[John AndersMember]

The most important point is for the beginning meditator not to try to shut out everything else while you are focusing on the breath. Just let them be there.

So if I understand correctly, instead of setting an intention to “engage with the breath as fully as possible without losing peripheral awareness” I can just set the intention to focus on the breath without blocking anything else? And can I also do this just through placing a gentle attention on the breath?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by  John Anders.

[John AndersMember]

Hi Blake,

Nothing that I am aware of has changed in my life that could be causing this restlessness.

The restlessness starts at the beginning of the sit.

I do not feel I am putting to much effort into keeping my attention on the meditation object and if I am judging or holding expectations about the way things should be it is unconscious.

I have not been able to identify the restlessness physically. When I am restless either the physical sensations are not there or they are too subtle to identify. It could be that it is not restlessness that I am feeling but one or a few other feelings. I have managed to identify what seems like impatience, annoyance and frustration. It could also be that these come up one after the other. I do not know for sure. In any case if I try to go back to the meditation object I cannot retain focus at all and quickly go back into monkey-mind.

So it seems whatever it is that is obstructing my practice is too strong to disregard but not strong enough to identify.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  John Anders.

[John AndersMember]

> In Stage One of walking meditation, You will allow your visual attention to move as it will.

What about when focusing on the sensations in the soles of the feet?

Am I to understand correctly that in stage one I should hold my attention on both the sensation in the soles of the feet and on whatever my eyes are seeing?

[John AndersMember]

Hello,

Its been a while but now I have a few other questions:

– Is it ok if the relaxation (from the six point preparation – posture) takes around 25 minutes to do? Should I try and do it faster?

– It says in the book that during the first three stages attention should move freely but is it ok to let it move intentionally if it does not move to anything in particular after a while or should I just wait until something captures my attention however long it takes me?

[John AndersMember]

I don’t know if this system is going to work out for me.
Although probably many, many people at some point think this way, maybe this system isn’t quite for everyone?

1- Specifically, I am having problems with letting go of thoughts.

In daily life whenever I get upset or think a thought that I don’t like (which is most of the time) I seem to push away the thought I don’t like while holding on to another thought so as not to get distracted by the first thought or emotion, at least that’s what I think I am doing. So, compared to most people, I think I have one more thought to let go of and then it is harder to let go because of how automatic the process is.

I can’t seem to figure out how to let go, especially since most of the time I get annoyed with the first thought and sometimes get annoyed about getting annoyed.

If I try to focus on something it is not by letting go but by both pushing away and holding on.

As far as I can tell my only options are to push the thought away in which case it remains and doesn’t really go away or to notice it until it either no longer holds my attention or disappears? Could you please show me a third way?

2- It is implied that dealing with thoughts mindfully is difficult and therefore it is best just to, whenever these come up, to focus on the breath. In which stage do we learn to deal with thoughts mindfully?

3- Am I correct in understaning that peripheral awareness can not be forced but happens naturally? And that my only goal in maintaining peripheral awareness is to not block it?

4- Is it ok to practice relaxing the mind, body and eliciting feelings of happiness during the six point preparation as opposed to just during the four step transition?

[John AndersMember]

Thank you for your response. I will take a look at the other thread.

So, if I understand correctly. You do not have to have peripheral awareness first and then have attention, rather
you focus your attention on the first thing you notice while having an intention to maintain peripheral awareness. And, after this you focus your attention on the next thing that catches your attention.

So rather, first comes attention and then, with it, peripheral awareness?

Another question I have is regarding thoughts of the past or future, or rather how to let go?

When I have one of these distractions what I usually do is shift my attention to it until it either no longer holds my attention or until it disappears. Is this a correct way to do it?

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