Week 2 practice

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  • #130693

    Anonymous
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    Are we supposed to COMBINE the two weeks’ work in ONE session? I thought Week One’s work was for the first week and we then moved on to Week Two’s work. No?

    #130694

    Anonymous
    Guest

    I’m glad I read this thread, because I was under the impression we were only supposed to count to 10 ONCE…and we could take up to 20 minutes to do it ONCE if that’s what it took.

    I didn’t hear Bruce say that we were supposed to keep doing it for the full 20 minutes regardless of our success.

    Maybe I was spacing out when he was giving instructions!

    #130695

    Anonymous
    Guest

    I dunno if anyone is active here but maybe this will be seen and responded to…

    I have been counting in the gap. I do not count “ooooonnnnneeee” for the half breath, I start at zero, with the beginning of the exhale, and on the inhale I count one. Silence. breath breath two.

    Maybe someone has an opinion to share. I chose this way because I wanted silence.

    I use beads for counting. Today, as I sat and counted, I could feel my awareness. I trained awareness to the breath, but when it was time to count and move the bead, a flash of something to the hand always occurred. with time this effect lessened and the breath was predominant, but it did not disappear.

    Today, I saw (mind?) with (awareness?) and wanted to share the phenomenon

    #130696

    Anonymous
    Guest

    Hi Brady,

    When you’re counting the gap, is this how you interpreted what Bruce talks about in the audio as ‘inhale exhale – 1, inhale exhale -2, etc.’?
    When you saw mind, what did you feel?

    #130697

    Anonymous
    Guest

    To follow-along on your confirmation question… an issue being gapping (distraction-loss of focus) can either happen: poof, or a more gradual harder to notice… also the return can be a poof (where was I), or return gradually (thus not recognize you return, thus assume you never lost focus).

    If you disperse gradual, and moments or mimutes later.. even a few seconds of a breath return and not realize you ever left, and thus assume (know) that you’ve been focused.

    (there are different methods as you train your self.. using beads to count, is not actually counting- as you don’t need to retain the number and increment it– you just more the bead.. plus breathing and counting is already shifting focus.. but so easy in what “seems” life Presence, and yet as you shift from feeling your fingers, and then moving beads, as well as any other way the attention shifts and moves, that there is a break, fracture.. vs a continuum.

    …..
    My interpretation is not that in the material that Bruce gave the impression of going onnnnnnnneeeee to fill up the entire time, but different views (also how you work the process now, may not be the same as how you would/will as you develop skill). just some thoughts.

    — to end with Agustins:
    <<< When you saw mind, what did you feel? <<<

    mind as being what created-forms thoughts, not the reaction-result of thoughts.. let alone the eye-tension space (when you look-around, or “listen” is that thought to be mind?) — above just to add to questioning, not to impose my thoughts.. does that change how you perceive?

    #130698

    Anonymous
    Guest

    I want to make sure I understand. Mind creates the thought that would say I saw mind instead of a person perceiving mind?
    If so, it would change my perception at the time.

    #130699

    Anonymous
    Guest

    Does anyone notice that they more relaxed they become while counting the easier it is to get spacey?
    In the audio, which I need to listen to again, there was talk about distraction coming up due to tension (mental or physical). However, it seems like the less tension I feel the more loopy I become, is loopy and distracted two different things?

    #130700

    Anonymous
    Guest

    Just from my perspective of what I found (it may not be so for others)- that corresponded to two things-

    both base-doings learned with tension (as in look around and pay attention, I’d learned to do, nervous-system wise, with tension) -so release that, it collapses, not because it needed to..
    but just as “standing, or sitting” with less and less “Holding” one will fall-down, or at least lean, until alignments.. then just “stack up” let go more, etc….

    Also the let-go “inside my skull” shifted my eyeballs, brain stem area, scalp and showed how much tension, and pulling all into the “right place”.. as let-go, it pulled to where it would go, elastically-relaxed, which was/is off (which feels “tired” sleepy, per this out of connection)

    [over time this last one adjusted, just like any other “alignment”, or opening breathing, etc. The others shifted also, as I learned “new habit-patterns” of the nervous system, as could sit and look, or breathe and pay attention, in a state baseline of more relaxed (and then more, progressively), I could “Run that Program” (so to speak). ]

    The other is recognizing what we are “doing” and then represing /covering up (this circle’s “exercises” develop the skills to hear more quiet, the ignored/covered over parts) .. ie once you relax more, whatever was/is underneath is still active (until it isn’t).. [sort of like the alignments thing above, relaxed pulled out of position.. but functions, like are you in a relaxed state of presence? or Perhaps there is an action that is dispersing you (baseline: scattering), and then on that you “pull yourself together”… for ex]

    The question, is your base state one that you assume is fogging and all over, until it is “controlled” (something needs to be layered upon and fix it) – or – is the baseline the most clear and natural? (I think this is a big thing to tap and realize, not “decide” what you wish you believed….) -related to that, and above: when working on wood, something that was painted and is cracked/worn.. putting a layer of paint on top (even it is “wood colored” maybe even painted with the woodgrain pattern) is not the same as removing the old paint -perhaps sanding down.. then can leave wood finish, or put a “new” layer of paint…. (what is your sub belief that would entail? – not that your “thoughts” or subcon impulses are, or are not, “True”… just that will shape how you react…
    /////////////////
    Also I’d say- distracted has two different aspects- consciously (or even precognitive) you can feel your attention jump, narrow, or just shift to something “else” than you were focusing-on… (more than what is being shined upon, does the light-bulb dim? or does it change where the light it was/is emitting is directing?)
    secondly- an extension of above- the subcon does something, or likewise the overall presence drops/shifts.. (this is like being in a canoe, and sensing the that water under the floor of your boat has changed how it is flowing… takes a degree of presence to subtler all ready)…

    ….. A key is whether the thread of (oh, what was I just thinking? now, and before, but there is a something in-between, a moment ago, that I lost…. -but at least in this you notice… to actually drift and return, and not notice, that is distraction also… Can you look at a memory and recognize distraction? I think so, but trickier until more subcon aware…

    at first it only by noticing _In-the-Moment_ when it blips (with the working hypothesis that “blanking out” isn’t part of what we are practicing, some methods teach that is part of the method.) and catch your self— this is easier to notice is movement, like taichi -say Circling hands, as Bruce teaches- shown on YouTube videos.. as the physical movement will wobble when you drift, even for a moment… while sit and space out may not… but either of those is a distraction (more outwardly concrete, so we’ve done it.. but literally sitting is “easier” as more direct)

    ~~~~~~~~~~~
    As he says in the course “Where” did your mind go? (and what does this reveal about your nature of mind.. if something shifts, and you don’t sense you did it.. but we believe “I” am the center from which I act&sense.. does that mean “I” am an action of that? is that “That” me? -how is the looking focusing upon-within, without creating a thought of what I think, or even of what I sense? stay with the contact, and not need to recreate-reForm-ulate)
    Slight diversion there in that last paragraph, but either is further conclusions that (might) be found… or pehaps contextualizes the first part. Just some thoughts- luck in your practice

    #130701

    Anonymous
    Guest

    “The question, is your base state one that you assume is fogging and all over, until it is “controlled” (something needs to be layered upon and fix it) – or – is the baseline the most clear and natural? (I think this is a big thing to tap and realize, not “decide” what you wish you believed….) -related to that, and above: when working on wood, something that was painted and is cracked/worn.. putting a layer of paint on top (even it is “wood colored” maybe even painted with the woodgrain pattern) is not the same as removing the old paint -perhaps sanding down.. then can leave wood finish, or put a “new” layer of paint…. (what is your sub belief that would entail? – not that your “thoughts” or subcon impulses are, or are not, “True”… just that will shape how you react…”

    Just to make sure I understand what you wrote there:
    Right now, I can’t be sure that spacing out is or is not my baseline consciousness, until I understand more of how ‘I’ am when I’m just relaxed or just ‘being’

    Also I’d say- distracted has two different aspects- consciously (or even precognitive) you can feel your attention jump, narrow, or just shift to something “else” than you were focusing-on… (more than what is being shined upon, does the light-bulb dim? or does it change where the light it was/is emitting is directing?)
    secondly- an extension of above- the subcon does something, or likewise the overall presence drops/shifts.. (this is like being in a canoe, and sensing the that water under the floor of your boat has changed how it is flowing… takes a degree of presence to subtler all ready)…


    It is definitely the latter, where the mind just ‘randomly’ (Not sure if it’s random or not) focuses on something different than the counting or the part of my head etc.

    Thank you for the depth of your response.

    #130702

    Anonymous
    Guest

    Thx for your reply and your appreciation (you are most welcome).. good luck in what you may continue to find…..
    -I might suggest, that as much as the mind wants (like an addiction) to close-off/done a question.. “Ok thats the answer, got it.” .. vs returning (perhaps regularly) to re-eval that.. over time..

    Perhaps what I wrote in that may, or may not, be worth that, but as the pointers/questions that Bruce presents will be reinterpreted (understood in different ways) as you reflect again, weeks (months.. longer) later.. I wonder what you might find -with changes that are/will develop from practice — and whether that might change (or elaborate upon) what you wrote… (not so much a different view, but ‘more’ meta so-to-speak).

    luck

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