How to Train an Elephant (book)

[FeeHutch]

I have a physical sensation in my abdomen when I concentrate. If I stand still and scan my body I do get the sense of what roots me to the ground and how I keep balanced.
That is not a very clear way of describing it sorry but it is the best I can come up with!

[FeeHutch]

OK so being aware of my centre of gravity has been very grounding and helpful. I can become so caught up in my head or in a particular painful sensation in my body that I lose a sense of myself as a whole. Paying attention to my centre of gravity has helped me regain that sensation.

I have reached something of a crisis health wise but a lot of mindfulness has helped me work through what is going on for me, talking to the people I need to and getting treatment sorted after resisting it for quite a long time.

It is our penultimate week Steve! We have done this every week for nearly a year and this week we practice loving kindness for the body and in particular spending a few minutes each day meditating on this:
May be you free from discomfort
May you be at ease
May you be healthy

I laughed when I read this chapter today, once again it just seemed to be exactly the practice I need right now. I was also interested to read that many people feel resistant to this one because of the perfect images we are fed. Normally I'd probably be resisting too but right now I do feel very open and accepting of my body. I hope you've had an interesting week too Steve and everyone else reading along with us . If you haven't tried training your wild elephant yet, don't forget this thread will still be here in 2 weeks time and if you want to start your own year long journey please post here!

[Steve]

Hi there

I've been trying to be aware of my centre of gravity and have managed this on a physical basis (leaning sideways and back and forwards to find the exact balance) but haven't found it so easy on any other level. Any awareness in my abdomen has only been a vague feeling of 'sickness' which is not so great.

Internet searching on the 'hara' did not reveal anything very useful (although it may be one of those things that you can't look for but instead gradually become aware of). I liked the idea I found on one site that the brain/mind is not the only location of our consciousness and that other areas of our body play a role in this too (including the hara). This is a very interesting concept that I will try to use to help 'get me out of my head'.

So, this week is loving kindness to the body. In some respects, I'm quite comfortable with my body and the sense that it is the real me and that its liberating not to hide behind the the 'mask' or 'role' that fashion and clothing tend to impose. On the other hand, it has recently been reminding me that its not getting younger - aches and pains appearing as well as the need for some minor 'repair' early next year. For me, loving kindness to the body is to release the build up of tension, to let it feel relaxed, to use it rather than abuse it and, of course, to fill it with lots of fresh air.

It sounds as if this week is also very meaningful for you too Fee - I wish you well with this.

Wow! almost at the year end. I hope to find time to look back over the last 50 weeks before the year finishes to review the practices, to see which have become part of my life and re-visit those that I'd like to practice more.

Steve

[Steve]

Hi all

Well this week has been showing loving kindness to the body. I adopted the suggestion of imagining breathing in energy on the inbreath and letting the body relax on the outbreath. Linking with last week, I imagined breathing in energy and light into my centre of gravity and then really letting the body relax on the out breath. A couple of minutes of this whenever I remembered/felt the need was good, the relaxation of the body especially. I've also included in my morning getting up 'ritual', massaging some body lotion into my shoulders and neck and any other parts of the body that have been aching. This physical kindness and attention to the body feels good and the smoothness and slight aroma of the lotion is a reminder during the day to stay relaxed.

The coming week is smiling. This is always a great one. I do find that my natural status/appearance tends to be on the negative or glum side and I find it hard to smile except when something stimulates one. However, I am going to try starting with even the tiniest internal smile which probabaly won't be seen as a smile by others (althogh I wonder if it will lighten my expression/demeanour at all). I do like smiling at people when I pass them in the street (although must admit this is much easier when its an attractive member of the opposite sex! Getting a smile returned by a pretty girl is a great boost to one's mood!).

I'm also seeing if I can 'smile' from my centre of gravity. This seems to take the form of a slight 'toning' of my middle/posture and another way of trying to get out of my head and into my other 'centre' (the hara from the previous week). I wonder if this a way of being in better communication with one's sub-concscious, eg as manifested by 'gut feelings' etc. Having a 'smile' in my gut feels good.

Fee, the book has 53 chapters. Any thoughts on whether we do chapter 53 next week (at same time as the first JOT chapter), or do both chapters 52 and 53 this week (either simultaneoulsy or in two halves of the week)? Hope you're enjoying the preparations for Xmas.

Steve

[Metaphysical Me]

I do find that my natural status/appearance tends to be on the negative or glum side and I find it hard to smile except when something stimulates one. However, I am going to try starting with even the tiniest internal smile which probabaly won't be seen as a smile by others (althogh I wonder if it will lighten my expression/demeanour at all).

Haha, me too
Have you heard of the concept of "Resting B*tch Face" or "B*tchy Resting Face" ? You should google it - it's soooo funny. It basically means you're one of the people whose resting face (for example when you're concentrating, listening or (trying to) look neutral) looks like a scowl...



Not sure who that guy is, but Kristen Stewart also does a great one

[Metaphysical Me]

Actually, have you heard of the research re an authentic smile ALWAYS crinkles the eye muscles? That might be a good thing to watch out for next week!

It's called a "Duchenne Smile" after the guy who discovered it. Here's a link about it:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thriving101/201001/what-science-has-say-about-genuine-vs-fake-smiles

Only a genuine smile makes you and others feel better - polite smiles can even make you feel worse! So be mindful of your eye region

[Steve]

LOL - thanks Janey!

I'm aware of my mouth being 'naturally' in a somewhat glum position but, as you say, forcing a smile feels false (although, as Thich Nhat Han says, being happy makes you smile but smiling can also make you happy). My gentle inner smile is not however intended to be false so, even if it does not wrinkle my eyes, it is good. So my face may say
but inside it feels

Steve

[Metaphysical Me]

Oh, oops, yeah, I didn't mean for that to apply to inner smiles! Sorry!
Big crinkly-eye smile!

[Steve]

Love the pic! I'm gonna stick to smiling though, if I start purring at people I might get locked up!

Steve

[FeeHutch]

I have a bitchy resting face too! Although since the heam I think I have also acquired a gormless spaced out one for when I'm tired too

I say we just concentrate on smiling this week, some times that can be a challenge enough, especially around Christmas and do the final week next week before starting our new book for 2014.

I'm not planning on spending much time online over the next few days so I will wish you all very happy holidays now