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351 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2005 : 12:51:49 PM
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1121 From: "david_obsidian1" <david_obsidian1@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Jun 27, 2005 0:43pm Subject: gain pranic benefit by 'imagining' doing asanas? david_obsidian1 Offline Send Email Do you think you can gain benefit by imagining doing asanas? I think you can, but it very much depends on the type of 'imagine'.
There is a type of 'imagine' that is very close to the body, that *just* stops short of engaging the nerves and muscles; and there are other forms of 'imagine' that are very mental and don't get close to the body at all. It's the first kind of 'imagine' that can be used to gain some benefit from postures without doing them.
A radical idea? I've noticed this myself, but have found other people mention the same effect. The way one person put it is that you can get the *pranic* benefit from doing postures in your imagination.
A corrollary from that is that you can get some benefit from dreaming that you are doing postures, or doing them in your sleep. Recall that we don't remember most of our dreams. In fact I think that doing postures in fragmentary dreams/ subdream states is possibly an integral part of the integration that goes with doing postures. This could be going on all the time when we do postures and we don't know it.
What I do know is that in certain fragmentary dreams (from which I have woken up) I have found myself doing a yoga posture, and in fact, it was the 'pranic' jolt from the transition that occured that woke me up and made me aware of what was happening.
These ideas are not at all crazy btw from an informed scientific point of view. In fact, there were some studies done recently (and published in a reputable journal --- I think I saw a reference to it in one of MIT's magazine publications) that established that people can build muscle to an extent just by imagining the workout of that muscle.
'Imagine' might not be a good word for this. 'Simulate' might be better.
BTW, I am not advocating dispensing with physical postures. But it is possible that if your somatic imagination is good enough, you could do a quick simulated asana session in your head before the real one. One of the great things about the simulated session is that you can go at any speed you like. Or what about doing a simulated asana session while you lie in bed just before you get up and do the real one?
Any comments anyone?
-David 1122 From: "RobGee" <robg33@catskill.net> Date: Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:19pm Subject: Re: gain pranic benefit by 'imagining' doing asanas? ginoverdi9 Offline Send Email This technique was used extensively and very successfully by East German olympic swimmers in the 70's and 80's and their unbeatable teams. Hari Om Rob
> > Do you think you can gain benefit by imagining doing asanas? I think > you can, but it very much depends on the type of 'imagine'. 1123 From: Ram Narayan Gupta <rngupta31@yahoo.co.in> Date: Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:45pm Subject: Re: gain pranic benefit by 'imagining' doing asanas? rngupta31 Send IM Send Email Dear David! Your comments for getting pranic benefit by 'imagining'doing Asanas r good to the extent of pranic benefits and/or such imagining of doing asanas during one's indisposition/llness. So far as asanas for physical flexibility, wellness/ fitness, I think doing practical asanas r inevitable. Regards, Ram
david_obsidian1 <david_obsidian1@yahoo.com> wrote:
Do you think you can gain benefit by imagining doing asanas? I think you can, but it very much depends on the type of 'imagine'.
There is a type of 'imagine' that is very close to the body, that *just* stops short of engaging the nerves and muscles; and there are other forms of 'imagine' that are very mental and don't get close to the body at all. It's the first kind of 'imagine' that can be used to gain some benefit from postures without doing them.
A radical idea? I've noticed this myself, but have found other people mention the same effect. The way one person put it is that you can get the *pranic* benefit from doing postures in your imagination.
A corrollary from that is that you can get some benefit from dreaming that you are doing postures, or doing them in your sleep. Recall that we don't remember most of our dreams. In fact I think that doing postures in fragmentary dreams/ subdream states is possibly an integral part of the integration that goes with doing postures. This could be going on all the time when we do postures and we don't know it.
What I do know is that in certain fragmentary dreams (from which I have woken up) I have found myself doing a yoga posture, and in fact, it was the 'pranic' jolt from the transition that occured that woke me up and made me aware of what was happening.
These ideas are not at all crazy btw from an informed scientific point of view. In fact, there were some studies done recently (and published in a reputable journal --- I think I saw a reference to it in one of MIT's magazine publications) that established that people can build muscle to an extent just by imagining the workout of that muscle.
'Imagine' might not be a good word for this. 'Simulate' might be better.
BTW, I am not advocating dispensing with physical postures. But it is possible that if your somatic imagination is good enough, you could do a quick simulated asana session in your head before the real one. One of the great things about the simulated session is that you can go at any speed you like. Or what about doing a simulated asana session while you lie in bed just before you get up and do the real one?
Any comments anyone?
-David
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 1124 From: Ute Reeves <nowyoga@earthlink.net> Date: Mon Jun 27, 2005 4:00pm Subject: Re: gain pranic benefit by 'imagining' doing asanas? nowyoga2001 Offline Send Email David, I remember reading about a study where they put (I think) athletes into three groups. One did not practice a certain skill. The other did practice daily, and the third group practiced plus visualized doing the skill for some time every day. The third group had most improvement of the skill.
You are not so far off. Ute 1125 From: "Melissa" <mm7810@gmail.com> Date: Mon Jun 27, 2005 4:49pm Subject: Re: gain pranic benefit by 'imagining' doing asanas? mm78102002 Offline Send Email Hi David -
I think "simulated practice" has much merit. Many years ago [lol], when I was learning instrument flying, I did the same thing. I imagined the control panel, the approach, and would spend a few hours "chair flying". This practice saved me costly extra hours at the controls. Later, as an instructor, I had a couple of students do the same thing. Even at the flight school where I taught there was a flight simulator and I have to admit that the "chair flying" was just as effective when the student could visualize all the components. You are correct, it is not a replacement, rather an enhancement. Good post! :)
Melissa
--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, "david_obsidian1" <david_obsidian1@y...> wrote: > > Do you think you can gain benefit by imagining doing asanas? I think > you can, but it very much depends on the type of 'imagine'. > > There is a type of 'imagine' that is very close to the body, that > *just* stops short of engaging the nerves and muscles; and there are > other forms of 'imagine' that are very mental and don't get close to > the body at all. It's the first kind of 'imagine' that can be used > to gain some benefit from postures without doing them. > > A radical idea? I've noticed this myself, but have found other > people mention the same effect. The way one person put it is that > you can get the *pranic* benefit from doing postures in your > imagination. > > A corrollary from that is that you can get some benefit from dreaming > that you are doing postures, or doing them in your sleep. Recall > that we don't remember most of our dreams. In fact I think that > doing postures in fragmentary dreams/ subdream states is possibly an > integral part of the integration that goes with doing postures. This > could be going on all the time when we do postures and we don't know > it. > > What I do know is that in certain fragmentary dreams (from which I > have woken up) I have found myself doing a yoga posture, and in > fact, it was the 'pranic' jolt from the transition that occured that > woke me up and made me aware of what was happening. > > These ideas are not at all crazy btw from an informed scientific > point of view. In fact, there were some studies done recently (and > published in a reputable journal --- I think I saw a reference to it > in one of MIT's magazine publications) that established that people > can build muscle to an extent just by imagining the workout of that > muscle. > > 'Imagine' might not be a good word for this. 'Simulate' might be > better. > > BTW, I am not advocating dispensing with physical postures. But it > is possible that if your somatic imagination is good enough, you > could do a quick simulated asana session in your head before the real > one. One of the great things about the simulated session is that you > can go at any speed you like. Or what about doing a simulated asana > session while you lie in bed just before you get up and do the real > one? > > Any comments anyone? > > -David
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