Something strange happened during mediation
Bumbles
New
Hey there everyone, I've not been on the site for a couple of weeks as I've been busy with revision and exams...anyway
I've been practicing ten minute mindfulness of breathing mediation, every night before bed (since its the only time I get some real peace and quiet) and something strange happened. I was concentrating on my breathing, in and out, and felt as though I was entering a deeper state of concentration which I tried to hold onto as usually I drift a little. However I began to feel as though the room was turning/spinning or something similar. Maybe I was breathing a little too deeply but I was wondering if anyone had experienced anything similar? It broke my concentration and I'll confess that it freaked me out a little. I read somewhere though that it was possibly stress or tension being released?
Also, after all of your great recommendations on my first post, I've been exploring Buddhist teachings and have been making some progress. Finally reaching the point where I feel enough understanding that I am becoming much more mindful than I was previously. So thank-you all for that!
Best wishes and kindness
Comments
You don't want to breath irregularly unless you are following a teachers method such as for example pranayama breathing. For the latter you need a teacher because it can be dangerous without one.
For the method that Buddha took to enlightenment the breathing should be uncontrived resting in natural peace.
One way to fix the breath is to stop meditating and instead just sit down. Psychology of this can give a return to normal breathing because you cease the 'doing' of meditation or breath exercises.
Two thoughts come to mind....
Develop trust in the efficacy of the practice itself. Deliberately hanging onto things that seem interesting or pushing away things that are disturbing is where we are actually no longer meditating. We all mess up with this at various times but eventually learn that much of the practice is simply developing the habit of directly returning to the practice whenever we notice ourselves trying to control the results. Rather than indulging in inquiry, internal dialogue or blame when you find your self caught again..just directly return to the practice again.
The second point, that you made reference to, was the possible deepening of your breath in formal meditation. This will only affect your oxygen intake and create visuals that have little to do with the development of mindfulness. Just relax and allow your body to breath naturally.
I think Jeffrey may be correct and that you have mixed up Mindfulness Of Breathing with Pranayama..Pranayama is a Hatha Yoga exercise that needs to learned correctly.
Mindfulness of Breathing is a Buddhist meditation that involves simply being aware of the breath with no attempt to change or control it.
I didn't realise that I might have been edging towards meditative variations. I think perhaps I was likely trying to control my breathing too much rather than, as each of you have said, relaxed and simply observed my breathing as it occurs naturally. It hasn't happened again and I'll make sure I stop trying to control what is going on.
Thanks everyone
Some strange things can happen during meditation. Maybe, like you said, you breathed in too deeply at a given moment and all of a sudden there was too much oxygen intake for the body to handle too fast.
I have experienced that feeling of the room spinning, too, once in a while, but there's no reason to freak out. It's your body's personal response to some change in your breathing pattern, to something in your environment or to your mood of the moment.
Like you said, perhaps you had been too uptight lately with exams or maybe you ate something in particular that day, perhaps too close to sleep time.
Take these things as natural, and go back to a natural breathing pattern when this happens.
Meditation can only do you good, but every appointment with the cushion is different from the previous one. Some days are easier than others, and what happens during the day may impact on your practice.