M

Thanks
Matthew

The one other thing that I found helpful is the various “pleasure jhanas”. They allow a distribution/management of intense energy in a very helpful way. I’d suggest even doing a retreat with Leigh Braisington if possible as he really is quite skillful in guiding people through these specific jhanas.

M

Thanks for sharing. I’ve had convulsive bodily movement issues as well. But not as intense as you’re describing. I think I’m going to skip my “what to do in meditation” advice and make a different suggestion…. specifically I would look into doing some sort of body based therapeutic intervention such as Somatic Experiencing. A…[Read more]

As Blake said, the amount and intensity to which involuntary movements happen varies significantly. For some, they are super intense…. I’m one of those people. For others, such as Culadasa, they are minimal… as I can recall all he had was some thumb twiddling. Thus I understand your concern and think it’s wise to be prepared…[Read more]

Yes, it’s possible that it’s connected to your practice. If so, there’s lots of good advice above. But it’s also possible it isn’t connected to your practice. It’s just hard to say on an online forum what’s going on with you in particular. Thus it can’t hurt to be cautious, to monitor your anxiety, to back off on practice to see what…[Read more]

Other than sound seeming like a good meditation object for you, I’m not sure of its significance. Thus all I can really say is use sound as you see fit … whether you’re hearing it in the context of formal meditation or daily life.

Be well
Matthew

Sound has also been a prominent feature of practice for me. Some type of internally generated sound is often one of the “signs” that concentration is deepening. If I turn attention to the sound, concentration tends to deepen even further to the point where “I” can be enveloped in a kind of soundscape… which is quite pleasant. It’s…[Read more]

Shaila’s comment is quite interesting and it might be a strategy you take up for dealing with Piti. However, she is talking about a practice for entering Jhana. In the tradition she’s coming out of it seems the constantly changing sensations of the breath aren’t a useful object for absorption. Instead, the breath is used only up to a…[Read more]

I’ve attached an older draft version of what’s in the book. This should help until you get the book.

M

INVESTIGATION OF MENTAL OBJECTS
This practice involves maintaining exclusive focus on the breath as you non-discursively investigate mental objects with metacognitive introspective awareness. This kind of purposeful activity…[Read more]

1. I try to meditate 1.5 – 2 hours a day on average.
2. I go on retreats regularly. I’d say on average 2-4 weeks per year. This past year much more because I’m on sabbatical
3. I’ve hit lots of obstacles – pretty much every one outlined in the book and even a few that aren’t in there.

I hope this helps

Matthew

Let’s start with what you describe as fuzziness/dullness. My guess is this dullness is a defense against some sort of difficult material trying to emerge – in other words a purification. This hypothesis stems from the fact that you’re at Stage Four, which is usually when such purifications begin to emerge (see the book). Also because…[Read more]

That’s a great gift that they’re coming so soon. It can make developing a regular practice much easier. Anything you can do to link positive feelings to sitting practice is beneficial.

M

Yes, they are very common. Everyone is different, however, in terms of their frequency and intensity. They can also be quite wonderful and energizing as well we really disruptive and exhausting. But as you progress on the path they tend stabilize into the wonderful and energizing.

Matthew

First of all, it’s great that you’re so clear on your motivation. With that motivation I also wonder if a guided relaxation/meditation might not be better. The Insight Timer app (the paid version) has a lot of guided meditations – many of them geared toward stress reduction and relaxation. You may have to experiment to find one you…[Read more]

Thanks

Matthew

My initial suggestion would be to do what works and don’t worry about parsing the distinctions at this point. You first should just get familiar with getting into jhana consistently. Experiment with using the whole body with the breath and then try using pleasurable sensation. See what works and enjoy yourself.

Hope this helps.

Matthew

Lots of good advice above. But I have two questions for you. 1. what’s personally motivating you to want to practice? In other words, what’s bringing you to the cushion in the first place – and there’s no “right” answer to this. 2. how long are you meditating for?

Matthew

Thanks for being so open about this issue. I appreciate your questions but want to take a different approach. First, have you gone a meditation retreat? If not, I think you might want to. It would be great if you could go on one with Culadasa, but that may not be feasible. I would suggest going on a 10 day vipassana retreat, Goenka…[Read more]

Just wanted to let you know about an upcoming five day retreat with Culadasa at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck New York. Here’s the info: https://www.eomega.org/workshops/maximize-your-meditation#-workshop-description-block

Matthew

The arising of worry and anxiety when focusing on the breath at the nose doesn’t seem to be that uncommon. In other words, I’ve known other people who have a similar response. One thing I’ve recommended is to focus on the breath sensations at the abdomen instead, see if that works. Now to your questions:

#1. In theory, any…[Read more]

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve emailed them to our PR folks. Hopefully they’re on it.

Be well

Matthew

Before I answer, I just want you to know that I’m currently in a teacher training program with Culadasa. So my answers are grounded in his teachings, but they are, of course, also being filtered […]

The mantra I’ve learned from Culadasa that I’ve found very helpful no matter what happens in meditation is, “let it come, let it be, let it go.” Let whatever happens, happen – don’t suppress or […]

During the early Stages it’s fine to do whatever helps you follow the breath – counting, thinking “in breath, out breath”, or visualizing the breath. In terms of visualizations, you want the […]

I’ll do my best to more or less answer your questions

1. Start your meditation in the regular way, stabilizing it on the breath sensations at the nose. When attention feels stable and awareness […]

Here are two sections from Culadasa’s forthcoming book that might be helpful.

SELF-DOUBT
We tend to stick with activities we are naturally good at and avoid the ones we have to struggle with. When you […]

I had another lucid dream through the non-medicated WILD practice. So far, what I’ve noticed is that focusing on something in the dream usually catalyzes lucidity. The first time it was […]

Got the pills, tried it last night along with WILD. No luck. Actually, I was in a weird state all night long, slipping in and out of dreams and waking up. I even got up at one point and ate some ice […]

I think one of the most important elements in taking the practice off the cushion is staying clear on Culadasa’s distinction between awareness and attention. I will assume you know the […]

So I had success last night! I woke up at around 4. Did some meditation and continuous state checks for about 45 minutes. Then went back to bed. I had a few short dream sequences with no luck. […]

Yes, we lose awareness when attention is rapidly moving from object to object. Another way to say this is we lose mindfulness – the optimal balance between attention and awareness. The issue is that […]