Hard to breathe

[Nay]

Owskie, can you explain it a little bit more?  Was your heart starting to beat real fast and your breathing getting faster?
Anytime you start to feel uncomfortable, don't continue!  You will start to associate that discomfort with having a AP, hendering your next attempts.  You can go do something else for awhile then try again.  

Nay. []

[jilola]

Sometimes, especially in the beginning stages of meditation, one can subconsciously tense the muscles in the chest area due to trying too hard or expecting something to happen.
If you notice you're becoming tense, take a break, do some relaxation excersizes and try again.

Also, sometimes the body position can be such as to obstruct natural breathing.

2cents & L&L
jouni

[Reason]

I have difficulty breathing when meditating sometimes.  It goes like this.  Say I want 50 percent of my total inhale possible.  Once I get to 30% it starts getting hard, where I have to put extra effort in to get to 50%.  Anyone else have that problem?

[Nay]

Reason,  You shouldn't force yourself to breath unaturally, just breath however it feels comfortable.  
When you are breathing, instead of your chest rising your stomach should rise, you might find you can get more air in this way.

Good-luck,
Nay. []

[Tayesin]

Hi, Owskie, I used to have the same trouble many years ago.  Are you laying down to do the meditation?  What I learned about not being able to breath was that it is fear based. I used breath control techniques to bring me to the point of 'almost out' and I couldn't breath.  My chest seemed as if it was too full!

In the end, I dumped that method and tried relaxing and placing my focus on a spot just outside of my forehead.  It worked many times.

The fear that brings this difficulty in breathing is twofold, firstly, you need to let go of the need to control your breathing if that is what you are doing, and secondly, to let go of the need to control yourself because you are uncertain of what will happen.  Both of these are normal fears for people desiring to Astral Travel and most people will just work through it anyway.

So have no fear, but have a lot of fun with it, coz it is fun! []

Love always.

[jc84corvette]

Hmm I NEVER had to deal w/ this issue. Just being relaxed does it.

[Owskie]

I was meditating last night and it became hard to breath. i tried to let it go but it lasted a long time and i freaked out and sat up.
what does this mean?