(This is a personal matter, so feel free to skip it.)

1/4
During the New Year's holidays, I went on a hot spring tour. Soaking in the hot water increases energy flow to the head and relaxes various areas. During this period, I didn't do much seated meditation, but rather enjoyed the hot springs. Simply entering the hot springs relaxes the back of the head and other areas.

1/6
After returning home, I felt a slight sore throat and seemed to be catching a cold, so I spent this week resting.

1/8
Slight headache.

1/10
I started meditating again. Since I hadn't meditated properly in a while, various parts of my head felt stiff. Although the cold symptoms have improved, going outside in the cold caused a runny nose and cold-like symptoms.

1/11
The cold is not worsening, but is improving.
Headache continues.

1/12
By focusing on meditation from the beginning, the headache was relieved. It was difficult to determine whether the headache was due to the cold or the lack of meditation, but it seems that my head was stiff, which caused the headache. Even with a slight loosening in the forehead area, the headache almost disappeared. Specifically, the following areas were affected:

■Areas that became relaxed through meditation:

- First, the area just inside the nose was stiff and energy flow was restricted, so I focused on relieving that area. I used focused attention to gradually allow energy to flow from the left and right sides, as well as the top and bottom of the nose. After the energy started to flow, I suddenly felt the area around the nose loosen, and the nose seemed to expand slightly forward. At the same time, I felt that an aura was spreading to the outside of the nose. I also felt that energy was starting to flow through the outer layer of the skin on the nose. The feeling of energy flowing through the entire nose was also present. This area is not perfect, but it has been somewhat relieved.

- (After the nose became relaxed), I focused my attention on the area from the space between the eyebrows to the forehead and relaxed it. When the energy started to flow, a vertical "slit" suddenly appeared in the center of the forehead, and I felt that it was slightly expanding to the left and right from the center. The headache disappeared at the moment the slit appeared and the energy started to flow. It seems that the headache was caused by this area being blocked. Although there is a "slit" in the forehead, the entire forehead is still stiff, so I need to continue to loosen it.

- I focused my attention on the top of the head and relaxed it.

- I relaxed the area on the left and right sides of the mouth, which is the route that runs from the nose to the left and right sides of the mouth.

These areas have been issues recently, and it seems necessary to repeatedly loosen them to stabilize and deepen the relaxation.

1/26 Night meditation
A significant loosening occurred in the "upper left part of the head." It was like a tangled rope unraveling. It was like a folded carpet unfolding.
Something that was closed opened, and then loosened.
As a result, it feels like the head has slightly expanded.

Although there is still stiffness in the top and back of the head, there is a sense that gaps or leeway have appeared in the surrounding areas, which could accelerate the loosening.

1/28
The stiffness on the front of the face is like an "ice sheet that has broken away from the mainland." Previously, the ice sheet was connected to the land and made a clicking sound as it moved slightly. Now, the area around the ice sheet has loosened, causing the ice sheet to break away and flow into the sea, which is accelerating the loosening of the surrounding area and the ice sheet itself. Just like that analogy, the stiffness in my face is being gradually relieved through meditation. Although it is not yet complete, there is a sense that movement has appeared throughout the face, and the "gaps" that have appeared around the face have made it easier to loosen.

1/29
By expanding the head from side to side, I can create a space in the center of the head.
I think that in the past, the areas around the head were stiff, making it difficult to expand like this. However, especially since the loosening that felt like a rope unraveling in the upper left part of the head, there has been a dynamism in the movement of the head, and it has become easier to expand the center of the head.

I think that in the past, the center of the head has been trying to expand, but it has not been able to do so because the surrounding areas were very stiff, and as a result, I have sometimes tensed up in strange ways and become ill or unable to sleep. I think that when trying to move the center of the head, it is important to first move the areas around the head. This may be obvious to others, but it might be helpful for some people.

1/30
The stiffness in the head has reached a certain level, and energy is starting to flow from top to bottom. Previously, I felt that energy was stopping in the skull area at the top of the head, and that energy from below was not flowing as much to the top of the head. Although energy can flow through meditation, I didn't have the feeling that it was flowing consistently. Even today, it's not fully open, but I subjectively feel that about 30-50% of the energy is flowing to the top of the head. When I am not meditating, I don't feel that energy is flowing as much, but I feel that I can achieve that level of flow through meditation.

This sensation started recently with a feeling of looseness in the upper left part of my head (the left side of the crown), and the tendency has become more pronounced, with a feeling of looseness spreading to the middle of my head, making it easier for energy to flow out of the crown.

1/31
Even in a normal state, I sometimes feel my crown chakra (Sahasrara) activate relatively quickly during meditation, and I sense an aura extending upwards. Originally, it felt like a fist-sized area connected gently to the heavens, but I feel it has expanded to the size of the inner diameter of my head. Even so, it still feels like there are some blockages, and it's not fully open, but I think energy is flowing through it more than before.

Looking back at my records from 2022, I used similar expressions to describe the Sahasrara, but the quality of the energy feels different compared to that time. I believe that chakras and auras have stages and hierarchies, and that the Sahasrara is activated at each stage. Back then, it felt like a more physical activation of the aura, and now I think it might have been something temporary. Now, not only is the quality of the energy different, but it's also more stable. While it might be an exaggeration to say it's a different dimension, some people might describe it that way, or it could be said to be a different hierarchy. It seems that each stage goes through a period of instability before reaching a stable period, and I've seen such descriptions in books. Recently, I've been experiencing periodic periods of instability, but they haven't been as severe as before, and even when they do occur, the recovery is faster. The Sahasrara seems to have become more stable after shedding a layer.

2/1
Looseness is progressing in the back of my nose, both jaws, and the ends of my lips.

2/2 Early morning meditation
In the center of my crown, there was a sudden sensation of a hard balloon expanding, or a hard, unyielding cartilage suddenly loosening and starting to move, and the looseness in my crown progressed one step. Because the center of my crown loosened, the surrounding areas were pulled or moved, and I felt that the looseness accelerated throughout my crown.

As a result, the pressure in my crown was relieved. Furthermore, it seems that energy is flowing more easily. The maximum flow of energy is the same as before, but the stability seems to have increased. In other words, while the ease of energy flow after meditation hasn't changed much, the looseness in a non-meditative state seems to make it easier to maintain the energy state of the crown. Therefore, while the maximum flow hasn't changed much, the average energy flow over a certain period seems to have increased. It's like it's been "lifted up." I feel that such a change has occurred.

This is described in "Chakra Awakening and Liberation" by Professor Honsan (pp. 244 onwards) as follows:

When the Sahasrara awakens even a little, (omission) the skin bulges more than usual. (omission) This doesn't mean that just by doing that, the gate to Brahman will immediately open. However, this area definitely becomes more active. (omission) If it's just vibrating, it's often happening in the dimension of energy. (omission) If it's colored, it's usually energy moving in the astral dimension. (omission) When it becomes a transparent light, it means that Kundalini and the Sahasrara are moving in the Karana dimension. (omission) If this happens from the gate to Brahman, you can go straight up from there. (omission) If that happens in the astral dimension, it's astral projection, and if it happens in the Karana dimension, it's Karana projection.

I don't yet have the feeling of being able to freely emerge from the gate to Brahman, but at least I know that the activation of the Sahasrara is occurring in the dimension of energy. In my case, it's been in a state of being sealed for a long time, so it feels tight and difficult to open, but that's also a good example of how it's possible to open it even if it's not naturally open. I've experienced Sahasrara activation several times before, but this time it seems to be a more solid activation than the previous cycles.

Same day (2/2) Afternoon
Along with the loosening of my crown, I'm also experiencing a slight pain, along with a feeling of opening in my heart, and my heart feels slightly prickly and strained. I'm observing this to see how it develops.

Same day (2/2) Evening
Similarly to my crown, there was a sensation of a hard balloon expanding, a hard, unyielding cartilage starting to stretch, and the looseness accelerated. This wasn't specifically during meditation, but it was during a time when I was studying scriptures, so it may have had a beneficial effect. This relieved the pressure in my forehead. The internal stiffness in my forehead remains, but at least the feeling of pressure has been relieved.

At least within the same day, the tightness in the crown and forehead subsided, although some stiffness remains in various areas. This has reduced the discomfort associated with recent head expansion and loosening, and the surface of the head feels much more relaxed.

2/3
Because the surrounding areas have loosened, the inside of the head is becoming easier to loosen. I am further loosening the muscle-like structures that remain in various areas. By performing movements such as opening the mouth wide or opening the eyes, the inside of the head moves and stretches, which promotes loosening. Previously, the area around the head felt tight and unable to stretch, but now, the surrounding area is stretching, allowing the inside of the head to expand (although not completely).

2/4
I feel a tightness deep inside, such as in the back of the eyes. Until recently, I felt tightness near the surface of the skull, but now, the tightness is less on the surface and more on the inside. It seems that the inside is being stretched more because the outside has loosened.

2/5
I feel a sensation of energy becoming thicker horizontally along the eyebrow line.

2/6
I feel a stretching sensation extending upwards and to the sides from slightly inside the crown. This stretching inside the head seems to have caused the head to expand slightly again. It is not yet perfect.

Recently, I felt a sensation similar to a rope unraveling in the "upper left" of my head, but the difference is not as significant as that time. It is about one-third or one-fourth of the change, but I feel that the center of the head is stretching. This has loosened the upper left and center, but the upper right still feels a bit stiff.

2/7
I will focus on loosening the back of the head. Although I don't consciously do it, when I meditate, the stiff area is often the back of the head, so I naturally tend to loosen it.

In addition, the Sahasrara chakra at the top of the head is more active during daily life, which promotes loosening of the head. This causes various areas, such as the back of the eyes, temples, and the back of the head, to feel like they are cracking and loosening. There is a focus area from the front of the head to the back of the head, approximately at the height of the temples, and the lower part of the back of the head is loosening particularly.

Recently, the focus area for loosening has been slightly inside the head, rather than the surrounding areas.

I think that in the past, I repeatedly experienced a situation where I tried to loosen the inside of the head, but the surrounding areas were stiff and blocked, and trying to loosen it forcefully caused me to feel very unwell. If that is the case, it seems that loosening the area around the head first would be ideal, but it is not that simple. The surrounding area moves because the inside of the head expands, and this leads to overall loosening. While massaging the scalp may have some effect, it only affects the epidermis, and to properly loosen the head, it requires a process of gradually passing energy through the entire head. People whose heads are naturally softer probably don't struggle as much. Now that I think about it, I may have had symptoms similar to juvenile Alzheimer's, and although it may not be Alzheimer's itself, the skull may have been tightly closed and stiff, which prevented the head from moving properly.

2/8
Recently, I feel a sensation of the back of the head cracking and slightly splitting during daily life.

2/9
Until recently, there was a boundary around the height of the eyes, where the area above the eyes was looser than the area below, and the two areas were tightly stuck together, almost like a hamburger bun with no filling. However, recently, as loosening has progressed, a small gap has appeared.

First, I focus on loosening the area between the eyebrows, and then, letting it go naturally, I also loosen the back of the head. Because there is still a difference between the upper and lower areas, I gradually lower the position from the level of the eyes, and then slowly rotate energy around the head to gradually loosen it. By loosening the area around the eyes, the various areas loosen slightly, so I then focus on the boundary area again and move the energy back and forth to loosen it further. As a result, the various areas of the head crack and loosen, and the boundary gradually moves downward. Although it has not yet reached the throat area, it has loosened to the level of just below the mouth. By repeating this process many times, the loosening of the lower half of the head and the center of the head progresses.

I loosen each area inside the head one by one, focusing particularly on the upper right, upper center, around the nose, the inner sides of the mouth, the back of the jaw, the base of the head and neck, and the lower back of the head. When one area loosens, the surrounding area becomes easier to loosen, and when this process is completed, other distant areas also become easier to loosen.

I am not yet sure how far I need to go to reach the final stage or the critical point. I will probably only know when I reach it. Some people's experiences suggest that the change at that point is instantaneous, so I wonder if there is a switch that is triggered. One clue or hint may be the "back of the head," as there is a saying in Hawaiian tradition, such as "by reaching the back of the head..." which resonates with my current sensations to some extent.

2/11
Just by living a normal daily life, I feel like something is stretching or breaking inside my head, and a gradual loosening is progressing.

2/12
Compared to before, the movement of both shoulders and shoulder blades has improved quite suddenly. Perhaps the tension in the muscles connected to the head has been released, which has extended to the shoulders, because the feeling of tightness in the head has been alleviated to some extent. I once heard from a massage therapist that to loosen the head, you need to loosen the muscles connected to the head, such as the shoulders and waist, and that eventually the head will loosen. So, whether the head comes first or the shoulders come first may be like the chicken or the egg problem, but regardless of which comes first, I feel like the head and shoulders are loosening in coordination.

In addition to that, it seems that the rotation of the waist and the left and right sides of the upper body has become easier. Previously, there was a feeling of tension that stopped the rotation, but now I feel like I can rotate more than before. However, compared to people who are naturally flexible, I feel that various parts of the body are becoming looser and easier to move, especially in connection with the loosening of the left side of the head.

2/13
I am living while feeling tingling and stretching of muscles inside my head, especially near the back of the head.

2/14
I focus on loosening the area behind the eyebrows.

2/15
A sensation of the area behind the eyebrows becoming more swollen.

2/16
Meditation focusing on loosening the area behind the eyebrows, the top of the head, and the back of the head.

2/17
A sensation of expanding the area behind the eyebrows with each breath.
In terms of shape, it's like an egg, but it's not a shell, but a soft membrane. That membrane is repeatedly expanding and contracting.
It's like the feeling of a body covered in sand at a sand bath, expanding and contracting with each breath.

2/18
Not only during meditation, but also in the middle of my head, I hear cracking sounds.
If I meditate, I can more clearly loosen each area in sequence. As the aura permeates, the loosening deepens, and sometimes the area behind the eyebrows or the back of the head cracks and loosens. I have been continuing this type of meditation.