Aetherous

Can we get the interpretation?

covering our tracks wandering the mountain paths dancing emptiness

Man, good thing you're way down in Florida. Again, best of luck.

our breath is like the mist of the morning reflecting the golden streaming light on mount kailash descending from heaven as a gift with steam rising from our cups of tea smiling green and bittersweet smelling like honeydew in this moment we are friends our bodies are like vibrating cotton fibers dancing through the gentle wind held together through love alone our bellies are filled with the warm ember of life radiating forever reflecting the stars above our feet touch the black soil we kneel and nurture the sprouts getting dirty diving into the river bursting and resting

juicy snowflakes fly splashing into your windshield as you drive for hours

"Drop it" You are playing with ideas, and that is causing powerful emotions to form. It has meaning, but isn't at all real. So just drop it. Drop all of the ideas. Stop thinking about all of this stuff...it is completely meaningless. It's the realm of words. Words only describe reality, they are not reality. Ideas from the words are not reality. Feelings are also not reality. DROP IT. You are alive and breathing...start from there.

Lucky for me, Jesus drank wine! I'm sure he'd drink guinness too, considering how good it is.

I would (and do) just practice breathing.

Just remembered....the other week I did a reverse orbit practice, and it enabled me to slam 3 pints, no problem. No drunkenness, no overheating, no rising energy, etc. I was just healthy and happy. Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't have said that (being a bad example)...but it's true.

Be cautious of this guy. I was friendly with him, and simply said I didn't want to share my cell phone number without knowing him first...no response. Guess that pissed him off... So I question what he REALLY wants. Why does he need people's personal phone numbers? Why call him? Why is he offering to fly someone out to Cali and put them up in a place, all for free? Sounds way too good to be true. So taobums, just be careful with giving this guy your personal information.

Passion is payment enough! As I was told, this is actually the old way. There is always a karmic exchange, you could say, but it doesn't need to be determined by the teacher...say for instance, doing the teacher's chores or work for him. The chores and work are also part of the teacher's duty, and doing them himself is part of what it means to lead by example. You are talking about the healing profession, which everyone pays for (for better or worse, hopefully better). No one is questioning whether to pay their acupuncturist. I think we are talking about spiritual teachers (that includes alchemy). A healer does the work, a spiritual teacher can't do the work for the student! You must walk your own path. So students these days are paying in every way, and teachers are reaping every reward. Which do you think the Tao favors? I agree, it's horrible...especially having been there myself, briefly for a few days. Damn. Seems we are heartless. But there are principles that are really good which have caused this. Like the idea of personal liberty...where people can earn money without (much) government interference. I like your ideas, although implementing them would be chaos. Your needs are met through your acupuncture profession, right? So then you have the capability to teach spirituality for free! You can be part of your own solution.

Red wine every night. Sometimes Guinness, instead. Yummmmmm.

Finding similar info in Nourishing the Essence of Life by Eva Wong. What I take from this is that it's basically always a kan and li process, regardless of gender, just some different things are happening 'under the hood'.

Here is a cool talk on smiling... http://www.drfranklipman.com/the-hidden-power-of-smiling/ Enjoy.

One can only decide that for oneself. I would tend to agree with you, but have no idea.

Nah...it's going to be discussed in general and taoist discussion anyway. For those of us who like the subject, I think it's better to try and keep it all in one spot, so we don't miss anything.

From another tradition, there is the 'secret chakra' which can be meditated upon, 4 finger widths below the navel. You imagine and feel a blue and cool watery ear squirter thingamajiger near the front of the body on the inside. Like that but with the point facing downwards. Whenever there is a point, it tends to gather and shoot energy in that direction. That's also why an upright triangle is the symbol for fire...so you want to reverse it. You can assist the visualization by feeling as if it's shooting energy down the legs. And feeling as if it's made out of cool water helps create that as a reality for your energy within the body. Visualization is related more to fire and the upper dantien (since that is where you 'see' things). Feeling is related more to water, and can help draw that higher energy downward to the area that you're feeling. So feel the visualization. Listening is also related more to water...if you listen to the inner sounds in a quiet room, that's a very effective method coming from the yogic teachings in India...but it's also found in Taoism. Also, squeezing the huiyin (anal sphincter) during breathing is related to water...this is also a method from "Awakening the Sacred Body" as is linked above. If you do it on the exhale, that's an introductory method to embryonic breathing. Real 'embryonic breathing' is the same thing as 'kevala kumbhaka' in the yogic traditions. A state of being where the mind is totally pacified, and the external breath (of the lungs) ceases completely without effort, while the inner breath courses through the whole body. That state is also greatly related to "water path". So those are some more things that can help. Also, a practice I like is when it rains out, sitting beneath a roof and watching/listening to it. Very simple, but in doing that you're connecting to it and getting empowered by that aspect of nature. It's relaxing. Breathing and drinking tea during this...ahhhh, so nice.

Water path is all about relaxation, and being effortless. Kind of confusing when you have water methods, since that implies some sort of effort. I don't personally know about the products that have been suggested, but their titles sound awesome. I think water path also has to do with various trigrams related to alchemy. There is the blending of water and fire (which is more complex than we know). There's the 'three flowers meeting at the top', but also the descent of the flower which is related to water. It has to do with "amrita" or the nectar of immortality, and life giving water. And it has to do with the spine, since energy or cerebral spinal fluid traveling through it to the brain is called "water path". Reverse microcosmic orbit can also be said to be called water path, since it cools the fire of the body and is calming. Cultivating the three dantiens through a legitimate method is the best option, in addition to finding ways to relax (like craniosacral therapy, breathing, etc).

I personally felt like the DL was either supremely rude due to being offended, or supremely uneducated in the English language. Or just a mistake on his part. What an awkward moment. Yeah, be respectful. But while you're asking...why would you treat 'joe six pack' any different? Being respectful is not about the person you're respecting, it's about who you are...a respectful person! Are you being respectful because you want something from the "master"...like getting their blessings? Putting on an act is incredibly see-through and of course, fake. Reap your own reward by being respectful in the first place...don't rely on the chosen one to favor you.

Good point! I do like that method, and it is great protection. Taoist Yoga is a sweeeeeet book. There are other really good ones. Eva Wong's "Tao of Health, Longevity and Immortality" is one.

Drew, what did he recommend as a lower dantien method? Also, I was reading your blog and you need to move out of your parent's house!

Stopping thought and entering "the now" is a good exercise. He didn't come up with it, but he made it quite popular. Now if the Oprah watchers only followed his advice and practiced, our Earth could finally enter the 5th dimension.