Monks and Exercise

[Viscid]

I'm curious-- do monasteries ever encourage their monks to exercise, or do monks ever take the initiative to exercise? Would this be discouraged considering they'd likely eat more?

Do prostrations count as exercise?

[Goofaholix]

I'm curious-- do monasteries ever encourage their monks to exercise, or do monks ever take the initiative to exercise? Would this be discouraged considering they'd likely eat more?

Do prostrations count as exercise?

At the monastery where I ordained we walked down the mountain 5km each morning to go on Pindhabhat in the village below... lookshury.

At Wat pah nanachat the Pindhabhats are usually about an hour long.

Thai forest monks can walk for long distances when on Tudong.

Many Burmese monks spend a considerable portion of the day doing walking meditation.

A lot of monks do yoga.

It's not all about just sitting on your butt.

[meindzai]

I've observed the same as Goofaholix at the monastery's that I've visited - lots of walking and maybe yoga. I would also mention that at least these days monks will often engage in a fair amount of labor which can be physically demanding.

Teacher Gil Fronsdal believes that if the Buddha knew what kind of sedentary lifestyles we led nowadays we might have had a ninefold path including "right exercise." I have to say I agree with him on that.

-M

[clw_uk]

I've observed the same as Goofaholix at the monastery's that I've visited - lots of walking and maybe yoga. I would also mention that at least these days monks will often engage in a fair amount of labor which can be physically demanding.

Teacher Gil Fronsdal believes that if the Buddha knew what kind of sedentary lifestyles we led nowadays we might have had a ninefold path including "right exercise." I have to say I agree with him on that.

-M

Thats an interesting thought


I have noticed that when I work out it helps improve my generally mindfulness and meditation practice

[Viscid]

I have noticed that when I work out it helps improve my generally mindfulness and meditation practice

Yeah, I find it really helps to keep you attentive and alert during sits, and stops your mind from monkeying about too much. In fact, I do physical exercise for mental health almost more than I do it for physical health: helps with mood, self-confidence and tiredness.

[meindzai]

I have noticed that when I work out it helps improve my generally mindfulness and meditation practice

Yeah, I find it really helps to keep you attentive and alert during sits, and stops your mind from monkeying about too much. In fact, I do physical exercise for mental health almost more than I do it for physical health: helps with mood, self-confidence and tiredness.

Yeah. This is pretty much the whole basis for yoga as far as I can tell, a point which has been lost in the more jock-like modern presentations.

-M