Subtle breathing/breathlessness during meditation

[Adam713]

I've been experiencing this breathless state during meditation for the last year now

I would love to hear others experience with this state

[Floatsy]

Google Thai Forest tradition Access to Insight. There's a lot of the teachers there who teach about this. They are usually prefaced with the title 'Ajahn'.

[Tanemon]

It's common with the type of meditation that moves into a deeply settled state where thoughts slow or stop. Very many people have experienced it.

It's even been studied quite a lot by scientists. The studies show that physiology (including metabolism, I seem to recall) slows down.

It's quite a centering and restful state.

[Miss Hepburn]

Well...there's nothing I can say...it leaves me breathless...
I just mentioned it in the Poetry section....
It's... it's...a 'state'...

[Uma]

Originally Posted by Adam713

I've been experiencing this breathless state during meditation for the last year now

I would love to hear others experience with this state

It means you are being fed prana from the inside. I will be posting on this in a day or so. It's a fantastic achievement - you are touching a very deep space inside.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Uma

It means you are being fed prana from the inside.

Oh....yes....I have never heard it put that way!

[sohumm]

Originally Posted by Adam713

I've been experiencing this breathless state during meditation for the last year now

I would love to hear others experience with this state

That's called 'kumbhak' in yoga. It's an indication that you are getting a really good meditation. only when the thoughts subside completely does one get an experience of this spontaneous breathless state...

happy for you....cheers!

[Black Sheep]

You might not like what I have to add, but we've called it Access Concentration, or Entrance level, it's where meditation begins. When a person has settled internally enough to start the meditation, an important step, nonetheless. As Uma said one does shift to a prana-fed state, it can be incredibly invigorating, many physical and mental side-effects from such. This would be a first step in how the yogis can meditate for hours with ease, or even days, or longer, it's like a very awake, bright, hibernation, if I may be so crude.

A "nimatta" generally begins to arise as the next focal point in meditation, usually it's a soft light of some color depending on object and/or mental state. Then one can use these as aids to deepen one's practice, as well as expand the breathe of one's practice to work both on and off the mat.

I would relate it to finding the car keys, and ignition; now you have found both. You can sit in your car, or let it take you places, either way, I hope you have a good ride.

[Uma]

There are videos of the famous Buddha Boy living on prana for days and days. Here's one Buddha Boy

[Black Sheep]

Very cool link! Reminds me of the Yogi who was highly documented, blood tests, etc. The found how these deep states fundamentally changes the way the body works(and simultaneously confounding modern medicine). :P