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can you meditate while exercising?

cabossimncabossimn Veteran
edited October 2011 in Buddhism Basics
self explainitory.

Comments

  • Ada_BAda_B
    Don't jog with your eyes shut. That's the only advice I can give you!
  • riverflowriverflow Veteran
    Depends on the kind of exercise I would imagine. I have no skill at such a thing when I do weights, but doing qigong seems to be much more conducive to that sort of thing. I often will do qigong after doing zazen.
  • riverflowriverflow Veteran
    Don't jog with your eyes shut. That's the only advice I can give you!
    LOL
  • cabossimncabossimn Veteran
    im kind of new to the terms what is kigong and how can i do it and what is zazen and how do i do that, i know how to do walking meditation, is there a regular meditation, what is it when you meditate with your eyes fully open cause i tend to do that alot sometimes without knowing until halfway through. oh and i know a lot of people say you cant go in and out of nirvana but i know thats not true because of reincarnation and the fact that i remember what it was like before i was born. bbefore you say thats impossible i do remember because when i was in there i was actually wondering what it was. heh eeven before i was born i was asking questions how ironic. but when i was born it was weird as if everything was reset or something. anyways ive trolled this way to much.
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    Nope.
  • MindGateMindGate United States Veteran
    Nope.
    With all due respect Lincoln, I believe it depends on your sect. Ch'an Buddhists believe that mindfulness (meditation) can be cultivated just as much in the field as on a cushion.
  • shanyinshanyin Novice Yogin Sault Ontario Veteran
    I donno, try doing your meditation in your normal posture and then ten minutes in start flailing your arms around and try to meditate lol.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited October 2011
    It seems unlikely that one could meditate while exercising (remain mindful sure). In meditation we are trying to find a stillness where we aren't chasing the cravings of the mind to and fro, where we are able to notice the arising and passing of all phenomena without attaching to them (without following our thoughts or moods). Meditation includes this stillness where mindfulness does not.

    Exercise when you exercise, but try to remain fully mindful of what you are doing and thinking. And when you meditate, just meditate! Don't follow your mind's cravings thinking about this or that, just be still and see how the mind really works.
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    It depends on your definition of meditation. Zen practitioners usually do walking meditation. We're about to have a "mindful meal" followed by a walking meditation at our sangha, and I've done a driving meditation. So can you do it while exercising? Why not? Being mindful of the present moment is being mindful of the present moment.

    As for the definitions of qigong (chi kung) and zazen, I'd advise using Google. You'll find lots of information.
  • buddhajunkiebuddhajunkie

    We can certainly practice mindfulness while exercising. Whether you consider that meditation is perhaps a separate issue.

    When I do yoga I like to be mindful of how I respond to different poses (especially strenuous ones) and to be mindful of how my mindstate affects how well I perform certain poses (especially balancing ones). When under physical stress I like to feel how my mind is creating resistance to the pose, and I try to ease that resistance.
  • riverflowriverflow Veteran
    im kind of new to the terms what is kigong and how can i do it and what is zazen
    Qigong BTW is not a specifically Buddhist exercise-- I think it has its roots more in Daoism. But I think it is compatible with Buddhism as a good way to develop mindfulness. There is no formal connection between qigong and Buddhism.

    Zazen basically is good old fashioned sitting meditation.
  • Floating_AbuFloating_Abu Veteran
    self explainitory.
    No, not in the traditional sense.
    Sitting / formal position is important to cultivating genuine meditation.
    Then we can speak about 'casual' positions.
  • abhishek_laserabhishek_laser
    yes, but only if it involves slow movement that can be done mindfully. mindfulness can be cultivated in all postures. the general postures mentioned in buddhism for the cultivation of mindfulness are sitting, standing, walking and lying down. personally, i would recommend that you take up walking meditation, it serves both as a excercise and a powerful meditaiton technique which even the buddha and his disciples practiced. a lot of monks were enlightened doing walking meditation.
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