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Etoile, I do most of my meditations in silence. For something like the small universe my best experiences have occured while I did the meditation on my own.

If you like you can play one of the non-guided meditation music CD. This will allow you some supportive sound and allow you to follow your own natural rythmn.

Typically, I only use the audio as a revisiting of the Master's instruction. My exceptions are I still use the material for: the level three meditations, the self-concentration meditations, and whenever I want an external control on the time I spend meditating. As for the level III material, I've edited several meditations together to copy the format of the longer meditations we were guided through at the retreat.

At night I always just do it in silence. I'll also admit I don't even adopt the best sleeping (lying meditation) position, since my wife is not keen on any snoring. Instead I adopt my normal sleeping posture, with the idea that adding mediation is making my sleep better, if not best.

You are perfection.
Iam2

[This message has been edited by Iam2 (edited January 12, 2005).]

On bouncing

See this link
http://www.learningstrategies.com/forum/ubb/Forum9/HTML/000495.html

Your feel stay flat on the floor. Keep the knees loose with bending action. For want of better way to describe it. It's a bit like the bouncing kids do when they urgently need to use the bathroom, although we keep our hands loose fingers spread at the side. Remember to smile.

Alex

Another footnote on bouncing:

Loosen the shoulders. I've noticed that people tend not to relax that part of the body unless told.

KWLee

Hello all-
I am glad others posted on the bouncing. It is simple, but has specifics. As KWL mentions, seeing where people don't relax while bouncing,,,,I have seen this too. When I first learned a 'bouncing' move, in a different system, it was generated in the lower dan tien. A freefall, of sort of dropping that center like a bowling ball. Now I don't quite put that clunk on the bottom, but, there is something to the freefall idea. The legs can sort of cushion and provide a smooth ride, without being tense, or closing up, or without the movement generating solely from the leg 'muscles', or muscle tension, like an up and down muscularly driven movement. You can drop inside, very open and loose, and soften the movement with the 'cushion' of your legs. Focusing on relaxing different areas, like the shoulders, K mentions . I have seen people bounce too, and still retain tension. keep the legs open , and pelvic area too.

Etoile, as far as treading water... I am sure I have gone for some years here and there!
Seriously... I have had many shifts though too. Also, affirmations of spiritual growth here and there. One good experience, can be a light in your practice, that helps you see the purpose in doing this type of work, or , can be quite motivating too. I have found retreats to be very effective in accelerating growth. I tried fasting at these, and found that fasting, enhances a lot of aspects to practice. Of late, I am seeing how transformational a practice of mindfulness can be. Simply staying more, in the present. Mindfulness!!! Read your last post, and look at the energy in these words.
"healing will be very difficult, until the sleep problem is solved" . Not exactly a gift from this person! Look at what you may be holding or how you define things. Healing, "will" be difficult with this particular thought, held... It doesn't have to be. Release the thought. Release any thought of that nature that comes up. It is extra energy you don't need. If you stay in the present, and simply do your practice, you can see, and know, that 'everything' is moving in a healing way. We know that people can experience discomfort , in regards to their practice, and the possible side effects relative to a blockage. It is at that point of experience, that you can see it as part of a healing process and sensation/experience, or see it as something bad coming from a problem you have. If you are doing the work, everything moves in the right direction. The whole of you is touched by your work. Staying more in the present, and putting in positive signals or messages, supports this, and can keep you from treading water, regarding this aspect , or limiting the effectiveness of your practice.
I saw at the last retreat that LS held, many people held on to their blockages, from this standpoint of mindfulness. They could have let them go, really go, at any point. The retreat was so powerful, people would repeatly clear themselves in a session, then , with their mind, or self perception, think of this 'blockage' they have, and see themselves 'with' the blockage, doing this qigong work, instead of letting it go, for good, with a session, one session, any session.. and moving forward, supporting that, every session, adding strength to that position of clearity. Further breaking down the physical manifestation, by continually keeping the yin aspect(idea) clear. No More Blockages. Not, I did a session , and I have cancer, or, I am depressed, and I practice qigong to help me 'with' 'it'. Who would want to be 'with it'! Get rid of it , release it. Don't let your mind come back and push it in your face again. Release the thoughts. Release any negative ideas about it.

Regarding sm universe: I haven't used any CD or tape of it for a long time. I prefer quiet, and my own pace. I slow it down, as much as I can, relative to my breathing.That slowing down is a substantial part of my focus. Personally, I hear the sounds. This is a personal preference of utilizing those sounds. Mantra, is an aspect to meditation practice, that sort of varies from person to person, as far as whether they have interest in engaging with it. I also think one's practice changes over time. You simply might do things differently , as you live with these methods. However I do it now, is not how I did it when I started. This is probably true for most people. The experience can change, and preferences change.
love,
gallen

Thank you everyone for all of your support and the ongoing discussion - it really does help. I feel the energy and encouragement in your words and have learned much from the posts. gallen, I think that "mindfulness" really is the key for me right now. You are right, I have been letting the mind chatter pull me back into the same cycle, the same thought patterns. No wonder my progress has been limited - my thinking has been limiting. Thank you for the indepth explanation because I now have a much better understanding of what you mean by "mindfulness". I have much to "work" on - inner smile, slow things down, bouncing, mindfulness . . . this is good for me . . . opportunites to move forward. . .

Thank you so much for your help.
Much Love
Etoile

Thank you all for this inspiring thread. I am finding these days that I have some query about my practice and when I tune into the forum there is the answer.

The smile has been on my mind recently and sometimes it seems to help me to see an image of myself smiling contentedly opposite myself and rejoicing in the peace of it all. Fo me it is the feeling of 'smiling' rather than the actual smiling which is important but I do struggle with keping that state.

Love

Kev

Aloha,

Fun thread. Thanks to everyone sharing on this one.

Whether your developing the middle dantian in the level II work or the upper dantain in level III and IV, you're bringing the focus and energy back to the lower dantain at the the end.

This area is not only the the energetic power plant for the body, but nourishes the middle and upper with it's flow of energy. You work with these other two areas to open the channels on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level, but their all fed by the work your doing with the lower dantian.

That's why some comments I've heard like "I think Master Lin spends too much time in the lower Dantian", don't make sense. One needs a strong base to move on from or they become top heavy and tip easily.

I hope the rest of you are warmer than our -15 to -20 degree Fahrenheit we're having here! It's a great opportunity to practice the level II mudra to conserve heat/energy, as well as a good reminder to spend time building our internal boiler (lower dantain).

Much Love, Shawn

Hi Kev & all,
Please forgive my repetitions, and allow me again to say something regarding the smile. I guess we started with dan tiens, and moved to depression and smiling, and me posting, abundantly [ :-) ], about mindfulness!!
I agree with your perception that it is the 'feeling' of smiling that is the essence of this, as opposed to the simple physical expression.
The way you envision yourself smiling is an excellent visualization. You are supporting the manifestation of that, by holding that vision. Back to language now... You do not struggle to keep that state. Look at that part , and take the negative charge out. You do positive work as you practice that focus. What you accomplish , as far as holding your focus there, is work well done, not a state of stuggling. Whether it is trying to hold a difficult physical position, or an emotional one, one can tire, or fatigue , or lose focus. That is okay, and a part of the process and experience. Struggling, is not a pleasant experience, even if you accomplish something doing it. In a clear state of no mind, there is no struggle, just the act of doing it.
I don't mean to be over critical of anyone's words, or how they express themselves, but, it is good to take a look at it, as sometimes it connects to something one could shift to a better place in their practice.

yikes....I was trying to edit my post, and hit submit reply! Oh well, I hope it came out okay. and let me add the > love, gallen
Shawn,,,,yaaaah it is cold!! I got up from my workbench and jumped around(with style and method)/(qigong humor) yesterday, alot. It really helped. I am inside as I write this, of course,,,,but I think there is some frost forming on my shoes, so it is time to move again!

back to the subject of lower dantian and Gallen's comments on physical healing and strength:

Years back at the funeral home where friends gathered in honor at my 25-year-old son's death, I had turned away from his coffin and stepped toward the door to leave the room where I had been alone. It was time, some said now, to let the others in. As I was about halfway to the door, suddenly a powerful energy picked me up off my feet and turned me quickly at a right angle and set me down again. Directly in front of me I saw a straight line of people looking at me and waiting expectantly. I remember feeling great surprise/shock at what I was feeling and what I was seeing, and in my mind I said to my son, "Tod, I've never heard of a receiving line at a funeral!"

With that, the first person stepped toward me but before he reached me, I felt a tremendous rush of energy into my lower dantian. It then surged up through my body and out of the top of my head and down through the person in front of me, who was now hugging me. I could see this energy, felt its power.

I walked to the casket with this person and after a few minutes walked back to the center of the room, where the energy rushed into my lower dantian again, surging up my body and out my head and down into the person who was now collapsing on me. And then we walked over to the casket for a few minutes and then turned.... On and on this went for hours with my getting stronger while I tended to each person, talked with them, cried with them, whatever they needed.

As I was leaving the funeral home that night, someone said to me, "I don't know how you did that." I answered, "I didn't have anything to do with it. One of the funeral directors said, "We're always going to remember you."

As strange as it all was, I knew that Tod was there demanding that I be strong for all those people and making sure I had the strength to support all them in their grief. Several months earlier at the funeral for one of his friends, he had commented to me about how strong the grandmother had been and how she had helped everyone else when everyone had thought she would be totally devastated. Tod was orchestrating his funeral for sure, and this wasn't the only sign. Though I was devastated, he and others saw to it that I had the strength to do what he decided needing doing. And that power definitely came in at my lower dantian.

Patricia, who has to laugh when she remembers now