Leo's video about Body Awareness

[Farnaby]

Hi everyone!

Leo's video about Body Awareness and how to relax your body resonated a lot with me. I tend to feel lots of psychosomatic symptoms such as digestive problems, neck tension, cold hands and feet, sometimes nervous tics or muscle spasms. 

I'm pretty sure most of them are due to my difficulty to relax and get out of my head.

What I find really difficult whenever I try to directly feel my body and my emotions is precisely that, to get out of my head and stop interpreting what I'm feeling. It's really hard for me to tell the difference between actually feeling something and thinking that I'm feeling it. Does anyone have any tips for this?

Another thing that I noticed is when I'm sitting and relaxing tense parts of my body, I can let go of that tension but after a short period, my posture becomes too relaxed (spaghettilike describes it pretty well lol) and I don't know if that's how it should feel because dropping every muscle tension leads to a kind of unhealthy sitting position. I don't know if this makes any sense but it's the best I can describe what it feels like.

Maybe I need to work out my abs and core in order to be able to relax without completely loosing the tension that is needed to maintain a healthy body position?

Thank you

Edited May 17, 2019 by Farnaby

[Truth Addict]

Limit the number of your daily activities. Become a very strict minimalist.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Truth Addict

[Elisabeth]

 

 

1

18 minutes ago, Farnaby said:

Maybe I need to work out my abs and core in order to be able to relax without completely loosing the tension that is needed to maintain a healthy body position?

The usual meditation instruction is "relax every muscle, that you don't need". So you relax as many surface muscles as possible, but you can't relax every muscle around the spine fully.

[JohnnyBravo]

@Farnaby

Yes the body awareness video has been my most watched item of 2019. It certainly stands out and one could have fun exploring each of the recommendations he suggested.

What I would offer is ensure your body has good water/salt intake and balance.

You may be dehydrated right now and not even aware of it. That anxiety you feel time to time? Thats not a mental pattern thats bodily dehydration.

To get out of your head, step one is to set the intention.

Step two is then to forget whether you are in your head or not; dont be concerned.

A paradox I know. Dont try too hard and youll get the results you want. But forcing a relaxation or forcing a highjack out of the mental system into the physical one will take you a few weeks to get proficient at.

Just trial and error. Youll get it mate. Youre doing fine just keep going and be easy.

Loose as spaghetti? Good.

Its just a phase. After this phase youll naturally crave a jog or exercises. I cant say when though.

[Hellspeed]

This is why Breath is crucial and is underrated.

[JohnnyBravo]

Digestive issues,

Cold hands and feet, neck tension....

You are dehydrated.

I do the Wim Hof Method which involves deliberate ice baths and dunking your entire body into the cold water on a daily basis.....

....If I am even slightly dehdrated, my hands feet and nose and ears get super cold.....

If I am hydrated and have good salt balance, cold does not exist for me.

Everyone thinks thirst is the dehydration signal. It kind of is. But its a signal you should not count on. Look to these issues- neck tension especially an indicator of dehydration (yes I know you may say but Johnny maybe its cause I am on my smartphone all day and my neck bends alot; nope. Tension in the neck is usually the path to asthma or panic attacks. You must take this with seriousness. This is an alarm going off).

Its a sign something is off.

And you can correct it within approx 3 minutes. Go drink a glass of water. If you are going to the toilet constantly and feel your body is not retaining your water, then take a decent (but small) pinch of salt on the tongue and swallow with water.

Sorry to play Doctor Bravo but I can really see the solution is in the kitchen tap not the yoga mat.

[Rilles]

I felt into my stomach when i was afraid once and the sensation literally changed to something else when i concentrated deeply on it, it was mindblowing. 

[Farnaby]

1 hour ago, Truth Addict said:

Limit the number of your daily activities. Become a very strict minimalist.

@Truth Addict I actually don't do too many different things each day, but I know I tend to stay in my confort zone and maybe I need to stop doing that  Thank you!

53 minutes ago, Elisabeth said:

The usual meditation instruction is "relax every muscle, that you don't need". So you relax as many surface muscles as possible, but you can't relax every muscle around the spine fully.

@Elisabeth If I understand you right, not relaxing the entire body is the right thing to do when you sit? And just focus on relaxing the tension that is not required, such as jaw tension?

46 minutes ago, JohnnyBravo said:

@Farnaby

Yes the body awareness video has been my most watched item of 2019. It certainly stands out and one could have fun exploring each of the recommendations he suggested.

What I would offer is ensure your body has good water/salt intake and balance.

You may be dehydrated right now and not even aware of it. That anxiety you feel time to time? Thats not a mental pattern thats bodily dehydration.

To get out of your head, step one is to set the intention.

Step two is then to forget whether you are in your head or not; dont be concerned.

A paradox I know. Dont try too hard and youll get the results you want. But forcing a relaxation or forcing a highjack out of the mental system into the physical one will take you a few weeks to get proficient at.

Just trial and error. Youll get it mate. Youre doing fine just keep going and be easy.

Loose as spaghetti? Good.

Its just a phase. After this phase youll naturally crave a jog or exercises. I cant say when though.

@JohnnyBravo Thanks a lot, you may be right about the dehydration part, although I think there's psychological aspects involved in my tension too (such as fear of letting go and trusting the process, etc.)

I guess you're right and I should be mindful of the moments where I get too concerned if I'm doing it right, etc., and just let go of that need to control everything. It's really difficult to do though and kind of frustrating  

44 minutes ago, Hellspeed said:

This is why Breath is crucial and is underrated.

@Hellspeed  

 

Yes, my breath tends to be shallow and feel incomplete when I pay attention to it. When I breathe mindfully there seem to be some blocks that prevent a fulfilling flow of breath. 

 

34 minutes ago, JohnnyBravo said:

Digestive issues,

Cold hands and feet, neck tension....

You are dehydrated.

I do the Wim Hof Method which involves deliberate ice baths and dunking your entire body into the cold water on a daily basis.....

....If I am even slightly dehdrated, my hands feet and nose and ears get super cold.....

If I am hydrated and have good salt balance, cold does not exist for me.

Everyone thinks thirst is the dehydration signal. It kind of is. But its a signal you should not count on. Look to these issues- neck tension especially an indicator of dehydration (yes I know you may say but Johnny maybe its cause I am on my smartphone all day and my neck bends alot; nope. Tension in the neck is usually the path to asthma or panic attacks. You must take this with seriousness. This is an alarm going off).

Its a sign something is off.

And you can correct it within approx 3 minutes. Go drink a glass of water. If you are going to the toilet constantly and feel your body is not retaining your water, then take a decent (but small) pinch of salt on the tongue and swallow with water.

Sorry to play Doctor Bravo but I can really see the solution is in the kitchen tap not the yoga mat.

@JohnnyBravo Haha no need to be sorry, I really appreciate your advice and will drink more water. I actually get allergic asthma sometimes (I get pretty strong allergies in spring, with a clogged nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, skin hives, etc.). When the doctor tested me for allergies I reacted to almost every potential allergen  

And panic attacks are something that I have experienced too, although they tend to be related to a very deep fear of surrendering, but dehydration may play a role in that too. 

26 minutes ago, Rilles said:

I felt into my stomach when i was afraid once and the sensation literally changed to something else when i concentrated deeply on it, it was mindblowing. 

@Rilles Can you expand a little more on this? 

Edited May 17, 2019 by Farnaby

[JohnnyBravo]

No mate its no a fear of surrending, you are dehydrated.

Athsma is dehydration- there is no moisture to cool the airways of the throat and oesophagus and thus the body compensates by restricting your breathing. Hence the tight neck.

Dont go fancy with this, just drink water and get salt. Instant panic attack cure.

If you have a panic attack, or anxiety, that is a bodily signal that you dont have sufficient hydration with the lungs and airways. Salt on the tongue and have some water.

You will instantly feel better and have the best sleep of your life tonight probably.

You must take the attention to learn to care for yourself...

Edited May 17, 2019 by JohnnyBravo

[Rilles]

18 minutes ago, Farnaby said:

Can you expand a little more on this? 

I was feeling anxious and afraid and I forced myself to sit with the feeling not denying it. The more I focused in on the sensation of anxiety in my stomach the lighter it got and it didnt feel like anxiety anymore it felt like another new sensation that ive never felt before in my life, I cant explain exactly what it felt like. Its almost like I put a magnifying glass on it and saw new details.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Rilles

[arlin]

1 hour ago, Farnaby said:

It's really hard for me to tell the difference between actually feeling something and thinking that I'm feeling it.

You have to work on feeling your emotions. Do activities that get you more into your body, like dance or sports. Vipassana meditation is also good. You could study tai chi, or qigong. Try to find any movement program out there.

Have you ever heard about the feldenkreis method? It's magic man, go check out. It will resolve your muscle problems!

[Elisabeth]

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Farnaby said:

If I understand you right, not relaxing the entire body is the right thing to do when you sit? And just focus on relaxing the tension that is not required, such as jaw tension?

Yes. Find out what's needed, and what isn't. 

Do relax: Arms, face, fingers. But also legs and shoulders. The muscles in your belly and around your spine - find your position and see which ones (or how much) you can relax without slumping. It's more then you might think (as, with the righ position, deep core unconscious muscles should be taking some of the load), but not as many as you do now. 

[Forestluv]

@Farnaby Right on. I’ve found relaxing the mind and body is a key to go to deep levels. For me, a traditional meditation posture can work well, yet a static position can cause stress to the body and become distracting. I used to push through the discomfort/pain, yet there comes a point my body tells me this just isn’t healthy for the body - such as my knees and lower back. I’ve tried Hatha and Vinyassa as a meditative practice. They are great and healthy for the mind-body, yet too fast for meditative states. I’ve found Kriya yoga to be a beneficial form of meditation, yet again there are static positions. For me, yin yoga is a wonderful balance. Each position is held for 4-8 minutes, which is long enough to dissolve into a meditative mind-body state. I’ve completely relaxed into a position and a few minutes later there is further relaxation of mind and body. Muscles and mind further let go. It seemed like I was as relaxed as possible, yet there is another level of depth. Also, each position has it’s own sensations and energetics. It can be uncomfortable, and there is an element of letting go and surrender. It’s great to explore mind and body connections. Currently, it’s my favorite practice for reaching deeply relaxed deconstructed (yet aware) states in which reconditioning of the mind and body can take place. Plus, it’s actually healthy for the body, rather than wearing down my lower back and knees in static postures held for extended periods of time.

[Leo Gura]

8 hours ago, Farnaby said:

It's really hard for me to tell the difference between actually feeling something and thinking that I'm feeling it. Does anyone have any tips for this?

It requires LOTS of mindfulness practice.

Consider taking a 10 day Vipasanna retreat. That will open your eyes to the power of body awareness in a way that you cannot presently imagine.

You could spend the next 10 years just sitting on a couch and feeling your body. And you'd still not feel everything there is to feel there. The body is a very complex and subtle organic technology. It's more intelligent than any Western science can imagine. Every cell in your body has its own innate intelligence.

[arlin]

Who are some good online Vipassana teacher?

Know any names guys?

[Enizeo]

10 hours ago, arlin said:

Who are some good online Vipassana teacher?

Know any names guys?

 

I recommend you actually do a retreat. It would take you forever to reach the level of mindfulness that a full-time silent retreat can give you in 10 days. Plus, they are donation based, so technically free. And available all over the world. Good shit.

[arlin]

oh thank you, i will do some research!  

[Farnaby]

 

22 hours ago, JohnnyBravo said:

No mate its no a fear of surrending, you are dehydrated.

Athsma is dehydration- there is no moisture to cool the airways of the throat and oesophagus and thus the body compensates by restricting your breathing. Hence the tight neck.

Dont go fancy with this, just drink water and get salt. Instant panic attack cure.

If you have a panic attack, or anxiety, that is a bodily signal that you dont have sufficient hydration with the lungs and airways. Salt on the tongue and have some water.

You will instantly feel better and have the best sleep of your life tonight probably.

You must take the attention to learn to care for yourself...

@JohnnyBravo Wouldn't there be clear symptoms of dehydration in urine for example? I will keep an eye on my water and salt intake nevertheless.

22 hours ago, Rilles said:

I was feeling anxious and afraid and I forced myself to sit with the feeling not denying it. The more I focused in on the sensation of anxiety in my stomach the lighter it got and it didnt feel like anxiety anymore it felt like another new sensation that ive never felt before in my life, I cant explain exactly what it felt like. Its almost like I put a magnifying glass on it and saw new details.

@Rilles Thank you, that makes sense. I've tried that a couple of times and sometimes it makes the anxiety dissolve, but other times it makes me feel ungrounded. 

 

22 hours ago, arlin said:

You have to work on feeling your emotions. Do activities that get you more into your body, like dance or sports. Vipassana meditation is also good. You could study tai chi, or qigong. Try to find any movement program out there.

Have you ever heard about the feldenkreis method? It's magic man, go check out. It will resolve your muscle problems!

@arlin Yes, you're right, martial arts really resonate with me, I practice Kung Fu. Haven't heard about Felldenkreis Method, but I will check it out. 

20 hours ago, Elisabeth said:

Yes. Find out what's needed, and what isn't. 

Do relax: Arms, face, fingers. But also legs and shoulders. The muscles in your belly and around your spine - find your position and see which ones (or how much) you can relax without slumping. It's more then you might think (as, with the righ position, deep core unconscious muscles should be taking some of the load), but not as many as you do now. 

@Elisabeth Ok, thanks a lot

19 hours ago, Serotoninluv said:

@Farnaby Right on. I’ve found relaxing the mind and body is a key to go to deep levels. For me, a traditional meditation posture can work well, yet a static position can cause stress to the body and become distracting. I used to push through the discomfort/pain, yet there comes a point my body tells me this just isn’t healthy for the body - such as my knees and lower back. I’ve tried Hatha and Vinyassa as a meditative practice. They are great and healthy for the mind-body, yet too fast for meditative states. I’ve found Kriya yoga to be a beneficial form of meditation, yet again there are static positions. For me, yin yoga is a wonderful balance. Each position is held for 4-8 minutes, which is long enough to dissolve into a meditative mind-body state. I’ve completely relaxed into a position and a few minutes later there is further relaxation of mind and body. Muscles and mind further let go. It seemed like I was as relaxed as possible, yet there is another level of depth. Also, each position has it’s own sensations and energetics. It can be uncomfortable, and there is an element of letting go and surrender. It’s great to explore mind and body connections. Currently, it’s my favorite practice for reaching deeply relaxed deconstructed (yet aware) states in which reconditioning of the mind and body can take place. Plus, it’s actually healthy for the body, rather than wearing down my lower back and knees in static postures held for extended periods of time.

@Serotoninluv That's my experience too when I try to stick to a traditional and static posture. I thought maybe pushing through and not letting the discomfort distract me could be beneficial, but at the same time I'm not sure if ignoring my discomfort is a good idea. I have never done yoga, but I will check out Yin Yoga. 

15 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

It requires LOTS of mindfulness practice.

Consider taking a 10 day Vipasanna retreat. That will open your eyes to the power of body awareness in a way that you cannot presently imagine.

You could spend the next 10 years just sitting on a couch and feeling your body. And you'd still not feel everything there is to feel there. The body is a very complex and subtle organic technology. It's more intelligent than any Western science can imagine. Every cell in your body has its own innate intelligence.

@Leo Gura I will research Vipassana retreats a bit, although right now it seems too much for me  but it's definitely something that I want to give a try some time. However I wonder if the insights stick when you get back to your normal routine with all the distractions. I suppose you need to be very disciplined but not too rigid in order to be able to have normal relationships with people too.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Farnaby

[Truth Addict]

@Farnaby

Could you describe your daily schedule in general?

[Farnaby]

10 hours ago, Truth Addict said:

@Farnaby

Could you describe your daily schedule in general?

@Truth Addict On weekdays I get up around 8:45 or 10:30 depending on the work I have to do.

I shower, eat breakfast and work (or surf the internet if I don't have to work) until 14:00.

I prepare lunch and eat at 14:30 or 15:00 usually. After that, I take a nap or watch some TV (yes, I love sleeping lol).

I continue working until 19-20h (all this depends on how much work I have to do, because I am self-employed).

Two times a week I do martial arts in the evening. I have dinner around 22h and sometimes I spend time with friends, play some videogames or watch TV with my girlfriend until 1AM when I usually go to bed and I tend to fall asleep around 2AM.

That's how my typical day looks like at this moment in my life. In between all this I do household chores like washing dishes, washing clothes, etc. 

On weekends I usually wake up later (11-12) and sometimes I work a little and other times I just chill with my girlfriend and/or friends and go to bed a little later than on weekdays.