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Thread: Shambhala

  1. #16
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    Dec 2005
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    kimiwane thanks for the book recommendation. I'll check it out. I'm afraid I may fall victim to something similar to yourself I keep seeing a large 4 and a zero about six months in the future. Still it does look good for a large party in the middle of the summer.

    Harlan and Kokumo thanks as well with the advice about other traditions and insight meditation. I'll look through my references again.
    I took your advice and I've "googled" for 'insight meditation' in this area with no real joy. Either lots of travelling or they're mid-week lunchtime sessions. I've got "Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation ~Larry Rosenberg" coming through the post right now. It seemed to have good reviews.

    Back to the Shambhala:
    I had a strange feeling about the setting, which is one of the things that prompted me to post. It is held in an alternative/complementary therapy centre that covers everything from crystals through reiki on past tarot reading and mediumship. The rest of the group is comprised of regulars of these other courses. When the meditation stopped one of them was talking about 'the spirits taking him'. (the instructor basically and politely said he didn't know anything about that, that he didn't know about the other things people were into).

    I guess this and the way I've been reading books and discarding that which didn't 'fit' with me means I attend readily prepared with a large pinch of salt and a BS meter.
    Garry Needham

  2. #17
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    Jun 2005
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    I can recommend from my experience any and all books by Mantak Chia, founder of the Healing Tao System, and to check any Healing Tao groups if they're nearby.

    While its old, Taoist internal work, Chia has made it very accessible for the westerner. There's no BS about him. One of his favourite phrases was "You do it, you get it."

    cheers,

    Jason Wotherspoon
    Ipswich Aikido Club Iwama style

  3. #18
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    Ta,
    I'll try and check out the books.
    Just done a search for the Rotherham/Sheffield area and can't find anything. I'll ask around further.

    Thanks again
    Garry Needham

  4. #19
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    Hi Garry:

    The experience you described isn't that unusual for meditators. But I think the question is, do you think there is someone at the center that you could talk to about it and feel comfortable?

    Bodily sensations of heaviness, or feelings of bodily distortion, occur for a number of reasons, both physical and psychological. They are part of the flow of energy, and the untangling of the knots of energy that happen in meditation. Since you are a beginner, you need some guidance here. Find a place where you would feel comfortable bringing this kind of thing up.

    Sometimes these uncomfortable physical sensations are due to very simple postural stresses and are easy to correct; but they need to be pointed out.

    Again, since you are just beginning, you need to experiment with the posture that is most conducive to calming and settling of your mind. You may need a higher cushion, or may need to sit seiza, etc. The floor of the center was probably of a different material than the one you have at home and this would stress the knees differently; so perhaps a thicker zabuton would be needed. Most meditators take a few months to settle into the position that finally clicks.

    Regarding Shambhala specifically -- caveat emptor. Do some research about Chogyam Trungpa and his immediate successor. He was very controversial and it is good to know the people who started the organization. Then you can make an informed decision.

    I hope your meditaiton practice blossoms and provides you with much opportunity for wisdom.

    Best wishes,

    Dharmajim
    Dharmajim

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Wilson
    I hope your meditaiton practice blossoms and provides you with much opportunity for wisdom.
    I've been meditating for a while now. This has been my own developement from various books due to a lack of local resources. I ususally feel comfortable and I've not noticed anything like this feeling before.

    I mentioned it in the next meeting. Not a lot by way of response.

    I think maybe it was related to the other people being there, but it was from me not some strange astral thing from them. Maybe with it being a private practice up till then I was aware of them and it was a mildly claustrophobic kinda thing.

    I've since had several more private meditations and a couple more with the shambhala group, with no repetition of the experience.

    Did a bit of research. 'Shambhala' gets a lot of hits so it was a bit of a 'needla in a haystack' situation. But I did get a small bit of info about the controversy at the end of its founders life and factors which contributed to his death.

    I've also read the book "Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior". Found the first 2/3 quite good. Last 1/3 found rather annoying and felt self indulgent, to the degree I tried to speed read as I couldn't be bothered to finish it.

    Think I can get a couple of things from within Shambhala, but I don't think theres anything that 'clicks' with me.

    Thanks Jim
    Guess I'll have to look elsewhere for my wisdom, travel a bit further.
    Garry Needham

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