I’ve been doing Vipassana meditation for over a year now, but I recently decided to experiment with some other forms. I have been trying the noting technique lately and each time I try it, I end up being overwhelmed with energy in the body, tightness in my chest and throat, and I begin sobbing quite hard. I cut my meditation short today because I was weeping too much.
Has anyone else experienced this? Should I stop this practice?
I have basically zero meditation training, so I don’t know what I’m doing, but I also experience this. Whenever I really quiet my mind and allow myself to notice thoughts and feelings non-judgmentally, I spend a portion of basically every session in tears.
It usually happens when I start noting raw emotions themselves. Sometimes they have an accompanying thought, but often they don’t. I suspect it’s because as I go through my day, I rarely have the space to express my emotions, so I just avoid/suppress them without resolving, and they all come roaring up when I allow myself to connect with them again.
Personally, I always feel significantly better after this, so I see no reason to stop, but I find it a little odd that the primary thing I ever get out meditation is a big cry. It’s good to know I’m not alone.
Is your crying cathartic like that? Do you feel better afterwords? Perhaps it’s not a problem that you are allowing yourself to feel it.
Have you heard of TWIM? it’s basically sutta-based vipassana+samatha. So you would still develop insight while relaxing all that tension. It can be quite blissful and lots of cool insights arise. It’s a bit gentler than straight-up noting, but still very effective at cultivating wisdom.
Never stop the practice. It’s the most important thing you could be doing. It will bring clarity and growth to you over the course of time. The tightness will dissipate with time. Research chakras and consider incorporating them into your meditation practice. All the best for your journey. 🙏🏻
I wasn’t implying I would stop meditating, but that maybe I should avoid the noting technique specifically
Could you explain noting to me like I’m 5?
You make a mental note of everything your mind is observing. So as you inhale, you note “rising”. As you exhale, you note “falling”. If you hear a sound, you note “hearing”. If you begin thinking about something else, you note “thinking”.
