Growing Meditation Practice

[Raptorsin7]

How do i expand my meditation practice?

I've done various guided meditations and different practices at this point but i'm not getting much out of the practice these days.

My goal for the practice is to find an elevated state of being in the practice, learning to embody feelings of joy, bliss etc. Just focusing on my breathing, or doing letting go gets me more relaxed and calm but it doesn't come with elevated feelings or any lasting change that sticks throughout my day.

In my recent meditation session i decided to play some inspiring movie trailers, and i noticed that at certain points in the trailer, or with certain music, i get this wave of good feeling or inspired feeling that comes over me. That wave of good feeling that comes from the inspiring trailer is amazing and it's what i want out of my practice, but my meditation sessions never get me there. 

Any thoughts on my situation? Should i seek out more trailers or music that makes me feel good? But if i'm just listening to these videos is that even meditation anymore?

Has anyone been able to cultivate a beautiful state of being in their meditation sessions that they managed to carry over in their everyday life?

 

[Jacobsrw]

2 hours ago, Raptorsin7 said:

How do i expand my meditation practice?

I've done various guided meditations and different practices at this point but i'm not getting much out of the practice these days.

My goal for the practice is to find an elevated state of being in the practice, learning to embody feelings of joy, bliss etc. Just focusing on my breathing, or doing letting go gets me more relaxed and calm but it doesn't come with elevated feelings or any lasting change that sticks throughout my day.

In my recent meditation session i decided to play some inspiring movie trailers, and i noticed that at certain points in the trailer, or with certain music, i get this wave of good feeling or inspired feeling that comes over me. That wave of good feeling that comes from the inspiring trailer is amazing and it's what i want out of my practice, but my meditation sessions never get me there. 

Any thoughts on my situation? Should i seek out more trailers or music that makes me feel good? But if i'm just listening to these videos is that even meditation anymore?

Has anyone been able to cultivate a beautiful state of being in their meditation sessions that they managed to carry over in their everyday life?

 

Increase your sits.

Try and sit for 1-3 hours or 3-6 hours and attempt different mediation styles. Eg. Mantra mediation, observatory mediation, breathing mediation, listening mediation etc.

Experimentation is key but also throwing yourself in the deep now and again, so as to you avoid simply stalling. Have long sessions here and there and try integrating psychedelics.

[Raptorsin7]

@Jacobsrw  What is the difference between longer sessions and shorter ones? I've done multi hour sits but I've yet to have any kind of major breakthrough with just sitting.

I've used psychs before but i'm going to take a break for a while, and recently every time I take LSD I vomit and the trips aren't that great.

What would I get out of let's say an hour of mantra meditation that I'm not getting out of my current 30 minute guided sits?

What are your meditation sessions like?

[fridjonk]

3 hours ago, Raptorsin7 said:

My goal for the practice is to find an elevated state of being in the practice, learning to embody feelings of joy, bliss etc. Just focusing on my breathing, or doing letting go gets me more relaxed and calm but it doesn't come with elevated feelings or any lasting change that sticks throughout my day.

Maybe try and drop all these expectations or as if there is something to be gained from meditation; let all that come as a side-effect. 

If you're really looking to feel during meditation, try listening to Shpongle while meditating, or an ambient mix. I like to mix music-based meditation with silent ones every once in a while. 

[Jacobsrw]

3 hours ago, Raptorsin7 said:

@Jacobsrw  What is the difference between longer sessions and shorter ones? I've done multi hour sits but I've yet to have any kind of major breakthrough with just sitting.

I've used psychs before but i'm going to take a break for a while, and recently every time I take LSD I vomit and the trips aren't that great.

What would I get out of let's say an hour of mantra meditation that I'm not getting out of my current 30 minute guided sits?

What are your meditation sessions like?

Longer sessions provide you more time to get familiar with awareness and the activity of mind. You see the minds relentless fascination with thoughts and the difficulty in establishing a non-thinking mind. This is extremely powerful.

A 6 hour sit could radically change your life if done under the right conditions. You must apply yourself consciously. Watch the mind observe your experience, listen, feel and be. It’s important to not just passively sit but to really place your attention on awareness. The longer the better usually.

I do 20 in the morning and 20 at night. However, to me this isn’t enough it’s just that I usually have a busy schedule.

Throughout the week I will do a 1 hour session as extra and this is where I find the most benefit. 20-30 minutes can be good but anything longer than an hour is best for me. 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Jacobsrw

[Brahman]

I think you can reframe the way you're looking at meditation. It's not about gaining anything. It's just being with what is. Practicing non resistance and surrender. If that means boredom then surrender to boredom. Surrender completely to the moment and meditation will never fail you. Because you are here and now. There is nothing to gain or lose. Nowhere to be, nowhere to go.

 

If you practice with this attitude your meditations will become a beautiful practice. And you can never lose.

 

Counterintuitively, only through this approach will you actually reach deep states of oneness and higher consciousness.

[Raptorsin7]

@Brahman So acceptance of what it is, and letting going of striving?

I'm not disagreeing that it could work, but isn't this advice just lay down surrender and wait for something to happen, but without expectation?

[Brahman]

There is no waiting - that's the thing. You aren't sitting and waiting.  You're sitting and being. You keep choosing to accept the present moment over and over again. Each changing moment is fully accepted. You narrow deeply into the present and from this place the whole notion of gaining anything for later becomes ridiculous. All you have is Now and you just choose to connect to this truth through your practice.

The practice is of sitting with the intention of just being with the moment - however it is. Whether it's filled with thoughts, uncomfortable sensations, sleepiness, emotions or whatever. You choose to not reject anything. Then Bam - you hit you're desired state. Even this sentence is wrong because there is no desired state other than whatever your current state is.

 

In summary im saying the only problem you ever have is resistance to this moment. And if you make your sitting meditation practice about noticing this resistance when it arises and choosing to accept instead. Miraculous things will happen. 

 

You'll see the mind react. "This isnt working I'm not doing anything here", "this is a waste of time", "Am I even doing this right?" "My back hurts", etc. all of these forms of resistance are completely natural and you can even accept this! Accept the resistance itself and you've gone deeper.

 

Sorry if this has gotten confusing now but I'll just finish by saying complete acceptance is the most advanced practice I've found. Hope this helps

[James123]

@Raptorsin7 silence and darkness is the key. It is hidden in silence.

[hamedsf]

your expectations from meditation itself kills the productivity of the whole session.

lower your expectations from meditation, just don't try to predict that if you do this and that, you will reach a state that is such and such.

whenever you're doing meditation, the only thing happens there is what is already there and doesn't matter whatever it is and peak state or transcendence are only mental images which produce more thoughts which is not good for the meditation session.

[allislove]

17 hours ago, Raptorsin7 said:

How do i expand my meditation practice?

You are meditation, you are everything - no way to expand, since Infinity  

I've done various guided meditations and different practices at this point but i'm not getting much out of the practice these days.

The spiritual path about losing, not getting. Let go of the thought that you should get something from meditation.

My goal for the practice is to find an elevated state of being in the practice, learning to embody feelings of joy, bliss etc. Just focusing on my breathing, or doing letting go gets me more relaxed and calm but it doesn't come with elevated feelings or any lasting change that sticks throughout my day.

There is no quantum leap. Just follow the good feeling thought - tiny step by tiny step - until there is only happiness.

In my recent meditation session i decided to play some inspiring movie trailers, and i noticed that at certain points in the trailer, or with certain music, i get this wave of good feeling or inspired feeling that comes over me. That wave of good feeling that comes from the inspiring trailer is amazing and it's what i want out of my practice, but my meditation sessions never get me there. 

Meditation is about relaxing, about letting go. No need for additional source of distraction like video trailer, just sit in silence and let go of the thought, focus on deep breathing. You can watch trailer before or after if that's what you feel like doing. 
Don't need for sitting hours in meditation, personally, I do it 20 minutes daily as the first thing in the morning.

Any thoughts on my situation? Should i seek out more trailers or music that makes me feel good? But if i'm just listening to these videos is that even meditation anymore?

Anything which you are doing enjoyably may be considered as meditation, but there is also room for formal practice.
We are all on different stages of development. For someone - running is the best meditation, but for you, since you are on this forum, formal practice is also very useful, I think.

Has anyone been able to cultivate a beautiful state of being in their meditation sessions that they managed to carry over in their everyday life?

You are the beautiful state itself. Meditation is for recognizing it. When you recognize it your day goes in the best possible way and you are constantly happy.

 

[Globalcollective]

16 hours ago, Jacobsrw said:

Longer sessions provide you more time to get familiar with awareness and the activity of mind. You see the minds relentless fascination with thoughts and the difficulty in establishing a non-thinking mind. This is extremely powerful.

A 6 hour sit could radically change your life if done under the right conditions. You must apply yourself consciously. Watch the mind observe your experience, listen, feel and be. It’s important to not just passively sit but to really place your attention on awareness. The longer the better usually.

I do 20 in the morning and 20 at night. However, to me this isn’t enough it’s just that I usually have a busy schedule.

Throughout the week I will do a 1 hour session as extra and this is where I find the most benefit. 20-30 minutes can be good but anything longer than an hour is best for me. 

Yeah the longer the sit normally the more likely of a breakthrough. I find if I do it strong determination (not moving) things start to get really funky 1.5 to 2 hours in. Also retreats are great and give you a huge boost. Incorporating yoga also helps a lot. Also have you read the mind illuminated? Thats. a great book on meditation? 

[Jacobsrw]

8 minutes ago, Globalcollective said:

Yeah the longer the sit normally the more likely of a breakthrough. I find if I do it strong determination (not moving) things start to get really funky 1.5 to 2 hours in. Also retreats are great and give you a huge boost. Incorporating yoga also helps a lot. Also have you read the mind illuminated? Thats. a great book on meditation? 

Agreed. I really want to do a vipassana retreat myself, it’s trying to find the time. Ideally, mediation I feel is best done alone however.

I haven’t actually, I might actually do that. I haven’t read many books on mediation itself. I’ve read more nondual and consciousness books that cover it intermittently.

[Raptorsin7]

@Brahman Thanks.

It's not confusing but i think there's an important gap that isn't being addressed. Acceptance, dropping expectations etc is for the purpose of achieving a better state, or addressing the lack or seeking in my current state. But is that all there is too it? Accept each coming moment and eventually through enough acceptance there will be an aha moment? There's nothing else to say on the topic? 

How did you stumble upon acceptance of sensations as a practice, and what kind of changes in direct experience do you get from your meditation sessions?

[Raptorsin7]

@dimitri You must feel really good typing that, but i feel nothing from it and it's not helping at all haha.

You would think if you typed something from love, that made you feel good, that it would resonate with love within me and i'd get something from it. But apparently good feeling and love isn't enough?

[Raptorsin7]

@hamedsf I understand, but do you honestly have no expectation from meditation? Seems unlikely that you sit with no expectation of anything and just keep showing up expecting nothing and getting nothing.

What are your meditation sessions like, what do you experience? What changes from beginning to end?

[allislove]

@Raptorsin7 you just need more love - love you bro ?

[Raptorsin7]

@dimitri Thanks tips. That's like saying i need more good life, because i don't have a good life. 

Thanks for trying though.

[James123]

22 minutes ago, Raptorsin7 said:

@hamedsf I understand, but do you honestly have no expectation from meditation? Seems unlikely that you sit with no expectation of anything and just keep showing up expecting nothing and getting nothing.

What are your meditation sessions like, what do you experience? What changes from beginning to end?

Silence and darkness is the key brother. Thoughts are illusions. 

[allislove]

@Raptorsin7 right, you don't need anything, you think you need