Comments for Namaste http://blog.kaanchan.net Thoughts, Ideas, and Expression Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:39:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on i was told to move like a dragon by jasi0056 http://blog.kaanchan.net/kung-fu/i-was-told-to-move-like-a-dragon/199/comment-page-1#comment-2008 jasi0056 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:39:34 +0000 http://blog.kaanchan.net/?p=199#comment-2008 iam planing to study kung fu.....please sent me more photo website iam planing to study kung fu…..please sent me more photo website

]]> Comment on i was told to move like a dragon by Learn Kung-Fu and Tai-Chi in Austin « Namaste http://blog.kaanchan.net/kung-fu/i-was-told-to-move-like-a-dragon/199/comment-page-1#comment-1992 Learn Kung-Fu and Tai-Chi in Austin « Namaste Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:11:31 +0000 http://blog.kaanchan.net/?p=199#comment-1992 [...] Thoughts, Ideas, and Expression « Rice Field Art – amazing! i was told to move like a dragon [...] [...] Thoughts, Ideas, and Expression « Rice Field Art – amazing! i was told to move like a dragon [...]

]]> Comment on attention by kaanchan http://blog.kaanchan.net/series/attention/43/comment-page-1#comment-15 kaanchan Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:53:14 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=43#comment-15 I remember when Master Joe first related "open focus" to me. It reminded me strongly of a practice we learned called Antar Mouna. In the first stage of this practice, the mind is consciously externalized to listen to all possible sounds. The effect is the mind becomes satiatied, then bored, then does the opposite - begins to internalize. I agree, experientially, that trying to block out creates tension. I wasn't trying to block out the humming of the water heater, but noticed it was irritating me. My desire for that sound to go away felt more an expression of my frustration that I could not be at peace with it. I thinking tuning out external distractions is completely possible and opens a different dimension of perception. In yogic terminology, this is the art of pratyahara - sense control in both directions (contraction and expansion). This happens every night when we go to sleep. The sense organs still receive input, but the intellect filters them out; all the while a different reality may experienced internally such as when dreaming. The practices I have been learning in the Satyananda tradition also emphasize openness and awareness to external distractions in a systematic process whereby the mind chooses to drop them or at least not react to them. For example, in the practice of body stillness, the body may still be felt, but it is inconsequential as the sensations being registered to not cause pain or pleasure. I remember when Master Joe first related “open focus” to me. It reminded me strongly of a practice we learned called Antar Mouna. In the first stage of this practice, the mind is consciously externalized to listen to all possible sounds. The effect is the mind becomes satiatied, then bored, then does the opposite – begins to internalize. I agree, experientially, that trying to block out creates tension.

I wasn’t trying to block out the humming of the water heater, but noticed it was irritating me. My desire for that sound to go away felt more an expression of my frustration that I could not be at peace with it.

I thinking tuning out external distractions is completely possible and opens a different dimension of perception. In yogic terminology, this is the art of pratyahara – sense control in both directions (contraction and expansion).
This happens every night when we go to sleep. The sense organs still receive input, but the intellect filters them out; all the while a different reality may experienced internally such as when dreaming.

The practices I have been learning in the Satyananda tradition also emphasize openness and awareness to external distractions in a systematic process whereby the mind chooses to drop them or at least not react to them. For example, in the practice of body stillness, the body may still be felt, but it is inconsequential as the sensations being registered to not cause pain or pleasure.

]]> Comment on The load carrier by Daniel http://blog.kaanchan.net/travel/the-load-carrier/61/comment-page-1#comment-14 Daniel Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:59:44 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=21#comment-14 Interesting story. You should post the photos you got of him. Interesting story. You should post the photos you got of him.

]]> Comment on attention by Jason Hammond http://blog.kaanchan.net/series/attention/43/comment-page-1#comment-13 Jason Hammond Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:16:21 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=43#comment-13 Recently we have been doing short meditations during tai chi class while a brown belt kung fu class works out on the other side of the room. Those guys are huffing and puffing, occaisionally yelling and stomping. Master Joe reminds us to acknowledge and accept the sounds but to not interact with them. Clearly, we are doing a different style of meditation, focusing more on the breathing mechanism than our mental state, but only shades of difference. We are encouraged to expand our awareness out to the entire room, to be aware of everything going on around us while at the same time being invested in the internal. Paradoxically, we are encouraged to be aware of the external surroundings in order to increase our awareness of the internal. This is part of his 'open focus' study. According to those theories, attempting to block out something and focus directly on something else creates tension. I have found this to be a useful way of thinking in my meditations. You observed that your 'mind seems to be searching for something to fix itself on'--i'm sure that anyone who has done meditation can relate to that, I know I can. Are you trying to 'block' out these distractions, or would you use a different word, maybe just focusing instead on the internal? Are we using different images to accomplish the same goal--a clearer perception of the internal? Have your teachers talked about how to relate to this kind of external distraction while meditating? Recently we have been doing short meditations during tai chi class while a brown belt kung fu class works out on the other side of the room. Those guys are huffing and puffing, occaisionally yelling and stomping. Master Joe reminds us to acknowledge and accept the sounds but to not interact with them.
Clearly, we are doing a different style of meditation, focusing more on the breathing mechanism than our mental state, but only shades of difference. We are encouraged to expand our awareness out to the entire room, to be aware of everything going on around us while at the same time being invested in the internal.
Paradoxically, we are encouraged to be aware of the external surroundings in order to increase our awareness of the internal. This is part of his ‘open focus’ study. According to those theories, attempting to block out something and focus directly on something else creates tension. I have found this to be a useful way of thinking in my meditations.
You observed that your ‘mind seems to be searching for something to fix itself on’–i’m sure that anyone who has done meditation can relate to that, I know I can. Are you trying to ‘block’ out these distractions, or would you use a different word, maybe just focusing instead on the internal? Are we using different images to accomplish the same goal–a clearer perception of the internal? Have your teachers talked about how to relate to this kind of external distraction while meditating?

]]> Comment on Interesting day. Full of internal activity… by kaanchan http://blog.kaanchan.net/travel-update/australia/mangroveashram/interesting-day-full-of-internal-activity/21/comment-page-1#comment-12 kaanchan Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:43:03 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=14#comment-12 It went well. Some people got it, some smiled, others no reaction. We do daily spiels here which only last for about a minute or two. I like to get a little creative on mine as the message can sometimes sound repetitive or dry. Hmm, never thought of video taping it. Not sure I could handle what other people would think if they saw me recording myself :) It went well. Some people got it, some smiled, others no reaction. We do daily spiels here which only last for about a minute or two. I like to get a little creative on mine as the message can sometimes sound repetitive or dry. Hmm, never thought of video taping it. Not sure I could handle what other people would think if they saw me recording myself :)

]]> Comment on Intelligence vs intelligent senses by Mel http://blog.kaanchan.net/thoughts/intelligence-vs-intelligent-senses/29/comment-page-1#comment-11 Mel Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:26:22 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=28#comment-11 Superior intelligence is a state of mind... Superior intelligence is a state of mind…

]]> Comment on Interesting day. Full of internal activity… by Daniel http://blog.kaanchan.net/travel-update/australia/mangroveashram/interesting-day-full-of-internal-activity/21/comment-page-1#comment-9 Daniel Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:31:46 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=14#comment-9 How did the conversation about masks go? Maybe you should video tape your talks? How did the conversation about masks go? Maybe you should video tape your talks?

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