cubic61052 said:

a girl in my class last year hurt herself because she was trying to show off...
if i can't do it, i'll sit, breathe with my eyes closed for a while, and look around at the others, mostly the pros @ the front and the teacher, and ask them about it after class
or sometimes they'd come and help me
i think i'm getting the hang of it now tho

Anx said:

i should try that with my pms cramps
i dont think i've ever done anything like that, or to that extent, i just breathe and let my body feel it
i should try the questioning tho

Anx said:

OMG, this is a true story--I'm not just saying it to be nasty.

But one time, I was driving from the beach and I had to take a shit like really really bad.

So I isolated the aweful diarea-cramping-pain and minimized it to controlable levels for ten minutes before finally getting to my house and allowing my ass to explode all over my toilet.

Imago said:

Imago said:

you told this story PARTIALLY to be nasty, didn't you?

seriously...it's crazy how that works. it's like if you can make yourself quit dreading the pain, it backs off.

Anx said:

mind over matter, matter over mind

SammiJ said:

Just remember that yoga is non-competitive. you are not even competing with yourself, however you will need to 'extend' yourself in order to a advance. Eventually you will be able to rely on muscle memory, instead of having to concentrate so hard on getting it right or being distracted by others...you will be a human before you know it!

Anx said:

My very first job was as a dishwasher in a small diner. I used to love to do the silverware cause you'd have to take time to hand dry each and every piece. The thoughts (or sometimes lack thereof) that would go through my mind during those times were wonderful.

cubic61052 said:

that's part of what keeps me going the health aspect of being flexible

Imago said:

That's naff

...you can meditate yourself out of pain, however that is a bit more information than we needed!

INSATIABLE said:

I do the breathing and other exercises and such to get myself to sleep. I've used it for meditation in the past, but now I just want the rest.
I'm so introspective and introverted anyway, I probably spend a good third of my day in deep thought. I'm not saying that to be whatever, that's just the way my mind works.

I studied Transcendental Meditation.

I have a mantra, and it works wonderfully.

It puts me in a state of deep rest.

sag10 said:

care to share a tad more???

SammiJ said:

SammiJ said:

Well, I sit in a chair, and close my eyes, and in my mind
chant my mantra.

After about 5 minutes, I am somewhere deep in peace. Usually meditate for
20 minutes.. You'd be surprised, inexactly 20 minutes my mind starts to
awaken.

sag10 said:

interesting

This thread is really interesting! Thanks for bringing it up Sammi

I'd love to get into yoga, but again its the money thing. I dont want to start doign it from scratch alone, because I dont feel Id get anywhere. Im really, really inflexible, and I just know Id hurt myself. I need to do yoga before Im much older, or I dont know what state Im going to be in! I crack all over the place...

Like a lot of us, I dont actually meditate but I too relax a lot when Im doing menial tasks, and as long as you get that feeling, thats good enough I think. I would make more of an effort to set aside time each day and do nothing but to be honest, I end up doing that a lot of the time anyway! Just sitting, thinking...I dont know if I could block things out. That would take some training

Part of my ritual is cleaning my space. If I really have some heavy things to deal with, I'll sage my house before I start meditating(always leaving a window or door cracked so negative energy can escape), thanking the creator for the sage and thanking the sage for allowing me the benefit of its cleansing. Mainly its deep breathing and Reiki for me, though. Its really wooded around my house, so if I can get outside its a much more rewarding experience.

SammiJ said:

I found this really good, really cheap book on reflexology at borders. I havent had time yet, but the plan is to work that into my practice. Your mentioning the oils reminded me that I still havent done that. Thanks

My project, by month's end, is to compose and record some tracks for a prayer & meditation CD.

Thanks for the reminder, Sammi J. I'd better get crackin'.

i love reminding people without knowing i did



thanks for the input everyone

I typically meditate on simplicity, but occasionally it'll be something else. Other times I just follow my breathing. I find this most effective, in fact.

Like Anx said so well, menial jobs and everyday tasks can be used for meditation. Ironing used to be a meditative act for me.

Imago said:

Just before Christmas I started getting really bad toothache quite regularly. It was unbearable and I'd get really irritable with people around me, not wanting them to talk to me or bother me, and I'm not keen on going to the dentists here. Anyways, one time I didn't have some paracetemol to help, so I just decided to go outside on the balcony, sit down and meditate through it. Not only did I manage to remove the pain, I transformed it into something pleasant! This happened a couple of times around Christmas but now I never get toothache.

Anx said:

I know exactly what you mean. When I'm in pain I can often step back from it a bit. . . observe it. . . notice how my body is reacting in detailed sorts of ways . . . and just let it be pain without the usual suffering.

I hate having dental anesthesia, so I've learned to get through moderately terrible procedures just through that kind of meditative practice. And participation BDSM can also kinda hone that as a skill, if you're into the sensation play part of it (which I am).

I can do it "on the fly" if the pain is sort of expected (like at the gym). But if I stub my toe or whatever, I yell as loud as the next clumsy douchebag.

INSATIABLE said:

For me it's like paying such close attention that your mind sort of turns inside out.

If it's noisy, I notice the noise in great detail, until my mind has sort of gotten everything it can from it and lets it go. If it's stuff in your own mind, then you notice yourself having the thoughts until, again, your mind is done with them and lets them go.

I know this is obvious, but do it when you're not tired. And if you get sleepy, observe what that feels like, how it's affecting you. If you fall asleep, well, fine. Don't worry about it. Just try to pay close attention.


I'm sure it's different for different people, but that's how it goes for me.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

why do you hate dental anesthesia? just curious, cuz i think i'm going to be having some serious moments with the dentist for the first time in a long time...

Anx said:

Mostly, these days, it's just having a numb face for hours. Hate the feeling. But also, while I don't mind needles anywhere else, I hate getting injections in my mouth. I had a lot of dental problems as a child, so I think it's just leftover phobia. The injections truly aren't painful.

I can't sit without moving unless I'm unconcious.

I was doing Iyengar Yoga- it'z brilliant but I haven't had a chance to do it since i started working fulltime hours! I will get back into it, cause i can go in with the most horrid headache and come out feeling all

So when it comez to relaxing- before i got to bed i have a little ritual of my own! I make a spritz for bedlinen once a week to be sprayed every night- this week it has Roman Chamomile, Lavender and a touch of Jasmine. I spray that over my pillows, sheets, in the air...THEN I concoct a blend in accordance to my mood...tonight i will do a blend probably of Orange, Geranium and Ylang Ylang in my electric vapouriser, and then i concoct a blend in my base oil (Sweet Almond), usually similar to the oils i'm burning, and use that as a body rub before i go to sleep! I have such a lovely night's rest that when i wake up early i don't feel so crap and tired!! It puts me in a very relaxed, cosy, but happy to wake up frame of mind

I tried to meditate a few times but it just didn't work for me

I find that music helps me relax, keeps my mind from wandering all over & worrying about what I need to do. I'm just enjoying for a change. So I usually just put something soothing on & do something nick-nacky around the house... or lay in bed & just listen...