Swede

I agree. I thought it was strange too. I just assumed they ducked for cover, you know, huddling together.

I watched the whole video and at the time I thought it was real. Admittingly I watched it with disgust and and emotions running and wasn't looking for signs of it being fake. I saw the shooter firing up close, blood splatter, bodies moving upon the impact, him running over a victim with his car and more horror. I remember though thinking at the time the victims were not trying to run and nor was there any screaming. You caused me to Google if there are any conspiracy theories out there, and ofc, there are Click the link, but beware, there are some graphic gifs of the footage in it! You have been warned. https://dcdirtylaundry.com/how-we-know-new-zealand-mosque-shooting-video-is-a-cgi-fake/ But.... if it was a hoax, what about the victims? All the funerals? Crying families? And why? What would the objective be to fool everyone? More importantly, who benefits from claiming it a hoax, denying that it ever happened? Unfortunately, I think it was real.

After watching that video and reading most of that linked text, I thought the same. He seems to propose a 'method of no methods' to reach his natural state, basically saying its fruitless to consciously try to reach that state. But it seems like it's easy to say once you've already reached/entered the natural state, with the awareness and view that would entail.

Whoa whoa, let's take a breather here gents. Purely out of my selfish interests but I'd hate to see you senior fellas leave. Just like you once did, us junior bums learn a lot from you guys. Wether I agree with everything I read here or not, many posts open up new perspectives either for further research or to be put on layby for a bit of maturing.

/Off topic... There is nothing better than a swedish julbord! Back on topic... \

Yeah I've done the Bill Starr 5x5 program and many others. I liked the squat every day and smolov jr, but for me the best program for strength gain was Wendler's 5/3/1. I never liked the 5 rep range for some reason but I really enjoyed the triples and higher reps for the puuump. But probably like you, after many years of grinding myself down, I've had to change my training around. (As an aside, I wish my older wiser self could've told my younger self chasing strength gains would be counter productive in the long run. But then again, would my younger self have listened..... probably not! ) For me being inactive stiffens my back up straight away. So now I still lift but nowhere near 1rm or even 3's. I usually stay at the 10+ range. I've scrapped a few exercises as well. I mainly stick to Front squat - let's me get deep in the hole, straight lower back with no rounding. Feels good Trap bar deadlift - guarantees no back rounding when fatigued Power clean Snatch grip dl from deficit - awesome Lunges - kb mainly Leg press - minimal lower back strain Leg extensions Bulgarian deadlift for hammies Leg curls Kb swings Hill sprints The main thing I've incorporated though is mobility work. This has been really good for just feeling nimble and without pain. Part of it has been movement stuff which is super trendy on the interwebs right now. Check out Ido Portal, MovNat and Vahva fitness for really good movement training. And good 'ol stretching has a big impact. Tight hammies will definitely cause a sore lower back. Play around with it, see what fits. Stay in the upper rep ranges, concentrate on form and time under tension. And keep moving. Basic hument movement, get down low and crawl. Vahva fitness animal movement is awesome.

There are heaps and it kinda depends what you're into and how much time you're willing to give it. These are some of my favorites that I do and I feel they work. Quads Back squat - bb, kb, db, bw... Front squat Lunges - with kettlebell Hill sprints! Leg press Leg extensions Jump flow Hamstring Deadlift - conventional, sumo, snatch grip (love that one), trap bar (awesome if sore/tender lower back), kettlebell, one legged... Back squat Romanian deadlift Power clean - only if somewhat familiar with o/l Glute-ham-raise Lying leg curls Kettlebell swings Glutes Squats (see a trend..?) Glute bridge Hip thrusts Single legged Bulgarian squats Core Planks - all types Ab wheel L-sit - tucked or straight V-ups Kb side bends Heaps there, but for simplicity pick one or two from each and hit it twice a week. Or one a day.... so many variations.

Some good advice here already, thought I'd just add some pointers. Firstly, are you sure you actually have tight/shortened hip flexors? If not, you can stretch them till the cows come home with little effect. Do the simple Thomas test. You can do it on your own. Best to do it more than once, as results vary, but it'll give you a good indication whether the hip flexors are tight or not. If you do have tight hip flexors, you should stretch and strengthen them. If not, it is still a good idea to strengthen them as well as your glutes and core, as these are more often than not the culprit for a sore lower back. My favorite stretches - Beginner - Kneeling Work up to Pigeon is good And a simple groin stretch That's it. No need to complicate it. Run through all at least once. Hold for min 30sec. If you can, do twice a day. If not, no biggie. Mobility work is a marathon, not a sprint. Strengthening exercises Low lunge - knee off the floor, hold 30 - 60 sec Sliding feet Or with ball Glute bridge Reverse lunges are good That's it. Also, if you have a foam roller, it loosens up the area nicely. When you sit in the car for a long time, tighten and flex your glutes and abs, contract them as hard as you can for 10 sec every now and then. If they're tight, I'd say both.

Thanks for that link. Interesting. I'm going to have to read up on this a bit further. Thanks again

Hmm who might this master be? Anywhere I can read about this further? It seems rather important. Cheers

Do you mind elaborating on this? Reason I ask, I have been doing a simple standing practice for the last two months. No teacher. Hands tingle like mad, feet feels like a thousand needles underneath and warm, lower legs boiling and moving internally and the ldt is hot and I feel strong pressure around the ldt.

Thanks. Found a copy on ebay. 15 bucks, can't go wrong. Interestingly, did a Google search and there are many opinions about what translation is best. But generally it seems Kaufmann is the preferred non-scholastic version.

Any recommendations of a first read of Nietzsche for a novice? Cheers

​ ​ Hello all, I have quite recently discovered Tao(ism) and have been reading a lot of different material. Bit of a background… I am nearing 40, have 4 children, I am married, I work fulltime and I have a fairly active lifestyle. I was born and raised in a coastal country region of Sweden, under a Christian tradition. At 15 I was confirmed as per tradition although I never really bought into the whole God/Christianity thing. I have always felt as if I have been searching for some sort of truth. As a teenager I lead an easy life. I have always read a lot of books and once I found a book in my parent’s bookshelf which would have a huge impact on me – Shogun, by James Clavell. As historically incorrect it may be, it opened my eyes to the Eastern world. From this I developed some romantic ideas of greatness and respect from the Martial Arts and an imagined Bushido code. At this time of my life I would often sit daydreaming upstairs in my room overlooking the fields in the summer sunset. The Swedish countryside has some beautiful scenery to offer and I would sit there, not sad, nor depressed, but just at peace. It was at this time, around the age of 17 or so, whilst sitting there gazing through the window, I had a sudden realisation that I was somehow one with everything. I felt an immense peace, and however fleeting it was, it lasted for quite some time and it translated into everyday life. Nothing seemed to stress me out and the typical teenage woes did not bother me as I felt at peace. But then life got in the way and I went to do the compulsory national service. I joined the Army as a commando, true to my earlier romantic ideas of battle. During this time I lost that feeling of oneness and the feeling of peace. Upon completion I resumed the ‘normal’ western idea of life. I have always swayed on the leftie side of politics which I somehow think is a subconscious protest against what I saw as a consumeristic selfish society. I started travelling and I met my wife, emigrated from Sweden to sunny Australia, got married and fast forward till today, 4 children later, am still happily married. I have always enjoyed discussing religion with others including diehard Christians, muslims and a fabulous Sikh. About 12 or so months ago I remembered the feeling of oneness I had once felt as a youngster. I actually googled Shogun and started dwelling in Japanese traditions which led to martial arts, Zen and traditional Buddhism. Somehow I found and read Eckhart Tolle’s book, The power of Now. It had a huge impact on me. I had many ‘aha’ moments with new insights. The book had many references to Buddhism and Zen koans which resonated with me. I started looking into Buddhism which led to Zen. At one point I was trying to decide which tradition I wanted to pursue or investigate further. This is when I stumbled upon Tao. I had never heard or read about this philosophy/religion and it immediately spoke to me, unknown how. I read Jane English and Gia-Fu Feng’s translation of the Tao Te Jing. Although I did not really understand most of the passages, I felt there was a ‘secret’ message hidden within the text and I felt compelled to find out more. I have since read a few classical and modern books including Zhuangzi, Tao Te Jing for parents (which I strongly recommend to any parent out there), The Tao of Pooh and a few others. I have also trawled the internet for blogs and forums for any further insights. Again, I’ve had many ‘aha’ moments and although they are fleeting, they are also addictive which threw me even further into the interwebs. I feel I understand the message in my mind when reading these texts, but I don’t ‘feel’ or ‘experience’ it as reality. I do feel I am more interested in, or drawn to, the so called philosophical and spiritual Tao than the religious variations. So, here I am. The more I read, the more confused I get. I have many questions, many that are probably perceived as childlike to the members of this forum. But I will ask, this is a path I feel like I have to take at this time. ​ Thanks for having me.

That reminds me of a funny saying here... Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.

How? Very briefly, as a reference point, so I can investigate further, if you don't mind. Cheers

Yeah this is what I usually do. Suburban traffic, in all its glory, is a part of my world and game. Just gotta accept it. It's funny though you mention 'hoping,wishing' cause that's exactly what I find myself doing sometimes haha. 'If he'd move to the left lane I'll get a clear run on the outside and then...'. But it never ends well... In saying all this, I just watched a documentary on children in Syria and all of a sudden my traffic woes don't feel so important anymore. But whilst typing this I'm looking at my 18 month old twin girls dancing wildly to YouTube music clips. So time to drop the iPad, taobums and all, and get involved in my reality. Cheers

Thanks for all those replies, all very interesting. Haha yes, I often see this, someone driving half across the breakdown lane in heavy traffic stopping impatient people from overtaking on the inside. There is something interesting about traffic. It seems to bring out a nasty side in people who usually are considered 'normal' or otherwise would never fight/abuse others. As the dashcam is becoming more and more common now, they often show footage on the news of road rage incidents. People have full on punch ups or yell and abuse others after being cut off by another motorist. And tempers fly sky high. But when you relax and remove yourself from the situation you realize you only lost one car length. That's it. It has absolutely no impact on your travel time at all. Yes I agree everything just is. It is our perception that gives us the label and meaning of good and bad in situations, to a point. If you think of an event or an 'is' and how different people think of that event, some might see it as good, others as bad. (As evident in all the Trump/Clinton threads here... ;-) Also if you look at good and bad (or cold/hot or any opposite) as essentially the same thing, only as a sliding scale between two opposites of the same thing. But with heavier events like rape or murder, I don't quite see how that's not purely 'bad'. Although, some life changing event initially perceived as 'bad' sometimes turn into 'good' in the long term. I know all about our rule-based society. This is something I have been considering a lot lately, in relation to how ones profession effects ones outlook on life and more recently, how it effects ones spiritual growth. Might be subject to another rambling post in the future... Haha True. And when sitting there I know it's not personal. I am just 'traffic' to others, just like I think I'm stuck in 'traffic'. Truth to be told, I'm no angel in traffic either. But that s where the old ego comes creeping in. And all of a sudden, it's personal.

I was thinking about ego today whilst driving home from work. It's funny how the usual drive home can be a lesson in life. My drive that takes 30 minutes in the morning takes about 50 minutes in the afternoon due to heavy suburban traffic. I was stuck at a set of lights for a while when I noticed several cars were creeping down the turning lane next to me only to push in down at the intersection. No wonder I was sitting there for longer than usual! I could feel the anger creeping up inside me. Mindful as I was I felt the raised pulse, the blood pressure in my head, I noticed my jaw clenching, the 'heat' inside as pure anger welled up inside. I realized it was my ego getting hurt. "How dare they do this to me!?" I could feel the anger pushing me beyond what I could reason away. The anger felt good... liberating. The anger started to take over, I was angry. No, I was ANGER! No way I would let anyone push in front of me! If they tried I would rip their head off and... No, not really. All this road rage violence inside me was all in my head (and slightly exaggerated for illustrative purposes ;-) But it made me think. How does a person go through life if one has successfully realized ego, and managed to live ego-free(ish)? One would be a pushover, forever taken advantage of by other less mindful people? Or maybe the issue of being pushed back in the que of traffic would have been a non-issue in the first place?

Thanks for that. I looked at that webpage, the 'bulletproof power nap' sounds very interesting. I'll give a shot! Cheers

I finally decided on learning samatha meditation as I figured whatever else I want to try later on will be greatly assisted by a focused mind. Now I have a question I was hoping you guys could help me with. I have not had one session in which I haven't nodded off at least a few times. Although I 'wake' up immediately and restart counting the breaths again, I feel it takes away from the meditation. I have tried sitting with my eyes open but it feels unnatural and I continuously blink my eyes hard as if they are getting dry. I work shift work so I sit at different times a day. On a day shift I roll out of bed and I sit at 4.30am. This is the worst time. On days off or night shifts I sit around midday when the little ones go down for a sleep straight after a training sesh in the garage gym. Even then I struggle. Does anyone have any technique to stay concentrated and awake? On a side note, I started having this weird sensation a few times. Out of nowhere when I'm peacefully counting my breaths, I get a strong feeling or emotion I would describe as excitement. It feels like the whole body is tingling. I'm careful with any psychosomatic experiences and I just observe the feeling and let is slowly dissipate and go away. I don't want to get to the point where I expect this feeling and therefor create it every time I sit. But a few times I have stayed with it and it grows much stronger. I feel as if my arms and legs are tingling and this pressure or a force goes up into my head where it builds up. I start to cold-sweat and it feels like I have high blood pressure. It is not uncomfortable or anything, just feels odd. If I hold my breath after the out breath the feeling of pressure almost makes my head grow.

How funny, I just bought this book off eBay yesterday based on a recommendation elsewhere. I'm looking forward to reading it now. Thanks

'Every country has the government it deserves.' Joseph de Maistre A classic old quote. But as I can see it, there are two ways to look at it. Yes, we elect the government we elect and have to suffer the consequences. But, what if all we can choose between is pest or cholera? Is it really 'our' fault then? In a way yes, as over time we shape the type of politics and politicians we want by allowing certain behaviors, and not allowing others. But what in the case of a tyrant or dictator? Do we deserve them? Well no, no one deserves oppression, however, again people need to stand up for what is right. Fundamentally though, can a politician be all what we want? Honest, straightforward, dutiful? I think not, as by default a politician has to have an enormous ego and only surrounds themselves with likeminded people who for their own ego's sake rubs the master ego. To the op, in what way do you think the world has visually gotten worse? Have we not always been horrible towards each other in many ways? It is history repeating itself, the eternal cyclic event. But in every disaster there are always people ready to risk it all to help others.

Or do less, less, less... and nothing is not done Haha I'm not to sure my wife would like me doing less... But jokes aside, you make a good point. Trying too hard will get me nowhere but confused. But what 'doing' should be done less? If I may offer my limited understanding of wu wei, it's not 'not doing' but 'doing' out of spontaneity or a doing where there is no striving. Where action or 'doing' flows automatically. Am I on the right track? Almost like careless/carefree or mindless action where the outcome does not matter to me. But how do I reach this state? Especially in spiritual cultivation where my mind is very much involved in analyzing, feeling and searching. My attempts of learning about wu wei and Tao is just more conscious striving, which is in direct opposition to wu wei. Oh, the oxymoron lol. Anyway, it's late and I need to give my poor brain a rest. Thanks again