Hi John,
Place your tongue on the roof of the mouth as if you're making the "L" sound.
If you listen to Master Lin's sitting meditation called Small Universe, you don't have to make the sound cuz he does it for you. I find listening to it laying down or sitting in full lotus with a cd headset is especially effective, cuz the sound goes deep into the body.
You can move to level 2 whenever you feel you are ready. I attended a Level 1/2 workshop with Master Lin and Vance, so the info was combined. I tend to stick with level 1 stuff in my daily meditations. The choice is up to you.
I have been meditating at least an hour a day for 8 months and I have not seen any colors or energy field. Everyone moves at his/her own pace. I do sometimes smell the lotus flower, which is amazing! And I feel lots of tingly sensations all over my body, but most especially in my hands, feet, and lips. My eyes flutter and sometimes white light comes in.
After a few months of practicing I learned to let go of expectations that I'll get into the emptiness. I have no idea if I've ever gotten there. I'm still unclear if it's a "you'll know it when it happens" or if it's more vague and subtle. I am completely unclear what the emptiness is and if I will know when I am there. I guess everyone is different on this, maybe depending on how sensitive you are to energy.
I do know that it's helped in many parts of my life, especially my sleep. It used to take me hours to fall asleep, and now I am asleep within minutes of trying. I find I feel less stressed in my life, which is nice, cuz I have a chronic illness that is extremely painful and emotionally difficult. So SFQG has offered a lot.
Hope this helps!
Hugs,
Cawwie
