As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been practicing Jhana meditation for some time. In the 1st Jhana, I have been in the third factor, Piti, which can be translated as euphoria or pleasure. The focus of the sitting has been on physical pleasure, I chose smiling. I have now entered into the 2nd Jhana, which takes the meditator from physical pleasure and creates a shift to emotional pleasure, or from Piti to Sukha - translated as joy. I have done several sits with the 2nd Jhana and there is a subtle difference between the two (other than the obvious). In my (so far short lived) experience, Sukha is very calming to the mind. Piti was very challenging as the meditator can do nothing but observe the physical pleasure. No interuptions or else the state of mind shifts back to a less quiet state of mind. Incredible session with Yana this evening. We have been engaging in conscious connected breathe therapy and the previous few weeks have been spent on deep healing. Through conscious connected breathing one accumulates life force (prana, chi, ki) which starts to move freely through your body (experienced as tingling, energy rushes or waves). This loosens up stored blockages held in your four-body energy system (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual), thus working on all four levels at the same time. Therefore possible experiences can be manifold and may vary every time. The spectrum ranges from physical sensations of heat, cold, pain or pleasure, waves or bursts of energy, to release of emotions (sadness, anger etc.), realisations of dysfunctional thought patterns or new thought connections and insights, and deeply spiritual or energetical experiences or any combination thereof. This evenings session was a little different. We presumed our usual position (me laying down on the floor with cushions and head between Yana's legs) but instead we did a guided loving-kindness meditation. The subject (observer and observed) .. myself. Yana says, I cannot receive that which I cannot give myself. It was an unbelievable session. I am thankful to have had a good listener & a kind heart to share the experience with after the session was over. We went for a drink (first one in 4 1/2 months! ooh how tasty a brown cow can be) and I headed home. Now I get to look forward to a weekend of packing :|