Meditation as Wakeful Relaxation: Unclenching Smooth Muscle (26/30)

I'm writing 30 posts in 30 days at Inkhaven. This is number 26.

Meditation as Wakeful Relaxation: Unclenching Smooth Muscle (26/30) I'm writing 30 posts in 30 days at Inkhaven. This is number 26. Sasha Putilin Nov 27, 2025 29 21 4 Share The frontier of my meditation practice is exploring it as wakeful relaxation . This is how my meditation teacher, Roger Thisdell , framed it for me recently. People often treat relaxation and wakefulness as two opposites: relaxation as a drowsy and dull, wakefullnes as sharp and jittery. But the two can co-exist. Over the last two weeks I’ve been actively trying to relax during meditation. And goddamn it, folks, this is har

saved by

• Georgia Ray

related reading

• Chris Lakin on X: "Undoing muscle tension is kinda like: 1. Notice you are tense 2. Notice where you are tense 3. Notice *you* are creating the the tension, and stop I suspect undoing mental tension is similar: 1. Notice you are tense (suffering) 2. Notice where 3. Notice *you* are doing it, and" / Xx.com
• Discarding My Mental Tension - by Sasha Chapinsashachapin.substack.com
• Post 38: On Slack - Having room to be excited - Neel Nandaneelnanda.io
• I created muscle tension to numb feelings - by Chris Lakinchrislakin.blog
• Rest in motionmindingourway.com
• Stream Entry — LessWronglesswrong.com
• Tone Your Vagus Nerve For Better Sleep and Dreamsmindfulluciddreaming.com
• When Buddhism Goes Bad - Dan Lawtondanlawton.substack.com
• Neurotic Gradient Descent: (mis)Translating the Buddhaneuroticgradientdescent.blogspot.com
• The Science of Enlightenment | yana-logyana-log.net
• Neurotic Gradient Descent: (mis)Translating the Buddhaneuroticgradientdescent.blogspot.com
• The Neuroscience of Meditation: Four Models · opentheory.netopentheory.net