Open Thread Friday
Next week is January the traditional time we make plans for new beginnings and try to create new habits. The anticipation of brighter days as the the shortest day of the year moves farther into the past.
The thoughts today are short, writers block is hitting hard and I am already late in posting. So hitting the Publish button. Add your suggestions and thoughts for the New Year.
1) If you are healthy and do not require medical treatment or lifestyle adjustments be aware of your good fortune. Seems trite but count your blessings. The rest of us will be working on improving our general health, healing from an event, preventing a relapse or adjusting to a new normal.
2) Explore non-drug treatments or support therapies for medical conditions and potential problems based on risk factors. Most treatment information focuses on pharmaceutical and focused non-drug information is harder to find. The small impact of personal control or input does reduce the feeling for some people a medical condition is running their life. Some examples: Pulmonary Hypertension - diet suggestions, Asthma - breathing exercises and Parkinson's - exercise programs. Add a comment describing your "friends problem" and suggestions may follow.
3) Add regular meditation to your routine to create daily mini-breaks from stress.
Keep it simple to start 10 minutes a day or half an hour a week. Still meditation does not have to be complicated. Could be a simple as leaning back on the couch listening to music to clear the mind of its current thoughts. More structured methods: Basic_Method_of_Meditation in the Buddhist tradition. Christian traditions of prayer and meditation. Is someone has a good reference for a yoga technique. The ones I found had heavy advertising and cookies.
Moving meditation uses simple movements to cause a shift of consciousness. We commonly think of yoga sequence, qigong, tai chi and aikido. Other options to try Labyrinth walking, jogging, knitting, other hand craft, repetitive garden tasks and jogging dancing.
TV, radio and video games do not count - they are directing the focus of your mind. Not really a total break. For a while you may need the distraction, but work on moving beyond needing sounds to get beyond your own thoughts.
If step goals are included in your practice of meditation it IS NOT freeing the self from humankind created stress.
(edited spelling)
Comments
took a TM class during college...
TM = transcendental meditation
...and have used the technique on and off through the years. Great for re-energizing in the afternoons, or any time. Excellent calming technique IMO.
For me there's nothing as healing as a walk in the woods on a nice day. We've had several in a row this week, but rain is due through the weekend.
As to your first point, I've been hearing several Dr.s talk about the importance of gratitude. Mark Hyman often pushes the idea of gratitude.
Here's hoping you all feel well, healthy, and fit! Have a great weekend y'all.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Tried to meditate for years - no personal teacher
attempted numerous techniques described in publications and videos. Could not master the techniques and get the results described.
Found this video with Ven Ajahn Brahm and realized I had been meditating, simply judging technique not my mental and physical effects. Takes a while for him to settle the audience.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3WV9KqxGcQ&list=PLm_tdwbTCqQYXOzmdsn5RK...
The link in your comment is a great resource.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Good morning Lookout and everybody. There is growing
attention on the VAgus nerve, along with continuing discoveries relating to it. Here is a sample: https://elemental.medium.com/science-confirms-that-the-vagus-nerve-is-ke...
Without doing a deep dive, the idea of a more or less all pervasive rootlike network of nerves feeding a central 2-way nervous pathway containing a handful of activation points "via pressure receptors buried beneath the surface of the skin — receptors located throughout the body, and ones that only firm pressure or a deep stretch can reach" conjures up mental images of Chi, Qi, Chakras and the rest. It is just possible that folk medicine has evolved a model and understanding of this whole system which could contain both errors and truths but still serve as a useful introductory guide to self-experimentation, or not, as the case may be.
I couldn't help but note a section devoted to "moving meditation" which immediately made me wonder why it only addresses slower forms and omits references to the Dervishes and other "trance dancers", but I'm pretty sure that I would be likely to injure myself indulging in such, plus any place sufficiently obstacle free would be public enough to get one interrogated by the farces of lawnorder were one to essay such an endeavor.
That said, it's time for a tad or micro-therapy for moi, so I'll simply note that deeply imagining one's psyche as a glob over in the corner whilst you sit and curiously poke at it with a stick can oft be theraputic.
Have a good one.
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 --
Going to try the stick poking,
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood began to loose balance while spinning.
[video:https://youtu.be/Gu2QSKlAygY?t=82]
Enjoy your day.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Vegus nerve is a key to happiness IMO
...Our mom's all told us the right things...about listening to "gut" feelings and EAT Your "GREENS". They were so right!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Focus
Keeping the sights forward.
Damn straight.
Sometimes it hurts to see so clearly.
Worth a try anyhow.
Many thanks for help in these matters!
question everything
Open up your heart
From those
[video:https://youtu.be/QGI3RWBhuUo]
And these
question everything
sometimes we just need to be
In that place where it feels as if we are connected to the cosmos, the heartbeat of the universe (love beat). Music and nature can help us reach and feel the connection, if fortunate we can bring back a little of the feeling into our ordinary daily life.
Good music today. Thanks
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
late 'ello SoE,
Were i not bone tired, would chime in, a topic i'm vested in, but it's time for me to unwind from the day of wall to wall skiers and snowboarders, traffic to and from and the Disneyland of ski resorts during the holidays.
Maybe we can visit meditation again; until, thank you and ease into the Oregon evening, good sir.
Ski resort area do get busy over the holidays
Enjoy the rest of your evening. I just need to run the pick-up to the hay barn and load some for next week. Jump in anytime on thoughts on meditation. I tend to jump from subject to subject in normal life. Cheers.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Nice
Thanks!
A great resource for me is the Insights from the Edge Podcast with Tami Simon. She is an excellent interviewer. Seems like she mostly interviews folk who have written books, many on meditation. Heres a link.
https://www.soundstrue.com/store/weeklywisdom?page=archive&category=IATE
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Good selection of interviews
Like she has 10 years, not just her current work. Thanks
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.