Souterrain Room

Casual conversation between friends. Anything goes (almost).
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Ayu
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Souterrain Room

Post by Ayu »

The market position for renters is very tense in my aera. In order to timely have a room nearby a new job I had to take what I could get.
It's a nice one-room flat with a view at the house's garden. Yesterday I moved in and I detected that the daylight doesn't really reach into the room. Outside it was a beautiful sunny day and inside it reminded me of dawn in winter time.
I'm a bit sceptic how I will survive the dark winter there. I'll buy daylight bulbs and install many lamps.

In addition, do you know of any consoling buddhist stories or practices? I mean, a cave in the Himalaya is no bright place as well, I guess. Or how do people in Northern Norway, Sweden, Russia, Canada survive the dark time?
Jesse
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Jesse »

Building a very small little garden could be helpful. Especially colorful plants that grow flowers, there are some that are easy to maintain like Cactus's.

In small spaces, you can do vertical plants. Something similar to this image:

Image

Combined with daylight spectrum lighting it could liven things up. Also fragrances are pretty helpful with winter depression, incense, burning oils, or just growing plants that have good smells. (Lavender, Mint, Lemongrass)

Maybe just re-framing how you see the small space could also be helpful, like try to see how much color and cheeriness you can install into the space. Decorating etc.

I hope you find a way to make the space more accommodating. :)
Image
Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.
Danny
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Danny »

I raised a family in a studio apartment, with a north facing window..no sunshine.

The best time of my life.

Simpler times... lots of fun.

Miss those days.

Only a suit case of clothes and a radio alarm clock..

Stop complaining.. make do.. get on with it.

People these days with their pissy wants and needs....
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Kim O'Hara
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Kim O'Hara »

Ayu wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 8:50 am The market position for renters is very tense in my aera. In order to timely have a room nearby a new job I had to take what I could get.
It's a nice one-room flat with a view at the house's garden. Yesterday I moved in and I detected that the daylight doesn't really reach into the room. Outside it was a beautiful sunny day and inside it reminded me of dawn in winter time.
I'm a bit sceptic how I will survive the dark winter there. I'll buy daylight bulbs and install many lamps.

In addition, do you know of any consoling buddhist stories or practices? I mean, a cave in the Himalaya is no bright place as well, I guess. Or how do people in Northern Norway, Sweden, Russia, Canada survive the dark time?
I'm sorry your new home may have this problem.

As far as I can see, all the Buddhist answers would be about equanimity and remembering that nothing lasts for ever.
:meditate:

What people do in the far North may be more useful to you in practical terms. You might like to look up "Seasonal Affective Disorder", which is an extreme response to long gloomy winters. I'm not saying that you might suffer from it, of course, but the solutions for it would probably be good for improving your quality of life.

:namaste:
Kim
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Kim O'Hara
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Kim O'Hara »

Danny wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:27 am I raised a family in a studio apartment, with a north facing window..no sunshine.

The best time of my life.

Simpler times... lots of fun.

Miss those days.

Only a suit case of clothes and a radio alarm clock..

Stop complaining.. make do.. get on with it.

People these days with their pissy wants and needs....
Thank you for reminding me of this -



(Don't feel bad if you have trouble understanding these people, Ayu. Their accents are pretty strong.)

:coffee:
Kim
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Ayu
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Ayu »

Jesse wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 2:17 pm Building a very small little garden could be helpful. Especially colorful plants that grow flowers, there are some that are easy to maintain like Cactus's.

In small spaces, you can do vertical plants. Something similar to this image:

Image

Combined with daylight spectrum lighting it could liven things up. Also fragrances are pretty helpful with winter depression, incense, burning oils, or just growing plants that have good smells. (Lavender, Mint, Lemongrass)

Maybe just re-framing how you see the small space could also be helpful, like try to see how much color and cheeriness you can install into the space. Decorating etc.

I hope you find a way to make the space more accommodating. :)
What a good idea. Thank you. Plants would minimize the artificialness of bulb-light, I can imagine.
muni
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by muni »

Ayu wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 8:50 am The market position for renters is very tense in my aera. In order to timely have a room nearby a new job I had to take what I could get.
It's a nice one-room flat with a view at the house's garden. Yesterday I moved in and I detected that the daylight doesn't really reach into the room. Outside it was a beautiful sunny day and inside it reminded me of dawn in winter time.
I'm a bit sceptic how I will survive the dark winter there. I'll buy daylight bulbs and install many lamps.

In addition, do you know of any consoling buddhist stories or practices? I mean, a cave in the Himalaya is no bright place as well, I guess. Or how do people in Northern Norway, Sweden, Russia, Canada survive the dark time?
Thermo isolation paint would have an effect of reflecting light ( by particles in it), what makes walls of the place brighter. I have not tried that out, so not sure, perhaps inform you about.

Or more simple use a color what makes more bright, not a warm brown or so.

A mirror placed in the right position.

I wish you all the best, that it will turn better out than how it feels at the moment.
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Ayu
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Ayu »

Danny wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:27 am...

Stop complaining.. make do.. get on with it.

People these days with their pissy wants and needs....
:lol: You're absolutely right.
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Ayu
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Ayu »

Kim O'Hara wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:46 am

What people do in the far North may be more useful to you in practical terms. You might like to look up "Seasonal Affective Disorder", which is an extreme response to long gloomy winters. I'm not saying that you might suffer from it, of course, but the solutions for it would probably be good for improving your quality of life.
Thank you, Kim. A good hint.
Actually I was suffering from that syndrome the time before I met my practice. I got very high from the first sunshine at springtime and I was devastated when winter took too long months.
But now this is gone for years.

I believe, taking time outside as much as possible, is healthy as well.
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Ayu
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Ayu »

muni wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 7:19 am..
...
I wish you all the best, that it will turn better out than how it feels at the moment.
Thank you so much.
Actually the walls are supposed to be white. The landlord calls it so. But they look grey-violetish.
Danny
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Danny »

Kim O'Hara wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:55 am
Danny wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:27 am I raised a family in a studio apartment, with a north facing window..no sunshine.

The best time of my life.

Simpler times... lots of fun.

Miss those days.

Only a suit case of clothes and a radio alarm clock..

Stop complaining.. make do.. get on with it.

People these days with their pissy wants and needs....
Thank you for reminding me of this -



(Don't feel bad if you have trouble understanding these people, Ayu. Their accents are pretty strong.)

:coffee:
Kim
Lol - or young professionals.

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明安 Myoan
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Buddhist art helps me in my small house a lot.
Prayer wheels, small Dharma objects you can move around and touch and interact with, especially "offerings" can be varied, beautiful, symbolic.
I like the image of a practice cave, but being human quite honestly sucks, so I try to keep it physically comfortable, with amenities. Books, instruments. Music, art, and reading make you forget the confinement of your body :smile:

And visualizing/remembering the interpenetration of the countless Buddhas' awareness and compassion. They also reach and illuminate a small private space because a sentient being is there.

if it's your style, colored lights nowadays are pretty cool. Lots of LED lamps online in crazy colors, designs.
Namu Amida Butsu
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Ayu
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Ayu »

明安 Myoan wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:48 pm Buddhist art helps me in my small house a lot.
Prayer wheels, small Dharma objects you can move around and touch and interact with, especially "offerings" can be varied, beautiful, symbolic.
I like the image of a practice cave, but being human quite honestly sucks, so I try to keep it physically comfortable, with amenities. Books, instruments. Music, art, and reading make you forget the confinement of your body :smile:

And visualizing/remembering the interpenetration of the countless Buddhas' awareness and compassion. They also reach and illuminate a small private space because a sentient being is there.

if it's your style, colored lights nowadays are pretty cool. Lots of LED lamps online in crazy colors, designs.
:good:
PeterC
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by PeterC »

High - output full spectrum light bulbs. One of the reasons electric light doesn’t substitute for sunlight is that it doesn’t replicate the full color spectrum. You can buy lights that do.
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

I live in the Pacific Northwest, where you don't see the sun much for a decent portion of the year.

Investing in a lightbox for Seasonal Affective Disorder made a huge difference for me. I only use it consistently during the part of the year that is all rain, but that gets bad, sometimes you don't see much of the sun at all for a few months, just gray. I do that and double up on my St. John's wort during the late fall/winter.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
Danny
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Danny »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:55 am I do that and double up on my St. John's wort during the late fall/winter.
Wow that’s some
Old school stuff, synthetic?
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Danny wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:06 am
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:55 am I do that and double up on my St. John's wort during the late fall/winter.
Wow that’s some
Old school stuff, synthetic?
Naw just the typical supplements. I'm growing it now though, and am going to try to figure out how to do a tea or something.

BTW, it has some clinical weight behind it just in terms of likely raising serotonin levels and stuff. I started taking it years ago when I went off SSRI's. I also take 5-htp.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supple ... t-20362212
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
Danny
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Danny »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:24 am
Danny wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:06 am
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:55 am I do that and double up on my St. John's wort during the late fall/winter.
Wow that’s some
Old school stuff, synthetic?
Naw just the typical supplements. I'm growing it now though, and am going to try to figure out how to do a tea or something.

BTW, it has some clinical weight behind it just in terms of likely raising serotonin levels and stuff. I started taking it years ago when I went off SSRI's. I also take 5-htp.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supple ... t-20362212
Good for you JD.
✌🏻
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Kim O'Hara
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Kim O'Hara »

PeterC wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:30 am High - output full spectrum light bulbs. One of the reasons electric light doesn’t substitute for sunlight is that it doesn’t replicate the full color spectrum. You can buy lights that do.
If they are not yet available as LED's, they might double as room heating. :smile:

:coffee:
Kim
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Ayu
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Re: Souterrain Room

Post by Ayu »

Kim O'Hara wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:23 am
PeterC wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:30 am High - output full spectrum light bulbs. One of the reasons electric light doesn’t substitute for sunlight is that it doesn’t replicate the full color spectrum. You can buy lights that do.
If they are not yet available as LED's, they might double as room heating. :smile:

:coffee:
Kim
I have those already for painting. The light seems quite white /blueish. I love to put on a normal bright yellowish light in addition. The white and the yellow mix to a bright daylight.
But however, I believe artificial light will never be the same
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:55 am I live in the Pacific Northwest, where you don't see the sun much for a decent portion of the year.

Investing in a lightbox for Seasonal Affective Disorder made a huge difference for me. I only use it consistently during the part of the year that is all rain, but that gets bad, sometimes you don't see much of the sun at all for a few months, just gray. I do that and double up on my St. John's wort during the late fall/winter.
.

JD: I think, I'm not that much affected by dark seasons anymore, since I follow my rule to go out every single day. That helped me a lot. In the daytime outside there's always a good amount of light.
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