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I’m just wondering how everyone is counting. I’ve been counting internally and not using my fingers. I find counting physically really distracting. I know Bruce hasn’t specifically mentioned it lately. What are you all doing?
I’ve been wrestling with the counting thing too, Matthew. I’ve been alternating between counting on the fingers, and not counting at all lately, because like you I find the extra movement kind of distracting. I approached it from this angle: Bruce never explains exactly why the counting is there. When I thought about it, it seems most likely that the counting is meant as an aid to staying present – it’s some sort of marker by which you can more easily judge when you have drifted off, and for how long. But since I have been meditating for awhile, I don’t find it too difficult to stay with my body, and the counting seems to become just another distraction.
So I figured if it is a device that’s supposed to help, and if it’s not helping, there should be no harm in ditching it. I’ve tried to create a balance of doing it sometimes with the counting, sometimes without. But I lean more and more towards not counting lately.
………I’m using beads to count – I find the additional tactile activity helps me stay present, and helps me to be aware of emerging distraction, somehow I notice that I’m beginning to loose count coincident with distraction. I’ve a few sets of beads, my favourite being an antique mala of Tibetan shaman nut shells, black with age and somehow resonant with a sense of previous meditative practice. With month 8 week 1, I’m finding it a challenge to count 3 sets of 10 breaths and then include counting 3 breaths with flexion to the spleen, 3 to the centre and 3 bending to the liver etc.! Sometimes I forget the beads and make do without – I also occasionally leave out counting – and when I do this my practice has a different flavour.
I strung together a set of 30 beads on a string with a small knot between the sets of 10. That way I can go along that line of 30 and either complete all of them or stop whenever I choose and begin again in the opposite direction. It’s not as rigid as keeping track of the sets but seems to keep me in the present moment.
Thank you for this good question allowing me to check my degenerate counting practice which presently leads to distraction using physically only the fingers.
The starting point was otherwise and counting with the fingers only a relief compared to mantras, breath counting and using beads.
The aim is to heighten your presence in body and mind and getting over the time an undisturbed concentration with open eyes and even fighting situations.Here are eye closing mantras and beads and centering on counting the breath as means against distraction not flexible enough and may cause insufficient relaxation, tension and sress binding to much energy in more unconscious dreamy behaviour.
This was convincing for me also in the results but I lost the track by to much upcoming distracting stuff in the spine and liver. Counting is this way presently rather mechanical lacking concetration which shall be achieved by moving the fingers nearer to the physiological processes then mentally doing mantras and such counting. Presence is lacking this way.
But I had it already concurring also with other traditions, massages etc. Why I cannot describe in this moment. But my feeling and remembrance allows a new attempt. Intention to get concentrated this way is surely very important.
Thank you again Matthew for your good question.
Axel
Beads and fingers. Hard not to do it my head. Sometimes I just let the counting go. In some of my sessions I’ve being using Bruce’s chants which give me a bit different intention and presence.
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