Urgent help people!
-
- Posts: 313
- Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2017 9:51 am
Urgent help people!
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???
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
Re: Urgent help people!
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/
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
'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
Re: Urgent help people!
Sit in a chair.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???
Re: Urgent help people!
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!
Kevin
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!
Kevin
Re: Urgent help people!
Sit in a chair in the short term.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???
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.
Re: Urgent help people!
Which is?
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
- Shabkar
Re: Urgent help people!
If you can't find a chair then sit with your back against the wall and stretch your legs out now and then.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
-
- Posts: 313
- Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2017 9:51 am
Re: Urgent help people!
Well mmm okay then. Thanks guys!
The force is my ally...and a powerful ally it is - Yoda
Re: Urgent help people!
How fortunate!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.
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.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 ?
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.
Please keep going! Any physical discomfort is worth it to receive empowerment and teachings from a teacher that you obviously have some connection with.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???
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.
~Chatral Rinpoche
~Chatral Rinpoche
Re: Urgent help people!
Stop complaining and of course you should go again. Have chat with Rinpoche.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???
/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut
"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
~Kurt Vonnegut
"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
Re: Urgent help people!
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.
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.
http://www.khyung.com ཁྲོཾ
Om Thathpurushaya Vidhmahe
Suvarna Pakshaya Dheemahe
Thanno Garuda Prachodayath
Micchāmi Dukkaḍaṃ (मिच्छामि दुक्कडम्)
Om Thathpurushaya Vidhmahe
Suvarna Pakshaya Dheemahe
Thanno Garuda Prachodayath
Micchāmi Dukkaḍaṃ (मिच्छामि दुक्कडम्)
Re: Urgent help people!
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.
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.
-
- Posts: 1494
- Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 2:01 am
-
- Posts: 2948
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:37 am
Re: Urgent help people!
Maitreya is often depicted in icons as sitting on a chair, why do we think that is?Kunga Lhadzom wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:07 pm http://www.buddhamuseum.com/burmese-wood-maitreya.html
- Thomas Amundsen
- Posts: 2034
- Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:50 am
- Location: Helena, MT
- Contact:
Re: Urgent help people!
DGA wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:15 pmSit in a chair in the short term.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???
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.
-
- Posts: 1494
- Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 2:01 am
Re: Urgent help people!
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......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?
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 ?
Re: Urgent help people!
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.
Re: Urgent help people!
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.
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.
Re: Urgent help people!
And here I thought you had a special secret technique.DGA wrote: ↑Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:42 amSitting 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.
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
- Shabkar