Reddit mentions of The Posture of Meditation

Hi!,

I’ll only comment on the Vipassana one because this is what I am familiar with AND because of EXPERIENCE. Focusing on the nostrils is not a Vipassana technique. It’s a calming technique. Vipassana is essentially paying attention to your experience. Thinking, feeling, seeing, hearing, and MIND STATES.

>consistently that the narrow focus when using that method tenses me up and tires me out mentally,

This is happening because you are not aware of the mental/physical tension in the body. or maybe you are but the "focusing" is not relaxed. People with anxiety have issues with this. Learning to RELAX is key here. Also, the focus should NOT be narrowed. Focus at the nostrils while maintaining awareness of the body. The purpose of this focusing is ONLY step and a MEANS. For example, once you notice that the mind has stabilized for about 10 - 20 minutes you can move into a noting or jhana path.

Vipassana involves the 3 characteristics. Not-self, impermanence, and unsatisfactoriness. This happens on its own and you don't necessarily need to contemplate this. If the technique is done long enough (retreats are wicked) the mind will start to experience them on its own.

As with generalized anxiety issues I have been the same thing. I have been working with a C-PTSD therapist for about 4 months now. Meditation won't make your anxiety go away. It can help with it but look for someone to work with.

>derealization/depersonalization being exacerbated by practicing that way and then having difficulty 'stopping', because the practice can fairly quickly gain its own momentum

this happens to me way more noticeably on retreat. It can be fucking terrifying not being able to feel my body. I've had to back off and look for ways of working with tension and relaxation.

I've been reading/listening to Reginald Ray, Pete Walker (CPTSD), and Will Johnson book ->

https://www.amazon.com/Posture-Meditation-Will-Johnson/dp/1570622329

I hope this helps and it's been so frustrating because it wasn't until the 8th or so retreat that I realized what was going on with my activation. This is another really good book

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393709787/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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P.S. I"m not saying you have CPTSD or PTSD but the exercises and the way to approach meditation for the sources above has helped me greatly.

I link this to pretty much every post I respond to where someone expresses an issue with posture. Probably the most concise and complete guide I've found.

I also recommend the book The Posture of Meditation by Will Johnson: http://www.amazon.com/Posture-Meditation-Will-Johnson/dp/1570622329

Posture is the complete focus of the book. It is a reversal of most meditation instruction books where his focus begins and ends with the posture with very little focus on what you do inside your head.

Integrating and practicing his ideas has benefited my vipassana and zazen practice.

Here is a template for "philosophical meditation". It is just a template a group made for a type of writing reflection: http://thephilosophersmail.com/virtues/philosophical-meditation-a-guide/

Something like that is what I'm talking about.

Using that in tandem with traditional Buddhist mindfulness practices can be really helpful.

In addition, this book https://www.amazon.com/Posture-Meditation-Will-Johnson/dp/1570622329 goes into detail about posture-focused meditation. The author holds that meditation only requires skillful posture and no particular mental practice. I don't particularly agree, but I felt that I learned a lot about paying attention to the body from his ideas.

He has a really great practice where you hold the body in certain stressful positions while observing the sensation, then you practice slowly moving into less stressful positions. Doing this many times can help you learn to avoid and correct stressful poor posture. You'll be surprised how much poor posture in any position can affect your mental state.

Not specifically TMI-related, but relevant to what you are asking: take a look at Will Johnson's teachings. He advocates for a balance of alignment, relaxation, and 'resiliency' (allowing the body to move with the breath) as you sit in meditation. In particular, fully relaxing the physical body results in more mental quietude. I have made this approach a foundation of my practice and it's helped me a lot.

https://www.embodiment.net/audios

https://www.amazon.com/Posture-Meditation-Will-Johnson/dp/1570622329

I have two suggestions; the first is this book. It's my favorite meditation book, and helped me transition to using the posture itself as my main meditation object.

The second suggestion is to evaluate and play around with your sitting surface (bench, cushion, whatever). I've owned one cushion and two benches, and [this one](https://www.etsy.com/listing/596908442/meditation-bench-meditation-stoolseiza?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=meditation+bench&ref=sr_gallery-1-13&col=1
) is the best I've used, and it's also the cheapest. Really sturdy and light, and gives excellent feedback for working with posture, as the seat surface is not excessively padded (too much padding on a cushion makes it difficult for me to sense my sit-bones and make small micro-adjustments).

I'm not generally a fan of "buy this product!"-type answers to practice questions, but I have to say that the $40 or so I spent on those two items was by far the best value for money I've spent in my meditation journey, including a few retreats and online classes.

This book got me started. It's a very short read and I recommend seeing if your local library has a copy. If you want a more personal take on what I learned from it, feel free to PM me.

I found The Posture of Meditation to be helpful. Plus, improves your posture!

I originally picked this up because my professor had written a commentary on it, but I found it helpful on its own.

[You may find this book helpful] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Posture-Meditation-Will-Johnson/dp/1570622329)