Mich writes - I practice martial arts and it is very disciplined. Is there such thing as over-discipline? Does martial arts help balance all the elements?
From a Yogic point of view discipline is fundamental to the spiritual path. Discipline does not mean we lose spontaneity, take ourselves too seriously or we don’t take chances but it does mean that each day we have a certain spiritual discipline that sets the tone for our day and our everyday learning. If martial arts are used for discipline of the body and mind they can be very useful but if they ever lead to conflict of fights they now lose their spiritual usefulness.
Once you have discipline in one thing you can shift and have discipline in another-it is our choice of habits that make our object of discipline useful of not.
Yogi Cameron
on Mar 28th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Surely the martial arts practice will clear the subtle energy field only as Cameron says if it serves a spiritual practice and if it is used for a fight or any kind of aggressive behaviour then be sure it will cause one harm because of karma caused by such aggression and so it will keep one on the same level because untill one learns the spiritual practices of truth,love,peace and wisdom only then one moves to higher levels.So the martial arts practice has to open the heart in every way and not block it!Opening the heart and keeping the heart open is the key to the spiritual practices along with the mental and physical practices.
” Once you have discipline in one thing you can shift and have discipline in another-it is our choice of habits that make our object of discipline useful of not. ” : Yogi Cameron
And being disciplined is the backbone to life,living,our minds functioning well in order to attract and gravitate things in life unto one and to be in the flow of life and to spirituality,physical health and well being and mental health and well being.It is being flexible and open in the heart and mind and on all levels and not being stiff and rigid.Over discipline happens when the the heart and mind are blocked from being open and thus become rigid - and this shows up physically in that it shows in the body and one’s movement and speech and actions because the thoughts form the body.And that would heat the body too much making it aggressive.So heated thoughts lead to an aggressive body and physical aggression.Opening the heart and mind and keeping it open and balanced through regular spiritual practices and mental practices and being outdoors in nature and meditating on the Earth and living GREEN everyday is the way and the key and the path to Light and treasure.
We won’t find anything outside us what is not inside us.Spirituality will not be found anywhere if it is not inside oneself.For example - this is a simple example which can be trasferred to spirituality as well - ” for doing hatha yoga practices,(those are the physical yoga practices as there are many kinds of yoga practices some being silent and still such as meditative mental practices),people buy yoga mats to do their yoga practice and all those accesories like blocks and what not - I don’t know what all things are used in yoga classes.Well,I don’t go to any classes anywhere but I do my yoga quietly at home.And I don’t have a yoga mat!I began using a blanket - I spread a blanket on the floor and voila I do my yoga!That made me think is doing yoga about buying a yoga mat and all that stuff?What about yogis who do their yoga practices and postures outdoors and I have seen photos of yogis do these postures even on rocky surfaces!Without any mat!!Same way spirituality does not require outward conditions but is something to be cultivated and practices in oneself and it is nourished through nature and mental and physical practices.So if I go somewhere and find that there is no spirituality in that place then I don’t know what I was looking for - the right music perhaps?Or incence and aroma oils perhaps?Or flowers and the sound of gongs ringing perhaps?Or waterflowing from statues perhaps?or or or ……So having what I want inside myself will make me impervious to outer conditions.I drink delicious yogi teas and they always have a saying on each tea bag and today I pulled out this one : ” Bliss is a constant state of mind,undisturbed by gain or loss. ” This confirms what I am saying as to having what I want inside myself makes me impervious to outer conditions.
Love & Bliss,
Namaste
on Mar 29th, 2009 at 11:07 am
“It is the struggles that help us growing so we should not be looking for an easy quick way out as this will just keep coming back to us in different forms(rebirth)until we pass through and conquer the lesson. See what practice has been most difficult and place more attention on that until you feel comfortable that you are making progress.” Yogi Cameron from Reflection of ten days change :p
Effort and balance in what making sense to you? :p
Dearest sweetheart Yogi Cameron and Ray :p
I’m just back from fantastic merit ceremony and share my merit to both of you.
If we remember, Cameron wrote about habit starting from a day to a week, month and becoming part of us?
Looking at Buddha’s discipline or our Guru’s discipline :p
Ask ourselves first, why we are doing what we do? Health, Dana(generousity),5-8 precepts, your celestial sound of chanting and bliss meditation.
My meditation today was pretty good, there was color gemstone and diamond , more beautiful than any graphic video :p incomparable. Mind camera? :p
How are you both doing? Hi to Love and Mich and observing readers :p Please feel comfortable to write here? I’m sure you are welcomed by Yogi Cameron as much as me and Ray :p
I bow to you sweetheart Yogi Cameron, i need my strength here as it brings me up or i could be crying because of reasons from practice by myselflike, sleeping alone, meditating alone etc etc :p and writing to you…Mantra and placing my mind at centre :p
Ray, what you wrote is Genius :p
Let s take it easy in Indonesia? :p
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdMeadv81LU
Merit leader Bonlovingcameron :p
on Mar 29th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Greetings everyone! So Cameron does read these messages, doesn’t he ? Cameron you’ve given me a gage in which to look at practice of discipline….I realized that my discipline has gone too far, becoming too serious, and judgemental on myself in a way that I’ve become a slave to my discipline rather than using the discipline to serve me. It’s a delicate balance to juggle, with asian culture of martial arts, discipline, knowing when to disagree with sensei and knowing when it may be time to leave the dojo when the spiritual growth has reached a ceiling.
In north america there tends to be a lack of self-discipline , they follow what ever excitement leads them, being lead by their senses. But I am glad I did n’t follow in to this, but sometimes it leads me to ignore my inner feelings.
I will re-think about this, re-think some of my habits and maybe shift my discipline, as you say, to serve me better. Your educational videos have opened my mind to consider a better way of living, although I’ve already been “health-nut”. For example, when you said we don’t need to eat 3 x per day, I thought, yeh, maybe that’s why when I eat less, I feel more alert.
I’m also interested in reading the Autobiography of Yogi. To see what I can learn from a great spiritual example.
Thx for the insight! Your reply means more than you’ll know:)
Wishing u all peace, joy & abundance!
on Mar 30th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Although I have a strong will and I am very determined, my Achilles heel has always proved to be discipline … until I discovered yoga. Today, there is not a day where I do not practice, whatever the circumstances are (taciturn mood, meetings, super busy day…). By practicing yoga every single day (between 40 minutes and 1 hour), I discipline myself in a gentle and spiritual way. I never force myself to go beyond my physical and spiritual limits. The way I feel once I am done with my daily practice is so great that I would miss my practice for anything in the world.
The disciplined is not innate. We have to learn it. It never gained for good either. We have to work on it every day. But once we found the benefits it generates, it quickly becomes second nature. This is the way I feel about my yoga practice. Thank you Cameron for that!
Mich, I read Autobiography of a Yogi and I highly recommend you to read it. Although I remain skeptical, even resistant to some theological visions, this book opened my eyes to a spiritual perspective beyond any religious connotation.
Thank you all.
Namaste.