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Your body, and strength.

ZaylZayl Veteran
edited September 2013 in Diet & Habits
I heard a few times on here a saying that your body was a raft, meant only to get to the other side. But what about us people that seek to improve their bodies? I do not exercise and lift weights and work hard, manual labor, to look good. In fact, I prefer function over form any day of the week. I do not do it to appease my ego (as far as I know, anything is possible I suppose) I do it because, I have been in a few situations before where raw muscle was needed. And because it was not there, people died. I could only look on as a helpless bystander. So I began to develop my muscles, up from my core, my legs, and up to my chest and arms. I've even worked on my neck. The goal being, to be a mountain of a man. Not because I desire the gazes of others. In fact, the body type I am pursuing is often considered ugly and chunky. I do this because, sometimes situations arise where there needs to be someone with the strength to be able to save others.

How does Buddhism approach this? I mean, seeking physical strength and function, in order to help others? I was built with a naturally large frame, and strong bones. I've always been somewhat fat, and I cannot seem to lose the weight. All I can do is convert the weight from fat into muscle. I am not improving my raft to be able to cross the river in style. But just maybe, if I improve my raft, I can carry others who are sinking along the way. I only have this one body in this life, I'd prefer it to be strong and ready, in the event of an emergency of some sort. I seriously do not care how I look. I've been called ugly as sin, but I've also been called "built like a brick shithouse" And honestly, I'd like to use that. I mean, I was born with it, would it not be a waste if I did not seek to utilize my body?

image
This is what I'm talking about, I have the second body type pictured here, the "thicker" one

Again, what is the Buddhist view about improving your body, not out of vanity, but of the desire to aid others, who cannot help themselves?

And, a sort of related song I guess. I've always been the silent type, and born stronger than others, even without working at it (but now, I am) and I always liked this song. My Grandpa showed it to me when I was a little sprout. He said it fitted me, I suppose it does. Not only that but it displays the type of situation I am talking about. A strong man, using his strength, to save others.

Comments

  • To be honest with you in my opinion it depends on how extreme you take Buddhism as a way of life. If you are a monk or a nun who has dedicated their life to the dharma, I am pretty sure that you are not going to be too worried about your body for either function or appearance. If they get ill they go to a doctor, if they hurt themselves, they do what they can to get better, but that is all from what I can gather. They eat what they are given so diet is not up there on the list of priorities. Once you are at such extremes the raft notion becomes more of a prominent thing. Any attachment to the body slips away.

    It is a pretty tricky topic though as it obviously does help in life if you are healthy and able to do certain things, it will be interesting to see what people think about this.

    As for me, I do not care much about having muscle but I do practice parts of Kung Fu for flexibility and to be able to have discipline in all aspects of life. Add that to Buddhism and you have a great practice IMO. Here is me stretching :p
  • Ha nice man. I'm not flexible in any sense of the word. I've tried but, stretching seems to be my nemesis.
  • It is like meditation or muscle building, it just takes time and effort. You could stretch all week, maybe 2 weeks and find that you have maybe gained a centimetre and then give up as it seems pointless. But trust me if you keep at it daily you can become very supple.
  • I suppose it's worth a shot. After all it is imperative to stretch before exercising anyway right?
  • I think it is yea as it reduces the risk of injury. I may go for a stretch now actually, I normally stretch around 2-5 times a day.

    Basically though I think as lay people if you work out for whatever reason there should be no problem as long as you do not become attached to it and form all kinds of selves out of the process. That could be quite difficult to do if you really think about it.
    karmablues
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    It seems to be it's just all about intention. I personally don't see anything wrong with what you said, but I enjoy working out and so I am biased towards it, lol. I don't workout because of looks, either. I do it for health and to set a good example for my kids, especially the diabetic one. I do it because with so many things I can't do a single thing about, exercise and diet is one thing I can control in some way to help prevent myself from becoming ill. I want to stay as healthy as I can for my kids' sake, because 2 of them already lost their father and I feel in a sense that I owe it to them to do what I can to be healthy.

    I enjoy how it makes me feel, as far as having the energy to do all the things I need to do every day, and I just enjoy the science of learning about it. It's a topic of study for me and I find it fascinating to learn how all the body system work together and the things I can do to influence how that happens.

    I find working out to actually compliment my Buddhist practice quite well. I have an easier time calming my mind and I do all my workouts the same as I do yoga-with a great sense of connection via breathing and mindfulness in feeling every little part working and doing what it should be doing.

    I do know a lady who is about 62 now, she has been an exerciser for her whole life. She still runs marathons and she has more muscle than a lot of men I know, lol. She does it for health but she also has done it in an attempt to help stave off aging. I've talked to her quite a lot about it, and she most certainly looks healthier than most other 62 year olds. But it is also, in part, her fear of aging, illness and death that motivates her, and in the end, it'll get her anyhow.
  • I like this simple question that Thanissaro Bikkhu posed: "is it on the path, or off the path?". For me, working out feels like it's on the path. That doesn't mean it is the best possible choice for spending my time, it's probably not. I work out to have more energy, to feel less depressed, to fight boredom, to feel better about myself and to look better. So there are some selfish motives there. Still, it feels like it's "on the path" because on the whole I think it benefits me and helps me to be more of the kind of person I would like to be.
    Jeffrey
  • Zayl said:

    . But what about us people that seek to improve their bodies?
    How does Buddhism approach this? II mean, I was born with it, would it not be a waste if I did not seek to utilize my body?

    I suppose you can still help others if you are fat and ugly. But I, like most people probably, would prefer someone who looks like Tom Cruise or Lady Gaga to help me, someone attractive, I mean. There shouldn't be any problem if you choose to improve your look then. Buddhism merely said not to get attached to the pleasant things you have. Good looks are pleasant things. As you say, if you were born with it, it would be a waste not to utilize it.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I don't know there are a lot of things I woudn't want Tom Cruise's or Gaga's help with, lol. Religion and dressing, specifically (and respectively).
    ThailandTomoceancaldera207
  • SabreSabre Veteran
    edited September 2013

    To be honest with you in my opinion it depends on how extreme you take Buddhism as a way of life. If you are a monk or a nun who has dedicated their life to the dharma, I am pretty sure that you are not going to be too worried about your body for either function or appearance. If they get ill they go to a doctor, if they hurt themselves, they do what they can to get better, but that is all from what I can gather. They eat what they are given so diet is not up there on the list of priorities. Once you are at such extremes the raft notion becomes more of a prominent thing. Any attachment to the body slips away.

    It is a pretty tricky topic though as it obviously does help in life if you are healthy and able to do certain things, it will be interesting to see what people think about this.

    As for me, I do not care much about having muscle but I do practice parts of Kung Fu for flexibility and to be able to have discipline in all aspects of life. Add that to Buddhism and you have a great practice IMO. Here is me stretching :p

    I've seen monks more health conscious than anyone else I've met - caring very much about diet. Also many monks seem to enjoy walking long distances a lot, I think for exercise reasons also. (Strictest monks & nuns are not allowed to run or swim). So you can be "extremely Buddhist" and still care about your body. (Of course being a monk or nun doesn't have to say anything about how far one is on the path, but at least they must have real faith in it to make it their whole life.)

    I exercise quite a lot in different ways and don't think it has to be considered obsession about the body, although it is quite easy to fall into thinking like that. It's easy to get attached to or care in a wrong way about the body. But to care in the right way, I think there is nothing wrong with that.

    The Buddha I think said the body is a burden, is "on fire" because it is rarely really content. It needs to eat, scratch, move, sleep. It gets uncomfortable, sick, old, and it dies. So I try to see it in that perspective. Trying to make the burden a little lighter by keeping healthy and energized, while still remembering the body is not a gift but a burden.
  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran
    edited September 2013
    Personally, I workout to look sexy. :D
    ZaylJeffreyKundoysmael
  • Ha yeah, well, I cannot deny that being strong feels nice. Though it does has its drawbacks (ex: accidentally breaking or hurting something/someone) And, that is an attachment that I am aware of.

    I dunno. I just feel like I should be capable and strong and willing to act. Because nowadays the bystander effect or people being apathetic about helping someone else is a damned endemic. There has to be someone there to lend a hand. Considering I have the natural body type, and I am working to improve on that, it might as well be me.

    That's how I see it anyway.
  • Zayl said:

    Ha yeah, well, I cannot deny that being strong feels nice. Though it does has its drawbacks (ex: accidentally breaking or hurting something/someone) And, that is an attachment that I am aware of.

    I dunno. I just feel like I should be capable and strong and willing to act. Because nowadays the bystander effect or people being apathetic about helping someone else is a damned endemic. There has to be someone there to lend a hand. Considering I have the natural body type, and I am working to improve on that, it might as well be me.

    That's how I see it anyway.

    It is fine to be strong and able, it is also fine to own new clothes, but one should be aware of all of the attachments and suffering that they can cause.

    I am sorry but I have to say that whole by-stander thing reminded me of this hahaha.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    Being not-strong and not-able bring their own kind of suffering for many people as well. We suffer in all states.
  • oceancaldera207oceancaldera207 Veteran
    edited September 2013
    Tom I freakin hate you for being that flexible. . I can stretch my hamstrings for days and still they are totally not responsive. I really wanted to do yoga, but it's so impossible for me that I gave up...which is sad because I liked it a lot.

    Edit just went back see that you kind of already talked about this in response to zayl still hate u though :)
  • Tom I freakin hate you for being that flexible. . I can stretch my hamstrings for days and still they are totally not responsive. I really wanted to do yoga, but it's so impossible for me that I gave up...which is sad because I liked it a lot.

    Edit just went back see that you kind of already talked about this in response to zayl still hate u though :)

    Haters gunna hate :p Seriously I am sure we all have the ability, it takes a lot of effort and patience, like with meditation it does not happen over night or over a couple of weeks. I can now pretty much do that pose and tuck my head in between my knees :rolleyes:
  • This is what I am aiming for ultimately

  • oceancaldera207oceancaldera207 Veteran
    edited September 2013
    You're probably right...time and effort. it took me 12 years of effort to get where I am in the weightroom strength wise..which is very very far from where I started. (I was a runt in school, skinny as a rail)
    But still, my damn hamstrings..... :angry:
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    edited September 2013
    In all honesty I would prefer to be lean yet toned, agile and flexible as apposed to built and hench. Those shaolin monks live on a vegetarian diet as well and I have seen a fight between an MMA champ and a shaolin monk, the monk won twice. In one of the fights at one point he stood there for about 10 seconds and let the guy pound him and then continued again as if nothing had happened lol. It is just a matter of pushing your body to limits unimaginable and conditioning it. Like I said a little over 2 months ago I could not touch my toes from standing, exercise of all kinds requires time, patience and effort. be it exercising the muscular body, the flexible body, or the liberated and wise mind.
  • I hear you Tom, it'd be nice to be that way but I just wasn't born to be, haha. I've come to accept that. After all there always has to be a "Big John" somne where right?
  • Zayl said:

    I hear you Tom, it'd be nice to be that way but I just wasn't born to be, haha. I've come to accept that. After all there always has to be a "Big John" somne where right?

    lol yea I guess so, every social group has one or 4 :p I thought I was as stiff as a plank and that was that, well I was to be honest and something inspired me to get off of my ass and start kung fu. I wish something would inspire me more to get on my ass on the cushion and meditate more lol.

    Anyway whilst you are sorting out any trouble on the streets, I will just glide along the walls and escape like so :D

  • My grandfather, a bricklayer from the old country - the Balkans - worked almost every day of his life for over fifty years. We're talking hard labour.

    What he's still capable of at 85 is simply amazing; lifting wheelbarrows, tiling roofs, building staircases; he puts me to shame (33yo), and would put most people half his age to shame, in this age of diabetes.

    With a desk job, I won't be able to achieve his level of fitness by age 85; he worked hard for me to be in this position one could argue. But I can get strong, keep fit, and be with it, all through my life, by exercising and being healthy, and he is definitely an inspiration for this goal.
  • If you prefer function over form, don't bulk up, just get a good strength to weight ratio and keep fit. I've served with the Special Air Service; these guys are seriously fit and I wouldn't want to mess with them. The majority of these guys are thin-wiry types; there's some gorillas too; but none of them are body builders.
    VictoriousThailandTomWanMin
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    You aren't stuck with your bad flexibility unless you let it inhibit you. It's measured by collagen and muscle fibers and ligaments and tendons and so on. All of which can be changed very slowly. But just like building muscle can take some serious amount of time, so can building flexibility for some people. I was a gymnast when I was younger, and I seem to be able to get back to my flexibility fairly quickly. But a lot of that has to do with cell memory rather than simply "good genetics." For the same reasons you never really forget how to ride a bike once you learn, the same applies to most things your body learns. You might be rusty, but you get back to form pretty quickly once you achieve it in the first place.
  • I've started to think about my health again recently and the possibility of returning to the gym. I have no intention of building up muscle to look good but I'd like to do something for the health benefit and just been to the pool and clocked a 2.5km swim in 1 hour which I was very pleased with.

    Me and the gym have never got on; I've joined about 4 times and left after 2-3 months each time. I never have the motivation to continue because there is no end goal. How do you train regularly but only for functional health reasons. Where's the drive? Or have I been looking at it wrong mentally?

    My current line of thought is to combine swimming and yoga because I want good all round health and improved flexibility. The gym isn't really the right thing for that type of training but they do have a pool and some yoga and pilates classes.
  • I like running; it's so simple. Trainers on and out the door and I'm 'there'. I'm fairly fit; I run about 40 miles a week; I did 21 miles on Saturday, and in a fortnight I've got a 17 mile fell race through/over a bunch of mountains. It's wonderful running through rugged mountainous terrain - freedom.

    After work, I don't let my bottom touch a chair ('cos then it gets stuck), I just pull on my running shoes and go do an easy six-or-seven miles.

    It can also be part of our spiritual practise; mindfulness while running is quite possible - and when everything is hurting I'll try to escape into the present moment; I was taught that we can always deal with the present moment - rather than thinking, "Wow, I'm hurting now, what am I going to feel like in another ten miles?"

    Or I'll try to take my mind off myself by thinking about other people in a compassionate way.

    I believe running not only adds years to our life, but adds life to our years.
  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran
    Lee82 said:

    I've started to think about my health again recently and the possibility of returning to the gym. I have no intention of building up muscle to look good but I'd like to do something for the health benefit and just been to the pool and clocked a 2.5km swim in 1 hour which I was very pleased with.

    That's good. I'd like to try swimming that far. I've recently got back into it and the best I've managed so far is 500 yards in 8.5 minutes.
  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran
    As a lifelong gym goer, an important thing I've discovered in the last year is that machines basically suck. I used them for years and instead of getting stronger I think that I actually was slowly weakening, and getting injuries. I switched to free weights and body weight exercises, and have made large gains. And that's spending the same amount of time doing weights, about 30 min every other day.

    Don't use the machines!
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    Machines can have a point, but they have to be used in conjunction with a normal total body cardio and strength program rather than making your program only about machines. They are meant to target very specific areas, where the body doesn't really work that way. Even when you are primarily using one muscle group, you are using a ton of supporting muscles, bones, ligaments and other structures that need workouts too, otherwise you end up unbalanced and injured, as @Nevermind said. Compound movements for strength are the best, as they work numerous primary and supporting groups at once. Things like squats, deadlifts, lunges, even boxing can be strength building if you do it right and use a heavy bag. And use heavy weights. Doing bicep curls with 5 pounds weight doesn't do much of anything to help most people. You shouldn't be using weights where you can stand there and lift it 50 times. Or even 20 times. For exercise to truly be beneficial, it needs to be difficult. Our bodies are made to adapt. So after a few times of the same exercise (same reps, same weight) it's no longer a challenge and your body stops adapting. Time to up the weight (sometimes the reps, but more for things like pushups/pullups, though you can just add weight to those, too).

    Body weight exercises are nice because you can use almost anything to challenge yourself even if you don't have weights. Tired of banging out 80 pushups? Change to decline pushups with your feet on a chair. Do pushups with a kid on your back. Do them on your fingertips or one-armed or with your hands closer together. Small variations make huge differences in challenging your body.

    Sorry for the tangent. For me, general health and fitness is actually a daily motivator. Because I have a grandma next door would suffers a lot of health problems that would have been prevented by a healthy diet and even mild exercise. And to set an example for my kids, especially the diabetic one. I like to compete, either against my husband, or myself, so that works, too. I track all my workouts on the computer (usually excel) and every time I do the exercise (generally weekly for reference) I increase weight or I add reps. Then excel adds it up. It might not seem like a lot that I did 8 divebombers (my nemesis, lol) and 20 decline pushups. But when excel adds it up and shows I did 116 pushups during my workout today compared to 92 last week, yeah, that motivates me quite a lot.
  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran
    Wow, Karasti, you must be in great shape.
  • Swimming is probably one of the best forms of exercise as it puts less strain on your muscles and joints and is a really good cardio workout.

    I have started skateboarding again and boy don't I notice how unfit I have gotten cardiovascular wise, this is also a really good way to get fit that a lot of people don't realise, it takes a lot of muscle and stamina to skate properly as a hobby.
  • Something to remember about weight training, it doesn't just build muscle...it strengthens bone and connective tissue and strength training builds neuromuscular connections, especially explosive type weight training. This means your brain can communicate more efficiently with the muscle you have for increased strength and control...all this stuff has a lot of real world application, especially going into old age. And just a little bit of resistance training can bring big benefits.
    Zayl
  • ZaylZayl Veteran
    edited September 2013
    Well, another reason I have been improving my body is because, quite frankly, I admit to myself I am not the most intelligent of sorts around. Plus, I actually enjoy manual labor. Being outside, working hard with your body, feeling your muscles burn as you build or improve something with your bare hands is a very nice feeling. I have resigned myself to a life of construction or other, laborious tasks. And honestly? I do not mind this in the least.

    Though lately (within the past year) I have caught a bit of flak. Apparently trying to be strong and trying to improve yourself means you are some CIS male who perpetuates what it means to be a man, as well as trying to be overly "macho"

    What do I tell these people? often liberals and transvestites. I don't do it to spite them. They can do whatever makes them happy, I don't judge. But goddamn it's like they come down on me for just doing what is natural to me. How angry would they get if I came down on them for doing what they feel is natural?
    oceancaldera207
  • often liberals and transvestites.
    Hahaha what?? :lol: :facepalm:
  • JainarayanJainarayan Veteran
    edited September 2013
    Nevermind said:

    As a lifelong gym goer, an important thing I've discovered in the last year is that machines basically suck. I used them for years and instead of getting stronger I think that I actually was slowly weakening, and getting injuries. I switched to free weights and body weight exercises, and have made large gains. And that's spending the same amount of time doing weights, about 30 min every other day.

    Don't use the machines!

    @Nevermind It's individual. For years I trained power lifting style, but I never competed (I'm a wimp). I might have done well, being short and stocky with less distance for the bar to travel for the Big Three (5'5" currently 195 lbs, 17" biceps cold flexed in the day, now 16"; not bad for a little shaver ;) ). While I didn't get hurt from the gym (doctors confirmed that), I did undergo 3 lumbar micro-discectomies (from snow shoveling, of all things) and major rotator cuff surgery (a very old sub-acromium calcification ripped the shoulder and biceps tendons). Actually if I didn't weight train, my arm would have atrophied.

    Anyway, I can no longer do free weight deads, squats, bench presses or overhead presses. I use a squat machine, leg press and machine deadlift (range is really rack pulls). Because so much of the shoulder tendons had to be trimmed, it is tighter than the other, therefore I do not have the r.o.m. to hold the bar on my shoulders to squat; I also cannot keep the bar level for b.p. and o.h.p. However, with machines I have stabilization for my back and much more control for my weakened shoulder. Actually the best I can do with free weights is single arm dumbells (or kettlebells) because if my right arm needs assistance, I have my other arm free. Opposite your experience, machines are actually helping me to get stronger. Maybe someday I might be able to try free weights again, but I'm not willing to risk another operation. So to that end, machines do have their place.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    they definitely do. Right now, I have my gym membership on hold because I don't have the time, but we have a home gym that works well enough but not ideal. I dislocated my kneecap last winter and tore a dime size chunk of articular cartilage off the bone behind my kneecap. I can't do side lunges, any type of quick direction changes or squats or anything high impact like running. I can do wall squats and half squats and some sumo squats, but I can't do anything one-legged or normal squats. Even hiking I have to bring a hiking stick with now to traverse up and down steeper inclines. Iin the brief time I was laid up and off the leg entirely (a total of a week between injury and surgery) I lost a ton of mass in my leg. Even 9 months after surgery, the right quad is still 1.5 inches smaller than the left. I have no restrictions other than the pain but man it's hard to build leg strength without being able to do much for squats and lunges. Once we are settled into a schedule I am hoping to go back to the gym, but even then, squat rack will probably mostly be out and even leg press, because I cannot bend the knee to that degree and put weight/pressure on it. We'll see what happens. Injuries just suck. Lessons in impermanence :lol: I really can't complain, I do pretty well still, and being strong to start with helped with recovery, but it's hard to go from 100% able to not as able anymore. At least I can swim and bike and walk and do 90% of what I used to do. It could be worse.
  • @karasti How about zhan zhuang, especially the horse stance? I myself am looking at getting it worked into my routine. At home of course, with the blinds down... I think it would look a little odd holding the pose for 5 minutes or more. :D
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I will give it a look! I do do yoga, which is a bit easier to modify positions but it takes a lot of concentration on the bad leg to get it to engage, otherwise the stronger one always wants to compensate for it. I can't imagine holding a pose for 5 minutes. 1 minute wall squats are bad enough, LOL.
  • Just signed up at the gym, first time in years!

    I'm only looking to run and swim and maybe join yoga or pilates classes for improved flexibility. I have no interest in using weights. I've joined to improve general health and wellbeing, improve flexibility and to get me out of the house more when the kids aren't around. First swim tonight I think :-)

    On the flip side, I've also become a member of my local members-only public house. I've lived here for 11 years and it is literally only 1 minutes walk from my door. I've been in about twice in all that time! £2 membership and I get my own fob for the front door.
  • @karasti How about zhan zhuang, especially the horse stance? I myself am looking at getting it worked into my routine. At home of course, with the blinds down... I think it would look a little odd holding the pose for 5 minutes or more. :D

    This, it is one of the basic and fundamental stances in Kung Fu, it really does push your leg muscles to the limit. I can stand like this for a matter of minutes, maybe 5 tops, Shaolin monks do it for an hour or so at a time with bowls of water on the heads, arms and knees!

    This is also a good one to try.
  • JainarayanJainarayan Veteran
    edited September 2013
    Yeah, 5 minutes is about the recommendation for beginners. There are actually several postures, I think 6 or 8 basic ones in zhan zhuang, but many more in reality for advanced practitioners.

    Anyway, the goal is to be able to hold each of the 6 or 8 poses for 5 minutes each for a total of 30-40 minutes practice. That's done by working on being able to hold one pose for up to 20 minutes. When that's possible, move on to the next pose(s), rinse, repeat. The first one is actually "standing like a tree"... as the name says, stand completely still, hands at the sides.

    I'm talking a good game because I haven't practiced very much of this, but that's the basics. There is a series of YT videos by Master Lam Kam Chuen.

    https://www.youtube.com/user/StandStillBeFit?feature=c4-overview-vl

    As for that picture in @ThailandTom's post... :eek: holy guacamole!
  • KundoKundo Sydney, Australia Veteran
    Nevermind said:

    Personally, I workout to look sexy. :D

    I did too till I realised it would never work :P

    Now I do it to stay out of a wheelchair and stay as healthy as I can.

    In metta,
    Raven
  • I would think there would be more emphasis on the body in Buddhism. Yes, it decays and dies, but so do our minds. We are led to believe that purifying the mind leads to Nibbana. If the mind is a road, the body must also be a road. I think it's about how it's done. The intention. That's it. The intention.
  • I know I'm replying VERY late, but I only stumbled onto this site last week (12/14). I just wanted to say that Gengaku's post so perfectly articulated my experience that I've copied it and refer to it almost every day. It's the best, most succinct observation on what Buddhism (and non-Buddhist meditation and maybe any religion) can or can't do that I've ever heard. It's also the clearest explanation of the kind of wishful thinking that prompted me to pursue Eastern thought and practices for over 30 years, what's "wrong" with that thinking and why its failure inevitably led me to abandon practice, and why I've come back, albeit a bit circuitously, through the Chinese disciplines of qigong shibashi and zhan zhuang that have helped mature and ground me so I could relinquish my naive if well-intentioned fantasies of what practice can acheive and move forward. Just a beautiful teaching, and I had to thank him for it, even so far down the track.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @genkaku‌, that one's for you...

    lobster
  • WanMinWanMin Veteran
    edited December 2014

    @ThailandTom said:
    Swimming is probably one of the best forms of exercise as it puts less strain on your muscles and joints and is a really good cardio workout.

    Because it doesn't have impact it doesn't strengthen the bones.

    I think walking is a good exercise, joint mobility exercises like the ones seen in qigong and taiji might be good to prevent injury. But if the goal is avoiding sedentariness and develop natural fitness I believe the bulk of our exercise should be the one we do in our everyday life, such as walking, using stairs, carry weights, all using a proper posture.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Oh and (where are my manners?!)

    Welcome, @TheEyeBehind‌ ... :)

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