Yoga thoughts

[sprintcyclist]

I have started doing the Balancing Table lately.

[Black Orchid]

Yoga is great and combined with Tai Chi is even better.

[skippy]

I think I need to start doing this. My body needs some stretching.

[Outlaw Yogi]

The poses most Westerners regard as 'yoga' are call "Asanas" .. and are actually remnants of the original martial art.
Yoga which means "union with the divine" has 8 arms of which the asanas are just 1.
Some unfit people have trouble (at first) doing asanas, but I was already trained in 2 martial arts (Judo [Japanese] and Hapkido [Korean] = "Art of balance").
Meditation is another of those arms, and I was a meditation instructor.
Many Western meditation instructors encourage visualisation, but I was taught visualisation in meditation is wrong as the point of meditation is to clear the mind. Odd as it may sound, in proper meditation the endeavour is to think of nothing - harder than is sounds - that is not think of anything.
If thoughts and images come, don't fight it, just let them pass. And odd as it may also sound your concentration/attention (without thinking about it) should be on the top/crown of your head ... which is actually a nerve plexus .. known in yoga as "Sarasrara chakra".

If the meditation is successful your life force/energy referred to as "Kundalini" should rise from the Mooladara chakra (crotch nerve plexus) at the base of the spine, up the spine through other chakras/nerve plexuses to the Sarasrara chakra/crown plexus. During which time if you put your palm face down over your head you should feel a cool breeze ... if it's hot/warm there's a physical ailment or a mental or emotional trauma/problem.

The object/intention of clearing the mind via meditation is to give relief from problems, and if you don't get that relief, you'll have trouble sleeping ... like having a video or tape recording of everything that happened that day or that week rolling over and over in your head.

If you have trouble not thinking of anything during meditation with your eyes closed and sitting upright (not laying down!) try 'flame meditation'.
Just stare at the flame on a candle. Some use an oil lamp because they don't flicker like candles.

[BigP]

I have started doing the Balancing Table lately.

Id be carefull that someone doesnt pop a hot mug of coffe on your back

[sprintcyclist]

The poses most Westerners regard as 'yoga' are call "Asanas" .. and are actually remnants of the original martial art.
Yoga which means "union with the divine" has 8 arms of which the asanas are just 1.
Some unfit people have trouble (at first) doing asanas, but I was already trained in 2 martial arts (Judo [Japanese] and Hapkido [Korean] = "Art of balance").
Meditation is another of those arms, and I was a meditation instructor.
Many Western meditation instructors encourage visualisation, but I was taught visualisation in meditation is wrong as the point of meditation is to clear the mind. Odd as it may sound, in proper meditation the endeavour is to think of nothing - harder than is sounds - that is not think of anything.
If thoughts and images come, don't fight it, just let them pass. And odd as it may also sound your concentration/attention (without thinking about it) should be on the top/crown of your head ... which is actually a nerve plexus .. known in yoga as "Sarasrara chakra".

If the meditation is successful your life force/energy referred to as "Kundalini" should rise from the Mooladara chakra (crotch nerve plexus) at the base of the spine, up the spine through other chakras/nerve plexuses to the Sarasrara chakra/crown plexus. During which time if you put your palm face down over your head you should feel a cool breeze ... if it's hot/warm there's a physical ailment or a mental or emotional trauma/problem.

The object/intention of clearing the mind via meditation is to give relief from problems, and if you don't get that relief, you'll have trouble sleeping ... like having a video or tape recording of everything that happened that day or that week rolling over and over in your head.

If you have trouble not thinking of anything during meditation with your eyes closed and sitting upright (not laying down!) try 'flame meditation'.
Just stare at the flame on a candle. Some use an oil lamp because they don't flicker like candles.

.............. in proper meditation the endeavour is to think of nothing - harder than is sounds - that is not think of anything. If thoughts and images come, don't fight it, just let them pass. .........................

Yes. At times I sort of 'passively observe' my thoughts as they pass.

[BigP]

The poses most Westerners regard as 'yoga' are call "Asanas" .. and are actually remnants of the original martial art.
Yoga which means "union with the divine" has 8 arms of which the asanas are just 1.
Some unfit people have trouble (at first) doing asanas, but I was already trained in 2 martial arts (Judo [Japanese] and Hapkido [Korean] = "Art of balance").
Meditation is another of those arms, and I was a meditation instructor.
Many Western meditation instructors encourage visualisation, but I was taught visualisation in meditation is wrong as the point of meditation is to clear the mind. Odd as it may sound, in proper meditation the endeavour is to think of nothing - harder than is sounds - that is not think of anything.
If thoughts and images come, don't fight it, just let them pass. And odd as it may also sound your concentration/attention (without thinking about it) should be on the top/crown of your head ... which is actually a nerve plexus .. known in yoga as "Sarasrara chakra".

If the meditation is successful your life force/energy referred to as "Kundalini" should rise from the Mooladara chakra (crotch nerve plexus) at the base of the spine, up the spine through other chakras/nerve plexuses to the Sarasrara chakra/crown plexus. During which time if you put your palm face down over your head you should feel a cool breeze ... if it's hot/warm there's a physical ailment or a mental or emotional trauma/problem.

The object/intention of clearing the mind via meditation is to give relief from problems, and if you don't get that relief, you'll have trouble sleeping ... like having a video or tape recording of everything that happened that day or that week rolling over and over in your head.

If you have trouble not thinking of anything during meditation with your eyes closed and sitting upright (not laying down!) try 'flame meditation'.
Just stare at the flame on a candle. Some use an oil lamp because they don't flicker like candles.

.............. in proper meditation the endeavour is to think of nothing - harder than is sounds - that is not think of anything. If thoughts and images come, don't fight it, just let them pass. .........................

Yes. At times I sort of 'passively observe' my thoughts as they pass.

And I passively observe my stools as they pass..

[Valkie]

That position, and several others are fairly standard for back injury rehabilitation.

I do it every morning in my daily workout for a damaged back.

We are all doing damage to our backs by sitting all day, not using our core muscles and not making our core strong enough.

Trust me
A bad back is a terrible thing to live with.

[BigP]

That position, and several others are fairly standard for back injury rehabilitation.

I do it every morning in my daily workout for a damaged back.

We are all doing damage to our backs by sitting all day, not using our core muscles and not making our core strong enough.

Trust me
A bad back is a terrible thing to live with.

I have been struggling with a bad back for the last 8 months, Rather debilitating it has been, starting to come right, Been doing a lot of core strengthening

[sprintcyclist]

That position, and several others are fairly standard for back injury rehabilitation.

I do it every morning in my daily workout for a damaged back.

We are all doing damage to our backs by sitting all day, not using our core muscles and not making our core strong enough.

Trust me
A bad back is a terrible thing to live with.

I have been struggling with a bad back for the last 8 months, Rather debilitating it has been, starting to come right, Been doing a lot of core strengthening

Good luck with it.
I have managed my bad back for over 15 years.
I do yoga a few times every day, only for a few minutes each time.
Downward dog, Cat, Cow and balancing table poses are good for me.

Whenever I feel 'tight' I loosen up. Am amazed how almost noone does anything for their own wellbeing.
They are 'too busy' to stretch, but can go to a chiro to get him/her to help them.