Good focus hard to come by

[Tyler Zambori]

I seem to have trouble getting that really calm and focused state going.
It seems that not only do I have to not have contact with my teachers,
but it's better if I don't even have to try to figure out what they're trying
to say with the nature photos either. And I can't be having any upsetting
discussions with anybody. I have to not be trying to analyze anything,
except maybe a nice technical book about software.

So after I said something to them recently about something that bothered
me (whatever I say to one, the other one knows it too), they stopped with
the nature photos. And then I wondered to myself: "Did I just do that
so I could really have peace and quiet to go focus on meditating?" and:
"did they just spoil me with pictures until I decided I was really ready to go
off and do some real meditating, on my own"? That would actually be a
guru-like sort of thing to do. I don't know!

Maybe once I develop a little more I'll be able to focus much better.

[Tsukasa]

Do you do anything to prepare yourself for meditation, or do you just dive in?

[Tyler Zambori]

Originally Posted by Tsukasa

Do you do anything to prepare yourself for meditation, or do you just dive in?

I do prepare myself. I do a variation of autogenic training
which is very much like yoga nidra. That does physically
relax me, but I don't really get somewhere if I'm distracted.
Some people don't do so well with self-hypnosis.

[Tsukasa]

What kind of breathing excersizes do you do? try 5-10 minutes of alternate nostril breathing before meditating. Also, minimize distractions as much as possible. If something is distracting you, like a loud noise, just think nothing of it.

[Tyler Zambori]

Originally Posted by Tsukasa

What kind of breathing excersizes do you do? try 5-10 minutes of alternate nostril breathing before meditating. Also, minimize distractions as much as possible. If something is distracting you, like a loud noise, just think nothing of it.

HI Tsukasa,

No, no pranayama of any kind for me. I'm following my teacher's
feelings about that. It's ok, this is starting to work. I wish I could
have my cake and eat it too, but not in this case. Eventually I
might be able to .

I'm just wondering out loud about how my mind works.....I don't
always even understand myself. It's ok if I don't.