Seeking, constantly seeking

[Anastacia42]

Okay, I call this ButtChair. It is the only exercise I was given here. After 2 months with it, I saw.

Now you try:

Please LOOK for any place where your butt ends & the chair begins.

Is there any clear dividing line between them? Or only the Sensation with no clear division?


Loving,
Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

Please LOOK for any place where your butt ends & the chair begins.

Is there any clear dividing line between them? Or only the Sensation with no clear division?

I can feel two sensations, one on my butt and one on my legs. I can feel the weight in or around my butt and then the leather of the chair on my legs.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Okay... that's not the exercise.

Please re-read the instructions.

We only want to know whether you perceive a Sensation of a dividing line between butt & chair. (nothing to do with legs). Or do you find only one thing: Sensation?

If you look clearly, you'll find only Sensation. Focus there.

Please try again.

Loving,

Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

I am struggling with this one.

We only want to know whether you perceive a Sensation of a dividing line between butt & chair. (nothing to do with legs). Or do you find only one thing: Sensation?

I can feel my butt and also I can feel the chair. I can feel both things. I don’t perceive it as a dividing line. I can feel the sensation of two separate things- my butt and the chair.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Yes, I can see that your *thinking* is trying to make something separate out of them.

Pardon the pun, but please sit with this one Sensation until you can tell no difference between Butt and Chair, finding only one Sensation where they meet. Stop listening to your thinking and only FEEL. That will resolve it.

You are very attached to words and it is getting in your way.

Let me know how this is going tomorrow.

Loving,
Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

I’m still working on this. I’ll reply again tomorrow and let you know how I’m getting on.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

The key for you is to ignore all words.

Focus only on Sensation. You can do this!

Pause on that one. We'll come back to it. Try this:


Sports Exercise

Please note that you will have to check the link when using this exercise, to make sure it is still viable, as sometimes they are removed from Youtube.

The following link is a 7 minute clip of a soccer game. If you prefer another sport…please feel free to find one to do this exercise with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy5pL-myDzw

1. Watch one minute with the sound turned OFF, watching ‘people’ messing about with a round thing on a field, up and down, up and down. Let it sink in, the whole experience.

2. Once the first minute is completed, now watch another whole minute with the commentary turned ON.

Notice the differences.

Notice how the commentator (thought) offers lots of know-how, even advice. It seems to feel as though they can influence, somehow, what is going on, as though one outcome is much preferred to the opposite outcome. The commentary may seem to heighten any supporter feelings which are there, and call for an identification with one team or other, and with the importance of the game itself.

3. Now turn the volume OFF AGAIN and just watch the action with NO audible commentary, the shapes moving around on the screen etc. Again notice all the differences in what is appearing as experience.

4. Now turn the volume ON again and ignore what you think you know thought is talking about, and just notice it as sound.

What did you find when doing this exercise? Is the commentary on the soccer game a necessity for the play to happen?

And in the same way, is the inner narration of thought a necessity for the play of life to happen?

As always, relax & have fun! (Tension prevents seeing. )

Loving,
Stacy

[KB1]

Good evening Stacy

What did you find when doing this exercise?

The commentary was a distraction. When I watched it without sound, the game seemed more vivid. I don’t know the exact words to describe how it felt but it seemed more interesting or I was more interested without sound.

Is the commentary on the soccer game a necessity for the play to happen?

No it isn’t necessary, in fact I found it less enjoyable and more distracting

And in the same way, is the inner narration of thought a necessity for the play of life to happen?

No, the thoughts and storytelling are not necessary for life to happen. I really really feel this. I have a feeling of space when I type this. Life will handle life. I don’t need to have a million thoughts and stories about events “ good or bad” happening in my life.

That being said, I don’t think I feel liberated or free.

Thank you, again I just want to say I am very grateful for your time.

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Hi Kara,

I never understand why some clients insist on emphasizing that they

don’t think I feel liberated or free.

There's no need to say that. Only tell me when you do. It is only disheartening.

Let's check your expectations again. Are you trying go recapture the euphoria you felt on retreat?

You might & that is totally unpredictable. It's less likely when you're grasping for it Relaxation & a sense of ease are required. Even if that happens again, it's guaranteed to fade. It is, as far as we can tell, never a permanent state. Not even for those who claim it is.

How do you expect to feel when you can SEE that there's no separate self? For some people this is very gradual & subtle, while it hits others like a ton of bricks - and everything in between.

I compare it to the shift in seeing that happens with these optical illusions:

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/file ... -illusion
https://www.livescience.com/63645-optic ... oman.html
It's also like finding out Santa Claus is only a man in a red suit. Once you SEE, you can never un-see it.

Either way, please continue LOOKING for one Sensation with ButtChair. A breakthrough there might be all you need.

Much love
Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

Are you trying go recapture the euphoria you felt on retreat

No, see below answer for my expectation.

How do you expect to feel when you can SEE that there's no separate self?

I expect a shift ( a noticeable one) in experiencing things. I expect life will be lived via direct experience rather than thoughts and stories. Other than that I am not sure what my expectations are. I’m just working through the exercises as given.

I will continue with buttchair.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Hi Kara

I expect life will be lived via direct experience rather than thoughts and stories.

Yes, some, but not 100%

I find that in areas where I still have false beliefs, expectations & fears, it's still thoughts & stories. I was lucky to have questioned a lot of those using The Work of Byron Katie for many years before LU.

But any place I still have lies, I'm not in flow. Ask my husband about closing doors & hanging towels straight! :)

I have some additional recorded pointers in my Dropbox. If you will pm me an email address (top right here), I will send you access to that.

Loving
Stacy

[Anastacia42]

One more question:

How do you know that you feel 2 things? What tells you that?

Loving
Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

Apologises for the delay. I’m still working on buttchair.

How do you know that you feel 2 things? What tells you that?

I can physically feel my butt and I can physically feel the chair.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Describe in detail how you can tell one from the other, please, without using a story about it, using only Sensation itself.

We know this can't be done, so I know you must be relying on words. We have seen in previous pointers how you get stuck there. This is no different.

Did you send this:

I have some additional recorded pointers in my Dropbox. If you will pm me an email address (top right here), I will send you access to that.

Loving
Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

Describe in detail how you can tell one from the other, please, without using a story about it, using only Sensation itself.

I have done this exercise quite a bit and I’m still feeling two sensations. I can feel a physical sensation in my butt( in the centre), and then around the edges of my butt I can feel the chair.

I’ve just sent my email address.

On another note and maybe this is part of the process. Something quite significant has come up at work, I need to make a decision imminently which is going to have an impact on quite a large number of people. I don’t want to go into a lot of detail on an Internet forum. But I am faced with the question now- if I have no control and I don’t decide anything why does it feel like this decision I have to make is very significant and could end up causing pain or upset to a lot of people?

I’ve tried to relax and think regardless of the decision I make, the outcome is going to be the outcome and life will continue. But really that feels somewhat like a cop out because it’s important I do the analysis and try at least to make an informed decision and one which causes the least amount of hardship.

Thank you

Kara