RickyFitts

Could be that there's some unresolved trauma from a past social situation that's triggered when you're around people, and that's causing you to feel threatened because you fear the same sort of thing happening again, which could lead to a repeat of the trauma and the rearising of all the associated feelings (shame, embarrassment, humiliation, etc.). It's never any fun being triggered, obviously, and I feel for you, but these sorts of situations can be very helpful if you can manage to stay present - particularly in your body, noticing where you feel tense and closed down and allowing those areas to relax and breathe.

I'd say it's whatever position allows you to feel physically comfortable, relaxed, and alert - there's no one position that's going to be optimal for everyone, I don't think, you've just got to figure out what's best for you personally. Me personally, I prefer to sit in the half-lotus, with my hips raised above the level of my knees, because I feel like that position gives me a good, stable foundation and allows my body to sit comfortably and breathe freely. As I say, though, that might not necessarily be best for you, but it could be an option for you.

I'm really into electronic music atm, not sure why.

Somatic therapy, maybe? That's concerned with feeling, I believe.

It's always struck me as odd that a time period can seem much more idyllic in retrospect than it did at the time. Examining my own nostalgic feelings, I wonder if I'm not just mourning the passing of time as much as anything. Seems, ultimately, to stem from a dissatisfaction with the present. If we felt truly contented in this moment, would we feel nostalgic?

Because the feelings of powerlessness, despair, and grief that are lurking under negative emotions like hatred and resentment just seem too hard to face - we may not even be conscious that this is the reason, but I think that's ultimately what it boils down to, or at least so I've found in my own experience. And it can take great courage and concerted effort to release the resistance out of which such negativity arises, to soften into those underlying emotions and to allow them to be felt and expressed. People often try to rationalise away such feelings, or even deny their very existence, but they aren't going to go away just because we refuse to acknowledge them. Don't take my word for it, though, pay attention to your inner state when you notice the arising of such negative feelings and investigate them for yourself. Feel the tension in your body, and allow it to release, allow your body to soften. See what other emotions arise, and just allow them to be felt.

@UnbornTao You're welcome. ?

Should just do it automatically? Although sometimes you get an error message and it doesn't embed, in which case delete the link, refresh the page, and try again.

Yep, absolutely.

Fantastic video, well worth a watch for anyone who has issues with boundaries. ?

Such an important, beautiful message that he's communicating, thanks for sharing. ??

Oh wowwww, what an amazing picture. ?????

It's something I struggled with quite a lot when practising breath meditation - I tried different techniques, but in the end I found it was best to approach it in terms of simply allowing the body to breathe, rather than forcing it to breathe in some particular way that just made me feel more anxious and neurotic (what worked best for me with regards to meditation specifically was to focus on simply keeping my body relaxed and still, then the breath would simply happen). Just in general I think it's very beneficial to listen to your body more, and to let your body take the lead, so to speak.

Another one that came up on my Youtube recommendations just now, which I think is really good:

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@RMQualtrough Exactly what I was thinking.??? Didn't know he'd done videos. I'm curious now though, I might have to ferret them out just to see what he's like.

Many thanks for your efforts, Leo, I can only imagine what a giant ball-ache this must have been for you. All so true, nicely said. I know I found that with my meditation practice, for example, I'd take a break every now and then and I'd have a new appreciation for the practice when I took it back up.

On the one hand we're led to believe that we're everything, the whole universe, and on the other we're led to believe that we're NOT the body and mind - this is clearly a contradiction in terms, because body and mind are part of the manifestation, too. It seems to me that you very much ARE the body and mind, it's just that you're not JUST body and mind.