Meditation Journal

[phoenix666]

On 22. September 2017 at 6:23 PM, Mondsee said:

 

Eyes: closed

Highlights: After watching this video shared by @Space, I got the idea from Shinzen Young of imagining awareness as an arrow. I sat down, closed my eyes and immediately noticed it isn't that easy. My arrow was moving all over the place, not knowing exactly where to start and where to point to. It moved and moved kind of drawing an area trying to cover it all, sometimes it split into two, but I forced it to become one again. It was interesting to see how for a moment it was pointing to a sound (area of sound), but it was coming from the left side of my ribs. That was the place where it felt best, not my ears or close to my head. It was also cool to see how at a given moment in which my heart beating was in my awareness, the arrow disappeared. It tried to point to the heart, but didn't know where to start, so it disappeared completely. I want to play around more with this, it certainly can bring to cool insights.

I am so glad I stumbled upon this video through your post. I actually started experimenting with the labeling/mindfulness technique months ago and I eventually got to a point where it actually became this described mixture of mindfulness labeling and self inquiry. very, very similar to his technique described with the arrow. I started asking and looking for 'who is hearing? who is feeling?...' never found a satisfying answer thou  I just find it really cool that I instinctually came to this technique without knowing it existed! good luck on your path!

[Mondsee]

Hey @phoenix666! nice to hear it was helpful for you! it is kind of cool to integrate self-inquiry in a meditation practice, right? Thanks for stopping by to share your experience!

[Mondsee]

Day 64

 

Days in a row: 3

Start time: 9:20 a.m.

Finish time: 9:40 a.m.

Location: Balcony at my parent's house

Technique: Do nothing

Eyes: open

Highlights: Many career-related thoughts. I had some cool ideas, but a lack of awareness during this session. I tried to fix my eyes to a spot and not move them at all, and the images started distorting towards the end. It really looked like some things were moving, that actually don't move, and it was interesting noticing that we can't fully trust our senses, for what they tell us is also only one perspective.

[Mondsee]

Day 64

 

Days in a row: 1

Start time: 7:30 a.m.

Finish time: 8:00 a.m.

Location: Rooftop at my parent's house

Technique: Do nothing

Eyes: open

Highlights: I went early in the morning to the rooftop to meditate until the sun came out. I decided to fix my view on a star near the horizon and follow it until it disappeared. A couple things went wrong: first, I did follow the star, but the sky was becoming brighter and brighter as the sun was going up, and I was somewhat dazzled and had to look in different directions from time to time. Also, although I was wearing a jacket, I got cold from the morning fresh air, and the lack of movement during the meditation, because of that, I also started moving until I was hugging myself to keep me warm. When my meditation position was gone, and I was gazing all over the place, I decided to officially stop meditating and just watch the sunrise. I had been sitting there about five minutes longer than I had planned for the meditation and I started becoming impatient. I stood up, and right when I was leaving, the sun rays showered me as if they were saying "in case you doubted we were coming out". It didn't feel much as a meditation, I was very distracted with many things. If I meditate there again, I'll consider wearing warmer clothes and picking a focus point which isn't on the sky.

[Mondsee]

Day 65

 

Days in a row: 2

Start time: 8:00 a.m.

Finish time: 8:30 a.m.

Location: Rooftop at my parent's house

Technique: Focus on breath

Eyes: open

Highlights: Learning from the lessons of yesterday, I wore warmer clothes and went to the rooftop to meditate. I picked an antena in the horizon as my focus point, and everything started well. I started counting my breaths, I didn't plan beforehand on doing that, but in that moment, I decided to continue with the count. I reached 156 breaths without major distraction and then some thoughts crossed my mind, and I got lost in them. A few moments later I noticed I wasn't counting anymore and I decided to start all over. On the second count I reached 103 breaths, and although some thoughts crossed my mind, I was able to keep counting. My right leg got so numb I couldn't feel it anymore, but I resisted the urge to move until the end. Also, during the meditation, the mental image of my hands became very confusing, as if I couldn't remember the position of each finger, and therefore couldn't understand the position in which I had them while meditating. That had already happened to me before, and it's super interesting!

Edited October 7, 2017 by Mondsee
Adding info.

[Ayilton]

On 5/28/2017 at 6:08 PM, Mondsee said:

Day 5

 

Days in a row: 5

Start time: 10:35 a.m.

Finish time: 10:55 a.m.

Location: Balcony at my grandma's house

Technique: Do nothing

Eyes: closed

Highlights: Thoughts all over the place. I was listening to "Les Toréadors" by Bizet in my mind for a long time, then I thought I could do some mindfulness meditation with that inner sound in my mind, after that I started to wander if during the "Do Nothing" technique one should allow or avoid the mind changing the meditation technique. On the one hand it would be allowing the mind going to where it wants to go, on the other one tough, It'd mean changing the technique. I decided not to focus in being mindful about the song in my head. Because I had just done the breathing meditation, I also thought about focusing on that, but didn't do it consistently.

Thoughts of all kinds crossed my mind, included an insight regarding my life purpose, the time I'd have left after the meditation to have breakfast and get ready, thoughts of some friends, and finally on the similitudes of kamasutra and yoga's asanas... quite weird, but it is what it is. In the end I was thinking about a stair I was looking from below, where a girl was standing. Nowhere I have ever been, nor was it a girl I knew.

what is happening to your timing , I don't see the consistency .

 

[sarapr]

Why did you leave? your journals were really funny specially the location part and the mosquito thing. How often do you go to your grandma's house? I only see them once or twice a year your luckey for that.@Mondsee