That’s why they flush! I mean, they’re nice and all, but definitely a purpose built item.
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Not to rat myself out, but Mayo is my family name. I’m sorry I give you indigestion.
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Quran 4:40:
Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom’s weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.
Mathew 6:1-3
1“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,…
Quran 42:20
Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter - We increase for him in his harvest. And whoever desires the harvest of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share.
Sahl Tustari is said to have said that he hadn’t talked to any human for a large number of years (like 15ish), but that he was instead talking to God, but that people thought that he was talking to them. If I remember correctly.
And I sometimes imagine him turning towards the direction of one of his students, not looking them in the face, saying “thank you” with such deep humbleness and sincerity that it’s mind boggling.
I would prefer a small taste of both heaven and hell to hit me at different times in ways that force my direction to the best path(s), rather than to have a super huge taste of heaven to last a few years but then be lost or worse
God please guide me/us
Salaam Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu
I have had an epiphany a few times I think, but keep forgetting. Had it again earlier this week, pondering while on the toilet, very shortly after taking half a brain candy, lolz
Some say identity is an illusion
Some say choice is an illusion
I would say some more so than others, tho perhaps they are all illusions, also perhaps not - but the epiphany for me is that they are equally illusiory
In order to continue holding on to an identity that will not last will eventually repeatedly require making choices that get harder and harder until it gets hard enough that that branch of identity gets cut, so to speak, assuming an identity tree in the first place. The rest perhaps continues to grow
Maintaining or growing an aspect of identity requires foregoing other choices, worse perhaps - preventing them from actually being experienced as choices in the first place, not allowing them to be noticed
Too many choices can be tiring and annoying as well of course
I’m pretty sure the reason this same epiphany occurs to me on occasion is because I stop living up to it well enough that I have to rediscover it. Maybe sharing it will help me remember this time, inshaAllah
Be a bonzai tree, that keeps it’s proper shape as it grows in scale, wasting little as possible
I don’t think I meant to kill the thread, but I guess I felt a need to try to take it somewhere it might die.
I do mean to revive the thread, but I realize I cannot do it alone, just as I couldn’t have been the only one to have killed it - that would have required the help of everyone reading. Reviving it would require more help from less people than that
Peace, either way
Thrilled to have the thread revived, sorry it took me three days to respond.
I just read an interesting article by Julian Walker titled “Red Pill Awakening.” If you want I can post a link here.
It’s about the similarity between woke peeps and QAnon and Alt Right mentalities. He’s a yogi, and writes really well. It’s a long read, but I think well worth it.
Best place to ponder…unless my staff hasn’t replaced the toilet paper. Then I get all focused on how I am going to duck walk with my pants around my knees to the next stall to clean myself up. Then all I can focus on is waiting until the locker room is empty so I don’t expose my junk while duck walking. And, how much I am going to red ass my staff.
Identity versus choice = red pill or blue pill methinks.
I went almost three years eating the same thing every day to eliminate choices. Pretty cool actually.
Be the ball - CADDYSHACK. A lot of zen in that movie.
Peace back Brother!
Please do
I don’t know what you mean, but I suspect I will after reading the article
If you had a nice combination I could see it could be awesome.
Pondering on the toilet has been a hobby since I was a child. Weird that I can still visualize the tiles on the bathroom floor from childhood, and remember my eyes darting between them searching for patterns while pondering. In a way I guess I never stopped - maybe that’s why the memory is so vivid
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@The_Myth not sure if you are still about on here but will ask you and anyone who meditates something.
I’ve recently started a bit of meditating/ mindfulness stuff to try and help me through a hard time. I wanted to add that I have no understanding of spirituality and the like, it has absolutely not been on my radar and I know next to nothing about it.
So today, day 5 of my morning breathing/meditation i had a strange light relaxed feeling that I had not felt on the previous days. Then with eyes closed i saw a grey hole with a blue kinda swirling vortex around it that pulsated in and out. I just lay there looking at it a bit confused for a few minutes I was drawn into the middle of it and then my eyes subconsciously opened.
I then googled it and it turns out its a thing!
Not sure what it all means but as someone completely uninvolved with the woo woo world I found it really interesting. Is there any thing I need to know? Am I going to get sucked into the hole? Lol
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Hey:
Welcome to the world of mindfulness and all of the weird shit that goes with it.
Meditation is beneficial on many levels. In my opinion, the first benefit is taking a pause from your daily obligations. If you meditate in the morning (highly recommended), it can set you up for a great day - particularly if you practice gratitude. Just focusing on your breath is a great way to get out of your head for a few minutes.
Dan Brule’ is into breathwork (one modality of meditation) and he recommends 2 for ten and ten for 2 - Twice a day for ten minutes (upon awakening and prior to sleep), ten times a day for 2 minutes to calm the nervous system.
One interpretation of your experience could be that you were connecting to the vibration/frequency of the universe and the hole with the swirling vortex was symbolic of that energy.
Another interpretation would be that you were beginning to have an Out of Body Experience (OBE), also known as astral projection - allegedly, the CIA calls this Remote Viewing and has used it extensively. I’ve read several books on it and a recurring theme is that anytime you move your body, or open your eyes, your “consciousness” re-enters your body, so you’re not going to get stuck in a different dimension, lol.
Breathwork and meditation reportedly encourage the brain to release DMT, a powerful hallucinogenic. Stan Grof developed breathwork as a substitute for psychedelic research when LSD was banned (Grof is a psychiatrist).
I know much of this sounds like, and may be, a bunch of psycho-babble. The bottom line is if it helps, then keep doing it.
I did not cite references, sources, or name any books because I thought most of it would be disregarded. If you are interested in OBE or breathwork, I can direct you to some other resources.
I have gone through quite a bit of training. I don’t necessarily buy into all of the woo woo, but find a lot of value in many aspects.
BTW, morning practice is called sadhana. Practicing in the Amrit Vela (2 1/2 hours before sunrise), supposedly amplifies the effects.
When I am in distress, the practice helps. When I get away from it, my performance suffers. I am not convinced there is a particular reason it works, or why it works for me -still trying to figure it out - but it does help.
Hit me up anytime.
Cheers!
Thanks for the info. I am finding its helping, stress levels seem lower and I feel more positive. Kinda feels like there has been a shift in brain chemistry and I’ve reset a little, like I’ve reclaimed my mind and have better control of my thoughts and emotions. My wife asked me multiple times at the weekend what I was smiling about, I wasn’t aware I was! Makes a change from resting bitch face.
I’ve been doing cold exposure too which is feeling great, the physical and mental challenge of it is certainly doing something.
Check out Wim Hof.
Kundalini yoga recommends sadhana followed by a cold shower. When I was doing teacher training I would get up at 3:30, cold shower, and go to training. We would sit in easy pose for two hours listening to Jap ji, a Sikh poem.
Then, an hour of yoga, followed by two hours in Ego Eradicator - easy pose with arms up in a pose.
I don’t recommend it.
Lunch, and another two hours holding a pose.
But - if you can sit for ten minutes in meditation, dude, you can tolerate most things. It’s like getting comfortable being under the bar - getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
I was 54 or so at the time, squatting 290. Not huge, but good for a beginner at my age.
Holding a pose for two hours, phew, fuck that.
Be careful, some dudes will call you a fag, lol, or gay - I believe a guy got banned because he kept calling me gay (from a certain province in Canada that rhymes with you oughta).
I think if you are lifting, yoga provides a balance.
Well, fuck, I think yoga provides a balance period.
Ashtanga means eight limbs, and basically it means live a good life. The eight limbs of yoga are a lifestyle. Do this, don’t do that, kind of simple.
So, I should STFU and let you enjoy your practice.
You go!
Its the Wim Hof method that I am doing, don’t get me wrong I don’t think its going to completely change my life but I am seeing positives after a short amount of time. I’m looking to learn some breathing methods i can use on the spot for situations that cause my anger and frustration. So if anyone has any suggestions that would be great.
Thanks for info.
I like all the positive vibes in this thread 
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Cool!
To go whole hog, check out Dan Brule’s book called Just Breathe. There are many different breathing techniques.
For now, consider 4-7-8, link below.
Tactical breathing is also great - kind of what sold me on breathwork. I figured if bad ass Navy Seals do it, there must be something to it.
If you get really serious about it, there is a free breathwork session via Zoom every Sunday through Alchemy of Breath - I did a ten month training with them. The session is an hour long and can get pretty intense. It’s what Grof developed in lieu of LSD therapy.
It might.
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Thats great, will check these all out. Nice one 
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I’ve been doing this for sleep for about a week now. It seems to have helped a lot, but I struggle with holding my breath for so long. I find 4-4-4-4 easier
Anna - I follow your log, love your journey.
It’s just ratios, it doesn’t have to be four seconds. It could be 3-6-7, or 2-4-6.
Tactical breathing can be 3-3-3-3, or 2-2-2-2…
The idea is that breathing affects your emotional state, and you can control your breathing. In fight or flight, to stop breathing. To shift your state, you can change your breathing.
Makes sense?
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Bump.
@T3hPwnisher log got me a bit fired up about being a human that I want others to be, and I been readin lots o shit, so I am bumping this thread.
Recent read was Live Like Jesus, which is pretty much what it says. Currently reading The Christ is Not a Person, which is a little more subtle.
I guess we’re all lookin for answers (O Brother, Where Art Thou allusion).
Maybe it’s just me.
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You ever read any Native American spirituality stuff? That’s a very broad term that I don’t like using, and don’t intend for it to be confused with the stereotypical view of the somber Indian who is at one with nature, but if you’re interested in that all, got some good stuff I could recommend.
I have not, and I am interested.
Ever been to Sedona? They all want to do the sacred cacao ceremony with a newly minted shaman, so I am cynical.
True Native American spirituality I would be into. As mentioned, all paths lead to the same kingdom.
Still looking for answers.
Never been. I hadn’t heard of that ceremony. A quick google makes it look like a Mayan/Aztec thing? Is it legit or just something to attract the touristy types?
Many tribes have similar, sometimes even the same beliefs, but like denominations in Christianity or anything else, there’s obviously variations.
I am Lakota, and only recently have begun to really explore the spiritual aspect of my heritage. I did my first sweat lodge a little over a month ago. I consider myself a Christian, but the more I learn about this stuff, the more I feel it is actually quite compatible with Christianity. In fact, some of the most respected holy men of the past century or two converted to Christianity/Catholicism, feeling that they could do that and still maintain their traditional beliefs.
I don’t know of tons of books, but have a few in mind. I want to look up a couple first to make sure I’m thinking of the right titles. I’ll send them your way in a few days or so.
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