thaddeus

Just another note, most massage is not helpful for the type of relaxation we need in our training. It is good to get fluids moving and there are benefits of touch, however, everyone knows the tension comes right back and deep tissue massage does not address structure. This is where bodywork such as rolfing is alot more helpful in releasing tension. It may not feel as good as a swedish massage, but you will feel the effects. For example, if your shoulders are tight, swedish massage will work that area and it will feel great, however after the massage is over you want more and the tension never really left. In a rolfing session, the rolfer may excrutiatingly work your calves and feet and bingo, your shoulders have loosened.. thaddeus

One thing I learned is that lengthening facilitates relaxation. When I first started studying, I made the mistake that most people make--they equate sinking with collapsing and lowering the body. You really need to lengthen the spine, limbs and joints to get them to relax. That's essentially what yoga is about..how to find a lengthened and supported spine in all kinds of crazy positions. And the reason for that is to be able to take a deep unencumbered breath. So I see lengthening, relaxation with resiliency as the first step. Everything else is purely academic until you can do this. Lengthening unbunches the fascia (which is tight around all joints and places where the body bends). Unbunching the fascia facilitates chi flow. I can't see how one can practice any internal martial art or taoist practice without this pre-requisite...comments? Thaddeus

Yoda, what did you like about it? Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but after looking through it, it seemed like a mantak chia regurgitation. I have almost all of Chia's books. I also see frost had exposure to kundalini yoga and expanded on Mantak's Chia's collection of techniques. So it looks like Mantak Chia + Kundalini Yoga = ??. While on this topic, has anyone published any material NOT based on Mantak Chia that people think is readable and accessible? Thaddeus

Does it have a money back guarantee? I'm curious to hear more about the sex system and if he has anything original to say on the topic.

All variations of yoga's warrior poses will help open that area, but from an internal martial arts perspective, the best way is to keep practicing..correctly. I learned a relaxation exercise that would take some time to write down and explain, but it is very similar to the yoga three part breath. On the exhale, make sure your chi goes down to your feet and find a way to make your legs rotate *inwards* from the relaxation that starts from the shoulder well points. Don't rotate your legs on purpose..over time, this will relax and open the kwa correctly. In fact, this is the first move of taichi, without this opening, one is not really practicing taichi. So a good teacher can guide you in this. Do you practice any of the internal martial arts? Sounds easy, but I've been practicing it for quite some time. Alot of tension is stored in the kua, especially when most of us sit all day. thaddeus

if you mouse over the book, it will show a 'search inside' box. Do a search on Lower Triangle and it will show up. you can try creating another amazon id to read that page. I couldn't figure out anyway to print or save it. thaddeus

I noticed on amazon, you can 'search inside' the book. However, I can not find a reference to the gate of life meditation..where in the book is it? Thanks.. Thaddeus

Anyone got a PIC of this anywhere? Kinda hard to follow.. Thaddeus

Hi all, Several people have mentioned the Michael Frost book "Choosing Life: Guidelines to Avoiding Extinction". I tried to get it from Amazon but finally they cancelled my order..it's been almost two months back ordered. Thaddeus

Yang Zhen Duo said the body separates at that spot, so you extend upwards and relax downwards and open it. It will then be 'hinge'. He said this should fill your body with strength. I got that from a seminar he led. At the time I didn't pay alot of attention to it, but i'll play around with that concept in my training.. thaddeus

Well, it's the source of movement. People say 'dantian' controls movement, but the mingmen is the 'back of the dantian'. One high level practioner i trained with said that taiji movement works this area and that in turn stimulates our bodies to produce more hormone, specifically DHEA. Not sure if there any studies to back up that claim, but it may be what they are experiencing subjectively. What exactly is being said in this book about the mingmen? Thaddeus

Hello, I was first introduced to internal martial arts 30 years ago at age 11 when I learned aikijutsu and voraciously read koichi tohei and kenichi sawai. From there my life took to studying all different flavors of martial arts, however my main interest has always been ki, chi, prana. I've studied yoga, qigong, bodywork, you name it. If it's weird and something most people don't want to talk about, I was probably into it. I have stacks of books that belong only in a new age and martial arts bookstore. I am an executive by profession and a warrior/shaman/healer/ at heart. I tend to be a bit skeptical of claims so you can always count on me to question, check for evidence, or ask common sense questions. I feel there are way too many deluded people (and that could include myself) so I hope people don't take offense to some of lines of questioning. There are few ways to really challenge someone who claims to have achieved something in this stuff we are interested in so it's often hard to sift through the BS. I feel if i'm on the right track, I should be feeling real effects. At 41, people mistake me for 28 and in alot of ways, I'm more fit, flexible and energetic than I was at 25. So I may be doing some things right. Anyway, glad to be here and share any info I come across. Thaddeus

I'm curious as to the 'secret' to becoming more powerful after sex rather than weaker.

What was said about the sex course? Why did he pan it? Very curious.. PS..I think Matt Furey sounds like a scam artist, but I'm willing to change my mind.. Thaddeus

Hello, I think you missed my point. I'm not saying that chisled abs means great health. Obviously we're not all going to agree on what exuberant health means. And it's not fair to really argue about who has exuberant health or not. I'm just pointing out that many of these commercial taoists really don't look the part. You're supposed to look young and vital, there are no excuses. You're not supposed to look like a 55 year old guy that looks good for his age, get my point? There are plenty of guys out there that do *nothing* and look and feel fantastic. Which leads to my second point. All of you saying semen retention is a *must* because they are believing in this theory are just weak. Myself included, so no disrespect. I'm also looking for ways to increase this energy. We are the 90 lb weaklings complaining about it. There are people who don't feel weak and who are not requiring this retention. They naturally have an overabundance of jing, can cum several times a day for years and still look and feel young and vital. That's just the way it is. Arnold Schwarzenneger said of his competitor Lou Ferrigno, "What I could do with a body like that"..meaning he felt Lou had better raw material. THat's just the way it is. So retention is a *must* for only some people--the weaklings. I don't need to believe a theory to say this, just simple observation of my surroundings--which in essence is taoist. Taoism is not *believing* rules about jing, and shen. It's observing and learning through direct experience. Anyway, i guess that's enough yapping from my mouth.. Me

I think general health is a universal concept. Youthful vitality, ruddy complexion and vibrancy is valued and crosses all cultural lines. Fat around the middle and a pale complexion is just not sexy anywhere. The alchemy stuff I read always refers to a state of extended youth and vibrancy when you do this stuff right. I really can't think of any commercial taoist person right now that looks vibrant. Even mantak chia is showing his age (i saw him a couple months ago, sagging facial skin and dyed hair). Now look at some of the contemporary yoga people like rodney yee. Compare Rodney Yee and Ken Cohen. I agree the old yoga people don't look so hot but they are at advanced ages like BKS Iyengar and the Ashtanga guy (forgot his name)...but either way, the ashtanga guy's son is a total babe magnet. Now that's what I expect from internal training--a youthful, magnetic, overflowing sexual vitality. I just don't see that from any of the commerical taoist people right now. Name one if I'm wrong. I guess what I'm saying is someone spouting taoist health stuff in their 20s and 30s is easy. Let's see how they look in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Anyway, just spouting off

Hi, I'm new here posted a couple times and mostly lurked. I have some comments in no particular order. First off, the guy may have a point. Building up sexual energy *may* be similar to exercising, in that you can build up the strength. How much of the energy loss is psychological? At the same time, I noticed as a 13 year old that i had less spiritual energy the next day after jacking off and it took a day to get it back. I'm not talking a physical tiredness, that's why I think most people who don't cultivate chi don't really notice or understand what this energy drain is. Another thing some of you have missed is that the classics state that everyone is different, just like there are guys who never lift weights can be stronger than guys who spend hours at the gym. The classics say if you feel tired afterwards, you are doing too much. But some guys just don't feel tired. This guy is young, but probably just blessed with that extra jing from good karma, good genes or just really happy and in love parents when he was conceived. How funny would it be to see a 90lb weakling cry that it's impossible for someone to bench press 225 lbs without proper training. That's what you guys who are crying about energy loss are kinda saying. Sorry, I guess that sounds a bit mean, I hope you don't take offense at it. But just think about what you're saying. With all that said, I have a decent BS detector and I think that guy is full of it. Just my two cents. I guess I said a lot of BS myself But I just want to add one more controversial point. Whenever I hear any of these taoists master spouting off, I look at them. Do you really think these guys look that great or that healthy? I won't name names, but seriously, sometimes you have to take a step back and ask why are we listening to some old looking fat poser spouting off about the tao. Then take a look at some of the top yoga people and draw your own conclusions.. thaddeus

This is something I myself am researching because I noticed the same thing. It may just be the nature of how our connective tissue operates. When you sleep for several hours you are essentially inactive. This inactivity allows the fascia to 'harden'. As we get older, this process happens much faster. However, I'm not giving up yet. I've been turned on to aryuvedic principles of eating, which I believe is an aspect of chinese internal training that has either been kept secret or is just not known. Aryuvedic principles deal with this connective tissue tightness, I think they call it 'heat' not to be confused necessarily with the TCM idea of heat. On another note, TCM does equate problems with stiffness to the liver system, so it's possible to explore that avenue.. I'll report results if I learn anything interesting.. Thad

Hello..I'm new here. Just wanted to add an observation. When the body releases tension, it does so naturally in a spiral movement (as long as it is not interfered with). Most bodyworkers who work with fascia know this. In taiji, when energy is stored and released, it happens in spirals. If your movement is in straight lines or 2 dimensional (as in many contrived qigong forms and many people's taiji practice) then there is tension somewhere holding a joint in place. IMO, you perhaps are just getting good at releasing tension as it tends to build up during the day. Thad