Help long time meditator needs help - electrocution issue

[Trash Filter]

Hi all I'm a bit of a long time mediator, training over 7 years done couple thousand hours of meditation.

 

In 2012 I came into a bit of a snag, since 2008 I was doing full lotus meditation with no issues when on  a retreat the currents from the earth running through my body was so intense I felt like I was being electricuted and began to feel quite anxious from the feeling as there was too much excess eletricity.  To the point I felt like I was too scream out so intense the blasting from the lower dantien.

Since than I used the full lotus far less and did other types of chi gong in a more moderate approach. 

In passing I went into my full lotus again today (2015).  Within 20 minutes the current gathered from the earth so intensely again, same thing was happenning many years back, only more quickly.  It's like my body can't absorb so much power or potential power stored there.  Or I'm like a magnet for electric current.

I had my teacher look at me previously and he basically didn't sense any chi, but I know my body there's massive amount that gathers quickly but I stay clear of as by not doing full lotus.  At least I can figure out a way to overcome it or work out what's going on.

 

I was wondering if any of you know about this or heard about people experience this and how they overcome it?  Unfortunately I'm in a position where I don't have any caring support for these technical matters, basically on my own.

 

Regards

 

TF

[thelerner]

I can't offer much advice beyond slow down the practice, try a position where you don't feel 'zapped'.  Years ago I was in the habit of doing standing meditation zhan zhuang in the afternoon facing the sun.  I also got that zapped feeling, energy moving up and down, too fast, frying me.  My heart hurt.  I backed away from it. 

 

Now I can stand without any ill effects, but I think it was wise to slow it down.  I may have been taken down a few levels, but thats probably better then a game over kinda situation. 

[Spotless]

It would be helpful to know quite a bit more about what you are doing when you are going into the full lotus position.

 

The advice from Thelearner is very good without more to go on.

 

Just sitting in the full lotus and doing the typical things one does in most practices should not illicit this problem, but on the other hand the point that TheLearner brings out regarding his experience just standing is a good indication to back off a bit.

 

You might benefit from rocking while sitting.

 

If you are practicing Qi Gong try going very very slowly through the movements - given what you are saying, this should be incredibly powerful.

 

Try not to regard this as a "special circumstance" or that you have achieved some super charged incredible level that requires all kinds of doing in order to surmount the problem - it is the opposite.

 

You Have reached a level in which energy is moving through your space far more easily than in most bodies and you appear to have a kundalini issue arising at this time. Calm breath awareness can be very helpful but the application of incorrect breathing methods at this time can be devastating.

 

When you sit in lotus - or in any meditative position - at this time it is highly advised Not to do Any intense breathing methods.

 

You may also find walking meditation / walking Qi Gong to be most helpful.

 

Also the exercise of raising the heels and then dropping them - just standing straight and raising up and dropping - breath in up and breath out when dropping.

 

Tree Qi Gong would also be good - look for some of Brian's post here regarding it and what to do.

 

If when you are breathing In you are breathing into the base of your spine - stop that practice altogether.

Breath into your Lower Dan Tein or abdomen area - definitely not the base of your spine.

 

If you have been practicing bringing in earth energy almost all teachings regarding how to do it are very much improperly taught, translated or understood. The human body cannot tolerate very much of it - it is very easy to see the effects of too much earth energy upon the human body. If one were to bring a stream of earth energy into the lower body area only about a 2% mix would be a good ratio, and above the second chakra less than 1%. However it is not the high electrical charge you are speaking of - it is powerful but of a very very low vibration in contrast to the body.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Spotless

[Trash Filter]

Thanks for the replies.

I mainly do Zhou Zhang practice now.I have no issue with excess zapping with the feet grounded.

The full lotus problem mainly happens when I'm in the meditation hall with group.Its like the energy multplies with others nearby.

I do a Korea style just keeping on the dantien.The zapping stores there no drama but then no matter how hard I chill out and concentrate the electricution intensifys and spreads upwards.There was a time years ago it was fine manageable.

Its frustrating because I used to enjoy sitting like this for hours I told my Korean teacher.He just said its good, but I actually had to stop and lie down.Maybe there is a way to condition the heart to take the zapping better?I don't know.So far you guys only one lending help

Regards

Tf

[Trunk]

Since than I used the full lotus far less and did other types of chi gong in a more moderate approach. 

...  It's like my body can't absorb so much power or potential power stored there.

 

In the beginning of the path, (most) people generally have to practice a lot to gain and sustain momentum... later, the type of problems are the opposite: there is so much available so quickly that you have to dial back practice in order to be safe (not blow yourself out).  It's common. 

 

So, your basic approach of dialing it back is sensible, correct.  Take it in smaller doses.  It can take a long long time to really learn how to, and to allow your body to simply grow and adjust, to integrate the stronger energies.  Be safe.  Small steps, don't push it.

 

Also, work on opening the channels (described in Chinese medicine) and tissues in general.  (Maybe you are already doing this and don't need to hear this, but... )  Many people who open to stronger energies still have considerable work to do on opening the tissues and channels in general.  Acupressure, yoga, maybe searching an excellent acupuncturist, bagua qigong , etc ... however of the myriad ways you go about it, gradually long term, that work is important to develop the subtle body's "digestive system" ... so you can more safely digest higher voltage over time.

 

One of my senior brothers once said, "I'm into preparing the vessel".  It's a good long term project. 

[dawei]

Thanks for the replies.

I mainly do Zhou Zhang practice now.I have no issue with excess zapping with the feet grounded.

The full lotus problem mainly happens when I'm in the meditation hall with group.Its like the energy multplies with others nearby.

I do a Korea style just keeping on the dantien.The zapping stores there no drama but then no matter how hard I chill out and concentrate the electricution intensifys and spreads upwards.There was a time years ago it was fine manageable.

Its frustrating because I used to enjoy sitting like this for hours I told my Korean teacher.He just said its good, but I actually had to stop and lie down.Maybe there is a way to condition the heart to take the zapping better?I don't know.So far you guys only one lending help

Regards

Tf

 

Well that is true... group energy can be a profound energetic rising experience.   I started with group sessions and paired exchange but the final 30 minutes was to simply lay down and relax... but yet, the energy was rocketing through the body by that point.   That is just the aftermath, IMO... not exactly your experience.

 

I've had the electrocution, two times... I would call 911 but I can't get enough movement of my body to find my phone... but this was while sleeping.  It wakes me up.   I found this was from deity/spirit/entity visits beforehand.   So I think the 'cause' is different but the experience may be similar.   

 

My feeling is that energy=spirit=light.   Our experience is what it is... same as our perception or clarity.   I think it is possible you are getting the energy more and more refined to a spirit or light level.   But your body is not able to control/contain/absorb it.   Unless it is your mind holding some fear about what is going on and then you simply are cutting it off in a way.

 

I have a simple question.  You enjoy sitting for hours.... but what if you are suppose to move beyond it and you don't because you try to get that enjoyment?   

[voidisyinyang]

you say you sit in full lotus in a group meditation in a Zazen center? You say that being in the group increases the energy?

 

You then say that doing standing exercise with your feet grounded in the earth reduces the shocking?

 

My first question was are you actually sitting in full lotus on the "ground" or on a floor in the Zazen center - because if it's the latter than most likely you would need some kind of grounding pad to actually tap into the Earth's energy.

 

Whereas standing with your feet on the ground - barefoot - does tap into the Earth's energy.

 

If you think the energy is from sitting in a group of people in full lotus - that makes sense - but it's more like that source of energy is yuan qi whereas the Earth source of energy is Yin qi.

 

You can pick up yin qi from other people very much so - through the perineum.

 

But you probably don't want that kind of yin qi - as it is the lower emotional energy so it gets sucked in as an energy blockage.

 

The only time I get zapped while meditating - is once I was in full lotus meditating during the Solstice and the center of my brain got zapped.

 

Also when I'm in full lotus and the furnace kicks on - the electrical charge kicking on causes a zapping in the middle of my brain.

 

So from what you're describing it sounds like it's more activated by the group energy of the yuan qi and yuan shen combining together.

 

When the qigong masters have caused the middle of my brain to be on fire - this is not zapping so much - but the qigong master just told me last week that his cousin wouldn't call him back because he did phone healing of his cousin's tumor but the cousin got zapped so bad he didn't want to call the qigong master back. haha.

 

O.K. so we know meditating in a group resonates the energy - so does the Solstice - and so anyway you probably are tapping into that group energy.

 

As John Chang says - the yang qi and yin qi meets in his lower tan tien. This refers to the White Tiger (yang or yuan qi) and the Green Dragon (yin qi) - when they copulate they explode to create more yuan qi energy (or yang qi).

 

O.K. so when your yin qi energy builds up the Green Dragon turns into the Red Dragon as yang or yuan qi of the heart.

 

So that kind of explosion or zapping indicates the yin qi energy of the lower tan tien is filled up.

 

Do you also get strong magnetic fields pushing the centers of your hands apart?

 

I know the original qigong master said for his international certification testing he had take house current into his body and then adjust the current level.

 

So there is a dude that was on that SuperHuman  show - the electric man in India - he tried to commit suicide over the trauma of his mom dying - and so when he held onto the power lines - instead of dying he was able to transform himself - and since then he can take household power through his body at will.

 

so I think what was key in his ability is he was wrought with compassion over his mom's death - and love - unconditional love - it's exactly this kindness compassion of deep breathing - like the sighing deep breaths of being in love - love-sadness of a broken heart - this opens up the heart energy and so he was able to survive the grabbing onto the power lines.

 

Also the qigong master shared an experience he had as a youth - a very traumatic pain - and he said then finally he felt his whole body take on an electric charge like a shock. So this is like when Ramana Maharshi had his heart stopped over 15 minutes and then a shock restarted it - a shock from the right side of his body.

 

So that is the source of the yuan qi energy - from the right side of the heart.

 

 

And so if you focus on the right side of your heart you should be able to deepen your ability to handle and control the more powerful qi energy.

 

For example the qigong master said he was mowing his lawn but he got real anger and the lawn mower just started smoking. haha. He said when he got angry before than light bulbs in his house explode.

 

So this deep parasympathetic liver qi energy is activated by strong sympathetic energy that bring it out and it goes to the heart and out of the body - via the hands or pineal gland, etc.

 

You can safely store the yuan qi in the lower tan tien but I think your mind has to be able to handle this process - it is a unification of the three tan tiens. So when the qigong masters put my pineal gland on fire - I had to stop meditating or I wanted it to stop - kind of like what you are describing - because my mind couldn't handle it. I was told my mind wasn't quite ready yet.

 

But the real reason is because I wasn't focused on the heart energy - because the mind can never be ready for that fully opening of the third eye experience. The qigong master for him - he could only feel his heart in his body - the rest of his body was ice cold. Only his heart was hot with energy.

 

So yeah you store the energy in the lower tan tien but the source of the heart, the source of the yuan qi, is what really needs to open up. Gurdjieff called it the Big Accumulator - the heart energy.

 

 

[voidisyinyang]

[Spotless]

Thanks for the replies.

I mainly do Zhou Zhang practice now.I have no issue with excess zapping with the feet grounded.

The full lotus problem mainly happens when I'm in the meditation hall with group.Its like the energy multplies with others nearby.

I do a Korea style just keeping on the dantien.The zapping stores there no drama but then no matter how hard I chill out and concentrate the electricution intensifys and spreads upwards.There was a time years ago it was fine manageable.

Its frustrating because I used to enjoy sitting like this for hours I told my Korean teacher.He just said its good, but I actually had to stop and lie down.Maybe there is a way to condition the heart to take the zapping better?I don't know.So far you guys only one lending help

Regards

Tf

 

Unfortunately I am not familiar with Zhou Zhang and it did not come up on any search.

 

You say "the electrocution intensifies and spreads upwards" - from where?

Spreads upwards - in the Front channels, side channels, back channels? Out to arms and fingers or not?

Specificity is extremely helpful.

You did not mention what breathing you are doing.

[Mandrake]

In the beginning of the path, (most) people generally have to practice a lot to gain and sustain momentum... later, the type of problems are the opposite: there is so much available so quickly that you have to dial back practice in order to be safe (not blow yourself out).  It's common. 

 

So, your basic approach of dialing it back is sensible, correct.  Take it in smaller doses.  It can take a long long time to really learn how to, and to allow your body to simply grow and adjust, to integrate the stronger energies.  Be safe.  Small steps, don't push it.

 

Also, work on opening the channels (described in Chinese medicine) and tissues in general.  (Maybe you are already doing this and don't need to hear this, but... )  Many people who open to stronger energies still have considerable work to do on opening the tissues and channels in general.  Acupressure, yoga, maybe searching an excellent acupuncturist, bagua qigong , etc ... however of the myriad ways you go about it, gradually long term, that work is important to develop the subtle body's "digestive system" ... so you can more safely digest higher voltage over time.

 

One of my senior brothers once said, "I'm into preparing the vessel".  It's a good long term project. 

 

Trunk:

 

 

When do you think is the right time to open up the stronger energies? Would you say that there is a definitive stage of development when it is safe, so to speak, or less problematic? Could one give some basic guidelines such as "When you've opened channels XX and YY to degree Z, then you won't encounter the worst conflict"?

 

Then there of course are methodologies that focus on opening up channels/tissues gradually, and in due time the stronger energies automatically enter.

 

 

Kindly,

Mandrake

[SonOfTheGods]

Hi all I'm a bit of a long time mediator, training over 7 years done couple thousand hours of meditation.

 

In 2012 I came into a bit of a snag, since 2008 I was doing full lotus meditation with no issues when on  a retreat the currents from the earth running through my body was so intense I felt like I was being electricuted and began to feel quite anxious from the feeling as there was too much excess eletricity.  To the point I felt like I was too scream out so intense the blasting from the lower dantien.

Since than I used the full lotus far less and did other types of chi gong in a more moderate approach. 

In passing I went into my full lotus again today (2015).  Within 20 minutes the current gathered from the earth so intensely again, same thing was happenning many years back, only more quickly.  It's like my body can't absorb so much power or potential power stored there.  Or I'm like a magnet for electric current.

I had my teacher look at me previously and he basically didn't sense any chi, but I know my body there's massive amount that gathers quickly but I stay clear of as by not doing full lotus.  At least I can figure out a way to overcome it or work out what's going on.

 

I was wondering if any of you know about this or heard about people experience this and how they overcome it?  Unfortunately I'm in a position where I don't have any caring support for these technical matters, basically on my own.

 

Regards

 

TF

 

 

 

I have discussed this in detaill quite a few times, but briefly:

 

The bigger energy streams reside outside the physical body

 

There are ways to upload and store energy until it is necessary

 

The body contains sheaths, and sometimes the seals rupture

 

Example:

 

Lightning strikes-

As a bolt drops out of the clouds heading for the ground, several streamers of the opposite charge will reach up to meet it. When one makes contact, the rest will discharge. If you are standing over one, it will kill you just as if you were struck directly.

 

So it isn't just what's inside your body i.e., LDT

 

Also what appears to feel like it is coming from ground up, might actually be BaiHui down

 

Acupressure and massaging tender areas and trigger points may reveal the origin of problem areas as well

[liminal_luke]

I think the most obvious place to look for help is with your Korean teacher.  

 

Years ago, I met a guy who practiced a system with a strong taboo against mixing practices.  Being a spiritually adventurous sort, he did anyway and ended up in somewhat of an energetic pickle as a result.  He didn´t want to seek help from his teachers because this would mean coming clean about breaking the taboo.

 

Not sure if this has anything to do with your situation, but in these cases I´d recommend just laying it all out on the table and getting advice from the people who are in the best position to give it -- the teachers.  

[Trash Filter]

Thanks for the replies and help.

I think ill place more effort on keeping the mind down and stay clear of lotus its too much for upward pressure maybe particularly in my development level.

[voidisyinyang]

Thanks for the replies and help.

I think ill place more effort on keeping the mind down and stay clear of lotus its too much for upward pressure maybe particularly in my development level.

 

 

Wang Liping writes very well on the full lotus as the perfect balance of stillness and movement and says 6 hours a day of full lotus meditation is necessary to restore yuan qi.

 

I read recently that in order to increase the yuan qi and yuan shen energy you have to sit directly on the Earth or ground on the Earth so that the yin qi balances the yang energy.

 

John Chang meditates with grounding also as his focus.

 

Chunyi Lin said he used to bury his feet in the ground when doing standing exercises - to increase the yin qi charge.

 

Chunyi also does 4 hours of full lotus meditation a day and Yan Xin, Haidan of Shaolin - all rely on full lotus.

 

Chunyi says small universe happens automatically in full lotus.

 

The key is the anal flexing for lower magpie bridge - that activates the perineum to prevent loss of yin qi energy and to ground the energy more.

 

Of course tongue against the roof of the mouth also.

 

The advanced stage is more full lotus - a month or 2 of nonstop full lotus.

 

So if you want advanced training then more full lotus is better not less.

 

But if you're not grounding the energy then that will limit how much yuan qi you can develop.

[z00se]

I've practice for around 10 years without a teacher so i have come across problems myself with no teacher to ask for help also. Prehaps what you have is a habit. Doing something you enjoy which has actually become a habit and a problem in it's self. Prehaps you need to just take another direction. Do what makes you feel good, not what makes you feel uncomfortable. You can build power fast now, good, develop the balancing and controlling or uncontrolling aspect of it. Balance is good, habit causes imbalance. Perfect balance is even a habit in it's self and unbalancing as crazy as it sounds.

 

I have used taobums to help me lots in the past, by asking questions or reading other peoples. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't, however often later on i realise what some other people have said actually were good antidotes, however i usually found my own way around each problem. Learning on my own i make more mistakes, come across more problems, but my understanding becomes deeper and wider because of no teacher. I know why things work and why things don't. The answer to problems are right infront of my nose i just need to see them.
 

Here are some simple things you can try...

Try spiralling the energy. You can at least condense the energy clockwise where you want it instead of racing through your body out of control. If you would rather try disperse the energy spiral anti clockwise.

 

When spiralling clockwise don't expand your awareness out or you'll get even more energy.

 

I hear feet on the ground helps to process the earth energy before it comes into your body instead of full lotus. Full lotus, i can't do it properly so i don't know. However it seems that the gall bladder meridian is stretched out to hell when the rest of the body is not so i don't see how this could be 'balance' or good from TCM theory. Not unless it is a part of a yoga workout where every other organ meridian is also stretched out.

Stupid is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. Change, break the habit, allow balance to re-enter.

Good luck

[voidisyinyang]

Stupid is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.

 

That's actually from Einstein - or as he is commonly quoted - "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

 

The problem with that statement is Einstein got his term "relativity" from Poincare - without crediting Poincare - it's just that Poincare didn't incorporate a spacetime frame into his relativity analysis. And so by not crediting Poincare Einstein also ignored - or did not credit the other insights of Poincare.

 

Poincare was the creator of chaos science which does prove that doing the same thing over and over does produce different results.

 

Also Einstein was disproved about quantum non-locality as the recent science has finally demonstrated.

 

http://phys.org/news/2015-03-quantum-einstein-spooky-action-distance.html

 

 

 

to show what Einstein did not believe to be real, namely the non-local collapse of a particle's wave function.

 

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-03-quantum-einstein-spooky-action-distance.html#jCp

 

O.K. I'm just saying that people on the interwebs like to throw out that meme "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is..." - it's a scientifically proven wrong meme.

 

It was coined by Einstein and so people assume it's correct - that's an illogical "appeal to authority."

 

Sorry to go off subject - by the full lotus works because of the quantum chaos dynamics (to put it in scientific terms) - aka non-local non-linear resonance which means doing the same thing over and over will produce very different results.

 

It's the same reason a mantra will produce different results even though done over and over.

 

Meditation in general is based on that logic of non-local non-linear resonance in contrast to Einstein's meme.

 

That's why most people think meditation is a waste of time - because they accept the "common sense" of Einstein without really studying Einstein's views and what he was right and wrong about. His physics is still logarithmic-based classical science - it is the end result of the Pythagorean Theorem after thousands of years of increasing the logarithmic dimensions mathematically.

[Trash Filter]

Thanks again for sharing.

Full lotus was no issue for me for some 1000s of hours but the same electrocution came up in 2012.Now its 2015 and its been interesting to see repeatable outcome.

Wanting to share more, its like it gathers so quickly in lower dantien holding on tight - borderline non conceptual state at LD but in the hall it spread so quickly upwards unable to contain it.It zaps the heart and finally the seed in the third eye and then its game over.Feel sick as described above.Its like they are not conditioned enough but people seem to talk about lotusing right through no absorption issues at all.

I believe I am v healthy person.

Seems the lotus is extremely superior building v quickly but seems my upper chakras cant cope with the electrocution.I do zhu Zhang grounds back down okay again.

Yes I've always lotused on bare earth when I can and get a lot of perineum sensation but I've only focused on LD my whole life.

[z00se]

 

That's actually from Einstein - or as he is commonly quoted - "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

 

The problem with that statement is Einstein got his term "relativity" from Poincare - without crediting Poincare - it's just that Poincare didn't incorporate a spacetime frame into his relativity analysis. And so by not crediting Poincare Einstein also ignored - or did not credit the other insights of Poincare.

 

Poincare was the creator of chaos science which does prove that doing the same thing over and over does produce different results.

 

Also Einstein was disproved about quantum non-locality as the recent science has finally demonstrated.

 

http://phys.org/news/2015-03-quantum-einstein-spooky-action-distance.html

 

 

 

O.K. I'm just saying that people on the interwebs like to throw out that meme "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is..." - it's a scientifically proven wrong meme.

 

It was coined by Einstein and so people assume it's correct - that's an illogical "appeal to authority."

 

Sorry to go off subject - by the full lotus works because of the quantum chaos dynamics (to put it in scientific terms) - aka non-local non-linear resonance which means doing the same thing over and over will produce very different results.

 

It's the same reason a mantra will produce different results even though done over and over.

 

Meditation in general is based on that logic of non-local non-linear resonance in contrast to Einstein's meme.

 

That's why most people think meditation is a waste of time - because they accept the "common sense" of Einstein without really studying Einstein's views and what he was right and wrong about. His physics is still logarithmic-based classical science - it is the end result of the Pythagorean Theorem after thousands of years of increasing the logarithmic dimensions mathematically.

 

Does it matter that Einstein got his idea from Poincare? I could bet that every expert borrowed many ideas from many others on their way to expertism. You're point here seems invalid. As to the usefulness of the quote, well it wouldn't be quoted so many times if people didn't find the idea useful. You are right, it is common sense.

 

To me, relying on a chaos dynamics theory for meditation is counter productive in my practice. Sure, if you crash into a closed door, you will bump / bruise your head. Next time you will bruise your head a little more. After 100x perhaps your head would start to bleed. Maybe after 1000x you will break through the door and enter the next room. If you stayed there and didn't enter the next room, but continued to move back and forth through the open doorway, continuing for another 1000 million times, perhaps you may be zipped through a portal to another realm. Who knows it's all possible hey.

 

I prefer trying something different, based on my 'misquote'. If the second or third time i try turning the knob and the door swings open, i've saved myself getting a bloody head, or in this case getting a zapped heart.

[z00se]

Its like they are not conditioned enough but people seem to talk about lotusing right through no absorption issues at all.

I believe I am v healthy person.

Seems the lotus is extremely superior building v quickly but seems my upper chakras cant cope with the electrocution.I do zhu Zhang grounds back down okay again.

Yes I've always lotused on bare earth when I can and get a lot of perineum sensation but I've only focused on LD my whole life.

 

I think you've got your answer right there. It's easy to be swayed by what others think, or the way something is taught and overlook you're own wisdom, knowledge and insight from the person with the closest experience to the problem. 7 years of practice is nothing to sneeze at, i'm sure you're capable of knowing and fixing the problem.

 

Prehaps start developing the other centers, condition them, then go back to your original practice as see how the sensation compares. If you note improvement, this could be a good path to follow. In healing tao in more advanced levels all 3 centers are developed. Just a suggestion of something else to try if you don't want to keep doing it the same way and smash you're way through.

 

I have no doubt that the 'putting gentle awareness on lower dantien' gradually develops all dantiens, as excess chi bubbles up to the next dantien, i have noticed in my own practice that if i direct focus/intent as well as simple awareness to the lower dantien, that the higher dantiens empty out and chi is redirected, overcompressing and overloading the lower dantien with chi. I haven't experienced any side effects from doing this, it seems a great source of power, however releasing my intent and just being aware in a balanced fashion i feel all three dantiens fill with chi in a calm and balanced way. As i mentioned before, i'm not sure of your method or using full lotus, but it could be that you're focus/intent and awareness is different from other's, and because you've been doing it such a long time it feels normal the way you're doing it. It could be a topic to discuss with the others in you're group if you would like more consensus as to what you may be doing differently from the others. However i think the most important thing is listen to you're self, you are most likely correct.

[SonOfTheGods]

I noticed in your tags you list "mopai"