Howard Maxwell Clegg:
Recovers and returns to work (hooray!) Reconnects with Goenka practice and gets some of the “bad physical stuff” + unstable rapture type stuff (boo!) Becomes a real problem and has to stop. Seeks advice from this venerable web site and reads Daniels' book. Tries “noting” but gets the same story as Goenka (sorry Tarin, I did try)
'sorry tarin'..? i didn't advise you to try noting practice. what i did suggest, however (which you also quoted in your next reply thanking me for my feedback), was the following:
tarin greco:
sounds to me like you need to learn to open your abdomen and ass more, so that the surges, rather than travelling upward and throughout your system (which actions are currently frying you), will have a larger place to go (the lower abdomen, below your navel), where the energy can collect, and percolate, and build a stable, tranquil (unproblematic) bodily bliss, and from where excess energy can travel out your pooper (root centre) into the ground. practice relaxing those areas (you may get a bit of gurgling and tenderness in these regions from doing this, particularly at first), and if the surges start showing up, make a habit of directing them down there (in order to build that really nice, calm, deep bodily bliss).
in short, connect the ground with your butt with your lower abdomen with the energy surges and everything will probably be fine.
i have here bolded one bit the middle of that text to emphasise my reason in recommended this to you.
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Howard Maxwell Clegg:
As I settle in to observing the breath at the belly chakra I notice a strong tingling sensation in that area. The teacher says that this practice draws energy to the belly chakra, I assume that this sensation is evidence of this.
your assumption is correct.
Howard Maxwell Clegg:
The impulse to breathe is particularly interesting. There appears to be a lot of anxiety around the actual “trigger”. The impulse to breathe appears automatic and physiological and is not forced but is preceded by a fair amount of mental anxiety. This obscures the clear observation of the trigger itself. My instinct is to observe the physical sensations that accompany the anxiety. This has the effect of delaying the in breath. I have observed this carefully and there appears to be no deliberate or volitional delay of the in breath, it just that this observation appears to slow it down a bit.
i think this practice, as you are reporting doing it, will gradually decrease the anxiety that precedes the impulse to breathe.
The next breath is deep, full and relaxing. However the next two or three are anxiety free but much more shallow. The cycle then repeats.
were the focus of your attention to be elsewhere, say, higher up your body at your chest or your nose, you may find these anxiety/breathing patterns problematic as more energy builds in your exercise. however, as the focus of your attention is at the most stable and calm-inducing place of your body, your abdomen (specifically, the hara), this will not be the case.
Howard Maxwell Clegg:
Something else. The anxiety and the tingling at the belly appear to be related in some way.
how have you observed them to be related?
Howard Maxwell Clegg:
Okay, I doubt that this is a big deal or anything, but any comments would be more than welcome.
Any thoughts about switching traditions? I've been doing Goenka for a long time, am I missing an opportunity?
one door closes, another opens.. if this is working for you, switch away.
tarin