AugustGreig

This is correct. I don't know what Ming gong was. Thank you. That little book is taking me forever with all of the other research I have to do. Plus, I'm going through it slowly because I get the idea it isn't for the novice to understand.

I keep reading about the importance of the six yangs, or six dragons, as represented by the hexagrams. What does this mean? It is mentioned in many of the texts I am cross referencing as I study "The Secret of the Golden Flower." At the very least, what is the beginning? My understanding is that it means practicing spiritual principles in all of my affairs.

This is probably the most helpful and encouraging thing I've read. I'm already having tics during meditation, it's when the ldt seems to send energy up into the head, I'll twitch, and yesterday I was twitching at the solar plexus because I was try to force it to stay in the ldt instead of letting it rise naturally. And I'm in recovery, so my life is 100% devoted to Spirituality. My mantra is "patience compassion simplicity honesty open minded willingness humility gratitude". I often say a miracle is just gratitude, humility and awareness. You must be a very good teacher. I found a class in my local city. I try to practice these principles constantly, all day. I try to control to much, but I'm getting better. The prayer thing was very helpful. My diet is crap, put I'm poor and crave sugar and caffeine as I just got off of heroin 60 days ago. So I'm working on it. But I understand the importance of what you put in your body, food and otherwise. Since I learned about Taoism as a teenager, I described it to people as a design for eating, sleeping, meditating, sex and exercise/self defense. Anyway, just wanted you to know I wasn't trying to harness power to one hit kill or anything. My intention is to make all living things more joyous and free. Ten thousand thank yous. I will never forget you, and I mean that. The little compliments and recognitions in there made it feel very personal and intimate. Like I said, you must be a very good teacher, an you probably get paid for this. Thank you again.

So about 36 days ago, I got out of detox at a medical treatment facility. And as they taught me that spirituality was the only thing that has worked for them, I went back to my spiritual roots which I'd had as a teenager. Thus, I began practicing Qigong and meditation everyday. I search YouTube and settled on a thirty minute Qigong routine for beginners by Merissa from Yoqi. I have been doing that every day in the morning, except when I'm running late, and then I find time to do what I can remember of it. As for meditation, I just go off of descriptions I have read from many sources, such as Zen, Alan Watts and of course Taoism. The other day when I was meditating,I almost stopped after about 15 minutes do to intense back pain, as I suffer from scheuermann's disease, a rare form of deformity which causes kyphosis during growth, like during puberty. Anyway, I pushed through the pain, and eventually got to a place where I could no longer feel pain or my body. I was seeing colorful lights of purpleand yellowand green dance before my eyes, and eventually I felt like I was flying, that I was in the sky and clouds,almost that I was the sky. I didn't attempt to control any of this. The last thing I did before it happened was, I was to a point in my meditation where my mind was clear, and I felt like my consciousness was this golden light floating in my head. I started trying to expand that consciousness below my chin, and once I did, itookit above and beyond m head, and that's when everything happened. I also, after the sky, started seeing these tunnels surrounded by rings of purple and yellow-green light, black in the center, with maybe a glint of light in the center. What I would try to focus on them, they'd almost dissolve, but when I relaxed, I traveled down through it and then this feeling of expanding consciousness rolled out before me like a landscape of serenity and pleasant peace. My questions are many, but I guess I want to know what happened there and what I should do. I need guidance. What is your advice? What should I be practicing as far as qigong and meditation? I'm studying the Secret of the Golden Flower in depth, cross referencing other texts and translations, trying to understand what it is saying. I just need guidance. My experience frightened me and it's made me hesitant. I had someone tell me that I was doing so ething wrong and I should be moving that light through my body. Please help. Thank you all so much.

This helps a lot. For a while I was stuck up there in the forward part of the head, o outside of it. But just now,I tried to recreate what I got the two previous days, and completely ignored my head, and what happens there, and tried to focus like a Lazer on the ldt and it don't work as well,LOL. One more question. During qigong, I feel it in my spine and hands and feet and sometimes legs, but not in the ldt. At least not the tremendous energy I feel in the ldt during meditation, where it feels like consciousness is expanding from there. Is this normal for a beginner, and if so, what are the stages of progression. This is what I find most difficult to get information about, what progress feels like and what's supposed to be happening.

What specifically is recitation to the Shang Ti? I am on day 57 of my first 100 days of spiritual work, and I've been doing everything suggested, but hadn't heard this before? Is it prayer? Because I do that. I pray every morning and every night at least, giving thanks and asking that "God's" will, not mine, be done, and to help others, stay patient, compassionate, simple, honest, open minded, willing and grateful. This would be extremely helpful, thanks.

I didn't say that. I was merely describing different aspects that OP seemed not to notice. However, yes, there is a problem with being wealthy. It is all that much worse than other problems, however, it is likely one of the most difficult to overcome. Show me one example of a wealthy spiritual leader or enlightened one from anywhere in history. Those in harmony with Tao have no use for such things, and would she'd them, and they certainly wouldn't become involved in attaining them. It is nearly impossible to amass great wealth without harming others, and even harder to keep it without becoming apathetic. How do I ignore a hungry child when I have more than I could use in 1,000 lifetimes. This isn't to say you aren't allowed to live comfortably. I am very happy for anyone who has enough wealth to survive on, and we should all be so blessed.

Three days ago, I finally learned how to move qi during meditation and how to breath. I have been doing Qigong and meditation every day for 52 days now, although I do spend more time meditating, I have difficulty with qigong. Any advice? How do I breath? Right now I am breathing naturally and silently, focusing on the lower Dan Tien. But I find it difficult to maintain this awareness during some of the movements, especially the stretches and massages. Any help would be truly appreciated. Thank you.

Came to post this. When contemplating suffering, we must remember our principles. Suffering exists, it is a fact of the universe. There is not one who suffers, there is only suffering. This is the first thing we must realize. Second, and I often quote from Milton's "Paradise Lost" on this point, suffering and ecstacy, pain and pleasure, are the same thing, they are varying degrees of the same thing. This is principle of Tao. Enantiodromia shows us this, as too much food will make you sick, and pain will make you grow. Think of foreplay during sex. This is teasing, a form of torture, but the anticipation gained in those moments when gratification is withheld amplifies it's magnitude when it comes. Suffering is. We do not get swept up in it. We merely observe it and find the same joy there that we do in pleasure. The trick is to stay in the middle, and if you don't understand that, then just practice self control and discipline. Pay attention to your pain, it's there for a reason, it is communicating something to you. Never ignore it. The lower self is like a child, when it isn't getting the attention it needs, it will act out, and we end up harming ourselves and harming others. The lower self is your body. And to OP's specific example, I personally know wealthy lawyers who abused their families in the midst of alcoholic madness, chasing Oblivion because material things weren't what they thought they'd be, and I know homeless people who practically glow and do no harm to anyone, who could teach you more about how to be joyous than I know. You must realize where your conditioning is distorting your reality. Poor people know how to rely on one another, and how to have faith. The wealthy struggle with this.

Me too. I've never been able to do this in Tai Chi or Qigong, so I want to make sure I'm not skipping a step, as I have a bad habit of doing. The more I learn, the more I realize that past a certain point, intelligence only serves to get you tangled up in things. Thought must be balanced by proper action.

Just to add, the next day I was able to do it again at night, not in the morning, an this time I felt like I was? my breath. I coul feel it expanding from my stomach to my legs like electric warmth.Also, it started out as kind of a current in the hips, base of the spine and sacrum. Is this correct?

I took your suggestions along with what I learned from "The Secret of the Golden Flower" today, and I had a major breakthrough. I was able to move qi for the first time, and feel rooted for the first time. I suffer debilitating back pain from scheuermann's disease and I often have severe pain while meditating. It happened today, but this time I observed it, really observed it, and was able to use the breath to move it by just barely adjusting my posture, like you said, kind of keeping it simple, economy o motion, and could feel it migrate up and lessen away until I felt warm electriity strengthen my spine. This may sound like not much, but it was the first time I've been able to sit up straight co fortably in over 20 years. After that, I felt like I was buzzing and tingling, and my consciousness seemed to enter my entire body. I could feel my feet, everything. I felt so... Perfect... Harmony, serene, like no effort at all. Then a while later I felt like I was plugged in to the ground through my butt. It was so awesome. 50 minutes flew by, and I only stopped because of YouTube autoplay switching to something loud an obnoxious. I just want to thank you so much.

Seeing that you're speaking scientifically here, the way I understand it is that by focusing on observing your natural breath, you are able to connect directly to the unconscious mind from which all experience is created. Because the natural breath is automatic but also can be consciously controlled to an extent, following the breath without controlling it is the roadmap back to the source. So we arrive somewhere that doesn't exist, that can be gazed upon but not seen, listened to but not heard. It can only be felt, and thus our intentions must be pure and our heart open and loving. Is this accurate? To expand upon this, would that mean that Qigong practice is the way to really fine tune the breath, or rather, harmonize the body and the breath so that they act as one and thus no longer hinder awakening, but rather facilitate it? Thank you very much. That did help.

Okay, so don't allow them to carry you away into imagination, or out of the the moment, and don't feed them, correct? I try to practice that all day, but it is difficult. My same inquiry extends to the breath; as of now, I kind of view it as a vehicle to get somewhere, not the destination. But some people have told me, "No. You must always be focused on the breath." I find this confusing and it has been disturbing my meditation sometimes.

Before the universe existed, there was something formless and mysterious. For lack of a better word Tao. When it gave birth to one, that is "God" or pure consciousness. Consciousness split into yin and yang, and then produced an idea. That is the birth of all things.

I always read it as creation. 3=creation. For example, man+woman=baby. The baby can't survive on it's own, so now you have something new, a family of three. I guess all life and probably all of the universe is the same.

Guess what!?! I met two Buddhist monks at Walmart today! They teach right by my house and they offered to help!!! Amazing!!!

Actually, I'm living a complete spiritual life, so everything you said makes perfect sense. I drink too much coffee with too much sugar, but first things first. No pornography, no thoughts of anger, resentment, minimal fear or anxiety... I donate my time and few resources to anyone in need. I'm in recovery. I feel meditation can work best for me if I'm completely dedicated. I read and study all the time. And yes, all day, as much as I can, I try to follow Qigong principles. Right posture, right breathing... I try to a?ways keep my awareness inward even when I'm doing something. I just got done meditating and I was able to finally get it with the Dan Tien. I felt like my awareness was totally there, like I was lost in a good book. Then I alternated between following the breath, relaxing into my head, then back to the Dan Tien. I've noticed my severe back pain going away. My back didn't pop for 10 years, now I can sometimes pop it with just my breath. ITS SO AMAZING!!!!! My diet is the worst thing, and I smoke. But I'm working on it. Thank you so much for your kind words words. Things like that really help me to set goals, and also to relax and know I'm on the right track. 10,000 thanks.

Right. In the book, he was getting ready to kill himself. But then he felt something in his pocket which reminded him of his daughter, and he decided to live, for her, "else another light might go out." I'm morbid, so I think that stuff is beautiful.

This, as I'm sure you know, is incredibly helpful. If I just let go, I go through one of those tunnels I see and then it feels like consciousness expands before me. But I'm not grounded yet, and that's what I was worried about. Should I bring my intention back to the Dan then when this happens? In TSotGF, there is an image of a man ripping his belly open with a little man sitting in there, so I presumed that I should be doing what you talk about. But when I try to guide my awareness there, I lose what I had going on between my eyes. Is that okay? That's my real question, is that what I should be doing? You may have already answered. I guess I could do 5 minutes aiming at the tan Tien and 5 minutes letting go... But how do I judge time? Also, Qigong has helped tremendously with grounding. I'm starting to really improve my balance and really improving moving from the Dan Tien. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This has helped me tremendously and ended my confusion. I've been studying The Secret of the Golden Flower, but have also been told I need to be sinking my light down instead of expanding it from my head, so to speak. If I try to force it down, it doesn't work. Can I practice both, or should I just focus on one? I'm 40 days in BTW, doing a 30 minute Qigong routine every morning followed by 40 minutes of meditation. I'm able to reach a point where distant thoughts come and go, more like intention and awareness of what's happening, and I see lights and tunnels and colors and sometimes other things.

Reminds me of Steinbeck... God, I haven't thought about this quote in 20 year... "My light is out. There's nothing blacker than a wick. Inward I said, I want to go home---no not home, to the other side of home where the lights are given."

Thanks. I always sit in lotus on a stack of pillows, but I often have pain. I just read somewhere that laying down and meditating can stagnate qi. But a recliner sounds like a great happy medium. And thank you so much for the encouragement. I got fear put into my head while I was waiting for my account here to be approved over on 4chan /x/ from someone who said they had been practicing healing and Qigong for 30 years, and that it sounded to him like my lower back was too tense and was drawing too much energy in my head. He said it could be dangerous. That's so amazing that you said that. I just got home, but on my way, I stopped at the Buddhist temple near my house. There was no one there, as there hasn't been the past three times I've stopped there, but I've seen monks there before. So I wrote a not saying, "I'd be grateful to learn." With my name and number. Thank you guys for the encouragement. And just as a matter of note, I was a militant atheist until 10/31/2012. I had been practicing meditation for a year, mostly positive affirmations, creative visualization and reflection, nothing transcendant. But that night, I meditated with the assistance of psilocybin and DMT and it changed my life. I'm not sure, but I believe that peak behind the veil has accelerated my progress.

LOL It's a miracle to be alive today. I find that miracles are found in awareness and gratitude. As to super human powers, I actually made this account in a panic yesterday after an experience during meditation yesterday which scared me a little. I've been practicing about 34 days with no teacher, Qigong and then meditation, so I needed guidance. Practicing again after many years, I should say.

So, I have finally made a decision to walk the spiritual path in life, and there is nothing I find more attractive thanTaoism. I have always isolated and done things on my own, but I have learned that spiritual success requires a community. I have no one to guide me on this path, but I am very eager, and look forward to being able to get specific answers about meditation, Qigong, Tai Chi, ethics, etc., and also to be able to contribute my own experience. Taoist communities are apparently very difficult to find, even online. Thank you all for being here and thank you for having me. I wrote a poem to include with my introduction, so I can feel that I've contributed something for the privilege of being here. The Tree And so marks the passing of another year Memories evanescent Surface today as stories telling themselves Called to the stage by the cycles of seasons, A date on the calendar, A haunted tree, a smell. Moonlight shaped by memory. In that reflection I see myself as I am.