Tingling sensations

[Music]

I was asked to just observe the body, not the breathing, the various sensations that occurred. In my case, it was mostly tingling and itching in random parts of the body, sometimes legs and sometimes the face, and so on.

Is this how it is, and what else must I do? Where does it lead?

 

[Me Myself]

I think this is common in general with relaxation of all types. I would be interested in hearing other answers though

 

[Music]

I think this is common in general with relaxation of all types. I would be interested in hearing other answers though

In vipasana, they say it leads to free flow ... hope experienced folks can explain this.

 

[ratikala]

dear music ,

I was asked to just observe the body, not the breathing, the various sensations that occurred. In my case, it was mostly tingling and itching in random parts of the body, sometimes legs and sometimes the face, and so on.

Is this how it is, and what else must I do? Where does it lead?

providing that it is not pinns and needles from sitting with some thing traped , simply observe the sensations and let them pass , do not attatch to them , simply observe their coming and going . if it is pinns and needles gently ajust your posture and return to your focus . it is good to check your posture thoroughly before going in to meditation and dont meditate for too long at first , better to increase slowly you will get better results

 

[apophenia]

In vipasana, they say it leads to free flow ... hope experienced folks can explain this.

Have you done a ten day retreat with the Vipassana group ?

That is where the method you are talking about is taught. It is called sweeping. The instruction begins with just one part of the body, and as the retreat continues the attention is directed to more parts of the body until the meditator is sweeping the awareness throughout the entire body. All and any sensations are the object of meditation.

There are other instructions which accompany this, during dharma talks in the evening. The emptiness and ephemerality of these sensations is discussed during the talks, to provide the right approach to taking sensation as the object of meditation.

Receiving the whole set of instructions in a retreat context will answer your questions about it.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

This is common, especially when you first begin sitting meditation. There's several reasons why these things happen: 1. the body isn't really used to sitting this way, so it's the body getting adjusted to the position, 2. it's the mind creating the sensations in the body in order to distract one from focusing the mind. Eventually, these sensations will pass.

 

[Music]

Have you done a ten day retreat with the Vipassana group ?

That is where the method you are talking about is taught. It is called sweeping. The instruction begins with just one part of the body, and as the retreat continues the attention is directed to more parts of the body until the meditator is sweeping the awareness throughout the entire body. All and any sensations are the object of meditation.

There are other instructions which accompany this, during dharma talks in the evening. The emptiness and ephemerality of these sensations is discussed during the talks, to provide the right approach to taking sensation as the object of meditation.

Receiving the whole set of instructions in a retreat context will answer your questions about it.

Yes, they called it body scan or something. My problem is, I don't think I can survive a 10 day retreat, so I am trying to do it from home. My understanding is that you have to scan from head to toe, but I am wondering whether one can simply observe any sensation that arises instead of focusing on each body part looking for sensations? My objective is to attain free flow, which I believe is experiencing the body as a series of vibrations (rather than as something solid, as we usually do).

 

[apophenia]

Yes, they called it body scan or something. My problem is, I don't think I can survive a 10 day retreat, so I am trying to do it from home.

I survived it ! Man up ! LOL.

Seriously though, it is a beautiful experience and you won't regret it. May I ask what aspects of the ten day retreat do you think will be difficult ? The truth is, the retreat is demanding, but also a tremendous release from the general day to day conditioned responses. This allows a much deeper level of dharana and dhyana to develop and stabilise.

My understanding is that you have to scan from head to toe, but I am wondering whether one can simply observe any sensation that arises instead of focusing on each body part looking for sensations? My objective is to attain free flow, which I believe is experiencing the body as a series of vibrations (rather than as something solid, as we usually do).

The sweeping technique flows directly from buddha's teaching in satipatthana sutta. The way it is presented in the ten day retreat ensures that you receive the method in the context of the teaching from which it originates. This is a much more direct and certain way of receiving the teaching than DIY at home, IMO.

Obviously, I am strongly recommending the ten day retreat. I only did one with the Vipassana organisation, and did most of my buddhist practice with Tibetan teachers. My lama in Melbourne, Traleg Rinpoche, also highly recommended the Vipassana ten day retreats. It is a really solid foundation for meditation practice in general, and also very specifically the method you wish to learn.

Feel free to ask about the retreat process.

 

[Music]

I survived it ! Man up ! LOL.

Seriously though, it is a beautiful experience and you won't regret it. May I ask what aspects of the ten day retreat do you think will be difficult ? The truth is, the retreat is demanding, but also a tremendous release from the general day to day conditioned responses. This allows a much deeper level of dharana and dhyana to develop and stabilise.



The sweeping technique flows directly from buddha's teaching in satipatthana sutta. The way it is presented in the ten day retreat ensures that you receive the method in the context of the teaching from which it originates. This is a much more direct and certain way of receiving the teaching than DIY at home, IMO.

Obviously, I am strongly recommending the ten day retreat. I only did one with the Vipassana organisation, and did most of my buddhist practice with Tibetan teachers. My lama in Melbourne, Traleg Rinpoche, also highly recommended the Vipassana ten day retreats. It is a really solid foundation for meditation practice in general, and also very specifically the method you wish to learn.

Feel free to ask about the retreat process.

Thanks for helping. It means a lot. My problem is the cross-legged posture. Apparently, you have to sit in that position for 10 hours or more. The very thought scares the hell out of me, lol. What was your experience, if I may ask, of this particular aspect, namely sitting in the same posture for hours. Did it make you impatient, perhaps a little mad? I can't endure this for more than 20 minutes, hence my doubts on a 10 day retreat. This is my main worry. Of course, there is the problem of boredom even if I somehow manage the posture.

Edit:
I am a gnostic and hate the flesh. So I am hoping this specific Buddhist experience could help me forget the body. Just being clear on my objectives.

 

[crossfire]

Thanks for helping. It means a lot. My problem is the cross-legged posture. Apparently, you have to sit in that position for 10 hours or more. The very thought scares the hell out of me, lol. What was your experience, if I may ask, of this particular aspect, namely sitting in the same posture for hours. Did it make you impatient, perhaps a little mad? I can't endure this for more than 20 minutes, hence my doubts on a 10 day retreat. This is my main worry. Of course, there is the problem of boredom even if I somehow manage the posture.

Edit:
I am a gnostic and hate the flesh. So I am hoping this specific Buddhist experience could help me forget the body. Just being clear on my objectives.

I often use the upright sitting Cobbler Pose, (Baddha Konasana shown near the bottom of the page) with belts for extra stability applied as shown for the Supta Baddha Konasana pose (shown near the top of the page.)

 

[apophenia]

Thanks for helping. It means a lot. My problem is the cross-legged posture. Apparently, you have to sit in that position for 10 hours or more. The very thought scares the hell out of me, lol. What was your experience, if I may ask, of this particular aspect, namely sitting in the same posture for hours. Did it make you impatient, perhaps a little mad? I can't endure this for more than 20 minutes, hence my doubts on a 10 day retreat. This is my main worry. Of course, there is the problem of boredom even if I somehow manage the posture.

Edit:
I am a gnostic and hate the flesh. So I am hoping this specific Buddhist experience could help me forget the body. Just being clear on my objectives.

I understand. When I did it, I was not really accustomed to sitting for long periods. On the other hand, most people there probably weren't. I was not practicing yoga then. It is true that it is very physically demanding, some days more than others. You can put some support under your knees perhaps. I would certainly suggest becoming accustomed to sitting cross legged often for a while beforehand if you do not sit much now. You are not expected to sit in full lotus, simple cross legs is sufficient. Certainly take a suitable firm cushion to raise your backside a little.

I can promise you you will probably have some moments of pain. But this is actually very useful. The daily teaching really helps you make use of every kind of sensation, whether pleasure or pain, to focus your awareness on anicca. And yes, there are moments of boredom. Exploring exactly what that is is very mind-opening. During the ten days you will experience a range of different states from the uncomfortable to the sublime.

The beauty of the ten day retreat is not only being able to fully absorb the teaching in a more than theoretical way, it gives you the chance to develop a sense of what 'striving with diligence' really means. You are also in a no-escape kind of situation - even though you are free to leave of course - but it gives you the opportunity of facing that habitual tendency to self-distraction, with no option of turning on the TV or playing with your phone or whatever - the million tiny habitual distractions that are a day in samsara Being free of the need to talk is also very much a deep inner relief, and after ten days of Noble Silence, the mind becomes very still.

It feels absolutely excellent at the end of the ten days. You will be delighted that you did it.

So is there somewhere near you where courses are run ?

 

[apophenia]

I often use the upright sitting Cobbler Pose, (Baddha Konasana shown near the bottom of the page) with belts for extra stability applied as shown for the Supta Baddha Konasana pose (shown near the top of the page.)

Yes, baddha konasana would be a good hip opener to do for 10 minutes a few times a day for a few weeks before a vipassana retreat. I can think of a few asanas which would be helpful preparation, but that one is a good prelude to lotus. Yoga practitioners are asked to not practice asanas during the retreat though, apart from whatever sitting posture is adopted .