J. D. Stembal Posted August 19, 2015 Posted August 19, 2015 Since reading Nathaniel Branden's The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, I have been toying with the idea that body-mindfulness is analogous to self-knowledge, or even the same concept abstracted into two separate and arbitrary metaphysical realms. Is the mind separate from the body, or is the body separate from the mind? Does the mind exist because our bodies move, or is the causal relationship in reverse? If we have deficiencies in our movements, it means that we have a deficiency in our brain or thoughts, and vice versa. Since starting cross-fit and yoga, I've noticed that my body does not move the way that I want it to move, and my brain does not think they way that I want it to think. I don't think that this is coincidence at all. I have a feeling that many others have experienced the same phenomenon with their own mind and body. It makes sense to me that I cannot improve one without the other improving. Will strengthening the body improve the mind, and strengthening the mind improve my body? What do you think, FDR? Where and what are your deficiencies? How will you strengthen them? How does this apply to self-knowledge? Here is a great auxiliary video by Julien Pineau and Barbell Shrugged which addresses the biomechanics and physical blind spots weight lifters often encounter. My goal is to determine if improving the body will stimulate and grow the mind. My hope is that it will. 1
green banana Posted August 19, 2015 Posted August 19, 2015 The three nervous systems (sympathetic, parasympathetic, vagal) form a feedback loop with the organs they are connected to. When you are frightened, your heart rate goes up, digestion stops, your blood pressure goes up and so on. However, you can use the feedback loop to your advantage. When you feel calm and secure, you will stand straight and you will take on a 'dominant' pose. Taking a dominant pose and standing straight does in turn make you feel calm and secure. The causal relation works both ways. This allows you to gradually change your basic emotions over some time by remaining in positions that cause the wanted emotions or states of mind. 3
J. D. Stembal Posted August 20, 2015 Author Posted August 20, 2015 I'm very interested in the Vagas nerve as it leads to the gut, a part of the body that I've long had a problem with because of my former drinking habit.I've found that yoga is a really powerful tool for calming my mind. When I feel relaxed, I can hit poses. If I get agitated, I fall over or get antsy and cannot find stillness in the pose. The upshot is that my mind state dictates my performance. Excellence in athletics is largely an exercise in mind over matter, so it follows that athletic achievement or vigorous exercise improves mental acuity, and stimulates the mind. I have a bit of a related rant to share with the community that I recorded when I was in a saucy mood. I found my anger, by the way! It's so nice to have it under my control. I do not know the last time that I could be angry safely without having my internal family of anxieties barring the way towards inner peace. Perhaps it was when I was a toddler and no one would play with me, so I would throw blocks in an effort to get adult attention. I remember every detail about those blocks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl_LAx6t8uA&feature=share 1
Kurtis Posted August 25, 2015 Posted August 25, 2015 Another excellent post JD, I'm happy to see you back on the boards 1
J. D. Stembal Posted August 25, 2015 Author Posted August 25, 2015 Another excellent post JD, I'm happy to see you back on the boards I appreciate the encouragement, Kurtis! I have a lot of doubts about what I'm doing, but I know that it's my abusive past attempting to pull me back into the Matrix. I needed to hear this right now. I tell myself that my mission is going to be difficult, yet worthwhile, every single day. You have my sincere thanks!
J. D. Stembal Posted September 7, 2015 Author Posted September 7, 2015 This post/topic is endlessly fascinating to me. As a matter of fact on the day you posted this I attempted to post something very similar; my internet was bad at the time though and it looks like the post failed because of it. So instead of writing a whole new post that is quite similar to yours I will add my thoughts here The relationship between the body/mind is something I have been doing a lot of research on in the past year or so. What started it all for me was what happened to me, physically, after my deFOO. All my life I have experienced chronic skin problems. As a child I was hospitalized for eczema and later as an adult was diagnosed with polymorphic light eruption which basically meant I was allergic to the sun; making it painful for me to spend any long amount of time outside without becoming ill and getting a terrible rash. I spent a lot of time trying to manage these symptoms but mostly failed. After my deFOO I moved across the country and like magic – all my skin problems were gone in the matter of a few weeks! It has been about a year and a half now and both of these conditions are completely gone. When this happened I was completely shocked to be honest. I knew there was a connection to the mind and body, I had read the ACE study years ago which confirms this, but I think I underestimated just how much my body had been affected by the toxic people around me. I always looked at these chronic skin problems as something that just “was” and there wasn’t anything I could do to change it. I know now from personal experience that’s not always the case. Moreover, I have realized that I put endless hours in to therapy, journaling, and self-work to improve my mental wellness but have been largely ignoring my physical wellness. Especially in how they correspond to one another. Since this realization I have been doing a lot of research in health and fitness, and what I’ve learned about myself it quite astonishing really, at least in my opinion. I was vegan for five years of my life and soon quit that, I have taken up long distance running/walking (averaging 50 miles a week), and did a little bit of yoga. Through yoga I noticed that I kept my body so tense and tight all the time. I remember thinking “Why is this part of my body so tense?” and realized these were the parts of me that had been abused as a child. I don’t think that is a coincidence. So through my quest of physical well-being I have added a lot of valuable insight to my journey of mental well-being. Before I never even noticed that I was doing this and it was only until I stared learning about health and fitness that I made this connection. It makes me feel as if there is a much bigger connection to the mind and body then I had originally recognized and the valuable connection between the two. Thanks for making this post, I really enjoyed reading it and it’s got my brain excited and working which feels great! Berries, Thank you so much for replying! Did you change your nutrition plan when you moved? I suspect that your chronic skin problems were likely due to poor (vegan) diet, as they are usually very high inflammatory on the body and gut flora. Do you consume probiotics at all? (homebrewed kombucha, kim chee, saurkraut, keifer, etc.) This could become a lengthy reply, now that I think about it. I invite you to Skype me about your experience changing your life and diet. I've struggled through the same transition. My Skype name is jonathan.stembal and you can send me messages to that address at Gmail as well.
AccuTron Posted September 29, 2015 Posted September 29, 2015 "Since starting cross-fit and yoga, I've noticed that my body does not move the way that I want it to move, and my brain does not think they way that I want it to think. I don't think that this is coincidence at all." J.D., can you explain what happens, it seems counter-intuitive.
J. D. Stembal Posted September 29, 2015 Author Posted September 29, 2015 "Since starting cross-fit and yoga, I've noticed that my body does not move the way that I want it to move, and my brain does not think they way that I want it to think. I don't think that this is coincidence at all." J.D., can you explain what happens, it seems counter-intuitive. What I mean is that I have obstacles to overcome that are as much within my mind as within my tortured body. Do you do yoga, weight-lifting, gymnastics, or another related activity? Having command over your body is a demonstration of self-efficacy.
shirgall Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 Some things greatly improve mindfulness of physical activity: videotaping yourself doing exercises, a wall mirror, the camera-based exercise programs on some game systems (full disclosure: I work for a company that makes such a device), and martial arts where one actually spars and has coaches/instructors that can give detailed feedback in the moment. 1
J. D. Stembal Posted October 3, 2015 Author Posted October 3, 2015 Some things greatly improve mindfulness of physical activity: videotaping yourself doing exercises, a wall mirror, the camera-based exercise programs on some game systems (full disclosure: I work for a company that makes such a device), and martial arts where one actually spars and has coaches/instructors that can give detailed feedback in the moment. I most definitely record video when I get sweaty. I would not want to set up a tripod in the gym, however, as that's asking for the need to buy another one. There are mirrors at the yoga studio, but I'm usually too busy staring at the business end of a hoo-hoo to watch myself much.
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