Sports / physical exercise

Putting together ones life with the modern world.
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Invitus
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Invitus »

Never been much of a athletic person myself. When I was younger I was "encouraged" to try a lot of different sports (my father being a sports enthusiast). Tried and never found my own.

Always liked hiking and long walks, yet hate running, so I found scouting to be my outdoor activity of choice. Even that fell apart due to "competitions" and (big surprise) the christianity of the groups. Tried some martial arts when younger, but couldn't grasp the philosophy apects back then and always hated (strong word hate...) competing, hence my distaste for most sports.

Lots of good ideas coming from this thread. Going to take up the barefoot-running, climbing (as much as my fear of heights permits) and yoga. Probably even face my distaste for "normal" running and take that up as a form of meditation.
"And so he who looks down at his feet will not know the truth, but he who discerns by the sun which way to go." -Tolstoi
Kenazis
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Kenazis »

Invitus wrote:Going to take up the barefoot-running, climbing (as much as my fear of heights permits) and yoga. Probably even face my distaste for "normal" running and take that up as a form of meditation.
Michael Sandler's book "Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth" is great source about almost everything you need to know about barefoot running and running. It's full of hints & tips & information.

Last friday was my first barefoot run this year.
"We live for the woods and the moon and the night"
Abhavani
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Abhavani »

Invitus wrote:Lots of good ideas coming from this thread. Going to take up the barefoot-running, climbing (as much as my fear of heights permits) and yoga. Probably even face my distaste for "normal" running and take that up as a form of meditation.
Also, simply living barefoot in the summer gives a new perspective to everyday life, so I recommend it. And what you said about running as meditation, I can only encourge you to try that approach. It has a grounding effect, and can bring up surprising new daily dilemmas and emotions. And as for the physical benefits; it strengthens the ankles and grows a thick skin to the bottoms of the feet, making them more tolerant to sharpness, heat, hardness and all the stuff they're not too accustomed to in the shoe-wearing culture.

Running has a natural rhythmic pace, which is simple to apply and connect with repeating a chosen mantra or prayer. I also dislike running mostly, but once a peaceful, focused and relaxed mindstate and calm and steady breath is found, it has become a good meditation practice in a very mind over matter kinda way. ;)

Trying out different perspectives is good, and so is giving a second chance to things you think you don't like.
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Heith
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Heith »

Invitus wrote: Lots of good ideas coming from this thread. Going to take up the barefoot-running, climbing (as much as my fear of heights permits) and yoga.
I'm always happy to help you get started on climbing if you like. If you want to tag along sometime, you're very welcome to do so. I practise many times a week and my schedule is fairly flexible.
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RaktaZoci
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by RaktaZoci »

This topic is an interesting one and finally I have some time to participate in the conversation as well. My story is somewhat a sarcastic one, which you will notice as it develops. The thing is, I have always despised sports, mainly due to the fact that most of the male population is assumed to love it and talk about it all the time. Here with sports I mainly mean team sports like football (soccer), ice hockey and the sorts.

At a very young age I developed a thirst for musicianship. I've been playing most all my life and I sort of drifted between different string instruments until I found my true talent with the drum kit. When I was a teenager our favorite slogan used to be that "rock n roll saved us from sports". But, as all of you most likely know, when you play fast or extreme music, playing drums to the tempos involved can hardly be called a stroll in the park. Hence the sarcasm.

Other physical "exercise" in my life is my work. I'm a welder by profession and the work that I do is almost at all times physically hard, including heavy lifting, standing all day, operating heavy instruments, such as tools, etc.

So, apart from these activities I haven't exactly practiced any sports, but as you can see, they sort of do count as exercise themselves. As a quite recent addition to this, apparently, I have taken up swimming, which helps me with muscular pain that started to become quite a nuisance in my everyday life. Now, I've never been a person to enjoy water as a medium, and I was at first quite reluctant to take up this kind of activity, but when I did anyway and after I noticed how much good it was doing for my back, I think I will keep up with it. I consider it a challenge, if nothing else. One must always struggle, for brilliance, as they say. :)
die Eule der Minerva beginnt erst mit der einbrechenden Dämmerung ihren Flug.
-Hegel
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Invitus
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Invitus »

My own dislike for sports is also seen as strange... And also like fra. RZ said extreme music is no leisurely walk in the park either... My work community is usually seen as a purely masculine, muscle adoring community of big scary security personnel :D
I'm so far from the normal as possible. I can't even remember the last time I went to the gym...probably years ago.
"And so he who looks down at his feet will not know the truth, but he who discerns by the sun which way to go." -Tolstoi
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Heith
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Heith »

You know, it's not only males who are "supposed to" enjoy sports (in order to look their best). I think there's a equal expectation to how women should look, and what kind of sports they "should" like. For example, I probably should attend spinning class, enjoy doing squats or maybe pole dancing lessons, which is the latest hit. Truth be told, I would much rather do strength training than any of those things.

I've noticed that more of my friends have taken up some kind of sport, because when the body gets older all sorts of problems start to occur. I've also problems with my back, but when I climb regularly it doesn't hurt at all. This is a bit of a no brainer of course. But it's only a side product of climbing, which has slowly started to become a more spiritual experience for me, as opposed to I'm having the best time and keep getting these injuries all the time!

Abhavani's post got me thinking, and I want to try out yoga too. I'm going into this experience as a side product of climbing, because I need more core strength, but I also look forward to learning to do things that I can do regardless of where I am. Om!
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Nefastos
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Nefastos »

Heith wrote:For example, I probably should attend spinning class, enjoy doing squats or maybe pole dancing lessons, which is the latest hit.


I can also imagine you cheerleading.

About yoga: Even though the Western adaptation puts so much stress on physical part (Hatha- instead of Raja yoga), that too works mostly with the energetical body or linga sharîra. It is the one that the 19th century theosophists called "astral body" (by which a different principle is usually meant nowadays), and which is the power structure of physical man. If that energetical "double" of body is kept in good shape, the whole body will be equally vital & virile. But it is interesting to note that the linga sharîra can also be twisted in a way that makes it very powerful in an inhumane way, even while the physical body can be in a tortured condition.

That line between keeping the physical body stressedly healthy and vampirizing it by linga sharîra is sometimes a line drawn in water. In monastic asceticism, super-health diets (and eating disorders), extreme physical yoga and a life given foremostly to sports all very easily cross this line and thus become a form of "black magic", so to speak - in a way that the body is constructed actually to be exploited by one's perverted self-will. (Too much stress on one's superego is as harmful as too much stress on id: instead, these two should be made harmonious by the ego between.)
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
Nokkonen
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Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Nokkonen »

Abhavani wrote: Also, simply living barefoot in the summer gives a new perspective to everyday life, so I recommend it.
Yes to this! It was such a revelation for me when I took my shoes off one hike. The information that flooded in through my feet was mind boggling and walking either barefoot or in "minimalist shoes" is simply such a pleasure that every spring I wait for it almost as anxiously as I await blooming of wild roses. Highly recommended regardless of whether you believe in grounding or not.
Circaeon

Re: Sports / physical exercise

Post by Circaeon »

I train Muay Thai 2 - 3 times per week + MMA / BJJ 2 times per week. I also work out at the local gym a couple of times per week in order to build mass. Needless to say, perhaps, there is a lot of cardio involved. This has had quite the positive effect on both my personal - intellectual as well as spiritual - focus and my astral shape. I should add that it is of course not necessary to train as hard as I do in order to obtain this kind of stimulation. I reckon one can settle with a simple schedule of exercises to entertain the flesh - like stated by Mr. Nefastos - and still achieve the same, or at least similar, results. I do however adore the challenge - to push my own physical and mental limits. Inspired by Il barone - the late Evola - and his personal and equally excellent 'Meditations on the Peaks'.
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