Any exercise "aholics" in the house?

[solo]

I am in year 2 of my awakening.  It hasn't been 2 years but it has been more than one since I first noticed symnptoms of awakening.  I have always been an avid exerciser.  For more than the last 20 years I have lifted weights, run, cycled, done cardio, etc.  I used to spend 1.5-2 hours a day in the gym.  For several years I also did yoga 2-3 times a week.  

But since the awakening and since being diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (a connective tissue disorder), I don't workout so much.  I still do 15-20 minutes a day to circulate my prana and to stay active.  But nothing like I used to.

One struggle for me is finding balance.  I know that I am still in a pretty heavy cleansing mode, dealing with past issues, eliminating toxins from years of bad dietary choices, healing, etc.  And I know that I need my prana to work through all that.  At the same time, I have worked out for too long to just let my body go.  I cant' do it.  I like exercising and just feel like I need to exercise and to maintain a certain amoutn of muscularity.  But how much exercise?  That's the million dollar question.  I don't wish to expend the prana that my body needs ot heal and cleanse.  

I am curious to know what kind of exercise routines you all do.  How much time you pump into it.  The types of exercise you do, etc.  I am interested in hearing from anyone and everyone, but especially those of you that consider yourself to be fitness buffs.

[Anthem]

Hi Solo,

I do a minimum of 1 hour of rigorous exercise 5 days a week and sometimes up to 3 hours, if I end up doing a yoga class, aerobic exercise and weights in the same day. I have been doing this my whole life having played a lot of sports as a kid, so the body is accustomed to workloads like this and I derive a lot of enjoyment from it.

I rarely notice any drain on my energy from exercise. In fact, overall I see exercise as increasing energy levels. The only times I have noticed energy drains have been after anaerobic sessions of unusually high intensity and duration.

Hope this helps.

[riptiz]

Hi Solo,
I practiced martial arts for over 30 yrs before I started on a serious path to enlightenment.Then I entered energy work before starting Kundalini Maha Yoga.
I don't think there is a danger of expending prana you require for healing if you don't overdo your exercise routines.In my practical experience when one takes physical exercise, the energy flow around the body is 'more' correct and I can see how exercise gives better health.
L&L
Dave

[solo]

Thanks Dave.  Another related question.  I have heard that energy.chi/prana will not flow as well through a bulked up body (ie:  large, tight muslces).  Any truth to this from your experiences?

[riptiz]

Hi Solo,
No, I don't believe this is true either.In fact martial arts has given me an almost bulletproof energy system.I have very few bad cleansings and it gave me a tremendous leap when I started on the path seriously.If you want verification for yourself I suggest you take some chi gung training as this focuses on energy movement.
L&L
Dave

[anthony574]

I am someone who enjoys weightlifting, but feels conflicted because it causes me to eat more and I worry it interferes with yoga.

[riptiz]

Hi Anthony,
I am sure you know that it is extremely important to stretch before and after exercise including weightlifting.When I worked out with weights I made a point of doing this and couldn't understand why others did not,but of course there's not much posing in stretching is there? lol.If you are exercising frequently and rigorously then it is probably more important to stretch if you are also doing asanas because when you stress the muscles they shorten.Of course this will hamper your asanas if you are not careful by restricting your range of stretch.I have not done much physical training for about 5 yrs apart from hatha yoga for the last 8 months and still enjoy much of my range of movement that I had when regularly training.Hope this helps.
L&L
Dave

[anthony574]

By yoga I mean meditation and pranayama. I like weightlifting because I like looking fit, and I enjoy the challenge.

[mimirom]

Hi Ed,

this is what currently works best for me, and I feel very good and in balance:

Monday   - 1hour Pilates class + 1hour Asana practice
Tuesday  - 1.5 hour hatha yoga class
Wednesday- off
Thursday - 1.5 hour hatha yoga class
Friday   - about 1.5 hour weights
Saturday - same as Friday
Sunday   - off

+ "Yogani style" light set of asanas before sitting p.
+ brisk walks, a few kilometers every day

Best,
Roman

[mimirom]

Ah yes, and I'm veggie.

[Lili]

quote:Originally posted by solo

 since the awakening and since being diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (a connective tissue disorder), I don't workout so much.  I still do 15-20 minutes a day to circulate my prana and to stay active.  But nothing like I used to.

Hi Solo,
I know what you mean as I am also used to working out a lot -- around 5*1.5 hrs/week cardio, weights etc. Just now I had to stay home for only a week due to being infected with chickenpox and missing only a week of workout feels awful. Does the Ehlers thing you have require you not to work out? How about awakening (what do you mean by this?). Why can't you just keep going like you used to?

[Yogajan]

Hi Solo,
this has been an interesting journey for me.  Before my spiritual life, I was a compulsive athlete -- I ran alot, marathons.  I also worked hard, drank too much, etc.  Then I got a chronic athletic injury that prevented me from running or even walking without alot of pain.  I attribute the search to fix my pain & never finding it outside to my turning to a spiritual path and started yoga and quit drinking.  I did yoga hard too but then two and a half years ago now (15 years after starting yoga) I had an intense K experience that wouldn't quit.  I couldn't do my yoga practice or run without the energy & heat getting terrible.  I also was not being able to sleep.  I now walk regularly in the woods, do gentle yoga and sometimes exercise more intensely but I let my inner knowing guide me.  My ego still wants to do more at times but i pay attention to my body/heart/intuition to lead.  A book that helped me early on was called Full Catastrophe Living.  If you have a disorder or chronic condition, doing too much just aggravates it.  Finding balance took practice and paying attention.  
Hope this helps.
namaste & blessings to you solo,
jan