gokigen

After a good-one-month postponement I’ve picked up the “Undoing Yourself” book and tried this meditative practice out. It’s pretty good! It is easier to get into than classic (aka poor man’s) mindfulness meditation where you’re supposed to sit and concentrate on breathing struggling to think nothing — and maybe being catered to the western neurotic-type mindset it deals with stress better. To no surprise – it’s author is an expert on body-oriented psychotherapy used here together with a light form of holotropic breathing. Wish I’d known it a couple of years back — so I gladly provide it here for the interested readers.

Preface: While the original book is easy to find and pretty fun to read, it’s language and mindset can be easily interpreted as aggressive to skeptical readers who probably won’t get far — personally I enjoy ‘quack scientist’-styled prose, especially when both illustrations and grammar are naive and touching, be that made on purpose or on occasion, but It’s the kind that is really not popular when you recommend it to people. But it’s methods are great — please do try them out for yourself.

If you have time to spare for self-exploration, please start with Experiments 1 and 2. If you’re in a hurry to escape the stress and jump into more conscious state of mind — slow down just a little, read the next disclaimers: 1. Meditate before eating, or wait for 2-3 hours after eating a heavy meal. It is also best if the bladder and bowels have been emptied before you start your work. 2. Make sure you have no problems with hyper-ventilation, since this technique requires breathing rapidly for a couple of minutes. ...and begin straight from Method I.

Before we get into the first segment of this technique let me make you aware of some facts. Constant mental chattering or thought creates tensions. When you are thinking your voice box moves ever so slightly as thoughts are flowing through your mind. In addition, the jaw moves slightly, as well as the tongue and the eyes. In fact, as stated before there is a fine state of tension when we are thinking. So to achieve true Mindlessness, we first must become aware of the facial, throat, and neck tension which are associated with thinking.

EXPERIMENT I

Sit or lie down in a quite place and allow yourself to “think” about anything. Notice how and where your thinking is experienced. Notice what motions and tensions exist in your face-neck-throat area. After you have completed this, “think” about something unpleasant and notice if there is any difference. Now try “thinking” about something pleasant and make the same notations. Once you are thoroughly aware of this, attempt the following:

EXPERIMENT II

Lie down and do not move. Just breathe normally with your eyes closed. Now become aware and describe out loud for 15 minutes every sensation and muscle twitch in your body. Become aware that tension exists all around and within you. These two experiments should be tried three times over a week to help you verify that tension is thought — thought is tension. This will require 45 minutes — 15 minutes for each trial. If you do not experience the voice box — facial sensation, or if you are not aware of anything during experiment II, double the time.

METHOD I

Step 1.

Sit or lie down. Make Faces ~ Stretch all the muscles in the face. Open your mouth as wide as you can, move the jaw from side to side. At the same time open your eyes as wide as you can. Move your eyes up and down and from side to side. This will begin to destroy tension, thereby destroying uncontrolled and extraneous thoughts generated by this area. Make many different faces. Do this for about 2-3 minutes. (A word of caution: While in the end these exercises are meant to reduce and eliminate certain thought patterns, some might find an increase of new thoughts from previously “Hidden” places of the mind. If this is the case don't be concerned, since this will be a fine way to perform “mental house cleaning.”)

Step II.

Hum and Chatter — Hum from the depths of your voice box. Use OM or just MMMM. Do this for 1-2 minutes. Now using your tongue, chatter — DA DA — BA BA BA. Stick out your jaw as far as you can and continue humming and chattering. Do this for 2-3 minutes.

Step III.

Shoulders to Ears — Pull your shoulders up as if you were trying to reach your ears. When they start feeling tired, drop them as low as you can. Repeat this 3 times in 2-3 minute intervals.

Step IV.

Nose Breathing — With your mouth closed take in a deep breath inflating your chest and pulling your stomach up. Be sure to pull the belly in. Hold for a 7 count and then just let the chest fall and the belly relax. Repeat this 10-20 times. Be sure to allow an additional 7 count to elapse before your next inhalation.

Step V.

Turn Head — Now bring your attention to your head and turn it from side to side as far as you can. Repeat for 2-3 minutes.

Step VI.

Leg Stretch — Lying down on your back, hold your legs about 4 inches off the ground and stretch outward. Hold this as long as you can then let them drop. Repeat this 2-3 times.

Step VII.

Quick Breath — With your mouth slightly open breathe rapidly, sighing as you exhale. Do this for 2-3 minutes.

Now lie down and sense and feel your body, for about 10 minutes. Note every sensation you feel.

Now assume a meditative position of your choice making sure that: 1. Your eye lids are not tightly closed, but simply relaxed. 2. Your jaw is relaxed and not tense. Make sure of this by trying to stick out your tongue; if you have to lower your jaw, it was too tightly held. Check your forehead making sure it is not wrinkled. Once you are relaxed, either concentrate on your mantra or point of focus. For those students who do not have a mantra or point, we suggest Dr. Regardie's Mantram tape or simply OOOOOOOOMMMMMMM. 3. Your throat is not blocked by holding your head in the wrong position. Make sure it is straight. In order to reduce thoughts, keep the eyes relaxed and still, with your tongue touching the roof of your mouth. Do not move the larynx and again be sure that your jaw is relaxed.

*** What do you feel? How do you feel? Do you feel? If you feel better that before, do whatever seems good to do — be that stroll, reading, bicycle ride, arts, sports or work. If that technique had burned down the golden temple in your head and you want to file a complaint — feel free — and feel free to contact me.