Are healthy exercise and the BKs mutually exclusive?

Joel, I remember also going in a group to Mama's rock. As far as tigers, that's what they call them, but I heard that possibly they are leopards or some other endangered feline. By the way, I like your point about us being mammals ( it's a great relief also being able to touch and play with pets!).

Unfortunately I agree with Drieded, it's serious staff and John, dear, it's true one should discard silly parmatish instructions. But if you live in a center or are a committed BK, you really get a lot of pressure to conform to the unfit fat pale stereotype of BKs. Those people are like trained mastiffs: they bite your ankles and don't let you go easily. It takes a lot of courage, self-esteem, etc ... to stand against foolish/harmful rules. A little help from friends, helps.

ShivBaba (through Brahma Baba) has exalted the virtues of walking in many Murlis.

The story went that when BB went for a walk, the others (according to Dr. Nirmala) had to run to keep up with him.

When Jagdish Bhai left his body, I remember that Avyakt BapDada said that he did not take care of his body and had to suffer because of that.

I wasn't aware he had died. Whatever one thinks of the BKs, Jagdish was extremely intelligent, also humorous. He lived at a center in Delhi with another very nice BK, Sister Chakradhari, who was one of the earlier teachers to start BK service activities in Russia.

I too walk and exercise almost daily for some time in a garden. Sitting long hours on computers at office as well as home left me with lower back pain and cervical pain. When medicines could not help, I started doing exercises and that helps me keep these pains in check.

Children usually get enough variety of activity to keep their minds and bodies supple. As adults, we sometimes don't get enough variety, and start to lose some of the skills needed to support our weight in different positions and orientations. I've learned how to work with a person to help them feel how to use their body more freely, but beyond that people also need to get more variety in their daily lives. Even sitting need not be rigid. It can be flexible and flowing.

Walking is important to keep mind and body healthy. My parents, both nearly 80, owe their good health in part to having long walks as part of their daily routine.

I have heard from PBKs that Baba Veerendra Dev Dixit used to be an expert swimmer during his childhood days. He even knew how to float on water. But, my only attempt at learning swimming at a pool for few days was not so successful.

I learned to float and swim as an adult, from a friend who developed some wonderful methods, successful even with people who are afraid to even come near the water. Almost everyone, even those who do swim, can benefit from breathing and bobbing exercises that help one overcome the fear of choking--which paradoxically, makes it impossible to breathe deeply enough to be comfortable in the water. My own first goal was to swim freestyle (crawl) as effortlessly as I could walk. Over some years I am pleased to say that I have achieved this goal.

John, dear, it's true one should discard silly parmatish instructions. But if you live in a center or are a committed BK, you really get a lot of pressure to conform to the unfit fat pale stereotype of BKs. Those people are like trained mastiffs: they bite your ankles and don't let you go easily. It takes a lot of courage, self-esteem, etc ... to stand against foolish /harmfool rules. A little help from friends, helps.

Alladin dear, it is your life.

You have to think what is more important Shiva and Murli or Dadis?
Is what is being taught by BKs Shrimat or Dadimat?
Why waste time and effort on ideas which are not from BapDada?

Walking is important to keep mind and body healthy. My parents, both nearly 80, owe their good health in part to having long walks as part of their daily routine.

Dear Joel,
Thanks for all the inputs. My Father (a senior citizen) is also very fond of walking and goes for walk twice a day after doing yogic asanas for nearly an hour at home. Although he has been adviced to take allopathic medicines for BP he tries to avoid taking medicines by keeping his BP under control through walking. Although he was once diagnosed to have diabetes he overcame that problem through his habit of walking.

I learned to float and swim as an adult, from a friend who developed some wonderful methods, successful even with people who are afraid to even come near the water. Almost everyone, even those who do swim, can benefit from breathing and bobbing exercises that help one overcome the fear of choking--which paradoxically, makes it impossible to breathe deeply enough to be comfortable in the water. My own first goal was to swim freestyle (crawl) as effortlessly as I could walk. Over some years I am pleased to say that I have achieved this goal.

Even after a lot of efforts I could learn to swim only with my feet. I somehow could not learn freestyle. Once the coach took me to the deeper portion and left me alone. I started drowning and choking, but he helped me come out of water. I don't know if I would ever get time to learn swimming again.

One excercise you'd all better learn is to swim and swim well, kurtas or no kurtas. Especially when the floods come soon !

One of the reasons for me to learn swimming was to overcome my fear of getting drowned in water. The frequent news about people getting drowned because of not knowing how to swim prompted me to learn swimming. But the half baked practice of swimming that I have done few years ago may not help me during floods

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun

It seems that for many people, practising going underwater (shallow, OK, in a calm sea!) comes before swimming. When you realize that water actually pushes you back up to the surface and you can dive, hold your breath, re-emerge, you gain confidence. All of this is easier in sea water, you float more, fresh water doesn't help you in floating that much. I love the sea and swimming, in fact Poseidon / Neptune is my favourite deity!, I wish I could convey my feeling to you and those who are a bit wary of it.

Anyway do not the Dadi's regale us with their stories of tennis, and other such outdoor pursuits back in the day? Not to mention their walks legendary up the mountain.

On browsing through the Part-I of the Yagya history book of BKs titled 'jeevan ko paltaaney vaali ek jeevan kahani", I found that the children studying at the boarding school that had been established as part of the Om Mandali used to go out for walking and exercises twice a day. It says that the children used to get up at 4.00 AM and go out for a walk. There they used to be made to perform drill so that they remain agile and they were also made to sit in 'shanti samadhi' (a state of silence). They used to return to the boarding at 6.30 AM. ... They used to drink milk at 4.00 PM and used to go out for a stroll again at 6.00 PM. They used to return at 7.30 PM and have meals.

An interesting bit of information: Everyday, in the last period, i.e. approximately after 1.00 PM all the children used to be made to sit in shanti samadhi (silence). Then a teacher used to utter the sound of Om also. The children also used to sing the sound of Om along with her in a mild voice. At that time many children used to go into trance and many children used to start doing a divine dance. That scene used to be worth seing.

The book also has a photograph of all the surrendered Sisters lined up on a beach in their uniform (white shirts, black skirts, white shoes and socks - as visible in the photograph).
Below the photograph it is written that in order to keep the body healthy along with the mind some games used to be played and they used to be made to perform drill. By wearing this uniform they used to lose the consciousness of being women and also their body consciousness and they used to realize the souls as a 'purush' and the body as 'prakriti'.

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun

Arjunbhai

Does ShivBaba (Virendra Dev Dixit) go for walks and exercises with the children?

Regards
Bansy

Does ShivBaba (Veerendra Dev Dixit) go for walks and exercises with the children?

It has been many years since Baba Virendra Dev Dixit has stayed for long period at one place. He has continuously been on an All India tour since last 6-7 years. Before that he used to live mostly at Kampil, his native village and the training center of AIVV. When he was at Kampil, he used to go out of the Ashram for many kinds of activities like going to the market, Post Office, Ganges, etc. I heard that for many years when the number of PBKs visiting Kampil was very less, he used to go until the Bus Stand to see them off, even carrying their luggage. But I don't think he must have ever taken out surrendered Sisters for walks like Brahma Baba because in that part of India, women don't venture out much, especially because of the law and order situation, and also the social inhibitions.

But I know that when a one month long special programme was organized at Calcutta, Baba took all the Sisters and other PBKs in buses to the place where Ganga and the Ocean meet. I have also heard that he has taken the Sisters to some other tourist places in other parts of India.

During the lean periods at Kampil when there were not many PBKs around, he used to spend some time playing chess with the local PBKs. But I do not think he used to exercise with the children when he was living at Kampil. If I get any information on this subject I would certainly tell you.

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun

Dear Arjunbhai,
Thanks for the reply.
Regards
Bansy

Omshanti. The discussion about the need for exercises seems to have touched Avyakt BapDada also and in the latest Avyakt Vani dated 17.03.07 narrated through BK Gulzar Dadiji, it has been said:

“Achha hai – BapDada nay yah bhi direction diya ki saarey din may beech-beech may 5 minute bhi miley, usmey man kee exercise karo kyonki aajkal ka zamana exercise ka hai. Toh 5 minute may man kee exercise Paramdham say lekey aao, sookshmavatan may farishtey ka Yaad karo fir poojya roop Yaad karo, fir Brahman roop Yaad karo, fir devataa roop Yaad karo. Kitney huay? Paanch. Toh paanch minute may 5 yah exercise karo aur saarey din may chaltey firtey yah kar saktey ho. Iskay liye maidaan nahee chaahiye, daud nahee lagaani hai, na kursi chaahiye, na seat chaahiye, na machine chaahiye. Jaisey aur exercise sharir kee aavashyak hai, vah bhi bhaley karo, uskee manaa nahee hai. Lekin yah man kee drill, exercise, man ko sadaa khush rakhengi. Umang-utsaah may rakhegi. Udti kalaa ka anubhav karaayegi. Toh abhi-abhi yah drill sabhi shuru karo – Paramdhaam say devataa tak.” – (Avyakt Vani dinaank 17.03.07, page 5 & 6)

“It is good – BapDada has also given a direction that during the entire day even if you get 5 minutes each now and then, do the exercise of the mind during that time because now a days exercising is a trend. So within 5 minutes do the exercise of the mind; start with the Soul World, remember the angel in the Subtle Region; then remember the worshipworthy form; then remember the Brahmin form; then remember the deity form. How many are they in total? Five. So, in five minutes do these five exercises and you can do this while walking and moving during the entire day. For this you neither require a ground, nor do you need to run; no chair is required, no seat is required, no machine is required. Just as other exercises of the body are important; you may do those exercises; that is not prohibited. But this drill, this exercise of the mind would keep the mind always happy. It will keep you in zeal and enthusiasm. It will make you experience the flying stage. So, just now everyone start doing this exercise – from the Soul World to the deity stage." – (Avyakt Vani dtd.17.03.07, page 5 & 6)

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun

Note: The translation has been done by a PBK.

I think BapDada is reading this forum

I think BapDada is reading this forum

You are wonderful, John! Your comment brought a big smile to my sorrowful heart. Thank you for that.

Connected to the lack of exercise, are the eating disorders lots of BK seem to experience, especially putting a lot of weight on during BK days and after leaving also. Frustration, compensation are the recurrent words used when we talk about it. Does anybody have insights to share or solutions?

As far as I am concerned, I always considered healthy and fitness (not body building, of course!) as very important for keeping the balance and no sour comment about these activities was able to discourage me from practising. Price I paid was being considered as "less surrendered" because of allocating some time to sports.

Price I paid was being considered as "less surrendered" because of allocating some time to sports.

Alladin, it's a shame you had to put up with this nonsense.

Did you ever use Sakar Murli points to counter the 'sour comments' you were getting? In fact in the latest Avyakt Vani, you have a point to counter any objections. I think it is inevitable that the most powerful (or showy) personalities will try and dominate the way of the Yagya, but this doesn't mean they are correct. You have to be very strong and confident in your own knowledge to stand up to them.

Contrary to what Dadis would like you to believe only a few numbers (positions) have been taken. Apart from that all are equals.

Cowards don't mess around with strong people. As i grew up, no one dared harassing me. When high or mid-rank instruments bossed me about, I was a tender leaf in Gyan. I was frightened, there was a lot of psychological pressure. They made me feel inferior and guilty. They had The Knowledge and the correct interpretation of Baba's words. We all know psychological violence does exist.

I was ostracized and only years later the same souls who slandered me started themselves admitting the benefit of exercise, the importance of outdoorlife and contact with nature. Right now, I am so glad I never bent! I regret there was no space for dialogue but I accepted being pushed aside as a "class B Brahmin" and carried on with my "bhogi" preferences.

If I am still alive spiritually, not flipped out, haven't turned my back to Baba or become "anti", is thanks to my determination in protecting my space and my choices. Had I given in, what sort of being would I have become full of fat with no self esteem, or Dadi's poodle?