| | Oh - you're watching the sky !!!
Actually - this may sound quirky at first but scientically it is true - you actually DO breathe through your skin as well as through your lungs. This I got from the longish speach by Kabat-Zinn, MD on YouTube at Google Tech Talks. Breathing through your whole body and even your skin may actually be a sensitive perception as well as a visualization then. Another thing I got is that new research shows the brain actually keeps growing new cells, tissues and pathways, contrary to what is taught by the less-informed class-room teachers. AND another new research show that DNA is environment-responsive and executes new programs in response to stimuli - that is highly significant in the context of this discussion. In the big picture it is not about mutations, nor evolution, nor any of the other theories, but adaptation to conditions as required by the organism, which kinda makes sense to me -
"kundalini" is just prana really, or chi, all the same difference. Another thing worth trying is to draw the shoulders down, make the neck long, this applies pressure to the shiatzu pressures points in the shoulder as well as strengthening and lengthening the spinal column. That plus using the dan tien as a focal to execute mild to heavy anerobic work (if you do some), with the tailbone tucked, and abs contracted, these are two things the energy is showing me. Also regularly stretching the calves and hamstrings, as they adversely pressure the lower spine as well. All that helps keeping the energy flowing
A couple of things to look for to find the "jhana" direction - an opiated or endorpin type of feeling, a balanced, rhythmic cycling of energy through both hemispheres of the brain, this feels good too, in short, a meditation-induced euphoria. There is an increase in stillness, a decrease in discursive thought and feeling, an attraction to serenity and tranquillity, sometimes a speedy or cocaine type of charge, extreme wakefulness coming up the spine which unless it is combined with the other endorphin type of feeling is somewhat buzzy and uncomfortable, and then with both qualities running together, at some point you pass over the event horizon into an experience which keeps increasing these and other qualities, absorbing you into a samadhi. The first jhana is all of these things, a sameness or samadhi or equanimity, a lightness, a rapture, a blissful state, a euphoria, concentration, silence is more dominant than thought, although in most jhanas some thought energy still continues to operate, even if just barely. These are the classic symptoms. Then. progressing on, the grosser qualities dissappear as the finer ones predominate. The 4th jhana is just equinimity, and very powerful too. It will rock your world. During this transition which I think normally would take multiple sessions over a period of time, increases in sexual energy may be noticed. Don't get too excited about that because there are also decreases in sexual interest sometimes too. You could say it is the endocrine system balancing itself out or you could theorize about the chakras. Something of this nature can be taken a sign, anyway, but it may be difficult to get an objective view of it. Tinnitus or ringing in the ears my occur. Some people report ecstacies, visions, dreams, and get so caught up in it it becomes pathological. This is the A & P territory, but in my case the negative side never manifested. I am still looking for answers as to how that works but really don't have a clue.
In the Nikayas Buddha says jhanas just meant make life more enjoyable, which is okay by me. In one text he says they are still dukkha, however, BUT in another text he traces their progression right up to clear release and knowing, so make of THAT what you will. I don't think this is experience is too hard to locate, but it doesn't help to try too hard, it is more a matter of getting to the right place, then letting go...
Lately i have been drawn to sleep tho too - -
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