6
votes
Why does my mind feel slow to think nearly half day after my meditation?
Re: mind feeling "very slow", "very slow to think of anything" -- when someone tells you something, can you reply immediately without thinking? That's a sign of good meditation.
If your "very slow to ...
- 58.3k
6
votes
Is watching the heart beat (instead of watching the breath) a known form of meditation?
The Wings to Awakening by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, on page 83 says,
There is the case where a monk—having gone to the wilderness, to the foot
of a tree, or to an empty building—sits down folding his ...
6
votes
Accepted
Is watching the heart beat (instead of watching the breath) a known form of meditation?
The only time I've seen the heart-beat mentioned in a similar context, is when Trungpa Rinpoche discussed beginner-level practice:
...Usually hinayana-level student works with reality using ...
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5
votes
Accepted
What happens to my body when I breathe out?
There are a few mental cultivation techniques which involve breathing. E.g. there is Paranayama which pre-dates Buddhism. Here you do try to regulate the breath.
In Anapana there is no regulation of ...
5
votes
Why does my mind feel slow to think nearly half day after my meditation?
If "slow to think of anything" means less distracted thoughts then that's good. But if that means your overall awareness/mindfulness decreases instead of increases then you might want to check your ...
- 9,707
5
votes
The object of meditation
The focus of this meditation is breath. Keep coming back to that. I recommend you seek out some in-person meditation instruction - it will really help your meditation.
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5
votes
Accepted
Normal Deep Breathing vs Buddhism Basic Meditation
Difference is one doesn't "force" his breathing in meditation to be long or short, deep or shallow. One's just "aware" of their in and out breaths. If it's a long one, s/he's aware ...
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4
votes
What other suttas instruct how to do Anapanasati, apart from the Anapanasati Sutta?
MN62 Maha-Rahulovada Sutta is one of them.
"[1] Breathing in long, he discerns, 'I am breathing in long'; or
breathing out long, he discerns, 'I am breathing out long.' [2] Or
breathing in ...
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4
votes
Accepted
To what extent can Ānāpānasati be related to Vipassanā?
Anapanasati is divided into 4 tetrads which correspond to the 4 Satipatthana hence the pratice of Anapanasati is actually a forms of Satipatthana / Vipassana. A thorough introduction to Anapanasati ...
4
votes
Accepted
Beginner Buddhist Breathing?
In my opinion (and there are definitely different schools of thought here), the significance of this practice derives from the fact that breathing is the most direct connection between our normal ...
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3
votes
Accepted
Shamata - attention on upper lip, diaphragm or belly?
Well it depends on the teacher who is guiding you. If you do have a teacher go by what he instructs.
One of interpretations focul point (as in the original teaching as well as the most effective ...
3
votes
What to focus on between breaths
I would advise labeling the in and out-breath by using the same name (for instance just 'breath'). In time, you will be able to observe the whole in and out-breath, including the moment in between, as ...
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3
votes
In the Anapanasati Sutta what is meant by 'sensitive to rapture/bliss'?
Towards the later stages of the meditation you come to a stage where you are fully concentrated on the breath. Your concentration is very high. Rapturous joy, calm, and peace of mind are incredible ...
- 9,695
3
votes
Body feels like crying
Welcome to the site.
There are (many) people on this site who have practised meditation themselves, but perhaps there's no-one who is very experienced as a teacher of meditation? It seems to me that ...
- 46.3k
3
votes
Faintness of Object of Meditation
As far as I've been taught (specifically by Richard Shankman), it's fine to pick a place where the breath is strongest for you (for example the rise and fall of the chest), rather than one proscribed ...
- 161
3
votes
More self control - Beginners
The short answer is BE WISE. BE PURE IN DEED, SPEECH AND THOUGHT.
The wise are controlled in deed, they are controlled in speech, they are controlled in thought. Only if you could stay heedful, would ...
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3
votes
Accepted
Meditation - how to breathe naturally?
I bicycle regularly so maybe I'm good at breathing (get a good amount of oxygen from each breath).
If I sit at rest I seem to need about 4 breaths per minutes. Apparently that's abnormal (maybe even ...
- 46.3k
3
votes
Observing the breath vs Pranayama
Calm down the mind - breath is indicator of mind state.
https://plumvillage.org/sutra/discourse-on-the-full-awareness-of-breathing/
‘Breathing in a long breath, I know I am breathing in a long ...
- 58.3k
3
votes
How to differentiate between natural vs artificial breathing pattern during meditation?
If your aim is vipassana then what forced the breath? If the breath is forced or not forced that is what is and can just be witnessed mindfuly as it happens. If the breath was seemingly controlled by ...
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3
votes
When I focus on my breath, it becomes shallow
Doesn’t matter if your breath is deep or shallow. Just let it do what it wants to do. If you force it, you are introducing volition. All that’s going to do is lead to tension and doubt. Just let ...
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2
votes
Is it OK to mentally multi-task during vipassana meditation?
Multi-tasking is an illusion... I have read that the mind and the senses are like a monkey sticking its head out six different windows rapidly in succession.
A great lama once told me that trying ...
2
votes
Accepted
How does one calm one's bodily fabrications?
Friend Suminda,
The bodily fabrication, i.e. the in & out breath, is said to calm considerably as one progresses through the first 3 steps mentioned in the Anapanasati Sutta, and it does.
The ...
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2
votes
How to breathe?
you have to switch to sensations
Anapanasati is broken into 4 tetrads out of which the 2nd tetrad is Contemplation of the Feeling. Once you are in step 4 and moving to step 5 you are moving from ...
2
votes
Why sitting meditation, and is vippasana and breath meditation sufficient?
Breath meditation, vipassana and Samadhi meditation are two sides of the coin. Breath meditation is about focused attention that quiets the mind of chatter and noise. It's as if you let a muddy pool ...
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