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Shivoham
India
107 Posts |
 Posted - May 26 2010 : 12:13:27 PM
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| From my experiment I found that unlike psychedelic Drugs Alcohol contract consciousness. A person with an expanded consciousness will have natural dislike for it. |
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HathaTeacher
Sweden
382 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2010 : 3:21:05 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Christi
Hi Lili,
quote:
Hehe Christi glad the British humour is the last to drop on the list (which is why you didn't even list it)
If I ever loose that I'll give up yoga. Everything else I can live without. 
I fully agree with these two priorities, Christi :-)  |
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idiotegue
Czech Republic
12 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2010 : 12:31:52 PM
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Hi my experience is also pretty much the same - alcohol is giving up on me constantly. Now I prefer to drink alcohol-free beer though it seems sometimes a bit awkward but I don't care.
I also stopped drinking coffee and black tea and I avoid refined wheat and white sugar. I am a vegetarian. All these changes happened to me naturally...I didn't push it..it just happened and I feel good :)
But I still eat dark chocolate (I've just eaten a big bar of it mmm and really enjoyed it) 
Cheers!  |
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Akasha
421 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2010 : 10:34:36 PM
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Ocassionally.
I don't find it useful though. |
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HathaTeacher
Sweden
382 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 10:14:16 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by idiotegue
All these changes happened to me naturally...I didn't push it..it just happened and I feel good :)
Congrats! Self pacing is important, and the changes are more likely to become permanent, too.
An alcohol free beer or two is an, I'd say, good idea. Beer-expert countries like yours make it actualy quite tasty. It contains the same vitamines/colloidal minerals/nutrients as other beers but less than 0.5 percent alcohol. |
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Chiron
Russia
397 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 02:55:10 AM
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Quit drinking alcohol about five years ago. I've read that drinking diminishes one's willpower. That was even before I was getting any pranic feelings. Now chocolate or icecream (or any other cold or heavily processed food) give me a bad headache, so I don't even wish to experiment with drinking alcohol.
If I find an organic, alcohol free beer like HathaTeacher mentioned above then I might give it a go :) |
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kristy85
USA
1 Posts |
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machart
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2010 : 01:03:59 AM
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I admit it...
I drink alcohol.
I drink coffee.
I eat meat.
And I have mad passionate monkey sex with my wife.
...such a very non-"yogic" lifestyle...although I do practice almost every day.
But...I'm probably one of the happiest and most contented guys in the world who tries to love everyone and everything.
"There is nothing either good or bad,
but thinking makes it so."
William Shakespeare, "Hamlet" |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2010 : 05:10:45 AM
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Good and healthy attitude dear Machart, no one should feel guilt about any of that stuff that's self tormenting... i also admit taking some of the stuff you mentioned every now and then, but drinking alcohol is the least thing i take sips of cause the price is too heavy and very unpleasant in my case...
practicing daily makes habits change that's true... i used to torment myself a lot because of my sexual behavior (working on being spiritual yet sexually active) in the past and i've noticed that when i accepted my instincts and started doing some gentle persuasion and some tantra something inside changed and now it's going toward the best gradually.... but my libido is still present and seems to be going nowhere but up and uppp...
Love
Ananda |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2010 : 06:00:41 AM
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I thought i would throw in my two cents here because i am, in fact, hungover right now 
I still drink and probably nearly as often, really. I like a good beer or three but i rarely drink large amounts anymore.
Honestly, given my social and work settings, i don't even see it being plausible to be a non drinker. Sure it would be possible, but then i would end up a nazi.
I can see if you live a mostly private life. But social drinking is an important part of both city life and work cultures these days.
Honestly, most of you guys seem like saints! 
Its pretty rare to meet people that don't drink, where do you guys hang out? Maybe this is an age thing?
I can't imagine not having my coffee, the occasional beer or joint, a few smokes now and then. I could go without, and sometimes i do, but they are part of the enjoyable part of life! Why would i not want to enjoy my life?
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 27 2010 : 12:25:21 PM
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Brother Tonightsthenight, i used to be like you but the change has come from within and the reason why there is minimum and occasional intake of that stuff is that it simply does put me out of balance.
Speaking about alcohol that was like a slap in the face for me seeing that most of my social life involves that and this is the reason why i take some sips every now and then just to socialize more and it's fun if i take a drink and a half but more than that the symptoms become very unpleasant.
and you just reminded that i was having launch today at a table filled with meat from all sorts and i was the only one eating veggies and this is something which i have pretty much got used within my family and 90% of my friends... talk about feeling out of sync...
i recently shared a little story in the forums and it seems to fit here also:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=8019
Love
Ananda |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jun 27 2010 : 8:09:54 PM
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Ananda,
I totally understand what you are saying.
I've gone through long periods where I was compelled to limit or abstain from many things, booze included.
In the early years, i remember times where i "risked" going out with friends and having a few drinks. I'd end up with an insane, high pitched ringing in my ears, totally discombobulated. I was just too sensitive to touch the stuff.
But for the past few years those types of symptoms and sensitivities have evened out. I'm still ultra sensitive (to the 10th power) but I can drink, smoke cannabis, occasional mushrooms or whatever.
The key is dose!
I never smoke more than a minuscule amount of cannabis, and only in the right situations. That's because .05 grams of cannabis for me is probably about the same as .5 grams for somebody else.
Same with mushrooms, half as much for me as for "normal".
With alcohol, i definitely get periods where one beer is all i feel i should have. And at other times, i can drink as a "normal" person but i am very sensitive to its negative hangover effects, so i don't like to overconsume.
I get what you are saying, its hard with the social thing and all that.
My experience is that at the times when my energy was very active, but i still had a lot of purification to do, then drugs of any sort, even in small amounts would send to very uncomfortable places. Anyone else ever smoke cannabis with raging K and lots of blocks?
But now the energy level is even higher, but i don't have so much purification left, so i am super sensitive to drugs, but i can consume them in moderate amounts.
Hopefully this will change for you in time. Who knows? (Strong) K is a huge huge adjustment and totally changes your outlook on every part of your life (unless you had already changed your outlook i suppose!)
Best wishes to you. |
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cosmic
USA
821 Posts |
Posted - Jun 27 2010 : 10:20:13 PM
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Hello everyone
Brother Ananda, I too can relate to what you say. Occasional drinking is okay but at some point inner silence is way more appealing.
I still drink (occasionally), but admittedly yoga practice is way better.
Regarding drinking as part of the work culture.... I can relate to that because I've been in the situation, where going to "work parties" and drinking with co-workers is part of the deal... but at the same time you have to be true to yourself.
I used to live in an apartment where my roommates were drinking heavily EVERY night. Taking hard liquor shots every night, etc.
In periods when I wasn't into it, I refused the peer pressure on a daily basis. You have to be strong enough to say "No" if you're not into it. Even when they're calling you a sissy (and worse), you got to be true to yourself.
For some people, drinking or not drinking is no big deal. It's all part of the play. You are the one watching the play...
Just my 2 cents.
Peace
cosmic |
Edited by - cosmic on Jun 28 2010 1:50:43 PM |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 12:28:51 AM
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Brothers Tst and Cosmic, thank you for your inputs.
The problem here is just feeling like an outsider in these social stuff, per drugs liquor or meat i know i am better off and it's what best for my path and if i am feeling not at ease these days while ingesting any of that stuff then i consider it to be a blessing and will try and get the best advantage of it even if it means that i'll end up being a loner which pretty much seems like where i am headed these days...
It really feels like when a teenager does drugs just to fit in, well am not buying...
Love
Ananda
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cosmic
USA
821 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 01:00:34 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
It really feels like when a teenager does drugs just to fit in, well am not buying...
Good for you brother
Love(f)
cosmic |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 2:31:15 PM
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Hey Cosmic and All
quote:
Originally posted by cosmic
For some people, drinking or not drinking is no big deal.
Yes, this is how it is for me (at least right now). For me, drinking has never been a huge problem, never liked to overindulge, never had any issues if I couldn't have a drink, and I quite enjoy a drink every so often....but for a VERY long time I had issues with marijuana use. I wanted to stop, felt it would be best if I did, but just was unable to do so. I am now at a point where I don't smoke pot habitually and I don't purchase any, but if it is offered and I feel inclined, I will occasionally partake. But I don't beat myself up for it and I don't find any negative effects from it. Same with alcohol.
For example. I went golfing yesterday for the first time this season. Usually when I go for a round of golf I quite enjoy having a beer or two as I play. This time I was with 3 friends, 2 of which had just left rehab for their alcohol addiction. Because of this I did not drink anything while we played and it was no issue....I didn't miss it. The third friend did however offer me a toke off of a joint at one point. I wanted to partake, so I did. And I quite enjoyed it. In the past I would have suffered over this decision to partake. I would have beat myself up for the rest of the day (and perhaps even longer) telling myself that I have no self-control and that I am an addict. And it likely would have made it very difficult for me to enjoy my round of golf. Yesterday these negative thoughts may have entered my mind, but if they did, they didn't last for more then a second or two as I know; 1. I DO have self-control and 2. I am not an addict.
To me it is not the occasional use of whatever substance one may happen to enjoy that is an issue. It is the inability to enjoy life without these substances and/or the inability to let go of the negative thoughts surrounding their use, that can be an issue. It's like Nisargadatta smoking cigarettes. We may think "How can a guy who is supposedly enlightened still enjoy a substance that is pretty obviously not good for the body?" Well, the same way a liberated soul can enjoy a glass of wine, a joint, some mushrooms, chocolate, caffeine or anything else. Simply by enjoying it.
I'm not saying that we should not be somewhat discriminate in what we put into our bodies....our bodies are temples, no arguement there. What I am saying is that there is more harm done by the THOUGHTS surrounding the use of substance then there actually is from the substance itself. As we continue to purify our minds and bodies through spiritual practice our preferences for food, drink and recreational substances will certainly change. I am personally going through a period where my diet is drastically changing. But being on the spiritual path does not mean we can't enjoy certain things that the body/mind may actually enjoy. Depriving ourselves of things we enjoy can do just as much harm (read: cause as much energetic obstruction) as indulging in them. It's like sex. We may have this thought in our heads that in order to become liberated we must master our sexual impulses...and to an extent, we may. But this is not something that can be imposed. It has to arise natuarally. This happens by (obviously) continuing with daily spiritual practices in combination with allowing ourselves to be open. If I feel inclined to have a beer or a glass of wine, me choosing not to imbibe purely because I believe the thought that it will inhibit my spiritual progress will cause just as much obstruction (if not more) then if I actually had a glass of wine or a beer. In staying open to everything, we are able to lose the constriction around certain activities that we may otherwise feel "should" be harmful to our progress.
So I guess, from my perspective, an enlightened being could still have a beer every single day if he/she was so inclined. I don't imagine it is very likely, but having a drink everyday doesn't mean you can't be liberated from suffering. Liberation is liberation. If one isn't suffering over their enjoyment of food, drink and recreational substances, well, then it isn't an obstacle to enlightenment.
Just my opinion. Your milage may vary
Love!
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 3:35:19 PM
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Beautiful post dear Carson, thank you for sharing.
quoting Jesus here: "a little wine makes the heart happy."
Love
Ananda |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 10:00:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
Beautiful post dear Carson, thank you for sharing.
quoting Jesus here: "a little wine makes the heart happy."
Love
Ananda
Great post Carson.
If i may, i'd like to rephrase what i said in my first post on this topic, when i said that "i don't want to be a nazi"
What i intended with that comment is exactly what you describe so well. That is, getting all hyped up about something is worse than the something!
I think what it comes down to is discrimination and the middle path. At certain points in the path, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis can be detrimental. At other times, they are there for us to enjoy. Choose yourself, because god has indeed given you the choice! |
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Chiron
Russia
397 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2010 : 07:35:28 AM
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How can we choose ourselves if we don't know who we are?
One has to know both the extremes before the middlepath can be walked.
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
quoting Jesus here: "a little wine makes the heart happy."
What if the heart is already happy? What if there is no need for coffee, tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, mushrooms, etc.. ?
Isn't spirit independent of everything in this world? If we are doing "spiritual" practice shouldn't we be acquiring more independence and freedom?
Here its quite simple: I'm not going to drink or smoke for the rest of this life. I've had my share already for a number of lifetimes.. so I don't judge anyone who still uses any substances, because I have done the same thing before and without it I wouldn't be where I am. But now staying true to my deeper feelings is more important. |
Edited by - Chiron on Jul 01 2010 07:44:43 AM |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2010 : 08:01:49 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Chiron
How can we choose ourselves if we don't know who we are?
One has to know both the extremes before the middlepath can be walked.
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
quoting Jesus here: "a little wine makes the heart happy."
What if the heart is already happy? What if there is no need for coffee, tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, mushrooms, etc.. ?
Isn't spirit independent of everything in this world? If we are doing "spiritual" practice shouldn't we be acquiring more independence and freedom?
Here its quite simple: I'm not going to drink or smoke for the rest of this life. I've had my share already for a number of lifetimes.. so I don't judge anyone who still uses any substances, because I have done the same thing before and without it I wouldn't be where I am. But now staying true to my deeper feelings is more important.
Yes, staying true to yourself is the only thing that is important.
You are correct, people walk the extremes before they walk the middle. In the middle, there isn't any judgement, even of oneself.
Just do whats in your heart ... my heart is really looking forward to a little bit of coffee in a few minutes! |
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Chiron
Russia
397 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2010 : 02:03:50 AM
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| lol |
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krcqimpro1
India
329 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2010 : 10:10:05 AM
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Hi Everybody,
What is refined wheat?
Krish |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2010 : 10:40:00 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by krcqimpro1
Hi Everybody,
What is refined wheat?
Krish
Maida. |
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krcqimpro1
India
329 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2010 : 11:50:03 PM
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Thanks, Shweta. I thought as much. But I understand, that even in so-called "whole-wheat bread",some of the "bran" is removed and sold separately, as it fetches a much higher price!
Krish |
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HathaTeacher
Sweden
382 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2010 : 2:26:20 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by krcqimpro1
Hi Everybody, What is refined wheat?
Krish
Hi Krish,
maida - as opposed to wholegrain (atta, graham) which contains even natural nutrients from the inner husk of the grain; that's where most of the fibres, vitamines and minerals cluster in wheat, unlike in other cereals where they're spread more evenly throughout the grain so even the "peeled" variety contains a little nutrients (not so in wheat).
The wording probably came from "refined sugar" (white sugar) where nutrients have been removed in the refinement process. What's left in both cases is almost 100% carbohydrates, an energy-boost in emergency, but: To metabolize them, the body needs vitamines, most notably B-group vitamines - and there are none left after the refinement... Therefore, they're taken from other foods and from deposits in the body. That's how refined CHs not only fail to fill the deposits but also actively empty them. The standard reaction of the body to this depletion is to signal hunger because there's no other way to signal "eat more vitamines". If this hunger signal is answered by even more refined CHs, a vicious circle begins (many dentists and doctors therefore oppose whatever "refined").
Yoga food is based on ingredients rich in Prana, so refined stuff doesn't pass the test. |
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Do you drink alcohol?
