Azrael

Couldn't have worded it nicer. When I teach someone meditation or give tips I tend to just say: "Just sit down on a chair or in a lotus-like position on a cushion on the floor for 30 minutes." Do that for three months and the rest will fit itself. You'll find out on the way if you like to do just "Do Nothing", repeat a mantra, do self-inquiry etc. After doing meditation daily for a year now I come to the conclusion that most people don't do it wrong but tend to get so mixed up in the details that they quit. Meditation is really simple. Just sit down and breathe. The rest comes by itself.

It takes some practice but it seems to help to really concentrate into the feeling, get a good sense of it. Do not resist it and merge with it. Though this seems counter-intuitive because you give all your attention to it and stop negating it - but by that you accept it so much that it will choose to go or at least lessen. It's like you say to your feeling: "How can I serve you best, darling?", "How can I give you the most authentic experience to exist?" By doing that you will just release every negative association connected to it. Of course if also helps to deepen your breath while you do that and to really feel in. If you interact with others you can just merge with what they say and get a little bit out of your head. Instead of talking to yourself all the time while listening, try to listen to the other's breath and to the sound of their talk. Merge with the whole conversation, deepen your breath and create this rhythmic kind of sense that lets you play with the conversation. I love that. Good question!

A Zen student asked his master, "Is it OK to use email?" "Yes," replied the master, "But no attachments."

I'd guess that this is a phase you went through. Can't really say that I experienced constant loss of willpower but I can say that I had phases in which this technique brought me in deep depressive phases full of fear, loss of will power etc. But as I say this were merely phases and eventually went away. As the ego transcends there is a lot of shit that seems to happen. For me it was this way and now after that I see how this was needed for me to go on with my journey. However, I'd also point out that you should use the technique that fits you the best. So, for me "Do Nothing" is the best technique to deepen my meditation practice and to go about the enlightenment journey. I just really love the technique combined with strong determination sittings. If you can resonate more with mindfulness meditation, I'd say do that. If I do "noting" it drives me crazy after 3 minutes. So I don't do it as often and have other techniques that bring me further. But yeah, I'd say it's a phase that this technique brings you through. Some are harder than others and one needs to observe this pendulum from good to bad phases for a while to finally step a little out of it and detach. Then it's okay. And that's real nice. Cheers to you,

@light18 It's like you have a banana and next to it 5 texts describing the banana. Now, which text is actually the banana, huh?

Just the other day I watched this video from Matt Khan, in which he discusses the breath as a pointer to your real nature. Along my spiritual journey I find myself working a lot with pointers to dig very deep in my own existential nature. They seem to be like constant holes that are completely ignored by most people because of their seeming simplicity. However, I found that they can be your greatest teachers if you spend some effort checking them out. So, I want you to shift the way of seeing yourself with this post. For real. When watching Matt's video he just did that for me and it brought me within two days to some new realizations + a lot of silence and peace, so I have to let you in on this. Decide for yourself. Basically, as we ask "Who am I?", "What am I?" we are looking for a constant notion of ourself. For something that was and is there all the time. So we start with thoughts, feelings, emotions, the body etc. and seem to not come too far with that. Even if we have some realizations we are still stuck inside our head. So what is actually constant about ourselves? Maybe listening, the essence or nature of perceptions, probably a few other things but something that defines our life from birth to death is simply Breath. We start with breathing as our first move in life and we will end it with the last one - poetically saying. Have you noticed the way you breathe is directly correlated with how you feel, how and how much you think, whether you are in flow or not, whether you are in a deep stage of samadhi or hyperventilating in the name of fear and anxiety? Stop for a second and check yourself out. Isn't that strange? So Matt illustrates in his video kinda artfully that we are our breath. Not existentially of course, but as I pointer to who we really are. Kind of like a door to nothingness - an entry point to your real nature. He also makes the point that you - as your breath - are perfectly awake, enlightened - complete by nature. You go in and out whatever happens. From the day all of this starts to the day you die. And so he gives the picture that every thought, all perceptions, all feelings, every kind of form that we sense is nothing but a whim of the breath. As if you are the breath and everything that comes up is just another incarnation, another form, another anything that lives from breathing in until breathing out. And so the world you see, live in and perceive is just "the game of the breath", "the colorful illustration of the breath". Now - and I invite you to invest one hour to get this realization from Matt personally in his video - I was struck by this so much that I had this sudden change of mind that if I'm actually just the breath everything is just fine. Because I'm complete and all the thoughts and perceptions are just the breath' whim of entertaining itself and the world. Yesterday and today I tended to consciously breath a lot and so deepened and slowed the pace of my breath and I felt such a great harmony and peace inside of me. Because I always had in mind that everything I think is just another whim of my breath. And my breath just lets it live for another 2-3 seconds. Well, don't get me wrong here. You are existentially a lot more then your breath of course. But the breath seems to be a direct door to what you really are because it was there even before you became conscious and it will be there until you die. So, maybe it is not such a bad idea to stick yourself to your breath and get real close with it, because it seems that this is the regulator, the point that from breath to breath brings everything - you currently think you are - up to existence and lets it die a few seconds later. Maybe there is some wisdom to find at that door, don't you think? I hope I could inspire you guys. Let me know what you think about it and do yourself a favor and watch Matt's video about this, it brought me to a new place I couldn't see before. Also, think about how your life would change if you'd be every breath consciously. You can still think, do everything as you want but you are every breath. What would change? How would you feel? What would be the pace of your breath? How much tension would be left inside your body? How complete would you feel? Let me know. And don't forget. Everything I just pointed out is just an idea. Nothing more. But as you tend to identify yourself with more and more ideas, maybe you want to chose one that sits a little nearer to the door of Truth then being fed up in never ending thoughts. Cheers to you,

I agree to @Ayla on this one. That's why I actually wrote this post - because I had a realization when I thought about my first year doing this journey: We are all fed up in our heads. It's like every question I answer on this forum is the same. The individual person comes up with with some exception of some situation and wants an answer to that. Because that is what our head does all the time. It does shit and searches for the holes in it. For the troubles. For the exceptions. And then uses it all or nothing technique to doubt itself so much that people start asking questions here. To everyone who reads this - keep asking your questions. It's just part of the great game. But maybe you can see what I'm saying here and save yourself some time. I needed a solid year to get this down. So what you need to do is, detach from everything your mind does. Doesn't mean not to think. Does mean to allow everything that arises and just love it because it exists. Because by this - existence - it is and that's the whole argumentation why it is okay. Even if you don't like it. Just let happen. And see why your mind is trying to negate something that does exist and ask yourself: "Why is that?" Now, the other thing to do is "Do Nothing". You have to literally sit down for the next few years at least and just accept whatever arises. And then the day will come where you start doing this in your day-to-day life as well and then some big shifts happen. So, don't give up my friend. And get out of your mind. Read my post about the breath, this seems to be a better place to look for goodies then your thoughts.

Dude, relax. Everything is fine. Your "ego" is not dying. And it never will (as long as you live). Even if you awake your ego won't die. It'll just integrate and you stop being constantly bound to that. So it's more like - you know where your ego comes from because you are now able to see whatever this source is. And then you start to identify more with the source because it is the real you. The ego is just a shield that was brought up in your past to protect yourself from this world and to prevail your will. So, the process you are undertaking is not dying. I thought a few times on my journey that I'm seriously dying because I was so mixed up by this. That's just normal. Just the process. Your head has to deal with a lot of shit right now and it'll need some time to wrap its head around what is going on. When I had my biggest gains so far I had weeks of depression afterwards. Deep inner fears, etc. I didn't know what was going on because it just suddenly shifted. Seems to be the case that your "ego" will try to hold on to itself and doesn't want to easily integrate. But in the end you can just see through that and now - whether I'm in a good mood or not - I'm not really attached to it and it's just fine. I love myself - and my head is just doing its thang.

Consciousness probably can't wish to evolve, for that there actually has to be different consciousness' competing, having a free will which seems not to be the case. It's more of one big inter-mingle of a lot of arising and dying forms - that we then cut into pieces and call objects and behaviors. The big problem with scientific proofs or explanations is this. Me as an computer scientist I proof every day that algorithms do what they should do, math theorems are correct and can be used etc. etc. But for this to happen there has to be a definition of what you want to proof, explain in beforehand. In math, logic, computer science we create such definitions and even in biology and other disciplines they're doing that. From that definitions they imply new concepts and views and then try to proof or explain them. Look at it for a second this way: Actually, there are no horses in this world. Horses are just another part of the big inter-mingle, just as me, you everybody else in this forum and everything that exists. It just seems to be the case that what we call horses is a form that is so constant - even though it's not at all if you look with another perspective at it - that it seems to make sense to give it a name and behaviors connected to it. So this way we can study, compare and explain it. Every other field in science just does it the same exact way. So, this is great for science because with that model you can make some good predictions and get people on the moon. But as this is just a model, not what is actually is in front of your eyes, science can never be able to make assumptions about what is real. Philosophy neither. It can always just give you an idea. To really get to know what is real you have to let go of all your ideas and then see what's left. Cheers to you, my friend

As you say to yourself "Who am I?", "What am I?", "Who is perceiving this" and then looking for the real you this kind of triggers your unconscious mind to come up with knew shit it gives you. First you go and argue a lot with your thoughts and then maybe the first realization comes. And then the second. So in kind of the same way as with affirmations you trigger yourself and ask it over and over again until you finally know. Classic affirmations are however generally more concerned with getting a key phrase into you - so that this triggers certain new thoughts and behavior patterns. Can you see the connection?

That's an interesting question. Affirmations are basically great to infuse some thoughts into you so that your unconscious begins on its own to make you think thoughts around your affirmation. So I use this e. g. to get me thinking about my life purpose. My head just on its own pops up more thoughts about this, how I could do my projects and so on. For that - affirmation and contemplation is real good. It probably isn't the best tool to awaken. Because to awaken most people need to grind through a lot of their fake beliefs, through that they see how their reality changes in front of their eyes and then you go even deeper and deeper on that. So it takes some real work, some looking into things and letting things go. Also to accept the journey. So I wouldn't use affirmations in the classic sense for enlightenment work. More for creative stuff. But if you look at the Self-Inquiry process, that uses affirmation and contemplation in an advanced way. But it helps to really get a sense of what is happening and not just lulling more words into your mind to make it think about that. But I might be wrong. I think however there are better ways.

Hey, great post. Now, was this insight or not? It tends to be the case that you shouldn't take your thoughts in a strong determination too seriously - else wise you begin running around killing children and stuff in a few weeks. Just kidding here. But I had and have such thoughts as well. Sexual experience is something to get some experience in or you mind will hold that shield up from time to time and wants to create even more insecurity. It's kinda like a basic need. So I'd suggest get some experience in that area and then you will see for yourself where that leads you. If you have big problems with that look up some pickup stuff - I can really recommend David DeAngelo's stuff. I know how Leo sees this right now and I agree to a lot of points the mentioned in his video about this - but if you just want to know how it's done. Look it up. It is not a shame and will help you - if you don't spend the rest of your life doing that as a complete psychopathic maniac. But yeah, basically it is very normal that stuff like that occurs in strong determination sits. Your mind purges more and more shit and you will maybe come in contact with some hidden traumas or whatsoever that you never knew about and suddenly a "tick", some neurosis or insecure behavior is just gone. From one sit to the other. This happened several times for me - still does. Expect that - and you'll develop after time the right attitude to approach it. It's probably one of the fastest ways to awake, that brings some cost with it. But it's worth it in my opinion and the worst part is the beginning. The rest comes by itself.

Classic my friend, classic question. What you do is that you actually begin to find it okay that this happens. You let go of the need to control even the letting go. If you can, you do. If you don't, you don't. Just say that it is okay whatever happens, even if it is not okay. That's an very deep topic that you can look in long hours. However, I don't really see the connection to strong determination sittings here. To do such a meditation all that is asked of you is not to move for an amount of time. What happens in your head is not defined by the technique. You can couple it with other methods like "Do Nothing", "Self-Inquiry" or whatever you want to do. Seems to be the case that if that technique actually begins to work and creates some pain inside your body, there is not much place for a formal meditation technique. It's more like warfare and you'll develop techniques to go through that. First you'll run away and then you'll just let you shoot inside your head and give up completely. When that happens, real growth occurs and you just got a little closer to the source. So have a look how it looks there. Can be inspiring.

Yeah, just did this on the weekend very consciously. It slows down the pace of your breath, deepens your sense of self and seems to slow down your thoughts. Plus I felt very relaxed and just complete, totally in flow. It's like going around with this constant - little greedy - smile in your face. Because you look at everyone and while you just focus on breathing in ... feeling completely fine and ... breathing out - all other people seem completely neurotically bound to the "colorful illustration of the breath". The content, the drama. But not really the point it's arising out of and into. Plus, what's even more interesting is that if you start to listen to other people's breath a little and not just to what they are saying - as you normally do - you can kind of see how they are complete - just by breathing - and are totally caught up in their head not knowing it. Also note that everything they say and probably think is accompanied by the fitting breath pattern, which kind of like gives it the ground to live - metaphorically saying. You can of course also do that with yourself, it's quite funny actually. I like to see it this way - and that's just another idea but a really nice one to identify with - I'm just that space between my in- and out-breath, I'm not able to see yet that I die every few seconds and get born right after that again and I'm just fine and complete by nature. Everything else is just the most powerful illustration - I know - that's brought up, through the means of my body, and brought down again. Now, this of course is just an idea. But it turns out if you spend some time looking into that, your real nature shines in on you from time to time, so maybe you get a better sense of where you belong as in contrary to being all in your head and you are just not finding a way out. That's the way out. One way. Utilize it to let it show the real you.

Hahaha, I felt the same way at first about Matt. When somebody shared some video of him I just looked at the preview picture and thought: "Yet another new-age wuhu guy with flowers and all of that crap." I actually just became addicted to Leo's stuff in the first place because he is so "down to earth". Well, then I listened a few days ago to his radical acceptance video and was stunned how he made me realize 2-3 new perspectives just by watching that video. Plus he gave me a mindset and words how to go about acceptance that work instantly. I listen to a lot of intellectual stuff and most lacks integrity and practicality. Matt - for me - just punched me in the face with wisdom. That's incredible. Same with the topic I elaborated on in this post just that I find this even deeper and it had and has an even more interesting influence in the way I see things. So I had to bring you in on that. I respect this guy a lot for being more helpful than dozens of talks of the most intellectual whatsoever people I listen to every day. He got it.

Berlin!

Interesting question! But, yes of course. My daily meditation still purges shit out of my system, brings it to the top so that I have to deal with it. This is now of course at a slower pace then if you are just starting out. But I still have the typical meditation cycles in which I feel good at some times and bad at others. It is just that I am through that a few dozen times so that I approach it completely different then let's say 7 months ago. What I do to keep pushing it is that I sit in some evenings and push it to 120 minutes. That will release new "rocks of shit" out of your system that then swim in your waters and you have to hammer them away with your daily meditation / or during the day. Hope, that analogy helps to illustrate the process a little. In the end goal I shoot for sitting 8 hours without moving. I think I will awaken that way. So I planned the next 5-10 years to achieve that. Now, what if I can sit for 8 hours straight and didn't awake on the way? Actually, I don't care to much anymore for that. If you are able to sit for 8 hours without moving your life has completely transformed and this will change every cell of your being. From what I experienced so far with this. So awaking is just some side product of that probably.

Didn't know you are awake, dude. See for yourself, but to make it a habit it probably isn't the best idea.

Is it possible to learn snowboarding by jumping out of a helicopter, landing on the rocky mountains and driving down with 100 mph? Not trying to be rude here, but this is kinda what you want to try. Yes, of course you can start meditation with such a technique, but the chance that you will last more then 4 weeks with that is .. kinda no existent. Meditation - for most people - isn't a easy habit to implement in their life because you don't understand at first, it is kinda strange and you feel no immediate advantages. Maybe a little calmness but nothing big probably. So, I'd say just go with 20-30 minutes "Do Nothing" on a chair in the first 3 months, see how you do and whether you like it. And then, if you are more confident and it seems as it is a real habit now, go with the more advanced stuff. I started with 20 minutes "detaching from my thoughts" (didn't know about Do Nothing back then), then increased the sitting time after 3 months to 60 minutes, did the self-inquiry meditation / contemplation for a few months, then heard about "Do Nothing", did that for a while and then finally after 5-6 months switched to strong determination sittings. Because at the time I did that it wasn't a question anymore whether I'd really stick with my meditation habit. And then it is way easier to go through some immense pain and not fall off the habit. The beginning is hard enough and a lot of people don't make it through it even with a technique like "Do Nothing". So, you gotta see for you own. You establish a real habit with starting easy and seeing the big picture, that in a few month or years you are sky-rocking it with that. I'm now meditating for a good year and never would've thought that this would be thing that gives me the most pleasure in my day. When I started out it really fucked with my head a lot.

It is probably just a phase and will pass. I'd say enjoy this phase and remember how it makes you feel so that you can use that to calm yourself down a little when things are getting more messy. How you feel in meditation seems to by cyclic. So you have some phases in which the shit purges out of your system and you are very confused and feel strange and in other ones you feel - as right now - just very fine and calm. This is all good. Just go on and enjoy the ride

If you really didn't move, nothing. That's the whole technique. I'd guess that you sat on a chair OR you have some meditation experience OR you're just a very chilled dude with not as much tension in your body as I had when I started out. (We are all individuals and start off from different points with that.) So here is what you can do: increase your sitting to 90 minutes and try it again try it with a cushion on the floor in a lotus like posture (I go with Burmese for example) Pain will come my friend if you use one of these two points or both.

I wouldn't shoot for a 3 hour strong determination sitting if you have no meditation experience. I would suggest to you to meditate with something like "Do Nothing" for 3 months and then maybe try out strong determination sittings for 30 minutes. If you do this one time it will maybe bring your some clarity but it won't last long and so you probably will never do it again because it is the worst situation you can put yourself in (body is hurting + mind has no answers + you could change it but you don't) and it doesn't help you with your journey in the long term. Start a meditation habit and then with some practice you can do the advanced stuff in a few months. Of course you could do it right away, but it's like giving a kid the best car do drive a race when it doesn't even know how to ride a bicycle. No offense from my side, just trying to help you out with this! And strong determination sittings are very deep waters to learn in swimming.

Yep, but as I mentioned you will transcend your normal sitting time - for me it's 60 minutes in the morning - so it doesn't matter if I move or don't move. I do not feel any pain or discomfort, my body just sleeps and I feel completely paralyzed after a few minutes. It's really nice. On good evenings I push my limits. Currently I'm working on sitting 120 minutes without pain. I can do it with pain and suffering but I'll need some more sits to get through that. 120 minutes is a number though ...

@Saitama, sounds like a great idea. Truth is, you'll do a few dozen sits and through that your whole relationship to pain and suffering will completely change. I mean it will change to the point that you can be at complete peace with pain. You can actually get ecstasy out of it. But to get to this, you gotta commit to the hard work first. But it will be worth it, dude. I illustrated the purging process with an analogy I borrowed from Alan Watts in this post, you maybe wanna check it out. It gives you some perspective: Cheers to you, you just started digging the gold

Maan, I love your post. You have just summed up my first strong determination sittings. You're doing great. You probably have just purged the amount of shit you would've with 3 months of normal "bliss" meditation. Look the next days for some silence and peace in your head. Maybe you'll find some. But, if you want to make this a habit (what I can really recommend) I'd definitely say you start off a little slower. Cut back some minutes, maybe go with 30-60 minutes at first and sit this through for a few dozen times. What will happen is if you do that you will be in complete peace and silence after you've transcended this time span. Then maybe go a little bit on. Cheers to you, can you see how this could be the fastest way of waking up? It just rips everything out of you, throws it in your face and lets it crash onto the floor. That is real progress.