'Attempting to 'practise' causes tension

[Mips]

Everything I do to 'practice' meditation, concentration or body awareness causes tenstion in my head that's very hard to shift. Everything except 'do-nothing' meditation. I guess everyne's dfifferent and that's just the way it seems to work for me for some reason. The propensity to create tension during meditation practices has been a problem since my 20s.

It's a shame, as I'm getting amazing results from concentration, but just end up with lastin head tension afterwards. Same with body awareness - works amazingly to bring me into presence but I can't get away from creating head tension. Even arriving at no tension during do-nothing meditation takes a while. I just have this propensity to build tension from actively 'doing' meditation practices hard baked into me from my misguided early meditation practices 30 years ago. I've tried letting go of that belief, but in doing so nothing changed.

Am I just a person who should just use do-nothing meditation, enquiry and psychedelics - the only things that don't produce head tension for me? I feel it may well be so  - I'm thinking we all have to work with our personal idiosyncracies and perhaps I need to just accept this as being one of mine..

[Leo Gura]

Do-nothing is the core of meditation.

Combine do-nothing with a gentle but firm concentration on doing nothing. Ease into it. It has to be comfortable and easy.

Basically just sit and be at total ease with the mind not constructing anything.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Leo Gura

[Mips]

@Leo Gura Thanks so much - would you say that this gentle but firm concentration on doing nothing equates to maintaining an unbroken stream of being aware of being aware? So simple consistent awakeness to the moment can come the closest to an effortless concentration method? Apologies if the wording's not the best, I'm trying to feel my way..

 

Also body awareness has been great apart from the tension. Can I assume effortless body awareness will come naturally after a decent amount of do-nothing meditation?

Edited January 7, 2023 by Mips

[Leo Gura]

44 minutes ago, Mips said:

@Leo Gura Thanks so much - would you say that this gentle but firm concentration on doing nothing equates to maintaining an unbroken stream of being aware of being aware?

Yes, absolutely that. That's all it is. Self-awareness.

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So simple consistent awakeness to the moment can come the closest to an effortless concentration method? Apologies if the wording's not the best, I'm trying to feel my way..

Yes, that's all there is to meditation. Anything more is a distraction.

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Also body awareness has been great apart from the tension. Can I assume effortless body awareness will come naturally after a decent amount of do-nothing meditation?

You can move your focus around as you sit there doing nothing. You can focus it like a flashlight into the body, but I recommend you maintain the wideest possible focus on your entire field of experience. The body will be part of that but play no special importance.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Leo Gura

[WelcometoReality]

@Mips I agree with what @Leo Gura said. Do nothing is the core.

You could also make sure that your posture is correct. Looking slightly upwards causes tension in the neck which can travel to the head.

I also like to 'focus in' on the tension and actively letting go of it.

A preventive measure you could try is stretches like head rolls before you start your meditation.

[Mips]

@Leo Gura Such great advice, thanks Leo. You hit the nail on the head - this seems like the best balance for me.

 

@WelcometoReality Nice one, head rolls sound like a good idea ?

Edited January 7, 2023 by Mips