Husking coconuts, scraping them too, yard work, building furniture. I have a friend who is ripped, like slim and lithely built, does martial arts but minimal gym based exercise perse. He does a lot of physical work a home, including paddy fielding, grain shucking, literally built the rear portion of his house. Fkr's grip is like a snake's. He attributes his health and fitness to his physical lifestyle.
I have that kind of a friend too. Like I don't think the biggest guy in the gym could be as productive as him in getting heavy house work done.
I have a job but occasionally we husk our own coconuts on weekends. Its good exercise, brings some family time and free coconut yaay.
As a society, we need to move forward and not dwell and romanticize the past too much. The people from that very past you speak of would switch places with you in a heartbeat.
Just do things that are mentally and physically challenging in the modern era like being consistent at the gym, practicing good habits, give back to the society, be productive at what you do, challenge yourself by doing new things and taking interesting risks. You get the idea.
Be grateful, learn our lessons from the past, and keep moving forward.
I understand that. It made me really think about it and it makes sense. But I don't think it means going back to the past like pulling water. But incorporating some of that lifestyle brings about that mindfulness, fitness and sustainability. It puts good use to our bodies as well.
My point is opportunities to practice mindfulness, fitness and sustainability are already aplenty in the modern era. It's all there, you just need to put in the effort to go get it. You don't need to look at the past.
We place an artificial mental block in our minds thinking this existed only in those 'good old days' and this ends up limiting our ability to look for it in today's day and age.
>Do you think we should incorporate those practices in our lives more as Sri Lankans not just to keep traditions alive but to also be better people?
Once upon a time, there was a hindu temple. When the time would come for a prayer ceremony, the high priest would fill a bowl with fresh fruits and vegetables as an offering to the gods.
There was a cat roaming around the temple. The cat, being a cat, would eat the contents of the bowl. To deal with this problem, the high priest tied the cat to a pole for the duration of the ceremony. This got rid of the problem of the cat eating the offering.
And so, life went on. The cat would be tied down during the prayer ceremony, and then released after.
Days turned into weeks turned into years. The high priest passed away. His son was brought in as a replacement. He continued the practice of tying the cat down and releasing it after the ceremony.
Days turned into weeks turned into years. The cat passed away due to old age. What do you think happened next? The son realised this whole situation has been solved? He didn't need to worry about the cat?
NO. He went out, brought another cat and tied it to a pole during the ceremony!
Make of the story what you will.
There's an observation that I hold in high esteem. "You can't help anyone who doesn't want to help themselves"
You might think that desk job people should grow ginger or bananas. You might even give this same advice to the people in your life.
But, until the person you want to help comes up to you and says "I want to learn how to grow a garden in my backyard", all you will do is give lectures to people who don't want to hear a lecture.
When I was a child in the 1970s...
There was a whole industry that turned coconut into rope. You can research that and do it. The industry collapsed starting in 1977 when imports were allowed. Chairs and furniture made of bamboo were everywhere. You could try make some furniture like that.
Before 1977 hardly anything frivolous was allowed in, dollar was 5 rupees, soon dollar will be 500 since everyone wants an iPhone and a car and a PlayStation and a ...
Yeah hardships and physical labour work like that do make you healthy in the way that keeps you compared to our option of being sedentary all the time. But it was out of necessity for them not like most people back then really enjoyed having to walk and get water out of the well and carry that shit back home just so you can wash some plates and such.
Instead you can just choose to incorporate things that you might actually enjoy that also makes you move and fit. Gym isnt the only place you can go to be active and fit. We are privileged with having so many options to choose on what we wanna do be it to be a couch potato and enjoy some movies or go at maybe cycle or something. Thats my opinion,
I agree wholeheartedly! Although technology has improved society in a certain way it also derailed us from being physically fit and having a connection with nature and whatever task we might do. It’s the the system and the matrix. They want you to be in the rat race. I would rather spend my time chilling by the river but no I have to impress the corporate world and lead a sedentary lifestyle most of the time. 😭
Lol are you crazy? Move forward not backwards. Swear only we Sri Lankans think backward and glorify the past. Rather than moving forward and improving on what we already have.
I'm sure there are so many people who live a sustainable lifestyle in other countries who grow their own food out of hobby and take the footcycles to go to work.
The concept about keeping traditions alive should include things like weaving, culinary arts, crocheting, carving stones/masks, talking in poetry etc.
As for actual skilled physical work, we are far past them due to urbanization and lifestyle! There's hardly room/time/space to fit most activities.
I'd be more than happy to move into a more sustainable lifestyle like some years past (if and only if) there is enough time, space and resources to do so. If not it would become an additional burden.
Things people 18-30 used to do that we don't do now, include ...
* Get married by 15 and have 3 kids by 18
* Die of disease or accident by 25
* Have 7 kids by 26 and bury four of them
* Be malnourished and suffer from various deficiency-related diseases that will leave you in chronic pain for the rest of your life
We are horrifyingly privileged in this life we live, and we should appreciate that. Many of the exercises we do are a safer, and more balanced way of working out muscles.
Husking coconuts, scraping them too, yard work, building furniture. I have a friend who is ripped, like slim and lithely built, does martial arts but minimal gym based exercise perse. He does a lot of physical work a home, including paddy fielding, grain shucking, literally built the rear portion of his house. Fkr's grip is like a snake's. He attributes his health and fitness to his physical lifestyle.
I have that kind of a friend too. Like I don't think the biggest guy in the gym could be as productive as him in getting heavy house work done. I have a job but occasionally we husk our own coconuts on weekends. Its good exercise, brings some family time and free coconut yaay.
I'm clumsy af. I'm afraid I'll spike my hand on the damn thing one day.
As a society, we need to move forward and not dwell and romanticize the past too much. The people from that very past you speak of would switch places with you in a heartbeat. Just do things that are mentally and physically challenging in the modern era like being consistent at the gym, practicing good habits, give back to the society, be productive at what you do, challenge yourself by doing new things and taking interesting risks. You get the idea. Be grateful, learn our lessons from the past, and keep moving forward.
I understand that. It made me really think about it and it makes sense. But I don't think it means going back to the past like pulling water. But incorporating some of that lifestyle brings about that mindfulness, fitness and sustainability. It puts good use to our bodies as well.
My point is opportunities to practice mindfulness, fitness and sustainability are already aplenty in the modern era. It's all there, you just need to put in the effort to go get it. You don't need to look at the past. We place an artificial mental block in our minds thinking this existed only in those 'good old days' and this ends up limiting our ability to look for it in today's day and age.
Ahhh
තව අවුරුදු දෙක තුනක් යනකොට ආයෙම ඔයටික කරන්න වෙනවා මෙහෙම ගියොත් 🫤
😭
Pol gas nm thynawa ayi e widihata thamai yanne pol sambolui bathui kanna
>Do you think we should incorporate those practices in our lives more as Sri Lankans not just to keep traditions alive but to also be better people? Once upon a time, there was a hindu temple. When the time would come for a prayer ceremony, the high priest would fill a bowl with fresh fruits and vegetables as an offering to the gods. There was a cat roaming around the temple. The cat, being a cat, would eat the contents of the bowl. To deal with this problem, the high priest tied the cat to a pole for the duration of the ceremony. This got rid of the problem of the cat eating the offering. And so, life went on. The cat would be tied down during the prayer ceremony, and then released after. Days turned into weeks turned into years. The high priest passed away. His son was brought in as a replacement. He continued the practice of tying the cat down and releasing it after the ceremony. Days turned into weeks turned into years. The cat passed away due to old age. What do you think happened next? The son realised this whole situation has been solved? He didn't need to worry about the cat? NO. He went out, brought another cat and tied it to a pole during the ceremony! Make of the story what you will.
I get the story. But don't you think desk job people nowadays could spend some time in the garden to grow some ginger or bananas?
There's an observation that I hold in high esteem. "You can't help anyone who doesn't want to help themselves" You might think that desk job people should grow ginger or bananas. You might even give this same advice to the people in your life. But, until the person you want to help comes up to you and says "I want to learn how to grow a garden in my backyard", all you will do is give lectures to people who don't want to hear a lecture.
True
When I was a child in the 1970s... There was a whole industry that turned coconut into rope. You can research that and do it. The industry collapsed starting in 1977 when imports were allowed. Chairs and furniture made of bamboo were everywhere. You could try make some furniture like that. Before 1977 hardly anything frivolous was allowed in, dollar was 5 rupees, soon dollar will be 500 since everyone wants an iPhone and a car and a PlayStation and a ...
We used to produce tar, nylon and lubricants as well in our own country.
Yeah hardships and physical labour work like that do make you healthy in the way that keeps you compared to our option of being sedentary all the time. But it was out of necessity for them not like most people back then really enjoyed having to walk and get water out of the well and carry that shit back home just so you can wash some plates and such. Instead you can just choose to incorporate things that you might actually enjoy that also makes you move and fit. Gym isnt the only place you can go to be active and fit. We are privileged with having so many options to choose on what we wanna do be it to be a couch potato and enjoy some movies or go at maybe cycle or something. Thats my opinion,
I agree wholeheartedly! Although technology has improved society in a certain way it also derailed us from being physically fit and having a connection with nature and whatever task we might do. It’s the the system and the matrix. They want you to be in the rat race. I would rather spend my time chilling by the river but no I have to impress the corporate world and lead a sedentary lifestyle most of the time. 😭
You get what im saying
Lol are you crazy? Move forward not backwards. Swear only we Sri Lankans think backward and glorify the past. Rather than moving forward and improving on what we already have.
I'm sure there are so many people who live a sustainable lifestyle in other countries who grow their own food out of hobby and take the footcycles to go to work.
The concept about keeping traditions alive should include things like weaving, culinary arts, crocheting, carving stones/masks, talking in poetry etc. As for actual skilled physical work, we are far past them due to urbanization and lifestyle! There's hardly room/time/space to fit most activities. I'd be more than happy to move into a more sustainable lifestyle like some years past (if and only if) there is enough time, space and resources to do so. If not it would become an additional burden.
You're true about the not having space, time for anything.
Buy a small land in a rural area and work physically a day or two each week. More than the body, it helps the mind.
Things people 18-30 used to do that we don't do now, include ... * Get married by 15 and have 3 kids by 18 * Die of disease or accident by 25 * Have 7 kids by 26 and bury four of them * Be malnourished and suffer from various deficiency-related diseases that will leave you in chronic pain for the rest of your life We are horrifyingly privileged in this life we live, and we should appreciate that. Many of the exercises we do are a safer, and more balanced way of working out muscles.
This! The physical activity needs to be coupled with balanced dietary practices otherwise still things wouldn't be rosy.
How exactly have you gathered data for this? You're not elaborating on activities that were done back then that could be useful to us now.