Hi,

I've started the home study course and would like to know where I can post my questions on certain things ?

I wrote a message to Bruce a while back, he didn't have the time to reply yet, so I was wondering if I could post them here.

Being french, certain subtleties escape me when I translate from english. Although I think my english is pretty good...hem!

First: the little finger exercice and placing intent.

Do I understand correctly that it is developping a state of anxious awaiting ?  A sort of a stage-fright build up. Bruce wrote that it is comparable to when you have your foot on the pedal and waiting for the lights to turn green, an anxious waiting.

Second:  Dealing with rambling thoughts.

These will do for a start, and I thank you for your help.

Hi Gerald.

unfortunatly I cannot help with your questions im sorry, I have the course but haven't got round to doing it yet so cannot offer any practicle advise. But yes post here in this topic and im sure people who have done the course here will be more than willing to help you.

Ryan

Wecome Gerald maybe some others can help us here with the little finger bending idea.

I've thought about it some..even took me little pinky and slowly bent it while asking Bruce in my mind.."like this?" ha ha!

I think you are close to getting it. very close! except for using the word anxiousness.

probably a better word to replace that one is "standing at attention."

now, I've never been in the army, but I imagine how the soldiers are trained to stand at attention. I imagine what they must be thinking while they are standing at attention. probably they are not thinking the car needs to be lubed or nothing like that...

it appears the army set up the men that way to prepare them for combat action, to make them obediant to command.

maybe the mind is like that...we can make our minds stand at attention...a place of readiness for action...the light will turn green any minute...then the action will start..in the meantime hold the reins tight and feel the power of attention under that hood and hope that all pistons are firing in time...

(my cars being tuned up)

http://images.bravenet.com/common/images/smilies/steeringwheel.gif

Hey Alysia!

You made me think, I was in army cadets (youth group) and then the army for a while. To come to attention the order was,

"SQUAD-SQUADDDDDDD-TION"

well the 'tion' bit is where you make the move, well its dragged out so were all there waiting, pre-empting if you like for this 'tion' to come. So much sometimes (depends what you were doing or punishment! haha) that you would move slightly before because of the pre-empting, i dunno this is hard to explain. What i am trying to say is that i guess its like the pinky exercise, like setting the intent to move without moving it, kinda like what we were doing before coming to attention!

Just some random thoughts!

Ryan

Gerald:

I don't know what Bruce wrote about rambling thoughts, but I found that it is best to not fight them. All you do is give them life when you do so. Instead, try to find some meditational subject to focus on, and focus you're attention there.

If you don't have a meditational subject to focus on, try focusing on the awareness/consciousness you are. From this perspective it's irelevant what thoughts occur, because they all point to the awareness you are.

Thank you all, you have help me a lot with the little details that you wrote. Especialy the..."tion" in:

"SQUAD-SQUADDDDDDD-TION"

Recoverer, could you explain a little more what you mean with:  

try focusing on the awareness/consciousness you are. From this perspective it's irelevant what thoughts occur, because they all point to the awareness you are

This is the part I have the most problem with. My thoughts are going in all direction and I don't even noticed them going astray. Then I realise it and try to re-focus and the cycle returns.

Hi Gerald,

To control your "rambling thoughts", you can try to look at and concentrate on the blackness you see when you close your eyes.  Don't use your mind's eye, but act like you can actually see the blackness with your physical eyes.  Then concentrate on only doing that.  If your thoughts wander and you start to see other things with your "mind's eye", then just remind yourself that you are to only look at the blackness.  

To get into the habit of seeing "as if with your physical eyes", you can train yourself to feel your eye muscles as if they are focusing on something in front of you.  If you relax those muscles it is easier for your thoughts to wander.

At least this has been my experience, so I hope you can use this advice too.  
Love, Vicky  

:)

PS-Alysia, that was a great analogy!