Damian's Logbook

Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/9/21 5:55 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/9/21 5:53 AM

Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
Hello and welcome

advice and support most welcome
  1. ​​​​​​​After years of spiritual by passing from Advaita Vedanta and yoga asana decided something was a miss
  2. the last 18 months been counting 1 to 10 breathes zen style 
  3. I did 5 years TT with iyengar yoga but learnt most when I gave that up and learnt most when I was when I was by myself in a room with texts and youtube clips.  Have decided to do this with learning meditation the mahasai sayadaw method
  4. after reading Daniels auto biographical section in  MTCB he said to a great place to learn from the book Practical Insight Meditation book, so i will use this as a bible.
  5. I found what look like another great reference by mahasai sayadaw is his book The Mannual of Insight, does anyone know much about this???
  6. I am currently doing and starting now with the Mahasai Sayadaw method with 30 mins sitting with 20 minutes asana and 10 minutes at night.
  7. I have been putting off starting doing his method beause a fear of loneliness from sitting in a room by myself.
  8. I would like to hear from others on how best to navigate and learn this method. 
  9.  
​​​​​​​thanks Damian
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/9/21 6:33 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/9/21 6:33 AM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
001 09102021 20 mins sit
  1. felt tension in the body and head because thinking about if doing the technic correctly
  2. after 10 mins suspension of breathe on the exhalation for 4-5 seconds and the eyes twitching under the eyelids this last a few minutes only
  3. after this alot of thoughts started to come until the time finished.
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/9/21 5:16 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/9/21 5:16 PM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
002 10102021

lotus sitting

20 mins

Mahasai Sayadaw Basic Exercise 1
  • hard to concentrate, thoughts coming throughs
  • few second moments marked by suspension of breathe on the exhalation and less thoughts
  • no pain in legs, when come out of it feel pins an needles tops of feet both sides, little bit of pressure on the knees.  During the meditation legs feel ok
  • drift off thoughts - pretend conversation with someone, hearing an external noise
  • Body - feel different tension in the body (around eyes, lips, shoulders, abdomen, lower back) then release tension when aware of it, releases when directed awareness finds it
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/10/21 4:54 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/10/21 4:54 AM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
003 10102021

zafu

20 mins

Mahasai Sayadaw Basic Exercise 2
  1. noise at start made it hard to focus
  2. no real suspension of breathe
  3. after 10 mins was loosing the sense of the boundary ot the front of th body but back of the body could still sense the boundary
  4. thoughts coming in 
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/10/21 3:06 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/10/21 3:06 PM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
004 11102021

zafu

40 mins

Mahasai Sayadaw Basic Exercise 2
  1. legs felt a bit sore from yesterday padmasana
  2. there was suspension of breaththat ranged from 5 - 20 seconds.  It seemed to last for a few mins then go back to regular soft breathe then start again.  Just before I finished that was the longested gaps.
  3. thougths coming in labeling then going back to rising and falling of abdomen
  4. state of not firm boundaries around the body
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/11/21 3:14 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/11/21 3:14 PM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
sat last night and this morning...feeling rushed went to bed later and running late for work this morning

                          read through the exercises i dont see much difference.  Will need to study them ore closely.
Alot of thougths this morning, excitement type thoughts.  Tension in the body

I found out that sayadaw u pandita jr lives less than an hour from my house.  I decided on Sunday night to committ to the Mahasai Sayadaw method and have been wanting a teacher for some time now.  I called the retreat place where he lives, will go visit him when the lockdown finishes.  I found out that he lives in Melbourne from Daniels website https://www.integrateddaniel.info/links.
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/13/21 4:56 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/13/21 4:56 AM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
been doing similiar sits of 40 mins in the morning and 20 mins at night

Practicing off the Practice Insight Meditation book

looking at the differences from:

exercise 1

note rise and fall of abdomen - at first i was trying to following the breathe up from the adomen to the nostrils and I was getting confused with the "rising" and "falling" .  Aware of the rising and falling only

exercise 2

Mental functions - noting the mental of movements then back to exercise 1.

Exercise 3

Physical noting - note physical tiredness and stiffness.  Noting of pain and discomfort.
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/16/21 4:44 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/16/21 4:44 AM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
16/10/2021

continuing with 40 min morning and 20 min night sits

noticing how what happening during the day then influences the deepth of what occurs in terms of the amount thoughts that came through in the night sit.

Ex 4 talks about questioning the validity of the practice and having the associated doubts.  This sometimes comes through as the noting that occurs during the day was strong on the first few days now I there can be an hour gap between noting.

I think I will loose my job in two weeks as I am not going to get the vax.  This has caused some anxiety.  I have looked at starting my own business that has also brought up anxiety as I doubt my own ability to do this.  
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Kaloyan Stefanov, modified 3 Years ago at 10/18/21 6:04 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/18/21 6:04 AM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 83 Join Date: 2/18/21 Recent Posts
Hey Damian, thanks for sharing your practice and experiences! Just came in to say that it sucks that you are under pressure to get Vax in order to keep your job - I hope your life situation resolves in a positive way! 
Likewise on your practice - I hope you progress well for your own benefit and the benefit of others! Let us know if you are struggling with something or would need some advice and support!
All the best
​​​​​​​Kaloyan
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/18/21 4:44 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/18/21 4:44 PM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
HI @kaloyan

thanks for your message!

I am just starting with Mahasai Sayadaw method.  I go through these 4 exercises.  My concentrations is not very good.  In ex 4 he talks about doubt and I am experiencing that.

I am starting at the correct place with these 4 exercises?  I picked this up out of Daniels auto part at the end of his book.

How do I get an overal view of understanding on what some of the people are talkign about in there way of doing their meditations in the logs that I read here on this website?

thanks again for reaching out  I really appreciate it
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Kaloyan Stefanov, modified 3 Years ago at 10/25/21 5:44 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/25/21 5:44 AM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 83 Join Date: 2/18/21 Recent Posts
Hey Damian, a lot of people start out with Noting and find it beneficial. Mahasi's book is as good a guide on it as anything. Good concentration is not a requirement for Noting / Vipassana per se, although of course it helps.

In terms of other people's logs - I would look into people who are also doing noting.

E.g. this is Papa Che Dusko (another team member) doing noting outloud, freestyle (i.e. he makes up the notes a bit on the go)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcoN5atRTOI&t=177s

How does the practice feel like to you? In what sense are you experiencing doubt? Doubt that the practice is working for you or in another way?
Damian Clark, modified 3 Years ago at 10/25/21 3:32 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/25/21 3:32 PM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 19 Join Date: 9/21/21 Recent Posts
HI Kaloyan,

thanks for your message above.

Doubt yes because slipping into day dreams that last a few seconds.  Doubt in that others expereince these other deeper states and I dont.

But in saying that i feel things have got better this week.  That is due to meeting with Sayadaw U Pandita Jnr that lives about 40 mins away.  I was with him for 4 hours on saturday. This experience was so amazing as it was only him and me.  He spoke to me for an hour then showed me walking mediation then sitting.  What I love about one on one instruction is the detailed adjustments that can be given.  He did this with both during the walkign and sitting meditation.  I am going back to see him this coming Saturday again.  I feel very fortunate to be living in Melbourne Australia and have a Sayadaw that lives only 40 mins away.

Thanks for the above link will have a look.
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Kaloyan Stefanov, modified 3 Years ago at 10/26/21 5:48 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 10/26/21 5:48 AM

RE: Damian's Logbook

Posts: 83 Join Date: 2/18/21 Recent Posts
Amazing!!! It sounds like you are in good hands with Sayadaw U Pandita Jnr emoticon

And if you slip into daydreams, you can note "daydreaming" once you are back into it. Objective is not to never slip into daydreaming, but to note/notice every thought and sensations (or as many of these as possible) including thoughts which we would label as daydreaming!

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