Jonathan Martin from Australia is practicing RESTORATIVE MEDITATION and has some interesting questions. My answers in grayed text follow his questions.
Mr Semple:
I received your book and CD in good condition. I have read it and listened to the CD. I understood the technique of diaphragmatic breathing, as explained in the CD and, I believe I can do that style of breathing when I put my mind to it. However, at this stage, it does not come "naturally" or effortlessly. Nevertheless, I believe I can do it.
First up, may I make the comment that your method ("RM") is breathtakingly simple (pun intended). I do not say that as a criticism. To the contrary, I think it is a plus.
If you have already answered some or all of the above questions on your website you may like to link me to the webpage.
Jonathan Martin
Since 1 June I have been practicing RM. May I ask you some questions concerning my practice? My questions are:
What length of time each day should I do RM? Is there any practical way of estimating the passage of time? I would say no more than 45 min-1 hour. One time a day is fine; if you’d like to do an evening session, that’s fine too.
I do RM while lying on my back instead of the lotus position. I have never done yoga and, because of arthritis in my spine, I would not be able to sustain the lotus position anyway. Because I lie on my back when practicing I find that I tend to go to sleep. Should I do anything about that? Falling asleep is not necessarily bad. However, before falling asleep, I suggest you make good use of the time, practicing diaphragmatic breathing to the best of your ability. This will strengthen your diaphragm and, over time, should allow you to overcome the tendency to fall asleep.
On page 151 of your book you refer to a plumb-line that is mentioned on page 34-35 of The Secret of the Golden Flower. I have not read that book nor do I have it. However, I would like to know whether the plumb-line is relevant to me, in view of the fact that I lie on my back when practicing? Yes, the plumb-line is used as a centering device. By fixing the your gaze on the tip of the nose (both eyes looking at the tip) you work on establishing a “center.” It’s like dropping a plumb-line. Try to lower the eyelids halfway, so you’re neither looking at the tip with your eyes wide open or squinting. This establishes a guide or plumb-line Practice the breathing while doing this. Break down the practice like this: Hold your index finger four-inches away from the tip of your nose. Practice changing the focus from your finger to the tip of the nose. After you’ve done this a while and feel comfortable with it, hold your gaze steady on the tip of the nose and withdraw your finger. Then while focusing on the nose, lower your eyelids halfway. Make sure you don’t lose focus on the tip. Become aware of how you are breathing. If you’re not breathing regularly, start the regular diaphragmatic breathing. If you do this every morning, both the time spent in practice and your ability to concentrate (not be distracted) should increase. Soon you should be automatically slipping into the breathing without taking a lot of time to establish the plumb-line. That is, every time you lie down to meditate, you will start with your gaze on the tip of the nose, eyelids lowered halfway.
On page 152 of your book you recommend that the practitioner follow a "strict raw food diet". Do you eat raw meat and eggs or are you a vegetarian? On page 136 you said that "Become a vegetarian? Not likely." Were those comments made before you became a raw food eater? Do you consider dried fruits as raw? For example, do you eat commercially dried figs, apricots, prunes, sultanas etc? I presume you regard nuts and seeds as raw. What about milk? Does it have to be unpasteurized, unhomogenised and organic milk? Do you consider commercially produced cheese as raw? You don’t have to jump in 100%. It’s a recommendation; not a proscription. Raw foods are mostly fruits and vegetables. It may be difficult to prepare without buying a book. I don’t recommend eating raw meat or unpasteurized milk. You’ll have to find your own level of comfort. There are many good books on raw foods.
I have a slight overweight problem (addiction?). Is that an impediment to raising my Kundalini? I don’t smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs, prescribed or otherwise. Practicing RM should actually help this problem; I know a raw foods diet will.
Finally, when the time comes (Hopefully, it will actually come!) and I reverse my breath I am not sure what that means. At the moment, I am breathing in and out and doing the 4 x 4 count. Does reversing my breathing mean that when I am due to make an inhalation I actually make an exhalation? If so, that would mean that I would be making a double exhalation! I do not understand. Will I intuitively understand what to do when the right time comes? You won’t understand it until you get right up to it! What does that mean? It means that if you practice RM correctly, one day—about 100 days in—you will detect the property of movement—air moving in your lower belly. A few days later, you will realize that the air is circulating, that is, it has also has the property of direction. Then, you will change the direction of your breath. How do you do this? At this point, your breath will have slowed down so much and be so regular that you will be able to recognize the conditions I’m talking about. You’ll use your newfound abilities of observation to detect this condition and then by concentrating on what is happening inside, you will change the direction of the breath. Whether you call it concentration or visualization, it doesn’t matter. Once you recognize the condition I have described, you will be able to change its direction.
One of my future projects is to prepare an illustrated DVD description of RM. Also, try to find a copy of THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER.
Thanks, JJ Semple
Hi JJ, I haven't been back in a while and didn't realize there had been some activity here.
I read where you said 45 minutes a day is good enough for the meditation. I just can't seem to do more than 10 minutes. And like all of my attempts at mediation the more I do it the harder it gets. I have been trying, but I am very discouraged. To think I need to get up to 45 minutes a day for more than 3 months!
Brian, Please don't be discouraged. Forty-five minutes is a goal. I, myself, was only able to reach it after many months of practice. Again, you must ask yourself about the stakes: What are you trying to accomplish? If the stakes are worth it, you will persevere, just like I did.
The main thing is what you do with your 10 minutes. Are you working on the diaphragmatic breathing? Are you counting your breath cycles?
I'll send you a CD on diaphragmatic breathing; I still have your address. Let's see if it helps…
Hi again, yes I can do the breathing. In fact I do the breathing other times too, like when I am driving around. It doesn't seem like my mind is calming down though. I am also battling the feeling of meditation being a chore. So, I probably don't need the CD, but thanks anyway though.
Brian, I understand it may feel like a chore; it did for me, at the beginning. Once I got into it, however, things did start to happen, that is, for every action I initiated, there was a reaction. For instance, diaphragmatic breathing produced actual physical sensations and somatic changes that I could feel and observe. This made the process worth it, and, after a while, full of wonder. I was amazed at how my body changed simply because I started practicing a breathing exercise.
I hope you can begin to observe changes in your body and that these will motivate you to keep going. Remember, even 10 minutes a day is better than 0 minutes. Don't force it. As soon as you feel agited, STOP. Start ovr the following day. Keep going and you will succeed.