Urgent help people!

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MatthewAngby
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Urgent help people!

Post by MatthewAngby »

Hey guys. So today I went to an empowerment by Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche. There was a Puja and then empowerment. So I sat for 6-7 hours straight. However my body was so uncomfortable the whole day there - like literally being bodily tortured of some sort. I really enjoyed his teachings though and I do wish to go again tomorrow , but why do you think my whole body felt so uncomfortable ? - leg cramps butt cramps back pain. Do you think it might be ripening of intense bad karma ?

So I am now contemplating whether to go again tmr or not. Give me some advice guys please ... thanks! I just am afraid to get the pains again tmr . What should I do???
The force is my ally...and a powerful ally it is - Yoda
Vasana
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Vasana »

I doubt it's karmic. Sitting is uncomfortable if you're not used to it and if you don't often do any body maintenance.

Do lots of stretches, yoga, self massage for the problematic areas etc. Do this before hand and some on breaks if you can.

Bring supports/cushions/ belts for comfort. Try Kneeling instead of sitting.there are especially built kneeling meditation benches.

Deep breathing can also alleviate pain perception.*

Or Sit on a chair if possible.

* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21939499/
'When thoughts arise, recognise them clearly as your teacher'— Gampopa
'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
Malcolm
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Malcolm »

MatthewAngby wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:54 pm Hey guys. So today I went to an empowerment by Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche. There was a Puja and then empowerment. So I sat for 6-7 hours straight. However my body was so uncomfortable the whole day there - like literally being bodily tortured of some sort. I really enjoyed his teachings though and I do wish to go again tomorrow , but why do you think my whole body felt so uncomfortable ? - leg cramps butt cramps back pain. Do you think it might be ripening of intense bad karma ?

So I am now contemplating whether to go again tmr or not. Give me some advice guys please ... thanks! I just am afraid to get the pains again tmr . What should I do???
Sit in a chair.
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Virgo
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Virgo »

Sit in a chair. I used to sit quite a bit without too much problem but I would get very stiff. So for years now I have been sitting in a chair at home, and sitting cross-legged at Dharma Centers. This last retreat I went to however, convinced me that I am resigned to a chair forever now.

There is nothing special about sitting on the floor unless you are actually applying the lotus or half lotus posture, then there is some benefit, though it is not essential.

Edit: Jinx!

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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by DGA »

MatthewAngby wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:54 pm Hey guys. So today I went to an empowerment by Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche. There was a Puja and then empowerment. So I sat for 6-7 hours straight. However my body was so uncomfortable the whole day there - like literally being bodily tortured of some sort. I really enjoyed his teachings though and I do wish to go again tomorrow , but why do you think my whole body felt so uncomfortable ? - leg cramps butt cramps back pain. Do you think it might be ripening of intense bad karma ?

So I am now contemplating whether to go again tmr or not. Give me some advice guys please ... thanks! I just am afraid to get the pains again tmr . What should I do???
Sit in a chair in the short term.

Then, learn how to sit comfortably on the floor. there's some technique to it.

Don't let this sort of thing become a barrier to hearing the Dharma. If you need to sit in a chair for the rest of your life, do that.
Pero
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Pero »

DGA wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:15 pm Then, learn how to sit comfortably on the floor. there's some technique to it.
Which is? :smile:
Although many individuals in this age appear to be merely indulging their worldly desires, one does not have the capacity to judge them, so it is best to train in pure vision.
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Grigoris
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Grigoris »

If you can't find a chair then sit with your back against the wall and stretch your legs out now and then.
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MatthewAngby
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by MatthewAngby »

Well mmm okay then. Thanks guys!
The force is my ally...and a powerful ally it is - Yoda
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Punya »

MatthewAngby wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:54 pm Hey guys. So today I went to an empowerment by Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche. There was a Puja and then empowerment.
How fortunate!
So I sat for 6-7 hours straight. However my body was so uncomfortable the whole day there - like literally being bodily tortured of some sort. I really enjoyed his teachings though and I do wish to go again tomorrow , but why do you think my whole body felt so uncomfortable ? - leg cramps butt cramps back pain. Do you think it might be ripening of intense bad karma ?
This is a pretty common experience. Whether it's bad karma or not, if you want to sit on the floor your body just needs to get used to it.

Over time doing a lot of daily (meditation) sitting helps. As does exercise that supports hip flexibility. Also, if you can, get one of your teacher's senior students to check your posture. Or, as suggested, you can try a Zen stool.

For your immediate problem, a chair is one option although I sometimes find this is even more uncomfortable. Otherwise, trying to elevate your butt more. You can do this with the right combination of cushions, blankets, or whatever you have at hand. Magnesium might help with the cramps if you can get hold of some.
So I am now contemplating whether to go again tmr or not. Give me some advice guys please ... thanks! I just am afraid to get the pains again tmr . What should I do???
Please keep going! Any physical discomfort is worth it to receive empowerment and teachings from a teacher that you obviously have some connection with.

Edit: Can I also suggest when you are asking these kind of questions that you post in a more general forum. The problem you are describing is not specific to Nyingma.
We abide nowhere. We possess nothing.
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heart
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by heart »

MatthewAngby wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:54 pm Hey guys. So today I went to an empowerment by Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche. There was a Puja and then empowerment. So I sat for 6-7 hours straight. However my body was so uncomfortable the whole day there - like literally being bodily tortured of some sort. I really enjoyed his teachings though and I do wish to go again tomorrow , but why do you think my whole body felt so uncomfortable ? - leg cramps butt cramps back pain. Do you think it might be ripening of intense bad karma ?

So I am now contemplating whether to go again tmr or not. Give me some advice guys please ... thanks! I just am afraid to get the pains again tmr . What should I do???
Stop complaining and of course you should go again. Have chat with Rinpoche.

/magnus
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Mantrik »

Nothing spooky here. Bodies can just be painful.
If we are not from a culture where sitting on the floor is the norm, why on earth would we expect to suddenly be able to do what others from those cultures have been used to for decades?
In my youth I endured many hours in seiza at a time. Now I can't manage more than a few minutes before there is a lot of pain if sitting on the floor and can't even get up without a struggle.
I use a bean bag - more comfortable than a chair or floor.
Yes, check that it is OK with the Lama.
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Tlalok
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Tlalok »

Are you still in pain now? If you are, is the pain sharp and jagged or dull and aching? If you ever feel a sharp pain, then stop what you are doing immediately because you've damaged something. Soreness is generally fine as long as it clears up in a few days.

Often the cause for leg / knee pain while sitting for prolonged periods is through tight hip joints. This is exacerbated by prolonged periods sitting in chairs. Just like any physical activity, stretch them out before sitting for prolonged periods. You've got to put a lot of work on this to be able to sit still for 6+ hours without pain, and honestly I don't think its practical to expect you to ever be able to do it comfortably. AFAIK even in retreat you'll be sitting for only 2 - 3 hours for individual sessions.

You can also get sciatic nerve issues if your sitting bones end up interfering with the nerve placement. The magnesium mentioned upthread can help with that, as well as squats / deadlifts to add more muscle padding to the affected areas. The deads would help with the back pain too, as they will help strengthen the core so you can brace better and put strain off the back.

Knees get hurt if you're being too rough with them. They are meant to bend in one way as a hinge, not a ball and socket. If you find yourself twisting them to get into a sitting posture, try elevating your butt to flatten them out. Be very careful with your knees please.
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Fortyeightvows »

Maitreya is often depicted in icons as sitting on a chair, why do we think that is?
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Thomas Amundsen »

DGA wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:15 pm
MatthewAngby wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:54 pm Hey guys. So today I went to an empowerment by Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche. There was a Puja and then empowerment. So I sat for 6-7 hours straight. However my body was so uncomfortable the whole day there - like literally being bodily tortured of some sort. I really enjoyed his teachings though and I do wish to go again tomorrow , but why do you think my whole body felt so uncomfortable ? - leg cramps butt cramps back pain. Do you think it might be ripening of intense bad karma ?

So I am now contemplating whether to go again tmr or not. Give me some advice guys please ... thanks! I just am afraid to get the pains again tmr . What should I do???
Sit in a chair in the short term.

Then, learn how to sit comfortably on the floor. there's some technique to it.

Don't let this sort of thing become a barrier to hearing the Dharma. If you need to sit in a chair for the rest of your life, do that.
:good:
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

Fortyeightvows wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:50 pm Maitreya is often depicted in icons as sitting on a chair, why do we think that is?
Well........before i investigated a little to answer your question....off the top of my head, i thought it was to show compassion for those that prefer to sit in chairs, (like Westerners)....and there is no need to suffer, like sitting in an uncomfortable position, as if it was an austerity......


THEN I RAN ACROSS THIS ARTICLE :

https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/conside ... ull-lotus/


So....i makes sense....

He is sitting like a King....and Kings love to eat ....so it would be uncomfortable to sit in Lotus with a Kingly belly ? :)
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by DGA »

Pero wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:16 pm
DGA wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:15 pm Then, learn how to sit comfortably on the floor. there's some technique to it.
Which is? :smile:
Sitting with good posture. Stretching some muscles and strengthening some others. Getting a cushion under your rump. And being young enough to have stretchy ligaments and muscles, and not having any serious injuries that would making floor-sitting miserable or impossible.
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Soma999 »

Having a flexible body is good for your health. Having a flexible mind is good for Dharma.

You can use a chair. Some people give way too much importance to posture. They have their importance, but what is doing your mind is much more important.

But of course, good posture can help pacify the mind, bring better oxygenation, and even produce some change in the energy.

But being correctly seated on a chair could be a very good posture also.
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Re: Urgent help people!

Post by Pero »

DGA wrote: Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:42 am
Pero wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:16 pm
DGA wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:15 pm Then, learn how to sit comfortably on the floor. there's some technique to it.
Which is? :smile:
Sitting with good posture. Stretching some muscles and strengthening some others. Getting a cushion under your rump. And being young enough to have stretchy ligaments and muscles, and not having any serious injuries that would making floor-sitting miserable or impossible.
And here I thought you had a special secret technique. :roll: :D
Although many individuals in this age appear to be merely indulging their worldly desires, one does not have the capacity to judge them, so it is best to train in pure vision.
- Shabkar
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