Query for people experienced with Anapanasati & Goenka style

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
TheSeeker
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 11:39 pm
Location: Canada

Query for people experienced with Anapanasati & Goenka style

Post by TheSeeker »

Hi all,

I am going for my 2nd Goenka retreat soon. My first was a few years ago so I feel I am starting new.

I have always had issues breathing through my nose due to deviated septum. I can manage somewhat but an interesting thing : On the inbreath, i feel the breath sensation inside my nose but on the outbreath its more clear on the upper lip area. Most of the time the sensation is more clear only on the right nostril since my left nostril ends up being more blocked (deviated septum like I mentioned). Now I know in the Goenka instructions, one is supposed to watch for the breath at the "tip of the nose" to enhance concentration.

I am going to ask the assistant teacher at the retreat this question but I am wondering if any experienced meditators have any answers or tips or ideas for me?

Metta to all,
---
To avoid evil, to cultivate good, the total purification of the mind - This is the teaching of all the Buddhas -- Dhammapada 14:183
santa100
Posts: 6815
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:55 pm

Re: Query for people experienced with Anapanasati & Goenka s

Post by santa100 »

Those Breathe Right Strips might be helpful..

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... he%20right
Jhana4
Posts: 1331
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 5:20 pm
Location: U.S.A., Northeast

Re: Query for people experienced with Anapanasati & Goenka s

Post by Jhana4 »

I'm not an expert. I don't think it matters.

I think what matters in the context of that retreat is watching the breath for the first few days as a means of getting relaxed and doing so with your attention focused on a smaller area to build up a little more concentration.

Deviated septums and having one nostril more busy than another is a fairly common thing.
In reading the scriptures, there are two kinds of mistakes:
One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
User avatar
Ben
Posts: 18438
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:49 am
Location: kanamaluka

Re: Query for people experienced with Anapanasati & Goenka s

Post by Ben »

Hi the seeker
The instruction is to observe the touch of the breath. Initially it is inside the nostril and then changes to the area underneath the nostrils and above the upper lip. If you feel the touch sensation anywhere in that triangular area then that is all that is required. From day one to day four the field of awareness narrows to a smaller area on each subsequent day until day four when one is asked to observe other sensations in the narrowed field of awareness above the upper lip.
By all means have a chat with the assistant teacher.
Wishing you all the best.
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
pegembara
Posts: 3466
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:39 am

Re: Query for people experienced with Anapanasati & Goenka s

Post by pegembara »

Where the breath is felt is less important than the direct awareness of the sensations of breathing eg. breathing long or short etc. The purpose is to anchor the mind to what is happening in the present moment. It is the same idea with body sweeping and being aware of the gross sensations.

The mind is trained to settle down and the meditation progress from there.
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
Post Reply