Question:

My pain doc has suggested that yoga might help.  As you said, one may not (probably not!) be able to do all the poses, but you can pick an choose.  Also, the breathing can be helpful.  Just thought I’d let you know that even some docs think it’s a good thing. Lynn

Response:

   My martial arts teachers talks about shoshin and mushin all the time. Shoshin means "fresh mind"  or "first day mind"  where you approach everything you do like it was the first time you did it, not with the attitude "oh I have done that so many times before"     And as you stated, mu means empty, so mushin is Empty Mind where you let thoughts simply pass through your mind or simply observe your thoughts and not participate in them.  It takes some practice!    I believe meditation works, not because the pain is in your mind, but if done correctly, it relaxes the entire body.  In Yoga they have the "corpse" position where you lay down on the floor on your back with feet and hands spread apart and your breathe and relax in to the floor.  It is great if you can do it without any pain.   If any of your pain is due to tight muscles impinging on a nerve, meditation may take the edge off.   I found a book called YOGA MIND BODY by the SIVANANDA YOGA VEDANTA CENTER that is excellent.  Even if you can’t do the poses, it has excellent advise about diet, nutrition, breathing and meditation and why they feel it works. Some of it gets too deep for me, so I pick and choose what I believe in. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Danny, I am glad you felt compelled to say what you did about > meditation, prayer and healing and that you did it, even though it may > cause some people to freak! A hug for reaching out!. Want to say I like > what you said, it was important. > Meditation or prayer whatever one chooses to call it has been proven > medically to help a great deal with healing. Now I will be the first to > stand up and yell my objections when someone says this pain is all in my > head or that I created it myself,,,,I hate it when able body people say > that! But,,,there is relief  to be found in positive thinking, to > slowing down the thoughts with meditation, prayer, to kinda giving up > the pain or illness to a higher power, I know there is I’ve seen it in > others and in myself.  I still have the pain,,,I am still considered > disabled but it isnt destroying me like it was before I came to > acceptance, meditation and( HERE GOES EVERYONE READY TO  SCREAM!LOL)the > healing energy of the universe and the effects of ‘mind healing’. I’m > not trying to preach, dont want to nor will I engage in a heated > discussion about it that’s not my style but it does help me, has helped > others I know, to try to live with acceptance, faith(in whatever form > that takes for you)and clean living so to speak. I smoke and dont always > keep a great diet, and I know that if I did clean up my act that way I > would feel better,,,I know but I > just dont do it, so  I try to not complain to the universe or my friends > and family when I cough or gain a few pounds. This is not making any > sense is it?  I am not a "religious  freak" either Danny,,,and you make > a strong point, thanks for the reminders. > vanita/ aka muji > Muji is my buddhist name by the way. Mu is that state of nothing, that > state of enlightnment, when body and mind drop away; JI is the same > thing only in a different language.

Response:

Danny, I am glad you felt compelled to say what you did about meditation, prayer and healing and that you did it, even though it may cause some people to freak! A hug for reaching out!. Want to say I like what you said, it was important. Meditation or prayer whatever one chooses to call it has been proven medically to help a great deal with healing. Now I will be the first to stand up and yell my objections when someone says this pain is all in my head or that I created it myself,,,,I hate it when able body people say that! But,,,there is relief  to be found in positive thinking, to slowing down the thoughts with meditation, prayer, to kinda giving up the pain or illness to a higher power, I know there is I’ve seen it in others and in myself.  I still have the pain,,,I am still considered disabled but it isnt destroying me like it was before I came to acceptance, meditation and( HERE GOES EVERYONE READY TO  SCREAM!LOL)the healing energy of the universe and the effects of ‘mind healing’. I’m not trying to preach, dont want to nor will I engage in a heated discussion about it that’s not my style but it does help me, has helped others I know, to try to live with acceptance, faith(in whatever form that takes for you)and clean living so to speak. I smoke and dont always keep a great diet, and I know that if I did clean up my act that way I would feel better,,,I know but I just dont do it, so  I try to not complain to the universe or my friends and family when I cough or gain a few pounds. This is not making any sense is it?  I am not a "religious  freak" either Danny,,,and you make a strong point, thanks for the reminders. vanita/ aka muji Muji is my buddhist name by the way. Mu is that state of nothing, that state of enlightnment, when body and mind drop away; JI is the same thing only in a different language.

Response: