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Does anyone have advise for reducing or dealing with one's "internal dialog" during sitting meditation? I fell that it gets in the way of getting deeper into the emptinance.

Thanks,
RodB

I RodB,
The first step could be, not to feel that way.
This can be an internal 'reaction' to thinking.
As a thought arises, simply acknowledge it as thinking, and let it go, or just let it go. This is self awareness, a good thing. Observing yourself thinking, is better than just thinking, without that self awareness. You are making progress! Simply go back to the focus in the meditation, or non thought/being in the present moment, with no judgements about the chatter.
In general, your practice experience regarding this will improve. Within that improvement, there can still be times where you have something going on in your life that increases the chatter, or an opportunity to practice in a setting that helps you quiet the mind, like a peaceful natural setting, or a retreat, etc..
When you focus your mind on something, or sit fully in the present moment, you are exercising that ability. Practice moves you to a better level of experience.
Again, know that the 'energy' is different every day too. Don't be disapointed if your practice is more focused one day, and the next, you have lots of chatter.
You can just see the thoughts as energy that you don't need, and just let that energy flow out as it comes up. You may find it empties out, or continues. No judgements, just sit in the process and know that you are doing transformational work.
It is also good, if you are observing self as the thoughts arise, to be compassionate towards self, allowing , no judgements. This can open the heart. Your experience is a good one, and we are all connected in this experience of self.
love,
gallen

Hi RobB,

I agree with Gallen, but would suggest that if it's hard to "just let go" of the voices, visualize something separate. It can be the same thing every time (I use a white fluffy cloud in a clear blue sky). Watch it drift away and then you can return to the emptiness. New voices, new clouds. Eventually the voices give up. Works for me!

Good luck,
Danielle

I note the chatter and thank it. Then say something like, "I choose this time for my meditation, please return when it is more appropriate. This meditation is the best thing I can do with my time, right now. I give myself permission to do this meditation." Then I return to my meditation, just as Gallen has suggested.

I don't always go through that little self speech. Only when I find I'm spending more time conscous of the chatter than my meditation. I only do it once.

I take this chatter problem, and others problems as things the universe is sending my way. They are learning opportunities specially designed for my needs. I feel gratitude towards them and love towards myself and the universe.

You are perfection.
Iam2

RobB;

For myself; I figure out how I want to feel and ask the Master's and the Universe to send energy to help me feel that way.

If you have never known otherwise than to have an internal dialogue going on it is very difficult to just turn it off, it is easier to ask the energy to convert or change into the "emptiness" state.

For myself, I was taught to work on being calm, to relax, to relax more and finally this dropped into the "emptiness" and a complete feeling of peace. It wasn't overnight.

If you fight this internal dialogue it will only make it defensive. If you just work on feeling relaxed and peaceful then it will come to be.

Focus on what you want in your meditation, don't get distracted by internal dialogue, just let them go.

Hi RodB.

I was at a Level 2 retreat recently and asked Master Lin a similar question. Here is my take on his reply.

It is normal for thoughts to keep popping up in the mind. When you first start practicing, just go through the motions, and if your mind wanders or if you have lots of thoughts popping up, that's ok.

As you continue to practice, your focus will turn more and more to your body. This is not by effort, it just happens. You start to notice sensations of energy, like tingling and heat, first in your hands, then in your body. Then you begin to notice things like itching, involuntary movement... The more you practice, the more your focus will stay on your body, and the more you will notice these things.

(By the way, at another point in the retreat, he said if you feel any itching while practicing qigong, DO NOT SCRATCH IT. It will interrupt the energy flow and it could take weeks to get back to the same point.)

Then he said you will begin to see lights. He said this is a big step. He became very excited at this point. He said this is where terms like "He finally saw the light," come from. When you see a light, focus on it, notice the color, texture, brightness... Initially you will see them only briefly, but as you continue to practice you will see them more often and for longer periods of time.

In advanced practice you will begin to focus on one particular point in the body. When you see light, you will bring to a point in your body and focus on it. An even more advanced technique will be to take something outside of you, like an image of the sun or moon or a beautiful scene in nature, and bring it inside of your body to meditate on it.

All along the way, your mind will become quieter and you will experience the emptiness of the universe more and more.

So my brief summary of his answer to how to deal with the internal dialog is to not worry about it and just keep practicing qigong, and the internal dialog will eventually go away all on it's own.

With regard to gallen's comments on not judging yourself, I find that for myself, and for others that I have spoken with, when I try not to judge myself or others, I end up judging myself for judging, then I judge myself for judging myself for judging... Judgements are just thoughts. I recommend that you deal with them like any other thought that pops up.

My way for dealing with thoughts that pop up while practicing qigong... notice them, smile to them, give them a little mental hug -- they usually go away quickly. Some stick around a bit or come back a few times, I just keep smiling to them. It's kind of like when a small child does something that you really don't want them to (like playing in the mud and getting their clothes all dirty), they are just so darn cute that you can't help but smile at them. Anyway, when I try to push my thoughts away, not only do they stick around, but it kills the buzz that I get when I practice qigong.

Anyhow, hope you find this useful...

Hi msjoleary,
For myself, non judgement has always been a trigger that moves me to unconditional love. It very well may be related to my own accumulative practice, past and present, regarding 'why'! My first experience of unconditional love was tied into a practice of non judgement. It was a powerful experience, so that association is there for me. I don't go to judging myself judging myself. Non judgement and judgement are opposites that move me to very different places.
If I am in a state of reflection,not emptiness, where something has come up, I find the concept of non judgement useful. It does start as a concept for me, or remembering, and quickly shifts to a higher experience. Some thoughts seem like random pictures connected to nothing, some seem familiar, and connect to deeper held emotions. Going back to the focus of a meditation or emptiness certainly moves you in the right direction and works. I am not advocating non judgement as a different technique to employ in anyones meditation experience. More a sharing of my own experience and what I employ related to brain chatter. There are times where I am sitting with myself, feeling something, thinking things relative to that. It is more in that particular place, that I instinctively shift, from non judgement, to remembering(truth), to self compassion, then back to my meditation. It can be a very brief instant of moving through something.
I wanted to clearify that I don't speak of non judgement, with an association of that, to then experiencing judgement. It has not been my experience.
love,
gallen

I know I'm about to go a bit off the topic of mind chatter, but I like the line of thought. Non-judgement is a good thing for me. It does lead to unconditional love, in my experience.

However, for me it started and still sometimes shows up as Labelling, or maybe that's not labelling. When I put a name or adjective onto someone, something, or some event, I know I'm imposing my judgement. Non-judgement (non-labelling) is a valuable tool for me, both during meditation and throughout the day.

When chatter comes up during meditation, I see myself as I think Master Lin would. As a child being a child and doing what a child does. Namely, splashing in the mud. I smile at myself and return to my practice. With time and practice the child will grow and take on new behaviours. Each experience being appropriate for its stage.

Who would want to be a master and not have experienced all the difficulties? How could you help others with problems you've never experienced? Trusting that the universal energy is providing me with each of the experiences that is right for me, to the degree I need now and in the future, allows me to release my judgements and accept things as they are. By doing this I see things differently and I see more good in the world and myself. (ooops good is a label )

You are perfection.
Iam2