Nadav's practice notes

30 minute sit. This one had the same 3 distinct phases as yesterday's. Initially, aversion to sitting, physical discomfort, tension, strong desire to get up, doubt. Noting was difficult but I did it anyway.
Eventually things lightened up and I was at my usual baseline - just noting calmly. Itching, tension, coolness, remembering, planning, reflecting, judging, hearing, pressure, softness, tingling etc.
Then towards the end I felt the mind became real quiet and the body was still. Still had some numbness and burning in the legs, but it was very tempting to just stop noting and sit peacefully in silence.
I've also noticed that I've been yawning and feeling tired in all of my sits recently. I don't think it's actually related to how much I sleep. It's usually strongest at the beginning and stops by the end of the sit.

30 minutes. went something like this:
rising, falling, rising, falling, sitting, hearing, coolness, bored, remembering thought, remembering thought, planning thought, itching-unpleasant, itching, itching, itching, reflecting, yawning, anticipation, tired, curiosity, pressure-unpleasant, itching, itching, itching, itching, itching, rising, falling, rising, falling, rising, itching, itching, unpleasant, intending to itch, itching, itching, frustrated, self-pity, frustrated, angry, tension-unpleasant,, tension, itching, itching, itching, aversion, frustrated, nervous, angry, tension, itching, itching, stretching, swaying, self-pity, angry, self-loathing, itching, itching, desire to shift, itching, intending to itch, itching, itching, rubbing, angry, curiosity, anxious, hearing, coolness, desire to get up, impatient, desire to get up, desire to get up, imagining, planning thought, fear, remembering thought, rising, falling, rising, falling, calm, pleasant, amused, relief, coolness, sitting, pressure, rising, falling, rising, falling, itching, yawning, itching, tension-unpleasant, neutral, curiosity, tingling, tingling, reflecting, tingling, excited, rising, falling, rising, falling, rising, falling, itching, impatient, timer curiosity, planning thought, remembering thought, remembering thought, remembering thought, day dreaming, anxious, desire to get up, impatient, yawning, amused, irritation, nervous, angry, angry, frustrated, itching-unpleasant, itching, itching, itching, itching, angry, frustrated, impatient, imagining, desire to get up, remembering thought, itching, aversion, unpleasant, itching, itching, self-loathing, frustration, rising, falling, rising, falling, rising, falling, itching, calm, relaxed, heaviness, numbness, swaying, numbness, curiosity, coolness-pleasant, hearing, chills, pleasant, burning, numbness, throbbing

Been feeling grumpy/judgmental/frustrated off-the-cushion since last night.
just did concentration practice for 20 minutes. counting the breaths and anapanasati. Took a while to work up the concentration to get through counting cycles. Felt pleasant and relaxed, then very tired... dreaming.

I had to pack my apartment this weekend so I didn't have much time for formal practice.

Just sat for 30 minutes. Lots of itching, remembering, planning, judgment, got lost in some imaginary conversations, yawned a few times, coolness, softness, sitting, anxious, hearing, tension, excited, felt very calm and relaxed towards the end, heat & burning in the legs, etc.

I sat twice more today for 30 minutes and 20 minutes. Itching has gotten more intense - solid and unbearable. Lots of it. In both sits I had a pulsation/vibration in the chest. Quick and discontinuous (very, very short gaps). Doesn't last long when it appears. Lots of yawning and sleepiness. Lots of frustration, anxiety, impatience, anger in the first sit and less in the second sit.

"Itching has gotten more intense - solid and unbearable. Lots of it."-Nadav

Perfect. This is a clear signpost that announces the 3rd Insight Knowledge (3rd nana), Knowledge of the 3 Characteristics. I call the sharp, pinpoint itch "the kiss of concentration." If you stay with one clear itch and become interested in it, it will carry you into concentration and eventually into the 4th Insight Knowledge (4th nana), Knowledge of the Arising and Passing Away of Phenomena. At that point, everything will open up into vibrations, champagne bubble-like sensations, unitive experiences, rising energy waves, and a general sense of well-being. But you cannot skip over the unpleasantness of the 3rd nana in order to get to the 4th. Just be with the sensations as they are, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, noting carefully (preferably aloud) and let nature take its course.

30 and 20 minute sits may be too short for you at this point. Try 40. Don't insist upon sitting still as a statue until your legs fall off. It isn't about that. Sit comfortably, with you legs pulled up in front of you on a couch, so you can sit longer. If your legs start to kill you, mindfully move them. The important thing is to note continuously and accurately and let the sensations carry you along.

"Whatever is going on in this moment is the door to the door to the door."-Bill Hamilton

Thanks Kenneth.
Just sat for 45 minutes. Reminded myself to note whatever is happening without searching for it. The solid itches began to appear within ~5 minutes. I spent the vast majority of the sit focusing on them and noting 'itching' or aversion, pressure, intending, expansion, frustration, etc. I became very concentrated very quickly. Occasional images, planning, remembering, timer curiosity, judgment, tingling, reflecting, etc but for the most part... 'itching, itching, itching...'
Later in the sit some of the points began to move or 'breathe' a little bit. One that was particularly intense seemed to expand and take up most of my awareness.

"Thanks Kenneth.
Just sat for 45 minutes. Reminded myself to note whatever is happening without searching for it. The solid itches began to appear within ~5 minutes. I spent the vast majority of the sit focusing on them and noting 'itching' or aversion, pressure, intending, expansion, frustration, etc. I became very concentrated very quickly. Occasional images, planning, remembering, timer curiosity, judgment, tingling, reflecting, etc but for the most part... 'itching, itching, itching...'
Later in the sit some of the points began to move or 'breathe' a little bit. One that was particularly intense seemed to expand and take up most of my awareness.-Nadav"

Fantastic! You are close to a breakthrough. Keep on in this way.

Sat for another 45 minutes. Somewhere in the middle, I felt very tired and body sensations became more subtle. I switched mostly to rising and falling until the itching became apparent again. Otherwise like the earlier sit.

Two 45 minute sits today, noting as usual until solid itching arose then 'itching, itching, itching' all the way. In the middle of the second sit, I became very sleepy to the point where consistent noting was impossible. I accepted i and was able to open my eyes and continue noting for the last 10 minutes or so.

"Two 45 minute sits today, noting as usual until solid itching arose then 'itching, itching, itching' all the way. In the middle of the second sit, I became very sleepy to the point where consistent noting was impossible. I accepted i and was able to open my eyes and continue noting for the last 10 minutes or so."

If we were cartoons we could just note "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"!
Way to gut it out, Nadav!

Sat for 45 minutes yesterday morning, and went to a group last night where we sat for 30, walked for 15 and sat for 10. In the last sitting period, I noted big bubbling vibrations that started in the hands and spread to the rest of the body. Solid, pointed itches continued concurrently.

Just sat for 45 minutes. Lots of yawning but no sleepiness ('reflecting, gratitude'). The itches have become more subtle than they were a few days ago. They are still there and persist for a long time but they're a little harder to spot. Had some pulsations during this sit... very discontinuous (pulse, pulse..... pulse......... pulse, pulse ....[10 minutes]....... pulse).

I've been doing a lot of noting in daily life, also focusing on itches when they arise. It's starting to become a habit... I find myself noting if I wake up at night, and first thing in the morning, etc. Pretty cool.

"@nadavspi: Sat for 45 minutes yesterday morning, and went to a group last night where we sat for 30, walked for 15 and sat for 10. In the last sitting period, I noted big bubbling vibrations that started in the hands and spread to the rest of the body. Solid, pointed itches continued concurrently.

Just sat for 45 minutes. Lots of yawning but no sleepiness ('reflecting, gratitude'). The itches have become more subtle than they were a few days ago. They are still there and persist for a long time but they're a little harder to spot. Had some pulsations during this sit... very discontinuous (pulse, pulse..... pulse......... pulse, pulse ....[10 minutes]....... pulse).

I've been doing a lot of noting in daily life, also focusing on itches when they arise. It's starting to become a habit... I find myself noting if I wake up at night, and first thing in the morning, etc. Pretty cool."

"So now... you look like a yogi (big smile)." -Ovadacariya Sayadaw U Pandita

Keep on keepin' on, Nadav. You're starting to heat up.

I'm in the process of moving to a new apartment, so I haven't had much time for formal practice. I did a one day Chan 'silent illumination' (mozhao/shikantaza) retreat yesterday. It was my first retreat. Interesting method.

Sitting, pressure, remembering thought, sitting, itching, hearing, curiosity, hopeful, anxious, judging, judging, remembering thought, planning thought, gratitude, tingling, pleasant, lightness, joy, tingling, pulsation, remembering thought, day dreaming, calm, reflecting, remembering, pleasant, heaviness, weight, itching, itching, rising, falling, rising, falling, rising, falling, sitting, calm, gratitude, content, remembering thought, excited, rehearsing, rehearsing, rising, falling, rising, falling, rising, falling, tension, relaxing, planning, hearing, nervous, anticipation, imagining, relief, amused, curious, tingling

Nadav,

I dunno if I asked you this before, but are you doing anything to help (tape recorder, notepade, etc.) remember these so clearly or are you just that good at remembering details?

I write immediately after getting up. The notes here do not correspond exactly to what I note during the sit but are simply a portion of what I remember happening in roughly chronological order. I'm not making stuff up - everything I write happened during the sit in that order... it's just not a complete record. It would be interesting to actually record a sit at some point. Maybe not as interesting to transcribe though.

I sat with the Chan group tonight. Sat twice for ~30 minutes with a few minutes of yoga in the middle. I noted continuously except during the yoga. The second sitting period was all about the bright, solid itches. There were usually 3+ going on at once and it was sometimes hard to focus on just one of them. I noted "itching" rapidly while making sure to stay with the actual sensations. Most became more intense with attention. I remember a specific itch on my face that seemed to expand with attention and lasted for many minutes. I felt myself become very concentrated. Eventually I felt many small flickering itchy points on my torso. Too subtle to be called vibrations but there was something different about these. Energetic, exciting. I'm can't remember how these ended if they did. I was in very deep at this point. The external environment dropped away and I registered no sounds until the gong. I had a very clear sense of my body, especially the hands. I felt very short, like everything was very close together... sensations of the legs and hands and head were very close together spatially.
At some point during the sit I felt immense gratitude. Totally content in the moment. I thought I might cry. When the sit ended I realized that I didn't feel any discomfort in the legs during the period, which is unusual.

Awesome, Nadav! Sounds like you're making great progress, and the reporting is really precise.
Incidentally, I transcribe interviews using Dragon Naturally Speaking. I've noticed that mumuwu has been experimenting w' typing and noting at the same time. One could easily sit at a desk with a headset/mic and note into Dragon to keep a record. Although, you do have to watch it with the transcription software, which messes up sometimes: a word like "communication" might come across as "comedic Haitian."

"The second sitting period was all about the bright, solid itches. There were usually 3+ going on at once and it was sometimes hard to focus on just one of them. I noted "itching" rapidly while making sure to stay with the actual sensations. Most became more intense with attention. I remember a specific itch on my face that seemed to expand with attention and lasted for many minutes. I felt myself become very concentrated. Eventually I felt many small flickering itchy points on my torso. Too subtle to be called vibrations but there was something different about these. Energetic, exciting. I'm can't remember how these ended if they did. I was in very deep at this point. The external environment dropped away and I registered no sounds until the gong. I had a very clear sense of my body, especially the hands. I felt very short, like everything was very close together... sensations of the legs and hands and head were very close together spatially.
At some point during the sit I felt immense gratitude. Totally content in the moment. I thought I might cry. When the sit ended I realized that I didn't feel any discomfort in the legs during the period, which is unusual.-Nadav"

Absolutely... Positutely.... Sensational!

"I write immediately after getting up. The notes here do not correspond exactly to what I note during the sit but are simply a portion of what I remember happening in roughly chronological order. I'm not making stuff up - everything I write happened during the sit in that order... it's just not a complete record. It would be interesting to actually record a sit at some point. Maybe not as interesting to transcribe though.
"

That's awesome Nadav. You really inspire me to do a better job with my own journaling. You are like my noting hero!

Best of luck, you are making some amazing progress!

Exciting stuff Nadav....keep it up!

Thanks for the support guys!
Is it possible to enter jhana while noting?

Just sat for 40 minutes. Started by relaxing the body slowly from top to bottom then counting the breath. I'm trying to see how I can integrate what I learned on Sunday's retreat with my noting practice. I relax the body and get to the 'just sitting' state with awareness of the whole body then I start noting 'rising, falling'. I think I can notice more subtle sensations this way.
Wandering thoughts, judgments, images, etc at the start of the sit. I became pleasantly concentrated pretty quickly. Tingling in the legs... very subtle movements. These subsided and the itches appeared so I stayed with some of those for a while. I've noticed that with the more intense itches, as I watch them become more intense I hit a point where strong aversion arises, I become tense, energized with the desire to scratch them. This passes after a few seconds and I can continue to watch them calmly no matter how strong they get.
Eventually the itches became more subtle so I came back to rising and falling. (These are just the highlights... lots of thoughts and other things noted throughout.) I suddenly felt an energetic flow in my hands. It felt powerful and deep. There was a seamless transition from this to chills all over the body. I was surprised because the room was quite warm. The chills lasted for a few seconds. Rising, falling. I was feeling very calm and pleasant at this point. Noting was difficult and I occasionally found myself just sitting silently or absorbed in thought. The last ~10 minutes of the sit were dominated by impatience, desire to get up, frustration, etc.
I think I've passed the sleepiness that was showing up in my sits for these past couple of weeks. I yawned here and there but everything was very clear.

40 minute sit. The deep concentration of the past few days was absent (reflection, judging, desire, disappointment, attachment). Very impatient throughout the sit. Occasional latency between thoughts and my awareness of them. The usual itches were absent. There were still some persistent itches, but they felt different. More vague than pointed... harder to grab and not as long-lasting.

"40 minute sit. The deep concentration of the past few days was absent (reflection, judging, desire, disappointment, attachment). Very impatient throughout the sit. Occasional latency between thoughts and my awareness of them. The usual itches were absent. There were still some persistent itches, but they felt different. More vague than pointed... harder to grab and not as long-lasting."

Keep going!
Don't be prejudicial about the content of sits -- though something about your report makes me think you already knew that
For a long time I thought that a sit only mattered if I was intensely noting vibrations. Kenneth finally convinced me that it didn't matter what the objects were. And, when I got path I certainly wasn't noting vibrations.

"Is it possible to enter jhana while noting?"-Nadav

Yes, of course. If you haven't already seen it, check out this video:

kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/videos/albums

Nick and I are talking the whole time while accessing jhanas. It is, of course, possible to become completely absorbed into a jhana to the point of being unable to talk or even form a sentence. But an even higher skill is the ability to go deeply into a jhana while retaining the flexibility of mind that allows for functioning in the world.

In order to understand how this works, you have to think of jhana not as some zombified state of absorption, but more like a radio frequency. You can attune the mind to the frequency, and at first it may take all your attention to keep yourself attuned to the signal; you have to be completely focused on the frequency to the exclusion of everything else. If not, you simply drift off of the signal. With practice and greater skill, however, you learn to stay on the frequency while letting in more and more of the environment around you. This trend continues until the world and the jhana can be effortlessly integrated; and you can do this with nearly any jhana including the Pureland jhanas. This movement from one-pointedness of mind to ever-more-inclusive attention is the natural progression of concentration at every level. See my essay on chicken herding:

kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/page/Jhana+and+Ñana

So, the ability to note or talk from within a jhana does not represent a "superficial" or "soft" version of a jhana that is somehow inferior to total absorption. In fact, it is just the opposite: the ability to function within a jhana represents mastery of that jhana and is the natural culmination of concentration.

Notice also that this trend from exclusion toward inclusion applies not only to jhanas but to 2nd and 3rd Gears as well.