Focus

I was talking with a good friend today about focus and about the “voice” in our head. No, not like voices, but that constant chatter that is alway going on in our minds sometimes (usually?) without us even knowing it. You ever “awake” from your thoughts and notice them? At the point when you are consciously thinking about what you were previously thinking about without even realizing it, there’s suddenly a disconnect. There’s the mind that was controlling the thoughts, and then there’s the mind that observes those thoughts. Which is the real you? This constant chatter rules most of our lives. We usually aren’t even aware of what it is thinking or doing. At the moment of that disconnect, the real you shines through, and we become present. Aware of the Now as some call it. The goal is to always be present, don’ let the constant chatter run your live. Live in the Now. There’s power there.

So back to focus. Try this at home. Find a quit area and sit. Count your breathes, inhale and exhale is one, and continue to count to 100. If you lose count, start over.

Most people when they first try this can’t even make it to 10. The chatter starts up and totally takes away their focus. Keep doing it until you can make it to 100. Each time you try it, you’ll get further and further, until you can make it to 100 without any effort. Then take that level of focus into the rest of your life.

Report back how far you were able to get the first time.

Sources:
The Power of Now By Eckhart Tolle
Living in the Tao by Mantak Chia and William Wei (I don’t have the book in front of me but I’m pretty sure this exercise is in there. I know it is in Taoist Secrets of Love by Mantak Chia. Subtitle left off on purpose…)

Running Update

So I’ve been running regularly, and have worked my way up from 10 minutes to 45 minutes. I’ve also been practicing Chi Running, and while I don’t think I’ve got it all down, I’ve already noticed a difference. My shin splits for one haven’t come back, which I’m very happy about.

I’m still doing pushups and crunches every day, and started taking a class (a bootcamp?) at the YMCA once a week.

To see an example of how Chi Running should be done, just watch a child run.

For example, look here at Ariana run.

http://www.youtube.com/okolosc#p/a/u/0/ubvev_Imklo

Okolo

Exercise update

Well, I had to slow down the running because I started to get shin splints. I think I caught it just in time, just a few days rest and the pain was gone.

I’m reading Chi Running, to hopefully find a way to prevent them once and for all. That, and IT band problems plagued me when I was training for the Boston Marathon, oh so many moons ago…

I’ve made a pretty good daily routine of pushups (various types), crunches and other ab work, squats, chi-kung and meditation. I’ll be excited when I can start to add some mileage to my running.

Books I’m reading

These are the books I’m currently reading.

Tridaya Inner Power: International Correspondence Course, by Master Lukman.

Taoist Secrets of Love – Mantak Chia and Michael Winn

Chi Running A Revolutionary Approach to effortless, injury-free running.

I’m reading the last one because I’ve already gotten shin splints and I need to learn how to get rid of them. And prevent them.

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Chi

So I made a breakthrough today, I legitimately felt chi or the first time. Wow, amazing stuff. It was like my belly was literally on fire. I’ve done Tai Chi and Chi-Kung off and on for a number of years, but never really felt it. Now to learn to direct it…

It was while practicing the micro-cosmic orbit (see any books by Mantak Chia).

Are there any other Tai Chi or Chi-Kung practitioners out there?

The Purpose of Life

A wise man once said “The purpose of life is to reach your full potential.” Every time I think about that quote (original author unknown) I think of all the things I should be doing in my life that I’m not, or rather haven’t been. I’m starting to slowly add them back in.

These would include, but aren’t limited to:

* Get and stay in shape.
* Do Martial Arts regularly. (finally get my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and continue to practice Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Chi-kung and Inner Power).
* Continue to play my violin. I know this is part of reaching my potential. Not sure what form it will take, but I’m going to practice today.
* Teach. At this point not sure what or where, but I know teaching is something that fits in there somewhere.
* Read all the books I’ve bought over the years. I’ve read many of them, but there is a much larger number that I’ve not read. Time to start to plow through them one by one. Re-reading the entire Bible, which is something I did many years ago, is also part of this reading initiative. Finally mastering speed reading, which I started to do many years ago, is also part of this potential.
* Remember the names of everyone I meet, and call them by their name when I see them. I once learned a trick to do this, just need to put it to work. (See the book Mega Memory by Kevin Trudeau. I’ll explain the trick in another post)

Well, that’s a good start.

Fast

I used to fast all the time, but haven’t for many MANY years.  Tomorrow I’ll do a one day juice fast.  Start slow, take it a day at a time.

Okolo

Brief Run

I went for a brief run this morning, ran for a whole 5 minutes then walked for 6.  So short because my shoes need to be broken in, but also it has been almost 3 years since I’ve really run.

But it is time to get back into it.

This is also the first day I’ve blogged in a while.

It is time for a change back to what I know.

Truth is Truth

How often are you truthful?  Or perhaps a better question  is, how often are you not truthful?

Truth is a funny thing.  It can sometimes be harsh, it can sometimes be ugly, and can sometimes be hidden.  One of the great spiritual teachings tells us that “The truth will  make you free.”

Well, I’ve been in bondage long enough that I’m going to give it a try.  I’ve spent most of my life telling and living lies.

I’ve created the possibility that I can live life where my word is my bond.  None of us actually enjoy lying, none of us enjoy sneaking around, the associating guilt or negative feelings always eats at us.  Something as small as, how many times have you said you’d be home at a certain time and you weren’t?  Didn’t you feel bad, even a little?  Imagine saying something and you know, and the other person knows, it will be.  It is the highest form of integrity.

The power of words are one of the greatest powers on earth, as I live my life where I am my word, great power will be created.  A great teacher taught us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  If our words aren’t true, if they can’t be trusted, where does that leave us?

So I’m starting on a new journey, where I speak the truth, I am a man of integrity, I am a man of my word, I am my word.

Please share something you’ve not been totally honest abouut, yes, publicly, there is a cleansing in confession, and then commit to being a man or woman of your word from this moment on.  Not tomorrow, or in the future, this isn’t something you will do, this is something you do right now.

Truth is Truth.