Well, life is busy, isn't it. So much has been going on. There will be a larger update soon, but for now: Breathe.
Don't just fill your lungs; close your eyes and pull the air slowly in through your nose. Note the feel of it, how does the air feel? Hot? Cold? Heavy with water? Full of smoke or particles? How does it taste on the back of your throat?
Think of the smells of the room. inventory them. Try to pick them out in your mind. Some will be pleasant, some others less so. All of them should be interesting. Roll them around in your brain and try to categorize them into good, bad and neutral. What do you associate with each one?
Find words or phrases for these smells and write them down. These can be precise namings of what causes the smell, or esoteric descriptives. There may already be words suck as petrichor or geosmin, or you can make your own words.
Ponder your sense of smell, or the sense of feel you have of the air. admire it and relish it.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Thinking, and other good habits
How do you think? Before you answer that, I am not asking what but how. What is the process? Do you take in information, mull it around, process it, compare contrast and then form an opinion, only to express it? Or do you just react, cursorily glancing at facts disdainfully then spout off the first words that come bubbling out of your mouth?
The human brain is a wondrous and not to be taken lightly. Honed and readied, it is a deadly thing. Learn to critically think and analyze, and your mind will be the greatest weapon you have. Do this as an exercise:
Pick something you really like and start going through everything you know about it. It can be anyone or anything. Don't study, don't look anything up. Just write down what you know and what you think about it, and label each of those accordingly. This is a simplified example:
Ice Cream
I think it is delicious.
I know it is made from cows milk
I know it has sugar in it
I have heard it is different in Europe.
Now, Fact check. Look up these items and see if anything that you knew was limited or wrong; see if it affects what you think. Write the differences with a different colored pen so you see where you had to correct. Check to make sure your new sources are factual and correct, corroborated by reputable sources
Repeat this for something you dislike.
What is the point of this exercise? You now have the ability to form an opinion about these things like you didn't before. You have looked at the facts and compared them to what you knew before, and hopefully adjusted what you knew. This is an important skill set and lets you winnow away the chaff in your life. Practice this, and learn to do it intuitively.
The human brain is a wondrous and not to be taken lightly. Honed and readied, it is a deadly thing. Learn to critically think and analyze, and your mind will be the greatest weapon you have. Do this as an exercise:
Pick something you really like and start going through everything you know about it. It can be anyone or anything. Don't study, don't look anything up. Just write down what you know and what you think about it, and label each of those accordingly. This is a simplified example:
Ice Cream
I think it is delicious.
I know it is made from cows milk
I know it has sugar in it
I have heard it is different in Europe.
Now, Fact check. Look up these items and see if anything that you knew was limited or wrong; see if it affects what you think. Write the differences with a different colored pen so you see where you had to correct. Check to make sure your new sources are factual and correct, corroborated by reputable sources
Repeat this for something you dislike.
What is the point of this exercise? You now have the ability to form an opinion about these things like you didn't before. You have looked at the facts and compared them to what you knew before, and hopefully adjusted what you knew. This is an important skill set and lets you winnow away the chaff in your life. Practice this, and learn to do it intuitively.
A new post after a hiatus
My, how life can intrude. It has simply been a very busy few months. In any case, onward.
Expect a new post very soon.
Expect a new post very soon.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Dressing
The first lesson you will have: Dress well
Humans are are far from homogeneous, even internally. We are an exercise in dynamics. If we want to change something, we must start someplace and it can be internal or external, or some combination.
So we start here with the outside, and the first and easiest step is to begin dressing well.
Go to your wardrobe and look at each piece (this can take a while for some of us). Make a few catagories.
Anything ripped or torn, set aside. This should also include mismatched socks. If it is mendable (a torn pant cuff or a ripped seam) set it someplace to get mended. If cloth is worn through, just get rid of it. Perhaps save a comfortable sweater or a T-shirt for art projects etc, but for the most part, get rid of the rest. This is the pile that gets thrown away.
Also set aside anything in good condition but you don't wear, won't wear or doesn't fit what you want to be. Through with your stonewashed jeans period? Holiday sweater your aunt gave you? That pair of shoes that look great but tear your feet apart? Do yourself a favor and lose them. You don't need it. This stack will get donated to your local thrift store, or perhaos gifted away, but gets removed somehow.
Be cruel to your clothing here. If you aren't sure about something, ask a friend, lover, roommate, sibling or random stranger. Better to pare down a little too much than to have something unfortunate.
Now look at what you have left. Coordinate a few outfits and decide what you might need to buy. Don't go for the standard fashion if you don't want to, but make sure you look nice. Decide what looks you want for everyday, what for the club and what to relax. Your clothes are reflective of you, so they are important.
When you shop, don't think it's all Hot Topic. Thrift stores, department stores and even Target/Walmart can have good pieces. Just make sure you buy high quality, nicely fitting clothes. Well fit clothes will look better on all body types, thick or thin, tall or short.
On the topic of black, it is a must for Goth, but it is not the end all, and not all blacks are equal. Pick blacks that go with your complexion, cool for pale skin, warm for darker. You can wear cool blacks with swarthier tones for a more startling contrast, but do so with discretion. Also, there are times to be monochromatic and times not to be. Black and a color (and here, white is a color) can be pulled off well and highlight the color, making it stand out, so choose your colors carefully. Jewel tones work well, but avoid soft pastels. Neon colors work, especially when UV reactive. Ingeneral, stay relatively two-tone. Black and a color, or Black+white and a color. So for instance, Black slacks, White shirt, blue tie w/ blue vest works, even if in variant shades (don't mix your cools and warms). Black slacks, blue shirt, green tie, red jacket = seriously un-goth. Coordinate.
Learn to Iron. Use this skill. At a minimum Tumble press your clothes.
What will the result of all this be? You will look in the mirror and see yourself in your nice clothes and know that you look good. Your confidence will build and you will feel the difference in knowing that you are dressed well and you clothes help show how good you look. People will notice you in a good way and you will feel better. The inside shall reflect the outside, and this will make the outside look even better.
Dress well, and you will know that you are showing the world how awesome you really are.
Humans are are far from homogeneous, even internally. We are an exercise in dynamics. If we want to change something, we must start someplace and it can be internal or external, or some combination.
So we start here with the outside, and the first and easiest step is to begin dressing well.
Go to your wardrobe and look at each piece (this can take a while for some of us). Make a few catagories.
Anything ripped or torn, set aside. This should also include mismatched socks. If it is mendable (a torn pant cuff or a ripped seam) set it someplace to get mended. If cloth is worn through, just get rid of it. Perhaps save a comfortable sweater or a T-shirt for art projects etc, but for the most part, get rid of the rest. This is the pile that gets thrown away.
Also set aside anything in good condition but you don't wear, won't wear or doesn't fit what you want to be. Through with your stonewashed jeans period? Holiday sweater your aunt gave you? That pair of shoes that look great but tear your feet apart? Do yourself a favor and lose them. You don't need it. This stack will get donated to your local thrift store, or perhaos gifted away, but gets removed somehow.
Be cruel to your clothing here. If you aren't sure about something, ask a friend, lover, roommate, sibling or random stranger. Better to pare down a little too much than to have something unfortunate.
Now look at what you have left. Coordinate a few outfits and decide what you might need to buy. Don't go for the standard fashion if you don't want to, but make sure you look nice. Decide what looks you want for everyday, what for the club and what to relax. Your clothes are reflective of you, so they are important.
When you shop, don't think it's all Hot Topic. Thrift stores, department stores and even Target/Walmart can have good pieces. Just make sure you buy high quality, nicely fitting clothes. Well fit clothes will look better on all body types, thick or thin, tall or short.
On the topic of black, it is a must for Goth, but it is not the end all, and not all blacks are equal. Pick blacks that go with your complexion, cool for pale skin, warm for darker. You can wear cool blacks with swarthier tones for a more startling contrast, but do so with discretion. Also, there are times to be monochromatic and times not to be. Black and a color (and here, white is a color) can be pulled off well and highlight the color, making it stand out, so choose your colors carefully. Jewel tones work well, but avoid soft pastels. Neon colors work, especially when UV reactive. Ingeneral, stay relatively two-tone. Black and a color, or Black+white and a color. So for instance, Black slacks, White shirt, blue tie w/ blue vest works, even if in variant shades (don't mix your cools and warms). Black slacks, blue shirt, green tie, red jacket = seriously un-goth. Coordinate.
Learn to Iron. Use this skill. At a minimum Tumble press your clothes.
What will the result of all this be? You will look in the mirror and see yourself in your nice clothes and know that you look good. Your confidence will build and you will feel the difference in knowing that you are dressed well and you clothes help show how good you look. People will notice you in a good way and you will feel better. The inside shall reflect the outside, and this will make the outside look even better.
Dress well, and you will know that you are showing the world how awesome you really are.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Preliminaries
Apologies for the delay in starting. Outside life intruded.
Before we get started, there are a few preparations you have to make, and some things you need to know.
First, never do anything listed that will make you or anyone else truly uncomfortable or disturbed, and do not truly hurt yourself or anyone in any sort of way. Some of the exercises will involve touching things or people, facing some discomforting emotions and even physical pain. Don't take these beyond what you yourself can handle. Push the limits, yes, because this is what we are aiming for, but we are NOT looking for lasting harm, and never to harm anyone else. Be mindful of your limits and of those you choose to include in any exercise, and know the difference between pushing them and breaking yourself or others.
Second, as with anything, take what you want from this, and leave the rest. Revisit, and move at your own pace. You are yourself, and not anyone else.
Before we get started, there are a few preparations you have to make, and some things you need to know.
First, never do anything listed that will make you or anyone else truly uncomfortable or disturbed, and do not truly hurt yourself or anyone in any sort of way. Some of the exercises will involve touching things or people, facing some discomforting emotions and even physical pain. Don't take these beyond what you yourself can handle. Push the limits, yes, because this is what we are aiming for, but we are NOT looking for lasting harm, and never to harm anyone else. Be mindful of your limits and of those you choose to include in any exercise, and know the difference between pushing them and breaking yourself or others.
Second, as with anything, take what you want from this, and leave the rest. Revisit, and move at your own pace. You are yourself, and not anyone else.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
What is The Zen of Goth?
Dismantle the phrase.
Pared down from the OED definition, Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and personal awareness. It is a way of exploring your own path of life and enlightenment. It is important to understand that Zen can be treated as a methodology separate from Buddhism or indeed any religion. It is more a way of movement rather than a specific direction. Think of it as the difference between a fox walk versus a heel to toe walk versus a power walk. Both get you to your destination, it is a matter of what you are comfortable doing.
The Gothic movement, as I mean it here, is the subculture that explores extremes. Often, the exploration of these extremes is lost in the modern subculture, where the ideas have become more about fashion and shocking mundanes than about the true exploration of this idea. Intellectualism and the romantic movement roots of these ideas has been removed and the movement has become stale, homogenized and pasteurized.
The idea of this blog is not to give lessons, but exercises. In the vein of Zen, these will be be something for anyone who wants to do them, in their own way and at their own pace and to take from them what they wish. What you discover and learn from them is unique to you, and not dictated beforehand. In the vein of Goth, these lessons will explore extremes. These may be extremes of emotion, sensation or ideas. You will work out your own limits and push them as far as you wish to. the idea is expanding your horizons, and to use these extremes for contrast. Light becomes brighter when set beside dark, which in turn becomes all the more stark.
We will explore the heights of happiness and pleasure as well as the depths of depression and discomfort, because it is only in knowing these extremes that you can appreciate the gradient spectra between them. And in that appreciation, you will find stability and peace. You will come to know yourself better than anyone else and better than you ever have, and your life will be more full. You will feel emotions more keenly and more fully than those around you, and gain an understanding of them that will help you in your day to day life. And you will not be alone.
We will be going on this journey together, you and I. Those that read this blog will journey with us. It is improper to think of this as a journey with a final destination, but rather you should think of it as a journey to explore. A walk through a forest to see the trees, or a hike through mountains to witness them. You can walk the same paths and experience them differently each time. Do each exercise as often as you like and modify as you wish. Exploration is the key theme of this.
The exercises begin January 1st, 2010 and I will try and post a minimum of one per week. I hope I will see you there.
Pared down from the OED definition, Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and personal awareness. It is a way of exploring your own path of life and enlightenment. It is important to understand that Zen can be treated as a methodology separate from Buddhism or indeed any religion. It is more a way of movement rather than a specific direction. Think of it as the difference between a fox walk versus a heel to toe walk versus a power walk. Both get you to your destination, it is a matter of what you are comfortable doing.
The Gothic movement, as I mean it here, is the subculture that explores extremes. Often, the exploration of these extremes is lost in the modern subculture, where the ideas have become more about fashion and shocking mundanes than about the true exploration of this idea. Intellectualism and the romantic movement roots of these ideas has been removed and the movement has become stale, homogenized and pasteurized.
The idea of this blog is not to give lessons, but exercises. In the vein of Zen, these will be be something for anyone who wants to do them, in their own way and at their own pace and to take from them what they wish. What you discover and learn from them is unique to you, and not dictated beforehand. In the vein of Goth, these lessons will explore extremes. These may be extremes of emotion, sensation or ideas. You will work out your own limits and push them as far as you wish to. the idea is expanding your horizons, and to use these extremes for contrast. Light becomes brighter when set beside dark, which in turn becomes all the more stark.
We will explore the heights of happiness and pleasure as well as the depths of depression and discomfort, because it is only in knowing these extremes that you can appreciate the gradient spectra between them. And in that appreciation, you will find stability and peace. You will come to know yourself better than anyone else and better than you ever have, and your life will be more full. You will feel emotions more keenly and more fully than those around you, and gain an understanding of them that will help you in your day to day life. And you will not be alone.
We will be going on this journey together, you and I. Those that read this blog will journey with us. It is improper to think of this as a journey with a final destination, but rather you should think of it as a journey to explore. A walk through a forest to see the trees, or a hike through mountains to witness them. You can walk the same paths and experience them differently each time. Do each exercise as often as you like and modify as you wish. Exploration is the key theme of this.
The exercises begin January 1st, 2010 and I will try and post a minimum of one per week. I hope I will see you there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)