stepping out of the shadows

[oneiopen]

been lurking for awhile and thought it was time to pop my head out and say hello. long time seeker/student. starting practicing self-enquiry about three years ago which is, oddly enough, when insomnia became an issue. i very much like the posters and topics here but will probably be that quiet kid in the corner who doesn't talk much but takes it all in. pardon the small caps--i'm a little punchy, it's very early a.m. here on the west coast.

big time ramana maharshi fan, david godman for all things ramana, and my new fave--david carse, the non-teaching teacher. tend to read the same few books multiple times and then steep in them.

above all else want to awaken and also get a good night's sleep---there's a good joke in there somewhere. well, that's all for now. peace out.

[zendancer]

oneiopen: Welcome. Love your screen name, and glad to have you join the discussion. Just a couple of suggestions. As an experiment, you might try shifting from self-inquiry to listening to universal sound as a pre-bedtime practice. Certain practices are more awakening than others (no pun intended), and it would be interesting to see if self-inquiry is the basis of your insomnia.

If the insomnia persists, you might try using the getting-to-sleep technique that was taught to bomber pilots in WWII. Those guys got freaked out (understandably) by the high kill ratios, and got so wired up that they couldn't sleep. Lay flat on your back and tense up every muscle in your body--even your face muscles. Hold the tension for ten, twenty, or thirty seconds while doing diaphramatic breathing, sort of panting (the only kind of breathing you can do if your chest muscles are in tension). Then, slowly and progressively release all of the tension until you are totally relaxed. Do this several times until your body yawns deeply or you trigger what is called "the fish reflex" (your whole body will suddenly do a spasmodic jerk). After either deep yawning or the reflex, you will almost instantly fall asleep. It rarely takes longer than five minutes to fall asleep using this technique. Occasionally it will take ten minutes, but that is pretty rare.

[oneiopen]

thank you, zendancer, for your kindness and the interesting techniques. i will certainly try the tensing and relaxing exercise this evening. pardon my ignorance, but what is "universal sound"? never heard of that before. have to say that the "fish reflex" is something i experience a lot whenever i practice---what the heck is that all about, i wonder. anyway, glad to be aboard the board.

[zendancer]

oneiopen: What we call "universal sound" is the faint roaring/hissing sound that can be heard when we become relatively silent. It can be used as a focus of attention.

The fish reflex is apparently some sort of primitive body response. I once read something about it, but have forgotten the details. I'm not sure that scientists fully understand the function or what causes it.

[waddicalwabbit]

Welcome aboard Oneiopen. Have fun reading. Say hi once in a while. (I do that by asking stoopid questions in a thread, so people know I'm around, but then I excel at that one)

[oneiopen]

hello waddicalwabbit---thanks for the warm welcome. (by the way, i don't think you ask stupid questions!)

[dei]

Hi oneiopen... from a fellow lurker

It's funny that you find meditation keeps you awake... i find i must meditate with my eyes open or i often fall asleep... which i suspect is a way to keep me from Awakening because the mind doesn't wanna yet.

I get those jerky movements in deep meditation too... i've come to think of them as kundalini. It's as good an explanation as any.

Welcome again... glad to meet you.

[oneiopen]

Hi dei, glad to meet you!

Yeah, I get those jerking movements a lot when I practice, but also when I'm reading and something resonates, or when I contemplate, or even when I'm lying quietly in bed. Don't know if it's kundalini---just know that it gets annoying and often pulls me out of my practice at times.