Tuesday Open Thread ~ The Sweet Spot
It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it. - Dale Carnegie
Good Morning!
Welcome to Tuesday's Open Thread! Today's topic comes from two concepts we don't usually pair together. The discipline of Science and the tradition of Buddhism. How they complement each other in this scientific breakthrough might surprise you.
The Game of Life
The first time I heard someone use the phrase "hitting the sweet spot" they were talking about a tennis racquet. For those of you who play sports, you may have experienced hitting the sweet spot. In this case though, I'm going borrow that term and apply it to something we all play. As in Life. In that context, I like to think of the sweet spot as a place where your mind gravitates towards possibilities, positive outcomes, curiosity, and a sense of wonder. A place where you feel in complete sync with the rhythms of your environment and where you are deeply connected with that authentic part of yourself. Interestingly enough, training is also required in achieving that kind of well being, or maximum response for the effort we put into our lives.
Mind over Mood
About a week ago, I visited one of the botanical gardens here in Southern California with a friend of mine. Entering the park, she immediately suggested we take a ride on "The Enchanted Railroad". Essentially a children’s attraction, the miniature train in question weaves its way through the park with all the flashing lights, sounds, and train crossings that a real train would if there was a real train running through Descanso Gardens. Feeling a bit ridiculous at first as I maneuvered my way onto a children’s ride, as soon as I sat down and heard everyone yell "All Aboard!", I thought, what the heck, who cares if we look silly, this is kinda fun. As the “Enchanted Railroad” chugged past the fragrant magnolia trees and the bursts of color coming from blossoming cherry trees, my friend led the kids in songs, high-fived on-lookers waiting at the train crossings, and made an ordinary day into a very special experience for everyone on the train. At the end of the ride she suggested that the next time we ride the rails we should wear a pair of striped overalls and a conductors cap because, why not?
Outings with my friend are like that. She has a certain joie de vivre that makes you feel like you’re taking part in of one of those “this is your best life” wine commercials. Meeting her, you might be surprised to learn she also battles with depression. When I asked her once what she does to get through it, she responded by telling me that her training in “mindfulness” helped her stay in the present moment and shift the focus away from the thoughts that pull her down the rabbit hole.
As someone who was diagnosed with bi-polar II syndrome several years ago and quite familiar with going down that rabbit hole, this interested me. I had done my own research on cognitive-behavior techniques, and combined with the Buddhist practice of chanting, I have used both disciplines to great effect. Just as my friend changed the focus of her thinking by remaining in the present moment, I changed the focus by re-framing the inner dialogue going on inside my head. After a sustained period of time where I practiced cognitive re-training along with my daily practice of "mindfulness" through my chanting, not only was I able to keep my mood swings in check, the severity of the symptoms actually decreased and I was finally able to get off the medication my doctor had prescribed for me.
The implications of what I was able to achieve by combining cognitive therapy techniques with Buddhist practices cannot be overstated. Ground breaking research in neuroplasicity has shown that cognitive-behavior therapy has the power to systematically change faulty brain chemistry. As with my own experience, the findings from those pioneering experiments in neuroplasicity demonstrate that the brain can indeed adapt, heal, and rewire itself to overcome and break the cycles of anxiety and depression.
So, what does this mean for all of us? Potentially, quite a bit.
""The actions we take can literally expand or contract different regions of the brain, pour more juice into quiet circuits and damp down activity in buzzing ones. The brain devotes more cortical real estate to functions that its owner uses more frequently and shrinks the space devoted to activities rarely performed. That's why the brains of violinists devote more space to the region that controls the digits of the fingering hand".
The Orchestra and The Conductor
Imagine your brain as an orchestra. The cellos in your orchestra have been dominating the rest of the instruments. While the cellos grow in strength, the rest of the orchestra's musical instruments fall silent. In this example, the cellos represent a culmination of your negative thoughts, your anxiety, your fears, your depression.
Now imagine the conductor of the orchestra. The conductor can tell the cellos to be quiet so we can hear another section of the orchestra play. Let's imagine we want to hear the brass section play. The more we hear the brass section play, the larger the section becomes. In this example, the brass instruments represent a culmination of your optimistic thoughts, your joy, your curiosity, your sense of wonder.
Here's the thing, YOU are the conductor.
“Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.”
― Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, The Joy of Living
The Buddhist and The Scientist
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche has been meditating most of his life. At the tender age of thirteen he entered a highly selective Tibetan meditation program at the Sherab Ling monastery in India under the guidance of the Buddhist masters. There he practiced an advanced meditation program where his progress over the years was so impressive, he was asked to return as a teacher.
Rinpoche's devotion to his studies also helped him deal with a mental disorder that had plagued him since childhood. What would've been diagnosed by western medicine as panic disorder, for Rinpoche the fear he lived with had no name. Through sheer perseverance and the efficacy of meditation, he was finally able to overcome and master his affliction. That he was able to do this without the aid of conventional pharmaceuticals or therapeutic assistance is a testiment to his strength of character.
For Richard Davidson, P.h.D., Rinpoche's story was compelling enough for Davidson to get on a plane and meet with him in France during one of Rinpoche's teaching tours. A world-renowned neuroscientist and the Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin, Davidson was very interested in the effects of meditation on neural activity. After their initial meeting, the scientist invited the monk to Wisconsin to give a lecture at the University. The two men formed a working partnership together shortly afterwards and in 2002 Rinpoche agreed to participate in Davidson's research.
"This research has yielded stunning results, which if replicated will alter forever certain basic scientific assumptions -- for example, that systematic training in meditation, when sustained steadily over years, can enhance the human capacity for positive changes in brain activity to an extent undreamed of in modern cognitive neuroscience.
Perhaps the most staggering result to date came in a study of a handful of meditation adepts that included Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. During a meditation on compassion, neural activity in a key center of the brain's systems for happiness jumped by 700 to 800 percent. For ordinary subjects in the study, volunteers who had just begun to meditate, that same area increased its activity by a mere 10 to 15 percent. These meditation experts had put in levels of practice typical of Olympic athletes - between ten thousand and fifty-five thousand hours over the course of a lifetime honing their meditative skills during years of retreat."
Rinpoche's story is a powerful illustration of how the Buddhist and Scientific communities came together to explore the human mind and our capacity to stretch the boundaries of our perceived limitations . While most of us will never achieve the Olympic athlete status in meditation, this research clearly indicates that with a steady practice of meditation, at any level, you can increase the quality of your life.
The Sweet Spot
The Dalai Lama once remarked that one of the mind's most marvelous qualities is that it can be transformed. As a practicing Buddhist, I have always believed in the transformative nature of human beings. The challenge for me when I first began practicing was letting go of the regrets I'd spent a life time collecting. The battle with myself came to a head during a spiritual retreat I took with a friend of mine in upstate New York. It was a few years after my Mother passed away and I had been weighed down with regrets that I had not been kinder towards my Mother during the years of her self inflicted deterioration.
The exercise for the day was to write down our regrets, go out on a hike, find a quiet spot and meditate about letting them go. It was a bright spring day and the hiking trails were bursting with color. Wild flowers covered the mountains and the sun radiated through the trees leaving patterns on the trails. I found a spot in the middle of a large meadow that no one had discovered and sat down in the tall grass. Small yellow daisies danced around me in the cool breezes as I took the piece of paper with my handwritten regrets out of my pocket and read it. Tears welled up in my eyes. I laid down and took a deep breath. I might as well have weighed a thousand pounds my regrets felt so heavy. So I imagined myself as something lighter. A flower for example. Beginning with my toes as they began to grow into roots and find their way into the soft cool earth. Petals began sprouting around my face and my body grew tall and green. I looked up at the sun and imagined the sun looking down at me. A small figure lying in the grass. I imagined that from the perspective of an infinite universe, I really was no different than the wildflowers that surrounded me. Yet, if I wasn't any different from a wildflower then how could I be anything but a part of everything else? And with that realization, I opened up my hand and let the wind carry my regrets away...
Further Study and Reading:
- Train your Mind, Train your Brain, Sharon Begley
- Mind over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think, Greenberger & Padesky
- The Joy of Living, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
- Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
- Fully Present: The Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulnes, Smalley & Winston
- How to Meditate for Beginners
- Guided Meditation and Imagery with Bellruth Naperstak
Comments
Tip Jar
How is everyone doing today?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Long day
ahead so this was a nice piece to find. Thank you, Zoe.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
Good Morning Steven!
Glad you enjoyed the topic. Hope you have a good day even it it has to be a long one. Here's hoping your pajamas don't start talking to you in the middle of it. Lol.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Thank you, zoebear for a wonderful open thread and some
great thoughts about thinking.
What a fantastic way to wake up--waking up thinking, "This is going to be the best
daytoday of my life. In reality, today shall be the only today of your life and therefore both the best and the worst.I've already made my head spin.
And...that's...okay.
What a fantastic way to wake up--thinking, "This is going to Each of us finds his or her own magic mechanism(s). For me, as I've posted here before, they're laughter, mostly at myself and other ridiculous things, and gratitude.
As to laughter: Joan Rivers claimed that the physical acts of laughing and smiling, though inauthentic, would fool you into believing you are happy. What the heck? Try it. What can you lose? It costs nothing, doesn't require Obamacare, doesn't make you too drowsy to operate heavy machinery, etc.
If I write about gratitude, I'll only seem like a Pollyanna wannabe; and I am not. But, honestly, even some of the awful situations of my life have had their upside. Sometimes, it take a while to find it, but it's almost always somewhere in the mess. And, if you don't find it, I bet you can make one.
As a study in contrasts, as I read the OP, on Netflix was After Life. Its main character, portrayed, written and directed by Ricky Gervais, insists on being suicidal, but not committing suicide. Instead, he's unbelievably mean to almost everyone and utterly miserable--perhaps the worst of all possible worlds. My sage advice? Don't be like that character.
Have the very best today of your life, everyone.
Good Morning HAW!
Your response had me smiling and nodding my head throughout. Yes, gratitude. A fantastic way to "re-frame" your thoughts. Anxiety and Depression feed off of what in many cases are unreasonable thoughts. The gift of gratitude is the ability to open up your heart to your own life. What a marvelously joyous way to live!
Ricky Gervais in "After Life". Hilarious. *Biggrin* Lots to talk about there. But even his character in the end begins to see how kindness is where the sweet spot lives.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Good morning, zoebear ~~
Mindfulness. I learned this technique when I had a falling out with my daughter. It was a very dark time in my life. It saved me, and I'm an optimistic person. Can't say enough about the practice. Thanks for bringing it to c99p. The book that helped me was "The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion," by Christopher Germer.
I find that if I can change the way I respond to certain situations, I can change the muscle memory of response, which might also be part of that neuroplasticity. I also learned about this in the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know?" The brain is so unexplored and so important to our well-being. I'm glad there is so much more research being done.
Have a beautifully mindful Tuesday, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Good Morning RA!
Thank you so much for the book recommendation. The practice of Mindfulness is a powerful tool to overcome many of the obstacles we face in life. I wish I had known about while my Mother was still alive. Still, my practice has been instrumental in healing the divide between us even though she's passed. I know for many that may sound illogical and fanciful, but for those of us who believe that the power of our thoughts can heal the past, it makes perfect sense.
Thank you for opening up your heart and sharing you experience.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I'm definitely a believer.
Of course, I also believe in reincarnation and the karma that accompanies it, which also helps me stay grounded and heal in hurtful situations. It also helps me cope with this crazy world. I find my zen in my strongly held beliefs.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Some interesting stuff, especially the neuroscientist bit.
I could use some meditation myself.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Good morning Aspie!
Thanks for stopping by! I'm so glad you found this helpful. Yes! Meditating, or chanting, or a combination of both, have transformative powers for the mind, and your mood, that are life altering.
Be well, my friend
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Good Morning ZB
Same applies to those of us who play golf.
I have always had a passion for the game of golf. The game has kept me in check almost my entire life. Anyone who plays knows what I mean. It humbles you. It provides me the opportunity to let go of regrets...and create new ones...to let go, and so on.
Occasionally it provides for the miraculous.
As far a meditation is concerned, my icon photo is my go-to spot for reflection and peace of mind. It is a waterfall on a beautiful trap rock ridge that make for a wonderful 2 hour walk.
Good Morning Jobu!
I should've known Golf had a sweet spot!
Yes, Nature and the special places they hold in our hearts and our minds can have very meditative qualities. I think the first time I read Wordsword I understood the spiritual quality of Nature. Thanks for reminding me.
Have a wonderful day!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
golf, tennis, baseball ... most sports where you hit
something small with something big involve a sweet spot -- it has to do with maximizing the efficiency of the energy transfer and minimizing any kind of extraneous torque that puts stress on the hand and sends the shot awry. hit a baseball with the sweet spot of the bat, and your hands will hardly feel it; hit the ball too far from the sweet spot, and your hands will sting.
tennis was revolutionized when Head realized that there weren't any particular rules limiting the size of the racquet head, and that making the head significantly larger would give it a correspondingly larger sweet spot. this was made more feasible by the creation of ultralite racquet materials.
hockey sticks do not have a readily identifiable sweet spot, because the player must use different parts of the blade for different shots. (several years ago, a non-intuitive result was the discovery that for a slapshot, the optimal place for the blade to strike the puck was at the heel, in a direct line from the main shaft.) however, the people who engineer hockey sticks now design them to have a specifically-located "kick-point" that facilitates particular shots, to suit the style of individual players.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
I hope I don't embarrass you by saying this
But sometimes, reading comments like this gives me such pleasure. They feed my curiosity for wanting to know about things, and your explanations are typically either very witty, or very precise. Either way, I appreciate the time you spend adding to the conversation in this way.
We are richer for it when we share our knowledge and experiences.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
in the days before google + smartphones, i was
pretty high-value company.
In my youth, I had to learn not to assert knowledge of things that I only inferred were true. In my senescence, I find myself more and more often caught out by a faulty memory, misremembering things I once knew. Sometimes, I need to do a little searching around to be sure I've got my facts right, before I enter my comments.
Which I didn't do for that comment on sweet spots, though I seem to have gotten it right. I'm not sure whether the term originated in golf, tennis, or baseball, and I guess nobody else is either. Here's one of William Safire's old language columns attempting to address the matter. The best part of this column is his use of a word he probably coined, referring to people who like to investigate the origins of curious phrases: "phrasedick". If ever anyone warranted such a title, it was William Safire, who was an all around dick. He also knew next to nothing about sports, which earned him an avalanche of contempt-laden mail the time he wrote this (italics mine):
It was particularly exquisite that he ignorantly attributed "he shoots he scores," to basketball in a discussion of Mike Myers, because the expression, like Mike Myers, originated in Toronto, and came from hockey, not basketball -- which is exactly why Myers' character Wayne uses it: for a guy who lives in Aurora, Illinois, Wayne is awfully, awfully Canadian.
I hypothesize that the "large sweet-spot" tennis racquet ruined the pro men's game, but saved the pro women's game. That's a whole other discussion.
BTW, the kickpoint to which i referred is engineered into the shaft of the stick, not the blade. It has to do with where the maximum flex will be, I think. I've never looked it up, it's just a bit of jargon that started showing up in promotional blather at the online hockey shops.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Again, so much to parse here
Wiliiam Safire. Yeah, definitely a big dick. However, when an older boyfriend introduced me to the New York Times by way of the crossword puzzle, he also introduced me to Safire's column on words. Said boyfriend was 26 years old to my 17 years old, who wanted to enhance my writing skills among other things. Even after we broke up, I kept reading Safire.
Oh, you Canadians and your hockey.
I've always preferred watching the serve and volley game much more than the slogging it out back at the baseline these power hitters tend to play. Could this have anything to do with the larger racquets?
Frankly, I think you should do a little feature here on c99 and talk about these kind of things. I can't be the only one who finds them interesting. You could call the feature "Odds & Ends" and pick 3 things to talk about for a paragraph or two. (I can just see you now shaking your head at me)
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
my hypothesis is that the larger racquets
reduced the once-dynamic men's game to baseline (plus ludicrous numbers of aces and other service winners), but paradoxically transformed the women's game to serve and volley, after all those years watching poor, dull, dim, sweet chrissy evert methodically, artlessly, soullessly thock thock thock her opponents into the clay.
i haven't watched tennis in years.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
That's why I never watch the French Open
.
Although I'm still not clear how a larger racquet made women's tennis a serve a volley game.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
it's only a hypothesis, but i think it might be
something along the lines of:
A. allowed women to hit the ball hard enough that if they could get to the net, they could hit the ball so that the baseliner couldn't get to it.
B. gave women a little more room for error when playing at the net, which is more important for shorter players who are more often stretching to reach a shot.
C. allowed women to serve with more speed and control.
meanwhile, on the men's side it just made the shots so formidable that they can't play at the net, but they can slam the damned ball back and forth all day, once it's in play. half their serves are winners, because they can swing so hard at the ball (they also seem to be 1 to 2 inches taller than the champions of the pre-big-head era).
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
That's a good hypothesis
Sounds very plausible. Were you still watching tennis when young Martina Hinges broke into the game? I saw her play live while she was still in juniors at the U.S open. Her serves needed work at the time but she dominated in every other aspect of her game. She was fast, her shots were varied, and strategically she was a very smart player. Shevwas a lot of fun to watch.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
canadians and their hockey.
wait for the shot of the street party:
(Well, huh, apparently the video provider is not supported, so here's the link)
https://www.nhl.com/video/t-306626778/c-67633203
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
That's a lotta hanky waving
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Good morning.
I loved your OT today. The joy in it was palpable like in your friend. It is a gift to have and to be with. Thank you for our gift today.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Good Morning Dkmich!
What a lovely thing to say. Thank you. It was my pleasure. It's a subject that has been rolling around in my head for years but I was never able to find the words to give it life.
The gift of hosting this OT is forcing myself to write when I don't always feel confident enough to do it. But once I sit down and work through the struggle, as in life, things begin to come together. This was an act of joy for me in being able to work through that struggle and write something that resonated with you and with others.
Thanks for being a part of this wonderful community.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Jolly good show old bean
Flexing the mind in time for adapting change.
The first photo reminds me of a gal in a field of gumdrops. Sweet.
Thanks for the OT Zoe. You have a great one!
Good Morning QMS!
You my friend, get the biggest thanks of all! If it wasn't for you, I would never have taken on this job, and I would never have tested myself and my writing in this way.
I both curse you and bless you at the same time. I only wish we didn't live a continent apart, cuz you are definitely someone I'd like to have a beer with!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Aw, shucks
You be flying lady.
Gumdrops
I was hoping someone would notice. Sweet Spots. Get it?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Got it.
real good!
Where was that last photo from with the boat?
There was a pretty decent cover story in Time Magazine a few weeks back about the Dalai Llama:
http://time.com/5546862/time-dalai-lama-2019-cover/
Good Morning Wally!
I actually got that photo off of reddit, in their sailing sub. Not 100% sure, but believe it's near the Fiji Islands. Really eye catching, isn't it?
Thanks for stopping by and for the including the link. I'll definitely check it out!
Have a great day Wally!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
What a wonderful Open Thread today!
There is so much to think about and explore, even for a older person like me. For most of my life, I have had panic attacks that will hit unexpectedly and for no apparent reason. It is weird because outwardly, most people would think that I am very self confident, but inwardly, it is just the opposite. Since I never know when one will hit, I often avoid putting myself into a new or stressful situation as a result. I need to explore meditation as a way to deal with my panic attacks.
Hitting the sweet spot is what we runners used to call "being in the zone." Back when I ran competitively, being in the zone would only come rarely. But what a wonderful feeling it was, if only for a short while! Perhaps that is the physical equivalent of what mediation can do for you mentally.
Thank you for this wonderful and informative Open Thread today. I must explore more on the subject of meditation.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Good Morning Gulfgal!
Thank you so much for sharing this:
I hesitated before sharing my personal story about treating my bi-polar, worried that it might've been a little "too" personal. But without opening up about my experience, the benefits of meditating may not have been seen in quite the same way.
I think a lot more people suffer from panic attacks than we know. Sharing your experience may have encouraged someone reading this to also begin the powerfully healing practice of meditation.
I am so glad you found this OT helpful!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
An interesting concept
neuroplasticity --
-- The ability of the brain to change in structure or function in response to experience.
-- The ability of the nervous system to adapt to trauma or disease; the ability of nerve cells to grow and form new connections to other neurons.
Tell that to the conductor on the life train when he/she comes to punch your ticket.
I think we might need to buy you a striped cap
And a bow tie. Betcha you'd look real cute in it! Lol!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Did work for Penn Central
in a crossing gang around SW Michigan / NE Illinois. Spent the summer driving spikes on the Constatine turn with a bunch of ex-cons. Right out of high school. Loved to check for hot boxes (burning bearings) as the big freights rolled past.
I like trains.
Really
What did you guys talk about?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
mostly about women and hooch
boiled egg, beer and a bump for lunch
mornings were all about coffee breaks and donuts
slam a few spikes, then get chased by cops after dinner
slept in a bunk car on a side rail
good times
A bump for lunch?
What kinda food is that?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
beer and a bump
means a draft and a shot
not food so much as medicine
Women and hooch
Hmmm.. Lol. I guess that's to be expected, eh?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
You don't suppose the liquor business caught on?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
what, sex and booze are sellers?
shh, don't let the political marketeers know! Then we'd be in a whole new tub of shit.
speaking of sweet spots.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
You couldn't resist
Could you?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
no ma'am.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Actually these released prisoners.
had a lot of interesting chatter to listen at and try to follow
but the boiled eggs and pickled hog knuckles kinda weirded me out.
Really enjoyed getting chased by the local law, tho.
got a ticket for carless driving. I was on a bike. I pleaded to a lesser charge.
Driving spikes…(Asian American Aspie chimes in) Oh! Coolie labor
https://www.wbur.org/npr/247166284/a-history-of-indentured-labor-gives-c...
Interesting — not even sacred historical figure Abraham Lincoln was above directing “hate” at cheap foreign labor and open borders, back when that immigrant labor was East Asian.
https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/social-science/economy/labor/coo...
https://immigrants.harpweek.com/ChineseAmericans/2KeyIssues/CoolieLabor.htm
Morning, zoe!
Sorry I'm late.
Can't wait to see what you have to say.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
If you're late, CSTMS.....
..... then I'm really late......
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
No one's late
You're just early for the second round.
Lol
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Wow, that was great.
Gonna go have a look at that research.
My acupuncturist gave me one breathing exercise that's been helping as well.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Good Morning CStMS!
My Sister goes to acupuncturist and it's been really helpful. Yes, definitely. Meditation will help with your stress. Check out some of the resources I included at the end of my OT, especially the guided imagery with Bellruth Naperstak. She has one of the most soothing voices and picks all kinds of topics for relaxing and healing to focus on.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Good morning, zoebear. I like the topic, but decided to jump
in before reading to suggest that you add the words "open thread" to your tag list. You can do that even after it is up with an edit. That way it will appear in the special Open Threads sidebar and probably catch more eyes and attention, and those who are used to going straight to that spot to find the link will find it there.
Have a great one and I'll now get back to reading.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good Morning EL
Thanks for the suggestion. I went back and got rid of the hashtag in front of the word Open Thread. That did the trick!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Interesting. Been exploring other disciplines myself...
And been reading a lot of Zen books recently. (While not specifically Buddhist, many Zen texts have a heavy Buddhist element to them, so they are interesting.)
As far as the brain shifts, I can absolutely see that. Sometimes, to use your orchestra analogy, there's the damn Tuba player who you can't get to shut up, no matter what you do. At that point it becomes a matter of trying to perform AROUND it, and avoid songs where it's really obvious when a random Tuba keeps popping in.
Structure seems to help a lot with that, which IMHO is why cutting out spirituality from science was a mistake. Elimination of a observable and constant factor in human civilization because of its "Irrationality" ignores the very real problems that it solves. The idea that "It's all in your head" is a solution to the very real emotional and spiritual crisis is akin to suggest that a soldier with a limb blown off "Rub some dirt on it, you'll be fine!"
So, won't be signing up for Zen or Buddhism or Science. Sometimes you look at all the well worn paths and instead pick up a rock and forge your own. That's where I am. I'm using the tools that people have left for me, but I see no need to tromp along in the same direction as everyone else. If our paths converge at points, I have no problem catching a ride, but eventually, I will be getting off, because I have another destination in mind. Do I know what it is? Hell NO! Which is why I'm loving this journey.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkqbO5HpbM]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Science and mysticism
are not mutually exclusive. Science admits it can not fully explain the functions of the brain. Mystical approach goes into the holes of scientific theory, generally ending up in the same place. The key is we are the final arbitrators to figure out what works best for understanding the thought train.
Wish someone would give most Americans that memo...
As it is I've dealt with far too many radical athiests who refer to anything outside of strict dogma as "Magical Thinking" and "Perpetuating ignorance". Radical Materialists sounds like a better term for them, honestly... but then I'm very sick of hearing the same shit tossed at me, every time I publicly acknowledge that I perform votive ritual and offering.
Yes, I will happily toss shade at athiests who demand that their way is the only way. As a cynic, I find that any time anyone says they have the answer, they're lying.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ag4nkSh7Q]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
i think radical materialist probably describes me
pretty accurately.
i have my reasons, but folks are free to believe what they want to believe.
as long as it doesn't kill their children. which magical thinking can and does.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Josh Mitteldorf is very much for “science + mysticism” synthesis
https://dailyinspirationblog.wordpress.com/2019/03/11/scientific-objecti...
Good Morning Detroit!
I think one of the things that I enjoyed most while doing the research for this piece, were discovering the areas where Science and Buddhism did overlap. While their historical, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds were not the same, they still had some things in common. In some ways, both traditions are motivated by an urge to relieve the sufferings of life. Both are suspicious of absolutes. And both traditions take on an empirical approach to knowledge.
Hope you find a way to quiet that Tuba someday and thanks so much for sharing!
Glad you were able to stop by...
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Glad to be here.
Been dealing with RL stuff, (All good, but tiring) so haven't been getting my morning writing done. (Having the kids home is great, but not the best for sitting on my computer writing.
)
I guess my problem with most religions in general is that they don't reflect my experience. They reflect the experience of people from a different time. As a result I tend to find my thoughts on spirituality drifting more towards the Cynical because of its cosmopolitan nature. One of the big lies that I find over and over again is that Cynics believed in nothing. The more I read their writings, and study the beliefs, the more I realize that Diogenes was completely full of shit, and hence is the one most often quoted by people who wanted to get Cynics to shut up. (I mean, who are you going to quote if you wanted to tear down Republicans as ignorant racists? Lincoln or Bush?)
I find that Cynics often believed in EVERYTHING... that they personally experienced. Hence they were really hard to fool with "Trust me, God Told me while you weren't looking". Often because they themselves felt they had a divine connection. (Socrates, for example, is sometimes said to have clashed with the Mainstream cults because his personal experience of religion was stronger than what the priests told him. Hell even the goal of Cynic philosophy was "Eudaimonia" which literally means: Eu: "Good" , Daimon: "Spirit/Guardian"(Similar word in feel to "Kami" in Japanese)
Phew, sorry to go off on my personal spiritual journey there. I just find that I tend only to believe in things I've personally experienced. Second hand knowledge is great, but I want to be able to do the tests myself before I believe it. Nothing against those who can take things on faith and the "Older and Wiser" heads... I just find that while it's good to listen, memories can fade if not refreshed with a little drill once in a while.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozug-WU2B8U]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
cynics get a bad rap.
they always have.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
The new research
on the plasticity of the brain is really interesting. It has implications for all kinds of things from re-establishing neural pathways after a stroke, to teaching children by initiating the establishment of certain neural pathways. This is why how you teach children and what you teach them matters so much; you are establishing life-long neuro pathways. Early education is not the lightweight subject that many make it out to be. Changing neurological pathways is a really tough thing to accomplish...but the notion that it can be possible is heartening.
I like your reference to the olympic athlete equivalent in meditation practice can have 700-800 percent increase in the key part of the brain that activates the feeling of happiness. Those who don't have that capability might achieve 15-20 increase in activity in that part of the brain. That shows how hard it is to change...but worth the effort.
What you're talking about here is universal, it's the human condition. We all are trying to function under considerable stress as best we can. I'm so glad that Western science is beginning to accept some of the wisdom of the Eastern philosophies.
Good Morning Rantntx!
Your comments on the importance of early childhood experiences and how they shape the brain, reminded me of this TED talk.
The experiences of childhood trauma are much larger in scope than society and the healthcare system are prepared to acknowledge, much less deal with. Every doctor should know about this research and this study because adults who scored in at least one ACE category are as high as 60%.The mortality rates that are associated with adults who have lived with high ACE scores is sobering. It is definitely a health crisis that doesn't have to be if caught early and treated.
[video:https://youtu.be/95ovIJ3dsNk]
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
the true social cost of war can only be measured in the
effects on the children who experienced it, or who lost a parent (either literally or figuratively).
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
ACE, early childhood trauma - all migrants' children have it
@randtntx @QMS @thanatokephaloides
in my humble opinion.
One day late here, but the TED video about ACE, early childhood trauma, triggered me to still post my 0.02 cents here that late.
The discussion here about ACE influences on well being and adverse health effects during the following life time of a child, as well as the discussion of neuroplasticity and the possibility to train the brain through meditation exercises to develop new neural pathways, is something I believe to be even more true than I thought so far. Though, I never saw myself beating depression and stress with meditation, I observed the development of new neural pathways because of the neuropalsticity of the brain (as a lay person) in my own child.
Most people relate the ACE to some trauma aquired by visible physical or emotional violence of socially depressed parents in certain neighborhoods and view the ACE of the child to the effect that have stressed parents on their children.
While I believe that this is certainly true, I think less open violence occurs to a child by simply migrating with its parents from one region and language to another region and another language it is schooled in. I believe it is a trauma for a child of two years and beyond just to be exposed to new languages, when the brain is still devlopping its neural pathways, which is mostly not recognized as a trauma for the child, because it's hidden through other stress factors that is imposed on the child through its parents stress of moving from a homeland and a motherlanguage to a new host land with a second language.
What is your motherlanguage and why is it called motherlanguage? It is the language a baby and toddler is picking up by the person it is cared for in its first years. Usually kid are then trained in pre- and elementary schools to read and write in the same language and with it the value system of its teachers (which varies from countries and regions).
The simple disruption of this language skills development for a child -by being educated all of the sudden in a different country's school with its different language as the one it was picking up from its first caretaker (usually from a loving mother, even if she is self under stress) is an ACE.
People think this grows itself out over time, which might be true, if the child has enough time to grow new language neural pathways in its brain uninterruptedly. Nevertheless I believe that this sort of ACE sticks and can be lead to other ACEs. When children adapt to new language environments in schools and countries they migrate through, you almost can see the neuroplasticity in front of your eyes.
Just saying, you don't have to have violence, poverty or any of the big abuses mentioned here, for a child to have ACE while it's migrating with its parents. Apparently it is very hard on a child to be interrupted having a one motherlanguage and haveing one father(home)land.
If a child had the luck to develop its mother language in its schooling and in the same region (its homeland so to speak) til puberty, none of the built neural pathways in its brain are harder to change than those. You stick with your accent and also with your feeling of being at home in your cultural upbringing through childhood, for a long time, if you want it or not.
I would think that ACE in migrants in Europe might be quite high, because they often migrate first to one specific European country with its culture and language to the next European country with another culture and language etc. and switch too often several times from one language and schools of one country to the next, sometimes four stops in their childhood.
Just saying, I am not 'read or educated' on this subject, but watched out and experienced that in various of my and my in-laws extended families' adults and children.
That was a very curiosity triggering Open Thread. Thanks zoebear.
Migrant children and ACE's
Hello Mimi, and welcome. You've brought up a very interesting question as it relates to the impact migration has on a child. Learning a new language most certainly does build new neurological pathways, and I suspect the reason a child learns language more easily than adults is precisely because of the plasticity of their developing brains. Yet, you've added another element to that with the possibility of cultural disruption, along with the other hardships that come with migrating into the equation which may be a factor within the ACE scale.
What I found most striking in the TED talk was how pervasive the ACE scores show up in adults, with an estimation of a whopping 60%. Those are some troubling numbers with respect to mortality rates caused by sickness and suicide prevalent around ACE adults.
A conversation I had with a young person from work revealed that in their circle of family and friend, they had already experienced a few instances where they lost people they loved from suicide. I found this incredibly disturbing. Assuming it was an unfortunate situation of circumstance, I nonetheless began discretely asking other young people I work with, who confirmed that they also personaly had lost people to suicide.
I do not know if there is a correlation, but clearly there is a problem.
Thanks for you contribution here. You've raised some arresting questions.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Could there be a match with what “Initiative an der Basis” says?
ACE and related stress: part of what’s making an observable number of migrants aggressive, anti-Western, anti-host culture, anti-German?
https://basisinitiative.wordpress.com/unsere-erfahrungen/
https://basisinitiative.wordpress.com/
early intervention
both in young minds and recently traumatized brains is key to distributing the pathways into new connections in more healthy ways. Recognizing the need for reboot is as critical as the soonest intervention.
Good morning all
Just back from trade day. It was supposed to rain this AM so it was a sparse event. Did go grocerying while in town.
I enjoyed reading your OT zoe. My childhood was less than delightful and I learned as a kid to put my mind in a different place when there were troubles. I foolishly thought everyone did that, but later discovered it is a rare talent.
I'm fortunate not to ride the big roller coaster that many of my friends find themselves climbing and dropping around life's circuit. Living in a beautiful natural area helps as your story of releasing regrets in the field of flowers illustrates.
In college I took a Transcendental meditation (TM) class. Although I no longer meditate twice a day, I do still often meditate to gain calmness and refresh myself. Playing music is also a form of meditation.
I once told this joke to an Asian Buddhist. "A Buddhist went to a hot dog vendor and asked him to make him one with everything". They laughed...but what they found humorous was the idea of a Buddhist at a hot dog vendors. Perhaps that is the funniest part.
Becoming one with everything is a helpful notion. It isn't about you...we as individuals play a very small part in the overarching flow of the universe. Being part of the larger system really is empowering and is a way of being in the "sweet spot".
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKW_h1tIMWI]
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good Morning Lookout!
Thanks for the Buddhist joke. I actually did laugh out loud, and for the same reason your Asian Buddhist friends did. I guess the hot dog is the funniest part.
Your thoughtful reply made me think of how much we all have in common and yet we concentrate so much on our differences. I too have friends who live life on a roller coaster. Many of them live in New York and work down in Wall Street. When they ask me why I'm "still" working at Trader Joes in what was supposed to be a temporary gig, I tell them I like my job and I'm very happy with my life. On one level they understand, on another they don't. My prescription for happiness is not predicated on my salary or my title. But I don't tell them this because their idea of happiness is about prestige and money. Yet they don't see that their anxiety, their dissatisfaction, their restlessness is in any way tied to their superficial view of their life, or mine. For them, it's more important that others see them as Eagles and Lions.
Funny anecdote about what kind of animals we'd like to be. I asked a fellow crew member at TJ's if he could be any animal he wanted, which would it be and why. His answer? A domesticated house cat who belonged to a beautiful woman with large breasts. The why? He likes to get a lot of hugs
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Buddhist hot dogs
Or, as the Holy Scriptures put it:
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Buddhist Hot Dogs?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
LOL
I did LOL.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
I saw a clip of a hot dog eating contest
The common technique was to separate the bun and dog, dunk the bun in water and then choke down both. Pretty disgusting. I won't look for a YouTube clip so I can spare us all of the indignity.
Are you a practicing discordian, or is that something one needs to practice?
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
discordians
And I won't mention some of the other techniques competitive hot dog eaters have used over the years, as your "Japaneseing" technique only skims the surface of the available supply of "disgusting"!
But then, I consider competitive eating as obscene to begin with, so I might be biased....
Several answers exist to your question. Among them:
1. If you feel the Sacred Chao (s) in all things, and recognize that all proceeds from Primordial Chaos and draws all from Chaos, then you are already a daughter/son of Eris and therefore one of us; no practice required.
2. Discordianism is more a "state of mind" than a "practice".
3. Consult your pineal gland. (Official P. O. E. E. answer.)
(My poor attempt at Discordian thealogy.)
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
This was my favorite part
In my re-telling of imagining I was a flower, I was hoping to "show" how I accessed the sweet spot rather than just "tell" you about it. It's very satisfying to hear that you recognized that. Thanks for that.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
bloom on
it will make petaling your bike easier...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good one
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I beg you to leaf off such egregious punning!
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
I mean, that was a pollen
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
i haven't the stamen-a to endure anymore
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
i insist on satisfaction: pistils at dawn!
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
very punny!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Very wonderful Zoebear
I will re-read it and follow links later. What a fun friend!
My path has been a bit parallel, not in the specifics, but in collecting regrets and crippling fears. I have not specifically studied Buddhism, but my favorite teachers all have and quote the Buddha often. Eckhart Tolle, Kim Eng, Adyashanti, Mooji, Father Richard Rohr, Syma Kharal, Dr. Gabor Mate', Dr. Peter Levine. The power of presence, releasing trauma and regrets, seeing the presence in others, kindness . . . are all so transformative.
Currently I am listening to podcasts on my player.fm app that are from the Eckhart Tolle School of Awakening. Most podcasts feature Eckhart and Kim, but there are many other speakers as well. To find this in your player.fm app, search for Eckhart Tolle in the episodes column. You won't find them under the series column.
Thank you so very much Zoebear!! I found your OT to be very helpful and encouraging.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Good Morning Marilyn!
Yes, she is a fun friend
I remember reading Tolle's first book many years ago and enjoying his gentleness and his perspective. I didn't gravitate towards Buddhism immediately, but when I chanted the first time in the home of an inspirational leader in her own right, I knew instantly I found a path that made sense to me
Drawing inspiration and knowledge from a variety of sources is wonderful way to inspire thought and continued dialogue. I enjoy reading from many different teachers and have discovered that the truly authentic ones all draw from a similar idea: compassion/love for fellow human beings enhances and strengthens your own humanity. And the run lies the sweet spot.
Glad you stopped by and joined in the conversation. You are always welcome lovely Marilyn
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I once wrote a poem whose first line was, "I am regret".
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Can you share it?
That would be cool.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
sitting meditative exercises for physical health
may be used to when getting up from bed or convalescence. A good complement to mindful meditation.
I have learned many subtleties of medical Qi Gong practice from Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming. This video is a demonstration and explanation of the Eight Pieces of Brocade sitting routine developed in the Song Dynasty. (about 50 minutes, daily routine 15 minutes)
[video:https://youtu.be/aMx9mnOcIYI?list=PLP2wbfRe4HVKRLIryY6O41Ehgn-T-M8wU]
Link to the full series if interested.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Pages