Re: Deep Altered States - The Key to More Effective Energy Work?
Originally Posted by
DerFürst
What are good methods of entering the deep trance state, preferably without using headphones?Visualization techniques seem to be effective for me.
How can I maintain relaxation? It seems that after an hour or so of complete stillness I always seem to become extremely uncomfortable.
Whenever my neck is exposed, which it always is during a meditation, I have this strange desire to cover it up, as if my body were afraid of it being cut or strangled. This detracts from my level of relaxation all the time and it really bugs me. How should I deal with this?
If you notice anything that resembles ego in this post, try to ignore it. It seems like it's literally impossible to write anything truly devoid of self.
Regarding your level of "comfort".
First I would ask what is that you are doing that you need to be in this position for more than an hour than you can not do in two half hour sessions?
From my perspective, meditation can be done in many positions. Over the years some positions I have used successfully have included: Chi Gung Walking (30 minutes, and up to two hours in a state of alpha/theta brain waves), standing on my head for ten minutes with deep breathing, hanging up side down from tree branches, sitting in half-lotus, sitting with legs folded under / Seiza (Japanese sitting), sitting on a chair with a straight back, and lying down on a semi-hard surface, including: concrete, carpet, metal, wood, grass.
If you are having trouble sitting for long periods of time, I suggest to you that it is because our bodies were designed to move.
When you sit for long periods, the effect of gravity can be that your body gets quite sore. We NEED to move, to stimulate flow of blood, increase oxygen through exercise, stimulate lymph fluid and other essential activities of the body.
To have the least negative effect on our body, how would we remain stationary for the longest period of time (for whatever reason) with the least amount of discomfort and not pinching our nerves, or robbing our tissues of the essential supply of blood, oxygen and nutrients?
Well, what position do you sleep in?
Lying down is the obvious answer. In my experience, sitting for longer than one hour in seiza or half-lotus has a rather negative effect on my body, so I am to be stationary this long, I lie down, on a hard flat surface with a neutral spine.
But, won't you fall asleep?
Yes and no.
Practice, and you will stay awake, don't lie in your bed, as you associate bed with sleep. Don't do this when very tired, as you will likely fall asleep. With this method, I have staid stationary for maybe 2-3 hours, but I don't see any point in it.
My daily habits are 15-30-45 minute sitting meditations. I only use longer periods if I am doing healing or deep muscle relaxation, sometimes in Alpha, Sometimes in Theta, or sometimes totally withdrawing the senses from the body, but not not dreaming, or astral travel, just a deep void of peace and restfullness, you can call it "resting in energy of being, or body, or higher self", but these are just words.
There are monks in Japan "Tendai Mountain Monks" who do a 7 day meditation with no sleep, no food, and NO WATER, for 24 hours per day, for 7 days, AFTER running one hundred 52 mile marathons in a row. However, they do get up and move around during the 7 day period. It is a rather extreme practice.
To sit / lie longer periods, learn deep muscle relaxation methods and get vigorous exercise BEFORE meditation, as you will have increased the oxygen in your body/blood and make it far easier to sit for longer period of time, with less negative effects. As for pins and needles in your legs, use more cushions/ pillows to support yourself.
You may also wish to improve your posture, look up "Biomechanics", if you sit in bio-mechanically poor posture, you get sore very fast, no mystery to this.
As you train your mind/body, you will be able to relax deeper, with less effort by building new neural pathways in your brain, and muscle and nerve memory, creating a program/shortcut that you will be able to run automatically, making it easier to command your body to relax whenever you like.
Feel free to ask Q's.
"If there is tension in your body, it is because you are holding it there"
"Focused intention becomes reality"
“Vision without action is daydream.
Action without vision is nightmare.”
—Japanese Proverb
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