BrianSGermain 1 #1 November 2, 2004 Creating Possibilities Skydiving is a mind-game. When we step out of an airplane, our thoughts are what protect us most. When we are "on edge", our minds are preparing for the most basic responses that evolution has engrained in our subconscious minds: fight, flight or freeze. None of these responses are contextually appropriate. When we shift into fear-mode, our mental imagery stems from the assumption that things are going really wrong, and the possibilities begin to narrow in our minds. We cease to see the world as it is, but as we expect it to be. We react in knee-jerk thoughts, and loose our cognitive capacity for higher cognition and problem solving. The way through this maze is to utilize our skills of "self-soothing". We have the ability to create space in our minds, and calm ourselves down. By taking a moment to breathe and stop our thinking, we open the door for more possibilities. We wake up into the moment with bare attention, and liberate the solutions that were hovering above our heads all along. Each moment is an opportunity to be present. Each challenge is a chance to allow the calm version of ourselves to come out and show it's true colors. Skydiving isn't about jumping out of airplanes, really. It is a path that brings out our higher selves through empirical requirement. We must see the possibilities and select the correct course of action if we are to survive. This is a real as it gets. For more thoughts like this one, look for my upcoming book: "Transcending Fear" +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #2 November 2, 2004 After reading your post, it just makes me miss you more QuoteFor more thoughts like this one, look for my upcoming book: "Transcending Fear" Oh goodie, I can't seem to get enough of your books. Miss you!May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PrairieDoug 0 #3 November 2, 2004 QuoteFor more thoughts like this one, look for my upcoming book: "Transcending Fear" I'll be a customer! Fortunately, I no longer have to contend with the acute fear that came close to driving me away from the sport in the beginning. However, anxiety periodically returns and I know it affects both my enjoyment of jumping and my performance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #4 November 2, 2004 QuoteQuoteFor more thoughts like this one, look for my upcoming book: "Transcending Fear" I'll be a customer! Fortunately, I no longer have to contend with the acute fear that came close to driving me away from the sport in the beginning. However, anxiety periodically returns and I know it affects both my enjoyment of jumping and my performance. Creating Space There are many things you can go to work with anxiety. The beginning is a homework assignment. Spend 30 minutes sitting in silence. Don't try to think; don't try to not think. Notice your thoughts and just let them go. Let the space come naturally. Becoming comfortable with emptiness is the first step toward transforming fear. Ultimately, it is the darkness of the unknown that brings about the state of anxiety and fear. Getting comfortable with this darkness is what allows us to remain without thought. When anxiety begins to take hold, it is due to thoughts. If we are to get off the train that is taking us in the wrong direction, we must let go of our fear of standing around in the station, not going anywhere. Look for Transcending Fear on my website +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wuffo 1 #5 November 3, 2004 have another toke, brian... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #6 November 3, 2004 Quotehave another toke, brian... Closed mind Closed possibilities. I know that the idea of meditation is a little alien to most people. This has to change if we are to harness the power of the mind. You don't have to explore this part of yourself if it scares you, but what is your fear costing you? Chicken? +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wuffo 1 #7 November 3, 2004 Lighten up, dude. I was just poking a little fun, so "relax", ok? No, I'm not chicken. I'm not chicken to say that if you want to promote yourself, your book, buy an ad and don't try to get something for nothing by talking about your latest publication in these forums! Now, put THAT in your pipe and smoke it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #8 November 3, 2004 QuoteLighten up, dude. I was just poking a little fun, so "relax", ok? No, I'm not chicken. I'm not chicken to say that if you want to promote yourself, your book, buy an ad and don't try to get something for nothing by talking about your latest publication in these forums! Now, put THAT in your pipe and smoke it! I am just trying to say that the association between meditation and drugs is unfortunate. Highly successful skydivers use meditation and visualization on a regular basis to become better skydivers. You are free to let this stuff go, but it isn't fair to shut other people down because of their views. We are one sport, one people. Our unusual lifestyle can draw us together, and the connection can enhance our lives. I hear what you are saying. Taking things too seriously is a trap. This sport is all about fun, and I am way on board with that. Life is too short to get one's pants in a bunchie. I am sorry that you think that the only reason I write on DZ.com is for free advertizing. That worldview really makes me sad. There are ideas that can change the world, and when I get one, I spread it. If I wanted to get rich, I would have a real job. Hope you can see the light of what I am really trying to do. +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #9 November 3, 2004 Here's something along the exact same lines that Brian is talking about: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=77 http://www.dropzone.com/safety/articles/Visualizing.shtml Airspeed, Dan B-C, and Brian are all talking the same thing...maybe there's something to it? Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #10 November 3, 2004 I am very lucky to have been able to work along side with Brian in the past, and be able to call him my friend. Just sitting and talking with him, you learn so much.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #11 November 3, 2004 Understand fully. I demo'd a Lotus 150, and he spent the time hooking it up for me and answering the bazillion questions that I had and was even answering questions and giving me suggestions in the plane on the ride to altitude. Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakydiver 0 #12 November 3, 2004 So much truth in that - thats a huge aspect of sports psychology. When I finally learned to remain calm in high tension situations I stopped hurting myself as much bailing off my mountain bike ;-) I was able to play positions in sports that normally freaked me out because of the pressure... -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoter 0 #13 November 3, 2004 Nice post Brian....I hear ya Brian has also made a very relevant comment in another thread "resisting reality is how bad things happen' I hear that too......in alot of other sports I have done this has been proven to me to be so so true....in those bad times right at the moment of accidents where time just slows right down...my thoughts could write a book but basically consist of 'what can I do to get out of this in the best possible shape'......sometimes theres nothing you can do....but in my experience, one of the things you can do best of all when there is no other solution....is relax your body......you'll get hurt alot less ! example.....heading towards a car on a bike at 50mph (sideways)...totally without control....Ok...I AM going to hit that thing in the rear windsheild.......what can I do to make it hurt the least........??....relax .....and let my shoulder go through......and my body be limp.... ( I ended up in the back seat with not a single scratch) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakydiver 0 #14 November 3, 2004 Ouch - I hear yah... I just flew 20 feet plus and 8 feet down whilst attempting to mountain bike a gnarly section of my home trail. I had time to think, okay, this is going to hurt - oh wait, lower shoulder, roll out of it, stand up, sweeeeet... Slow motion rocks when utilized correctly (-: -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoter 0 #15 November 3, 2004 Sounds like full suspension with a decent bit of travel might help with that singletrack.... Ahhh full suspension....gettin' mountain bikers out of gnarly trail trouble since 1982.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMax 0 #16 November 3, 2004 QuoteLighten up, dude. I was just poking a little fun, so "relax", ok? No, I'm not chicken. I'm not chicken to say that if you want to promote yourself, your book, buy an ad and don't try to get something for nothing by talking about your latest publication in these forums! Now, put THAT in your pipe and smoke it! Brian, Please post more! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoter 0 #17 November 3, 2004 I guess we are just gonna have to buy the book...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakydiver 0 #18 November 3, 2004 4 inches front and back baby!!! -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoter 0 #19 November 3, 2004 And you still bailing ??? Damn.........ride it out baby Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakydiver 0 #20 November 3, 2004 Did I mention I'm old That's what happens when old guy gets heavy on the front break lol... -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #21 November 4, 2004 QuoteEach moment is an opportunity to be present. And a moment to enjoy. The richest person in the world can't buy 1 minute of life, but we hear people on Monday saying, "I wish it was Saturday". Wishing away 5/7ths of their life instead of making it great. People spend all year waiting for that 2 week vacation and wonder where their life went. They wished away 50 of 52 weeks. How sad is that? Good words Brian. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riddler 0 #22 November 5, 2004 Quotemeditation Meditation - I could talk for hours about it, but I don't do it much anymore. I will say this: It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I think it's been the most worthwhile.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BrianSGermain 1 #23 November 5, 2004 QuoteQuotemeditation Meditation - I could talk for hours about it, but I don't do it much anymore. I will say this: It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I think it's been the most worthwhile. I totally agree with you. I think it is easier to just let the mind run. Unfortunately, that's not how we get control over our experience, however. Turning away from space is a fear response like any other, and has negative consequences like any other fear response. When we let fear choose for us, we lose. It feels a lot like dying, as we slip into the void. That's a very scary, almost claustrophobic experience. A feeling of hot suffocation; like being buried alive. Fortunately, that is only part of the experience, the lions at the gate. Once we pass through, there is something else, something very worth the trip. Peace. A great skydiver, a great person, must be grounded in this feeling of peaceful non-attachment to the world; just watching it happen. Meditation is part of the training to reach our full potential; that's why it is called "practice". Is it fun to lift weights? Maybe sometimes. Most of the time it is so that we can become strong enough to do other, more fun things. Meditation is very much like this, and we can go no further without it, in one form or another. It is incorrect to assume that meditation requires sitting in an ashram and staring at carpet. That is one way to go, but anything we do can be done meditatively. Noticing the mind is what it is all about; more accurately, noticing how it obscures reality. The mind is a model of reality, it is not the real thing. When we do not think this way, we get lost in the illusion, and believe that our thinking is reality. Meditative thinking is simply cutting through this veil of thought so that we may stay in the real world. +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites algboy 0 #24 November 5, 2004 QuoteQuotehave another toke, brian... Closed mind Closed possibilities. I know that the idea of meditation is a little alien to most people. This has to change if we are to harness the power of the mind. You don't have to explore this part of yourself if it scares you, but what is your fear costing you? Chicken? + I hear you, Brian. Meditation was part of my daily routine a few years ago. Sadly, I've let it slip away--though I plan to return. It helped me transform myself and to release a lot of the negative crap that haunted me for years. I also studied Reiki and achieved master level. It's hard to deal with those who just laugh it off and make cracks about drugs, etc. Like talking to a whuffo. Your books are on my "must have" list. I appreciate your incorporating the mental/spiritual aspect into our sport. Skydiving for me is not just a sport--it's a metaphor for so much of what I seek. It's how I define myself. Jumping for me is not just some shallow "Look at me, I'm so extreme!" compensation-behavior. And just what's so bad about a little self-promo anyway? You've earned it at least and have something to contribute. BSBD“Keep your elbow up!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BrianSGermain 1 #25 November 6, 2004 QuoteQuoteQuote I hear you, Brian. Meditation was part of my daily routine a few years ago. Sadly, I've let it slip away--though I plan to return. BSBD It is incorrect to assume that meditation requires sitting in an ashram and staring at carpet. That is one way to go, but anything we do can be done meditatively. Noticing the mind is what it is all about; more accurately, noticing how it obscures reality. The mind is a model of reality, it is not the real thing. When we do not think this way, we get lost in the illusion, and believe that our thinking is reality. Meditative thinking is simply cutting through this veil of thought so that we may stay in the real world. Even when we do not sit in a formal meditation, we can be practicing. It simply about remaining aware of our thinking; when our minds are taking us from the present moment. You never stop; really, you just stop noticing that you are doing it. When we wake up and realize that we are thinking, and that thought process is taking us away from empirical reality, we are practicing. When we recognize that we don't like where our thoughts are taking us and take a deep breath and step into wakeful emptiness, we are engaging the process called enlightenment. +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
riddler 0 #22 November 5, 2004 Quotemeditation Meditation - I could talk for hours about it, but I don't do it much anymore. I will say this: It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I think it's been the most worthwhile.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #23 November 5, 2004 QuoteQuotemeditation Meditation - I could talk for hours about it, but I don't do it much anymore. I will say this: It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I think it's been the most worthwhile. I totally agree with you. I think it is easier to just let the mind run. Unfortunately, that's not how we get control over our experience, however. Turning away from space is a fear response like any other, and has negative consequences like any other fear response. When we let fear choose for us, we lose. It feels a lot like dying, as we slip into the void. That's a very scary, almost claustrophobic experience. A feeling of hot suffocation; like being buried alive. Fortunately, that is only part of the experience, the lions at the gate. Once we pass through, there is something else, something very worth the trip. Peace. A great skydiver, a great person, must be grounded in this feeling of peaceful non-attachment to the world; just watching it happen. Meditation is part of the training to reach our full potential; that's why it is called "practice". Is it fun to lift weights? Maybe sometimes. Most of the time it is so that we can become strong enough to do other, more fun things. Meditation is very much like this, and we can go no further without it, in one form or another. It is incorrect to assume that meditation requires sitting in an ashram and staring at carpet. That is one way to go, but anything we do can be done meditatively. Noticing the mind is what it is all about; more accurately, noticing how it obscures reality. The mind is a model of reality, it is not the real thing. When we do not think this way, we get lost in the illusion, and believe that our thinking is reality. Meditative thinking is simply cutting through this veil of thought so that we may stay in the real world. +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
algboy 0 #24 November 5, 2004 QuoteQuotehave another toke, brian... Closed mind Closed possibilities. I know that the idea of meditation is a little alien to most people. This has to change if we are to harness the power of the mind. You don't have to explore this part of yourself if it scares you, but what is your fear costing you? Chicken? + I hear you, Brian. Meditation was part of my daily routine a few years ago. Sadly, I've let it slip away--though I plan to return. It helped me transform myself and to release a lot of the negative crap that haunted me for years. I also studied Reiki and achieved master level. It's hard to deal with those who just laugh it off and make cracks about drugs, etc. Like talking to a whuffo. Your books are on my "must have" list. I appreciate your incorporating the mental/spiritual aspect into our sport. Skydiving for me is not just a sport--it's a metaphor for so much of what I seek. It's how I define myself. Jumping for me is not just some shallow "Look at me, I'm so extreme!" compensation-behavior. And just what's so bad about a little self-promo anyway? You've earned it at least and have something to contribute. BSBD“Keep your elbow up!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #25 November 6, 2004 QuoteQuoteQuote I hear you, Brian. Meditation was part of my daily routine a few years ago. Sadly, I've let it slip away--though I plan to return. BSBD It is incorrect to assume that meditation requires sitting in an ashram and staring at carpet. That is one way to go, but anything we do can be done meditatively. Noticing the mind is what it is all about; more accurately, noticing how it obscures reality. The mind is a model of reality, it is not the real thing. When we do not think this way, we get lost in the illusion, and believe that our thinking is reality. Meditative thinking is simply cutting through this veil of thought so that we may stay in the real world. Even when we do not sit in a formal meditation, we can be practicing. It simply about remaining aware of our thinking; when our minds are taking us from the present moment. You never stop; really, you just stop noticing that you are doing it. When we wake up and realize that we are thinking, and that thought process is taking us away from empirical reality, we are practicing. When we recognize that we don't like where our thoughts are taking us and take a deep breath and step into wakeful emptiness, we are engaging the process called enlightenment. +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
