Help with choosing a meditation technique

[Ayham]

I want multiple perspectives from people with lots of experience, I started meditating almost a year ago, I almost never skip days, I started with shinzen young's "see hear feel", doing 20 minutes a day, I got lots of results, I increased the time for 5 minutes a month, until I reached 35 minutes, and all the results i used to get disappeared, and I started to become unable to sit for longer than 20 minutes again.

I think I experienced backlash, so I remained for a month doing the same, until I realized its not working, so I started reading the mind illuminated, I got back to 20 minutes and increased five minutes every two weeks this time, and currently i am on 40 minutes.

and by TMI standards, I am basically stage 2, which is sad, its been a year of practice, and I am still stage 2, and ever since that backlash, I havent been feeling results like the beginning, I have been trying to clear my expectations tho. 

Now here are the questions:

1. How do I reach higher stages in TMI? 
2. Am I stuck at stage 2 because I started with an insight oriented practice, while it is generally recomended to start with a concentration practice?
3. Should I even continue With TMI, maybe I should go back to noting, maybe some other technique?

Edit: with TMI, I mean the mind illuminated

Edited October 9, 2022 by Ayham

[Thought Art]

What’s TMI

[Ayham]

@Thought Art the mind illuminated book by culadasa 

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Ayham

[r0ckyreed]

The way you are meditating seems like suffering. Forget about the stages for right now. Meditation is about being aware of this moment and falling in love with the beauty of the now.

It sounds like you are making meditation really mechanical when it is really as simple as noticing the beauty all around you and connecting to that. 

You are not going to progress to higher stages until you can really enjoy your “practice.” You backslide because the way you are doing it is mechanical and not enjoyable I am assuming.

Look up Leo’s video on Satisfaction Meditation. Also, do TMI technique to quiet the mind, but don’t forget to not overlook the beauty all around you and for making this time for yourself!

My technique is called Absolute Beauty Meditation. It is similar to Satisfaction Meditation except it adds the recognition of beauty all around you and bask in the beauty for as long as you can. Close your eyes, quiet your mind. Then open them like you are seeing the world for the first time. Then, stay with that feeling of beauty and newness for as long as you can. 

Then, after your “practice,” carry that with you throughout the rest of your life!

Edited October 9, 2022 by r0ckyreed

[Ayham]

@r0ckyreed hmm, so you are saying that in order to progress in meditation, I need to first enjoy my practice.

I see, I currently enjoy it only when I get into a deep meditative state (which is getting more and more common, but I try to let go of expectations about getting into a meditative state).

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do TMI technique to quiet the mind, but don’t forget to not overlook the beauty all around you and for making this time for yourself!

This reminds of leo's: "concentration vs. meditation" video, I remember something about doing concentration in the beginning of your meditation.

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Look up Leo’s video on Satisfaction Meditation

I have seen that video, but I never tried it.

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Then, after your “practice,” carry that with you throughout the rest of your day!

oh yeah, I remember in the begininng I used to practice in day to day life a lot, and it helped a ton! but overtime, I did that less and less, good to idea to start doing this again.

I will go meditate right now, first I will go through the six point perepration and the gradual four step transition, then focus on the breath to get grounded and maybe get in access concentration, then will do the satisfaction meditation thingy.

will tell you my experience afterwards.

[r0ckyreed]

15 minutes ago, Ayham said:

hmm, so you are saying that in order to progress in meditation, I need to first enjoy my practice.

 

Of course. You are never going to completely excel at something you don’t enjoy. There will always be resistance and obstacles there. But meditation isn’t about excelling at anything really. It is about connecting with Absolute Truth and Beauty/Perfection and basking in your true nature.

Edited October 9, 2022 by r0ckyreed

[Gesundheit2]

@Ayham What are you trying to achieve with meditation? Elation? Or insight? And what do you count as "results"?

[Ayham]

so @r0ckyreed, I finished my session, I found myself enjoying the session and very relaxed, I even found myself smiling with no reason, tho the satisfaction part was kinda hard, because it felt forced, I found myself unconsciously doing "do nothing" meditation, rather than satifaction meditation since it felt more relaxing, even though they are both open awareness practices.

I did both during my session, they both worked, though i liked do nothing more, since it was no effort so it felt very peaceful, and I also felt satisfacition from it.

I feel relaxed af right now, I cant describe it really.

[Ayham]

@Gesundheit2 hey, its been a while, my motivation for meditation is to enhance my mind as in making it more sharp, and to master my self and purify it in the long run (AKA get enlightened)

[Gesundheit2]

8 minutes ago, Ayham said:

@Gesundheit2 hey, its been a while, my motivation for meditation is to enhance my mind as in making it more sharp,

This seems more like something you'd get from concentration practices better than from meditation.

8 minutes ago, Ayham said:

and to master my self and purify it in the long run (AKA get enlightened)

That's awesome! And meditation will certainly help. It will show you your true self, your strengths, your weaknesses, what you want and what you need, etc. It will increase your overall clarity and sense of direction, especially if you keep a log of the insights you get.

[axiom]

There are no higher stages in meditation.

In the same way, there are no higher stages in TV-watching.

The best practice is making coffee, going to the shop, watching tv, meditating, socialising, taking psychedelics, whatever it may be. 

[r0ckyreed]

11 minutes ago, axiom said:

There are no higher stages in meditation.

In the same way, there are no higher stages in TV-watching.

But there are higher stages of meditation and TV watching! 

You can meditate deeply or shallow. 

You can watch TV consciously or unconsciously.

[r0ckyreed]

1 hour ago, Ayham said:

so @r0ckyreed, I finished my session, I found myself enjoying the session and very relaxed, I even found myself smiling with no reason, tho the satisfaction part was kinda hard, because it felt forced, I found myself unconsciously doing "do nothing" meditation, rather than satifaction meditation since it felt more relaxing, even though they are both open awareness practices.

I did both during my session, they both worked, though i liked do nothing more, since it was no effort so it felt very peaceful, and I also felt satisfacition from it.

I feel relaxed af right now, I cant describe it really.

Keep at it. Don’t just stop after today lol. Try Satisfaction Meditation for 2 weeks and if you don’t get the results you want, then try Absolute Beauty Meditation (ABM) for 2 weeks. 

Just be satisfied with existence itself. Connect with the Beauty of Existence. That is what all meditation is about. Don’t make it so complicated.

Keep going!  

Edited October 9, 2022 by r0ckyreed

[Ayham]

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This seems more like something you'd get from concentration practices better than from meditation. 

That's awesome! And meditation will certainly help. It will show you your true self, your strengths, your weaknesses, what you want and what you need, etc. It will increase your overall clarity and sense of direction, especially if you keep a log of the insights you get.

@Gesundheit2

well, how can I balance the two, if i do concentration practice, i wont get the latter (unless i get to stage 10 in TMI standards) and if i do insight medition or non concentration meditation, it wont help in the former (i heard these practices help with enhancing brain capabilites but not much compared to concentration practice)

so i need to find a way to either combine concentration practice and meditation, or do them both (i dont have much time for that since school and stuff)

so i think combining them is better for me, i dont know how to do that tho lol.

 

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There are no higher stages in meditation.

In the same way, there are no higher stages in TV-watching.

The best practice is making coffee, going to the shop, watching tv, meditating, socialising, taking psychedelics, whatever it may be. 

you mean meditation in daily life, how do you go about doing that exactly? just mindful awareness? or something more specific?

 

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Keep at it. Don’t just stop after today lol. Try Satisfaction Meditation for 2 weeks and if you don’t get the results you want, then try Absolute Beauty Meditation (ABM) for 2 weeks. 

Just be satisfied with existence itself. Connect with the Beauty of Existence. That is what all meditation is about. Don’t make it so complicated.

Keep going!  

alright lol, so continue with this then abm for 2 weeks each, got it.

but if you saw my earlier response, my reasons for meditating is to :

1. sharpen my mind 
2. get enlightened and purify myself in the long run

do these really help with those?

[Gesundheit2]

35 minutes ago, Ayham said:

@Gesundheit2

well, how can I balance the two, if i do concentration practice, i wont get the latter (unless i get to stage 10 in TMI standards) and if i do insight medition or non concentration meditation, it wont help in the former (i heard these practices help with enhancing brain capabilites but not much compared to concentration practice)

so i need to find a way to either combine concentration practice and meditation, or do them both

1. You don't need to practice either one of them if they feel like a chore.
2. You're not in a race. Develop yourself at your own pace.
3. Results will start to snowball after you gain enough momentum.

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(i dont have much time for that since school and stuff)

Time is infinite, and everyone has 24 hours a day, but daily activities occur in limited periods of time. Those who live unconsciously spend a lot of time on activities that they don't need. In fact, they spend a lot of time on things that they don't actually want. And in result, they often find themselves committing the same mistakes, falling back into old patterns, and starting all over again, again and again. All of that means, they're wasting time. Having time for yourself and time for others are two indistinct parameters. Those who dedicate their time only for themselves end up isolated. And those who dedicate their time only for others become distracted. And neither of them are satisfied with life. Satisfaction requires an abundance mindset.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Gesundheit2

[axiom]

3 hours ago, Ayham said:

you mean meditation in daily life, how do you go about doing that exactly? just mindful awareness? or something more specific?

You don’t go about it. It happens on its own.

[r0ckyreed]

3 hours ago, Ayham said:

do these really help with those?

Most definitely! However, if you want enlightenment, you will need to also use contemplation to deconstruct your mind. So it’s like washing your hands to have clean hands. You need both water and soap if you want clean hands. Same with your mind in experiencing the nature of reality. 

Awaken to Absolute Beauty. It is right here always.

[Ayham]

@Gesundheit2 hehe, i needed that, i always feel like i am not progressing enough and feel in a rush, thanks!

@axiom what if it is not happening tho

@r0ckyreed great to hear, about contemplation, I dont really do it much know, i do it from time to time, it is so insightful and fun, i love it, but i am trying not to focus on enlightenment so much in this period of my life (even though i really want it), since i have more basic shit to deal with, like life purpose and career and stuff, but i do meditation to set a great spiritual foundation so that i can pursue enlightenment at some point.

 

[axiom]

7 minutes ago, Ayham said:

 what if it is not happening tho

It doesn’t have to, and that’s OK

[Vibroverse]

Watching your breath, listening to the ticking of a clock, things like that. The simpler the better, in my humble opinion.