I just attended this meditation retreat and it was pretty great. I came in with no expectations and came out with some magical-like, deterministic way to access certain body states. The practice comes from a Buddhist process called the Jhanas, but I’m agnostic and from this experience I’m pretty convinced to continue this practice.
In my own experience, I would describe the 4 distinct states that were accessed on will as:
- J1 - Tingly sensations
- J2 - Joyful love
- J3 - Peaceful love
- J4 - Still clarity
There are more states too, and every person have different experiences in each.
Here’s a guide I wrote myself for entering these states.
How states have been entered in the past
- Set 1 intention. Usually something simple like “I want to surrender”, “I want to bring pleasure/love to others”
- Short breath awareness or body scan. Maybe relax tension in body while doing body scan
- Smile however feels natural
- Breathe in play/joy, open, breathe out relax, open. This will bring you through the states
- Awareness to the body’s pleasure
- 6Rs when things come up
- Surrender
How some of these states have felt in the past
- J1 - Tingling, physical, swaying
- J2 - Clarity, joy with and for others, play as a child
- J3 - Peace, love, safety
- J4 - Bright light, still
How the transitions between states have felt in the past
- J1 -> J2 - Background to foreground, emerges clarity
- J2 -> J3 - Love, less swaying, spherical
- J3 -> J4 - Stillness, white light
What feels natural for me
Every body is different, and mine is particularly in tune with:
- Awareness of the body
- Some physical movement
- Expansion aspect of expansion, pleasure, and relaxation
Nice exercises
- Forgiveness
- Play with pleasure/expansion/relaxation and breath
- Ask the body: What would you like to tell me?
Nice tips
- “For the effort you think it takes, 1/2 it. then 1/2 it again”
- “Tension is the body’s feedback mechanism”