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As I mentioned in my previous post, some teachers advocate labelling, some don't. You need to try out different techniques and see which ones work best for you. The Do Nothing technique is Vipassana, but that obviously doesn't involve labelling. My understanding is that within the Goenka Vipassana tradition, no labels are used. So if you go on a traditional Vipassana retreat I don't think you will be using labels. But within the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition, on the other hand, labelling is a central aspect to the techniques. And i'm sure it varies in many other traditions too. I went on a Mahasi-style Vipassana retreat last year and I was labelling 24/7! In my opinion, labelling is very effective in reducing the chances of getting lost in monkey mind as Shinzen points out in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StBTuX0tqU8. I'm not sure why @eskwire is being so assertive about his way of doing things. It's just factually wrong to say that labels are not part of Vipassana. Leo has also advocated labelling for a long time now. Also check out this video on using spoken labels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRPfi_Bw1pQ&t=4s

1) Well i'd say as long as you notice both the thought and the feeling it doesn't matter. The noticing or acknowledging part is what is important, rather than examining it. Labelling is optional, but obviously helps reinforce the noticing, and keeps you focused and concentrated. You also want to be labelling both the thought and the feeling. They are separate experiences. In terms of the actual words used, you can use either simple words like 'feeling', or you can get more specific and use words like 'fear', 'dread', etc, as you say. Different teachers advise different approaches. Don't get too caught up in the label though. The majority of your focus should go into noticing experience. In response to one of the other comments here, you absolutely can actually whisper the label physically, as opposed to just saying it in your mind. Shinzen Young advocates this if you find your concentration is low. I find it's very effective and usually start out by quietly whispering the labels with my mouth. If you've got good concentration though you can just say them mentally. 2) Not sure on this one. You want to be focused and alert when you're meditating so i'm not sure that doing it right before bed is the best idea. But if it works for you then go for it. My guess is that it wouldn't affect your day time meditation, but can't say for sure. 3) You can fix your posture, thats fine. But it's important to be mindful of the whole process. Note the sensation pain, note the thoughts that arise with that, note the desire to move or the aversion to the discomfort (basically the same thing) this is very important, note any resistance to the discomfort, note the intention to move, note the sensations of moving, note the emotional state of reducing the pain etc.

Check out the episodes on this podcast https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelic-podcast/. Plenty of people on there who are into psychedelics and entrepreneurship in some form. Another good psychedelic website which might spark some business ideas/directions to head in http://www.evolveandascend.com/

Stumbled across this nice little video whilst procrastinating. Thought it was worth sharing.

I bought the course last year and finished it. I didn't end up with a crystal clear life purpose, but I learnt a huge amount about myself and the theories/concepts taught in the course. At the end of the course I basically had a bunch of possible directions to go in, which was great because I could take action It gave me some direction and focus, but as I said, I was still left a bit aimless and confused. I don't see it as wasted money though, partly because it's so damn cheap compared to most courses these days (you really get your moneys worth), but also because at the time it was what I really needed. I'm sure it's had lasting effects on the way I think about my life purpose. I'll be an ongoing process of for many years to come.

Yes this is a sign you're on the right tracks. The slight panick attack was the ego facing non-existence/dissolution etc.

@Soulbass Nice!

@John Iverson Well obviously the main benefit is improving your concentration. Eventually you might reach access concentration (different people have quite different definitions for this), and then you'll have the ability to 'access' the concentration jhanas, which are a series of increasingly deeper levels of concentration. Each level has various mystical experiences associated with it and increasingly deeper levels of bliss. But my understanding is that, in general, these takes many many hundreds, if not thousands of hours to attain. Improving your concentration is great, but don't get distracted by it. Concentration meditation won't enlighten you. Check out Right Concentration by Leigh Brasington if you want to read up on the subject.

@Nexeternity Nice post man. I went on a mahasi vipassana retreat last year but spent atleast half of the retreat just trying to figure out the technique. So probably didn't make full use of it. Still, it was a awesome experience. Will be attending another later this year for sure.

Whatever takes centre stage in your awareness just note that. Try to completely relax your focus so you're not intentionally directing it anywhere or trying to manipulate it. And then if one thing stays in the centre of your awarenesss for a long time you should keep repeating the label every time you notice it.

@ornob I bought and started the course on my iphone. I'd assume it works on Android but don't take my word for it.

Bernardo's work is great. Check out this video I just found on his YT channel: and an explanation for the video is here: http://www.bernardokastrup.com/2016/03/the-symbolic-big-bang.html

Try cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. It's more nutritional and close to the original/raw state.

Will be very interesting to see how he progresses from here, whether it's a permanent shift etc. Looking forward to future content for sure.

@Hardkill Self-awareness and mindfulness are key, I think. You've got to learn to just be the observer of your thoughts and stop identifying with the voice in your head that says you'll never be successfull etc. I am actually in a similar situation so I know what you're talking about. Now you might say that it goes deeper than merely thoughts. Maybe, I don't know. But this is a great start and will make a big difference, in my opinion. So whenever the victim mindset type thoughts arise, just accept them. Maybe have a little laugh to yourself, but just be ok with it. Stop resisting what is. Maybe just say to yourself, 'oh there's those thoughts again'. Resisting this will likely just make it worse. See those thoughts as just thoughts arising from nothing and no one. You know they aren't true because, as you say, you've clearly got the willpower and self-discipline to actualize your dreams. When the victim mindset thoughts arise, be mindfull and notice whats happening. Then accept it and observe it as you would a passing cloud. Eventually your victim mindset will tire itself out because it's not getting the attention it wants.

@MMontesL I can relate to this, and I feel i'm in a similar situation. I think eventually you'll find yourself going full circle, but it may take many years. As your heart opens up and you become more conscious, then your love for your family will grow in an honest and authentic way, and not be driven by egoic cultural or social beliefs.

Interesting. Has your idea of LoA changed at all since you made that video on it years ago? Like how do you see it fitting into the big picture?

@Vipassana Here's my take on NoFap. Don't think about NoFap in terms of how many days you've gone without doing it. Otherwise you just end up trying to hold off for as long as possible, in the hope that one day you'll not care about it anymore. This might help, but it won't cure your addiction. Generally speaking, resisting something with pure willpower just makes things worse. Instead you need to make a gradual shift. Make a commitment to gradually wean yourself off PMO over the next 6 months to a year, instead of just trying to do a massive NoFap 'streak' straight off the bat. This means that you won't feel guilty when you slip up, because you will. And it's ok to slip up, really it is. Consider at first just trying to cut down on watching porn. Then maybe work on removing the daily habit of MO so you're only doing it once in a while. Over time it becomes less and less of a part of your life. You're slowly re-wiring your brain, without having to face loads and loads of resistance. At the same time, you need to grasp what kind of potential damage it's doing to your brain. Read up on it. Otherwise you have no reason to quit, apart from simply following what other people are doing. The short-term pleasure of PMO will nearly always win over the supposed long-term benefits that you hear guys talking about.

@TylerW I get what you're saying, people should be just be able to freely exchange ideas and information regarding other resources etc. This is fair. But if Leo/mods were to accept this, then it would open up the door for potentially much worse. It's much easier to just have a blanket statement of no recruitment or sharing of other communities etc., even though it might include posts that are relatively harmless.

@Leo-Tzu No he's not. I doubt he has very much emotional mastery, or much insight into the real nature of anything. Saying that, from a relative standpoint, he's an incredible man. I greatly admire his vision. Hopefully i'll get a chance to go to space in 40 years or something.

@Nature Nice share, will add it to the watch list

@Leo-Tzu I am a runner, but not a very serious one. I've never done a marathon or anything like that. Usually only run for 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week. It feels like a lot, but it's not really. Still, it has a massive impact on my day. I feel heavy and achy if I don't run atleast a couple times a week. Murakami said everything he learnt about writing came from running. In some ways I think thats the same for meditation. You learn to accept discomfort and pain, how to deal with resistance, learning how to not listen to your thoughts, dealing with boredom etc. All transferable over to meditation. I don't use any gadgets except my digital watch the keep time. And I nearly always run on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning.

Interesting. Could you elaborate?

@Psyche_92 Try using a program called StayFocused to limit the amount of time you allow yourself to be on certain sites. Works pretty well, but obviously you can't rely on it forever.

Wow, such a great post! I love that insight about the beginner and the master. Also, I have never thought about meditation to be a subtractive process. We're always looking for 'results' from our meditation, or signs of growth. But it's not like that at all. Thankyou for sharing this insight. I may be able to offer you some advice regarding your painful back. When I went on my first Vipassana retreat around 6 months ago, I found sitting in this http://shiatsu-bordeaux.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/seiza.jpg posture to be extremely helpful in reducing a lot of the pain. I used the cushion rather than the wooden seat as it was much more comfortable for me. It's a great posture, but I found I needed to be seated quite high up to avoid tightly squishing my legs together. You'll need to play around with it to see what works best for you. There was still quite a bit of pain, but thats to be expected of course. Physical pain can be quite useful in very clearly seeing your aversion to discomfort.