Originally Posted by
courage2 
What I experience in meditation comes, I think, all from the breathing. By deliberate breath control and visualization of the flow of breath, I sometimes experience something that is all within -- like a dream is all in your head, but this involves more the whole.
When I first got sober, like 6 months in (?), I started with breathing and counting during breathing. I kind of learned to do that decades ago and took it up again. Does anyone else do breathing meditation - pranayama?
Now I've added in what are called mahavakyas -- big utterances
Like sarvam khalvidam brahma -- everything is brahma. The thing about them is, they're all adjectival, at least the ones I use. So they don't provoke questioning and analysis. What is brahma? Everything. What is everything? Brahma.
I need anti-analysis
So my meditating friend (meditated daily for at least 15 years both morning and evening for 1.5 hours each and then sits in silent meditation annually in August for one month so i think she is in a position to advise me) says this as follows:
The focus is on the breath on a spot on the space between the top lip and under the nose. The focus is on the breath. In and out. When the mind wanders from the breath it is gently brought back to the breath. Repeatedly. Nothing else. She said she has meditated on things such as the last breath...which i did and it made me cry when i first did it. It doesnt any more. So thats what i shall be doing from tomorrow morning but only for a short period and with practice increase my time.
I think your right. What is everything Brahma. Brahma is everything.
Namaste.