Do you even lift bro? (Bridging Exercise and Meditation)

[Meditative]

I'd like to discuss something new here. Do you participate in any physical activity or exercise and how has it helped your ability to meditate and become your highest potential?

In my experience I find that movement not only affects muscles and physiology in a positive way, but also your emotions, psychology and spirit. The world is all too prevalent with sick, sad, and depressed people that live sedentary lifestyles.

Here is where I bridge exercise and meditation. I personally love to do explosive exercises such as strength training and sprinting (100 m or less). I find that when I challenge myself enough, I get to a point where I'm so close to my perceived limits that I get a TON of resistance in my body mind which makes me want to give up and quit. At this point, if I can go a little bit further, this is where a deep inner transformation spontaneously happens. In this moment I experience a massive energetic release and immediately it feels as if my spirit is lifted. I feel weightless yet grounded at the same time. My self created problems disappear and I feel limitless. This energetic release allows me to relax and sink into the tenderness of meditation where I can receive that inner wisdom and insight. This is how I've learned to bridged the gap between physicality and spiritual transcendence. I practice the calm abiding meditation from this website daily and it highly resonates with me, and I find that strength training and the emotional release associated with it does the same thing for me.

Many people in the spiritual and self help community say that we must transcend the body and ego in order to attain enlightenment, but that statement in itself creates resistance to and suppression of the very thing we want to transcend. I'm beginning to realize that sometimes pain is necessary for growth because it is potential. If you can release resistance to it, it will lead to deep healing and expansion in all dimensions of life.

By the way here is a 3 min video I found called "The Transcendent Rep" that beautifully describes what I've experienced through strength training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52eTlKDBgBA

[Apkallu]

Hi,

Yes, I've been lifting (and many other sports) in my 15's to mid 20's and once again from 37 yo to right now (45yo)
I have been doing ATHLEAN-X for 1 year and also chops woods (manually) every week for 6 months a year.

So at least 4/5 times a week.
And yes, it is really calming me down and thus good to meditate. Some say we should not meditate soon after but I don't have any problem with this.

[Mert]

Been there, done that. Long lasting minutes till the body doesn't respond, for years.

It did not even a little helped me in terms of self awareness. I don't think it helps to "bridge" at all and even intervenes with your insight and meditation. It's like eating a lot of salt, makes your body over-stiff and unable to relax. What helps is stretching and sweating without pushing too hard to increase the blood flow and breath capacity. This is enough for a comfy feeling, mood uplift and a good body.

Guys like at the video, even they don't believe what they say. It's adaptation, not willpower training. Uploading stress to your body was never the good thing.

[Meditative]

Been there, done that. Long lasting minutes till the body doesn't respond, for years.

It did not even a little helped me in terms of self awareness. I don't think it helps to "bridge" at all and even intervenes with your insight and meditation. It's like eating a lot of salt, makes your body over-stiff and unable to relax. What helps is stretching and sweating without pushing too hard to increase the blood flow and breath capacity. This is enough for a comfy feeling, mood uplift and a good body.

Guys like at the video, even they don't believe what they say. It's adaptation, not willpower training. Uploading stress to your body was never the good thing.

It's true if you only lift the body can become stiff. That's why everyday I stretch, foam roll, and sometimes get massages to balance things out. Thinking about trying yoga.

From my experience it is willpower training because the mind gets afraid, wants to quit and stay in its comfort zone. In the moment it takes awareness and concentration to face that and go through it. I don't push to the edge until the very end of my workout. Before that last rep I usually lift in a slow, safe and controlled manner, maintaining awareness of the sensations of muscle contraction.

[dharma bum]

I don't lift, exercise somewhat irregularly, but I do think that subjecting yourself to physical discomfort everyday and overlooking that discomfort is good for you. I don't necessarily mean going out of your way to seek discomfort like Shaolin monks standing under a waterfall on one foot but maybe simpler things like an occasional cold shower. Anyway, I'm no guru, and people should heed my advice only if it makes sense to them.

[Matthew]

The Buddha used to swim daily. A healthy exercise that does not build ego.

Kobun Chino Roshi, the Emperor of Japan's bow-maker, said while teaching Kyudo, "Martial art build ego. Don't build ego. Cut! Cut! Cut!"

Lifting has the danger of being goal oriented. This would build ego.

[BigIdiotSmallGenius]

What's wrong with ego? It is a biological need to stay active, and through evolution, we spent more time being active and the free time would be spent worshiping or rituals. As time progressed, we have more free time and more resource and thus an empty void. Materialism took out the element of spiritual practice, but it looks like this path demonizes anything goal orientated. Maybe meditative practice is more of a response to civilization and the need to tap into primitive states of mind(pre-civilization). That said, suppression of thumos or ambition appears to have negative consequences on the psyche.

Also, I lift regularly, it is possible to enter a state of no mind during training. Really just visualize your lifts before you start and focus on breath rather than the reps you've done.

[Meditative]

What's wrong with ego?

Also, I lift regularly, it is possible to enter a state of no mind during training. Really just visualize your lifts before you start and focus on breath rather than the reps you've done.

I don't see anything wrong with ego. It's our interface with this world and keeps us alive. The issues arise when it dominates the being and thus we lose connection with the body. I agree goals are healthy as long as you don't cling to them.

Yes I like to visualize before a set then come back to the body and let it perform.