Freestyle Meditation

reply to post by caitlinfae


Yeah, I love that 'act as if' technique.

I do it all the time.

Back in the '80s, I decided I wanted to be a runner. Well, I've got NO talent in running. Zero. But what I did was pull on the cloak of all things 'runner'.

I bought the running togs and shoes, put copies of "Runner's World' on the coffee table, started entering 10K races (more like fun runs), and slowly over the course of a year transformed myself.

Now, don't get me wrong, I totally sucked and still do. I'm not a small thin whippet type and the best I can do is run in the pack...and when I say 'run' I mean 'jog' at 7-8 min/mile.

But later I went on to run three 10 milers and even a self-timed half-marathon (13.1 miles). LOL, it was hysterical, because though I ran it by myself with my SO as a cheerleader, we went out and my SO bought me a t-shirt.

This time I wanted to become a bike rider. Well I'm about the worst bike rider ever, and barely can get 20mph on the flats (18.3 over 10 miles), but I bought the jerseys and the bib tights and the shoes with cleats and learned how to ride a professional racing bike (it took me two years of riding every day.) Now, at least I LOOK like a pro rider, hahahaha, even if I suck.

It's something I call 'immersion', and for me, it's primarily sports-based, but I've done it with music too.

Point being, you don't have to be good, you just have to look good. (seriously). Why? Because along the way I got a lot out of it and totally re-invented myself. I met some new friends and even met one of my old HS buddies at the first 10 miler I did. He was amazed, since he was a track star and I was a musician.

Anyway thanks for the comment and I'm subscribing to your newsletter.

Badge!! Newsletter?! What? Did I miss something? Is there something I'm supposed to be doing that I forgot? I'm in a panic now.....*sweating!*...I like to get things right.....

Cait

Originally posted by caitlinfae
I do clean the house till I drop sometimes tho, and find that works...cleanliness is part of many eastern practices as part of their rituals, and in traditional witchcraft also, before working. The sacred circle has to be cleansed and purified before anything could be done...

Ooh, that's a good one, too... cleaning can be fun; I turn it into a little zen-meditation, where I pour myself into the action/object -- make things symbolic. That way, the troubles of life and confusion of mind can be cleaned away via physical acts. And it makes the house nice and sparkly, too!

I do all my dishes by hand -- no dishwasher (just happen not to have one where I live). It can actually be very fun to do dishes, I've found, especially when you can get them squeeky clean by hand; much better than any dishwasher.

There's a great movie I saw last year, Enlightenment Guaranteed (English title) about two guys who visit a zen monastery in Japan... well they were assigned the standard menial tasks to do: sweeping, polishing the floors, etc. One guy complained, asking why they have to do that every day, when the floors were already clean. The reply was that you don't clean the floors because they're dirty, you clean them so they won't get dirty. Great movie, quite funny in places; highly recommended.

Exactly...! I love it...it indulges my obsessive compulsive gene to the max and somehow makes everthing clearer. I haven't ever heard of that movie though...I must try and find it. Thank you for the infomation!

Cait

Originally posted by Badge01

What good does it do to be an out of shape, nearly obese individual touting 'meditation' but showing no evidence of any mind control over the body. (Not talking about anyone here, b/c I don't know what any of you look like).

Im in "ok" shape as I do some sports and believe in what you said about the importance of being in good shape physically.

However, I am not the body, I am non-local consciousness (in my opinion), which is why I dont exaggerate my focus on the physical (Not to denigrate your abilities though, a physical level I wont ever achieve)

Originally posted by Badge01


Well this is different. I'm talking about 'becoming' someone else, or 'method acting'.

I literally completely become someone else, including thoughts, ideas, and attitude. It's even beyond 'role-playing'.

We´re talking about the same thing. Personally, Ive taken method acting and applied it for personal development reasons. For me its an extremely advanced type of behaviour....literally shapeshifting.

Ive changed my entire identity 3 times in my life. This includes: The country I live in, the language I speak, the clothes I wear, my profession, the vocabulary I use, the habits I have, my spouse...is that enough beyond role-playing for you?

I am glad there is a thread like this, I have a very hard time focusing my mind on one thing at a time and keeping still for a given period of time, I'd very much like to hear more about physically active meditation, for instance Tai Chi.

Basic Energizer

3 Phases (must be done in a row)

1. Shake the Body without moving your feet. Your feet stay rooted and unmoving on the floor but you shake your body to rhythmic music. Start this by moving your knees back and forth, and as the phase progresses shake any body part you want - but dont move your feet. 30 Minutes. Music preferrably native american, indian, african and rhythmic/monotonous.

2. Freestyle Dance. Having shaken your body to the rhythym for so long, the urge to dance is huge. Dance. But do not follow customary movements or roots, only intuition. 30 Minutes

3. Dead Mans Position, eyes closed. Now lie down in a "dead mans position" (arms and legs not crossed but spread out) and dont move. Just keep your eyes closed and lie there. 30 Minutes.

This 3-Phase-Combo will produce pleasant no-mind states and rushes/waves of energy throughout the body.

Hi, excellent starting post.

I've been teaching simplified methods for awakening to higher awareness for over ten years so far in Australia. But most people don't actually see the value of what they experience and therefore still perceive it to be a nice, fluffy relaxing type of thing to once a week in a group, while those who have realized the value of what they have learnt have gone on to knowing for themselves.

As Jesus said, Give a man a fish and you feed them for a day, but show them how to fish and they feed themselves for life.

You can read what I share on my website for free too, and it will save me typing them all again here.

www.simply-spirit.com

Thanks for the opportunity to share.

[edit on 27-7-2008 by Tayesin]

reply to post by cosmicstorm


hi i am only replying anonymously because i ve forgotten my passwords etc
what i found to 'heal' a problem is to focus entirely all the light of your attention on the problem for as long and deeply as you can bear then hold it up to 'that higher power' for want of a descriptive word

i once did this with angry reaction to someone provoking me it was like i had a thick heavy black mess choking my throat x heart area

i felt it x then looked up to the sky saying 'is this how its meant to be?' in less than an instant it was gone x replaced with a feeling of love that seemed to make 'me' disolve into 'itself'

Katherine [Cornwall England]

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[edit on 28-7-2008 by Badge01]

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[edit on 28-7-2008 by Badge01]

Originally posted by Badge01
The mind leads and the body follows, except for when it's the reverse.

Also, the mind and body are one. Both exist and both require nurturing. If you recall, the origin of 'kung fu' is reported to have been developed when it was thought the monks were tending too much toward the mental and seated meditation.

Chinese martial arts were indeed developed to balance out the meditation/mental work. Later it reversed and meditation became a "side-discipline" to balance out the kung fu

But you´re right...both are ONE and neednt be artificially seperated.

Post edited

[edit on 28-7-2008 by Badge01]

I find the best way for me to meditate is with drawing and painting. More often then not I find im sitting there on the train, or randomly outside or something with a pad and pen with my ipod.
I dont know how to describe it, you let the music take you away to somewhere and then let your pen/brush do its thing. Now I have this big collection of paper with abstract drawings.
I cant really describe what a surreal experience it is.

.......I donno thats what seems to work for me.

-fm

I think meditation could be great and all, but my problem is finding the time, and having the house quiet enough to meditate. I have 3 kids and a dog and having time to myself is nill. I have tried meditating but cannot relax and focus before someone is in my face, even my husband can be distracting. So how do you find the time to meditate??? Do you have kids and a husband/wife? If you do and can still meditate wow kudos to you!!!

Heres my Sun Meditation. I love this one, it does wonders for me.

Sit outside in the warm sun, feel its warmth, look at it, let it blind your eyes with its intensity... hold your hand up to your eyes so you can peak at it, just to get the shape and size/distance of it... compare this to all the other stars you see in the night sky, and think of the warmth, the intense life giving energy off just one of these stars, and think how close it is to you where your bathing in its intensity... Think of the sheer power of this energy.. its ability to sustain worlds, and in some cases inflict damage.

Now that you got you grasp the magnificance of this thing, something I find we often over-look, when you think about it, its quite amazing.. now that you got this thought in your mind...

Feel the heat, the rays, the energy blasting through your tired body, stirring it up, giving it life... Perhaps think of all the red light comming from the sun entering your crown, and do this for every chakra.

Think of its golden sphere as your solar plexus, feel it charge your solar plexus, let it charge it. Let it charge your chakras and let it push out all instabilities.

Feel happy the sun is giving you so much, return the love it gives you.

Do this, maybe for 10 minutes in the morning and I find it really helps get the day going.

I'm a big fan of using my own meditation techniques. I try not to get stuck in the "traditional stuff". I find when comes to self discovery.. I prefer to take my OWN path.. not particularly a guideline. Makes sense doesn't it? I still like to test any technique thrown my way to see if I like it.

Originally posted by Tayesin
Hi, excellent starting post.

I've been teaching simplified methods for awakening to higher awareness for over ten years so far in Australia. But most people don't actually see the value of what they experience and therefore still perceive it to be a nice, fluffy relaxing type of thing to once a week in a group, while those who have realized the value of what they have learnt have gone on to knowing for themselves.

"Nice and fluffy" is often the carrot stick with which to lure them into greater depths and heights of discovery, above and beyond anything they imagined before, isnt it

Thanks for sharing.

Originally posted by Badge01
Post edited

Ah...silence...the best of all meditations.

Originally posted by Jess31
I think meditation could be great and all, but my problem is finding the time, and having the house quiet enough to meditate. I have 3 kids and a dog and having time to myself is nill. I have tried meditating but cannot relax and focus before someone is in my face, even my husband can be distracting. So how do you find the time to meditate??? Do you have kids and a husband/wife? If you do and can still meditate wow kudos to you!!!

My opinion:

For you the first breakthrough in expanding your awareness would be to create time and space to be alone. That alone would be a breakthrough-meditation for you...just to be somewhere all alone, with time and without impatience.

Then...once you´ve mastered that (you notice you´ve mastered something when it gets too easy/normal/boring), you can progress to other stuff.