Blackfinger

uh oh........

I can't see Taomeow's response above... but my understanding of the 'stillness method' (though I haven't heard it called this before) is that in the course of one's practice(qigong/neigong, meditation, LDT awareness etc) qi will be drawn to the LDT and once this is sufficiently active, the qi will naturally want to leave the LDT into the perineum etc and enter the start of the MCO. In fact, it can be quite a struggle to prevent the qi from entering the MCO, when it wants to. Once started naturally, the MCO can be aided with breathing and posture etc, as well as 'song/releasing', especially through the clipping passes. The other way of doing it (the movement method?), I understand, primarily employs the imagination. My understanding is that linking the movement of the MCO to the imagination increases the potential for qi deviation depending on how the imagination is employed, and delusion (phantom signs of progress etc.), and also creates what can become a negative dependence by tethering the activity of the MCO to the imagination. Same principle, I understand, with the energetic level of merging kan and li (Which can be done by adjusting posture and centre of gravity so that the yi is, after time, free to reside elsewhere whilst kan and li are being merged independent of it.)

Yeh, I had signed up for the 3-year Diploma in Daoist Medicine/Acupuncture. I think it'd be amazing. Sadly, I can't commit to the three year period of study, at the moment. A real shame, as the emphasis of the course is on traditional methods, rather than many of the modern acupuncture qualifications which try to align the practice with western medicine to make it more acceptable and palatable, at the cost of diluting the original teachings. From what I hear, there are not many courses like this out there at the moment. There is a strong focus on energy work aspects and connecting with the needle to allow out yi to enter the patient's meridians and thus alter the qi quality accordingly. AH well... but yes, Heavenly Streams is a fantastic book, so hope you enjoy it.

Damo Mitchell's 'Heavenly Streams' book is all about the meridians and how to actively connect with them and 'feel' them...as well as changing the quality of the qi flow within to self-correct qi disorders (deficiency, stagnation, excess etc). It's hard work though, not a weekend's practice....more like months.

well, the chongmai fits the bill, but as far as I know that is on its own....

Could this not be the chongmai? Or possibly the Du and Ren channels (governing and conception channels, activated during the MCO)?

To place your awareness there and casually observe what is taking place, as opposed to forcefully 'staring' or having laser-like focus on the dan tien. If you are a naturally tense or stressed person, then it is likely that your default level of attention will be too forceful. It should be almost passive, like watching TV

This is quite an advanced practice (in order to move the 'pill', the pill must be created which itself is a result of long months/years of correct training), so I would advise starting with a simple dantien meditation, as mentioned in one of your other threads.

If doing lower dantien meditation, remember to use a casual level of focus. If internally-directed focus is too strong, this will cause stagnation problems over time. I have experienced this myself

Damo teaches external as well as internal martial arts, though for the Nei gong practice, there is an emphasis on conditioning the body first via simple core work and mainly stretches. The foundtions of this system concentrate around standing forms (WuJi) and awakening the LDT via these (weight over K1, fold at kwa to bring centre of gravity into LDT, and control of breathing & yi), so the physical body is important. However, the boot camp style external training is only for the external martial arts. That's not to say it would be detrimental to internal training, but certainly not necessary.

Sean - count me in. This is a generous and exciting offer. cheers

interesting in relation to the whole Mo Pai thing: Damo Mitchell states that the LDT is tethered to its central axis by four yellow coloured lines extending from four yellow meridian points (which can be seen with 'inner vision') with time these can/will disappear and the LDT is then able to spin/move more freely....

Nice quote...but seems rather...verbose...for a Daoist!

Hey Thelerner Just discovered this thread....have only read half of the first post so far (saving the rest for later) but it's a good read, very entertaining, informative...easy on the eye, crisp and solid prose. Kerouac meets Bukowski Thanks for posting - look forward to reading my way through the pages and if you have anything similar, i'd say: keep em coming! all the best

I would be very wary of taking instruction from someone who seems so fundamentally...ungrounded. I don't know anything of his work, but the drama of his life (and some rather unhinged posts on here from years back) have counselled me to steer clear. Just a caveat, all are free to make up their own mind

excellent nugget of far-reaching advice there. kudos.

Thanks for attempting to turn the thread to useful discussion. I know there are at least a couple of dedicated practitioners on here who could share their opinions and experience of ling bao tong zhineng neigong shu, but they are very wisely keeping their distance.... <sigh>

Yes, but to be honest it ojnly clicked for me once I attended a Foundations weekend course...covers the material in the first book but there is a lot that isn't in the book... (such as the stretching warmups, the correct wuji stance, the yi during the qigong exercises, using centre of gravity and breathing to locate the LDT etc) Having said that, I got great results from the qigong exercises and the sung breathing even before the course... maybe it depends what you are after/looking for? One thing tp be aware of is that the book doesn't labour the point of how long it takes and how hard you should work to get results (although to be fair Damo does state it a few times in casual sentences which the reader tends to overlook.) These are practices (LDT awareness/ji ben qigong/sung breathing) you need to work daily with for months upon months to get to deeper levels, and then it would depend on your personal conditions (level of blockages, previous qigong/meditation work, stretching.) Sometimes the book reads too fast, as if these are practices that you can progress through in weeks. Maybe they are, if you have a solid enough foundation!

I can;t wait for the new book either. Damo is excellent and his teaching method and materials ring true. It's about self-empowerment, not so much about transmissions or healing. As far as I know, he doesn't offer healings (though does practice Acupuncture amongst other things - he is running a 2.5 year course in traditional Daoist acupunture/healing therapies starting next year.) His material is hard, and the neigong is long hard work. There are no quick fixes. There are indeed alot of similarities with the Longmen Pai methods, and one of the first goals of the school's neigong is to activiate the lower dantien. Though without a background of good solid qigong/dao yin practices, this will be hard. Hence the need for the hard hours doing standing and moving exercises. You can see his neigong syllabus on the Lotus neigong website, to get an idea of what is involved. Another thing is that Damo is honest and modest - he acknowledges that he is still a student, still learning. But he is much further ahead than most of us, which makes him an ideal teacher. He is good at summarising and teaching the core truths of the practices from different schools, without the obfuscation and mysteries which are often present. RTead his books and you'll understand what I mean.

Greetings Bums, I'm trying to modify my daily diet to improve my practice (and general health/wellbeing of course) and would welcome suggestions from any and all about ideas for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks that would be in keeping with a Daoist diet. I have seen plenty of lists of foods which constitute good Daoist types e.g. avoiud red meat, spicy food, cold food/drink, processed food etc etc. but I am an absolute incompetent in the kitchen and as regards cooking and preparing food etc. It is something that I don't have the time or the inclination for to be honest, so contstructing my own recipes and ideas is something that gives me the fear. I think I'd be much more successfull in my endeavours if I was able to have a clear and prescriptive structure to follow. SO if anyone could share what they eat on a daily basis - that they believe constitutes a good Daoist diet - then this would be much appreciated! I'm hoping to put together a simple plan for three simple healthy meals. I should say that I have a moderately active life - commuting/working with long days (though in a sedentary job) with some light exercise and qi gong in the evenings and daily meditation. Any input much appreciated. Thanks

Hi all, Just wondered if anyone could send over recommendations for brief zhan zhuang routines. I've got some time freed up at lunchtime and would like ideas for a c.20minute ZZ session. Goals would be to complement my existing nei gong/meditation/qi gong practices i.e. gathering, feeling, directing qi, LDT work etc. I don't have any experience with ZZ, but imagine it's simple to learn and practice but challenging to perfect. If anyone has any suggestions for forms that would fit into this slot (With brief warm up/down if possible) I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks

This sounds good Woodcarver - please could you elaborate? What kind of veg? What kind of beans? Isn't it a bit dry? thanks

Thanks all for the additional suggestions. I am proceeding with LKC's way of energy book exercises. They are perfect in time and (initial) simplicity and I am already enjoying them and feeling moderate benefits. Feel free to keep any suggestions coming though, for the sake of the thread, which has turned out to be a real treasure trove, and fascinating to read

If you replace the word 'spirit' with 'person' does it ring true then? No difference, IMO.

Thanks Gerard - i like the suggestion, though I am loathe to do anything that would involve too much perspiring, due to the logistical problems of either needing a shower afterwards, or being smelly/uncomfortable at the desk...