• Congratulations on your practice. I have no reason to think that this might help, but it’s something that most of us miss in the preparation steps. On page 94 there is a gray box which is advised to be used as part of our preparation for meditation. Just for fun, you might take a look and see if you are doing those things. And if not, give them a try.

  • Good idea. Please include virtual/online groups.

  • I had similar questions about Advaita Vedanta’s teachings. Just to take one little portion of your question and to give my homemade explanation that I tell myself is this. The Everpresent Awareness that Vedanta refers to might not be so ever-present when the mind gets fine-tuned down to observing arising and passing away. Perhaps Awareness will…[Read more]

  • When I was getting lost in the six-step preparation, I started setting an initial intention to keep my attention on the six steps as I went through them. You could try that, and for your goal for the current session, which is step two, you could set the goal of finding pleasure and satisfaction in getting as far as you get in the six-step…[Read more]

  • I think you’re referring to the 6 step preparation for meditation. Is that correct? I am not a teacher, so this is my own personal experience. I was doing a lot of forgetting and mind-wandering during that preparation. So I started setting intentions to keep my attention on the six step preparation, and I renewed that intention frequently until I…[Read more]

  • I think you’re referring to the 6th step preparation for meditation. Is that correct? I am not a teacher, so this is my own personal experience. I was doing a lot of forgetting and mind-wandering during that preparation. So I started setting intentions to keep my attention on the sixth step preparation, and I renewed that intention frequently…[Read more]

  • I am just getting ready to push my resistance and start doing loving-kindness meditation. I plan to use a Guided Meditation based on TMI. It was created by Chris Gagne (sp?). One place to find it is on the Insight Timer app. Computer or smart phone. Search for Guided Metta meditation TMI Chris Gagne. It is about 30 minutes long, and uses the…[Read more]

  • I won’t be able to help you, but I am very curious what Stage you are on and where you are headed. I am always measuring my progress by the requirements for mastery of the Stage I am on, and looking to move to the next Stage to learn new skills required to continue on the path toward Stage Ten.
    Thanks, Tom

  • Adrian, what helped me when I couldn’t grab onto the breath initially was on page 98, Sustaining Attention Through Following and Connecting. It included going back to Stage Two briefly, when he refers to it in the firzt paragraph of FOLLOWING.

    I had missed doing that in Stage Two.

    Notice on page 99, …recognize three or four distinct sensations…[Read more]

  • tjansen replied to the topic Stage 3 question in the forum Meditation 6 years ago

    Henrik. I was stuck in a similar way with checking in. I then made a short list of what I was to look for when I checked in:

    1) Thoughts (my most common distraction, 2) Sensations (e.g. pain, itch, etc), 3) Perceptions (noises, maybe internal sights with eyes closed), 4) Dullness (Does my awareness or attention seem dull).

    There are other…[Read more]

  • I am interested in joining or starting an online meditation group, using Skype, Zoom, or other media. My best time is 8 a.m. Arizona time (Mountain Time), preferably with no change year-round. I live in Thailand and don’t go on Daylight Saving Time. I have belonged to a 5-6 person group that meets once a week by phone conference. It helps me to…[Read more]

  • tjansen posted an update 6 years, 6 months ago

    I would like to join or form and online meditation group using Skype or Zoom or other. Any suggestions about how to do this?