How should beginners start? Most high yield techniques for beginners?

[Dan Arnautu]

So, I ain't into pursuing enlightenment right now (because I'm in a period of major transition in me life, switching from college to the work force soon + still not being clear on my life purpose).

I am studying the theory though (reading books, listening to teachers etc.), doing hatha yoga 3-4 times a week for one hour (which helps me improve my flexibility and breathing  for my strength training, plus helping me release blockages) and also meditating for 10 minutes and releasing emotions with the sedona method. 

I have a history of panic disorder, as in getting frequent panic attacks, which I've managed and tamed in the past 2 years. But still, when i go involuntarily into  self-inquiry, it usually causes me to panic and make my mind fearful, to the point of a panic attack. I've experienced major backlashes from it and I feel the need to learn to manage my "negative" emotions and detach from thoughts better before I can go further.

I remember that Leo once said that the average person needs years of meditation before the mind is calm enough to do 5 minutes of self inquiry. 

Similarly, Sadhguru said that without a certain level of stability/equanimity in the system and preparatory practice, most people can go crazy from the intermediate-advanced techniques. He used the analogy of: you can't build a skyscraper without a very stable base, which is one I am inclined to agree with (both from reason and personal experience). 

I feel the need to dial the whole spiritual thing back for a while because I feel very ungrounded, but I still want to keep a practice in place which will help me with my emotions, especially fear in the long term. 

Should I stick to a practice of 10 minutes. mindfulness meditation (this is currently the sweetspot for me - I've tried 20 and 30 but I've noticed that my mind is still too rampant for that and it fights back hard), the 1h hatha yoga 3-4x a week and releasing emotions with the sedona method, or do you suggest something else?

@Leo Gura Would love your thoughts on this. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by Dan Arnautu

[Salvijus]

Kriya Yoga takes little time to do and is highly beneficial. You could try that.

[cetus]

@Dan Arnautu  You may find this useful. It's about finding your personal "Portal" to enlightenment. Like using what comes naturally for you. The video will explain it better. @ 23:00 he gets to the jist of it. Maybe your practices just aren't your portal?

 

[InfinitePotential]

Perhaps psychedlics, if you feel ready for them and it sounds right for you? (And definitely easing into them). 

They can put on display and make very clear to you all of the habitual thought patterns that lead to the panic attacks. Of course, they can definitely induce panic attacks while you're tripping, but I've found that exposing myself to and facing that fear makes me feel much better for it afterwards, like a cathartic release. And it's like, well after that sheer terror, daily stresses and anxieties feel like nbd in comparison. It's a good way to safely and privately investigate the root causes of the panic and fear. (Not that a trip necessarily has to result in such negative feelings).

I've also found microdosing to be very beneficial in managing stress and anxiety, especially mushrooms. I always feel more (manageably) anxious when "coming up" during this "micro trip", and then feel much more relaxed, at peace, empathetic and self accepting, happy, etc afterwards. And it can definitely supercharge your consciousness work, yoga, meditation practices etc.

I'll also add that if you're feeling anxious, you are likely placing over-importance on something. Try to practice "not caring", and fully accepting the moment as it is (even feelings of anxiety), and "letting go and giving it up to god". You can even thank your "higher self" for the anxious feelings, "like oh thanks higher self for giving me this feeling, this is just what I need to guide me into the right direction. What a great challenge to overcome."

And definitely work on optimizing your moving, eating, sleeping, and breathing. Good luck and best wishes!

[starsofclay]

@Dan Arnautu well I ain't no expert, but it sounds to me like you need to be focusing more on psychological health and personal development, instead of enlightenment (as you said). You are already taking the first step because you are realizing this yourself and listening to your body. 

When I'm feeling anxious, I like to use a mantra that counters the effects, so depending on what may be making you anxious, let's say its lack of confidence, then use a mantra like "always confident" or just "confident" The trick is, you can't make yourself think a certain way, but you can redirect your focus and attention towards a certain idea, and then your thinking will follow. To me, a mantra is no different than affirmations.  "Letting go" is also a good one for anxiety and panic attacks. 

[AlwaysBeNice]

Going through the panic and seeing you are untouched nothingness is like the end of the path, so by that standard, I wouldn't say you're a beginner.

[Dan Arnautu]

@AlwaysBeNice When it comes to the theory and questioning the nature of reality, the self, society, religions etc., no, I'm not a beginner. 

When it comes to taming the mind, yes.

I may know a lot about philosophy, psychology, spirituality and meditation, but when it comes to the actual practice, I'm just a newbie with advanced concepts that scare the ego mind.

Haven't meditated that much in reality, and my sessions are usually short, because that's what I can currently handle. 

Had short glimpses of nothingness many times, and they were only scary as fuck, not blissful. Had many experiences, but I wasn't chasing them. It's like they were chasing me. 

I made the most progress and felt the most stable when I didn't know anything about spirituality and I was just meditating, observing my thoughts and getting into peaceful states. Also, the samadhi states I was getting into weren't scaring me. They were just intriguing at the time. 

Now, with all the conceptual knowledge I had gathered, I feel as though my mind is on guard 24/7.

[Elisabeth]

57 minutes ago, Dan Arnautu said:

 I feel the need to learn to manage my "negative" emotions and detach from thoughts better before I can go further.

...

Should I stick to a practice of 10 minutes. mindfulness meditation (this is currently the sweetspot for me - I've tried 20 and 30 but I've noticed that my mind is still too rampant for that and it fights back hard), the 1h hatha yoga 3-4x a week and releasing emotions with the sedona method, or do you suggest something else?

3

I also don't think you're a beginner. You've been doing these practices for a while, and you know tons of theory. You know why you're into it. 

I thought about the title of the thread before I read the rest, and this is what I came up with: It depends on what problem the beginner is trying to solve in the first place. Yet, to a somewhat depressed and anxious beginner (which I certainly was/am), I'd recommend this:

• Taking a 90 min yoga class once a weak, where they actually teach body awareness and relaxation. Crucial skills. If they then can start their day with a sun salutation, perfect.
• Meditation, either mindfulness (there are all these great westernized programs), or "do nothing", or a calming breathing exercise. 10 min. could be done either during the day (i.e. as a break from work), or right before sleep. I certainly recommend a do nothing (if that's calming) or a guided relaxation/meditation/visualization exercise right before sleep, because it stops the rumination and you sleep better.
• It's also crucial to be able to get in touch with one's emotion and accept them with (self-)compassion. I wonder what the perfect method to teach this is  - I like Tara Brach's RAIN, it adds back the element of gentle compassionate investigation, which is absent from the mindfulness practice with some people. Journalling about feelings is just great. Or, a therapist can help with that. 
• A gratitude journal (for depression specifically). 
• To reframe depressing and anxiety-producing thoughts, I might suggest Byron Katie's Work - although she mentions enlightenment from time to time, which really is not for the beginner

Anyway, that's the practices that were actually reachable for me and helped in the beginner stage (except for the last one, I'm just learning that now). For someone who's already more willing to accept his emotions, I may suggest the Wim Hof breathing. I might suggest a tantra course that also helped me greatly O:), or getting in touch with sexuality otherwise. 

So with you, I see you made a similar selection I think what may be missing in your foundation is the element of acceptance and self-compassion (unless that's what the sedonna method does for you, I don't know, it hasn't really worked for me). You seem terrified of your emotions and need to 'manage' them - while the goal is to feel them and not lose awareness. You could also wary your meditation practice - I'm actually not convinced that mindfulness is best for everyone. See if do nothing is more managable for you, do pranajama before meditation, or similar.

I also think you might want to find a yoga or zen teacher, or an informed therapist, to whom you can actually speak about your enlightenment experiences, who can get to know you and offer some guidance. 

[bry999]

@Elisabeth wondering what's the difference between accepting emotions and using the sedona method? Dan uses the sedona method to release his feelings and you mentioned using tara branch. 

[How to be wise]

@Dan Arnautu @Salvijus @cetus56 @InfinitePotential @starsofclay @AlwaysBeNice

This technique will take you everywhere you need:

 

[Faceless]

By seeing that in effortlessness their is timelessness . When this effort ceases their is the immeasurable, and this happens spontaneously.

It can take a lifetime or it can happen now. That depends on holistic action. 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Faceless

[egoless]

@Dan Arnautu Definitely Neti Neti inquiry...

[Faceless]

13 minutes ago, egoless said:

@Dan Arnautu Definitely Neti Neti inquiry...

?

[Prabhaker]

On 4/17/2018 at 8:57 PM, Dan Arnautu said:

do you suggest something else?

 

[Solace]

From my experience, the mind is only as noisy as your emotions are ignored. And the best way to heal 'negative' emotions is to feel them. That is a practice you can do, which doesn't require sitting down for hours, but works harmoniously in your day to day encounters with people. First realise that everything that arises in your perception is only here to trigger the emotion in you that can heal your karma. Once all karma is healed, by feeling your emotions contained in the memory of your cells, I've found that my mind is very silent which now makes it appropriate to move into meditation. Feeling is a simple form of meditation in itself, and is I believe one of the most essential practices for anyone starting on this journey. If you want a teacher to help you love your heart, look no further than Matt Kahn.

Like you I had a meditation practice but for 2 hours daily, and then I suddenly stopped due to pressures in finding my life purpose too. That is when I found out that self-love was what I needed as my foundation on which more advanced practices could be built  

Just remember to keep practicing, no matter what. Have a beautiful day.

Edited April 20, 2018 by Solace

[Faceless]

Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.

Shunryu Suzuki

[Elisabeth]

9 hours ago, bry999 said:

@Elisabeth wondering what's the difference between accepting emotions and using the sedona method? Dan uses the sedona method to release his feelings and you mentioned using tara branch. 

Maybe Sedona method done correctly also does the trick. I don't know, I haven't had much success with it. 

As far as I understand it, 'feeling' the emotion would be what you do in the first step of the Sedona method, before you ask the questions to release it. Yet the feeling is done for a relatively brief period of time. If the emotion is deep and complicated, you're not gonna catch it in it's entirety. The 'release' questions can be used to get away from it. (At least that was my impression.)

If you do mindfulness of feelings, your goal is not to change the emotion. You just watch it. When attention is directed to it, the feeling will often grow and reveal other facets. Or, just persist.

One could also use conscious breathing into the part of the body where the emotion resides. One could imagine surrendering and diving directly into the pain or feeling.

So there's a wealth of techniques which are more on the 'just feel it' than on the 'release it' side (though I agree there's a fine line at best). It can be overwhelming. But your capacity to tolerate discomfort, your sensitivity and your understanding of yourself grows. 

Again, maybe Sedona is doing the trick for you or Dan. 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Elisabeth

[Guest Quanty]

Attention on the Breath, no matter what you do. 

Breath will teach you.

 

 

 

[Max_V]

@cetus56 What he said has peaked my interest. How exactly can I find my own portal and align the practices that support it?

[cetus]

@Max_V Look for what you have always been drawn to. What feels most natural to you? If your a music lover for instance, than it's sound. Everything would be made of a vibrating frequencies. Or maybe it's void for you. Everything is emptiness. You love stillness and quiet. For another it could be energy. Are you into energy work/chakras? Whatever you find, just stay in it. When you meditate you allow whatever your "portal" is to fill each part of your body. Than from the body you see it expanding out in all directions into everything. All boundaries are than dissolved. Doing this practice will take you to a higher level of consciousness in a way that is most natural for you. It is not someone else's practice you are trying to fit into. It is "your" practice.