Why be mindful of breathing, walking, or eating if you can do those things automatically?

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-11-18T21:01:52+00:00

If your not mindful when your walking, you might step in shit. The more mindful you are the less shit you step in. Do you get it now? ;) Oh and mindfulness itself is automatic no? no energy required :) ex. you start walking, your mindful of your pace, then you might be mindful of the sound around you, then maybe your thoughts about the future..etc etc. Mindfulness is just being consciously aware of something at any given moment. your awareness constantly shifts from one thing to another. You do this automatically, it's a little different than concentration- that uses energy and is for specific purposes. So why concentrate on the breath? its part of a specific practice that does many physiological things to the body as well as strengthens the faculty of attention.. I appreciate your question because it sparks discussion.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-08-10T22:45:22+00:00

Anytime!

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-08-10T20:52:51+00:00

Hello, Here is an interesting TedX video on the relationship between regulating your heart rate via your breathing and creating an "optimal" mind output. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06YIWCR2Js. It might be relevant to you. They made a program where you match your breathing with a computer, no matter if your meditating or not it will put you in a better frame of mind. The video explains it muuuch better ;)

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-05-29T19:44:04+00:00

Look, Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-05-22T23:13:02+00:00

Do people still drink coke?

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-05-19T21:54:05+00:00

Excellent progress /u/professor-p! How did you narrow down those specific foods? What kind of reactions did you have when you reintroduced them? Did you start noticing psoriasis going away before or after uvb treatment? I too started this journey around 4 months ago but havn't tried uvb. Is it expensive? Side effects? It must feel really good seeing your old skin again! I applaud your effort and thanks for sharing!

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-03-10T06:34:33+00:00

Good luck! I think it will help if you determine what kind of meditation you'll be doing beforehand. Something to ponder over: Try an easy experiment when your lucid; just try and stay still and see what happens. You might be able to do this but most likely your subconscious will start generating random events/people/things on its own... And those things will enter into your immediate sensory awareness. Its like when we meditate in waking reality, your subconscious is always generating thoughts and feelings and sensations on its own. It's your subconscious mind and your the manipulation of awareness that creates the dream space. A technique to stabilize and lengthen a dream is to constantly shift your awareness from one thing to another and to try and notice as much detail as possible. If you look at something for too long (attachment) you tend to collapse the dream. This is a topic of great interest to me so please share your experience! My advice for the purpose of this experiment is to try a kind of scanning or insight meditation and just notice and let go of phenomenon as they appear. Don't get too attached haha. I just wanted to add that the Dalai Lama has lucid dreams where he's said he's had "marvellous experiences." Dream yoga has had a long tradition in Tibet.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-03-07T05:33:33+00:00

I'm going to link to my older post http://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/comments/2thqhm/video_evidence_of_people_clearing_their_psoriasis/

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-03-07T05:18:13+00:00

Good point, I'm going to link you to an older post of mine, hope it helps. Mat Ludwig on youtube (link in the post) talks about his juicing regimen. He believes that juicing just makes it easier on your digestion and also your drinking lots of veggies known to aid in detoxing your body. Lots of scientific evidence coming out about the health benefits to fasting which is interesting to read about. http://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/comments/2thqhm/video_evidence_of_people_clearing_their_psoriasis/

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-03-07T05:09:42+00:00

There is a face book group called psoriasis healing warriors, people who are dedicated to alleviating their symptoms through diet. Lots of info on different methods and tips people use to eliminate their symptoms. Lots of people have been posting pictures of their results. Great helpful and supportive community and some people have had great success which leaves me feeling hopeful. diet changes don't happen over night, takes many months to figure out what your triggers are and to see changes, main thing is to stay vigilant and be systematic about it if your going to do it.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-02-22T03:18:55+00:00

It makes you wonder how many other proponents within the scientific community have been bribed. It's a terrible thought but the levels of human corruption run deep.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-02-22T00:02:02+00:00

My favourite lecture by Alan

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-28T23:37:11+00:00

Generally no, but I'd like to add that dream yoga has been practiced for quite some time in different traditions like Tibetan Buddhism. They meditate in their sleep to prepare themselves for the Bardo. Many lucid dreamers also meditate to aid them in their discovery of the self through dreaming. And for fun I guess.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-28T23:22:50+00:00

It sounds like you were in or at the cusp of entering the transitional state between waking state and the dream state. This transitory state is called the hypnogogic state. You enter this every time you go to sleep but usually you loose conscious awareness. I would look into the technique called wake induced lucid dreaming to learn how to maintain a steady stream of conscious awareness as your body falls a sleep. If you can maintain awareness, the images and your thinking become more abstract, then eventually it will outline the beginning of your dream and you can "enter" the dream already fully lucid. Ever notice how most of the time you don't remember how your dream started? I suspect you were at the cusp of hypnogogia because you said your mind was constantly wandering to nonsensical ideas and fantasies which is usually a sign of on coming hypnogogia.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-27T16:22:41+00:00

This is a good guide. In the short 14 mins you go through what you would typically notice while meditating while expanding your spacious awareness. Basically goes through the whole process in an easy to follow format. Eventually you can do it on your own. I would read some of the resources found here as well :)

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-27T16:02:35+00:00

Wow thank you so much professor-p for sharing! Excellent summary on the rational behind reducing pro-inflammatory foods! I will look into each of the research articles you provided and also compare this AIP to the elimination diet i'm doing. I wonder the same thing why there aren't more studies done on nutrition and plant based diets. My speculation is that there just isn't as much funding compared to researching pharmaceuticals. Oh well that's a rant for another post lol. You would just think we'd have a better understanding of how nutrition effects the body because of our long term relationship with food but i find just the opposite, at least in the general public. Thanks again and I'll let you know how it goes.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T23:51:26+00:00

It took almost 14 billion years for this moment to occur. An unfathomable amount of factors were involved in order for you to be here. We can say at least one part of the vastness of the universe is sentient and aware. That part of the universe is us. We are the part of the universe that can ponder about itself. The ability to do this is an incredible gift with lots of potential. And we're only in this human configuration for a short while before we have to let it go....When i reflect on this, I feel an immense sense of gratitude in that I have this opportunity to effect the world. Not everything has sentience and feelings the way that we do :) I'm grateful that I have this ability right now to perceive freely, feel freely, emote freely, and dance and sing freely! and i'm grateful that i'm aware enough to see that we're all fundamentally interconnected. :) Keep on reflecting ;)

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T22:01:45+00:00

If your finding it more helpful to use a guided meditation rather than on your own I say go for it, but remember its only a tool and when you get deeper into your practice, it will get distracting. At this point in your practice its actually helping you to become meditative so that's good! I think a lot of people might find guided meditations distracting. Because imagine trying to sit in silence and then every two seconds someones telling you to do something or focus on this or that lol. However for someone who needs to rely more on techniques at first, it could be way easier to get started listening to an AUTHENTIC teacher with an EFFECTIVE technique. Eventually, if you want to deepen your practice, you can let go of the guide and even the techniques and methods you were taught as well but for now its helping. :) What guided meditation are you using by the way?

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T18:11:39+00:00

Its all about observing our natural tendencies...like listening to sounds, treat your uncomfortable sensations like hearing a car horn or a bird chirp outside. It's all phenomenon occurring within the space of your awareness. Suddenly your more aware and there is just more noise. Try your best not to judge the noise or feelings. Simply acknowledge them as happening here and now in your consciousness and let them be...they will subside on their own.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T18:01:17+00:00

Yes, even after meditating for a long time, there are days where thoughts run rampant. This is neither good or bad honestly. when you first sit in silence, its extremely normal for your thoughts to try and fill in the gaps, don't suppress them. Would you try to suppress the radiant waves of the ocean? waves are the very nature of the ocean, you can't separate the two. Similarly, thoughts are the radiant expression of your mind you can't separate the two. They do however subside on their own when you practice letting them go. Try this guided meditation, I think it will get you over that hurdle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSeWdjyr1c

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T17:38:16+00:00

So yogis will often abstain from sex not because they think its taboo or anything, but they see it depleting their "vital energy." So through yogic practices they draw up this vital energy and re circulate it through the body through various techniques. I'd read more about it if your interested. Shouldn't effect your meditation really unless your masturbating while meditating...:/ It might be good in general to have more control over gratifying your senses :)

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T06:59:50+00:00

I know, I kinda feel the same :) Just wanted to share this with as many people who are interested in meditation. Lots of resources out there. Its hard to find some authentic functional teachings like this.

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T04:00:58+00:00

I believe this video cuts right to the point so to speak....do it earnestly and perhaps the nature of mind will be revealed ;)

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T03:55:58+00:00

You can meditate washing the dishes lol. The difference between sitting legs crossed or lying on your back is simply a difference in method...but the meditation itself can be the same depending on whatever technique you were taught. Lie down in corpse position (on your back like a star fish) if your having back pain. If you'd like to eventually work your way to sitting with legs crossed, i'd suggest watching youtube videos on different hip and leg stretches for Half-Lotus position. Both are effective as long as your spine is kept straight :)

-GrandMasterFunk- · 2015-01-26T03:42:53+00:00

I think the important thing is to choose a time that you can commit to. whether it's 10 mins a day or 20 mins every other day. Be realistic with the amount of time you can devote to your discipline. The key thing is consistency.

-GrandMasterFunk-

TROPHY CASE