whitemic

One of the hardest questions I am asked if Tao comes up is, "how do you DO Taoism?" Most of us would say that it isn't something you do so much as something that you are - but what ARE YOU as a 'taoist'? The shortest answer I can provide is that I attempt to cultivate the Three Treasures; Jing into Qi and back, Qi into Shen and back, and circulate Qi between Jing and Shen. This doesn't tend to answer a whole lot of questions from the average person. Instead, I try to put it into terms that are immediately practical, the Seven Principles. The Seven Principles 1. Intent - do not set goals and become attached to outcome. Instead, focus your mind and it will guide your reality. 2. Alignment - for qi to flow, you must be aligned at the three major dantiens; your forehead, your solar plexus, and below your belly button. 3. Breathing - circulation is crucial; extend your exhale one second and feel the core sink to its root, hold your inhale one second and feel the core fill with qi 4. Relaxation - relaxing is not just "laying down". Get comfortable, then clench and release the fists. Feel the tension leave as you do, then apply this to the entirety of the body. 5. Centering - the best way to "feel the center" in my opinion, is to sit facing a wall a push it with two hands. The resistance you feel is your center of gravity and you should always move the body from the center outward. 6. Circulation - don't just take qi, give it back. Extend the arms, forcefully or peacefully, and exhale. Stare intensely or kick the legs, find a way to get qi out of your body to make room for new and fresh qi. 7. Clarity and Stillness - Heaven is clarity and movement, earth is turbulence and stillness. If you can be clear and still, heaven and earth completely return. The six preceding principles will direct you towards achieving clarity and stillness, but only you will know whether you have achieved it or not. Questions, comments, concerns, complaints?

Care to elaborate?

Knowing the "who or what" will make no difference in the results. If we were meant to know, we would know.

I (try to) structure my daily life in accordance with the five elements. Instead of saying "I'm going to do THIS thing at THIS time", I try to say "I'm going to have the intent of the current mixture of elements at all times". Wood - Morning qi gong and something light to eat as I get into the day at work (Morning). Personally, I don't like to overdo it early as I feel it tries to skip the cycle and ultimately diminishes its effect. Fire - On work days (most days), this is the meat of my day. We burn through the mornings with a focused purpose before you can even blink. On days off, I will take an uninterrupted one-hour block to sharpen skills in Xingyi or Bagua (depending on how I feel) - using the remaining time to complete errands or do any physical labor needed. Earth - As the day progresses later into the afternoon, whether working or not, things begin to settle down gradually and I use this time to clean up relationships of the day. Maybe you offended someone - apologize. Maybe you had a good laugh with someone - thank them. Metal - Into the evening, clarity and qi become the main focuses. Depending on what sparks my interest, the evening is used to study texts, plan and deliberate, or unlearn. Most importantly though, a well-balanced and nourishing meal is important to extract qi for cultivation at night. Water - Unlike most that exercise in the morning, my main exercise is at night. I do a 30min bodyweight routine that incorporates Xingyi, take a shower, and then run the Six Healing Sounds until I fall asleep. Most nights I don't even make it through all six once, unfortunately. A key to my routine is consistency; I try to make a work day feel the same as a day off. I wake up at 5.57am and go to bed when I'm tired (usually around 11pm). Also worth mentioning, these phases shift lengths throughout the year's cycle. During the summer, I work harder longer. During the winter, I exercise and meditate more.

Meditation is to the mind as defragging is to the computer. Nothing happens, but that is the magic that allows my mind to see itself. I imagine it's like floating through space, but I've never been outside the earth to confirm.

Hello to anyone that might read this! My name is Mic (like Mike) and I am a student of the Tao. I always saw the world from the "taoist view", even long before discovering the Tao. A read-through of the Tao Te Ching about 7yrs ago focused my mind and set me on the path to where I am now. I have been in "high gear taoism" for almost 2yrs. Currently, I practice a self-made hybrid of Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji - as well as the standard Qi Gong and Nei Gong practices. I hope to meet some similar minds, share my own experiences, and grow as a whole! Have a great day! - Mic