find it quite good…very representative of Buddha Dharma in a very accessible form. Dzogchen, Mahamudra, and Zen, although they are of different lineages point to non dual awareness. In the case of Mahamudra it is the culmination of the trajectory of practices…whereas…[Read more]

Yes. I would certainly say so…This is truly conscious embodiment…

You have expressed this beautifully. I would love to hear at some point how you would then weave mind moments into language within this explanation.

Darlene
(teacher in Training)

I will simply add to Mimi’s suggestions. It seems to me that you might be trying to PLACE ATTENTION on both peripheral awareness and mantra, rather than allowing peripheral awareness to be the natural work of all the senses, with you simply receiving the sensory messages without over focusing on them. The work is in placing…[Read more]

The teaching you were given regarding the qi may very well be true, though perhaps not necessary for the meditation practice you have embarked upon. Prior to injury from standing up on a leg that was numb and asleep after a meditation , I was able to sit in a Burmese posture for extended periods of time without or able to be with the…[Read more]

I am not able to shed light on this bodily/energetic phenomena…Given this doesn’t quite fit the usual piti experiences I am familiar with, I do wonder about purification events such as extreme trauma release…physically and/ or emotionally. How would you describe your general muscle…[Read more]

I am curious…what has brought you to determine you are not in 1st Jhana? Secondly, do you recognize “whole body breathing” while experiencing the subtle vibrations and pulses? This could be considered a body bliss or piti…moving into “sukkha” or mind bliss…You are doing marvellously in practice…and I suggest continuing as…[Read more]

Interesting questions. I would re state the “turn off” the discriminating mind…to “involve” the discriminating mind toward unifying with the intention… It is through this unification the training bears its fruit so to speak. Re the second question, I believe it is a perception in its own right (of mind moments), however, if not…[Read more]