Zen of the Mask

Zen-direct experiential realizations toward obtaining an awakening.
The practice to discover, through daily, or in this case, nightly,
experiences that will lead one to ultimate enlightment.

All things are brought to each of us, for a reason.
Why OSA???

In OSA therapy, the mask, is everything.

What is the Zen of the Mask??

anger
courage
patience
frustration
antisipation
enjoyment

The above discoveries came after 60 nights with the mask.
Now, almost 210 nights with the mask, I have refined those discoveries.

Anger-My anger is gone. I resolved to the fact that I have OSA, for a reason.

Courage-I have met each of the challenges of OSA and cpap.
I have over come many obsticles and problems.

Patience-Without touching my mask,
I can mentally overcome an itch on the side of my nose, w/little or no effort.

Frustration-My frustrations have been converted into my routine of cpap.
It is my life, nothing more, nothing less.

Antisipation-Can cpap help me? Will I be well again? that antisipation has
been converted into the welcome antisipation of dreaming, recovering,
being granted a new life, everyday.

Enjoyment-I am becoming addicted to the close of each evening,
ready for the enjoyment of sleep.


I have glued my mouth shut,
I over came my claustrophobic fear of enclosed areas,
I practice the ancient jala neti,
I have taken total control of my sleep health.

I have used the things I have learned on my cpap journey
to open my mind,
to over come my fears,
to expand my horizons,
and to realize my potentials.

Zen of the Mask

Yin/Yang of life-
MY choice to embrace or reject, the mask, and in so doing,
chose quality of life.

I have chosen quality of life.

Wow man - I see psychedelic lights flashing on a screen as you recite this post while dancing and twirling around. The Zen of the mask by CARBONMAN. Brothers are you listening.

Dude, sometimes I have to wonder if you are pumping a little something extra in that O2 port at night.

Glad you are feeling so good though.

I think your posts need to come with a disclaimer:

The feelings expressed in CARBONMAN posts are unique in nature and should not be taken as normal results. Your results may vary.

"Grasshopper, why you can snatch the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave"

Carbonman,

Just out of curiosity, did you happen to do a search on the word "Zen" in the forum Search before starting this thread?
I thought the theme sounded familiar, so I did a search.......

Good post though.

Den

Wulfman wrote: Just out of curiosity, did you happen to do a search on the word "Zen"
I thought the theme sounded familiar Den

Just did a search of long term memory, which is working better everyday.

This was my chautauqua for 280 miles on the bike this past week.

.........your long term memory seems to be working well, also.

Browser wrote:Wow man - I see psychedelic lights flashing on a screen as you recite this post while dancing and twirling around. The Zen of the mask by CARBONMAN. Brothers are you listening.

Dude, sometimes I have to wonder if you are pumping a little something extra in that O2 port at night.

Glad you are feeling so good though.

I think your posts need to come with a disclaimer:

The feelings expressed in CARBONMAN posts are unique in nature and should not be taken as normal results. Your results may vary.

I was thinking someone didn't quite make it home from Woodstock.

My approach is a little more basic and summed up with two words: "WEAR IT"

Sure, there are bad times... in fact I'm having one this week. I had a "deep cleaning" on the teeth last week that involved no less than 6 needles for freezing. Also had 2 broken teeth fixed, one small cavity fixed and an attempt to fix a large cavity with a filling. The later is not going well and I have been on antibiotics all week... suspect tomorrow the dentist will offer two options: Extraction -or- root canal.

My approach to dentistry: "GET IT DONE AND OVER WITH" Emphasis on "OVER WITH"

carbonman wrote:Zen-direct experiential realizations toward obtaining an awakening.
The practice to discover, through daily, or in this case, nightly,
experiences that will lead one to ultimate enlightment . . . I have chosen quality of life.

Me, too, Carbonman! I also embrace the Buddhist concept of The Metta Bhavana, i.e. "Loving Kindness" to all CPAP'ers and to my CPAP machine and mask :<)

Browser wrote: . . . I think your posts need to come with a disclaimer: The feelings expressed in CARBONMAN posts are unique in nature and should not be taken as normal results. Your results may vary.

On the other hand, "The essential epiphanies reflected in carbonman's mirror may be closer than they appear."

RipVW wrote:

carbonman wrote:Zen-direct experiential realizations toward obtaining an awakening.
The practice to discover, through daily, or in this case, nightly,
experiences that will lead one to ultimate enlightment . . . I have chosen quality of life.

CPAP Haiku:

Night has come swiftly.
Donning my mask for breathing
Sweet dreams sweet sleep, now

All jokes about drugs in the humidifier and Woodstock aside, Carbonman's perspective is dead-on right. I studied Yoga after herniating a disk four years ago, and kept at it for a couple years. I gave up non-work things that required a set schedule, though - probably because my advancing OSA was then undiagnosed and I was tired all the time.

I'm no expert on Zen anything; my Yoga classes and teachers never mentioned it. What they did mention, repeatedly, is that breathing is the root of health, and we all are simply impermanent.

I had a friend years ago "managing" relapse-remitting MS - and she insisted she was far, far healthier with a debilitating nervous-system disorder than she was without it.

I'm curious, Carbonman, whether you find the neti helpful (I can't tell yet, really).

jda1000 wrote: What they did mention, repeatedly, is that breathing is the root of health, and we all are simply impermanent.
I'm curious, Carbonman, whether you find the neti helpful (I can't tell yet, really).

All things are brought to each of us, for a reason.
Why OSA???

I was introduced to and realized the power of Zen,
through the practice of yoga.
How long can you hold a yoga pike position?
Mental strength to overcome the pain through
focus, strength and determination-Zen of the Pike.
Take that mental strength and apply it to every facet of your life.

I never knew about the practice of jala neti, until I started cpap.
Within days of starting jala neti, my cpap improved.
I immediately noticed an improvement when practicing my yoga and strength training.

With every improvement of my cpap, every facet of my life improves.

All things are connected.

The mask that can be worn is not the eternal mask.
The CPAP that can be titrated is not the eternal CPAP.

The treatment is the eternally real.
Air is the origin of all good sleep.

Lao Tzu's "Tao te CPAP" according to SleepyDragon

hmmm... Does the mask really exist if you cannot feel it? I am so used to my mask that many times I think It's not on my face until I touch it. The machine breaths in concert with my lungs and I do not hear it. Become one with the mask?

OldLincoln wrote:hmmm... Does the mask really exist if you cannot feel it? I am so used to my mask that many times I think It's not on my face until I touch it. The machine breaths in concert with my lungs and I do not hear it. Become one with the mask?

Breath or breath not. There is no mask.

Yoda according to SleepyDragon