Hello,

I used in a couple of session a day everyday for a couple of months almost always reach up to the 2nd Jhana with ease and now after more than a week practicing 3-4 hours a day (not in one sit), I hardly even get close to be "near" jhana if at all,

I don't know what happened, my concentration is very high, I am really the whole time on the breath and I hardly get distracted and if I do instantly I am on the breath again! in fact my concentration is much higher than the times I was absorbed in Jhana.. really my mind is very still.

Even manipulations hardly helps anymore,

Anyone knows what the reasons can be? any one with familiar experience?

Hi Julian,

Where do you follow the breath?

How does your body feel?

Wild guesses/hints:

• If the breath sensation is very narrowly localized or "small", widen it. Find breath sensations in other parts of the body. Or pretend that your entire body is lung tissue, and "breathe" through it all.
• If you are tense, relax. Relax with the in-breath, relax with the out-breath. If you feel unsure how to do that, imagine yourself to be heavy, sinking into whatever it is you are sitting or reclining or standing on.
• If you notice a nice relaxed sensation, maybe heaviness and/or warmth and/or tingling, "breathe through/into/with" that.

Note: these correspond to steps 3 through 5 in this ancient meditation manual.

Cheers,
Florian

Hey Florian,

I follow the breath at the nostrils, I follow the sensations of air that touches the nose/nostrils and I move with the air as a wave wherever it goes, sometimes its more narrowed and small and sometimes the air sensation is felt a bit more widen, either way I follow the sensations and breath/air itself as a wave.

My body feels quite relax I would say, sometimes I come near Jhana territory and feel energy through my body (not exactly piti and sukha) but some other flavor which is nice by itself.
Yeah that what I have been doing, trying to "sink" it's a sort of surrendering but staying with the breath always..

Thanks for the tips, I will try and see where it takes me

Just guessing blindly. Take what's useful.

If you like, make a formal resolve to reach Jhana before you sit. Dedicate whatever good comes from your meditation to whatever worthy cause you can think of.

Cheers,
Florian