Re: [BardonPraxis] Step I Questions

["Rawn Clark" <rawnclark@...>]

Dear Daniel,

>> First, about Thought Control:
When I start the exercise, my mind is a pretty quiet and peaceful
place. Just about nothing transpires inside. After a short while, I
suddenly start getting thoughts like "what should I be thinking
about?", "am I even doing this right?", "the thoughts from before
which did rise were [...].", "perhaps I should ask about this in the
online message board?", "these thoughts seem like thoughts which
describe what I'm observing, and yet I seem to observe them happening
actively in my mind? Does it mean that I'm not observing anymore?". <<

That's correct, at that point you've begun participating. Describing
what you're thinking means that you're *actively* thinking. This is
different than passively observing your thoughts. Often, when someone
arrives to find an already quiet mind, the need arises to fill the mind
in order to have some *thing* to observe. Instead, what you should be
doing is just observing that your mind is a relatively quiet place. :)

>> Also, I do not move at all during the exercise (this applies to the
breathing exercise as well); I just lie flat on my bed, with my hands
along my side, and do the exercise. As a result, my body goes somewhat
numb after a very short while, but I'm still very much aware of it.
Last time I did the breathing exercise, I suddenly started feeling as
if I'm rapidly spinning around myself (although obviously I was
not :) just after the 7th breath. This happened to me before from
time to time, during meditation in which I tried to concentrate on
mentally doing something while my body didn't move and was allowed to
go somewhat numb. <<

I suggest that you take better notice of whether or not you're actually
breathing enough. :) Especially when lying down to do your exercises,
it's very easy to fall into the habit of very shallow breaths. In the
"Files" section of the BardonPraxis homepage, you'll find a .pdf file of
a book titled, "The Science of Breath" by Yogi Ramacharaka. This
explains a very good breathing technique called the "Yogi Complete
Breath" which would remedy this problem for you.

>> As for the breathing and Eucharistic exerices:
Is that okay? <<

On my website at http://www.ABardonCompanion.com/Corresp-Links.html
you'll find several excerpts from my past correspondence regarding these
exercises. I think some of them will help you.

>> Before starting seriously working on IIH, I had a very bad period in
my life during which I was highly addicted to sex (masturbation to be
more correct). Then, one day, without any reason I can think of, all of
my sex drive completely disappeared and an insurmountable urge to start
serious work on transforming myself into the way I want myself to be
appeared. I indeed started working on IIH, and ~slowly~, my sex drive
seems to be returning to ~natural~ levels, but... what exactly happened?
<<

Impossible to say for sure. It could be several things. It could be
physiological (e.g., a sudden drop in testosterone levels) or
psychological (e.g., internally you reached a point where it was time to
move on to something other than masturbating obsessively) or it could
even be "spiritual" (e.g., your Holy Guardian Angel created a change
within you that would push you into beginning your IIH work in earnest).

My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
10 Nov 2003
rawnclark@...
rawn@...
http://www.ABardonCompanion.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis
http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe