Reincarnated Cat

Perhaps a better question is 'what did we learn from you?'. I'm not as regular as I'd like to be here, but when I tune in here your words always ground me and inspire me. Thank you so very very much for being you.

This article ties in multiplicity and non-duality beautifully https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/could-multiple-personality-disorder-explain-life-the-universe-and-everything/

Hong Kong Anyone nearby, I am keen to talk actualizing

Why not try hypnotism, its expensive but the success rate is very high.

I was diagnosed with IBS 5 years ago. Literally came out of nowhere, never ever had a problem with food in my life. Then boom, i had to go the bathroom 10x a day and was farting like one of those world war II flame throwing Panza tanks all day. I got onto fodmap diet when i realised it wasn't going away on its own, and then I took up yoga. Within 6 weeks I was fine, good as new. The diet is tricky, most condiments have onion and garlic powder which are big triggers. Good Luck. Also I contacted a hypnotist at the time as she advertised for IBS relief/recovery. i didn't try it but worth looking into.

Just want to say thanks for sharing your experience. Its very useful to many here I'm sure. I have the book, so will read that and may ask questions.

@Keyhole Sorry I missed that part. No harm no foul.

These may be worth a look: and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP-4gGEv-gA

@Rilles Brother u bring trips to life. Awesome lol

@Kabala Sure will send you a PM now.

This thread is useless w/o pics

https://www.hariharalaya.com/ I did 7 days here in Siem Reap, more of a beginners circuit of yoga, meditation and yogic principles. Cool mix of older and backpacker crowd. There were a few people doing longer term stays. The owner spends half his time in India so could give info if that was an option for you. Currently 40% off. So $500 a month inc food, lodgings, yoga and meditation. Lots of similar places in Thailand.

Zen is very careful to not conceive of God in terms that would fix any concepts in the mind and thus create a duality as 'God" (The Ineffable) is oneness and unity. AS God cannot be explained nor understood with our finite minds, Zen prefers to pay attention to Direct experience. Its discussed in Master Dogen’s Shobogenzo, Book 2, The Inmo chapter. Perhaps worth a look. Note I'm not a Zen Buddhist, just have an interest.

I'd start with 10 years and revisit it along the way.

Are you sure it was from the practices? I have done them for over a year and frankly don't see any radical changes. I'm not sure what I am supposed to experience, I was told clear headedness, joy in each moment etc, but certainly nothing amazing happened. I went to a short refresher and people did share their positive experiences about the changes they saw, so I am not discounting it. I adjusted my diet and slept early to wake early and do his practices, so of course I feel good....better. Please note I am not saying they don't work or aren't beneficial, I just feel its been a bit of an anti climax thus far. I will update if i do more advanced courses or notice any shift from his practices.

lol yeah, the empty stomach not so bad but the no coffee is a struggle. I wake at 5am to complete my morning routine meditation, shambhavi mahamudra etc. Its a decent start to read his stuff and watch his videos and you can volunteer at his big centers for free food and accommodation if you get a real taste for it. Id say you need to do some of his courses in person and at least one advanced course before you know if its for you. Save up, for post covid or maybe theyll start doing some stuff online. The kriya yoga stuff I have learnt isn't difficult but is time consuming if you do all his recommended practices properly. You can start now by going to youtube and searching isha kriya or downloading the isha kriya app. One mans piss is another's golden shower

I have done 3 of his programs as there is an Isha centre near me. Bhuta Shuddi, Isha Kriya and inner enginnering online and the 2 day completion (shambuvi mahamudra). To do more advanced programs you need to have completed inner enginnering and done Shambhavi Mahamudra for 6 months. I did find the vibe a bit cultish at the centre. He has quite a few books available, I can't comment as I have a few but haven't really opened them. They look like his early talks translated. He is anti-religion and non dogmatic but very ritualistic from a western POV. He borrows heavily from all the Eastern wisdom traditions and marries it with yogic rituals. I'd have to do his more advanced courses like Bhava Spandana to really have a more quailfied opinion or offer better insight. The courses he offers qualify you for the next 'more spirtitaully advanced ' course on the Isha ladder. His longer talks on youtube at Harvard and Google etc I find have the most nuggets of wisdom. I did meet a guy who had just enrolled at the Isha institute in India to study as a yoga teacher for 5 months, a quick look says it'd be about $US 14K to do that (food and accomodation included). Best advice I can offer is find the nearest Isha centre and take a course, visit, volunteer etc and see if it spins your wheels.

As the title states I am about 2 weeks into this 1 lesson a day, just doing it in chronological order, I really look forward to it now. 30 minutes per session is nice and I am learning a lot. https://zenstudiespodcast.com/ Highly accessible and well researched information if you have an interest. Can select a sub-catergory that interests you specifically etc. Catergories include: Buddhism Today Buddhist History Buddhist Practice Buddhist Teachings Buddhist Texts Dharma Talks Meditation Zen Teachings

@Raptorsin7 I often feel in a similar bind as you. I keep plodding on and there are breakthroughs often enough to keep me going. I hope this post helps. People have different learning styles and respond better or worse to different sensory inputs. Google VARK learning styles if you want to go deeper on this, but bascially the acronym VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic sensory modalities that are used for learning information. Simply put, some people can learn easily from reading a book, or some will struggle and learn 'it' much slower, others need to hear 'it', or some get 'it' with a diagram or illustration or metaphor, finally some must do 'it' to understand it, or even do 'it' on mind altering substances to get 'it'. As an example, if 'it' is directions we are talking about, some will be fine with a verbal instruction, some will prefer a written address, some will need a map, some will want google maps with directions on foot, bike or car, or some will prefer being taken there by someone who knows first. We are all a different combination of these with innate preferences to these 4 modes of learning. Some folk rely on one, most 2 or 3 if i recall correctly and it depends on the context as well. I often have a little breakthrough after watching a video, that gels with something I heard on an audiobook or podcast, then googled and read more and experimented with it in actuality, or any combination of these........... and wala, suddenly I 'get it'. But it doesn't come to me from one modality of learning usually, and often needs all 4 and in many different ways. I'm stating the obvious in some ways, but worth pondering. Keep on the path.

Ditto this. Results depend on mood or current life events or people I'm entangled with when I take the tests. Maybe we are just shapeshifters :). With some groups of people I'm very extroverted, with others very introverted. I am currently doing a Vedanta course and It categorizes people according to their Gunas, I have the same problem, different day different combo of Gunas lol. With the Gunas there is a goal though to become predominantly Sattvic.

Awesome Robby, much appreciation your way.

I completed the online program a year ago and was fortunate to also attend the shambhavi mahamudra 2 day workshop. The online course was some good info/teachings, I think he states not to take notes to just listen and absorb, but I took notes and frankly they really help. It gives me a good boost to reread what i wrote. I do his isha kriya, bhuta shuddhi and shambhavi mahamudra most days for 12 months now and while I certainly feel good, I dont feel anything really amazing/life changing as descibed by some. I feel much of my good feeling is to do with the conditions of preperation for these rituals (no alcohol for 8 hours before, so you just dont drink, more conscious eating etc). I'm a work in progress with some of my diet and lifestyle habits. I still eat meat occasionaly and junkfood and still drinking coffee, which is a big no no for these methods. Perhaps this is having a limiting effect for me. That said, 1 year later I am looking after myself much better than before and seeking truth and wisdom very proactively so maybe this is in part due to these practices. I will also participate in the more advanced courses should I have the opportunity. The Isha foundation request course completers don't share the techniques as they will be done incorrectly so I'll respect that. I can say it is some basic yoga exercises with pranayama, om chanting, bandha locks and meditation. All up supposed to be 31 minutes. Are you near an Isha centre?

@Elton Nice dude. Kick ass Bratcat, seems you got this. Onwards and Upwards.

Will join this challenge in a week or 2. LOVE coffee and really like a cold black coffee as soon as I wake and before meditation. Problem is I also do some kriya yoga which stipulates caffine is a big no no before doing any of the exercises/rituals. This means I have to wait 1.1/2 hours after coffee to do exercises and leads to skipping them sometimes. Also my meditation awareness is less focused and more prone to run off. well done all.

Im 48 and just now seeking to crystalise a life purpose and new direction after some years lost in hedonistic haze, nihilism and unfulfilling drudgery, which interestingly was of my own making I'm starting to realise. At 36 I had just moved to a new country with no job, not much money and helped start a sports team that went on to produce international players and managed to get a job that paid well for the locale, had a lot of fun, not once did I consider my age as too old. Maybe actualized.org should have a Shark Tank like forum where members could pitch business ideas or concepts for society and others could raise points and critique. Help members build confidence and and a more solid plan.