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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 12:01:29 PM
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Hello everyone,
Lately, I have re-discovered the exercise for going into the gap, the space between thoughts. I
enjoy the stillness and the bliss, which brings to mind: Are we in
the gap while meditating? It seems they are one in the same.
Does anybody do this exercise outside of DM?
thanks,
nirmal |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 3:58:15 PM
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Hi Nirmal,
Yes it is an awesome practice... and should be done outside of meditation only... not to dilute the effects to meditation with any other practice. In meditation we cultivate the inner silence, we can then work with this inner silence during the rest of the day.
Self pace in the beginning... it can bring on a lot of purification at times... but then it is also a practice that can be used to dissolve the emotions that may come up due to purification.
I talked about it here: Something to try...
You can look at these for some more instructions.
http://livingunbound.net/lessons-re...p-technique/
http://livingunbound.net/lessons-re...s-technique/
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2010 : 11:47:58 AM
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Hi Shanti, I was wondering if this practise helps with negative thoughts and resoution of painful circumstances in life.? Do you have any input as to this practice?
Thanks,nirmal |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2010 : 3:48:37 PM
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Hi Nirmal,
Yes, it is a very effective practice for dissolving negative feelings/emotions.
From the topic I quoted above:
quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
The technique:
Close your eyes and think about something you are really passionate about. This is important in the beginning when you are first learning the technique. It must be something that makes you really happy (you could do it with something that makes you really angry or sad.. but it's more fun starting off with something that makes you very happy .) Now bring up the thought in your mind and just before the thought forms.. STOP.. and stay in that gap. You will feel a lot of bliss and ecstasy. Stay as long as you can in this gap.. it may be a few seconds or a few mins. Then bring the thought up in your mind... then drop the thought (let it fade away).. and just as it is fading away from your mind... Stop.. You should feel the same bliss.
As you continue with this practice the time you can stay in the gap increases. The prominence of ecstasy reduces (as with all practices) and you can actually live in pure awareness for a few mins.. no thoughts just pure bliss.
Any thoughts, emotions, feelings that bother you (the stronger the feeling the easier it is to observe how effective this technique is)... Consciously bring it up into your mind.. and just before the thought/emotion/feeling can manifest.. stop. You may have to try it a few times, but the entire thing just dissolves. You will feel yourself physically relaxing too. It comes very handy to unlearn the physical tensions that our body has not forgotten as was being discussed here.
As you get better at this, you can use it in every moment of your life. The more you use it.. the more you will start living in your inner silence. This technique is like a key that unlocks the door which gives you access to your inner silence/bliss any time of the day. It has not caused any overloads in me and actually helps calm any overloads that may happen as a result of other practices. Whatever the symptoms.. bring it up in your mind and before it manifests stop and it dissolves in the bliss. Has worked for stiff neck and back (dues to stress), slight headaches etc. When you wake up from a nightmare that scares you and you find it hard to go back to sleep.. bring up the dream and let it dissolve in the bliss. When something irritates you.. again bring it up and let it dissolve in the bliss. When you are worried, tired, stressed, sad.. really just about at any moment.. you can let it go in this bliss. It is also a great way to center yourself in awareness. Anytime during the day you find yourself mindy.. just do this technique and you will be centered in your awareness.
Just remember to let the negative feelings/emotions come up organically, don't force them. But when you experience such negative feelings bring up the feeling and before your mind can make a story out of it let it go in stillness and stay with the stillness as long as possible.. it may be 2 seconds, 2 minutes, 5 minutes.
At first letting it go into stillness may seem hard to do, what I would do it give the feeling to my ishta... let her take care of it... so any time a negative feeling/emotion arises, before we go into a mind story about how sad, how bad, how painful... give it to your ishta and tell him/her/it.. take it, its yours... and rest in the peace of not having the problem... even if it is for a split second. These moments of peace increase with time.
Let me know if this helps.
PS: If you are thinking, well how do I stop myself from mind stories when emotions and feelings are already there, and I am already feeling bad and already feeling down and mind stories are already rampant. Just remember, each moment is new, and each moment we are thinking a thought that is keeping the emotion in place... I am sad, the phone rings, I get distracted, I am not sad while I talk on the phone, then back to being by myself, I am thinking and sad again...
... so we start fresh this moment... we identify the emotion... sadness.. then we see how the though "my life is a mess" comes up... so next moment.. I am sad... "my..." stop.. drop the thought and the emotion into stillness by just stopping thinking the thought. Feel the stillness and let it expand all over. Even if it is just for a second. |
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brunoloff
Netherlands
47 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2010 : 4:48:24 PM
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Maybe it should be emphasized that (If I understood correctly), in the instructions """ "I am sad... "my..." stop.. drop the thought and the emotion into stillness by just stopping thinking the thought. Feel the stillness and let it expand all over. Even if it is just for a second. """, this is not done to block the thought from manifesting, but rather in order to enjoy the silence for a while, and then let it arise just the same (as was mentioned in the previous instructions). This will increase concentration (or inner silence) and allow one to see the thought/perception/whatever arise closer to its source, which is helpful in not identifying with the thought and then letting it go.
I believe that if the thought is blocked out, if there is any effort, forcing or strain (instead of inner silence, effortless concentration), this will feel painful and actually work against inner silence. During one of my retreats I have learned that this kind of forcing can actually produce samskaras! So the effortless, inner silence aspect is very important. (That's also why one should "easily" go back to the mantra, etc) |
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the gap
