Hello all: Introduce yourself in this thread or just read it to meet the members

[Morning Dew]

Warmly welcome aboard of vipassanaforum

20-30 mins 2x day is planty when starting again. One is not to force the ego to sit very long. Let it slow it self slowly. The important part is to keep the daily practise constant. A few short session day can do miracles:)
My 5 min session at work (in the wc) releases all the acumulated stress (customer service can be rough at times).

Kind regards, MD

[jren]

Good day all..........

My name is Jane and Im so happy to find this online community.
I took my first 10 day course about a month ago here in Illinois.
Im still in the kindergarten stage of learning the meditation and
am trying to stay focused and consistant.  Dont get me wrong,
the experience and the technique is amazing. Im still struggling
with compassion for myself I guess. anyway...... good to be
here. 

[Crystal Palace]

Dear Jane,

Welcome to the forums!

Meditation is essentially a Do-It-Yourself Project and it is only by keeping a regular practice that one can see more or less real changes.

Feel free to throw up any questions that you may have here. This place can become a good support to your practice if you let it 

Warmly,
Crystal Palace

 

[idud]

Hi everybody,

my name is Nacho, I am from Spain. I am trying to learn vipassana meditation few months ago and I am wating to make this course at the end of August.

See you later!
 

[Crystal Palace]

Dear Nacho,

A warm welcome to you to this community!

While you are scheduled to go on a retreat at the end of August you can start preparing for it now. Sit daily and slowly but definitely increase the length of those sessions. You should be in good shape to make the most of your retreat by the end of August then 

Warmly,
Crystal Palace

[Morning Dew]

Hi Jane and Nacho welcome aboard

[Marina_J]

Hi am Marina from Australia and I am new to this forum hope I will learn many new things from this.

EDIT: Lesson number one: DO NOT SPAM OTHER PEOPLES COMMUNITY TO SELL YOGA MATS AND TIGHTS (or any other crap).

IT GETS YOU BANNED.

[Crystal Palace]

Hi Marina,

Welcome to the forums! If you have any questions of any sort, throw them up on the boards - you will get a variety of responses to choose from. There is also a short introduction to meditation in the "Dhamma: Meditation and the Path" board.

Warmly,
Crystal Palace
     

[Matthew]

Welcome to all the newcomers.

Marina, based on your signature linking to multiple websites selling yoga related paraphernalia I am concerned that the only reason you have joined this forum is to advertise.

Well ... as I deleted those links and emailed you and you came back and put them back without replying to my email you are now banned.

I hope I am wrong and that you have a genuine interest in participating in the community and the discussions around the practice of meditation.


Unfortunately I was right. Oh well. Enjoy selling your tights and Yoga mats somewhere else.

Time will did tell.

Warm regards,

In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[idud]

Hi,

Thanks to all for your warm welcome.

@Crystal Palace: Till the end of May I am trying to improve my vipassana meditation  .. and I think it has developing a good way on my live. Due to All I had read on this time and I practised I choose this kind of meditation and I am going to develop it to the final consequences  . I am glad to find this spiritual way of life and include it on my life.

I am from Spain, but I am trying to do my best in English.

[deebat]

Hello everyone,
My name is Dan, and I’m very glad to be here. I’ve been involved in meditation of one sort or another for nearly 20 years. Insight meditation has spoken most strongly to me over the years, especially in the early 2000’s through a large and active sangha in Portland, Oregon, complete with a wonderful teacher. Since 2005, however, I have been living in a community on the US east coast with very few Buddhist practitioners. Once a week, our small sangha of approximately 5-6 regular members sit for an hour and then, if we wish, each of us shares something about how the hour passed and/or observations about our practice in general. It’s an immensely worthwhile experience, but the group doesn’t have much horsepower the rest of the week. That’s why I’m here – to enrich my practice by expanding my connection with the global sangha. I look forward to communicating with you all!
With metta,
Dan

[Crystal Palace]

Welcome aboard Dan!

This place has enough Horsepower and should keep you stimulated  I have realized this place can become a wonderful support to the practice.

Warmly,
Crystal Palace

[Matthew]

Welcome to the forums Dan. Having good Dhamma friends or "Kalyana Mitra" is very important.

[unlikelybdst]

Hi all. My name is Peter, and I might be becoming a buddhist, which is a disturbing development, for I have always thought of myself as secular/atheist/agnostic type Anyhow, I have recently discovered vipassana (mostly via "mindfulness in plain english"), and am trying to incorporate it into my daily life. Been lurking on this forum for some time now, decided to come out and say hello. Peace!

[Matthew]

Hi Peter,

Welcome out of the closet Buddhism and secularism/Agnosticism/Atheism are not mutually exclusive at all - the Buddha was first and foremost an empiricist.

Warm regards,

Matthew

[unlikelybdst]

the Buddha was first and foremost an empiricist.

Thanks Matthew, I like that perspective very much.

What made me look closer at Buddhism is the youtube video of Robina Courtin's talk at Google called "Be your own therapist". She said something along the lines of "As Dalai Lama said himself, if you don't agree with what Buddha says, you must reject him". So far, whatever Buddha said is making a lot of sense. Plus, vipassana practice is great.

- Peter

[Matthew]

"We've got this clichéd idea that it's all about getting a nice feeling ... all about being mindful. Well, EXCUSE ME, you know - Thieves need mindfulness. There's nothing holy about mindfulness. You can't make a cake without being mindful, but you can't shoot somebody without being mindful either, so we've really got to quit this wishy washy nonsense about being 'spiritual'".

Nice one Peter ... here it is if anyone is interested:

Be Your Own Therapist

[dobe]

Good morning Vipassanaforum,

They say you need some sort of master/guru/teacher to really excel in meditating.  Since I do not have that option at the current time, I figured forums would be the next best thing.

My name is Michael Dobe Jr., Dobe(do-bee) nickname.  I'm 20, currently living in Beaumont, Texas.  I stumbled upon meditation probably about 7-8months back.  I first read a book Hurry up and Meditate.  I would practice it on and off, but I slowly stopped.  About a month ago I decided to really stick with it and meditate every day, no matter what.  I want to finally rid myself of these shackles my mind has over me.  At times I feel I need a better perspective of the world as well.  I'm also very interested in this whole question of conciousness, and what are we at the very core.  Meditation seems to be the best way to answer these questions. I must know reality!

 I read the book Mindfulness In Plain English and have been focusing on my nose every since hah...  But after coming to this forum, I'm wondering if I'm just self-hypnotizing myself!  I have quite a few questions I'm not even sure where to start...

Normally I can sit down for 30-40minutes.  I sit in a chair because of my lack of hip flexibility(workin on it..), and I simply focus on sensation of air hitting the tip of my nose, in and out.  I try and mindfully observe it, noting any thoughts that come to mind and gently going back to the breath when my thoughts start running.  The deepest I've ever gotten has been something like this: My hands/legs pretty much disappear and my breath becomes very faint.  The gaps between thought to thought that arises slows down quite a bit.  Some sessions I've felt some sort of rapture, which usually gets me all excited, and I try and just mindfully witness whats happening.  It doesn't last long.  Is this sudden rapture the first jhana?  How do i know if I'm merely hypnotizing myself?  Should I stop focusing on the tip of my nostrils and pay more attention to my entire body, or am I doing fine with the nose approach?  Anything in particular I should be aware of when I get this sudden rapture? tips/suggestions/critiques/comments all greatly appreciated

again this is dobe, gonna go do some forward bends to get my hips loosened.  full lotus here i come!

[Morning Dew]

Hi dobe and welcome on board

i am sure more people will reply if you post this in the meditation board because not all subscribe to the introduction one.

I wish i can sit in full lotus like you but my Seiza bench will do for now

remain relaxed and alert

[pamojjam]

Welcome dobe,

just googled for the anapana sati sutta, which contains all the instructions for the practice you do, and was surprised to find even a wikipedia entry on it. Pasted from there:

Core instructions

First Tetrad: Contemplation of the Body (kaya)
   Discerning long breaths
   Discerning short breaths
   Experiencing the whole body (sabbakaya)
   Calming bodily formations
Second Tetrad: Contemplation of the Feeling (vedana)
   Being sensitive to rapture (pīti)[11]
   Being sensitive to pleasure (sukha)
   Being sensitive to mental fabrication (citta-saṃskāra)
   Calming mental fabrication
Third Tetrad: Contemplation of the Mind (citta)
   Being sensitive to the mind
   Satisfying the mind
   Steadying the mind
   Releasing the mind
Fourth Tetrad: Contemplation of the Mental Objects (dhamma)
   Focusing on impermanence
   Focusing on dispassion
   Focusing on cessation
   Focusing on relinquishment

How do i know if I'm merely hypnotizing myself?  Should I stop focusing on the tip of my nostrils and pay more attention to my entire body, or am I doing fine with the nose approach?  Anything in particular I should be aware of when I get this sudden rapture? tips/suggestions/critiques/comments all greatly appreciated

Self hypnosis could happen, but then this only becomes a problem if it happens in every sitting.
Contemplation of the breath or the whole body are equal stepping stones, which in my experience is a gradual evolvement spontaneously proceeding. After many years I only start with the breath, which then takes each of the steps naturally. With patience.
Rapture I could only overcome by getting used to and no more excited.
If you experienced a jhana you would know, since it so otherworldly with a very long after effect giving peace for weeks.

regards

[Matthew]

Welcome dobe,

just googled for the anapana sati sutta, which contains all the instructions for the practice you do, and was surprised to find even a wikipedia entry on it. Pasted from there:

Core instructions

First Tetrad: Contemplation of the Body (kaya)
   Discerning long breaths
   Discerning short breaths
   Experiencing the whole body (sabbakaya)
   Calming bodily formations
Second Tetrad: Contemplation of the Feeling (vedana)
   Being sensitive to rapture (pīti)[11]
   Being sensitive to pleasure (sukha)
   Being sensitive to mental fabrication (citta-saṃskāra)
   Calming mental fabrication
Third Tetrad: Contemplation of the Mind (citta)
   Being sensitive to the mind
   Satisfying the mind
   Steadying the mind
   Releasing the mind
Fourth Tetrad: Contemplation of the Mental Objects (dhamma)
   Focusing on impermanence
   Focusing on dispassion
   Focusing on cessation
   Focusing on relinquishment

How do i know if I'm merely hypnotizing myself?  Should I stop focusing on the tip of my nostrils and pay more attention to my entire body, or am I doing fine with the nose approach?  Anything in particular I should be aware of when I get this sudden rapture? tips/suggestions/critiques/comments all greatly appreciated

Self hypnosis could happen, but then this only becomes a problem if it happens in every sitting.
Contemplation of the breath or the whole body are equal stepping stones, which in my experience is a gradual evolvement spontaneously proceeding. After many years I only start with the breath, which then takes each of the steps naturally. With patience.
Rapture I could only overcome by getting used to and no more excited.
If you experienced a jhana you would know, since it so otherworldly with a very long after effect giving peace for weeks.

regards

This is a very good synopsis of Anapana and the dangers of hypnosis are well expounded by pamojjam. It doesn't mention noses. Feel your whole body as you breathe. The body is the first of the personality factors every time the Buddha lists them.

Don't think about Jhana. Let it happen when you are ready, It's a distraction until then and when you experience it, as pamojjam also comments, you will know it.

Welcome.

Matthew

[RayfieldNeel]

Hello all,
My name is Ray, and I live in the southeastern U.S.
I've been working towards figuring out what kind of meditation suits my mind and goals...I've done Zen and mindfulness retreats, and have sat with local groups in both of those categories. (Soto Zen for one, and the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition for the other)

I'm looking forward to reading and learning here; I'm glad to have found you guys.

Currently engaging in an anapasati practice to learn some focus, and as that happens I'm trying on more and more vipassana. Still quite the newb.

[Morning Dew]

Good man! Welcome aboard Roy
Feel free to ask any questions in our forum!

Regards, D.

[punkinsoul]

Hello all,

My name is Sheryl, live near the Rocky Mountains, and I've been practicing shamatha meditation for about 5 months.  I've attended several classes and one week end training.  I also do walking meditation using a loving kindness exercise whenever possible and hope to continue it daily as well.

I believe I'm on a Buddhist path, and find it to be a lot more involved (if that's the right word) and take much more focus and constant attention than the religion I was brought up in.   

I'm so glad to find this forum and hope to learn from all of you.

Kind regard,
Sheryl

[Matthew]

Sheryl,

Welcome to the forums. Have you been practicing with Shambhala in the Rockies?

Warm regards,

Matthew