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Zen, Yoga, Meditation and Trading
- Thread starter Karma Yogi
- Start date
Greed can be thought of as just another fear. Greed explained in terms of fear:
3. Fear of leaving profits on the table. And thereby overstaying welcome in a position despite a reversal of trend.
4. Fear of missing out on the action. Putting on a position despite lack of clear opportunity.
3. Fear of leaving profits on the table. And thereby overstaying welcome in a position despite a reversal of trend.
4. Fear of missing out on the action. Putting on a position despite lack of clear opportunity.
Admittedly, Benson's book does not really go into thoughts and feelings per se. In that regard, I would be more inclined to consider the following books, both of which are by the same author and have considerable overlap:Quote from kiwi_trader:
Thunderdog,
Benson's extraction is good for the relaxation/biochem aspect of meditation.
What it lacks is the awareness aspect of meditation. Straight (Zen or basic Theravada) Buddhism and its Vipassana meditation lacks mysticism (Buddha said don't ask me about that stuff, its a distraction, lets get on with learning to be clear and happy) and hype but adds an extra element - building awareness of ones feelings and ones thoughts as they occur so that you can overcome your conditioning (read, get thru all the shit that people and you lay on yourself as you grow up so you see and react clearly to the real word; also the shit you build when you have problems while learning to trade).
Seeing clearly, staying in the present moment, not getting hijacked by thoughts and emotions are key for traders. So I'd recommend Vipassana as offering more for traders than the relaxation response.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452281326/ref=pd_rvi_gw_3/102-9269443-7962503?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.com/When-Panic-At...1/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-9269443-7962503?ie=UTF8
Both books deal with cognitive therapy, which is largely considered to be the fastest, and perhaps most effective, way to deal with most psychological issues. The basic premise is that our feelings are controlled by our thoughts. Distress, anxiety, depression, unhappiness and so on are caused not so much by the events in our lives as much as our inappropriate interpretation of those events. Reinterpret those events more clearly and objectively, and you affect your mood and feelings. Simple and effective.
Back to Benson's book, it deals exclusively with meditation and the calming of one's mind and body. I suggested it because I thought that was the theme of this thread.
Interesting thread and comments. Thx kiwi for the restatement and focus.
Benson's method, summarized here without all the medical justifications, is Vipassana 101. Simply sit and practice breath awareness. If this is all one ever does, the potential for further growth, if desired, is there.
The Vipassana one can learn through centers or teachers goes into refinements that shift breath awareness to deeper inner body/mind awareness and in a similar progressive way, to outer world awareness.
While Vipassana arose from the Buddhist tradition, it isn't in itself a spiritual practice requiring one to first believe in a Great Spirit, although every great teacher of Vipassana has, in fact, "believed" in a "Great Spirit". If that idea stands in your way, then stick with Benson's justification for the method and your secular views need not be challenged. For most goal-oriented traders, this is all you're likely to want or need.
If, on the other hand, you do have a ton of practical questions about meditation in more spiritual context, you might enjoy reading these extracts from Osho, a controversial, now dead, "guru" who certainly had a way with words and of cutting to the heart of things.
Adding Zen or Yoga to the equation is, in my opinion, less a "traders" decision than a spiritual quest decision. Both often involve "systems of belief" that may satisfy curiosity or give a sense of "enlightenment". Seekers seek, I suppose, until they find. For myself, I've found that simply breathing and developing awareness is a very satisfying meal and, as simple as it sounds, not one alway easy to prepare. Life happens and our intentions crumble. But one thing about awareness is that we come to take full responsibility for our self: we made our self, we can unmake our self, and we can remake our self. Vipassana is the bedrock. Adding other techniques, ideas, or knowledge are like occasional desserts or treats.
best,
amg
Benson's method, summarized here without all the medical justifications, is Vipassana 101. Simply sit and practice breath awareness. If this is all one ever does, the potential for further growth, if desired, is there.
The Vipassana one can learn through centers or teachers goes into refinements that shift breath awareness to deeper inner body/mind awareness and in a similar progressive way, to outer world awareness.
While Vipassana arose from the Buddhist tradition, it isn't in itself a spiritual practice requiring one to first believe in a Great Spirit, although every great teacher of Vipassana has, in fact, "believed" in a "Great Spirit". If that idea stands in your way, then stick with Benson's justification for the method and your secular views need not be challenged. For most goal-oriented traders, this is all you're likely to want or need.
If, on the other hand, you do have a ton of practical questions about meditation in more spiritual context, you might enjoy reading these extracts from Osho, a controversial, now dead, "guru" who certainly had a way with words and of cutting to the heart of things.
Adding Zen or Yoga to the equation is, in my opinion, less a "traders" decision than a spiritual quest decision. Both often involve "systems of belief" that may satisfy curiosity or give a sense of "enlightenment". Seekers seek, I suppose, until they find. For myself, I've found that simply breathing and developing awareness is a very satisfying meal and, as simple as it sounds, not one alway easy to prepare. Life happens and our intentions crumble. But one thing about awareness is that we come to take full responsibility for our self: we made our self, we can unmake our self, and we can remake our self. Vipassana is the bedrock. Adding other techniques, ideas, or knowledge are like occasional desserts or treats.
best,
amg
Thank you for those links Karma Yogi.
Most Excellent.
Most Excellent.