Help! I'm New! Feelings in head, rhythmic breathing. Is this normal?!

[AmareNa89]

I started meditating last week as a way to relieve anxiety/stress (I have read so many great things about it, I had to give it a try). I really enjoyed the beginner CDs! FYI I am doing this from a semi-spiritual, but non-religious point of view.

So my first few meditations were nice, but nothing too great happened, which I wasn't disappointed about because, as we are told, we should just go along with whatever happens during meditation.

Luckly, I have noticed immediate positive changes in my perspective/mood/feelings of wellbeing! I see meditation as a concentrated exercise in 'going with the flow' because you have to accept everything that comes into your mind and then let go of it.

Anyway, the more I have done it (tonight was probably my 6th time), the more I feel like I am entering into a deeper state of calmness. This state is often accompanied by a number of (interesting, but not unpleasant) feelings, and I was wondering if someone could tell me if they are normal.

First, I get this feeling in the top/back of my head, almost a pressure, or heaviness, or 'opening up.' I honestly don't know how to describe it. This is definitely the most dominant feeling. I also get some chest pain, as that area also feels heavier. I also feel a deep connection with my breathing, almost rhythmic and like I am moving back and forth as I inhale/exhale. Today I did a 20 minute meditation with the lights off and a candle in front of me (I was trying to set the 'mood' haha) and these feelings were strongest today. It was really enjoyable. Generally, I felt kind of in a rhythmic/humming phase, but totally aware of all of it. One thing I wasn't aware of for a bit was that I had switched my mantra from the usual one I do to a small bit (three words) of a song I know, and I was just repeating them as a mantra (kind of with the same tune as they sing them in the song). But I thought that was okay because, again, I am under the impression that we are supposed to accept things as they come in mediation.

So, I am wondering if someone might be able to share with me their thoughts about how normal my experiences might be, and if I might be making mistakes!

Thanks!!!

[Hazelkay]

Welcome to the forum.

You seem to be doing very well and have realised the important point that what happens in the meditation session is not indicative of the positive benefits. As you have noticed these become apparent in your everyday life.

The mantra you use is just a tool to help you get into the meditative state, so whatever suits you is fine.

As we let go of discursive thinking - this is following a train of thought like -

('what shall I cook for dinner - no, not that, we had that Monday - did he like it, not sure, maybe I won't do that again' ) etc etc

- then what is always happening in the body comes into our awareness. We notice the aches, pains, unusual sensations that are always coming and going in the body. We also become more aware of emotions, tensions, heaviness, lightness. Nothing needs to be done, just noticing what is.

Thoughts also come, but unlike discursive thinking, they arise and and then pass away as we give them no attention.

It's along journey - this meditation lark - but it's a great adventure - have fun.
peace and joy

[AmareNa89]

Thank you for responding! What you said about noticing sensations in your body that are usually there while you are not meditating makes a lot of sense. I get headaches often, and I used to get chest pain, so the heaviness I feel in those areas while I meditate might be a reflection of that.

Do you think this is so? I am wondering now if I should be doing something to relax those areas... or will meditation relieve stress and therefore relax those areas eventually anyway, because they are likely related to stress? Maybe I'm looking too far into this.

[Hazelkay]

The sensations we are aware of in the body have numerous causes. Some we do something about and some we just notice and allow them to pass in their own time.

If an unpleasant sensation arises because we happen to be inadvertantly sitting on a button, it makes sense to remove the button.

If it arises because of the food we have eaten, that heavy feeling when there was too much grease or overeating, we note it and it may make a change in our eating habits(maybe)

Sensations can also arise when old reaction residue comes to the surface.

When we react to some external or internal stimuli sensations arise in the body. Think what happens in your body when you feel angry or frustrated. When the emotion passes most of the sensations die away, but there is some residue left in the body. Every time we react, sensation arises and residue is left.

If we are in a non-reactive state - as in meditation - this residue can come to the surface and be experienced again.

Its like a bin inside where we are keeping all our rubbish. Most of the time we keep the lid on tight with tension. When we have more rubbish we prise off the lid and shove it inside. If it is stuffed full, some explodes out when we are trying to stuff more in - that's when our reaction seems all out of proportion with the stimulus we got.

If we are still and quiet, we notice the results of all this hoarding of rubbish. I f we do nothing, just observe, the lid eases off and some rubbish floats out. As we don't react, it loses all its weight and floats away.

In meditation, sometimes there is a smooth quiet phase and in the bin some gentle sorting and bagging is going on. Then comes a time when the lid is off
and some of the stuff emerges and the experience is somewhat rougher.

The less we react, the more the rubbish loses weight and ceases to worry us.

Our bins are all different in size and quality, so our meditation experiences are also all different. We don't need to do anything to sort the rubbish. We just notice what is going on and let it happen.

Meditating for too long can keep the lid off and let up too much rubbish at once. Then it becomes a bit challenging to just observe and not react - leading to more residue to be binned. Taking things gently is much the best option.

Hmmm! this was a very long answer to 'should I try to relax these areas?'

Just start in a comfortable position, then enjoy the ride
peace and joy

[Karmoh]

Originally Posted by Hazelkay

The sensations we are aware of in the body have numerous causes. Some we do something about and some we just notice and allow them to pass in their own time.

If an unpleasant sensation arises because we happen to be inadvertantly sitting on a button, it makes sense to remove the button.

If it arises because of the food we have eaten, that heavy feeling when there was too much grease or overeating, we note it and it may make a change in our eating habits(maybe)

Sensations can also arise when old reaction residue comes to the surface.

When we react to some external or internal stimuli sensations arise in the body. Think what happens in your body when you feel angry or frustrated. When the emotion passes most of the sensations die away, but there is some residue left in the body. Every time we react, sensation arises and residue is left.

If we are in a non-reactive state - as in meditation - this residue can come to the surface and be experienced again.

Its like a bin inside where we are keeping all our rubbish. Most of the time we keep the lid on tight with tension. When we have more rubbish we prise off the lid and shove it inside. If it is stuffed full, some explodes out when we are trying to stuff more in - that's when our reaction seems all out of proportion with the stimulus we got.

If we are still and quiet, we notice the results of all this hoarding of rubbish. I f we do nothing, just observe, the lid eases off and some rubbish floats out. As we don't react, it loses all its weight and floats away.

In meditation, sometimes there is a smooth quiet phase and in the bin some gentle sorting and bagging is going on. Then comes a time when the lid is off
and some of the stuff emerges and the experience is somewhat rougher.

The less we react, the more the rubbish loses weight and ceases to worry us.

Our bins are all different in size and quality, so our meditation experiences are also all different. We don't need to do anything to sort the rubbish. We just notice what is going on and let it happen.

Meditating for too long can keep the lid off and let up too much rubbish at once. Then it becomes a bit challenging to just observe and not react - leading to more residue to be binned. Taking things gently is much the best option.

Hmmm! this was a very long answer to 'should I try to relax these areas?'

Just start in a comfortable position, then enjoy the ride
peace and joy

What a complete and utter load of rubbish....

Brilliant anology

Peace

[Bryan555]

Well, yeah, maybe kick-boxing is great, too. But I can say without hesitation that meditation really just "sucks" the stress right out of your body. I used to have a lot of it, and a lot of very legitimate reasons for having it. But I find that 40 minutes a day of meditation just knocks the crap out of stress.

As far as sharing your experiences...I'd say there's no right or wrong there. If you feel like sharing, a lot of people would probably feel like listening. If not, that's not a problem, either.

Hope this is at least a little helpful...

[GilesC]

Originally Posted by I-dont-Know

im gonna be a bit picky about your post, and you can be picky about my reply lol

first - if you want to relieve stress and anxiety then do sports or something, meditation is NOT relaxation, meditation is just a way to know your true/real self or call it whatever you want. If you want to relieve stress and anxiety try martial arts, i used to do kickboxing and it was a great way to relax and relieve tension

Well, yes and no.
The state of meditation is about Being the true Self, agreed, but the practice... those tools we use to get ourselves to that state, often referred to as meditation practice, certainly can help on a physical level to help relaxation and reduce stresses, especially as the cause of a lot of those are the thoughts and emotions, which are relaxed through meditation.

Dont get excited about your first meditations, because then your excitement will go down and you will get bored of it - believe me. Yes meditation makes you calm, i meditate alot and its like im always on heroin but thats not the point of meditation - dont get too involved about the nice by products of it.

Not sure what heroin is like, and no intention of trying it. Though I'm sure it can't be anything like just Being the Self.

Making a mistake... apart from those pointed above, i think its sharing your experience. Before i started meditation i used to follow a spiritual path and this path was loaded with experiences so i used to think about what to share and what to say and how to type it into a perfect experience and whatever, if this is happening to you then dont post anything - if you are just typing out of spontaneous feeling because you just came here and felt like sharing then yes go ahead and share BUT be true to yourself dont lie to yourself - the mind has many ways to decieve itself , very cunning.

Subtle, but true.

Remember, this forum may become a source of attachment for your meditation so be aware of that, because everyone is so friendly and it makes you want to share more, its why theres need of people like me to cut you out of that lol

LOL! yep, and we just need to watch out for that ego too.

Hugs

Giles