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-   -   Breathing is troubling me (https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=130139)

thespiritual1 27-06-2019 04:50 AM

Breathing is troubling me
 
I first experimented with meditation when I was 13 or 14 years old. I made terrible mistakes back then. Now I am 22 but my past mistakes still haunt me. One of the mistakes I made in the past was that I used force in meditation. I forced myself to concentrate on breathing. I thought that if I put more force into concentrating on breathing and being aware of it, at all times, I will quickly be enlightened. Alas! I was wrong. All I did was make myself uncomfortable.
Now coming to my present problem. Breathing gives me a certain kind of trouble, a discomfort as whenever I become aware of my breathing, I start accumulating unnecessary energy in my head. My head starts becoming heavy and I lose my freshness.
I would like to know a breathing technique that would release energy instead of accumulating it but I am not sure of what to do. Should I just avoid being aware of my breath?(I have been doing so for the past many years and its no good). Should I do some meditation related to breathing or should I do something else? Any guidance will be highly appreciated.

ontheroad 22-08-2019 11:17 AM

When we watch our breath in meditation it should be a very gentle attitude that we have and not forced at all. Simply be aware of your breath as it goes in and then as it goes out - don't alter the breath at all, it should be natural. Just observe very gently. Or you can just watch where the breath turns, where it changes from the in-breath to the out-breath.

Are you breathing through your nose? This will increase energy in the head and mental energy. So try breathing through you mouth which will bring you into your heart, your whole body and being and ground you. You can even make a sound as you exhale which will reverberate through your body and be very soothing and healing yet energizing. You can also use Mudras to change the focal point of your energy: touching your thumb to your index finger will focus energy in your head so try touching your thumb to the middle or ring finger and see which feels best to you.

I remember when I started out I would do pranayama whilst running! It certainly awakened my chakras but it was so sudden and strong that I didn't know what to do with the energy. Now I practice more gently so I can integrate the energy which is awakened. Good luck with your practice.

thespiritual1 31-08-2019 05:16 AM

In the past few months my condition has improved a lot. One day my problem (The one mentioned above) suddenly melted away as i allowed my attention to wander where ever it wanted to go. My attention went towards my breath and just noticing it gently, i began to feel better. Now i no longer feel discomfort when my attention goes towards breathing.

However, i still divert my attention to things other than my breath. sometimes i need to divert it, other times i have vague notion that i am meditating too much. i worry what will happen if i keep my attention continously for many hours on my breath. i dont know what will happen, but i worry that a strong meditation will take hold of me, then i might find myself in trouble. Experts please guide me on what happens if one's attention remains on breath for long continous periods of time, like a whole day, 2 days, 3 days?

lomax 31-08-2019 07:09 AM

Maybe you're falling into theta brainwaves.It's not that bad.When these states register in your mind,(at first) you become dizzy,tired,your body feels heavy etc.
Everytime i'm doing breathing teqniques,the result is allways 'heavy' and i don't like it either.

Have you tried to meditate upon 'nothing'?
No thoughts,no action,no trying,just nothing.
Just lay down and tell to your self that for the next five minutes,you'll do-think nothing at all.Your only goal is the nothing.

And don't call others 'experts'.There's no such thing.

thespiritual1 31-08-2019 08:17 AM

"No thoughts,no action,no trying,just nothing" (lomax).
This is very tricky. i exist in a state of doing. whenever i am conscious, i have to do something, either notice something, think something, or atleast put my attention somewhere. How do you propose i approach nothing?

Unseeking Seeker 31-08-2019 08:45 AM

***

We may begin by abandoning the concepts attached to the so called activity of meditation

and engage in what we enjoy

a game, a movie, chatting with friends, doing a good deed anonymously :smile:

(Hahaha .... the last activity a not so sneaky trick to steer you on the path of love!)

Notice how your breathing does not come into focus when you are joyful. In fact, nothing comes between you and your joy!

If meditation is a task, a drill, a chore ... it becomes counterproductive.

On a practical note however, just witness thoughts rise and fade like waves. Just look as you would at butterflies flitting from flower to flower. In exuberance and yet without association.

This activity of non doing is meditation. We just choose from time to time to disassociate our innate formless awareness from the mind body construct.

If thoughts come in, let them. If you feel an itch anywhere, please scratch! :biggrin:

Take it easy! Have fun! Enjoy!

(whoops! Notice that breathing or posture has nothing to do with it)

***

lomax 31-08-2019 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thespiritual1
"No thoughts,no action,no trying,just nothing" (lomax).
This is very tricky. i exist in a state of doing. whenever i am conscious, i have to do something, either notice something, think something, or atleast put my attention somewhere. How do you propose i approach nothing?



By knowing what nothing it's not.It's not so difficult.When you're trying to reach something is not the nothing.When you think of something,it's not the nothing,etc.

I think it's the removing of the 'purpose'.It's like trying to sleep,when all you have to do is to do nothing at all.Then sleep comes easily.

It is tricky,but if you do it once,then your subconsious will know how to trigger the state,and you'll do it in seconds.

The best bet is to tell your self that you'll 'dedicate' some time to experience the nothing.
This way,you're telling your self that you're going to 'switch' from your current state into another one.

Truth307 02-09-2019 07:58 PM

Sat
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by thespiritual1
I first experimented with meditation when I was 13 or 14 years old. I made terrible mistakes back then. Now I am 22 but my past mistakes still haunt me. One of the mistakes I made in the past was that I used force in meditation. I forced myself to concentrate on breathing. I thought that if I put more force into concentrating on breathing and being aware of it, at all times, I will quickly be enlightened. Alas! I was wrong. All I did was make myself uncomfortable.
Now coming to my present problem. Breathing gives me a certain kind of trouble, a discomfort as whenever I become aware of my breathing, I start accumulating unnecessary energy in my head. My head starts becoming heavy and I lose my freshness.
I would like to know a breathing technique that would release energy instead of accumulating it but I am not sure of what to do. Should I just avoid being aware of my breath?(I have been doing so for the past many years and its no good). Should I do some meditation related to breathing or should I do something else? Any guidance will be highly appreciated.


Do mindfulness exercises, they teach you not to control the breath but to allow it to come and go naturally. Also exercise, do running and cardio outdoors or at the gym. And yoga is good too.

thespiritual1 15-09-2019 06:56 AM

Last night (15 september) did not go well. I often try to quiet my mind before i sleep. I either relax my body and mind or, whether i like it or not, i notice my breath. Noticing my breath was going well. It was relaxing and there was no headache, but last night there was, once again, headache. The headache appeared in the left temple. Its intensity increased as i kept noticing my breath. I started feeling very uncomfortable, started sweating and heart beat started rising. I started breathing from my mouth. It did not help much. I decided to divert my attention elsewhere, to thinking something or feeling my body. Diverting attention from the breath is not easy. All in all, I did not get a good sleep last night.
There is no escaping breathing. I wonder when will i stop getting headache from breathing. Is there any remedy for this headache?

thespiritual1 15-09-2019 07:41 AM

After I finished writing this, i sat calmly and noticed my breath once again and surprise. I found hope that everything is going to be okay. My headache decreased and I feel much better now. Breath is a mischievous thing.


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