Alternative to noting

The most popular techniques around here seems to be noting and/or breath-awareness. Most of you have years of practice experience so you must have played with different approaches. I'm just asking out of curiosity, what other techniques have you used and what is your experience with them? I'm especially curious about body/energy related practices.

Do you find that you don't like noting? The few times I've described noting to other meditators most thought it sounded too busy, verbal, technical or goal oriented. Makes me wonder if it doesn't fit people's expectation about what meditation is supposed to be. I didn't like the sound of it when I first encountered it either. Remembering that when I first encountered it at the IMS, even after trying it out I didn't like it. My experience is probably not typical. I always seemed to have trouble concentrating and over a few years became frustrated with lack of progress with concentration and awareness and tried a few standard practices, most from Zen teachers I lived near. Out of curiosity I re-tried noting briefly a few times and was always struck by how much better I seemed to do with it than other practices. Didn't stick with it because I didn't have access to a vipassana teacher. Once Kenneth opened up vipassana access to anyone, I made the switch. Eventually vipassana went from being nearly my least favorite to my favorite just because I'm not worried that I'm mostly wasting my time.

edit: not to imply that zen practices are ineffective. I live in a town where there is a Rinzai-style center and I've known a number of people over the years who went pretty far in their practice with goal-oriented zen techniques aiming at enlightment. But I think they depend a lot in that practice on going to regular retreats, which didn't work out for me. (The zen I did was mostly at other centers where shikan-taza or something similar was the norm.)

what are "body-energy related practices?" Whenever see those terms I'm not sure what kind of meditation is being discussed.
Are you askng about practices we've done other than vipassana or about vipassana practices other than noting?

More later, but just an aside: the great thing about noting to me is that the instructions are clear, you know? It's a simple and easy technique and if you are noting then you are doing it right. And if one is goal oriented (looking for insight) then one can know every time they sit down and note they are getting closer and closer. No wasted time.

Don't get me wrong I love the noting technique, especially since it's so handy off the cushion as well. When I mention body/energy techniques I'm thinking in the terms of body-awareness, body-scanning, yoga, chakra-work, awareness from the heart, etc.

Hi Mudstick,

I have several methods including shikantaza, koan Zen, kundalini yoga, centering prayer, Enochian magick, Self-investigation, as well as various vipassana methods.

Describing their effect would be too long here. Are you interested to ear about one of the above in particular?

Best,

Alex

Kundalini yoga, how does it 'work' and what does it do for you? Recommendable?

"Kundalini yoga, how does it 'work' and what does it do for you? Recommendable?"


How it works: you pick a good practical manual like "Kundalini Awakening" by John Selby and follow the instructions, namely focusing on chakras and arousing the kundalini.

What is does for me: it generates very blissful experiences leading to samadhi and energizes the energy body leading to a natural development of psychic powers such as visions, lucid dreams or astral experiences.

Recommendable: yes since it brings very quick tangible results, but if one's goal is enlightenment, I would combine it with:

- Vipassana, in particular this U Ba Khin sweeping method that directly activates the chakras and leads to enlightenment, or;
- Tibetan Mahamudra (directly related to tummo (kundalinin) yoga, or;
- Self-Inquiry, following the method of Ramana Maharishi or Nisargadatta Maharaj.

A piece of advice:

- best is to keep it simple and avoid wasting years learning all the tricks of Hatha-Yoga (I however recommend hatha-yoga classes for guys looking for good looking cute young women vaguely interested by spiritual matters).

- Kundalini Yoga is a forceful method for the Viras (tantrik heros) who are ready to face all possible experiences (good or bad) with mindfulness and equanimity. With Daniel Ingram's book as a road map, one will know what experience refers to what stage.

I usually do Vipassana without noting. I also found it to be too verbal and busying my mind. For me the technique works pretty well when just noticing my movements of attention. Sometimes I start with the breath or body sensations, but often I just let my attention wander wherever it goes, always trying to stay conscious of the momentary object and movement. But this technique might not be recommendable for other meditators who prefer a more regular or stable object of meditation.