The Buddha Yoga Body
lobster
Crusty Veteran
As some of us know the body is a manifestation of Bodhi Mind. We are as we extend our manifest.
In order to deal with anger/fear and excessive comfort eating I have decided to engage in yoga plus ...
@Kerome is working towards a 30 day hatha yoga challenge. Hope he will share his reasons and progress 
https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/560329/#Comment_560329
I have been doing my daily (usually 20 mins) and this is what suits me in terms of exercise:
After doing meditation with @how I do exercise. So this is just after 6.30am for me.
I sometimes use guidance - plan to do one of these in a few hours ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/55151792
Already I am noticing my preference needs and progress:
- limited space and a wintery room means a quick bout of martial muscle tension exercise warms
- yoga and tai chi stretches and loosens
- a led or timed session is very inspiring
- daily is good practice
There even seems to be something to inspire my lobsterian tendencies. Nice claws.
Comments
Already some of my required asana are emerging:
These of course will change
https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhism-and-yoga-where-the-paths-cross/
Did a beginners 30 min youtube session after spilling water on my Turkish prayer mat and chanting some vulgarities ...
Luckily the session ended with corpse pose
Chanting vulgarities - I like it! Why did I never think of that?
@Fosdick glad you like ... japa yoga is a powerful transformation through word ...
It does not matter what we chant. Some people chant in languages unknown to alien deities/principals ...
Here are is a vulgar mantra mumble NOT SUITABLE FOR MINERS or the irreverent ...
Fuckity Fuck Fuck
Fuck it
I iz a stupid can't
Fuck me. Fuck everything. Fuck!
Om mani peme hum
You can repeat this until the moment passes ... and love and laughter breath in again
My journey into yogihood is going well. Did this session this morning, with the sound off
Sit down. Be quiet. Be yogi.
I'll clean it up for you.
Flippity-dipstick.
Schmuck it.
I'm a schmuck -- a washed-up hack.
Fimbledy-fiddlesticks.
Lobsters mantra is in Vajrayana terms, Nyingma
Vimalajatis is Gelugpa.
🙂
Dear Friends of Tantra, Mahamudra, Tibetan Tantra, Bon-bons and the raving lobster,
I swear rather too much. I have very little to be angry about but that does not stop me
The repetition/claiming of the sanctity of:
is a form of hell realm protection/expression, humanising and transforming our mood/being
Remember we are in the Purelands/Hell Realms/Human world ... all at the same time. It is a question of interpretation, mind processing if you will ... 💗🤬😱🤗🌈
... and now back to the yoga discipline
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/mystic/
It is going well.
Covid Clown Brexit Boris too late, advised us to stay home. I decided not to go for a local walk (I still legally can) but to yogi it as usual.
Yogacise is a skilful means/discipline.
Yesterday left TV yoga instructors off and combined my known asana, martial tension and aerobic exercises with determination to relax and recuperate.
May look to a virtual class experience soon enough ...
This morning left the sound off and did this for my mental health
Then at breakfast I swore at the toaster repeatedly for deciding to retain half a slice of home made wholemeal multigrain bread. I eventually retrieved the half a toast ... with a fork. Yes I did unplug the toaster.
Guru toaster was unmoved by my wrathful and unskilful expletives.
I made my bicycle trip to the supermarket twice today... the first time after I got there and disposed of the recyclables I realised I wasn’t wearing my rucksack, which contains the reusable plastic bags. So I cycled back, got them, went back to the supermarket and then did the shopping. Not clever.
I have yoga’ed a couple of times, but have yet to settle into a rhythm. Must buy a yoga mat too.
I did a yoga for beginners session just now, I must say my body feels better for it, not so,stiff and creaky. Maybe I will try and get up earlier on a regular basis. It’s just that this morning at 5 I felt unusually clear-headed and so I decided to have coffee.
Good tip to drink coffee before yoga @Kerome
Did the yoga for mental health again today with the sound on. Was worth the repeating. The toaster was smiling ... and so was I ...
I have only used a borrowed yoga mat twice since restarting
Here are free resources:
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g29264172/best-yoga-videos/
I woke up at 5.45 this morning again, so decided to have coffee and do yoga. It agrees with me, this early morning session.
Bravo @Kerome ✅
I drank a silver tips (White) tea before starting ... coffee is used by dervishes to ensure they can pray all night (ideally) ...
https://commonground.ca/coffee-the-nectar-of-sufism/
Then ...
Our water pressure was low and the boiler difficult to access. So after sorting that through removing an impeding ladder and other obstacles ... decided a relaxing restorative session would be ideal ... Strangely enough I was nicely warmed by contorting past the washing machine to the boiler.
The yoga is working, not too much swearing at the boiler ...
What if we combine yoga with qigong? Will it help our meditation?
Here is a Western Theravadin monk who thinks so ...
I did this session this morning. Very good.
Im still trying to complete a week of beginners yoga at 5 am. This morning was session nr 4. And my yoga mat has arrived. Mint green with a mandala print.
Well I did a mostly standing series today before my morning meditation for a change. My body dictated the required moves.
Now for some zazen ...
Update:
This might be the ideal. Stretch/Relax the Bodhi/Body and then ... and then ... more of the same ...
Iz plan 🐲
I totally agree @lobster boredom is the enemy... I just had two large mugs of coffee, a chunk of a Terence McKenna lecture and my yoga session on the new mat.
@Kerome
One of the hardest lessens for Western Yogi is less is more. Or rather gently does it.
For example the pose of a child is an advanced lesson stretch pose if devoted to aerobic panting.
My advanced pose is kneeling. Balance and 🧎🏼 finding patient poise
Yes, it’s one of the reasons I find Adrienne such a nice teacher... she is so relaxed in her body. I had a little break yesterday, but this morning I was back on the mat, woo!
@kerome Adrienne is rightly very popular.
May try to find a free real time zoom class ...
https://www.bwy.org.uk/www.bwy.org.ukacts-ofkindness/
I find it too that yoga in the early morning is very conducive to a clear mind. The stretching and becoming more supple, energising the body, working the kinks out of the neck and the spine, very good.
Then afterwards to do some meditation or to go back to bed and snooze a little, either way is fine.
If you have a rock or chair available roll up your trouser leg. Masons Welcome. Roll up your sleeves and do some easy graft ...
This is a great Chi Kung routine AND you can keep the volume up because the instructions are written on the screen. The only sounds are birds and peace. Ahhh ... breath in ... and gently out
So easy
10 minutes
I preceded it with another Judy Young video this morning
20 minutes
Now the question is Yoga or Qiong? Both? Depends on ... ?
I have only just started with yoga, having just completed my beginners week. I think I will stick with it for a while, also because there is a good mixture of strength and body flexibility.
Qigong seems nice, but based more on movements than stretches, I’m not sure if it is as good for the body. Reminds me a lot of Tai Chi.
@Kerome Qiong is the warm up preceding many tai chi classes.
Managed to get my mother doing a few of the 8 brocade ...
Well done on completing first week.
I was just looking for a successor to my 20-minute yoga for beginners video, would like to do something the same length or a little longer, but then a bit more challenging. So I checked out a 20 minute Yoga Flow video... that was a bit too challenging, lol. I don’t think I can hold the plank that long. I’ve settled on this one.
5am is a good time.
is a book by Dr Seuss I believe ...
This morning I woke up at 4.45... so I snoozed a little... at 5.30 I still felt very tired, so I slept on... until 6.30 at which point I got up for coffee and yoga... then at 7.30 afterwards I yawned and thought I would go back to bed... at which point I slept a deep, dreamless sleep until 11.30.
At least I had my yoga.
Being from New England originally where 'Lobster' is pronounced LAWB-stah, and one comedian says "We use the 'F' word like a fuckin' comma." I too was overly fluent in the Anglo-Saxon for most of my life. I feel ya. I stopped for two reasons; one is I've now lived down south for more than half if my adult life and its not as prevalent here, and secondly I see it as 'wrong' or unskilful speech. That is not to say I judge others for their use if it. I do find it jarring though. I wonder if age has anything to do with that...
Daily regularity works for me. I am quite shocked that I stopped, yoga is so beneficial. It will take me awhile to return to some of the poses I find easy.
I am great at the corpse for example. To my utter amazement my body is a lama/guru.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_the_body
Yes I agree, I enjoyed my yoga this morning, but I am finding I am unable to follow Adrienne in some of the poses she does. Mountain pose and corpse pose I can do, downward dog at a pinch, but my belly gets in the way of a proper forward fold.
I used to work for a Christian charity. One of my co-workers was an accomplished yogi. Trying to start a yoga class had not been possible. Being trained in a very dynamic form of yoga for martial artists meant I called it 'keep fit'. Perfectly acceptable.
We did the dynamic yoga/keep fit before lunch with staff and residents. People became fitter and lost weight.
@kerome weight loss/belly fat responds better to diet. Yogi often change their diet.
I am working towards frog and eventual yoga squat (featured in this video)
My experience is that proper gym workouts are the best way to tackle overweight. Eating sensibly, being aware of food patterns, and taking plenty of exercise. I’ve found the body building community to be knowledgeable and helpful. However with covid the gyms are shut, so it all has to wait.
Haven’t yet done my yoga, but I will. I am looking forward to doing some longer and more intensive routines.
I did a 34-minute Yoga “Fresh” routine this morning, I was quite pleased to complete it. It set the whole body a-tingling. Or maybe that was the herbal tea I had last night.
Yesterday had a rest day. Did not use a youtube video as a background inspiration.
Was very pleased to do the first stage of the Natarajasana pose. Which was difficult for me. Taking it slowly, not pushing against but with the body is a blessing.
I did the above yoga, my wristband told me I burned 234 calories doing it... but it’s still very early so I think I will go back to sleep for a bit at 4.16 am, still entirely dark here.
We have electric light here
Gosh 234 calories. What is that in biscuits? About 2-3?
I am moving towards a better diet (am in charge of food ordering).
Rather appreciate the Buddha diet. Less.
I am particularly grateful for kefir and use it every day to make a fruit/berry bircher muesli.
Anyway ... done my meditation, now to make tea and work on my yoga squat ...
oh I iz so spiritual ...
Discipline/commitment works for me.
I have been doing daily meditation and then 30 mins yoga, quite gently/naturally up from the initial 20 mins of yoga. There is nothing but good in gentle but sustained practice.
No yoga the last few days... I will try and pick it back up tomorrow.
The body feels good after the yoga session, a bit later in the day than usual, 246 calories burnt, maximum heartrate 146 bpm, got a bit sweaty. Now a short relaxation and then on with the days chores. Need to go through the snow to the supermarket, and have a few places where melting snow needs to be cleared away because otherwise it might fall on people.
I am very pleased to still be relearning the benefits of daily meditation and yoga.
It is my formal practice.
Careful with:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/joyous-mind
I do alternate nostril breathing but not much more. All postures have a gentle breath preference ...
I am using a Turkish prayer mat as my yoga mat. It is a bit short but beggars can be yogis.
There are many benefits. Here are some you may find of interest:
https://tricycle.org/magazine/is-yoga-buddhist/
Thank you!
Namaste fellow yogini ...
🙏🏽
In many ways chi kung ensures we learn standing meditation and strengthen our lotus knee afflictions.
Meanwhile I have added a covid rainbow shawl extension to my prayer/yoga mat. The shawl comes from an old friend who died from the covid. Will provide a picture soon ... of the new rainbow ...
In terms of personal yogic improvement:
https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/donkey-kick-pose
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_cognition
I have to say I'm pretty poor at synchronised excercises. I decided to find a teacher and there is one near my flat. However, it is closed due to COVID-19. Anyhow, the master has shared this basic routine to improve our immune system. It is pretty simple...only one movement is a bit more complicated...
Got my mother doing Shanmukhi Mudra
https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/8752/shanmukhi-mudra
as part of these seated yogalates
and dance sequences ...
seated yogalates with granny 1
dance with rashmi and her gran 2
I am exhausted ... trying to keep up ... 🤪
Am looking for a goat to practice with ...
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/5-yoga-positions-named-after-goats-that-we-just-made-up-trending/
If it does not work out. Kid Curry. Win. Win.
[Think I need to read about ahimsa again ...]
Oh wait ...
best teas I have had are yogi teas apart from my home made alchemical tea
may order from ...
https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/
or the other Ayurveda/Rasayan tea, that I presently use ... is Pukkha
Amazing which poses are proving hard
For example:
... one I have to do preparatory exercise for. Will take me awhile ...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garudasana