Thread: Meditation and body heat

i have experienced increases in body temperature while meditating, though it is not guaranteed to occur. upon consideration, it only seems to happen during "deep" states of absorption.

...won't answer your questions, but you may find this interesting:

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/0...8/09-tummo.html

I really wanna learn how to meditate and self-hypnotize proficiently. The best I've done was increase my dream recall for a few days (with delayed recall of course). Someone should post a tutorial.

the manipura (solar plexus)
this is where fire energy is stored, when raising kundalini the heat can be intensly painful, causing incapacitaion
but we ain't on that
just focus upon this centre and feel it changing to a more comfertable/sutable heat, it should change according to what you intend

using this mutra helps open/balance it


you may have a slight blockage in that area, so reflexology or reiki may be advised if problem continues (have much fear?)

It seems like you are sitting in the most efficient posture to draw in energy. I only have a bed, so I meditate in a laid down position, and do not get nearly as warm as you. My warmth tends to be localized.

As far as an explanation, here goes. Our body is made from energy, and we have access to two sources of energy when we meditate. Option one is to pull it from the surrounding air, and you seem to be really good at that. The other option is that we have three storage containers for energy in our torsos. My guess is that the energy in there is more compressed at a higher frequency than normal, in tiers.

You have plenty of energy in your body to run at the 98.6 ºF normal. It seems like the energy you are pulling out of the air is headed into the storage centers, because it is not needed in your body. Of course, that energy is compressed since it vibrates at a faster frequency, and the two types cannot be simply mixed together. Instead, it comes out of the storage and into your body. This is where the heat comes from, within you. Then the two mix together, and when you are done meditating, it is put back into storage.

It's like your body only has so much room for energy in it, and can only hold a certain amount at a specific frequency. When it's doing the conversion, the faster the energy vibrates (i.e. the warmer), the shorter it's wavelength, the more room it has.

Originally posted by wombing
...won't answer your questions, but you may find this interesting:
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/0...8/09-tummo.html

I heard about that a few years ago in a travel documentary, but didn't know a study had actually been conducted. That's pretty damn amazing, especially considering that metabolism and heart rate drop during meditation. It seems completely counter-intuitive that slowing down the body would produce heat instead of allowing it to cool. I certainly hope Harvard finds the funding to do more studies and discover the source of the heat those monks produce. Do you know what the tummo meditation technique is? I'm sure it's not what I'm doing since the article implied that it's an advanced technique, but you've gotten me curious.

Originally posted by scruffty
just focus upon this centre and feel it changing to a more comfertable/sutable heat, it should change according to what you intend

using this mutra helps open/balance it *

It's not a localized heat - it's all over, from my core to my finger tips. I did try that hand position though. I didn't experience as much heat, but I think that may be due to the fact that I didn't go as "deep". I've been using the cross-legged, palms-on-knees position for so long that it's become a sort of psychological trigger. I know when I get into that position that I'm going to meditate, so I'm able to focus and go into a stable meditative state faster. I'll try that hand position again, though, and see if I still experience less heat when I go deeper. I'm not sure what you're talking about when you say "fire energy," btw. Is that a metaphor or some sort of imagery?

Originally posted by Distant Clone
It seems like you are sitting in the most efficient posture to draw in energy. I only have a bed, so I meditate in a laid down position, and do not get nearly as warm as you. My warmth tends to be localized.

I usually sit on my bed (it has a fairly stiff matress) so that my butt-bones don't get sore on the floor. I've tried lying down before, but it's so much harder for me to focus when I'm laying on my back. I have to fight off pre-HI as my body thinks, "Yea! We're laying down. It's nap time!"

I don't think I know what you mean by energy storage containers in the torso. The stomach and intestines break down food into energy-providing chemicals, but as far as I know, those chemicals aren't stored there but are rather absorbed into the blood stream or converted and stored in fat cells (so that the energy - or potential energy - is spread throughout the body). Of course, I might have completely mis-interpreted your comment, too, so if I did that, please feel free to correct.

Originally posted by Peregrinus
Of course, I might have completely mis-interpreted your comment, too, so if I did that, please feel free to correct.

Yeah . I was referring to a non-physical body, of which I made absolutely no references. I was referring to the Lower Tan Tien (or Dan Tien). I found a quick picture, but am not too interesting in reading through websites to find something relevant. I'll leave it up to you, or I'll do it at a later time. It's Eastern philosophy.

[quote]
'fire energy'quote]

it's a chakra thing
relates to ancient yoga

I am not qualified to make the staments I am fixing to make.

The storage recepticals are for your kundalini, you should do some research on these things if you have not. For you are dabbling in certain possible semi warmups for tantric yogic exercises. Or whatever people would call that.

Like I say I am not qualified to make these assumptions.

I am guessing you are of a younger age still. Your body naturally goes into those "conditions" when you get in your lotus or whatever position you sit. As was mentioned above, it's as well for drawing energy, we all know energy can produce heat if not channeled correctly. I have only read these things however, no first hand experience persay.

As well, your breathing affects it greatly. Our lungs are the bellows of our body. A metaphor. As fire requires air, so does the heat within your body, for cooling and heating.
It is possible to cool yourself as well by channeling correctly I believe, I do not suggest you attempt heating or cooling however, for I have heard that there could be certain internal reprecussions.


I suggest to you the only suggestion I have been able to find with regards to these topics.
research. get a real teacher/mentor.

Do you breath heavily? There are breathing excersis I have done that wihin 10 minutes, and I am perspiring heavily. No particular sitting posture required other than self sustained ( no chair back, but a chair base is acceptable)

There are (tibetan?) monks whom will sit in a valley of ice and through meditation secrete so much body heat that the ice will melt around them, forming a circle. Meditation can indeed reach this.

I find that sometimes this does happen to me aswell. It depends on what kind of meditation I practice.

I’ll look into these concepts of energy centers. I have to admit to being fairly skeptical of actual centers of as-yet-scientifically-undiscovered energy in the body. Although I practice both meditation and yoga, I’ve always thought of the chakras as more of an outward representation of psychological workings – cultural rather than physical – and as a convenient way to describe position and posture in yoga poses. But as I’ve learned and am constantly being reminded, ancient cultural beliefs quite often have their source in truth, recognizing correctly the “what” if not always the “why”. If a practice has survived relatively unchanged for thousands of years, there’s probably some truth to it (well, I know from experience that there are great health benefits – both mental and physical - gained from the practice of both yoga and meditation, so that “truth” is not in question). From many years of training in the sciences, though, it’s a bit hard for me to buy the existence of actual centers of ethereal energy in the body, and I would tend to lean toward believing that, if working with chakras and energy centers produces noticeable physical and mental effects, the chakras and other formulations of energy centers are more likely a culturally-informed interpretation of subtle (and not-so-subtle) patterns of activity and behavior in the body rather than real vortices of energy. But I don’t really know one way or the other since I haven’t investigated this topic in any depth. Obviously, I have no idea – scientific or otherwise - why meditation, which slows the body’s respiration, heart rate, and metabolism, should produce heat, so it would be foolish and defeating to pass judgment, dismiss, or accept any explanation out-of-hand before exploring it. So if any of you who have done more research on these topics than I have (that’s probably the majority of people who have posted explanations and suggestions in this thread) have resources that you’d recommend, I’d be very appreciative to hear them. And if anyone is willing to share why they hold the beliefs that they do on this topic, I’m most curious.

Skyler: I'll be 23 next week, and although I can easily get into the lotus position, I usually don't b/c I find it distracting when my feet go to sleep I generally sit cross-legged on my bed or on a pillow on the floor. And my breathing is relaxed rather than heavily. I give my attention to my breath, but do not try to consciously control it. I know you said you've heard about dangers from using meditation to cool the body, but cooling would be welcome! I never get hotter than a mild fever, anyway, so I doubt that I'm in danger of causing internal damage (or at least that's how it feels - I've never actually taken my temperature while experiencing meditation-induced heating). Do you know of any resources that describe how to produce a cooling effect?

to the wanderer.

I think you misunderstood me, as I was being a bit vague.
I did not mean say that cooling can be bad, just that exploring certain physical aspects in meditation unguided can cause certain undersireable functions in the body, some terminal.

I strongly urge that you have patience in exploring them, moreover, just meditate a little different. Atleast differently than you tell me.

In clearing our mind our body should naturally take to a breathing pattern. I understand that when we meditate our mind is eagerly looking for something, anything to focus on. This infact is a strong enemy the practice of meditation. Our breath, heart, digestive system, and countless other detail become more and more apparent the more we "slow down".

The goal of meditation is stillness, both of body and mind; when we are actively focusing on anything, we may very well be doing the exact opposite. I am not certain of your focus, for only you can be. If an ADD patient were to meditate and do it primarily off of readings they had come by, and no instructive method was applied(from a real mentor) it could be infact an active mind focusing on meditating, which isn't meditating at all. Using a mantra is strongly recommened. Pick something that is good and selfless in nature, for selfish and destructive thoughts will not aid you at all if any. They may appear to, but in the long run... who knows. About a paragraph of literature would be my recommendation. I started with a simple phrase, I wish that I had done something a little different, for it did not benefit me as much as something else would have, though starting simple may have been a good thing. Many people use prayers, quotes, and other assorted novelistic exerpts. These things change the focus from body to mind, which is what the first goal of meditation should be to work on. But you could very well be beyond those stages.

And as for your age. -- Well, I had a nice little set of words about this untill I came to the understanding that you are female, and I could not come up with a quick tip off the top of my head, thus I had to edit. Not that what I had to say isn't fit for females, well no, it wasn't lol, seeing as it was under the assumption you were a male and it was regarding the maturation process of males.

All in all, RESEARCH. Looking things up for yourself and learning firsthand(from someone who appears to have experience) and applying to what you know and do is the best way to learn and develope method in my humble opinion.

I also would like to edit in that meditation can be a very physically demanding excersise at times and can cause us to become exausted.

-ROTFL- I only had to edit this thing like 5 times to be content with it.

I would also like to share my 2 cents to this discussion. (I will speak to you...but I speak about my experiences and ways how it works for me..ok? I don't want to say that my way is the right one..)

Actually when I get to a deep meditative state without moving energies in my body my body cools down and sometimes the temperature goes really down. I stay cool even if all my chakras are open and energy goes through me without any problem (blockage).

But if I use the fire energie (which is related to solar plxus chakra...or a place somewhjere around there) my body will eventually heat up. This heats up the whole body and if it is kept for a long time my body seems to be on fire (if you can see the energy). I burned my skin once because of this so I'm more cautious now. It's not something I would like to do again. Actually if you want to have a stable temperature you have to accept energy and gave it away at the same time. You cannot accumulate too much energy on your body...that's what burned my skin...(grrr that was itching for weeks)

For cooling down I use the air energy which is related to "neck chakra". It is good to do this in summer. Your whole body feels that a slight breeze cools your body and it actually does somehow but don't ask me how. I also tried to use it as protection against fire it does not work that well but it "protects" against heat.

I think that you have to somehow work your energies around to get to your state. Because if I don't want to change the temperature of my body it usually stays the same. Also any excessive use of energy (positive one) heats up your body. But only the parts which are in direct contact. For example if you heal someone using the fire energy your hands will become really hot if the "block" you are trying to heal is serious..

Thank you Skyler and STsung for your replies!

Originally posted by skyler+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skyler)</div>

to the wanderer.[/b]

I think you’re the first person to know or find out what my name means

Originally posted by skyler+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skyler)</div>

The goal of meditation is stillness, both of body and mind; when we are actively focusing on anything, we may very well be doing the exact opposite. I am not certain of your focus, for only you can be.[/b]

Usually I focus only on my breath. However, when I’m feeling particularly stressed/wound up/scattered, I have a hard time bringing and maintaining a focus on breath, so I listen to instrumental music, following the course of a single instrument, feeling it rather than thinking about it, until thought and involvement cease and I’m in that quiet, stable state of observation.

Originally posted by skyler
Using a mantra is strongly recommened.

I’ve tried using mantras in meditation before, but without much success. My mind tends to analyze the meaning of the words even if my focus is only on the sound playing in my mind, and I’ll start down a wandering path of thought and almost automatic analyzation before I even realize that my focus has shifted. You said that one should chose a mantra with a positive meaning and associations lest one end up with negative results. When you meditate using a mantra, do you focus on the sound of the words as they’re repeated in the mind or on their meaning? I’ve heard of both ways, although I imagine that each one leads to a different type of meditation – one leading to a deeper understanding of the concept embodied by one’s mantra and one enabling a deeper quieting of the mind. Of course, you probably know more about this than I do since I’ve not really engaged in mantra meditation and you seem to have quite a fair amount of experience. What do you find are the benefits of using a mantra over focusing only on the breath?

Originally posted by skyler
Well, I had a nice little set of words about this until I came to the understanding that you are female

I get that a lot, for some reason. No worries. But I am glad that DV allows for the little male/female symbols to be displayed. If you can think of another way to say what you were trying to without referencing male maturation, I'd still be glad to hear it.
<!--QuoteBegin-skyler@
All in all, RESEARCH. Looking things up for yourself and learning firsthand(from someone who appears to have experience) and applying to what you know and do is the best way to learn and develope method in my humble opinion.

I have done a fair amount of research, but could find nothing comprehensive about the relationship between meditation and body heat, which is why I asked that question here. There are some gems of knowledge on the internet, but there’s a lot of junk, too, which is why I’m especially grateful for forums such as DV where people can share their own personal experiences, successes and failures.
<!--QuoteBegin-STsung
Actually when I get to a deep meditative state without moving energies in my body my body cools down and sometimes the temperature goes really down. I stay cool even if all my chakras are open and energy goes through me without any problem (blockage)

What exactly does this feel like for you? When I meditate, I don’t feel any energy flowing, just my breath and my heartbeat, and if I maintain my focus long enough, a sense of aware disconnection from my body, as if I were watching myself breathing rather than actively breathing (that's not exactly it, but it'd take a while to figure out how to describe the experience more accurately than that - you probably know what I mean, though). But no energy. Well, I should amend that. I can make myself feel something akin to energy by imagining or visualizing, but that’s just a mental trick. It’s not something that happens naturally the way the heating does. When the heating occurs, I don’t feel anything moving within me, not from my solar plexus or anywhere else. It just happens and seems to spread toward my extremities (very useful for warming up cold hands in the wintertime, though).

So, are you doing some sort of intentional, visualization exercises during meditation when you feel these heating and cooling effects, or do you come up w/ an intention before beginning, or is it spontaneous?

Originally posted by Peregrinus
I think you’re the first person to know or find out what my name means

Actually, I saw a TV show named Peregrina, on a station that broadcasts spanish. I looked that up to find it means wanderer in spanish, and pretty much figured your name was the latin equivalent. Even after he made that comment though, it still escaped me what he meant.

What exactly does this feel like for you? When I meditate, I don’t feel any energy flowing, just my breath and my heartbeat, and if I maintain my focus long enough, a sense of aware disconnection from my body, as if I were watching myself breathing rather than actively breathing (that's not exactly it, but it'd take a while to figure out how to describe the experience more accurately than that - you probably know what I mean, though). But no energy. Well, I should amend that. I can make myself feel something akin to energy by imagining or visualizing, but that’s just a mental trick. It’s not something that happens naturally the way the heating does. When the heating occurs, I don’t feel anything moving within me, not from my solar plexus or anywhere else. It just happens and seems to spread toward my extremities (very useful for warming up cold hands in the wintertime, though).

So, are you doing some sort of intentional, visualization exercises during meditation when you feel these heating and cooling effects, or do you come up w/ an intention before beginning, or is it spontaneous? [/b]

I feel the same feeling as you do but there's something more to it.
This will maybe go a bit more offtopic. When I get to this state I really feel the energies flow within me. But don't imagine something like water or something else liquid... It's more like like light breeze inside your body. I'm more disconnected from my physical body (I don't feel anything which would come from "outside")...but this feeling of the flow rests there. It is spontaneous now but it wasn't when I was little. I think I do this intentionally (though subconscioussly...). I don't know if you get me on this point? I mean that when I was younger I had deblock all my body to calm down and to get to a meditative state. I don't do this anymore but it occurs without me intentionally doing it (and it really does what I was doing, it's not just a feeling).
Note: there are people who pay a little attention to the energies or they don't really feel them...

ex. when I make a flame on my hand from fire energy and I put someone elses hand in it there are people who feel intense heat and burning and others who feel just a slight difference in temperature. even though the effect is same in both cases (itching skin...)

Originally posted by STsung
I feel the same feeling as you do but there's something more to it.
This will maybe go a bit more offtopic. When I get to this state I really feel the energies flow within me. But don't imagine something like water or something else liquid... It's more like like light breeze inside your body. I'm more disconnected from my physical body (I don't feel anything which would come from "outside")...but this feeling of the flow rests there. It is spontaneous now but it wasn't when I was little. I think I do this intentionally (though subconscioussly...). I don't know if you get me on this point? I mean that when I was younger I had deblock all my body to calm down and to get to a meditative state. I don't do this anymore but it occurs without me intentionally doing it (and it really does what I was doing, it's not just a feeling).
Note: there are people who pay a little attention to the energies or they don't really feel them...

ex. when I make a flame on my hand from fire energy and I put someone elses hand in it there are people who feel intense heat and burning and others who feel just a slight difference in temperature. even though the effect is same in both cases (itching skin...)

Ok, three questions: (And thanks for being so patient)
1. How do you make a flame on your hand from fire energy?
2. How do you know that you're doing something besides just imagining it short of calling someone over and saying, "Here, tell me if you can feel this invisible flame"? The only person I know who would be at all game to try that experiment and not think I'd had some sort of break with reality is abroad for the next month.
3. How do you know you haven't just built up body heat (thermal energy) between your hands?

Hey Peregrinus,

Here's a book from the Mahayana Buddhist tradition which describes in detail the practice of tummo. It has been remarked to me on many occasions that one should find a 'qualified' spiritual guide (a good monk or nun who has a fair bit of knowledge and experience in the subject), before attempting the more advanced tantric stuff.

Sounds like you're a natural though. Many people in the Buddhist tradition would be very envious (although they'd try not to be

Here's the book link:

http://tharpa.com/us/books-clb.php

Hope that helps!

Ok, three questions: (And thanks for being so patient) Smile
1. How do you make a flame on your hand from fire energy?
2. How do you know that you're doing something besides just imagining it short of calling someone over and saying, "Here, tell me if you can feel this invisible flame"? The only person I know who would be at all game to try that experiment and not think I'd had some sort of break with reality is abroad for the next month.
3. How do you know you haven't just built up body heat (thermal energy) between your hands? [/b]

Maybe this is a bit offtopic as this would maybe go to "beyond dreaming forum"

1. It is easy to write how I do it as it is simple for me to do. But it is more difficult to explain it to someone else. For me it's quite simple, you just take any energy which is near to be neutral, you transform it into a fire energy and then you let it concentrate at your fingers or between your hands. You put more energy there and you don't let the energy go.
But I learned my boyfriend work with energies. But first I had to let him feel them. It is important to find your way how to recognize the energies and how to open yourself to them and close yourself again.
You cannot live energy perceptible all the time. You could end up overwhelmed with all the feelings with everything it does with your body. Believe you don't want to live with that. You can become cursed, some spirit can live in your body or you will just start getting energies your body does not need.
If you learn this. Find a fire energy source. (this can be quite difficult as I don't know any strong fire energy sources). A flame is a fire energy source but it emanates heat.so well..ehm. There are semi-precious stones which have fire energy in them. Semi-precious stones and precious stones are good energy containers and usually contain energy. So you can take one stone like this and try to concentrate on its energy.
Put your hand above it and try to concentrate on it (well on the energy in the stone. you can try asking the stone to let you feel its energy or something). If you manage to start feel the energy it will create something my boyfriend called a static electricity. Actually there will be something which will connect your hand to the stone creating a force (which wants to separate your hand from the stone..). This force is pretty rude and if strong enough EVERYONE can feel it. I say everyone because I tried that, even with people who don't believe anything of this. (I tried to hit several people with this energy in their back. and other people were watching me what I do - so they could say that I haven't touched the person at all. Those people not seeing me so they couldn't be influenced said that they feel a hit exactly at the time when I hit them.)
If you get to this point than try playing with that energy, find out what you can do. But stop whenever the energy becomes really cold and chilly (it's like if you would put your hand in ice...it's like if something would pinch you while your body is frozen...can't really describe it). This is a sign that you do something wrong and that negative energy was used and "liberated". That's what you don't want.


2. Well, I know it. But it's true that I can't give you a proof. If you would be here and you would give me about 30 minutes I could proove it to you as you would feel it yourself. In my vicinity there aren't people who believe anything I say. But my father who is really against any kind of energy using by will knows that I'm capable of using it. He asked me once to stop his back pain. Now if he has a back ache which he can't calm with medicaments he asks me to stop the pain (it's not good to do so as it blocks it from healing). He knows that it works and that it's not his own "imagination" that the pain has stopped. I also "healed" a leg muscle of one girl at a karate seminar. She really wanted to continue but she couldn't even walk. So I decided to help her. She didn't believe me when I said her "you can walk now". She stayed in bed for several minutes but eventually got up and found out that she really can walk without any pain or feeling of something "tearing" in her muscle.
I find it difficult myself to say that I can do something like this or that it exists. But I simply know it, it exists and I can use it and I sometime do it. I waited a long time for something like a proof and one day I got it. It's nothing which will make you "scientifically" believe me more ...but it is something which shocked me because it was as unexpected as it could be.
One day in a room full of people I was playing with little flames on my fingers. Few minutes later one person came to me and told me what I do with those little flames. Believe me or not, it was my time to be in shock. I never believed that there is someone else who could do that or see it. It was a kind of a proof to me as the person was complete stranger to me and I really didn't expect anything like this to happen.

3. NOTE: You don't need to do a fireball between your hands.
I know that it isn't body heat because body heat CANNOT burn. This heat can (I won't do this again if not necessary, it was my sillyness..ouch).
A question, which is the minimal distance that body heat can be felt? Would you feel someone elses body heat from let's say one meter? If you can't then you can let the other person a fire energy aimed at him. You know it's not just a fire energy which can be used. I spoke about fire energy because I use this energy to heat my body up. But you can also cool down this way (with air energy). I can put my hand on your body and make it go cold so you would feel it. Or I can even not touch you physically but you will feel something like a needle getting under your skin. All this perceptible by other people and it comes from the very same energy from the start. So it's not a question of body heat. (I know you can say that all those feelings are imaginations).
Really if there is someone around you who can do this as those are quite simple things ask him to let you feel it. Tell him to let you feel the elements at whatever order he choses. Figure out yourself which element it was and then tell him to tell you it. Or simply let him show you how big the difference in temperature can be achieved (this depends on the ability but is always perceptible) or feel the "static electricity energy".

There are many ways to control the heat :-

1. Please stop focusing on your breath, let it be natural. Then you will notice that your meditation heat will reduce gradually.

2. You can also be mindful of your body (not your breathing), looking at it as if it is the cycle of any particle/wave. Then the heat will subside.

3. Walking by focusing on the arch of your feet by 100 steps.

4. You can also stand in horse stance by focusing on your heels.

5. Swing your body in clockwise also may help.

Hope you can find the ways suitable to you.

This was 6 years ago you know that right yao?

More than 20 years later, I found the answers to the so-called 'heat' and it really confused me for a very long time. Since teenaged days, I already noticed the 'heat' after learning internal martial arts. When came out to work, I even have to go to toilet to punch the toilet rolls continuously because the 'heat' is burning. I can walk in the heavy rain without raincoat because the 'heat' can dry all the water on my body and some of my colleagues even called me 'water-proof'. When I learned tai-chi later, this 'heat' even caused me to develop shringles and high-blood pressure. A lot of 'beautiful' names can be given but it caused me more problems as if I have lived in another world. I do not intend to stop anybody from keep on giving beautiful or special meaning to these so-called 'heat' but I myself pay a heavy price from the 'heat' and one of my mom's friend even forgot how to drive a car after let the 'heat' controlling her.

Locked. Please don't necropost.