Ana Maria, Have you taken this online course or known anyone who has? If so, could you comment on its value as it relates to effectively learning your style of meditation? http://www.vipassana.com/ Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!
ctrader, how much "mindfulness" if any is taught in Yoga? Or is it more of a physical activity that then clears your mind?
Each morning, I sit still, for about 1 hour. Eyes closed, or sometimes left slightly open. Watching. Watching. Watching patiently, each thought that comes through the mind... I also watch the space between each thought. The thoughts are not judged or criticized, they are not rushed or intentionally stopped... When thoughts are *NOT* fought with, divided, fragmented, they begin to slow... The traffic, the noise... its no longer "rush" hour... The thoughts are not important, it is the space in between... Ahhh, the space... As the space between 2 thoughts widens, that space is also dispassionately observed... the silence, the stillness, the clarity... From that silence, there comes an integration, a connectedness with universal flow... it feeds the spirit of intuition... I take that clarity into each day. -- Z
Whamo-- no I haven't, but I have seen the site and his non-course materials. I learned vipassana first from a private teacher and later through the 10d course sponsored by SN Goenka/VRI with retreat centers throughout the world. The site & related retreat links describe the process. One spends 10 days essentially as a "monk" (or in my case "nun"), in silence, living simply and learning the methods through a video course guided by assistants. It is work in many ways, and definitely not a nirvanic blissful high (lol)... but IMO well worth the effort if one is serious about taming the mind and living "artfully", as Goenka calls it. The "giving up" of your ordinary life for just the 10 days and the concentrated direct experience go far to foster discipline that might otherwise be very easy to shrug off when the phone rings or a mate/date demands attention. Again, I'm not advocating any particular method, as there are many, just sharing my own experience.
Its both... after 50mins of poses and breathing, you spend about 10 mins mediating. Its a great release.
Thank you Ana Maria. This has been very interesting and just at the right time too. You must be psychic too!!! Natalie