To return home

[Jstar]

Any Sensation on your solar plexus? Tension? Relaxation?

Yes. It is flapping, contracting/expanding, opening closing, bulging retracting.

[Anastacia42]

Okay. That's a new one.

Okay, you've mentioned your body as a location for "I." Self is, as you also noticed a lie feeling of contraction plus thoughts & labels. In other words,a total fiction.

Try this:

Introductory Body Exercise

Sit with eyes closed for about 15 minutes. Paying attention only to the pure sensations, without relying on thoughts or mental images:

Can it be known how tall the body is? Does the body have a weight or volume? In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?

Is there a boundary between the body and the clothing? Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?

Is there an inside or an outside? If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly? If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to? What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

Look very carefully, especially with the last question. Take your time, don’t rush. You can look several times during the day while doing other things (like washing hands, showering, having a short break from work, walking, etc) before replying.

Loving,

[Jstar]

Can it be known how tall the body is? Does the body have a weight or volume? In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?

No for all three.

Is there a boundary between the body and the clothing? Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?

No.

Is there an inside or an outside? If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly? If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

No.

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to? What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

-sensations
-heat
-pressure
-movement/change
-pain
-tinkling
-tension/heaviness
-spaciousness/nothing
-hearing, touching, pain, tasting

[Anastacia42]

Good.

How does it FEEL to see this?

Can you find any separate self?


I want to mention that you may not have something "push you over." It can happen so gradually that you barely notice it.

Loving,

[Jstar]

How does it FEEL to see this?

Finding hard to answer this question. The closest I could say is little unsettling. There are sensations in the body, that can be labelled sadness, anxiety/fear. There is heaviness/tightness in the solar plexus. Strangely there is a lightness too felt, especially when thoughts are seen as it is.

Can you find any separate self?

No

I want to mention that you may not have something "push you over." It can happen so gradually that you barely notice it.

Thank you very much for pointing it out.

[Anastacia42]

You're welcome. Ilona wrote this:

From an email from Ilona

Nothing dramatic happened.

There were no fireworks.
No permanent bliss states.
No sudden personality changes.

And yet, something shifted.


Here are a few things people said afterwards:

“I’m not fighting my experience anymore. There’s more space around everything.”

“I expected something big to happen. Instead, life feels simpler and I trust myself more.”

“There’s less urgency. The seeking has softened.”


This is the kind of shift this work supports.

Ilona Cuinate


Do you have any of those things happening?




There is a Direct Looking process for fear, too.

https://youtu.be/jKX1llYtlKE?si=jHXuuyyVtp7c-1R2

And this one:

https://youtu.be/fSTT8nc8cvQ?si=Alcukpbi7SUlXpfi

Loving,

[Jstar]

Do you have any of those things happening?

Yes. I would agree with all of those statements, except 'And yet, something shifted'.

There is a Direct Looking process for fear, too.

https://youtu.be/jKX1llYtlKE?si=jHXuuyyVtp7c-1R2

Watched this. Thoughts were quiet and top to bottom sensations. No labels or messages.

And this one:

https://youtu.be/fSTT8nc8cvQ?si=Alcukpbi7SUlXpfi

Much more intense sensations, as I invited fear. Events from the past came up as I imagined situations where I did not feel safe.

And a side note: Thought/doubt/arguments (I have nt got it, I should do more, I am pretending etc.) around the the last exercise (body is a label, no separation in experience, NO controlling entity called self inside the body or anywhere), are seen popping up again again. And doing that exercise by looking in the direct experience going on.

[Anastacia42]

Okay, those videos can be used repeatedly. Fear & expectations are the only 2 things that can prevent seeing. They take you out of now.

I have nt got it, I should do more, I am pretending etc.

The Work of Byron Katie is excellent for addressing thoughts. I did a lot of that before I even heard of LU. I'm sure it helped me to see quicker but it's still took me 3 months.

www.thework.com

Has everything needed including a free helpline although I don't know how the phone was going to work from India to California.

Take a look.

Loving,

[Jstar]

Fear & expectations are the only 2 things that can prevent seeing. They take you out of now.

Yes, I see fear, expectations and wanting to be seen in thoughts. Most of them surround the topic of awakening/seeing the illusion of a separate controlling entity. I will do the exercises and video a few more times.

www.thework.com

I remember to have read her book and done the work some time back. I saw they have a helpline. I will explore this and how it impacts thoughts.

[Anastacia42]

Very good.

Let me know what happens.

Loving,

[Jstar]

Let me know what happens.

There is a slowing down, no rushing or grasping including in my interactions with you in this forum. Less pressure to be right or gain something or understand etc. Thoughts that seemed to be serious or real, are seen as thoughts. More intensity in the torso, solar plexus.
I did the questions (about body, a self inside the body, separation etc.) you gave me in public, when interacting with others and in various outdoor situations - where I feel like separate. I will continue this exploration. I have not re-watched Ilona's videos.
I did some 'the work' with some thoughts that were coming up again and agin. I found them loose hold pretty quickly. There were no helpline slots for me yesterday and today. There seems to be one tomorrow. I plan to try my luck of getting through.

Thank you for your guidance Stacy.

[Anastacia42]

This all sounds very good. It sounds like you're clear there's no self & have actually had mild shifts in perception, but you're stuck in fear and doubt.

See if these help.

https://youtu.be/a_8N331jpA4?si=wHE8KmhO7n9uwLPp

Loving,

[Jstar]

See if these help.

https://youtu.be/a_8N331jpA4?si=wHE8KmhO7n9uwLPp

I found some difficulty with the concepts/framework and what seemed a story. I took away the valuable idea that doubt cant be resolved, it has to be dissolved in being aware of body sensations. I have been doing that and I find it most valuable to. Very similar to the first exercise you asked me to do (labels etc.)

I used the 4 questions (the work) on "I believe I know what is going on here now'.

I am at a loss to report any 'progress'. May be it is less of a drive to prove to you that I am progressing.

[Anastacia42]

Good enough.

There is some chance that you have already seen and are only experiencing doubt.

Keep using The Work on doubt thoughts. Be sure to do the Turn Arounds with 3 proofs for each one.

Often there's no "progress." It is a toggle switch. Now you see it. Now you don't. But sometimes it is gradual.

This is the only pointer Ilona gave me when I was guided here. i practiced this for about 3 months. I call it:

ButtChair

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?


It is simple direct & nonverbal. Just LOOK.

Then write what is true.

Loving,