Comments on: The Secret of Instant Calmness: 3 Ways to Quieten the Mind http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/ Practical inspiration. For a happier life Wed, 16 May 2012 19:20:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Hari http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-11868 Hari Sat, 21 May 2011 16:20:27 +0000 http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-11868 Thanks a lot Mary for these very helpful tips. One more added dimension that helps this process is focusing attention (as much) to the act of breathing itself...Observing the breathing in/out. regards, Hari. Thanks a lot Mary for these very helpful tips.

One more added dimension that helps this process is focusing attention (as much) to the act of breathing itself…Observing the breathing in/out.

regards,
Hari.

]]> By: Carl Foster http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-8878 Carl Foster Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:50:36 +0000 http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-8878 Hello I would like to get into meditation as I find, that I do worrie and urgently need to do somthing about it. I'm concerned that if I dont live a more calm life, I will eventually damage my health through constant worring about my bills, my partner, my car just about everything these days, and it as started to bring me bad luck all this worrying. Pleaase Help me Regards Carl Hello I would like to get into meditation as I find, that I do worrie and urgently need to do somthing about it. I’m concerned that if I dont live a more calm life, I will eventually damage my health through constant worring about my bills, my partner, my car just about everything these days, and it as started to bring me bad luck all this worrying.

Pleaase Help me
Regards
Carl

]]> By: Trent M. http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-6179 Trent M. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:41:51 +0000 http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-6179 You know, it's funny how often even people not used to using meditation or breathing techniques in the way that you or others interested in this area still use deep breaths or long sighs to relax. Honestly, I knew this worked long before my developed interest in meditation but never did it. I'll certainly begin to incorporate this into my life from here on. Thanks for another lovely article, Ms. Jaksch! You know, it’s funny how often even people not used to using meditation or breathing techniques in the way that you or others interested in this area still use deep breaths or long sighs to relax.
Honestly, I knew this worked long before my developed interest in meditation but never did it.
I’ll certainly begin to incorporate this into my life from here on.
Thanks for another lovely article, Ms. Jaksch!

]]> By: M. Anwar Qureshi http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-5780 M. Anwar Qureshi Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:16:34 +0000 http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-5780 very useful practical advice to quieten the mind which is important in this fast life and surely it will help a lot. very useful practical advice to quieten the mind which is important in this fast life and surely it will help a lot.

]]> By: Ari http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-482 Ari Thu, 22 May 2008 12:42:38 +0000 http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-482 Love your practical knowledge on calmness,good exercise for martial arts practisioner Love your practical knowledge on calmness,good exercise for martial arts practisioner

]]> By: Mary Jaksch http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-11 Mary Jaksch Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:48:57 +0000 http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-11 It's a fine line between 'just letting the breath be' and 'using the breath to deepen focus'. I think there's a case for using deep breathing to enable one to settle and focus. But if we force the breath, we're just winding up the body, instead of relaxing. I found early on -this was long before I ended up in Zen- that the long outbreath sent me into such a deep state of samadhi that I couldn't easily find my way out. When I found Zen and started working with koans, I experimented with my particular breathing technique and found that I could use it to really bear down and focus deeply on koans. It's quite difficult for me to teach this technique because it's something that I've learned to do instinctively. It’s a fine line between ‘just letting the breath be’ and ‘using the breath to deepen focus’. I think there’s a case for using deep breathing to enable one to settle and focus. But if we force the breath, we’re just winding up the body, instead of relaxing.

I found early on -this was long before I ended up in Zen- that the long outbreath sent me into such a deep state of samadhi that I couldn’t easily find my way out. When I found Zen and started working with koans, I experimented with my particular breathing technique and found that I could use it to really bear down and focus deeply on koans.

It’s quite difficult for me to teach this technique because it’s something that I’ve learned to do instinctively.

]]> By: Ewan http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-8 Ewan Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:33:46 +0000 http://goodlifezen.com/2007/11/08/secret-of-instant-calmness/#comment-8 These suggestions seem helpful - thanks Mary. I personally would love to hear more sighing around! This is a bit of a tangent, but, in my experience, I have found it was possible to go overboard with deep breathing. A few years ago I read somewhere about the deep quality of breathing in samadhi, and ended up trying to emulate the breathing as much as possible, as if that would somehow "bring the samadhi on." What it brought on was a forced breath and a tightness in the body. Maybe the importance of letting the body breathe was something I had to learn the hard way. These suggestions seem helpful – thanks Mary.

I personally would love to hear more sighing around!

This is a bit of a tangent, but, in my experience, I have found it was possible to go overboard with deep breathing. A few years ago I read somewhere about the deep quality of breathing in samadhi, and ended up trying to emulate the breathing as much as possible, as if that would somehow “bring the samadhi on.” What it brought on was a forced breath and a tightness in the body. Maybe the importance of letting the body breathe was something I had to learn the hard way.

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