Sedona Method Versus Release Technique - Page 2

Bhavya · February 3rd, 2009, 02:03

Thanks Edwin. Writing it helped me get clear too so I helped myself!

Alan Groves · February 4th, 2009, 07:59

Hi Bhavya and Edwin,

Bhavya, thank you for this - I have decided that I need to shelve a few things for a while, keep using Lifeflow, work with releasing and see where this takes me. I am happy at the prospect and looking forward to the journey.

As an aside, I have just received Lifeflow 3, but to be honest my meditation is closer to level 7ish! I am thinking about starting again with level 10 when I go to bed in the evenings and then using level 9 in the mornings at my normal sitting session - doing this for about a month, then using level 8 in the evening when I go to bed and level 7 in the morning at my normal sitting session. Then level 6 and level 5 as above.
My thinking being that in 3 months I will be down to level 4 and can continue with that at my normal sitting session until I feel ready to move to 3, 2, 1 - Gamma?
What do you think about this? I know the suggestion is to move on when ready and about the 30-60day mark and I don't want to rush with the almost like "I am behind, I need to catch up" mentality as this is contrary to my understanding of meditation. However, I do feel an urge to make up for lost time!

As another aside - I would like to say although I am not a prolific poster (!!) the value of reading many of the posts from people like yourselves and Pollyana is both supporting and inspirational.
Thank you all very much.

Bhavya · February 4th, 2009, 19:00

Hi Alan
I'd like to hear from others on this too. I've been meditating for a long time but even with LF I have mind chatter. I've experienced some very expansive states and my awareness is certainly much sharper, both during meditation and daily life. I notice the different levels of mind operating at any given time and have more understanding about mind/body/spirit through experiencing them. The heart is more open too. So there's been lots of benefits from using LF and I'm very grateful for all of them.

But the mind keeps doing its thing. Thoughts still come in meditation and when there's a juicy one, my attention goes with it. Like a beginner.

Some people naturally have quiet minds. They slip into meditation, into the silence almost effortlessly. Five mindful breaths and they're gone. I wish I were one of them, but I'm not. My family tends towards a mild form of attention-deficit disorder so there's probably something at play there. And I just have to accept it!

Surprisingly, I'm really not so upset about it. Perseverance furthers as the I Ching says. Because I really know the mind is not me, and because I have tasted and will continue to taste the pure beingness that I am, there is some level of detachment from thoughts a lot of the time. And as Michael says, it's best not to have expectations.

But I'd like to hear from the rest of you about how quiet your minds are using Lifeflow. I know it's all relative - depending on where you started from - but what improvement has there been for you all in this?

Thanks for any input

Bhavya

Edwin · February 5th, 2009, 00:57

I agree with Bhavya 100%

Don't expect miracles from LifeFlow, or meditation.
In fact don't expect anything !

The best enjoyment from meditation should be felt after having ended the meditation !

Do you feel calm, refreshed, ready to take on the world again after your session ? Keep doing that for a year ( especially with LifeFlow because it can speed up the process ) and notice how slowly you keep feeling better and better after the meditation.

LifeFlow is not a miracle cure, Meditation isn't either, but it it certainly is an addition to your life if you let it in.

It's hard to write words that might seem discouraging, but after a few meditation sessions you will see that by not expecting anything from meditation and LifeFlow, you will gain the most.

if you feel discouraged to try LifeFlow now, read this post I made a few weeks ago:

A brief moment...

Have a great journey

Montana Keith · February 5th, 2009, 02:19

Hey Bhavya,
I noticed your question of:

But I'd like to hear from the rest of you about how quiet your minds are using Lifeflow. I know it's all relative - depending on where you started from - but what improvement has there been for you all in this?

To see one of the "places" I'm on in my journey in meditation, take a look at a thread I recently started: "A Meditation Session"

Take care. --Keith

Alan Groves · February 5th, 2009, 05:49

HI Edwin,

I read the post you directed me to - very intersting - thank you.

Hi Bhavya and Keith - thank you also.

My comments came more from self frustration than anything else.
I don't think any of us know if the path(s) we choose will lead to enlightenment, or maybe they are all heading in that direction, just on different courses.

I have been chanting for about 5 years now from a buddhist religiuos perspective, before that I used to meditate. I found more and more, especialy since I moved from UK to Thailand to work, that I wanted revisit meditation which is how I eventually got involved with Lifeflow.
I have been through periods of reasonably consistent use of Lifelow and have felt benefits.
My work is quite long hours, 6 days per week and some eveings taking care of customers. Juggling this and my social life was stressing me out so I was looking for more and more ways to be less stressed, more productive, and search for enlightenment. - In fact this was making more stressed as I could not see the "wood for the trees".
So I decided I had to concentrate my self development in not more than 2 areas, and see where this takes me.
THis is a big decision for me as to "shelve" a religiuos practice where you have friends who practice it consistently out and are always encouraging me to do the same, there is a definite "PULL".
I tried marrying the chanting with Lifeflow, but then felt I was not being true to the chanting, or getting the intended benefits from Lifeflow, all the time trying to still release with Sedona Method and/or Release technique.
(Blimey, I sound a bit screwed up!!)
Then the other night, something came to mind that was in the free 4 part meditation course where Michael (well I think it's his voice?) relates the story of a woodcutter, striving harder and harder to achieve his goal and never taking time to sharpen his axe - this rang very true to me. I was the woodcutter and I was pushing myself harder and harder to chop down trees with my blunt axe!!
I see lifeflow as a great way to sharpen my axe and releasing as a great way to free myself from the feelings that stop the tree from falling (or make me want to chop down the wrong tree!)
Even typing this I still feel the pull from Chanting, but I know if it is right for me, I will pick it up later.

Hope this helps anyone who reads it.

Bhavya · February 5th, 2009, 06:19

Originally Posted by Montana Keith

Hey Bhavya,
I noticed your question of:

But I'd like to hear from the rest of you about how quiet your minds are using Lifeflow. I know it's all relative - depending on where you started from - but what improvement has there been for you all in this?

To see one of the "places" I'm on in my journey in meditation, take a look at a thread I recently started: "A Meditation Session"

Take care. --Keith

Thanks Keith. I read through your wonderful description of the way mind works! And I do agree ..success is best measured by the deepening awareness of our true Self. I still would like the ability to quiet the mind quickly and easily because it's a wonderful tool in that process of knowing the Self but I recognize that wanting that ability is a hindrance.

Alan, I'm glad that you're going to continue exploring with Lifeflow. That seems the right way for me as well. Got to sharpen those axes!

We'll all get there, sooner or later.
Wishing you all a good night
Bhavya

silent-tortoise · February 6th, 2009, 21:42

Hello Alan,

Larry Crane puts it really well with a statement that you can use when your ego is telling you of all the different avenues that you can follow. "Could I let go of trying to be so clever and allow it to be other than what I think it is?" I certainly came across this when I began releasing. My ego began to tell me that perhaps this release technique was a cult, meditation was a cult, project meditation was a cult, I had never seen Michael McKenzie, what were his nefarious plans. 'Hey', my ego would say ' you are far more clever than that. I'm just warning you, looking out for you. So, ok, perhaps you do feel better. But that's probably what 'they' want you to feel.It's probably temporary. Maybe Larry Crane is the head of a cult' and on and on it would go. I even found myself looking in Google for "Release Technique Cult" and I found a bulletin board mentioning the very thing, accusing Larry Crane of running a cult! Boy, was my ego happy! Perhaps it could be found in another technique? Bob Proctor? James Arthur Ray? Ram Dass? Ok! Ok!
"Could I let go of trying to be so clever and allow it to be other than what I think it is?"
Bam!
My ego shuts up and I find myself in a place where I allow myself to be.
There is only one path to follow. The nameless path. Your path.
I got out of my own way. I allowed what needed to happen to happen.
I know I probably sound like that Shaolin monk with the cataracts in 'Kung Fu', but just let go of trying to be right and do your practice.
Send love to your ego and then put it to bed.
'Stop trying to be so clever and allow it to be other than what you think it is'. Oh yes, before I forget. Enjoy the ride!

Alan Groves · February 7th, 2009, 04:20

HI Silent Tortoise,
Yes, There is certainly a lot of truth in what Larry says. The thing I struggle with when listening to him is that he comes accross to me as the eternal salesman! I don't know about your age, upbringing or culture, ( I know we share the UK in common) but I was brought up be wary of sales people, particularly pushy sales people and most of all pushy American sales people! That is another refreshing thing for me about Project Meditation. We are told of new products and given advice etc.. but not via a pushy sales ethic which makes me feel uncomfortable.
But having said all that - this could be me getting in the way of myself and trying to be so clever and not allowing it to be other than what I think it is.
I appreciate your comments and enjoy learning from them - thank you - and look forward to the response to this.

WeeHoo · February 7th, 2009, 06:54

Alan, I'm sitting here laughing over your description of Larry Crane! So much like the reaction I had to him...but I have to say, the four or five times I called the Release hotline, he picked up, or, if he wasn't there, he called back within a few hours. And each time, he spent about 20 minutes on the phone with me, walking me through whatever thing it was I needed to release. So I'm trying to stop being so clever and just be grateful for him, Byron Katie and The Work, Michael and this community, and on and on and on...