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Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of Theravada Budhism ). Part-15. It's exactly the same for our use of the words “I,” “me,” “mine,” and “self.” These words refer to the felt sense that our experience somehow "belongs" to someone. This felt sense of self is connected to a deeply rooted belief that there really must be someone continuously "behind" it all, to whom everything happens or to which everything refers. Our own experience challenges this belief and reveals it to be just that: a belief. The sense of self does not exist anywhere within or separate from the changing play of sights, sounds, sensations, and thoughts that make up our experience. For example, if we ask the question, "Who is thinking this thought?" we do not find anyone separate from the thought itself who is actually doing the thinking. The thought thinks itself, so to speak. Our experience reveals that there is no "essenc

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of Theravada Budhism ). Part-14. As long as we remain un distracted, we will be vividly aware of each of these changing experiences. We may then get the sense that they are happening all by themselves. This is a powerful insight that can free us from the habit of trying to control things. It can help us drop the fear and insecurity that make us feel separate from life and allow us to experience instead a profound connection with all things. We can come to see life as a kind of magical unfolding of experiences. If you find that you are becoming distracted or "spaced-out" during this exercise, simply return to being focused and alert by coming back to the breath or body sensations.     The teaching of selflessness ( anata ) In meditation we learn to distinguish between direct experience and concepts. Concepts are always about experience. Selflessness continued Words

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of Theravada Budhism ). Part-13. If we want to experience it directly, we need to turn away from objects and pay attention instead to the simple fact that they are known When the mind is un distracted, consciousness appears clear and unobstructed. Nothing comes between it and the known object. The un distracted mind knows things directly and immediately. Thoughts about objects always follow the direct knowing of them. We often believe that consciousness is who we really are. We believe we are really the watcher, or the witness that seems to be behind everything. We say "I see" or "I think". But who is it that's actually doing the seeing and thinking? Is there really some "I" standing back behind it all, or is that just a deeply-rooted belief? The Buddha's teaching is about not clinging to anything that is changing, no matter how refined or subtl

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of Theravada Budhism ). Part-12. Our practice is to Pay attention to thoughts without getting lost in their content. Instead, we simply notice that thinking is happening in our minds. We often get lost in thoughts about the past or future. Labelling these thoughts as “remembering” or “planning” can bring us back to the present moment. Learn how thoughts are connected with feelings, body sensations and emotions. Investigate. Do we control our thoughts? Or do they seem to appear and disappear whether we like it or not? Thoughts are not an enemy to be killed. In fact, trying to “kill” thought simply speeds up the thinking. Instead, we can open attention to lively chaos, with discipline, deep curiosity and wisdom. This spacious awareness gradually buys us out of slavery from cowardly views and miserly habits. We begin to be less interested in compulsive thoughts that lead to suffering, and

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of Theravada Budhism ). Part-11. Restlessness (remorse, agitation, worry) This is the opposite of sleepiness: too much energy. We feel as if we are going to "jump out of our skin." Can we find a way to hold this energy? Make a resolution to sit as still as possible for a short time and see what happens to the restlessness. Does it decrease or increase? Can we learn how to "ride it out" as if it were a whirlwind passing through?  Bring attention to the breath and keep it there as much as you can, for short periods at a time. If these techniques don't seem to be working, you can try doing the opposite: expand your attention outward. Listen to sounds. Walk outside. See if you can make your mind as big as the sky and let the restlessness move through it. Doubt This is often the most difficult hindrance. We need to recognize it right away or it can stop our

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-10. The five hindrances to calmness & insight The five hindrances are mind-states that often appear when awareness comes close to something painful or powerful in the psyche. They could be called “five signs of breakthrough.” The five hindrances continued Desire Recognize it in your mind as wanting, expecting, or a sense that something is missing. Notice what triggers the sense that what you are experiencing is not good enough, that something more should be happening. Notice any sense of "rushing" to the next thing. Be aware of the feeling of contraction in the body and mind when you are in the grip of this force. Also notice the relief when there is no wanting. Aversion Understand that all the different kinds of aversion are simply responses to an unpleasant feeling. Examples of aversion are: anger, fear, judgment, irritation, and

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-9. Our practice is to be aware of pleasant feelings without desperately trying to make them last when they go away. Our practice is also to be aware of unpleasant feelings without struggling to get rid of them when they come. We can also learn to be aware of neutral feelings without being bored or restless. Letting feelings come and go by themselves and simply staying aware of them without getting caught up in them, we weaken the forces of greed, hatred, and delusion that are the causes of all suffering. Our practice then leads directly to an abiding happiness and peace.  Mind-states (emotions) Like coloured glasses that can affect our vision, mind-states, or emotions, can affect our experience. The world appears very different when we are angry and when we are at ease. Mind-states continued Mind-states can be either wholesome, like generosity

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-8. Body sensation As you try to stay with the sensations of the breath, you will begin to be aware of mental reactions and physical sensations, whether pleasant or unpleasant. When there are pleasant sensations, you might develop a long fantasy about how close you are to a “big experience.” When there are unpleasant sensations, you might convince yourself that you will never be able to meditate, and in fact need to go to a hospital. Body sensations continued Your attention will naturally be drawn away from the sensations of the breath to other sensations in your body, especially pain. It is important to learn to be steady through uncomfortable sensations. Sitting still contributes greatly to peace of mind. It is equally important not to cultivate a tendency towards strain by forcing yourself to sit through unbearable pain. Be patient and kind to yourself.

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-7. Extend the noting to include intentions and the resultant movement of the body before dramatic changes in body posture.  Mental notes such as "intending," "reaching," "touching," or "standing," can help ground our awareness in our bodies and extend the sense of wakefulness beyond the boundaries of formal sitting and walking periods.  The mental note of "seeing" can be particularly helpful in counteracting the tendency of our attention to rush out through the eyes and get lost in the external world. The mental note of "hearing" can likewise keep us from getting lost in habitual reactions to sounds. Mental noting reveals what our experience is, how we relate to it, and what happens to it when we become aware of it. It helps us to see the basic characteristics of impermanence, unreliability

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-6. This method uses concepts as  skillful  means for developing concentration, and helps us frame our experience by being able to label or name what is going on. Mental noting instructions continued  Mentally "note" what is happening, a simple label such as "walking", "thinking" etc.  Keep the mental label light and transparent. Be careful not to make the note so loud that it drowns out the actual experience.  Remember it is simply a pointer or a reminder and not meant to substitute for the experience itself. Think of putting 95% of your attention on whatever you are experiencing and 5% on the  labeling  of it. With thinking, it is helpful to distinguish thoughts about the past and future with the labels "remembering" and "planning," respectively. Such labels are very useful in freeing us from be

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-5. Whenever possible, be alert for the subtle "urge" or "intention" to turn the body around, just before actually turning. It can be possible, to expand this alertness to the intentions to lift, move, or place a foot. Awareness of intentions gives more space between unconscious urges and following through on them. Let this practice come into your daily life.      Eating meditation As with sitting and walking, eating is a basic activity that we easily take for granted. We often eat while doing other things such as talking or reading. We can learn a lot about the mind by eating without distractions and making it as much of a meditation practice as sitting and walking. Eating meditation continued After you have sat down with your meal, begin the meditation by noticing the smell of the food and any pleasant feeling associated with

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-4. There are two general methods for keeping the attention focused on the breath: You can either settle back and relax, letting the sensations come to you as if you were listening to sounds, or you can make more of an active effort to connect and sustain your attention. One or the other method will be appropriate at different times. Remember: the heart of meditation practice is the ability to begin again, no matter how often your mind wanders. Walking meditation Sustaining awareness of the physical sensations in the legs and feet while walking helps bring interest and openness into everyday life. Walking meditation continued Choose a flat place about ten meters long to walk back and forth. Simply experience the changing textures, temperatures, weights, densities, vibrations, and so on. The main focus is on the soles of the feet, as you walk

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Budhism ). Part-3. True mindfulness practice is not limited to formal periods of sitting and walking but can be extended into more and more of our activities during the day. Physically slowing down helps keep us more grounded in our bodies, and lessens the distracting effect of fast-moving thoughts. All of these practices aim to develop the calmness that unveils our capacity to experience things as they really are. This direct experience leads to genuine happiness, to freedom from suffering.  Meditation on the breath Sit comfortably, with the head, neck, and chest in a relatively straight line. Be relaxed yet alert. Be directly aware of the physical sensations of the body while you are sitting: the contact your body makes with the cushion or bench. Meditation on the breath continued Breathe naturally. There is no need to control the breath in any special way. I

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Buddhism ). Part-2. This practice helps purify the mind from the forces of greed, hatred, and delusion, which the Buddha identified as the causes of all our suffering. As the practice deepens, calmness and clarity lead to liberating insight into the facts of existence and greater freedom from suffering. Techniques for developing mindfulness derive from one of the most famous discourses of the Buddha called The Foundations of Mindfulness (the Satipatthana Sutta). The many methods of practice are rooted in the Theravada  Buddhist tradition of Southeast Asia. Within this larger tradition, diverse styles of practice have developed over the centuries, such as the mental noting technique made popular in the 1940's by the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. Mindfulness meditation is concerned with only one thing: the liberation of the heart and mind from suffering. The wisdom and compa

Vipassana meditation techniques for stress relief.(Collection from various books of  Theravada Buddhism ). Part-1. Vipassana (insight) meditation is the moment-to-moment examination of the body and mind with calm and focused attention. This practice brings us directly in touch with our experience. It helps us live more fully in the present instead of being lost in thoughts, images, regrets, and fears about the past and future. As our minds become less distracted, we begin to see things more clearly. We begin to see that the bare experience of sight, sound, sensation, and thought is one thing, and what we make out of that bare experience is another. We begin to see that our happiness and suffering do not lie "out there" in the experience but are found instead within our own minds, in how we relate to experience. We begin to see the truth that "all things are changing" in a much deeper way, so that we are not trying to hold on to things.