Love your words my brother. As we discussed, I am focusing on rhythm. Everything you list above is perfect...but is there an ideal time to do them? Not trying to overthink this...for most of us, just do it. But everything is linked...maybe there is an ideal time to do them based on the rhythms of life? Maybe one amplifies the impact of the other? Here's my example: I have chosen to fast between 6 pm and 10am based on the recommendation of my good friend Townsend. My body starts to whine about popcorn or ice cream about 9pm or a cream filled latte at 8am. Jesus fasted for 40 days when Satan hit him with the idea of turning the stones into bread. Jesus said "Man does not live by bread, but by every word from God". When my body whines during fasting, that is the ideal time to meditate because of my increased "capacity" to ingest wisdom left by the food "void". Have you come across any good books on rhythm? If not, maybe thats a good sign to write one! I love the idea of fasting...the voids created create capacity for something better. So...how about fasting from people?
Seclusion on an extended and regular basis. Fasting from sound? Man, how we like to have "background noise"....why? Practice silence...you can/should do it with seclusion. The practice of giving and generosity? That's a concrete fast from "needing". How about fasting from fame and recognition? Doing something good in secret. In short, fasting from the material, temporal, urgent in a rhythmic way. Want to join a monastery, amigo?
Rhythm is an idea that fascinates me. Rhythm exists everywhere in the universe yet we confuse rhythm with repetition. The human experience itself IS a rhythm yet we are only born and die one time (i.e. no repetition). When I practiced meditation I did so every morning yet I might never practice meditation again. Everything that repeats has a rhythm but not all rhythms repeat! This creates problems for those who crave prescriptions. Finally, there is absolutely ideal timing for everyone to ‘do’ everything (but this timing is unique to each individual).
Love your words my brother. As we discussed, I am focusing on rhythm. Everything you list above is perfect...but is there an ideal time to do them? Not trying to overthink this...for most of us, just do it. But everything is linked...maybe there is an ideal time to do them based on the rhythms of life? Maybe one amplifies the impact of the other? Here's my example: I have chosen to fast between 6 pm and 10am based on the recommendation of my good friend Townsend. My body starts to whine about popcorn or ice cream about 9pm or a cream filled latte at 8am. Jesus fasted for 40 days when Satan hit him with the idea of turning the stones into bread. Jesus said "Man does not live by bread, but by every word from God". When my body whines during fasting, that is the ideal time to meditate because of my increased "capacity" to ingest wisdom left by the food "void". Have you come across any good books on rhythm? If not, maybe thats a good sign to write one! I love the idea of fasting...the voids created create capacity for something better. So...how about fasting from people?
Seclusion on an extended and regular basis. Fasting from sound? Man, how we like to have "background noise"....why? Practice silence...you can/should do it with seclusion. The practice of giving and generosity? That's a concrete fast from "needing". How about fasting from fame and recognition? Doing something good in secret. In short, fasting from the material, temporal, urgent in a rhythmic way. Want to join a monastery, amigo?
Rhythm is an idea that fascinates me. Rhythm exists everywhere in the universe yet we confuse rhythm with repetition. The human experience itself IS a rhythm yet we are only born and die one time (i.e. no repetition). When I practiced meditation I did so every morning yet I might never practice meditation again. Everything that repeats has a rhythm but not all rhythms repeat! This creates problems for those who crave prescriptions. Finally, there is absolutely ideal timing for everyone to ‘do’ everything (but this timing is unique to each individual).