Hi everyone :-)
I try to induce some relaxation every night before sleep and always when I wake up.
But in fact I always get really agitated when I try to stay relaxed while I lie on my back and try to concentrate on getting my body asleep while my mind stays awake.
I always get the need to change my position and can not really stay long in one posture.
Thx for some help :)
That's something that really can only be overcome by practicing.
It kinda sounds like you haven't been doing this for very long. :)
Yes, you are right. I'm doing this now for about 2 weeks :-)
Good to know that it is possible to get over this nervousness :-)
Dear 029,
I don't believe that there is such a thing as learning relaxation. If the right attitude is naturally present in the practitioner, he will succeed day 1.
I think that troubles encountered in the initial stages often have to do with a lack of discipline in thought-control. Especially when the subconscious is troubled a lot due to life circumstances for example, the meditator must (always) retain a very tight focus while at the same time releasing as much tension as possible. However, the meditator must not only learn to focus relentlessly but also to not seek bodily or mental comfort or he will get dependant on them.
There are a lot of bodily signals such as rolling over, getting up, to-do stuff, thoughtforms etc. often times encountered during the initial stages in a meditation session and these must be ignored and most of the time they will eventually fade and leave the meditator in peace. It is like passing through a very dark tunnel with temptations, horrors and other distractions left and right that eventually leads to an opening into bright white tranquility.
At some point during meditation the body hits a very distinct switch into a mode of shutting down.
From that point on the body may produce either signals of very intense comfort or discomfort and there it is especially important to keep a very tight focus and ignore these sensations - that is neither be bothered by them nor giving in to them.
kind regards,
Paul
QuoteI don't believe that there is such a thing as learning relaxation.
I know many, many people who need to learn to relax. And many people need some sort of help to relax, like a drink or a massage, so learning to do it on your own can be tricky for some. And a lot of people use sleep as their main source of relaxation, which isn't the same thing. If you think about it, restless thoughts are one of the primary distractions of relaxation, so taming your thinking is also necessary for good relaxation. It takes practice.
I believe that relaxation is a skill more people need to take the time to learn. It's healthy.
That urge to move can be remedied by learning to relax more fully.
What it is though is your body basically doing a check to see if your mind is asleep yet. If that's the case then the body takes the hint and goes to sleep. When you're awake and trying to induce deep states of trance your body can get confused and think it's time to sleep so it checks with your brain by generating an uncomfortable urge to move. If you give in and move then your body stays awake.
However, that doesn't mean that your attempted relaxation, AP, trance, etc. is ruined. Chances are you're still relaxed and in a trance state, you just might have to back step a few minutes and keep going.
The more you do it, the more you can ignore, like if your face itches. Early in trance you might scratch it, but later in trance can ruin a good attempt to project. So you gradually get used to it and learn how to disregard an otherwise unpleasant experience.
Good posts by Tiny and Stookie above, and I'd like to add that it is natural to experience a "resistance" initially, as the body fights back to put you back on the rails of habit. So learning relaxation or meditation is just like learning to overcome any other habit. If you wish to call that learning.
It needs a dedication similar to that needed for say, muscle training. You lift weights every alternate day and go on increasing the weight every week, and you do this for months and months to form a decent body. Just like a weight trainer starts with small weights initially, a meditator should start small, like simply sitting still for 30 min or stopping the thought train while washing dishes. You'd find that even these small tasks are very difficult for a starter.
The trick here is to consciously and attentively (but softly) watch in your mind, these distractions/feelings/thoughts/sensations etc as they arise and their kinetics. You will find that simply observing them like this makes them disappear without a need to react. The moment you lose your attention, these habitual entities shall take over and you will find yourself reacting.
Once you have some command over doing it willfully, you should attempt longer sessions and finally dedicated sessions. I personally don't recommend bed time to do this, but if it floats your boat go ahead. The best time to meditate (even for a seasoned meditator) is early in the morning. Get up earlier than usual, say an hour and half earlier and do your routine stuff, then go back to bed or sofa to meditate. You will find that its easier this way, not much discomfort or agitation.
Initially you may fall asleep while meditating, its ok. With practice you will spend longer and longer in trance before falling asleep. With time you will be able to meditate at any time of the day, in any posture and all sorts of surroundings.
Quote from: Stookie on March 30, 2010, 11:38:04
I know many, many people who need to learn to relax. And many people need some sort of help to relax, like a drink or a massage, so learning to do it on your own can be tricky for some. And a lot of people use sleep as their main source of relaxation, which isn't the same thing. If you think about it, restless thoughts are one of the primary distractions of relaxation, so taming your thinking is also necessary for good relaxation. It takes practice.
I believe that relaxation is a skill more people need to take the time to learn. It's healthy.
Dear Stookie,
to put my point a little bolder - I wanted to point out that one doesn't relax or choose to relax, the body and it's chemistry do. Discipline in focus (self-hypnosis) usually will cause the body to decide to go into shut down mode and relax eventually no matter what time of the day.
kind regards,
Paul
Quote from: 029 on March 29, 2010, 15:02:00
Hi everyone :-)
I try to induce some relaxation every night before sleep and always when I wake up.
What do you do, and why when you get up?
QuoteBut in fact I always get really agitated when I try to stay relaxed while I lie on my back and try to concentrate on getting my body asleep while my mind stays awake.
There are techniques for that.
QuoteI always get the need to change my position and can not really stay long in one posture.
Almost besides the point, you're not supposed to stay still for long periods of time. So you should move while you're not in deep trance, and then when you're almost asleep (but not quite) then intend to not move.
At first thanks to all who answered so fast. I today had some effort in ignoring this uncomfortness prior to my further relaxation /meditation exercise, even when I felt asleep during this. After my afternoon exercise I realized how importand this training and the well-being it creates in me got for me and that experiences and excoursions in this area of human potential are a central issue in my life.
Quote from: CFTraveler on March 30, 2010, 15:26:00
What do you do, and why when you get up? There are techniques for that. Almost besides the point, you're not supposed to stay still for long periods of time. So you should move while you're not in deep trance, and then when you're almost asleep (but not quite) then intend to not move.
After awaking in the morning I try to let my body unmoved and start to say a mantra in my thoughts for giving my mind something to do.
Since some months I try to fetch some sleep also in the afternoon and so this sort of meditation after this too :-)
Stay centered.
Relaxing is not a task or a chore, you must take it like a pleasure, an enjoyment, an exploration of yourself.
Quote from: vladjackguy on March 30, 2010, 17:21:18
Stay centered.
Relaxing is not a task or a chore, you must take it like a pleasure, an enjoyment, an exploration of yourself.
Vlad speaks the truth, twenty-nine. (did you watch The Prisoner?)
Quote from: 029 on March 30, 2010, 17:15:58
After awaking in the morning I try to let my body unmoved and start to say a mantra in my thoughts for giving my mind something to do.
Since some months I try to fetch some sleep also in the afternoon and so this sort of meditation after this too :-)
If waking up and staying still is still focusing your attention too much in your body, instead of keeping it in your mind, try getting up earlier, so that the amount of sleepiness helps get you back into a deeper trance.
Quote from: CFTraveler on March 30, 2010, 19:14:17
Vlad speaks the truth, twenty-nine. (did you watch The Prisoner?)
If waking up and staying still is still focusing your attention too much in your body, instead of keeping it in your mind, try getting up earlier, so that the amount of sleepiness helps get you back into a deeper trance.
The Prisoner is rellay unknown to me :-)
I took my nick because some days ago it came to my mind that the english spelled "zero to nine" sounds like the neurotransmitter serotonine, which amongst other things makes people happy and keeps them in good mood :-D
Quote from: 029 on March 31, 2010, 04:27:19
The Prisoner is rellay unknown to me :-)
It was an old (and remade, I liked the new version better) science fiction show about (generally) people that were given numbers instead of names. This is very general and somewhat misleading, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who wants to see it.
QuoteI took my nick because some days ago it came to my mind that the english spelled "zero to nine" sounds like the neurotransmitter serotonine, which amongst other things makes people happy and keeps them in good mood :-D
Very cool.