when I start my meditation period I seem to be very aware of repeating the mantra almost robotically and then I try to just allow it to repeat but then I feel im analysing the way im doing it etc etc.

Coming from awareness of breathing type meditation where I found it quite easy to allow the breath to carry on without my intervention,im struggling at times to feel im doing this correctly,ie trying to hard,its very subtle and Im not sure what to do,which is probably nothing but i would welcome some input
Thanks

Chris,

There is no "not trying to not try", there is only trying and not trying.

It is clear from your description that you are trying, plain and simple. Effort, analysis, experimentation, and trying are all local activities carried on by the ego, the limited self. This self is the source of all problems, since it results from stress and warps all thought and action through the distorted lens of stress. All that effort and analysis comes only from stress. It wastes life. It wastes energy. It wastes creativity. It is obsessive, and the source of all inefficiency. Hearing a melody playing over and over in our heads is an example of the obsession that comes from stress.

True growth, transformation, creativity, intelligence, clarity of thought, and bliss are the province of the Self: pure consciousness, which is our innermost reality. Unlike the limited self, the Self is the inner observer, the unbounded witness and the root source of all that we think and do.

To bypass the self and experience the Self is the purpose and goal of NSR meditation. The method is pure simplicity itself: effortlessness. Effortlessness is not something you work hard at, something that takes years to perfect. Every thought we think is already effortless. It takes no effort to think a thought, so it takes no effort to think the syllable.

Try this: just sit, with eyes closed, not doing anything. What will happen? You will start to notice thoughts. Maybe just one, maybe hundreds. It is the very nature of the mind to generate thoughts, effortlessly. If you don't understand this, actually do it. Just sit, with eyes closed, not doing anything. This is experience, not theory: you must try it and see for yourself or you will never truly believe me.

Please try it now, before you continue reading the next paragraph.

Once you see how thoughts come effortlessly, just substitute the syllable for these effortless thoughts. It's so easy, takes just a moment, and you are thinking the syllable effortlessly. Now let go, and take it as it comes. The whole process is effortless and automatic, from start to finish.

Now go off and apply this advice in your NSR practice for several days, then come back here and let us know how it is going.

(Most of this material is covered in the manual and CD. Sometimes it can help to go through it all a second time.)

David Spector
Natural Stress Relief/USA

David,

Thankyou so much for that very clear and precise explanantion,I will practice that and post back here in a few days.

Just wanted to update after my 2 sessions since my last post.

At the beggining of the session a lot of dialogue was going through my mind re how thinking occurs and I went through the understanding that deliberate thought ie going over very carefully in your mind about something is 1 aspect,then there is the daydreaming sort of thought where thoughts drift in and out.

Now the real balance was to not deliberately or should I say forcefully think the mantra ,yet if i just daydreamed then the mantra would rarely if ever come up so it was a case of just gently introducing the mantra.

Now what i found was after some time maybe 10 mins this happened naturally or should i say there wasnt a feeling of tension about getting it right and the session ended with a feeling of deep relaxation.

think im getting it but wait for your response David.

Thankyou

Chris,

My response is that the deep relaxation showed that you were probably meditating correctly at that point.

I suggest that you read my March 5 response before each of your next several meditation sessions. You'll get it eventually.

NSR is opposite of the style of thinking that we are habituated to since birth. We are used to working hard to accomplish tasks, instead of working smart. With NSR, we finally get the chance to get rid of the blocks to full functioning (the stresses). When the stresses are gone, "do less and accomplish more" becomes a reality.

Enjoy!

David Spector
Natural Stress Relief/USA