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Old 03-01-2018, 05:18 AM
naturesflow naturesflow is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: In my cocoon.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset Dragon
I'm quite sure I posted a long time ago about trouble with breathing while attempting to meditate. I take control of my breathing to the point that I either force breath or hold it. I would also panic when feeling the sensations of the breath, while also doing the same when becoming aware of my heartbeat. I've been making some small progress by showing more compassion, less perfectionism, and by diverting my focus to surrounding noises and away from my breath. That being said, I've come to realise my problem has been sensorimotor OCD, since it has worsened in other areas. In particular, I am having an issue with excessive saliva/swallowing by simply becoming aware of it.

I'm posting this for two reasons, one to enlighten anybody who may be facing similar challenges during meditation without knowing the cause, and to ask if anybody else has been confronted by this and how they've personally worked around it in meditation. Diverting my attention elsewhere has been my best bet, although that comes with its own faults. Focusing on surrounding noises can be distracting in its own right.

Edit: A note to mods, maybe this one's better in the meditation section of the forum? My mistake.

I have had this too. It was more to do with my inability to let go fully into a deeper state of relaxation. But then every step of my own difficulties was a point of recognising where I was still holding on. Sometimes I have to place my tongue upward on the roof of my mouth to settle the saliva issue, but most often now I can move deeper into the breath to let all that go.

I think Gem would be ideal, as he is big on breath meditation so hopefully we both learn something through him :)
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“God’s one and only voice are Silence.” ~ Herman Melville

Man has learned how to challenge both Nature and art to become the incitements to vice! His very cups he has delighted to engrave with libidinous subjects, and he takes pleasure in drinking from vessels of obscene form! Pliny the Elder
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