Nikash's jhana log

[Nicobobo]

Ouch ! having posted in a while...
well i feel like my practice is going nowhere. I kept practicing between 1 and 2 hour a day but i still haven't crossed any fancy stage like AP. Usually i keep noting rising and falling and some touching sensations when they come up. I'm noting the tingling sensations, numbness ones, pressure. After a while my breath is slowing down and there is a long gap after my exhalation where i note 1 or two touching sensations. And that's it, if i try to go freestyle noting my breath stops or gets in the way. I have one question for the seniors practitioners here:
is it better to stick with rising/falling as primary object or to try to get comfy with freestyle noting letting whatever comes up being noted ?
Another question: When i try to note emotions well i don't find any, is it normal ? How should i proceed ? Usually i can note them in daily life they seem more obvious but sitting none appears...
Will try to post daily from now on...

[Russell]

It depends what you want. Your thread is called jhana log, so if it jhana you want, keep the one pointed focus. But since you mention A&P in this latest post, you are going to want to do some more 4 foundations style noting.

[Nicobobo]

Well you're right the title is misleading. It's because a few months ago I focused on jhana practice (anapanasati), to improve my concentration skills. Then i came back to noting practice...
Maybe i should start a new thread but mostly i need to stay focused on one practice. Rignt it's noting

[Bill29ish]

1 to 2 hours a day is great. Keep going and give the noting a try. Progress seems to happen quicker that way.

[Nicobobo]

Thank you
just sat 60 mn, started with noting rising falling, some touching, hearing, thinking, tingling, aversion (girlfriend making noise), desire for big sensations, towards the end of the sit some nice peace started to kick in. Still difficult to notice emotions. I tried to go freestyle noting but it seems i direct my attention to objects instead of really letting go its way...

[Russell]

Are aversion, desire, and joy not emotions?

[Nicobobo]

well you're right Russel I can notice them sometimes but i can't stay focused exclusively on them and watch them one after another. I guess this ability comes with training...
Just sat 60 minutes, had to move my legs after 50 mn. Stayed on rising and falling of the abdomen. Noted a lot of touching sensations, but my concentration was low as it took longer than usual to notice when i was distracted. Toward the end of the sit it was more peaceful but right leg was getting numb.

[TravisGM]

I hesitate to call it a jhana because it was not really blissful as i expect a jhana to be, but maybe it's just me being a slave of my own projections on jhana having to be a fireworks a blissfull sensations

Hello Nikash! Glad to see you keeping to a consistent practice log.

My experience with jhana practice has been the following; if one expects anything, jhana will not happen. If one has a strong sense of the illusion of self, jhana cannot happen due to the fact that jhana is becoming absorbed in an object and if one is constantly checking back for the 'self', one cannot become absorbed. If you're unsure of what that means do some insight meditation and you'll find out soon enough.
Jhana is the mind relaxing into the object of focus. At first it's a tenacious task, keeping the mind from wandering. But after some stability happens and you're able to concentrate for a long period, relax into it.
I've heard of many beginners coming really close to jhana and I have to say that's because they aren't expecting anything particular to happen.

Good luck