Aetherous

I'm interested in seeing if the FU stuff works. It doesn't require faith for it to work, does it?

I think it'd be good to warm up with Tai Chi before spontaneous movement...otherwise you can get microtears in your tissues.

It's $250 in the US. I guess they take a specific kind of massage tool that relaxes certain muscles that hold the atlas out of place, so that it goes back into place...and the tool part lasts like 15 minutes or so. That's all I know from looking on the net. I am leaving tomorrow for the road trip...I'll report back Friday night or Saturday.

I like that last one...hilarious.

If you're interested in how TCM fits in with what you eat, this book has TONS of info. And it's really cheap for how big it is. Highly recommended.

Think of it this way: you use a map that someone else made to explore new territory, but once you walk around the land maybe you will see flaws with the map. Yet, without the map in the first place maybe it would be a lot more challenging to get to your level of understanding. Once you have personal experience, that's more important than what anyone else says.

Great question. I hope someone knows, because this would be good info to have.

Mak Tin Si, I agree that there seems to be a lot hidden from the popular Westernized version of TCM. It would be nice to learn more about these things. Shon, True. After looking through it last night I see that some of the food items have a lengthy description, but some just have a paragraph. It would take more looking into, if you wanted to use something rare like "fingered citron roots", which only says "good for pain and weakness in limbs"...you'd probably have to look elsewhere to know how to prepare it. But most of the common food items have good info on preparations, dosages, organ networks it affects, etc. If you know of other books that are good for cooking with TCM, let me know. The only other one I have is Between Heaven and Earth.

http://www.taijiquan.co.nz/notes.htm Starting here, then just keep clicking the next button...lots of good stuff. Thanks to 'mouse', who posted about him in the introductions forum.

Hi Shon, Hmm, maybe you have a different version than I do. I have the version that you linked on Amazon. This version is VERY in depth about pretty much everything, from the theory, to each herb and food item. It seems to give a good lengthy introduction to all of the concepts. Of course I agree to study other books as well...but I can't recommend this one enough for someone who is interested in cooking and TCM. It's the best book I've found on the subject.

Wow it stinks in here.

Welcome, LOW. Edit: I mean, Andrew.

I've only had a glimpse. <- unenlightened.

I agree. _/\_

Sweet! Yeah I tried to go jogging today and made it 1/2 mile! Brrr...

I apologize alwayson, I didn't mean to imply that I was discounting your opinion. In fact, in my experience you're right. Regular toothpaste works great for me personally, and I tend to think that people get too worked up over things like mercury fillings and flouride. My opinion as a consumer and self experimenter is: whatever works the best for me, is best for me. So I am open to trying new things, like Smile's ideas...since he has reported good results on himself as well as his friends.

Haha! I was just going to say that. I tend to think that enlightenment and energy work go hand in hand. You can shift into the enlightened state, then all of a sudden the energy flows strongly. Or you can do high level energy work, and as a result of tapping into the vibe you can shift into the enlightened state. The enlightened state is where you don't operate from a mentally constructed self...it's more about pure experience of the present moment. Not just putting yourself in the present moment, but a totally exploded and naked awareness. If you think you've got it, you don't. It's probably there are always higher levels to energy work and transformation, but enlightenment seems to be one thing. One perceptual shift. At least according to my definition of it. Of course life as a human doesn't end with enlightenment, and neither does the learning or new experiences. In fact, it is a new beginning rather than an ending. But yeah I think there is one enlightenment. Maybe I'm wrong. I do agree that many people fool themselves and others. Whether someone other than ourselves is enlightened or not doesn't matter, though. What does it matter? Them being enlightened makes no difference in my life. If I think I'm enlightened, I can act all guru-ish, and get a bunch of people to follow me...but what satisfaction will that bring me? It's a good question to ask yourself: am I satisfied??? It's good to look at your actions and see if you're grasping. If so, then you're not enlightened. It's the best to totally honest with ourselves...otherwise we will fool ourselves into thinking we've got it. If that's the case, then it sucks for us! EDIT: I hope this all makes sense. I'm quite tea drunk right now after doing gongfu ceremony with tons of oolongs with my little brother.

Smile, I look forward to that. Also, thanks for the stuff on www.curebum.com . I will try the Tooth Soap soon, as well as the plantar wart treatment ideas.

Nice, Tracy. I plan on attending one of his seminars this next year.

I agree it's a stupid trick that's mostly about hypnosis. I bet someone who wasn't involved in the teachings could just walk up to him and hit him. The true power to do this MAY exist...but I've not seen anything I can really say that about.

It's good to define what exactly God is, and also what exactly Tao is. And then to define exactly how we interact with those things (or that thing). This is very hard to do...but gather all of the quotes from the Bible that describe God that you can find. And then gather all the quotes that talk about Tao that you can find. Your experience is the only thing that matters, not what other people say...even if they're compassionate, real seekers, who sound like they know a lot. If you have more experience than them, then you should stand up more for what you know. It's probably because you're a more truthful seeker than they are...you're more humble...that you're more open to listening to what they say. That's a very Taoist way to be. Atheism is a very non-Taoist way to be. It requires blind faith just as much as having belief in God does (for some). Because these people have never not seen God! For myself, I believe in God. Higher powers have been at work in my life. I can't explain it or comprehend it. It does still require some blind faith, because it's elusive...yet undeniable, at least for me personally. It's always personal.

Not to offend anyone, but... My opinion is that thinking about this stuff is TOTALLY pointless. Direct experience is how Lao Tzu came up with the Tao Te Ching...not conceptualizing about things that have no impact in daily lives. It's good to question: "what does it matter if I know I'm one with everything, when I don't feel one with everything?"

Awesome, Stig.

Bump. I'm going this Friday.