Equanimity training

[Jordan94]

I've been thinking about trying to cultivate and increase equanimity recently, I feel like it might be possible to an extent with some training practices

 

Basically the idea would be to have something slightly (or a bit more, but I think it's better to not go too far) unpleasant/painful, but obviously not harmful, and trying to just observe the physical sensations and be just observing and accepting and okay with the experience
I feel like this could train the mind to be more equanimous

 

Do you guys have any ideas about what training could qualify like that ?
For example I'm thinking some physical exercices could be okay, I've found that it's better to have something static rather than active though, because then it's way easier to concentrate on the sensations and on trying to just observe the experience in an accepting way

[IAmTheHolySpirit]

Physical activities would be really troublesome as you can't do them at any point you want. They take too much effort. I can recommend the most ideal one that has worked for me for dissoluting the ego completely and it is simply being aware of being aware. It is exactly the "simple" you are looking for, and yet it is actually the most powerful. Most people are not able to handle with simple things. They want complex concepts. 

I can see that you in fact want the mind to settle into the natural equanimity, and therefore I suggest being aware of being aware, and simply staying in that state.

In that state, thoughts, emotions and sensations will all be fighting for your attention (slightly "unpleasant", yet not harmful at all), and you will just be trying to observe the awareness that is aware of the thoughts, emotions, sensations and attention. You'll just be accepting what is and being ok with the experience. It is literally tailored for you.

[Jacobsrw]

3 hours ago, Jordan94 said:

I've been thinking about trying to cultivate and increase equanimity recently, I feel like it might be possible to an extent with some training practices

 

Basically the idea would be to have something slightly (or a bit more, but I think it's better to not go too far) unpleasant/painful, but obviously not harmful, and trying to just observe the physical sensations and be just observing and accepting and okay with the experience
I feel like this could train the mind to be more equanimous

 

Do you guys have any ideas about what training could qualify like that ?
For example I'm thinking some physical exercices could be okay, I've found that it's better to have something static rather than active though, because then it's way easier to concentrate on the sensations and on trying to just observe the experience in an accepting way

Observation. Specifically, staring into objects until they begin to change in their perception. I call this ‘Concentration Stillness’. Whereby, you choose a specific object to stare at, fixate upon a feature of it without deviating. Doing this for several minutes has the object and it’s surroundings begin to morph. You begin to see literally right through the object and an indescribable stillness overcomes you. The body becomes light and your experience slows. Mind activity dissipates and you enter into a still watching.

[Forestluv]

@Jordan94 Yin yoga has been good ‘training’ for me in this area. The poses are held static for 4-8min. and involve both physical and mental discomfort. It is a good opportunity to observe mind and body activity as well as to let go and release both mental and physical contractions/tensions. I prefer it to sds because extended sits in one position doesn’t feel healthy for my body. 

[Jude_]

One activity you can do is cold showers.  Shinzen Young did a traditional initiation in Japan where for 100 days he had a huge bucket of freezing cold water poured over him.  He said the water was so cold it would freeze as soon as it would hit the ground (this was done in a cave in the mountains of Japan).  He said so the more concentrate and equanimous he was, the easier it was to bare.

 

The other practice is long sits.  Sitting for 4 hours at a time, without moving.  While the cold showers has intensity over a short time, these long sits bring up the challenges of body pain, impatience, boredom, restlessness, etc...

 

[Gili Trawangan]

Strong determination sits.

[diamondpenguin]

Wish I had determination like you jude. What a gift 

[Jordan94]

On 31/05/2020 at 10:37 PM, Serotoninluv said:

@Jordan94 Yin yoga has been good ‘training’ for me in this area. The poses are held static for 4-8min. and involve both physical and mental discomfort. It is a good opportunity to observe mind and body activity as well as to let go and release both mental and physical contractions/tensions. I prefer it to sds because extended sits in one position doesn’t feel healthy for my body. 

That's a good recomendation thanks, any pose/session in particular (I nearly never did yin yoga) that you would recomend ?

I have the same concern about sds, which obviously is something that comes to mind when we're talking equanimity training, but I feel the same way, it would have to be done in a not too pushing/hardcore way or it's just harmful long term

 

On 01/06/2020 at 3:10 AM, Jude_ said:

One activity you can do is cold showers.  Shinzen Young did a traditional initiation in Japan where for 100 days he had a huge bucket of freezing cold water poured over him.  He said the water was so cold it would freeze as soon as it would hit the ground (this was done in a cave in the mountains of Japan).  He said so the more concentrate and equanimous he was, the easier it was to bare.

That's an other good one thanks, the problem for me now is that I'm in Jakarta for now and if I put the water to max cold here it's not really that cold, but I can maybe try to figure something out with coldness like get some icecubes in my body or have some water bottle in the fridge that I would pour in me or something like that

[Jordan94]

@Serotoninluv Any Yin yoga recomendation ?

[Forestluv]

On 6/2/2020 at 1:48 AM, Jordan94 said:

That's a good recomendation thanks, any pose/session in particular (I nearly never did yin yoga) that you would recomend ?

I have the same concern about sds, which obviously is something that comes to mind when we're talking equanimity training, but I feel the same way, it would have to be done in a not too pushing/hardcore way or it's just harmful long term

I started off by watching guided videos to learn poses. Starting off, the poses should be held for about 2-4min and should be held at about 70% max stretch. This allows for incremental relaxing and release. Both physically and mentally. The poses are often uncomfortable (yet not painful) and the monkey mind is often active. This allows for letting go and surrender. It can be very meditative. Yet at first, I needed a YT guide to gently talk me through the posture. Almost like a guided meditation. It’s much harder to do in silence. . . And a big benefit is that it’s so good for the mind and body. My range of motion has increased dramatically and my tension has decreased dramatically. And I’ve learned so much about my body. For example, last night I focused on hips and became aware of how many memories and tension are stored in my hips. As I released deeper and deeper, all sorts of old memories also appeared and were released - as if they were stored in my hips.

The two yin yoga guides I use are Boho Beautiful and the Yoga Ranger Studio. . . Boho Beautiful is a younger woman that is super active and healthy. She has a lot of intermediate yoga, yet also a playlist of about a dozen yin yoga videos. Aprille Walker at the Yoga Ranger Station is older and much more motherly. She has around 100 yin yoga videos. 

[Jordan94]

14 hours ago, Serotoninluv said:

I started off by watching guided videos to learn poses. Starting off, the poses should be held for about 2-4min and should be held at about 70% max stretch. This allows for incremental relaxing and release. Both physically and mentally. The poses are often uncomfortable (yet not painful) and the monkey mind is often active. This allows for letting go and surrender. It can be very meditative. Yet at first, I needed a YT guide to gently talk me through the posture. Almost like a guided meditation. It’s much harder to do in silence. . . And a big benefit is that it’s so good for the mind and body. My range of motion has increased dramatically and my tension has decreased dramatically. And I’ve learned so much about my body. For example, last night I focused on hips and became aware of how many memories and tension are stored in my hips. As I released deeper and deeper, all sorts of old memories also appeared and were released - as if they were stored in my hips.

The two yin yoga guides I use are Boho Beautiful and the Yoga Ranger Studio. . . Boho Beautiful is a younger woman that is super active and healthy. She has a lot of intermediate yoga, yet also a playlist of about a dozen yin yoga videos. Aprille Walker at the Yoga Ranger Station is older and much more motherly. She has around 100 yin yoga videos.

Nice thanks a lot