think my longest streak was probably around 8 days or so, but I've been pretty consistent with the 4-5 times a week at least, I'll never get the full benefits of meditation this way, but I can definitely feel a difference in day to day mental clarity with my little routine
I meditate everyday for 15 minutes and 20 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. Read “Just sit” and it kind of kicked it off for me, have been doing it for almost a year.
I recently started getting into this. Anyone have a good link or anything where I can follow a meditation?
Discovered this book in a used bookshop over the weekend. (Ram Dass, "Be Here Now"). Anybody ever read this?
I ended up paying for Headspace. I’m on day 21 and I’m hooked. It’s become a part of my daily routine and I feel like I’m handling my stress and anxiety better. Definitely going to keep it going.
When you become a real badass is when you don’t need food anymore and can draw energy directly from the sun
Will probably wait until I get a feel for it. I'm not sure what to expect at all--not sure if it will be a classroom setting, classroom + hands-on training, slow yoga class where they explain it in full detail, etc. I know there's a good bit of homework and reading because it's spread out over such a long period of time. Finished this a few weeks ago, I enjoyed it, but thought it was a little too vague/speaking in platitudes at times. But it has some amazing breathing and meditation techniques, and some easy mantras that I've incorporated into my practice. I practice for 20-30 minutes almost every weekday now, and recite this 10 times at the end of every practice:
I'm really hoping to do a deep dive into the spiritual and mental side of my practice. I talk about all the time, but yoga in the US is so often used for the physical benefits; almost as a substitute for the gym--and I'm guilty of it at times, too. The stuff I've worked really hard on in my years have been inversions and arm balances--and I can do some cool shit now, but I want it to be more than just physical, needs to be more than just doing a handstand or side crow. Lightly flipped through the yoga sutras last night; which is a collection of 196 phrases/teachings/"aphorisms" from around 400 BC that serve as the basis for all yoga. Literally where it all began. The original definition of yoga is "stillness in the mental field," which I'm going to continue to focus on. For anyone interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali
My wife really wants to get certified to teach yoga. Hope your class goes well. I just downloaded the down dog app and the oak app to try and start meditation and yoga.
Just finished my second weekend. It's a shitload of information, and a lot to digest, but it's going even better than I had hoped. My class is 17 people, and Im the 2nd or 3rd youngest at 32. Only 3 guys in the whole class, too. Glad to be off until November 15. Yesterday spent about 5 hours learning the sanskrit alphabet and grammar principles, as well as some asana names. On Saturday we learned all 4 variations of sun salutations, including "series B" which is basically what you do in every vinyasa class -- mountain pose / chair / fold forward / halfway up / chaturanga / step into Warrior (1-2-3, lots of variations) / chaturanga / down dog / warrior on the other side. Really cool seeing the foundation and principles of something I've been doing for almost 10 years. Spoiler I'm pretty advanced in my asana practice, can do some really cool arm balances and inversions -- but I'm also learning of some pretty bad habits I've formed. I'm stretching way too much, and putting a lot of unnecessary stress on my knees and shoulders. Taking 1 step back to take 2-3 steps forward, so to speak.
We also spend the first approx 2 hours of every day studying the ancient history and philosophy of yoga, which is my favorite part besides the asana practice. I used to think because I have a consistent asana practice (which is simply going to a yoga class and moving) that I was "practicing yoga," but I'm now realizing how little I know, and how asana is only one yogic path -- not that there is anything wrong with a good asana practice. I think it was blotter that mentioned the 8 limbs of yoga, and we've spent a lot of time on that. Asana is only the 3rd limb. The first two are the yamas (your relationship to the world) and the niyamas (your relationship with yourself) -- these aren't their exact definitions, but close enough without doing a deep dive -- and these have really opened up how to take the yoga practice "off the mat" and incorporate it into your daily life. The first day, one of our teachers had us write down what yoga means to us in 2-3 words. The word I wrote was "release," because it's the only time in my day when I don't have to answer emails, don't have the clutter of day-to-day life -- and I think this is wholly incorrect the more I learn about the 8 limbs. Yoga is more than sitting on your mat and doing a perfect warrior 2, or having 75 minutes of active meditation. It's a way of seeing the world and interacting with the world in a more compassionate way. Our teacher described life as driving a car, and the windshield gets cluttered with day-to-say stresses -- money, politics, etc. Yoga is a way of using the windshield wiper, and seeing the world with more clarity. Really loved that description. Specifically, I've really been drawn to the yama principle of "Ahimsa," which means do no harm in your thoughts, words, and actions. Compassion to all living things, but not just in your actions; even in judging people, even in your thoughts. /dearyogadiary
Ahimsa also makes mean karanja and neem seeds products for cunty small scale garden applications I'm not sure release is incorrect, but it might be helpful to think about the relative nature of that idea. That is part of the union, the relativity in everything. Sounds like a dope course, BamaNug props to the olds in there Also for shits the Buddha said The purpose of my teaching of the holy life of the Dharma is not for merit, nor good deeds, nor rapture, nor concentration, nor insight, but the sure heart’s release. This and this alone is the reason for the teaching of the Dharma.
I'm still very elementary in my study and practice, but this notion is beginning to resonate with me. I used to think as long as my actions were pure, and I did no harm unto others, I was doing alright -- and that's more than enough for most people. But the more I study, the more I realize my internal thoughts (whether or not externalized) are just as important as my interactions with the world around me. Even if I act right, but then judge people internally, I'm not truly walking the right path. It's just as much about your relationship to yourself, and the thoughts and energy you project, as what you project. In order to truly achieve the heart's release, and become free from all the senses, your thoughts must be pure as well. It's something I'm realizing I've always struggled with.
What are some "spiritual" books y'all like. Some I've read: "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle "Zen Guitar" by Philip Toshio Sudo Tao Te Ching "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig The Bible
Have you ever been in a yoga class where they have the big, white ceramic (I think?) bowls and rub the cloth wand around them? Usually used in conjunction with a tibetan sound bowl. The vibrations are crazy.
Mom gave me a 10% Happier subscription for christmas. Used it for like a week straight but then fell off. I need to carve out a dedicated time of day to meditate.
Doing 15 minutes of mindfulness meditation 1-2 times a week. I enjoy doing it before working out or playing guitar
still doing my 10 minutes ~4 times a week, recently started throwing in some silent mantra repetition
Officially halfway through the training. Have this weekend, then 4 more: February 7-9, March 6-8, March 27-29, and April 17-19. Finish my training, then a week later head to Afrikaburn. Already scheduled to teach some yoga classes at my camp. There has been a good meditation focus through my practice -- we're required to meditate 3-4x/week and keep a log, to be turned in every month. I hate writing logs and "reflection pieces," however, I think it's helped in the sense you have to be disciplined. I don't think I would've kept up but for the log. Did headstands/handstands/inversions in early January. This week is the trunk, a full day focuses on chakras, and then Sunday is "the art of teaching" -- supposed to be the most we have been asked to teach yet.
I think I'v mentioned this in the past, but the historical/yoga philosophy has been my favorite part. In the yoga sutras by Patanjali, yoga is defined as "the absence of movement in the mental field." Vritti is sanskrit for movement, or one's active thoughts, and citta is the field, or the mental field. Thus, the absence of vritti in the citta is the true meaning of yoga. An example my teacher used that really stuck with me: Think of your citta as a pristine lake -- perfectly calm. Vritti is the ripples in that lake, the obstructions causing waves and making it difficult to see the true nature of everything. Only when the citta is calm -- without movement, without waves, without any vritti -- do we achieve yoga. It can only be for a few seconds at a time; but the more we practice, the more often we can achieve it. Your thoughts are the ripples on the lake, the vritti. When your thoughts are calm, absent, no ripples on the lake -- "absence of movement in the mental field" -- we experience the true nature of everything. blotter fact-check me.
Conventionally that seems to be how it plays out, but the basis of the view of any yoga/buddhist/hindu etc school being rooted in non-duality sort of negates the idea of there ever being a non-union/yoga, and thus nothing that can be achieved A verbal hangup of sorts as we need words and practice should not be discouraged, I bumped this thread after all, but rather something that can be helpful to keep in mind for people who want to get something out of practicing and back into a more balanced place if we are really seeking Similar themes from the Pali canon, the foundational works of buddhism and its schools.. "stilling of fabrication" This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "There is, monks, an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated. If there were not that unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, there would not be the case that emancipation from the born — become — made — fabricated would be discerned. But precisely because there is an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, emancipation from the born — become — made — fabricated is thus discerned." The born, become, produced, made, fabricated, impermanent, composed of aging & death, a nest of illnesses, perishing, come from nourishment and the guide [that is craving] — is unfit for delight. The escape from that is calm, permanent, beyond inference, unborn, unproduced, the sorrowless, stainless state, the cessation of stressful qualities, the stilling of fabrications, bliss.
Basically just be confident in non-duality while practicing your hippy dippy shit and have a ball BamaNug
Got my first teaching gig booked. Leading a class at a brewery in Seattle on April 5. I’ve been to a few yoga + brewery classes around the city, theyre all like $20-25 that gets you a 60 minute class + 1-2 beers. This one is going to be yoga + 2 beers for $25. I’ve agreed with the guy that I won’t even ask for money the first time, brewery can keep it all. Plan is to see how it goes and hopefully make it a once-a-month thing. Really stoked.
Had been not doing much meditation recently but with the quarantine / all this world insanity have gotten back into it - basically just doing this meditation every day.
Any of you ever used the Headspace app? got a free couple months through my company and intrigued to try it out
I was just offered a teaching gig at a studio my friend/teacher is opening in Feb/March (hopefully). She's Taiwanese, and is in the process of starting her own studio in Chinatown -- would be the only yoga studio in the International District of Seattle. Some yoga studios are starting to open around the area, so maybe early 2021 is feasible? Lot of unknowns. The teacher pays $35/class to the studio, but the teacher keeps 100% of all student payments. Classes would be donation-based with a $10/minimum. I basically said yes -- so when it opens, whenever that may be, I'll be doing at least once/week. Hell YES.
This year has been a really good time for meditation (today especially) After trying so many different forms / variations, I've pretty much settled on the routine of: - setting a 10/15 minute timer - throwing on Steven Halpern: - watching the breath while feeling the "aliveness" of the body - Profit
I’ve really found my groove with meditation this last month and such a great way to begin and end my days. While this year has sucked so bad in so many ways this is one truly positive thing I’ll be able to take forward.
I was raised Christian (like I'm sure 99% of this board) and would probably still check that box even though what I practice / read is mostly Buddhism based
This has been my go-to background music for a few weeks during my morning meditation / working during the day.
I've had subs to headspace and calm, but never really stuck with it. Doing insight timer now. Question I have is what do unguided sessions look like once you're in a groove? Most guided sessions I've done are similar...a head to toe body scan, then concentrating on inhales and exhales. Do unguided sessions follow that, just jump into breathing, or follow a different pattern?