Meditation Traditions
I have been meditating for some time, however, only recently I have been able to let my legs and hands detach from feeling, while not actually having them fall asleep, if that makes sense. I normally sit in half lotus; full lotus is orders of magnitude harder, it is one tough nut to crack. I digress.
How can a person better detach the same way from their torso, or head? I feel good benefit to my limbs, but my back and chest feel tired a bit occasionally.
Is there perhaps a different tradition of meditation that uses different breathing or something? I'm very casual I don't tend to direct the breath much beyond being comfortable. I just sit still and normally stare at a candle or a spot on the floor.
Any thoughts for someone just beginning really, though I have been at it for sometime, I feel perhaps I'm in need of a little insight to reorient myself. I sometimes sense I'm a bit to spread in my focus...
Everyday life can be busy, afterall: family, employment, chores, errands, meetings, self improvement can seem a bridge too far, and yet, how can we not? I just find it hard to comprimise my obligations sometimes and tend to curtail my own needs for those of others. I know I deserve the time too and taking it is sometimes a real struggle. Having said that, yes, a little more consistency would be helpful.
I'm determined with recent events and want to reduoble my efforts, I just hope for a little guidance to start off in the right direction.
Anyhow, thanks for reading.
Relaxation of the muscles is an important early skill to master. That is because the physical directly affects the spiritual, and vice-versa, through the network of the being.
You will need three skills to relax such muscles.
The first skill is focus; the ability to apply your mind, like a lens, to zoom in and out on any target area, for any appropriate amount of time.
Focus is all about not getting distracted. To not get distracted, you will have to prioritise what you desire in the present, so that what you really want synchronises more with what you intend to do. Often, this is about letting all other things be. Accept them in their place, as you would accept a cloud, a pot, animal, or furniture in your space. They are there, but you need not tend to them.
The second skill is familiarity with the nuances of how your muscles are tensed.
To acquire this familiarity, use Tactile Body Awareness (with breathing as a conduit if you like) to explore your muscles in all of their subtleties. Be mindful of the relationship that you have with your muscles as you explore. Listen, be open to, and read the feedback that you get as you apply your mind upon them as you go.
The third skill is relaxation.
Relaxation is more of partnership between you, your muscles, and your self. It requires acceptance to let go and embrace openness in whatever form that may be. Apply that to the subtle areas of your body. You may find an appreciation to how complex and nuanced this practice can be.
Try that out and let me know how you go.