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Smell the roses
Toraldris
-`-,-{@ Zen Nud... Buddhist @}-,-`- East Coast, USA Veteran
Nothing quite like letting yourself air-dry for a couple minutes after stepping out of the shower. We unwittingly rob ourselves of so many of life's simple pleasures by the simple expediency of "routine". This is what it means to stop and smell the roses. Pay attention! You might actually find that you enjoy the experience you're having at this moment, and don't need to rush through it to get to something else.
That is all. So fresh and so clean-clean!
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Archer, season 5. It doesn't get any better than this!
@robot I think I tried watching that once, I'll give it another look some day.
I've been doing some guided meditations by Shinzen Young. In the beginning of all his meditations, he encourages you to relax your body and then to immerse yourself in the pure enjoyment of just being in a relaxed body.
Never thought of it like that. I can just sit here typing and relax what is unnecessary for typing (or sitting upright lol) and it really does feel very good, my legs and feet are blissfully hanging off the day bed, who knew what pleasure was to be had in just being still and aware of it?
ETA: at least for me, I've suffered for the simple lack of peace and pleasure. I had no idea there was SO MUCH peace and pleasure to be had, much less it is PORTABLE and you can take it everywhere with you. I think it's true for all humans, this yearning for simple pleasure as a relief from the stress of normal life. Perhaps this is a greater issue for some than others. Each moment may have limitless opportunity for more peace or joy or pleasure. I never learned that, living this modern western life.
@Hamsaka Yeah it's ingenious. If you can cultivate presence, bare awareness, and then continue to function... very nice indeed. Takes some work (may be a big understatement) because it's easy to get caught up again. Plus you don't want to mistake that for actually being enlightened, which I can see how that could happen. I think there are even stories about people like that. So long as you're clear about what it is and what it's not, there's great benefit there.
@Hamsaka, @AldrisTorvalds
Thanks guys. You mean this meditation really does work? I knew it! Why didn't you tell us Mr Cushion?
I think he just fainted . . .
Jon Kabot-Zinn like to say "Next time your in the shower -check to see if your actually in the shower!". That comes to mind almost every time I'm taking a shower but my mind has wondered into the future, the " what's next, and next and next" mode of ignoring what's happening now in favor of an imaginary future. Then I'll hear another of his sayings..."Check your watch. What time is it? It's now!" Lol! Bob
One day a man of the people said to the Zen master Ikkyu: “Master,will you please write for me some maxims of the highest wisdom?”
Ikkyu immediately took his brush and wrote the word “Attention.”
“Is that all?” asked the man. “Will you not add something more?”
Ikkyu then wrote twice running: “Attention. Attention.”
“Well,” remarked the man rather irritably, “I really don’t see much depth or subtlety in what you have just written.”
Then Ikkyu wrote the same word three times running: “Attention. Attention. Attention.”
Half angered, the man declared: “What does that word attention mean anyway?”
And Ikkyu answered, gently: “Attention means attention.”
It's really is quite nice
Everything is so different when you stay aware. Everything is a new, sensational adventure.
I noticed this the most in my yoga practice. I have been doing yoga off and on for about 14 years or so, but really, I'd been doing it wrong the whole time. I never understood all the people talking about the connections they felt, the unity of mind and body. It was just more low impact exercise for me. Not so anymore. It's quite amazing to me to feel the body and breath as everything moves together.
The whole world, every minute of life is so different when you let go of the garbage and just be aware.
^^ Totally agree. Yoga is my favourite activity to practise mindfulness and awareness. If you are not mindful enough to listen to your body, you can get hurt (happened to me years ago) so I concentrate to the utmost with each asana. I do nine rounds of breathing for each side of each asana, and it's wonderful to feel the body stretching out and opening up with each breath.
A perfect relationship is created with the present moment and nothing else exists. No shopping list, no I-have-to-do-the laundry stuff... just the body and the present moment.
As a matter of fact, Indians created yoga as a preparation to meditation, so that the body's complaints would not interfere with the concentration required during the sitting session. On ideal days, I do both my yoga session and meditation together.
It sounds nice. Never tried yoga. The only "pitfall" might be one of attachment to the "soecial experience" itself. Sometimes when I experience a special feeling associated with a particular activity whether a meditation or just a stretch of awareness I find myself wanting it again. It seems to impede my progress until I let go of any expectations again.Bob
For sure, @dharmamom. I do the same, usually yoga then meditation whenever I can manage it. It completely eases the sciatica I sometimes experience in meditation. It gets my mind and body in tune and allows meditation to be "easier." I also find it easier to take both practices into daily life. Just like I might take a few minutes to meditate throughout the day, I do yoga throughout the day, too. It's amazing how much everything shrinks up if you miss a few days. Terrific practices, make it easier to smell the roses everywhere!
Sure, @karasti! Yoga is the panacea against every ailment and medicine for the soul.
And @MeisterBob, there are no pitfalls to indulging in activities you enjoy and are wholesome to you.
Sorry, but I can't bring up again my ultra-used example of the cookie to illustrate the point, because @lobster will pin me one of his fainted bunny cushions...
@dharmamom I don't think you understood what I was getting. Nothing whatsoever "wrong" with indulging in wholesome activities. Yoga sounds wonderful. It is my relationship to "wonderful" experiences and expectation (especially with meditation) that, for me, I personally need to be careful of. Bob
well, as a matter of fact, Yoga is much more than just some asanas to help the body to sit in a sitting session. The actual meaning of Yoga, if you are interested in knowing, then you can go through the below post: http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/15449/subtle-points-in-hinduism-which-have-been-overlooked
That's some nice information, @misecmisc1.
Just to make sure that I expressed myself correctly, what I have learnt about the physical part of Yoga is that it actually began as a preparation for the more important meditation session and later branched off into a separate routine on its own.
The idea was to limber up the body so that it would not represent an obstacle during meditation, which was considered the most important of both.
@MeisterBob it is good to be aware of our own issues when expectations or labeling things, especially when taking the labels others applied and expecting the same words to apply to our experience. But it shouldn't mean avoiding activities that could be of great benefit out of fears. Aversion to expectations is equally as bad as attachment to it. Everyone's experiences are different. Best just to accept what yours is, without applying labels that compare your experience to others.
Hence I said "might:. Was trying to be helpful. If I'm incorrect it won't be the last time lol
No worries, I don't think you were incorrect! Sometimes I read too fast and miss things, especially in the morning!
Good thing I NEVER do that...:p...
Me neither! lol!;)-
The idea was to limber up the body so that it would not represent an obstacle during meditation, which was considered the most important of both.
Yogasutras written by Patanjali was the initial source - it has 8 steps in it. The asanas were developed as part of a step 3 in these 8 steps. The picture is of a ladder in which the steps are taken from bottom to top - so the 3rd step of asana helps in 4th step of pranayama, which helps in steps 6,7,8 of momentary concentration(dharana), meditation(dhyana) and absorption(samadhi) - which further leads to kundalini awakening which finally leads to meeting(or Yoga) of Shakti (or Prakriti or Matter) with Shiva (or Purusha or Consciousness) leading to Self-Realization in Hinduism.
in modern world, the understanding of Yoga has just come down to step 3 asanas or bodily postures, unfortunately missing the whole picture of what is meant by Yoga in Hinduism completely.
@misemisc1 I think that was probably intentional, at least for the western world. We want some of the benefits of yoga without the religious and/or spiritual portion of it, because many people feel they have to justify the fact they are Christian with the practice of yoga. So it has been reduced in order to accommodate that mindset, largely. Plus, the westerners typically want maximum results for minimum effort.