Thai Massage For Peace

Spend a few minutes walking just with attention on the breath entering and leaving the body, let go of any unnecessary tension around the breath as it enters and leaves.

As wonderful as it is to have such noble values be part of Thai arts and culture, long hours of daily seated meditation and prayer stiffen the hip joints and the lower back muscles. Again, Thai massage is the commonly sought remedy.

Whenever we found ourselves separated from theravada monasteries, day jobs were required to pay the bills; nobody was there to back us up. Only in very spiritual countries, and small growing pockets of awareness here in the States, are meditators looked upon as valuable assets, and supported to one degree or another. Because Janet and I were married, however, Bhante G insisted that we live in town rather than at the Bhavana Society, and we understood this. In Thailand, it's okay to be married, because in Thailand there is more room to support spiritual couples, where each can stay in a separate monastery, or separated in a large monastery.

Also pay attention to what you hear and smell. There may be bird song, road noise or the chatter of people or animals. Consciously tune in to these different sounds. Notice the sound of different birds, different vehicles. Listen for subtler sounds as you tune in to the soundscape that constantly surrounds us. You'll find yourself hearing things that have merely passed you by before. There are also plenty of smells around you what can you identify as you focus on this sense?

The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering: The things we most desire are the instances that cause the most suffering. This is because when we are denied these desires, we suffer through frustration. This can be expressed through the common craving to achieve wealth, as well as abundant success.

Massage Therapy is a well-known and well-documented remedy for inducing relaxation and reducing mental stress. In particular, traditional Thai massage with its slow meditative and rhythmic compressions, yoga-like stretches, and passive joint movements seemed to be an ideal tool for someone like Harvey.

Allocate a special space, seat, and time of day just for meditation. Although you can meditate anywhere and at any time, consistency ensures a greater likelihood of success. Begin with sitting for 15 minutes a day. First thing in the morning or just before bed are good times when external disturbances are likely to be minimal. You decide what works best for your life. If it feels appropriate after some time, you can gradually increase the duration of your practice to 30, 45 or 60 minutes.

My mind calmed down quickly at Bhavana and the time went by quickly. I kept busy felling trees and splitting firewood, working in the kitchen, and later pitching in and helping with the construction of the new meditation hall, and I would have actually remained with Bhante G and ordained as one of his monks had I not wanted to support Janet by becoming part of Amaravati.