Desmonddf

I've taken a course on the Earth's interior on HarvardX (an EdX online class, you can find it here: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-deep-earth-science), and the methods they have to measure and determine what the interior of the earth is like are pretty solid. That said, you'll need quite a bit of data from a lot of seismographs in order to reach that conclusion. It isn't impossible to reach by ourselves, but you'll need to invest some money on it. Another way to do it is to get samples from volcanoes and analyse what they are (physio-chemicaly) and then try to recreate that sort of rock in the lab. It has also been done with quite a bit of success, and as long as you have a few milions to spend on a diamond anvil (like que one shown in the video), you should be able to produce that kind of rock. Also, I'm pretty sure the Hollow Earth theory crumbles on itself once we measure the crust's size and look to see if the crust would be able to hold its own structure given a strong gravitational pull. Just like how a spherical building would collapse on itself if it was hollow and there was a force pulling it inwards. That's not to mention that all lava and magma would need to exist in-between the layers of the crust, so it would be really difficult for that to work (not only you would have a spherical structure being pulled inwards, it would even have liquid in the middle of it, making the parts mobile). I was quite amazed to know that the earth's mantle isn't magma or liquid, but actually solid - and becomes liquid only once it reaches a pocket of empty space in which it can leak through the crust (a volcano). That's the guist of it. People don't need to see something to know how it is. We can't see electricity (no, lightning is not electricity, it is made of gases being ionized by the electric current), and it still can be measured. The same is valid for radio waves, television waves and so on. You can't see them, but they're there. The same with the earth's interior.

Qi is generated in a complex process through the body, and it ends up storing in the Dantien. The process of transforming Jing into Qi happens in the Lower Burner (not in the Dantien, but on the whole lower part of the body). Not working there because you have a difficult time won't give you results. That said, generating Yang is only good for helping one to access the Way. Once you have accessed the Way you need to do the reverse path, or you'll die soon (since you have transformed Jing -lifespan- into consciousness).

A daoist can be filthy rich, and still follow the Dao. A daoist can be filthy poor, and still follow the Dao. The Dao starts with following nature. Those who follow nature will be subjected to its cycles. Richness and poverty are also a cycle, and learning to identify those cycles and choose which way to follow is part of daoism. If your personal Dao is one of poverty, then you'll always choose to remain in the poverty part of the cycles in your life, going away when prosperity manifests, while if your personal Dao is one of richness, then you'll always choose to remain in the richness part of the cycles in your life, going away when prosperity stops manifesting. If you get attached to your job, family or the fear of losing things, of not being able to provide to your family or to fail at some kind of social construct, then you cannot follow any cycle. You'll forever be fighting against the Dao. Dao is change. If you intend on "fight on" and justify that as "I can't give myself this luxury!" then you won't indeed be able to follow the Dao. Dettachment isn't more difficult for those who have more, it is more difficult for those who have less. Are you willing to go through hunger and pain in order to follow a spiritual path? If not, then you either won't be able to follow the Dao or will need to have a great deal of internal development before following it (to the point where you can predict and affect the cycles around you).

By a TCM perspective: Qi becomes Jing after circulating in the body. It first circulates as Ying Qi in the Xue (togheter with the physical blood), from the Blood it goes to the Channels, and from the Channels it arrives in the Eight Extraordinary Vessels as post-natal Jing. There it is stored and used in place of pre-natal Jing when we need it, increasing longevity (although that's not enough to increase one's lifespan). Wei Qi (yang qi) does not circulate much inside the body (it tends to go to the outside) and does not become post-heaven Jing. Only Ying Qi does so. I do not know of a description of post-natal Jing creating marrow, but pre-natal Jing is said to indeed be the source of all forms of marrow, including the nervous system and the brain (sea of marrow). Through the marrow physical blood is produced, and it connects with the spiritual blood (Xue) which is produced in the heart... and then with ying qi once it is produced in the kidneys.

Five directions are the basys, if I'm not mistaken.

Mostly high level, I would say. At least they discuss the Dao and apply TCM with quite amazing profundities - or at least amazing for me, that is. That say, this hasn't been passed directly, so I may need to review it. Probably he's going to go something like "forget that and go back to your daily practice".

Do spirits count ?

This chart is wrong. Most chimpanzees and other monkeys also eat insects, and even small animals. Not such a thing as "designed to eat fruits" - even because we need to eat a LOT of varied fruits and nuts for that to work. Do you really think a vietnamese hunter-gatherer had acess to hazelnuts and macadamia nuts ? The most common diet if you live in a forest in a hunter-gatherer style of life (for instance, if you're a native with little to no contact with the civilized societies) is based on roots, leaves, fruits and "anything with meat you can find" in terms of meats, including, in many cases, insects, amphybians (like frogs), birds and small mammals. As long as there is food to be eaten and hunger to be felt, humans eat. In terms of Qi, it follows the flow of Xue. There is no Yang without Yin. There is no Qi without Xue, be it the "spiritual blood" or the "physiological blood". Indeed, we even have an aspect of disease which is a lack of yin leading to weakness with false-deficiency. The person's pulse becomes slow like when they have an Yang deficiency, but it is because there is no yin to be caried around by the Qi. Eating only fruits and nuts will give you excess earth in your organism, as those are usually sweet and humid. You'll basically become weak, fat and sweat like a pig. Of course, most people doing those kinds of diets will be also doing lots of physical exercise and, therefore, you won't notice that. But try and make a frugivorous diet without exercise. You'll find that it is almost the same as eating only bread.

I wouldn't say a single thing (even "meat" includes a lot of items to talk about), but surely it can be arranged. The diet would be quite restrictive, but it is indeed possible to have an adequate MTC diet without depending on meat.

Kinda. Practice makes perfect. Learning how to quiet your mind and surrender your body is primordial in this kind of practice. As for it being vage, it depends on the spirit and/or medium. Some are very incisive, direct and correct. As with everything else, one needs practice and good guides

@Astral Monk, this is the question the topic's author made. He is asking us about feedback we have about OUR own systems. Not posting so people give feedback about other people's systems.

Aren't you confusing me with the topic's author ? I'm not the one who asked. I was giving feedback about my system, not asking people to give me feedback about it.

I do know all of those, as I am a licensed acupuncturist by career, thank you very much. That said, the guide spirits I have with me are quite good with TCM as well. Better than my enbodied teachers. Guess it has to do with being able to actually see the organs, meridians, bones and others I mean, do you really think spirits do not do research on their own? Some have been around for thousands of years, just as much as TCM has been. They are quite up-to-date with stuff, and can guide you in any kind of research you want to. Your disbelief in spirits do not change the value they have. Just shows that you are comiting the same mistake people have been comiting ever since the Shang Dinasty feel - trying to shut down contact with the real masters and turning to books and physical research. The problem: They do not have the tools to do research deep enough to reach the old masters' level.

My feedback is: As long as you have common sense, help and is willing to become friends with guide spirits, conscious possession techniques are way better at teaching than anything the living can offer. Or, at least, the living I know of.

Sorry, it indeed was. I meant to say GB37. Good for eye yang-tipe affections.

Avoid eating only yin foods, as this will generate an inbalance. Eat yin foods often, but you also need yang to be able to digest and transform these foods. Now, if you're in need of meditation, do go for it ! Following one's intuition is a good thing, as long as it is indeed intuition - as you're looking for help in the physical plane already, i think it should be safe to risk a bit Now, if your prefered meditation is focusing on the LDT, go on. There is no need to feel frustrated by not feeling the LTD, though - it is not the objective. The meditation in itself is the objective

Meat is a great tonic for the liver, yin, qi and blood. Not so good for the heart and spleen, but everything can be solved with the right seasonings. All vegetarian people I've treated so far have had a quite disctinve blood and Xue deficiency. The pulse was weak and thin. They usually suffered from exaustion, weakness and pain all over the body. That said, they obviously didn't know how to properly keep a vegetarian/vegan diet. Their eating habits were awful. Not a single one had even heard of sun mushrooms and most had clinicaly proven B12 deficiency. So, I still have to find someone who can do a proper vegan diet and look at them closely enough. What I do know, however, is that a overly "meaty" diet will bring you problems. Even though each kind of meat belongs to a certain Movement, all meats can be collectively understood as being from tge Water movement. That is to say, they are great for your Kidneys and Liver, but everything in excess is poison. You should eat more the more you need to build your blood (literal blood, not the "spiritual" Xue) and Yin. However, any amount that makes you feel heavy and dampt has been WAY above the recomended amounts. Physical exercise is a must some time before eating meat, as you need the Earth to control the Water. However, it shouldn't be enough to make you tired - you don't want to exaust your Qi with meat on the stomach. Exercise after the meals must be done only after you feel your stomach light. And I don't mean hungry. Just light. Sweet and bitter flavours are good spices to help digestion and absorption of meat. Don't eat much meat (limit yourself to chiken and small amounts) if you have heart diseases, especially Heart Yin deficiency. You'll need to eat a bit to keep your blood healthy, but just a bit.

Yin deficiencies are better cured by dietoterapy associated with fitoteraphy. You should harmonize your diet with the seasons and your needs as well. It will be necessary to look for a TCM diet terapist, though. That said, mixing herbs without method won't bring results. Many herbs have properties that cancel each other. You need to know them in depth and carefuly regulate the amounts, dosage and method of ingestion.

The chakras and nadis were originaly a medicine system much alike acupuncture - with the difference that they are located in the skin and above, and not bellow it. There are hundreds of chakras around your whole body. This system was mostly lost, however, and now most schools use only a handful of them in order to generate mystical experiences. Kinda like what would happen if TCM was lost and only the cultivation accounts on how to use the acupoints remained. Points like the Ming Meng would remain known, but acupoints like GB 47 would provably end up forgotten. As for us building them, we can influence people's chakras even when they have no idea about the existence of chakras themselves. So, this should not be the case

You won't be able to store Qi in the LDT until your meridians are full. It can be directed there through Shen (consciousness) and Pi (imagination), but it will disperse in order to fill your meridians right after. Having an Yin Heart deficiency will make the whole process hard, though, as the Shen tends to unroot from the heart (your consciousness tends to leave your focus of attention and wanter elsewhere). I would recomend drinking/eating Yin-replenishing and Qi-replenishing medicines and foods (consult with a TCM practioneer beforehand to know what would do you good) before your practices. Something as simple as rice porridge with bitter vegetables may be enough, who knows.

If you intend on finding the Dao through the mind, I would recomend literature and science as means of cultivation. Read book after book, always seeking to improve your reading and comprehension skills - as well as keeping tabs on your own health and on "how to do it in a healthy way". The Dao is pratical in nature. You won't find much written material about it, because the Path isn't something the Mind can comprehend. You must experience and feel - otherwise you'll be unable to progress in the comprehension of the Dao.

My only tip is : Do not take hermeticism too seriously. It is relatively good, but many authors and books (not to mention hermetic orders) will try to mentaly submit and castrate you - usually by either pride or mental pressure. Stay light and you'll be able to dive in these muddy waters without being dragged to the bottom of the hermetic food chain

People love to think Qi is panacea, while it is just another fluid on our bodies. The answer for disease isn't always "put Qi in there". In fact, it rarely is :v

Tendinitis is a case of Qi blockage with associated Heat and Humidity. Putting more Qi there is a bad idea What you need is to make the Qi that's stuck there to circulate in your body, while also draining the heat and the humidity.

Either the Bladder or Gallbladder. Bladder meridian: Galbladder meridian : The Bladder meridian is responsible for feeding ying qi to the Kidney meridian, but is also feed by it, so, yes, it is expected for you to feel weakness in it if you have a kidney deficiency.