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RE: Placement of Awareness

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Placement of Awareness
Answer
10/20/13 2:48 PM
I have found it beneficial to place the awareness at the top and bottom of spine simultaneously. This results in the energies being balanced throughout the body.

If you experiment with this, I would like to know about your experience.

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
10/20/13 3:29 PM as a reply to Change A..
split awareness technique is something I was practicing with good effects. I never read about it but thought it may have interesting effects and it had

I did it on meridians/chakras on several points on body + ocassionally something else like
it may be good to combine it with noting

quite potent technique, maybe sometimes too potent

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
10/20/13 8:01 PM as a reply to Paweł K.
Yes, I also haven't read about it but it came to my mind that it might be beneficial. I wouldn't call it split awareness though because I place the awareness simultaneously at the top and bottom of spine and then it moves to all of the body by itself. This technique stops the pressure in the body from shifting from one place to another without facing them squarely. This I think is what makes it so potent and this is why it may not be suitable for everyone.

I also find this to be quite potent technique that is why I was interested in hearing about the experience of others.

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
10/22/13 2:22 PM as a reply to Change A..
Top of the spine at the back of the head or top of the spine as top of the skull?

At times I'm drawn to a dual focus at head and hara. The head focus is usually in the center of the head at these times. Sometimes I am drawn to a tri focus of head heart and hara.

When this happens there is usually strong concentration, lots of clarity, and vivid experience of bodily energies, but I am not sure if it's a chicken and the egg kind of thing-- in other words, is the multiple points of focus the cuase or result of the depth of tranquility and clarity? Actually, it may be both, as it seems to have an intensifying effect, in that it deepens in even further like a feedback loop. Also yes, this definitely seems to enhance balance and smoothness of energy in the whole system.

Another notable thing which often accompanies this for me is the sensed expansion of the whole bodily field past the limits of the skin, as if there is spherical tactile field beyond the body, or more commonly, one spherical field for each of the foci, which overlap.

So, where exactly do you place the attention at the top of the spine? In the back of the neck or in the skull somewhere?

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
10/22/13 9:35 PM as a reply to . Jake ..
In the back of the neck where the spine meets the skull.

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
10/23/13 7:20 AM as a reply to Change A..
Interesting, thanks.

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
3/8/14 12:18 PM as a reply to . Jake ..
good stuff, harmonize the upper and lower dantiens

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
3/8/14 2:10 PM as a reply to Dan Cooney.
"Where conciousness goes, qi/ki follows."

Anonymous quote used a lot in shiatsu circles

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
3/9/14 6:07 AM as a reply to Change A..
I once heard Thanissaro Bhikkhu discuss this method in one of his talks. He said that his teacher went off to meditate on his own in a cave and was feeling very sick with no one to help so he started experimenting with this method and was able to balance the energies in his body.
Thanissaro recommends it when the mind is very agitated and restless. I found it to be useful.

RE: Placement of Awareness
Answer
9/7/14 3:01 PM as a reply to Change A..
Change A.:
I have found it beneficial to place the awareness at the top and bottom of spine simultaneously. This results in the energies being balanced throughout the body.

In addition to placing the awarenes at the top and bottom of spine, if it is placed on the right and left side of the spine simultaneously as well and then the breathing is relaxed (no additional muscles being used other than those needed for inhalation and exhalation), then that results in total relaxation.