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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
 Posted - May 11 2007 : 10:54:30 PM
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Very interesting mass-market-oriented explanation of a yogic approach to exercise and sports. It's a bit hyperbolic and self-helpish, but there's a lot of really good stuff here. i thoguht it would be too "lite" for me, but, on contrary, the book gave me a much clearer understanding of the problem of a striving attitude in asana (let alone jogging and weight lifting, which I'd always approached with a nearly Bulgarian grimness). And the linkage to AYP (in terms of the necessity of cultivating and integretating both energetic action and stillness) is absolutely patent.
Body, Mind, and Sport by John Douillard
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Mind-Spo...p/0609807897 |
Edited by - Jim and His Karma on May 11 2007 10:56:51 PM |
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2007 : 01:27:54 AM
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Hi Jim
Your post is very timely for me because I have just started experimenting with gym work and meditation.
I have gotten unfit because of injuries but getting back now.
Last night I tried a workout and then almost immediately did some meditation. It was ok, my system was still probably very busy so I didn't appear to go deep - but that would not necessarily bother me if I thought the benefits were there.
I am planning on meditating before a workout to see the effects.
Of course these experiments would have to be done over time, so perhaps you could give some insight into what would be a useful regime - or am I on the wrong track altogether?
Thanks
Louis |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2007 : 08:56:17 AM
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Sorry to interrupt- I'd like to see Jim's answer to your question also.
Yes, it's hard to meditate deeply after exercise- and meditating first will improve your exercise session! The only exception for me is if I am falling asleep, just a little exercise like 20 push-ups will wake me up enough so I can meditate without falling asleep.
My preference for exercise is using no gym equipment at all except a pull-up bar and sticky mat. All my exercises use body weight only, and it's much easier to retain and improve flexibility that way. Some people use weights and then do flexibility exercises, but then you're doing twice as much work. |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 10:13:40 AM
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Sorry, somehow missed these replies.
I'd suggest meditation, then asana, then workout. Don't try to meditate after workout, when you're all worked up. And if you meditate before, you can use that silence in your workout, which is precisely what the book talks about.
The great thing about this book is that it suggests a way to use meditative silence to prevent the sort of anguish/stress many of us feel when we are pushing ourselves physically.......to keep the workout as smooth as any other facet of our lives. One big help is to never breathe with open mouth, which creates a flight-or-fight reaction. Another is to never let pulse and breathing rate get fast. The system is about building up one's capacity without resorting to the sort of flailing panic reaction. The author reports success in training even long distance competitive runners to win races with very low heart/breathing rate (this is a different thing from the theory of low heart rate exercise, currently popular....the latter doesn't stress achieving very high output under very high loads with low pulse/breath rate). It's all about the silence. He also talks about "the zone", which so many athletes talk about. He thinks it's a result of silence.
Etherfish, handstand works really great for quick invigoration, too. Easier to do and a bit less extreme is uttanasana (touch toes) or downward dog. |
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 2:37:06 PM
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Yes, a few days ago I tried meditation and then went to the gym.
I could feel the extra silence in the workout and in fact was able to push myself much more without appearing to overdo it. Caution however, the result of this was a lot of body ache a couple of days later - I had overdone it on a physical level without realising it.
Another thing I tried was leaving out samyama after the meditation and instead doing it in the sauna after the workout. This just happend more by accident than anything else, but it felt good. Brought me back to my sweat lodge days 
That evening and the following day I could feel the enhanced sense of peace combined with the benefits of the workout.
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 9:55:26 PM
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| sparkle, this author makes the case that body ache is a result of improper warm-down. You may not be doing enough warm down. |
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 03:58:25 AM
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Had a look at the Amazon excerpts, it seems that the book could, as you say be a good compliment to AYP for someone interested in physical training of any sort.
Also a way to bring people into AYP from the athletics field, or simply from the perspective of keeping fit.  |
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Lili
Netherlands
372 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 09:19:43 AM
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What do you mean by nearly Bulgarian grimness?
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 11:03:28 AM
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| Memories of Bulgarian weightlifters in olympics past. Apparently humorless and joyless, all bull strength. Purely stereotype, but trying to convey my approach. |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 6:35:28 PM
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But I think it is important to increase your heart and breathing rate on a regular basis. It not only feels good from endorphins, but stimulates the immune system.
Louis, the sauna is good for stretching too. It's easier to stretch when warm, making me curious about doing asaunas! |
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