Any advice on mental conditioning

I do Mixed Martial Arts and train as hard as I can. When I say ‘as hard as I can’, I mean as hard as I think I can, but I want more heart for the sport. I want to be able to keep fighting when I gassed, injured and nearly dead. I want to be able to push harder for longer and build a ‘never say die’ mentality.
I’m sure I’m heading in the right direction, but was wondering if there are any meditation techniques, or asanas that build the heart. or advice for developing my warrior within. Thanks

The warrior within is a peaceful warrior. It is a warrior who has risen from the barbarian nature which dwells in the lower chakras. It is that rise which allows that warrior to go into the heart as obviously that is not a dwelling in the lower nature (nor a dwelling in the intellect).

Meditation techniques have to serve mankind based on the current context. Many of the classical meditation techniques unfortunately stoke pelvic force and therefore do not easily facilitate the aforementioned rise.

I don’t believe “build the heart” is the correct phrase, though only you’d truly know for you. It sounds more like a build of relentlessness which could be either aversion or attachment, for the moment. In the practice of Yoga both are obstacles to our own growth, our own evolution, our own ability to be part of that which heals the planet. In the practice of Yoga one balances effort with contentment. Sounds like only one of these interests you, based on this and other posts.

Ahhhhhhhhh, I think I got it. So in yoga your kind of balancing effort and contentment and finding a middle ground. Yeah that makes sense. So maybe Yoga’s emotional/mental side is more suited to people after balance. Maybe the asanas are good for me, but maybe I’m not suited to the mental side. I definitely would agree that my mentality is effort based, and that I do get contentment from effort itself (I guess that’s just me). I have this effort=reward mentality that definitely works for me at this point in time.
I guess I find my balance WITHIN the effort. For example, my balance between strength/power, endurance/work capacity, and flexibility/mobility. Or balance between Striking, submissions, and wrestling. Or a balance between training, work, and family.
So I find balance WITHIN effort.
Thanks for that… I never thought of that before lol This forum can sometimes get you thinking.

[QUOTE=YogiAdam;50004]I do Mixed Martial Arts and train as hard as I can. When I say ‘as hard as I can’, I mean as hard as I think I can, but I want more heart for the sport. I want to be able to keep fighting when I gassed, injured and nearly dead. I want to be able to push harder for longer and build a ‘never say die’ mentality.
I’m sure I’m heading in the right direction, but was wondering if there are any meditation techniques, or asanas that build the heart. or advice for developing my warrior within. Thanks[/QUOTE]

Sounds like you need a drill sargeant. Not being flippant here. In my experience, driving yourself past the edge of your your comfort zone - the ‘hard as I think I can’ point - is tough on your own without the disciplinary reinforcement of an outside force. Yoga can improve your focus, stamina, and flexibility, but is a tool for balance. You need a sledgehammer and whip.

[QUOTE=FlexPenguin;50056]Sounds like you need a drill sargeant. Not being flippant here. In my experience, driving yourself past the edge of your your comfort zone - the ‘hard as I think I can’ point - is tough on your own without the disciplinary reinforcement of an outside force. Yoga can improve your focus, stamina, and flexibility, but is a tool for balance. You need a sledgehammer and whip.[/QUOTE]

Good point. Our mated drive each other pretty dam hard. It’s really easy to make excuses when you train alone. You are, however, alone in the rings, so what I’m after is a way to break myself lol torture myself and break my spirits… “I have way of making me talk” lol

I definitely would agree that my mentality is effort based, and that I do get contentment from effort itself (I guess that’s just me)

I think you mean a sense of accomplishment here. Contentment is being satisfied with what IS. What is here and now.

content 2 (kənˈtɛnt)

— adj

  1. mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are
  2. assenting to or willing to accept circumstances, a proposed course of action, etc

Think about it. :slight_smile:

[QUOTE=Joanna63;50060]I think you mean a sense of accomplishment here. Contentment is being satisfied with what IS. What is here and now.

content 2 (kənˈtɛnt)

? adj

  1. mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are
  2. assenting to or willing to accept circumstances, a proposed course of action, etc

Think about it. :)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, you might be right. I get a sense of accomplishment from effort, and I feel contentment in that I like how I am managing my life right now. I don’t know if I would feel contentment, if I don’t have something to aspire to. Maybe all the positive mental qualities and states of mind, overlap to a certain degree. All I know is, I wouldn’t change anything. Thanks guys. I’m learning! I’m learning!

Perhaps consider the difference between doing things that are balanced and doing things which result in your being balanced. Said another way, it is about that which is balancING, not that which is balanced. For a person who is very aggressive, active, striking, etcetera…what brings that person into balance? Is it an active practice? Not likely.

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;50074]Perhaps consider the difference between doing things that are balanced and doing things which result in your being balanced. Said another way, it is about that which is balancING, not that which is balanced. For a person who is very aggressive, active, striking, etcetera…what brings that person into balance? Is it an active practice? Not likely.[/QUOTE]

OK, I’m a little lost now. In order to be a good Mixed Martial Arts fighter, I need to out of balance in a sense, in that my life has to be heavily swayed toward MMA training, at the expense of focusing so much on my career at work, or spending time with friends and family. I’ve already decided to sacrifice certain parts of my life, in order to excel at MMA.
So, I’m a little lost with what you mean. I’m voluntarily ‘unbalance’, so I have to work with what I’ve got. Does that make any sense, or do I sound like someone who has been knocked about one too many times? lol

Not aversion, definitely attachment, or maybe more accurately,[I] rajas[/I]. YogiAdam is rajasicaman.

@YogiAdam
I think you should practice by setting goals for yourself. But you must achieve every goal, no matter the cost. So you need to be careful to set realistic but ambitious goals, and they should be time specific. You should think carefully about what kinds of things could go wrong that might prevent you from achieving your goals, so that you can plan to deal with those pitfalls if and when they occur. But if something unforeseen happens, you cannot let it stop you from achieving your goal.

Yeah, I agree that I’m attached. Everyone is, to something. Even if it’s to the idea of non-attachment. I’d like to see most of the people on this forum who claim to be unattached and “super-spiritual”, to put their money where their mouth is, and un-attach themselves from this forum for a year lol

They must be addicted.The yoga forum crack den…

Have a toot on me Sir.I’m kidding btw.

Must be some kind of karma going on…at play, Yogi.

I know, OT.

I’m just writing this reply, cause I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms… ahhhhh that’s better.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh

[SIZE=2]Noticce just the thought off coming here sends you into withdrawal before you click yogaforums.com…it is the expectation of the fix to come.You know you’llget rewarded. That clammy feeling you get and i’M geting a bit of mild-jaw tihgtening right now. Hope that is auspicious though…
[/SIZE]

AHHHhhhhHHH!!!. .()#$@ ohhh #$@ @#$@##… better call an ambulance.

Regards you MBA you could perhaps consider not to train so hard. Train intelligently which is would mean to me train softly. I think there’s maybe a tendency to burn out if you have that 80’s apporach.Play hard,work hard approach.Maybe try not sweating over it as much is what i mean.

When you say you are guided by effort i think I know what you mean.I think i know where you’re coming from by what you’ve wirtten.You might just be addicted to the endorphin rush and highs of exercise Yogi.

Off to bed Yogi. Tis late here…

Awwwwww… but it’s only 5:00pm… oh alright then :frowning:

I would think some meditation practices wherein you do not move, do not respond to stimuli (whether external or internal), might help you to train the mind out of it’s normal reactions. Pick a spot and a position for your body and sit down for a certain amount of time and do not move a millimeter for that time. Do not itch, do not shift, do not sneeze. I practiced this as part of a Vipassana meditation retreat.

I like what Bluelotus has suggested. It would be a form of pushing yourself and challenging yourself that would probably be very difficult for you, with your tendency to always want to be active!
What do you think, YogiAdam? Enough of a challenge for you? :slight_smile: