SunDog

Lozen, If you can release your glute muscles, especially your medius and minimus, your SI joint often has an easier time of maintaining itself. Certain things can aggravate, such as leg length differences (true and apparent, which is when your own tight muscles cause the imbalance.) Helpfuls: trigger point release, stretching, chiropractic adjustment backed up with soft tissue release. And what Thaddeus said.

Trunk! I've been downloading and reading Mark's articles, fabulous. We also have a new computer in the house so I'm hoping I'll be able to dowload the audio, too. In a way, he scares the crap out of me because I get the feeling, no shitting around, this is the fast track.

Looking at it another way, here are the standard steps for goal-setting: Goal-Setting Worksheet When setting goals, play it SMART. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and have a Timeframe for completion. Goals and Action Steps Timeframe Goal #1 _________________________________________________________ _________ Action Steps 1. ______________________________________________________________ _________ 2. ______________________________________________________________ _________ 3. ______________________________________________________________ _________ 4. ______________________________________________________________ _________ So if my 'Goal' is to become less slothful, my Action Step is to do so by being more proactive.

QUOTE freeform It's not about being 'proactive' or the specific words you use... it's the structure behind the words that's important. I know it may seem pedantic, but this is an enormously important point. Try this for me: dont think of a pink elephant! do it!... the mind works very simply: you have attention and you direct it - in the example with the pink elephant you have to direct your attention onto a mental image of a pink elephant so that you know what it is that you're not meant to be thinking of. You get whatever you put your attention on! If you point a child's attention to the possibility of jumping in the puddle, guess what the most likely result will be? it doesn't mean the child will definately jump in the puddle - but s/he is far more likely to. If you challenge a child to "walk around the puddle" then it's far more likely that they'll do that. Columbus had a goal... His goal was to get to India westwardly... If his goal was however "I don't want to go east" he really wouldn't get far. If someone wanted to quit smoking telling themselves "I dont need to smoke, I dont want to smoke, I'm not craving a cigarette"... the attention is constantly on smoking!... How much more likely would they be to accomplish their desire if their goal was "I want to have strong, healthy lungs, and be able to calm myself in any situation."? Freeform, Yes, hello, and there are how many bajillions of people in the world and you're trying to say that one mold fits all? I have a highly disciplined mind. I quit a heavy smoking habit by saying, I'm quitting smoking. I did it, done. No positive affirmations while doing so. Often fighting off cravings, and 'aware' of that very fact. Not all children will jump in that mud puddle. I can 'not' think about the pink elephant. I'm not saying your approach isn't a good one. Because I do like and appreciate it. What I'm saying is it's very helpful to always be flexible and adaptable in how you approach any goal. For instance, some people work very well with positive rewards when making small successes in achieving a goal. Others work well with negative rewards (aka punishments). Wording of a goal is also highly subjective to each person. That's why when working with a person on the topic of goals you discuss all options and let the person word his or her own goal. To then have someone come along and say, Hey, that's all wrong. You have to do it this way. Well, then the motivation just gets deflated and the goal is, poof, gone with the wind.

QUOTE(SunDog @ Apr 29 2006, 03:27 AM) * My goal, become less slothful. QUOTE Freeform Negative goals tend to bring about negative results... if the captain of the ship said "I dont want to get to africa" he would aimlessly sail around and not get to the right destination. Perhaps a better formulation would be "I want to be more proactive"... how would you know when you're proactive? perhaps you wouldn't have time to watch tv - and that's how you'd know... all the best, f QUOTE(Pietro @ Apr 29 2006, 08:41 PM) * I dunno why, but I expect that if the captain were to say 'I dont want to get to Africa' I would expect him to reach it as soon as he get slightly distracted. Especially if the boat is governed directly by the mind. QUOTE Freeform I completely agree... It's like if you tell a child "don't jump in the puddle!" guess what's gonna happen? laugh.gif Freeform and Pietro, been thinking about the negative wording of a goal. And first off, the word 'proactive' means nothing to me. It's too abstract for my brain. I spend time wallowing in the possible meanings for the word. I think it's tedious to quibble about this positive and negative aspect of words. Columbus didn't say, "I don't want to find North America." And voila. If this were true, we'd all just be saying I don't want to [insert thing really wanted.] And POW there it would be. Doesn't happen does it? In the end, the Tao is beyond words. The best we can do on the way is to use our intent, wordless intent when we're really resonating with the Tao.

All right, so maybe what I'm really saying, is I want to relax more. Sung, here I come.

Cool. Thanks, Trunk. SunDog

Another question I had, do you have to be in the physical presence to receive transmissions? Or do the book, the audio, the video also work to some degree?

My goal, become less slothful. And I have this theory about television. Do you think all of these great Taoist meditations and exercises would have come about if the old Taoists sat around the tele?

MatthewQi, wow, scars in the mouth. Sounds like the event was extreme. Glad you're still here! Cloud Recluse, et al, you've all got me thinking that under right circumstances these phenomenon--lightning and electricity--may be do-able. However, likely, not by me in this lifetime!!! I'll just stick with the heat energy. There are degrees of heat, rather than Whamo! only one option or one chance. SunDog

Interesting, and timely topic for me. I know someone who's just gone on meds for high bp. What else can she do besides the usual relaxation, physical activity, and good diet? I've been wondering that myself. Don't know that I could get her doing chi gung though. Darnit. Somewhere in the back of my head are some acupuncture points that are helpful. Haven't looked those up yet. SunDog