Unexpected Tools for Cultivation

[thelerner]

What do you use to help with your practice?  Anything unusual?

 

For me, its the shower; in two ways. 

First I take cold showers aka Wim Hof.  It's not just that it improves will power, wakefulness and immune system.  They are also a stark reminder not to let pleasure/comfort rule me.  It gives me a chance to choose how I accept cold water, how I interpret what is just a sensation then see how my interpretation (or clear mind) creates my mental, emotional and physical states.  

 

After I turn off the water I stay in the shower.  By design they are unique echo chambers.   Chanting I get resonance unlike anywhere else.  Most cultures have kotodama- sacred sounds.  I know a few practices from Shinto, yogic, kabalic, Hermetic; practicing in the shower increases there power. 

 

This deeper resonance has power even for normal songs (Opera probably quite intense).  Long vowels effect the body in certain locations.  I like Rawn Clarks YHVH Hermetic practice because its a chant that has imagery that gets inside the body, then circles around, then alternates inside then outside the body.   And it has interesting levels.

 

 

So that's my unconventional practice tool.  The shower.  What is yours? 

[liminal_luke]

Continuing with the bathroom theme, my Zapchen coach recently suggested I use the bathroom as a mini spur-of-the-moment practice space.  Wherever you are, whatever you`re doing, you can always take a quiet minute alone to stretch, breath, center.

[Vajra Fist]

Great post. As a fellow wimhofmeister, I also love my cold showers.

 

For me though it would have to be the train to work. It takes an hour each way, which works out as either two hours of samatha meditation each day or 10 juzu of silent nembutsu. I also have to walk to the station and back which takes 30mins each way, which is an opportunity for afghan walking or walking meditation.

 

Despite a busy job and a long commute, I'm always much more chilled during the week than I am at a weekend.

Edited October 27, 2016 by Vajra Fist

[Nungali]

 

 

[Rishi Das]

cool thread.

 

i often mediate/sit with a Shiva Lingam. feels very much like a little battery pack.

 

[joeblast]

rudy's ionizer   the negative ions come and amass, esp around weiqi-nodes where they sorta mimic the aurora borealis in a way

 

soloflex wbv for standing, but also sitting and slowly varying the rate, go up and down spine with it

 

those hematite baoding balls, in front of dantien...and subtly different, the jade...but the chromed copper is...not really even worth it

 

 the collection of singing bowls, many applications

 

buddhist vajra

 

tingsha can be a quasi optic nerve massage

 

fire!  or heat sources

 

bagua walking with fire and heat sources

 

mudras

 

mantras

 

other analogues from nature, sun, moon, gravity, water, effervescence, flux

 

interplay of yin and yang

 

like lin told me a bunch of years ago, learn the basics then you're like a kid at a candy store

[oak]

This is a great thread. It took me a long while to find it again as it has been dormant for awhile. So much to learn from each other here.

 

Thank you thelerner and everyone else.

 

Here goes something worthwhile trying

 

Edited February 5, 2017 by oak

[thelerner]

Not a bad technique, but as far as the all important getting to sleep, I give you

 

Under 11 minutes and works pretty well

[Rakiel]

smiling

[AussieTrees]

It takes 22 minutes driving to work,I used to make myself anxious just thinking about work.

Then one day I started chanting usually just Om.

 

Found I would arrive at work refreshed,without preconceived ideas.

Then after some time,few months or so.

 

I started directing the resonance to my ears then eyes,found it would tickle quite a bit,later to subside.

Om as loud as you like,feel the vibrations,it does chill,then smileling is easy.

 

Asleep in no time,six side to box my head.

Front,side,back,side,bottom,top.

 

Then look into primordial vista.

Reverse breathing at the same time,then wake refreshed.

[awaken]

Good topic

 

I don't know if Xiuan Guan could count the tools or not.

 

I used to use many tools

 

Mantras, imaging, asana, observing the thoughts.....

 

Even rocks like many kinds of crystal

 

But I think Xiuan Guan is a good tool(if it can be a tool)

 

It can make me get into stillness in seconds

[JohnC]

Yoga/stretching

Gua sha tools for getting into body tissue and and just doing an over all brushing/rubbing/working.

[Spotless]

1. Counting from 100 to 0 and from 0 to 100 simultaneously.

Several effects - hard to think and do this so it is much like a mantra.

It is also hard not to have to visualize it - so it is good for seeing something with your eyes closed and also for the process. It is also easy to see the numbers before you with your eyes open.

 

2. In order to visualize - just picture your favorite food, car or anything you can easily see precisely. Good for students that think they cannot visualize.

 

3. Count the alphabet backwards. It takes about 20 minutes give or take to get it down and run through it flawlessly. Fun to do on a quick drive. Downside is that it cannot be repeated very often or it will simply become fully memorized. Fun and good for concentration.

 

4. Trying to be aware of your periferal vision. Various benefits

 

5. Fully turning head from one side to the other for at least 20 seconds. Moves energy from one eye to the other - this exercises the neck and it exercises certain channels inside the head. It may also work on the U shaped energy conduit in the forward of center brow chakra area of the head. This has a name that escapes me but it is very real and can eventually be felt very clearly.

 

6. Hot/cold showers - lots of fans on this one

 

7. Foot massage - particularly prior to cultivation, martial arts, movement.

 

8. Ear massage - tons of reasons

 

9. Flat thin soled shoes - but flat - no raised heel - helps to stay in body and out of trance also simulates everything and exercises the main foot chakras and leg meridians.

[Fa Xin]

I can attest to the ear massage. Any type of self massage is the epitome of "taking care of oneself" and super beneficial.

 

I like to use the sun and moon as tools. Ever stare up at the full moon for 25m? It has quite the effect. I'm not into sun gazing but sitting out and absorbing its rays are very beneficial as well.

 

Even opening up a curtain is huge.

 

We don't enjoy the outdoors enough, in our society of staying in doors. I find many things in nature to be my tools and teachers.

 

FX

[Spotless]

Fasting - perhaps the single most effective unexpected tool in My life.

Edited February 11, 2017 by Spotless

[AussieTrees]

Fasting - perhaps the single most effective unexpected tool in My life.

Thanks spotless,

 

Fasting,exactly as you say.

 

Also daily,well it,s not really fasting,more like one meal per day routine.

When at work,lunch is the main meal then maybe light snack in evening or nothing.

 

When at home one meal in afternoon,coffee in morning.

Sometimes when it,s cold weather will have three meals,mostly just one.

 

Everything changes when you restrict food intake.

Body energies are buoyant,mind clarity,everything is better.

[thelerner]

bump>

 

found while moving through old Fasting posts.

[liminal_luke]

a notebook to write in

 

a friend to talk to

 

a forest to walk in

 

being OK with how things are

 

slowness

[Aetherous]

Chewing food super well and not stuffing my face, having like half of a normal sized meal.

[Aeran]

Podcasts.

 

One of the major barriers I initially experienced to establishing a regular practice was how stiff and inflexible I was, so I established a stretching routine, which gradually grew until it got to the point where it can exceed an hour a day if I go all out. The flip side is that, no matter how meditative I try and make it, stretching is an incredibly dull experience. Thus - podcasts. I can expand my mental and philosophical horizons or listen to engaging and hilarious conversations and limber up my body at the same time.

 

I tried movies for a while, and they work in a pinch, but it's frustrating to try and stretch while keeping your eyes on the screen. Podcasts are the perfect tool for keeping the mind engaged while working on the body.

[Spotless]

Humor

[Jox]

Interesting thread ... 

 

I use: stretching the body, hitting the body with massage brush, just recently Intermittent Fasting. To have only one eating "window" per day, works very well for me. Now I eat once or twice per day in the time when my "window" is open.

 

I see a lot of you use hot/cold showers. I will try it out too. 

Edited July 16, 2017 by Jox

[Spotless]

Dry brush message is excellent - stimulates our largest organ - whisks away dead skin cells.

 

I think I used to use boars hair brush - did this when fasting in particular.

 

https://www.massagewarehouse.com/products/boar-brush-with-strap/?sourcecode=MGKB&sourcecode=MGK06&gclid=CNu79e-hjtUCFYNXfgodvnkHAA&kwid=productads-adid^195453462654-device^t-plaid^322039579846-sku^283 0015@ADL4MW-adType^PLA

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/24/dry-skin-brushing.aspx

Edited July 16, 2017 by Spotless

[cold]

9 hours ago, Spotless said:

Humor

There often a great release of tension with thru a good old guffaw, especially one unexpected!