Why do some people feel tightness in their foreheads while sitting in meditation? Why do others feel dizzy during their meditation practices? If you want to know the answers, please watch this video. Grandmaster JinBodhi offers his insights.
(Hello, Master. I felt tightness in my forehead while meditating. This feeling wouldn’t go even though I reminded myself to relax. What is the reason?)
Cultivation is hard. It is hard to find a master to teach you. It is even harder to meet a good master. I may not be the best but my objective is very good. If I hadn’t verified my methods through experience, I wouldn’t teach you this dharma. Some Western pharmaceutical companies are responsible; they conduct rigorous tests. They only release a drug after negative effects are deemed minimal.
So, you won’t go wrong while practicing the dharma I have taught. Someone may say, “Learning from you takes too long, I want to soar.” Then you can look for another way. I can do nothing if your practice goes wrong. So, what is causing the pressure in the head? Or some others are feeling drowsy, like always wearing a very heavy hat. What causes this phenomenon?
There was a new practitioner in Canada. He is Chinese, but grew up and went to school in Canada. He is straightforward, like a Westerner. He would tell you his happiness and unhappiness. He is unhealthy. I told him to practice more. “How long?” I said, “One year.” That was when he had just finished a retreat session.
I did not express it clearly. After 3 months, he told me, “Master, I can’t do it, I get dizzy.” I saw him 3 months after he had finished that retreat class. I said, “Something doesn’t feel right. It looks like you are practicing, but it doesn’t feel right.” I asked, “Are you practicing?” “I am.” “For how long?” “3 months.”
I said, “How did your practice turn out like this?” I told him there might be a mistake in his practice. “How long do you practice per day?” “9 hours.” “Who told you that?” “We practiced in retreat class for 7 hours.” “You are not in a retreat after going home, you can’t practice for that long.” “I can practice for 7 hours with you guys, but I can’t practice for 9 hours at home? How am I at fault?”
There is a difference here. How many people stay in university for 40 years? A person will work to graduate in 4 years, right? And work his butt off a second time to receive his master’s degree. Having a master’s or doctorate is amazing. Yet being in university for 10 years, he would be older than his teachers. You can do something at the center, but you can’t do it at home. Also, there is a quantity and time limit. You can’t practice for that long at home without guidance. Even though he did it for health, it was still a mistake.
During this retreat, a couple of teachers came to me on the first day: “Master, many have come from other cities. There isn’t much to do after class.” Afraid students would cause problems outside. I added the last sentence. Can we do a group practice in the evening? Practice for 2 more hours. We had 2 different sides; I asked the hawks and the doves. I let both parties express their thoughts.
The hawks said, “Practice. The reason everyone came is to practice diligently.” The doves said, “Practicing for that long is pretty tiring. They also have to wake up early for Energy Bagua. It is hard to sleep with all that energy. Let them go shopping, and have some fun.” I don’t know which side you like better. Raise your hand if you prefer to head out after class. OK. I actually agree with going out to shop.
Everyone has their needs. However, there are limits to a person’s tolerance. Practicing diligently for 7 hours is enough. Practicing too much makes you mentally fatigued. You came in with pain in the left side. After the retreat, the right side starts hurting. This is not good. Over-practicing is not beneficial to you. Ginseng is good for health. See what happens if you have it in all meals. Don’t try it; it will harm you.
Nothing in the world is absolutely good, and nothing is absolutely bad. The key is finding a balance. When taking medicines, whether it is Chinese or Western medicine, you have a prescription to follow. The medicine has the right portion for each component. So it can treat your illness. If the ratio is off, it may cause other illnesses, leading to serious diseases.
With over-practicing, it can easily feel like you are wearing a huge stone hat; your forehead feels tight. Pressure in the forehead means too much is in your mind. You are preoccupied by worries. This includes things you are keeping in your mind, and things you are chasing after, such as cultivation goals. When you are too determined, too attached, this phenomenon may also happen. Your intentions and worries are all stored in one place. It all comes once you start meditation.
What is the point of doing it if it only increases worries. The purpose of today’s talk is to relax. Only by relaxing can our qi flow smoothly, right? Relax your organs, and then your breakfast can be digested. If you are always tense, with mental stress, your stomach will also tighten. Your breakfast won’t be digested until one week later; that will spell big trouble. So relax. Avoid being overly attached to something. Some people say they have an illness, a cancer. However, no illnesses can be healed within a day. It takes time. Relax and follow the dharma. Also, avoid over-practicing.
Vancouver is a place with many amazing people. A person in Vancouver was very devoted. He had another master before with whom he practiced prostration, but his whole body hurt after prostration. How long did he practice this? For 3 years. Later I watched how he did prostration. He said that only by knocking his head hard could he show his sincerity. Still he had an internal conflict, since he felt his head was not truly falling apart, although he was at the point where he couldn’t take it. This is not correct. Buddha often said, “Ease comes after letting go of your attachments.” When I am meditating, such as practicing GI or chanting, I don’t think about pursuing my ultimate noble goals. Forget your pursuit, and then you can be at ease. So, after you relax mentally, the tightness in the head and the pressure in the forehead will naturally be relieved.
