Earl Grey

Someone please give silent thunder a drink and a round for all of us. That deserves a toast.

Another user here learned Long Form first, then went back and learned the earlier forms afterwards, feeling effects both times and loving the system still. You can learn in any order, but there's nothing wrong with sticking to the DVD order too. Sifu Terry has mentioned that FP energy is very cool. Excellent. Keep on it. I'd say it's a sign of developing some sort of sensitivity to noticing qi fields. I can do this as well, and many practitioners report this too. Both are fantastic systems.

VLC can do the same thing whether it's DVDs, VCDs, or downloads. Just drag and drop the file to the VLC program or manually open it from the file tab. Definitely opening things up from the website via streaming or private Vimeo password access would be helpful for every release, and I would jump to get more there.

Bringing this thread back on topic and avoiding the usual derailer of threads... Some life experiences are easier to see as related to our practice, and other times, sensations in practice indicate the light and shadows. I'll give you an example: when I do mantra meditation, I usually feel my head congested with energy. But nothing else aside from emotions shifting, and then every time I finish a siddhi at 125,000 repetitions, a big karmic change comes, always for the better and often financial or in the form of new skills learned and friendships formed. It is also traumatic because the ego loses itself more when it finds its sense of self fundamentally changed and challenged--I have no idea how to describe it, but in one story, I found myself in more unpleasant social interactions with people, yet found myself patient and understanding instead of hateful. My Sifu told me that it's the subconscious ego pulling out that aspect of myself and putting it in others and testing me to outgrow it, and how to do so was compassion--whose mantra did I complete to have this happen? Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva of compassion. Namo Kuan Shi Yin Pusa. What I have to say is compassion isn't just towards others...it also includes self-compassion. Oh boy. That's a big one for me to accept at times, having gone from being a suicidal kid in high school to now an anachronistic "kid" with the face of a teen and the age of a Gen-Xer in both an era and a land too foreign to him. In other words, always the outsider, internally and externally, and still coming to terms with it. "I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me." - The Bad Guy Creed from Bad-Anon, Wreck-it-Ralph

I wouldn't say FP is "useless" with lack of sleep, but its effectiveness does get impacted. If you already know the long form, try to do that at least once daily. If not, as Cihan said, MHP is great while supine. I'd add the flash meditations too if you have them. Just do as much as you can and don't rush--you'll develop and practice what you need over time. Don't force it (speaking from firsthand experience).

Qicat, whomever your teacher is, and lineage and ancestors are, please extend my thanks. I like the cut of your jib, and you are hilarious.

My condolences. I personally haven't tried practicing in the same room as someone dying or with cancer, but in general, when I practice, people who aren't well feel better. I also visited someone's mother with Leukemia, and she reported that she felt better when I was around, which, coincidentally, was after I had done two hours of Flying Phoenix. I'd also say when he passes, Om Mani Padme Hum is very, very helpful for penetrating the six realms and Om Namo Narayanaya will help him with oneness after too. Let me know if you want details in the event that this is too brief for you.

God knows I won't ever say my path or what my teachers offer is the best. It's an option and it's not for those who fear discipline, and even then, I am training under four teachers (five if you count the one who died seven years ago but is succeeded by his widow) at once who just so happen to have a lot of extreme overlap without ever having met each other. It's my path, and I chose it, and I don't recommend it, because it's what I needed, since it speaks to my soul. "Laugh at yourself! I'm laughing at you! Laugh at yourself with me!" Sifu Eric said this to me once when I had thrown an ego tantrum of victimization and self-importance when I felt I wasn't being heard the umpteenth time about an injustice I had suffered years ago. The ego is the butler, not the master, and it's a child that wants wants wants wants wants all the time. I thank these moments even when I embarrass myself on some threads here because it reminds me to hold nothing sacred and not take myself so god damn seriously, and I have a lot to learn. One way to slay the ego is to not feed the negative ego, and to instead remind it of its place, especially to connect to others on their ego level and ideally bring all of you up. I could only hope that in ten years, twenty years, fifty years--I have something to show for my progress, but for now, being in the realm of the shadows and dealing with personal demons, I can at least say it's not so bad and we are not alone in this self work.

I find the ego becomes a bigger issue the deeper I go into practice. Recently, one of my teachers told me that and I thought it was just a cop out considering I have no problem being seen as a fool or being laughed at, and thought that I conquered my ego. Turns out he refers to the subconscious ego as well as the conscious ego. Meaning the things I don't even know that I believe, think, and feel, which only come up when people press my buttons. There is one scene in the movie Revolver where Jason Statham's character slays the ego by doing exactly the opposite of what it's ordering him to do. I have come to a point where I do that 95% of the time at best, but now feel I have done it about 75% of the time now that I factor in subconscious ego. It's a scary thing knowing how much the ego tries to preserve itself, and when you mix in the Taoist alchemies out there, you become a beacon drawing in as much as you endure, which I will even include an argument that I had here on TDB the other week. At the same time, you are also transmitting that energy. The training I have received encourages all of this ego crushing, because Te needs to develop in order to have the qi have a natural place to express itself properly. It is akin to walking into a courtroom to argue your defense while dressed up as a clown and trying to be as serious as possible with your arguments without losing your cool as people listen to you and laugh or completely ignore you because you look like a clown. I deal with anger, sadness, self-doubt, and outright despair at times because I come to a point where I say, "Boy, you are a little shit and everyone knows what an asshole you are." It takes the Te and the mandatory literature and guidance of my teachers to come and pull out those weeds while helping me cultivate a garden of virtue, and it's--please excuse my language--fucking hard. How it has manifested energetically outside of just ego challenges has also led to seeing bizarre things when I look in the mirror for one of our mirror meditations, and I no longer look at my face, but see my face, which is not the insecurities and judgments for what it should be, but rather, what is. It's scary. It's beautiful. It's haunting. It's familiar. It's vulnerable. It's hurting. It's fragile. It's durable. It's steadfast. It's...me.

Hope you don't mind me chiming in, but I have heard people on the thread focusing on either i) nothing, ii) daydreaming about whatever, iii) focusing on the lower dantian, iv) focusing on the form, v) focusing on their breathing (but not matching inhales and exhales to the movements). I personally just daydream, but not consciously, as any of the first four come up for me not by any will or intent. I tend not to focus on the lower dantian too much because I find that it causes me to do spontaneous movements (from another system I practice), which are a big no-no for Flying Phoenix, and Sifu Terry always emphasizes I-Ching hexagram 52: Keeping Still (like a mountain). On that note of keeping still, I can attest that Flying Phoenix helps me still my mind and jumps really far into my seated or standing meditations (zuowang and zhan zhuang).

Fantastic! Thank you Sifu Terry! On the subject of Castaneda, who is quite a profound author, I recall discovering his work in a used bookstore/cafe during a storm years ago was no coincidence, because I could have easily spent all night (and I almost did) reading the first book (Don Juan) nonstop. The rest are in my library, and definitely among my favorites to read and re-read. I greatly appreciate the reminder of what "gong" refers to as it helps me not get too excited, which is quite hard with the practice due to how much joy I get from it. Moreso, the definition of the good student definitely is another great benchmark. I look forward to diligent practice and seeing you soon on Skype and in person for FP, and eventually, both BFP and BDG. Many thanks again, with love and peace.

Hey Sifu Terry, I'm almost done with learning what's remaining on Volume 7 now. I do at least all of the following daily for my checklist of Flying Phoenix: - Vol. 5 Flash meditations - Vol. 4 Long Form - Vol. 3 Wind Through the Tree Tops and Moonbeam Splashes on the Water - MSW forms (50% 20% 10%), (90% 50% 40% 30% 10%), (50% 40% 30% 10%), (90% 80% 50% 20%) - Monk Holds Pearl After doing these as my bare minimum, I do anything else I feel like my body calls me to do for the day. Here's a few questions I have about moving forward by the time I finish Vol.7 and prepare to contact you for a Skype session: 1) For the very first Skype session, what are the common corrections people typically find themselves going over? I'm guessing it's mainly the long form that needs corrections, or even Moonbeam and some of the seated MSW forms? 2) What is your bare minimum expectation in terms of how much practice we should have before contacting you for a Skype session? I ask in the sense that I have no problem with adding more time to my practice or waiting a few more months to even another year before contacting you for a Skype session...but if there's anything else you would hope for or expect from someone who wants to not just go the distance of an A+ student, but to go beyond and be an S student (108% instead of 100%). 3) How else would you advise us to better advance not just in Flying Phoenix, but other forms we may be potentially interested in? (There are a couple others you know that I am drawn to). I know you mention in our ongoing thread here that there is a required reading list, which I have purchased almost everything listed there and already read cover to cover those titles. In short--how can I make your role as Sifu easier and more enjoyable as I aspire to climb to the top of the allegorical mountain with the intention of continuing to climb even after I reach the peak? How can I be what constitutes an overachiever student by the standards that you hold? Please excuse me if this is better meant for a PM instead of a public post, but I invite all criticism and constructive feedback or support from the rest of my fellow classmates here (if any amongst you all have any) for me being completely honest (however headstrong and foolish I may appear to be) as I ask these questions.

Wow, I experience this too. Whenever I open my eyes after any Monk Serves Wine meditation, there is a very blue tint around the world, and I wondered if it was just my eyes adjusting to the light again.

Thank you Sifu! How interesting! This is similar to a long-ish Tara mantra I have been observing recently, and have also done a lot of Green Tara and White Tara work too. Here's the long-ish Tara I refer to that this Kuan Yin mantra immediately reminded me of: Namo Ratna-Trayaya Nama Arya Avalokiteshwaraya Bodhi-sattwaya Maha-sattwaya Maha Karunikaya Tad-yatha Om Tare Tuttare Ture Sarva Dushtan Pra-dushtan Mama Krite Jam-bhaya Stam-bhaya Mo-haya Band-dhaya Hum Hum Hum Phat Phat Phat Sarva Dushta Stam-bhani Tare Swaha Which loosely translates to: "Salutations to the three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). Salutations to the Great Avalokiteshwara, Bodhisattva, Great Being Greatly Compassionate, Tare Tuttare Ture all the sins and evils I have committed, please crush, purify, confuse, bind. Hum Hum Hum Phat Phat Phat, to Tara who purifies all, Swaha." As explained by the late Guru Thomas Ashley-Farrand (Namadeva) in his book Shakti Mantras, it asks for purification, but also crushes and binds those who would stand in the way of sincere aspirants, with the spirit of the mantra being, "Please help and purify me, but also stand guard against those who might oppose my process." I find that White Tara and Kuan Yin have once been argued to be aspects of the same being, according to one school of thought. One Divine Mother or two aspects of the same Divine Feminine, or two different entities altogether, insofar as I know, both REALLY resonate with Flying Phoenix. If I do Flying Phoenix before, their mantras are easier to chant, especially longer ones. If I do the mantras before Flying Phoenix, I enter a far more sublime state. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS KUAN YIN MANTRA SIFU TERRY!!!

Hey Astral_butterfly, I can't speak for the system itself or Sifu Terry, but I can answer my own experiences and maybe that will give you some insights. I don't believe you are imagining--I think you are still cultivating and circulating, because within two hours after practice (and always just after), if I do some of my harder physical practices like one style of Eight Pieces of Brocade, then I find it is like moving as if my body were clouds--there's no physical effort or difficulty, and no other Qigong I do makes my physical practices feel effortless. So I don't believe you are imagining it. As for developing ourselves like with clairaudience, I find Flying Phoenix unearths what is already there. Another Sifu of mine says that "When we practice The Work, the qi doesn't just flow through the meridians--it opens new channels, which in turn opens the way for our abilities [like clairvoyance and clairaudience] to develop." He also has very glowing praise for Flying Phoenix and sends his regards to Sifu Terry for gifting us all with it on the DVDs, tying me into the next point... I am going to go out on a limb and say that Flying Phoenix is the best and only system available on DVD at this point that I trust and recommend. I've tried quite a few for educational purposes, and aside from a couple that I find okay, the majority of them are, well, cheese whiz.

I'm answering because I realized it'll be really useful for all those who need mirroring help for the DVDs. Download VLC. It's a great program for PC or Mac (and Linux!). How I did it on Mac: from the VLC program, go to the Window tab and click on "Video Effects". From there, go to Geometry. Then click on "Transform". Then, select "flip horizontally". There you go! The video is mirrored! Follow it much more easily and let Sifu Terry relax and focus on the book and new DVDs... PS: watching DVDs on VLC is awesome because the program overrides regional lockout!

The long form on volume 4 is doable even without a mirror. A challenge, and I don't disagree that even an option to mirror it on the DVD would be nice. But there is software to mirror what you are watching. I personally learned the long form not long ago without a mirror. The challenge for me was taking it all in, so I did one section at a time and spent a couple days memorizing it, finishing within a week and now I can't go a day without doing the long form at least twice. Trust me and everyone else: the long form is worth it to know. But it is also infinitely easier to do when you have the foundation of the earlier forms.

Quick question to Sifu Terry (or anyone who can help answer this) regarding the 90-second Flash meditations on Volume 5: As per post #440758, I saw that the fifth meditation is from Eight Sections of Energy Combined and not Flying Phoenix. Direct question first to Sifu Terry: did you learn this as part of your training in the beginning when GM Doo Wai taught the flash meditations alongside the basic five in Volume 1? Or just the first four exercises on Volume 5? I'm asking because I'm wondering if we need this fifth meditation or not if we're focusing on mastering the whole FP curriculum, since my understanding (or perhaps I'm just thinking too much) is that it isn't crucial for FP practice since it's not FP...but if it's crucial for your requirements to master the system, as I think I recall that you mentioned learning some basic Bok Fu Pai system as well was another requirement for those of us interested in mastering the whole FP system and eventually teaching.

As someone who does a lot of mantra work, I can confirm from my experience that chanting "Namo Kuan Shi Yin Pusa" becomes faster and more natural after doing Flying Phoenix. I also learned the capstone long form celestial meditation just a week ago after I finished a recent mantra siddhi and began working on the Kuan Yin mantra intensely at least 10,000x a day. Took me just about a week to learn the form and I don't want to say anything else besides that everyone should experience it for themselves. What I will share, however, is that everyone who sees me doing the long form on Volume 4 (and even Moonbeam Splashes on the Water) not only feels calmer watching it because of the grace of the form, but feels qi penetrating them even before I stick needles for acupuncture or lay hands over for Reiki healing. We look forward to seeing your child's development from having very good prenatal qi and what a phoenix child will grow up into, especially when, not if, she picks up the practice.

Welcome! Looks like we will have one of our first Flying Phoenix babies because of the massive amount of qi that you and your child will cultivate over the next few months!

If you refer to Moonbeam, same thing...also same with Wind Above the Clouds on Vol.1. All there on the DVDs and clarified on this thread.

From what I understand you need to do only one repetition. If more, do three closing breaths when in Monk Gazing at Moon and open the eyes and breathe out the mouth while straightening the legs. To do another repetition, do the opening three breaths and then the breath sequence in Monk Begging for Rice again and begin the form.

This too from Indonesia: http://www.insideindonesia.org/sulawesis-fifth-gender-2

Well, I'll be! Learn something new every day! I guess it's time for a second and perhaps third retread of this forum from beginning to end.

Sorry, but doesn't this go against the basic rules of Flying Phoenix, in that we are not to alter the exercise in any way? I would think so because Monk Holding Pearl is a standing exercise, and to do it while lying down is altering it, even if you hold the position exactly and do the breath control correctly.