Mind Full

Thank you everyone so much for your comments. I have been traveling the last month and have only recently returned to resume classes. I appreciate all the help and advice you've given me and I want to learn more and push myself to be better, but I am finding it difficult. The more I learn about the world the more I become more concerned about its current state. I can learn martial arts, healing techniques such as FP, however, I am concerned that I would only ever affect the micro issues and never touch upon the macro issues. The thought often arises "What is the point of learning this in a world hell-bent on breaking itself?" How do you find the motivation to keep going in such a place? What drives you to strive to improve your mental state, body state, spiritual state knowing that there is a possibility that people will push the earth to the point of no return in the next few years if nothing changes. How do you find the will to push yourself to be better? I'm beginning to wonder "What's the point?" and I know there is always a point, but I'm finding it hard to see. It's hard for me to embrace the present moment when I can see such a bleak future behind closed eyes. How do you do it? Where do you find your motivation?

Thank you everyone for your feedback and advice. I was concerned about starting FP without first building up some kind of foundation, however, it's good to hear that I can begin it as a way to build that foundation. Thank you @Cleansox for letting me know that I can start FP now and that being able to feel qi will come with time following the methods. That being said I will most definitely have to increase my flexibility in order to hold a half-lotus pose. Thank you @Paradoxal for your stretching advice and the video link. The pain of doing the splits is definitely not something I look forward to. However, the results are. So pain is good. @RiverSnake, I struggle quite a bit with the "Monkey Mind" it can be quite tiring especially when it never seems to shut off. How can I lessen it? My concern is that although meditation is great, not having a master means that I am not being guided to do it properly. I have heard about many horror stories where meditating has caused people to become depressed and suicidal. There can be many benefits to be had from meditation, but there are also many pitfalls one can fall into if they aren't aware. However, without meditation how can I quiet the monkey mind?

Hello everyone, First, I want to say thank you. I have been reading through many forums trying to deepen my understanding and have benefited greatly from the conversations many of you have had within the different topics of the forum. Even though I have benefitted greatly I still have a lot to learn which is why I am now writing this post in order to ask for advice. As a background, I am a 26-year-old male from Ontario, Canada. My lifestyle hasn't always been the healthiest, but of late it has become healthier, though since getting a puppy it does make it difficult for me to leave the home outside of work for prolonged periods of time. At least that is the case for now. This makes it hard for me to pursue the idea of finding a master/teacher to study under. I am not even sure if there is a master from a good lineage near me and honestly I am not exactly sure how to go about finding that out. That being said I don't wish to just be waiting around. I want to start building a foundation now so that, karma willing, when I do find a teacher I will be in a place where they can begin to teach me. Thanks to Earl Grey I was pointed in the direction of Flying Phoenix, which seems like a perfect fit at least for now of a complete chi kung practice to follow in order to start building a foundation. I do have a couple of concerns though. Does it matter that I currently can't feel qi (chi)? Will practicing the methods from percentage breathing to forms allow me, over time, to start to feel qi and cultivate it to the basic level of mastery for Flying Phoenix? My next concern is about flexibility. Honestly, other than my spine, the rest of my body is quite inflexible. What should I do to increase my flexibility? I know that some of the poses in the FP (Flying Phoenix) meditations insist on them being done in half-lotus, however currently as I said my body is quite inflexible. What kind of recommendations would you give in order to increase one's flexibility? Are there certain poses that you have found which really help to release the body? I have a few books on increasing one's flexibility I have been starting to follow. I just wanted to know if any of you had insights gained through experience that you would be willing to share. Thirdly, foundation building is an important aspect of martial arts. So much so that I am told that the internal arts usually aren't given to the students for years until they have built the proper foundations within their bodies for their bodies to be able to endure those arts. My third question is what kind of exercises, forms, weight training should I do in order to get my body into a healthier and more optimal state? Are there certain exercises/forms/poses that I should be practicing? Finally, I have a question about the mind. Only building a foundation within my body will create an imbalance between my body and mind. I also wish to strengthen my mind. As such, I plan on reading 'Secret of the Golden Flower', the first five books by Carlos Castaneda and 'Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines' by W.Y. Evans-Wentz. I am wondering if there are any other resources that you would recommend I read as well. I understand that everyone leads busy lives and perhaps doesn't have much time to sit down and respond to each of my questions, or any of my questions for that matter. However, I would be grateful for any wisdom and insight which you would be willing to impart. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear back from you soon.

Hello everyone, firstly I want to say what a pleasure it is to meet you all and thank you in advance for all of your wisdom and advice. My name is Amon though 'Mind Full' will be easier to remember. I am twenty-five from Ontario, Canada, and looking to take my first step down the road of cultivation. To be honest, I have no idea where to start. My current routine merely consists of some physical exercise, a little yoga, and being mindful of my breath, posture, and feelings when I remember to be mindful at all. With so much information on cultivation available, I am quite overwhelmed and not sure where to start. I was wondering if anyone had some advice or materials for a complete newbie like myself to get started on my journey and avoid mistakes while practicing. I would greatly appreciate any help or resources which you could give me. Thank you, and I hope you have a beautiful day.