Mental Tightening

[cosmic4z]

You know when you clench a muscle, and it sort of tightens, there is tension and rigidity and a kind of tightness in that muscle...

 

Well, I find at times, my mind does the same. It's like trying too hard to solve a problem, thinking too much.. Does anyone else notice that? I'm sure it's extremely common-place. I just had an awareness that that's what ai was doing with my mind, and that it's a theme (often happens with me).

 

My teacher, once said to me 'relax'. I think perhaps he didn't mean just physically. Life is a struggle though. What's a chap to do?

[Rocky Lionmouth]

Yup, this happens to me too. Fluidity of mind comes from pacing oneself and just practicing becoming aware of it first, later to break the pattern.

I find physical movement does wonders for when i get stuck in my head like this.

[Fa Xin]

3 hours ago, cosmic4z said:

You know when you clench a muscle, and it sort of tightens, there is tension and rigidity and a kind of tightness in that muscle...

 

Well, I find at times, my mind does the same. It's like trying too hard to solve a problem, thinking too much.. Does anyone else notice that? I'm sure it's extremely common-place. I just had an awareness that that's what ai was doing with my mind, and that it's a theme (often happens with me).

 

My teacher, once said to me 'relax'. I think perhaps he didn't mean just physically. Life is a struggle though. What's a chap to do?

 

Yes! I Feel it all the time. It’s noticing what your holding onto. I always sit for 10-40min every evening before bed and let it relax and expand. It can be too subtle for many people- who aren’t meditators- to notice. Congrats! I’m interested to hear what you feel when you let that tension drop. 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2018 by Fa Xin

[dosa]

It's a lot to let go of.

[Fa Xin]

To answer “what’s a chap to do?”

 

Place your awareness in one place. 

 

Easier said than done... the tension will bring you back to the thoughts it surrounds. 

 

Listen to a song you enjoy. Close your eyes and relax into the music. Listen to the crickets outside, or the wind blowing thru the trees. Focus on one thing. Forget about everything else. But do this in a relaxed way, don’t strain. 

 

Works for me at least. 

Edited September 27, 2018 by Fa Xin

[Toni]

it happens to me too, let's relax!

[dawei]

20 hours ago, cosmic4z said:

You know when you clench a muscle, and it sort of tightens, there is tension and rigidity and a kind of tightness in that muscle...

 

Well, I find at times, my mind does the same. It's like trying too hard to solve a problem, thinking too much.. Does anyone else notice that? I'm sure it's extremely common-place. I just had an awareness that that's what ai was doing with my mind, and that it's a theme (often happens with me).

 

My teacher, once said to me 'relax'. I think perhaps he didn't mean just physically. Life is a struggle though. What's a chap to do?

 

Consider the role of concepts and mind in this.  Life is a struggle is a concept made manifest through the mind and perception.  

 

Laozi seems to be a good example of why he appeals to be like a child; or Zhuangzi says about forgetfulness (ie: empty the heart-mind). 

 

 

17 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

Yes! I Feel it all the time. It’s noticing what your holding onto. I always sit for 10-40min every evening before bed and let it relax and expand. It can be too subtle for many people- who aren’t meditators- to notice. Congrats! I’m interested to hear what you feel when you let that tension drop. 

 

I'm not a meditator nor never had the wont.  It simply shows the range of what we are possibly interpreting and seeking to to do (or undo).  But I don't believe there is one solution (or practice), but we should know there is a range of doing and non-doing that folks have some input about. 

 

 

16 hours ago, dosa said:

It's a lot to let go of.

 

As Zen said... show me what binds you within your hands... and the monk opens his empty hand... and the master says, I have freed you.   

 

Maybe a mantra should be:  Let go of 'letting go'...  that is just another within the range of things 'to do'.   

 

What I mean by that is, I don't see things to let go of, but rather to perceive what is this thing we call 'things'...   I think Laozi and Zhuangzi have some good advice.  I am sure other traditions do too and so encourage to look at various sections on the forum.

 

 

 

[Lost in Translation]

21 hours ago, cosmic4z said:

You know when you clench a muscle, and it sort of tightens, there is tension and rigidity and a kind of tightness in that muscle...

 

Well, I find at times, my mind does the same. It's like trying too hard to solve a problem, thinking too much.. Does anyone else notice that?

 

I write computer software for a living. That feeling of holding too many things in mind at once is quite common. To me it feels like a juggler with many objects in the air or an entertainer balancing many plates on many sticks. Oftentimes I can feel my mind crashing down. When this happens I literally feel myself forgetting. It's a strange sensation.

 

21 hours ago, cosmic4z said:

What's a chap to do?

 

If we're talking about work then write stuff down. Keep a journal. You will forget things. You will forget important things. That's a fact. If we're talking about meditation or other practices then still keep a journal! Anything worth remembering is worth writing down.

 

When you feel your mind getting too wound up then learn to take breaks. Walking meditation is excellent for those times and places where you can't sit and properly meditate (such as in school or at work). As far as meditation goes, learn to let the mind go. Let the thoughts go. Learn to just be in the moment. After your meditations you can write stuff down. For example, whether your mind continued racing, if your heart rate slowed, how you felt - was there any pain, etc. But don't think about the writing while you meditate. That's not going to help you at all.

[Fa Xin]

12 minutes ago, dawei said:

 

 

I'm not a meditator nor never had the wont.  It simply shows the range of what we are possibly interpreting and seeking to to do (or undo).  But I don't believe there is one solution (or practice), but we should know there is a range of doing and non-doing that folks have some input about. 

 

 

 

But you do have practices that work to quiet the mind?

[dawei]

5 minutes ago, Fa Xin said:

 

But you do have practices that work to quiet the mind?

 

you may have to describe what 'practice' means... but by my defintion, no.

 

I've shared here a few times that a huge turning point was reading Baopuzi saying 'practice is not natural'.    From almost that moment onward, I stopped any regular practice.  That lead to my complete stopping of Qigong and Medical Qigong, which did lead me to where I am.

 

As you and I share a similar understanding of Light, I don't view that as a practice but a state or perceived presence.  Just visiting a neighbor who happens to be a deity, right ?  No separation is the key

 

[dawei]

1 minute ago, dawei said:

 

you may have to describe what 'practice' means... but by my defintion, no.

 

I've shared here a few times that a huge turning point was reading Baopuzi saying 'practice is not natural'.    From almost that moment onward, I stopped any regular practice.  That lead to my complete stopping of Qigong and Medical Qigong, which did lead me to where I am.

 

As you and I share a similar understanding of Light, I don't view that as a practice but a state or perceived presence.  Just visiting a neighbor who happens to be a deity, right ?  No separation is the key

 

 

Here is another thought... as I evaluate how women handle their Light level state and perceived non-separation, I find it helps me to realize my perceived weakness and so why I prefer female deities to get to know. 

[dwai]

21 hours ago, cosmic4z said:

You know when you clench a muscle, and it sort of tightens, there is tension and rigidity and a kind of tightness in that muscle...

 

Well, I find at times, my mind does the same. It's like trying too hard to solve a problem, thinking too much.. Does anyone else notice that? I'm sure it's extremely common-place. I just had an awareness that that's what ai was doing with my mind, and that it's a theme (often happens with me).

Since you observe that your mind is tight, then you can stay with the sense of being (awareness) that senses the tightness of the mind. 

It gets progressively easier to do, when you remain with the awareness (of being tight, being relaxed, etc etc) and let go of focus on tightness, relaxation, etc. 

21 hours ago, cosmic4z said:

 

My teacher, once said to me 'relax'. I think perhaps he didn't mean just physically. Life is a struggle though. What's a chap to do?

 

[dosa]

4 hours ago, dawei said:

As Zen said... show me what binds you within your hands... and the monk opens his empty hand... and the master says, I have freed you.   

 

 

I mean let go of we greed.

[Marblehead]

Greed has never been a serious problem with me.

 

 

[dosa]

52 minutes ago, Marblehead said:

Greed has never been a serious problem with me.

 

 

 

Greed create ego by oneself and It causes all the pain.
pleasure is a member of the pain family.
It's like "athlete's foot" so It is cool to scratch but It's the pain.
We should not be overloaded.
Sorry, but that's the way it is.

 

[Marblehead]

I hold that greed and ego are two separate concepts.

 

Ego is our self-identification.  We need an ego.  We don't need to be greedy.

 

[dosa]

4 minutes ago, Marblehead said:

I hold that greed and ego are two separate concepts.

 

Ego is our self-identification.  We need an ego.  We don't need to be greedy.

 

 

I don't think so.
The ego is one[identical] with the greed.

[Marblehead]

Just now, dosa said:

 

I don't think so.
The ego is one[identical] with the greed.

Okay.  We will have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[Fa Xin]

6 hours ago, dawei said:

 

you may have to describe what 'practice' means... but by my defintion, no.

 

I've shared here a few times that a huge turning point was reading Baopuzi saying 'practice is not natural'.    From almost that moment onward, I stopped any regular practice.  That lead to my complete stopping of Qigong and Medical Qigong, which did lead me to where I am.

 

As you and I share a similar understanding of Light, I don't view that as a practice but a state or perceived presence.  Just visiting a neighbor who happens to be a deity, right ?  No separation is the key

 

 

My thought was more about you having achieved a very quiet mind/higher level of clarity. You may not practice anything, but you’ve been at this sort of thing for a while... medical Qigong in the past, Daoism and other things. You’ve been turning inward and diving deep for years. 

 

Do you think “average” people can feel the tension that’s held in their mind? Recognize it as a holding on? I tend to think someone needs at least some degree of inner work and opening to be able to perceive it. I could be wrong, as always. I suppose it’s on an individualized basis. 

 

I still enjoy my quiet sitting at night though. 😊

 

 

Edited September 28, 2018 by Fa Xin

[dawei]

20 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

My thought was more about you having achieved a very quiet mind/higher level of clarity. You may not practice anything, but you’ve been at this sort of thing for a while... medical Qigong in the past, Daoism and other things. You’ve been turning inward and diving deep for years. 

 

Do you think “average” people can feel the tension that’s held in their mind? Recognize it as a holding on? I tend to think someone needs at least some degree of inner work and opening to be able to perceive it. I could be wrong, as always. I suppose it’s on an individualized basis. 

 

I still enjoy my quiet sitting at night though. 😊

 

I think it is good to talk about our experiences although I find myself more and more starting some response and then just deleting it and not responding.  But as you have made the choice to make a noisy post, I'll have to turn the music up with a reply 

 

I agree with your first paraphrase but I view my journey as very destiny based, meaning from a very young age I had a quiet mind and higher clarity and realized something was 'wrong' with me relative to everyone else around me.  I think, unknowingly at the time, I was starting on my path of following my inner voice.   Those that do this are likely going to get to their destined spot regardless.

 

There are others much more natural than me who didn't even need a path to follow cuz it was rather present to them from the start... most of these folks I'm thinking of are female and tells me alot about the challenge that men may have with energy work.  And as accomplishment-driven males, we tend to like to 'do' something.   But I was not trying to 'do' anything except to move along a journey where there seemed to be a voice calling me.   I could intuit when it was right or left, etc.    Maybe I could say, I was in a state of perceiving (?) something that I was not understanding yet.   As you know, we share a Light practice and so I truly believe now, that my journey was simply finding Light... and folks like you    

 

Now to the topic and your question of who can feel the tension in their head.   My gut says there is a range of experience.  Some may feel it and not even know what it means.  We get folks coming here with 'issues' that we can read as their perceiving without knowing it consciously.  Some may mistake something inner sense/perception but it is just pain.  But I think in general,  the tension I think the topic refers too requires some inner sense.   

 

Inner work is only necessary for those that need it... most need it.    It is my opinion, based on mostly my experience that energy openings are an important part, however those openings occur.  I recall being taught an energy movement between the three dan tians and the teacher would scan your ability to do it.  I could do it upon being told how to do it and she exclaimed she never meet someone who could do it without teaching, meaning she just explained it but didn't really teach it yet.  So, there is a spectrum of ability to engage energy, or I should say as I did previously, feel no separation.    I mentioned this jokingly in another thread about when swimming, you feel there is no water... why ?  You are water... so in this sense, you are energy and you move as freely as energy.   At that time, I didn't really realize the meaning but now I see some meaning to it. 

 

Should people do inner energy work ?   Do what you feel lead to do.   Maybe a gym is a better feeling, or swimming or biking or hiking or quietly sitting at night.   Or meeting your friends for coffee.   Don't follow what others tell you to do, others are not your inner voice but at least realize they may substantiate your inner voice journey.

 

What is my wish for everyone?   Your journey is talking you to, whether you hear it or not.  So  quieter mind should likely help you hear it... but it may just be to be a great mom, or a great teacher, or a great mechanic.   If the journey is higher than you see, then that voice will become audible.