Strong Determination Sitting: How To

[Conceptualized Self]

I just started to try strong determination sitting today. I have few questions:

1) My saliva keeps accumulating in my mouth. Can I swallow it?

2) My right leg become very pain after certain period. Any recommended postures?

3) After a certain period of time, I noticed that my backbone bending downwards. What should I do about this?

[Rahul yadav]

Just accept whatever happens

[Leo Gura]

Automatic functions of the body are okay, including blinking, swallowing, breathing, sneezing, etc.

Don't move your legs, arms, or head. Accept all the pain.

Eyes can also be kept shut the entire time if you prefer.

Keep your back perfectly still and straight. Use pillows for support if you want.

If you fail, it's okay, just try again next day.

[Conceptualized Self]

@Leo Gura Thanks for your reply. I still not very clear about the back issue. My issue is that my back tends to bend itself. Should I purposely control it to become straight up position? Or just let it be throughout the meditation?

[Jan Odvarko]

8 minutes ago, Conceptualized Self said:

@Leo Gura Thanks for your reply. I still not very clear about the back issue. My issue is that my back tends to bend itself. Should I purposely control it to become straight up position? Or just let it be throughout the meditation?

That's what I'm curious about too. Personally I keep my back straight by small and extremely slow corrective movements, it feels better than sitting with hunchback. If it's OK to do that, I can't say. But it works for me and I don't feel I'm losing any benefits of strong determination sitting.
 

Quote

2) My right leg become very pain after certain period. Any recommended postures?

 

I use a seiza bench and it's perfect, no pain in legs, but loads of back pain that feels just great and purifying (-;

[Leo Gura]

I don't understand why your back is bending itself if you're sitting still. That's only should happen if you're falling asleep.

If it bends, straighten it back up and hold as still as you can.

You don't have to be perfect at this.

[Ludwig]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

I don't understand why your back is bending itself if you're sitting still. That's only should happen if you're falling asleep.

If it bends, straighten it back up and hold as still as you can.

You don't have to be perfect at this.

Yes, that's true. The point is that for lot of people the hip flexors and adductors (because of lots of chair sitting)  are far to strong in comparison to the abdominals and the upper back. That can lead to a bending forwards when the back and belly get tired but the huge muscles in the legs and hips are still strong and pull you down.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Ludwig

[Cabot]

I just tried it for the first time! For one, hour I did not move consciously, I did swallow saliva and had a few uncontrollable twitches... Kept my eyes shut.

I feel really, really calm now...

[Conceptualized Self]

My session today not very good. My body becomes very itchy. My mind cannot rest because it keeps focusing on the itchiness of the body. I almost cannot finish the 1 hour session.

[Leo Gura]

It takes lots of practice. Try doing a 30 day challenge of 1 hour of sitting per day.

After those 30 days you'll be at a whole new level!

[Conceptualized Self]

After I watch "How You Lie", I notice that almost everyone around me is lying, including ME, the feeling is so freaky. I won't believe what you say, Leo. I finally make up my mind to start my meditation, after I can calm my mind a bit I will do self inquiry 

[Zephyr]

@Leo Gura oh shit. I should try this.^_^

[Cabot]

Remember what Leo said in the video, newbies will try to endure it, this is not the right way.

You need to be happy despite the pain.

The pain is just  sensory data, there's nothing inherently bad about it, especially if you know it's not going to hurt you.

[Pierre]

Hey guys, you're allowed to scratch your ass now and then. This is not a self-punishment contest...

[Steven]

I was just about to post a exactly the same question and then decided to look it up ...

 

Intuitively I’d say that you are supposed to keep under control your body movements, including head and limbs, while breathing, blinking etc should be left alone. I still have one question though. When I’m breathing, I inhale through nose and exhale through mouth during meditation. Normally, when I’m not meditating, like now while I’m writing this, I either breathe in and out, either through nose or mouth. I feel like I’m imposing control on my breathing while meditating. What do you guys think? How do you go about breathing?

 

Edited February 23, 2016 by Steven
horrible spelling

[Cabot]

I mix them. While I breathe really deeply, I inhale trough my nose and exhale trough my mouth. This feels really good for a while, but at some point I get a bit tired of it. Then I switch to a less deep breath using my nose only, like we do while on automatic mode. 

I am not an authority on the subject though, it's just the way I do it.