Comments on Cranky Fitness: Ready, Set,... Ah Hell.

Well put, TK.Mary Anne in Kentucky, influenced by ...

2008-08-19T09:06:00.000-04:00

Well put, TK.

Mary Anne in Kentucky, influenced by several yoga teachers who were practicing Buddhists, but not exactly Buddhist herself

I would actually add that Zen is a school of the M...

2008-08-19T02:05:00.000-04:00

I would actually add that Zen is a school of the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, of which there are many variations, all of which have taken on some of the religious aspects of the earlier local, usually animist or pagan faiths in the areas where Buddhism has taken root. It's in many ways more truly a form of mind training than a religion, though most traditions exhibit often extensive ceremonial trappings that have become religious in aspect.

BUT Buddha Shakyamuni essentially said "do not worship me, do not make me a god"; unlike in other world religions he laid no claim to godhood, but instead said that he was only a man and if he could attain enlightenment, so could others, and this teaching was the way. Of course people did make images of the Buddha figure to represent the embodiment of the Buddha nature present within all people. Buddhists bow to one another in recognition of the Buddha nature within.

Because the main goal of Buddhist study and training is to learn to remove oneself from suffering (samsara) by learning to relinquish attachment to the world of form and to reduce ego clinging (judging everything as either good or bad, which is the root of suffering), to say it's not ok to use the word Zen as an adjective is kind of missing the point, because that is a judgment of the ego, and thus something that is to be let go, so the irony tickles me.

People understand Zen often enough as referring to a sense of peace and calm associated with enlightened beings that is difficult to obtain, and that is pretty much correct, so I personally have never seen a problem with the usage of "Zen" as an adjective, but that's just me.
I would point out that Thich Naht Hahn is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist, (for those who are familiar with any of his teachings), and the Dalai Lama (who is fond of referring to himself as only a monk)is a Tibetan Buddhist of the Gelug tradition. Somewhat different practice but with the same goals. Neither man takes himself seriously, and both men have great traditions resting on their shoulders and yet they radiate a lightness of being and a joy that is the most amazing energy I have ever felt, they fill whole venues with their light and the most amazing sense of peace.

So I look at lines and stuff that throws my day off track with as much equanimity as I can muster with the tools I have learned in my Buddhist studies. I can choose to suffer when things go differently that what I wanted (ego judgment) or I can choose not to suffer, to maintain my equanimity, which then turns it all into practice in letting go of the ego-self and it's resultant clinging. It really is a choice we make, but we have to begin with the awareness that we do actually have a choice, and that we do subconsciously make it. If I can see that it's not personal, that it just is (whatever "it" is), it's easier to subdue the ego that wants to fume and fuss, and find someone to blame. For example, when there are two checkers and 25 people in line and I was supposed to have dinner on the table in 20 minutes, I can choose to let my blood pressure climb and be a shit about it, or to instead have compassion for the clerk stuck there with 15 fuming people in line, and he's going as fast as he can, or not because he's freezing up in fear. When I have compassion then I am practicing. The more I practice, the more easily I attain equanimity. It's so much less stressful to choose to not have a tantrum.

I hope that makes sense.
However, I will also add that for long lines, I find a book is very helpful. If you have one, the line will perversely be very small or move very quickly, even if you don't try to read it!

I have a baptist attatude towards waiting. I have ...

2008-08-19T01:46:00.000-04:00

I have a baptist attatude towards waiting. I have to, I spend a minamum of 4 hours a day traverling, more if I want to do anything other then go to work and come home. It kills me some times to think about how much of my life is dissapearing, but what can you do, right?

I see no one's sticking up for Zen, so I will (and...

2008-08-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

I see no one's sticking up for Zen, so I will (and I really do feel this way). Buddhism is a religion, not an adjective or flippant catch-all, so to show Zen Buddhism the same respect you would for a popular Western religion, don't use the word "Zen" in a place where you would hesitate to substitute the words "Christlike" or "Baptist". Read through these comments making that substitution, and you'll see what I mean!

Planner for the most part. It keeps me calm in th...

2008-08-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

Planner for the most part. It keeps me calm in the long run. My gym bag is packed the night before I plan to hit the gym, but I throw (try to remember to) throw a cold protein drink into the bag before I leave home.

I plan other parts of my life, too: which trips to combine, where to walk the dogs (especially if combined with errands). It just takes so long to do things if I don't plan at least partly ahead.

Waiting and that zen thing? I'm working on.

Personally, I think we should all add to our resumes that we are experts at transitioning. Just for the heck of it.

Oh my goodness, it's like you nailed me on the dot...

2008-08-18T19:32:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness, it's like you nailed me on the dot! I always feel like I am trying to prepare to do! It probably doesn't help that I live in a location that requires me to drive 10 minutes before I hit the first gas station, and 5 more minutes to hit the first grocery store. If we want to go to a decent gym, we have to drive about 25-30 minutes. Ha! Just this morning I had to do the whole going to the gym routine.

I'm entirely organized when I'm planning something...

2008-08-18T17:34:00.000-04:00

I'm entirely organized when I'm planning something that affects others. I'm totally disorganized for my own self. How I can teeter-totter like that with my Gemini ways.. Zenybody's guess. ;)

In my head, I'm a great preparer, but in practice,...

2008-08-18T17:19:00.000-04:00

In my head, I'm a great preparer, but in practice, I stink at transitions.

My worst offense is not being good at estimating how long something will take. I'm always running late...but only by five minutes, which really just makes me look lazy and inept.

Sigh.

Hi Crabby,This is the best post, with a super terr...

2008-08-18T16:14:00.000-04:00

Hi Crabby,

This is the best post, with a super terrific thread of comments.

I'd love to talk back and forth with all the great commenters, but I just don't have the time. Suffice it to say: I hear ya!!

Terrie

I'm a Virgo...planning comes naturally to me. Havi...

2008-08-18T16:12:00.000-04:00

I'm a Virgo...planning comes naturally to me. Having said that, I learned long ago to take a book where ever I go.

Line ups in grocery stores these days are a given. We don't have enough people willing to work at them with our boom, so it is a rare thing for more than two tills to be open. That is when I love my phone! I can play games, I can make lists, I can surf the net, catch up on blogs - whatever it takes to get to the till.

Having a nervous breakdown at a mere 26 yrs old has had a profound effect on my waiting abilities too. But, I like to plan and if I have to do something with someone how won't plan ahead, it drives me crazy!

Well, by nature I'm a struggler. But I hate strug...

2008-08-18T15:55:00.000-04:00

Well, by nature I'm a struggler. But I hate struggling more than I hate preparing, so I've trained myself to be more of a Preparer.

I'm pretty Zen about some things: I don't mind sitting in traffic because, hi, it's a big city and it's 5:00, and there WILL BE TRAFFIC. It's not like it's a surprise. But I'm less Zen about surprise waits - if I'm coming home from a friend's house and it's 3:00 in the morning, THERE SHOULD NOT BE TRAFFIC, WHAT THE H*LL IS THIS BULLSH*T?!

Ahem. That preparation time is part of the reason I hate the gym so much, though. Meh.

I'm pretty big on planning. However, no ammount o...

2008-08-18T15:50:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty big on planning. However, no ammount of planning can really save you when you're in school full time, volunteering 40+ hours per week and working 25-30 hours a week.

Let's just say that now that I'm only working about 50 hours a week (and getting paid for 39... grr) I'm way more on top of things. And that's probably the only reason I've been able to dedicate any time towards getting into shape at all!

I like to think I am usually prepared. I am a big-...

2008-08-18T14:50:00.000-04:00

I like to think I am usually prepared. I am a big-time planner and get annoyed if other people make me wait or don't plan the same way as I do which is a huge percentage of the population. I realize that not everyone is as perfect as I am - it takes time and planning to be perfect. haha

I believe that there is nothing zen about being annoyed.

Hey new to your blog and love it. At somethings I...

2008-08-18T13:51:00.000-04:00

Hey new to your blog and love it. At somethings I can prep ahead..or at least I like the idea. I try to make lists of things ahead of time but for some reason I still forget to pack vital things. I'm also more frantic than Zen for sure. Three kids, a hubs, and a full time job don't help my situation much either! :)

Transition time is a huge bummer! My gym is a five...

2008-08-18T13:25:00.000-04:00

Transition time is a huge bummer! My gym is a five minute walk from work. 5 MINUTES! But it takes me so long to shower, get dressed, and get ready afterwards, that a 30 minute workout takes about an hour and a half. Sigh. Organization definitely helps, though...

I'm the sort who was born organized. The idea of p...

2008-08-18T13:12:00.000-04:00

I'm the sort who was born organized. The idea of picking out my clothes the day before occurred to me spontaneously sometime in elementary school, and I've always been good at the getting ready and cleaning up stuff.
I've never lived with a toddler, but now that I'm caring for a ninety-five year old, I find it much more difficult to plan, because I can't tell what the transitions are going to BE.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

I actually work at a job where the boss doesn't ca...

2008-08-18T12:52:00.000-04:00

I actually work at a job where the boss doesn't care if I show up in gym shorts and a workout T. Five minutes of planning ahead is all it really takes.

Good Point!!!! Transitioning costs money, too.I g...

2008-08-18T12:35:00.000-04:00

Good Point!!!!

Transitioning costs money, too.

I got a procedure off The Simple Dollar for actually calculating how much you make per hour after taxes, transitioning time and expenses (like work clothes, etc). Even if you're on salary. It helps you stay real about your money, which is something I have to constantly work at. :-P

I commute on average over an hour each way whenever I have a job, day job or gig, so I'm trying to make the most of that time by doing something else. All too often I spend it doing Sudoku--where are Shamebots when you really need them?

I hate waiting and I have to many interesting (to ...

2008-08-18T11:29:00.000-04:00

I hate waiting and I have to many interesting (to me) and fun (for me) things to do to waste any more time than is strictly necessary.

I've therefore worked hard at organizing my life in a way that maximizes my "doing" instead of "waiting" time. It's about priorities. I don't want to cook every night or eat unhealthy meals I have to wait in line for at McDonald's so I cook every Sunday and stock up the fridge for the week. I don't want to spend my time at the doctor's office or buying new, bigger clothes, so I work out 3-5 times per week. And yes, I pack my gym bag or lay out my clothes the night before because I'm slower and more apt to forget things in the morning.

I absolutely hate waiting when there's no good reason for it. I was ready to kill our slowpoke cashier at Central Market on Friday night. He took forever to do anything and kept getting sidetracked. At one point he stopped ringing our groceries to go take a stray shopping cart outside. Uh, hello? Customer here!

But when the wait is expected, typical and necessary, like at the DMV or doctor's office, I consider it my responsibility to plan ahead for a constructive way to use that time. I'll take along a WSJ or magazine, or maybe a manuscript I'm editing, and wait very contentedly as long as I see evidence that things are moving along and I'll get my turn in a reasonable timeframe given the circumstances.

But really, planning ahead is all about valuing yourself and your time. Having a single place at home and work for the keys and sunglasses, making a shopping list, etc, are all ways of saying, "My time matters to me. I love myself enough to not waste my own time."

I'm right there with Jenn. I can't even agree to d...

2008-08-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

I'm right there with Jenn. I can't even agree to do something without taking some time to visualize myself doing it and making at least a preliminary plan for what I'll need to bring, wear, etc.

Then as I am getting ready I feel unreasonably rushed and stressed and sort of hostile.

At the end of the day I often feel enraged because I am still wanting to knock out more to-do items and I am feeling more frantic as bedtime approaches all too soon.

I need to work on my Zen big time!

But I'm always well-prepared and always on time! I run on the trail a few blocks from my house and work out at home to save transition time. I lay my workout clothes out the night before.

Zen, why do you continue to allude me you cheeky minx!

me + stress = bad.However, I know exercise helps m...

2008-08-18T10:34:00.000-04:00

me + stress = bad.

However, I know exercise helps me deal with stress better. I'm learning to do both. It's tricky tho - sometimes it takes all day to just accomplish the one thing you thought of when you first got up...

I try to be proactive constantly without getting a...

2008-08-18T10:30:00.001-04:00

I try to be proactive constantly without getting a headache...it is a challenge with kids sometimes!

Thankfully, living in a city and commuting on the ...

2008-08-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

Thankfully, living in a city and commuting on the subway to work, I can make the most of my transitions by reading (I also read and walk, which while probably not the best of ideas, is definitely making use of the transition time!). I also always bring a book to a waiting room or I'll just go nuts sitting there and waiting.

I've really noticed the transition time in the boot camp class I teach. It's a circuit class, with 6 stations interspersed with cardio segments in the middle. And I can only plan about 40-45 minutes of that hour because the rest (fully a quarter, can you believe it?!) is taken up by transition time between stations.

Thank goodness for mothers!!! Getting us ready for...

2008-08-18T10:17:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness for mothers!!! Getting us ready for school, etc, etc!

But enough of that, HURRICANE coming...:-(

I try to be prepared because my day go sooo much s...

2008-08-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

I try to be prepared because my day go sooo much smoother when I do: pack the gym bag the night before, get my clothes picked out and ironed, get the coffee maker ready to go. If I don't do these things my day is usually off to a bad start!