SDS meditation

[Shin]

I find it hard to focus on something else than the pain, even though I don't really see it as pain at some point, more like you say just as an appearance.
In a really weird way, you still know it's pain and you still experience the same perception, but in the other hand it's not painful because the sense of identification is lessened quite a lot (for me).

I never did more than 30 minutes for now though, I'm still a baby 

[peanutspathtotruth]

2 minutes ago, Shin said:

I find it hard to focus on something else than the pain, even though I don't really see it as pain at some point, more like you say just as an appearance.
In a really weird way, you still know it's pain and you still experience the same perception, but in the other hand it's not painful because the sense of identification is lessened quite a lot (for me).

I never did more than 30 minutes for now though, I'm still a baby 

There is nothing wrong about your focus being on the pain  It's because the mind thinks it is doing the focusing. No you're not. Be okay with whatever arises, even focus wise. And I'm sure a 1 hour session would clear a lot. In the end you have to find out for yourself by practicing.

Though what helped me to come to a better understanding was "The Unfolding Now" by Almaas. Highly recommended.

[Shin]

I probably will try a lot more this week-end, just to see what could happen.
Does the pain really gets worse after 30 minutes ?
The legs doesn't just feels more and more numb ?

I say probably because I never know what I will do or not these days, total blank of future, except for things I really have to do (like to study for example,  because I know the deadline for an exam).
I start to really penetrate what I read in The Power of Now 2 years ago, when there is no past and future at all, feels like I'm on tranquilizer all the time lol

[peanutspathtotruth]

I never have pain in my legs cause I always switch to lying down after about 30 minutes, sometimes I do the whole hour lying down. It has its downsides but momentarily they are not departing me from the practice any longer and there mostly is no major pain. Maybe try that as well.

For me, there is no real benefit of not moving an inch for the whole sitting. Sure, it has its purpose but there is also no need to torture yourself. Also, it somehow makes the practice dependent on something and I try to avoid that.

Highly subjective from my side of course, that's just what helped me to do way longer sessions and they get deeper every day. Maybe I'll switch to motionless sitting one day when I handle the root cause of that neck pain.

[Shin]

If I lie down I will sleep 100%.

That's one reason to do sds for me, not possible to fall asleep ?

[peanutspathtotruth]

Doing some physical yoga exercises beforehand and keeping the eyes open (at least for a bit) often helps me 

But I think even if there is the pain in sitting, try to push through it beyond the 30 minute mark. It will be worth it  Because in the end, one could always have or get a condition in which there is constant pain. This is no reason not to go deep. I even find it a very helpful opportunity, kind of an anchor. With pain, the resistance is not that hard to spot

[Shin]

9 minutes ago, peanutspathtotruth said:

Doing some physical yoga exercises beforehand and keeping the eyes open (at least for a bit) often helps me 

But I think even if there is the pain in sitting, try to push through it beyond the 30 minute mark. It will be worth it  Because in the end, one could always have or get a condition in which there is constant pain. This is no reason not to go deep. I even find it a very helpful opportunity, kind of an anchor. With pain, the resistance is not that hard to spot

I already have back and neck pain anyway, that's another reason to do sds, whatever meditation I do I will always have pain anyway ?

I will see how far I can go SOON.

I hope this weekend, let's die this weekend ?

[Flammable]

@Shin  Pain kicks in at about 30-45 mins for me until it is quite annoying at around 55-60 mins.  I usually stop at 60 min as the pain becomes unbearable around the knees. 

However, if I am sitting on a chair, then the SDS goes more smoothly (can easily go over 60 mins), but there are less 'mystical' insights in a way when I am not sitting cross-legged on the floor. By 'mystical' insights I mean feelings of nothingness, being without a location or simply kundalini type of energy flows, sorry for the sloppy use of the term 'mystical'.

I have no idea whether it is a causation, a correlation, a coincidence or whatever - just sharing my experience.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Flammable

[Shin]

Cross legged is SDS ?

I thought SDS was about sitting on your legs, like this:

 

 

And the larger the gap between the leg is, instead of them being connected like in this picture, the more pain you experience.

[peanutspathtotruth]

@Shin What? I'm not aware of SDS requiring any formal posture. Some may say so but for me this is quite ideological. I mean I have no idea if it has anything to do with the energy system of the body but primarily SDS should be there to explore your consciousness. Everything else shouldn't matter, otherwise as soon as you rise up there is this sense of you can only explore within a formal sitting. 

I can't even sit like this, hurting my knees big time. Even cross legged sitting is not healthy, I don't have the knee mobility. Don't think about posture, think about a long meditation session

[Shin]

1 hour ago, peanutspathtotruth said:

@Shin What? I'm not aware of SDS requiring any formal posture. Some may say so but for me this is quite ideological. I mean I have no idea if it has anything to do with the energy system of the body but primarily SDS should be there to explore your consciousness. Everything else shouldn't matter, otherwise as soon as you rise up there is this sense of you can only explore within a formal sitting. 

I can't even sit like this, hurting my knees big time. Even cross legged sitting is not healthy, I don't have the knee mobility. Don't think about posture, think about a long meditation session

But the more resistance you have to it, the harder it becomes to let go right ?

So in a sense it makes the let go part comes "faster", because the physical pain doesn't let you continue if you don't.

[peanutspathtotruth]

2 hours ago, Shin said:

But the more resistance you have to it, the harder it becomes to let go right ?

So in a sense it makes the let go part comes "faster", because the physical pain doesn't let you continue if you don't.

That's a legit point for sure. I even did my 1 hour evening meditation yesterday only in sitting because we talked about it, neck pain became very intense. Every pain, physical and mental is very good to confront the letting go part, that is true. To me the biggest part though is about the inner resistance, and there is no external pain needed to resist the moment. We always do it, it's the inherent movement of the ego/psychology. One just has to observe and understand this.

Also, since the sitting yesterday my knee is hurting even when walking which is not a good sign. I just don't want to play with my health.  So I guess I will stick to my current practice of switching positions.

As said, highly subjective from my experience so far, just sharing, not wanting to sound like I know what's right or wrong, I certainly don't.
I wish you the best for your weekend experimentation  Namaste

[Shin]

1 hour ago, peanutspathtotruth said:

That's a legit point for sure. I even did my 1 hour evening meditation yesterday only in sitting because we talked about it, neck pain became very intense. Every pain, physical and mental is very good to confront the letting go part, that is true. To me the biggest part though is about the inner resistance, and there is no external pain needed to resist the moment. We always do it, it's the inherent movement of the ego/psychology. One just has to observe and understand this.

Also, since the sitting yesterday my knee is hurting even when walking which is not a good sign. I just don't want to play with my health.  So I guess I will stick to my current practice of switching positions.

As said, highly subjective from my experience so far, just sharing, not wanting to sound like I know what's right or wrong, I certainly don't.
I wish you the best for your weekend experimentation  Namaste

Well yeah for sure, for some people it's risky and not healthy at all, but as long as I don't see any drawback on my health I will continue to do this, just to see what would happen  

Tomorrow 1 hour is the goal, you can slap me if I don't 

[peanutspathtotruth]

5 minutes ago, Shin said:

Tomorrow 1 hour is the goal, you can slap me if I don't 

Deal  

[Shin]

Just now, peanutspathtotruth said:

Deal  

In one sit like in the picture without having the right to move at all.

I will be honest and slap me for you if I don't 

[Strikr]

23 hours ago, Shin said:

I find it hard to focus on something else than the pain, even though I don't really see it as pain at some point, more like you say just as an appearance.
In a really weird way, you still know it's pain and you still experience the same perception, but in the other hand it's not painful because the sense of identification is lessened quite a lot (for me).

I never did more than 30 minutes for now though, I'm still a baby 

try to love it instead of not focus on it

[Shin]

2 minutes ago, Strikr said:

try to love it instead of not focus on it

I can't not focus on it anyway, it gets way too painful after 20 minutes.
I see what you mean, but I don't hate or love it, it's just there.

[Strikr]

19 minutes ago, Shin said:

I can't not focus on it anyway, it gets way too painful after 20 minutes.
I see what you mean, but I don't hate or love it, it's just there.

humm maybe you should try to fix your back with intense streching exercice, are you already doing this ? 

fix you back first ( himp & neck aswell ), try to avoid sitting on a chair for a while.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Strikr

[Shin]

15 minutes ago, Strikr said:

humm maybe you should try to fix your back with intense streching exercice, are you already doing this ? 

fix you back first ( himp & neck aswell ), try to avoid sitting on a chair for a while.

I don't use a chair, I do the position I showed some posts ago, and my back is straight  

[Strikr]

and what about trying your own position ?

maybe try just to be "creative", one that seams right for you and doesn't destroy your whole work, hold it, believe, see the result.