BluePickle

I see. Thank you very much

"While putting the generative force into orbit it is of paramount importance to locate the original cavity of spirit in the brain which is precisely where a light manifests in the head when the practiser succeeds in concentrating his seeing effectively on the central spot between and behind the eyes. If this is not done the radiant inner fire rising to the head during the microcosmic orbiting may be mistaken for that light and wrongly driven into a minor psychic centre in the head from which it will be very difficult to dislodge it. Many untutored and inexperienced practisers make this mistake which hinders the process of alchemy." From the introduction I own this book and it went completely over my head

Nice Is that a real thing that can happen to a functioning male organ? Cause I've never heard about any human like this. Off topic from my other questions, chapter 1 also states that without finding the cavity of spirit the energy will rise to a psychic center, which I fear is exactly what I've been doing. Where is this center in relation to the cavity of spirit? So just making sure I understand, in order to find the cavity of spirit I must sit in meditation and set my intention on receiving its light? What more should I do and what would you advise me to do in this situation?

I guess I should stop reading it then haha This makes it much clearer. Which translation is that? So why is rising of the yang not the way? Also does being thoughtless in cultivation mean not feeding the mind or desires? I couldnt find info online about it, what is the virtue of a sheathed male organ? As I'm Jewish and circumcised this peaked my interest.

"So a student meeting his teacher should first ask him about the proper method and inquire whether or not it consists of gathering outside air to turn it into the alchemical agent (Q1) . If the teacher denies this and says that his method is to turn back the flow of generative force to fortify the body so that it will be restored to its original condition before puberty and cause the penis to cease standing during sleep and to retract, his is the authentic method. (Q2) As to the alchemical agent, if the practiser is unmindful of it when gathering it, it is the prenatal microcosmic agent, but if he is mindful of it it will be an illusory agent which leads only to failure." (Q3) 1. Breath is a tool in alchemy. Does this question mean to test whether the master's practice uses it as a tool to transmute the air to energy RATHER than the right purpose of transmutting sexual energy? 2. Does this paragraph imply that retention cause impotence? Or am I reading to deep into it? 3. I simply need an explanation as to how being mindful of this leads to failure.

interesting you say that. in recent days ive started to notice that as well. i think its called "sinking the chi"? True. thats the issue with NoFap exactly. i realized this from expercience as well. I asked whats the healthy frequency for that reason. so then i could learn to not overdo it. which is hard, i hate to admit.

Never said its my hobby nor my only one

If id try that i feel like id shrivel up and die haha But yeah, listening to the body is probably best

Have tried for years but id rather focus on not using visual aid and once i can stop THAT habit then ill try stopping completely.

Hi, i struggle from time to time with porn and excess masturbation, over the years i've come to realize the craving is almost silent when im mindful of loving-kindness and self compassion. However, when trying to cultivate and not masturbating to store energy i still feel like my body isnt ready for storing that intense energy for long stretches of time. I still need to practice grounding and train the parasympathetic nervous system to counterbalance it. i intend on making it a mindful practice without porn or any "technological aid". So with that said, what would be a healthy frequency for a self love practice in relation to Daoism and qigong?

Can you elaborate? What benefits would i get in certain situations from having my tongue in yin vs yang position?

No financial means to get one at this time. Any good sources for teachings or online guidance are welcomed

Hi, this will be kind of an info dump about how i discovered internal alchemy and what I discovered so far. I feel as though I'm making fast progress, would love to hear from others here if I am on the path of the rabbit or turtle. I am self-taught in almost everything I do, I consider myself a good judge of false truths and universal truths. I trust my instincts, but I know it can be dangerous to mess with these energies without guidance, which is why I'm here. A) I've been meditating on and off since middle school (24 YO now) to try and deal with anxiety, depression and difficulty falling asleep at the time. over the recent year I've noticed something is missing from the practice which is why it didn't feel natural to meditate consistently. B ) Started training in powerlifting when i was 16. Came across the Valsalva maneuver for bracing the core and efficient lifting. This has lead me to learn that breathing into the abdomen has many benefits (leaning nervous system to rest & digest), also Elliott Hulse's video about "breath into your balls" further reinforced that idea. now i know this is anchoring the breath. I've made this a habit for a long time before discovering internal alchemy. C) I've noticed animal products made me feel heavy and lethargic, and had a negative effect on my training. so I've been vegan for over 2.5 years now and developed more awareness of how the things i put in my mouth affect my body. I overall have higher energy and a clearer mind thanks to this. D) when i broke off my last relationship, I've noticed i felt like a different person when i had a gf vs when single. In a good way. i knew it wasnt the girl specifically, and i never enjoyed casual sex much. By process of elimination, i deducted it was because i didn't watch porn or masturbated while in a relationship, that desire simply never came. That lead my down the rabbit hole of NoFap, which somewhat worked for about a year or two, but by the time COVID came around it felt extremely forced and detrimental to my mental health. I realized that NoFap is incomplete. after further research of the psychology of (porn) addiction and the emotional knots of that habit i've reached a more complete picture of the issue. excessively expelling sexual energy is a symptom, not the core issue. Now i know this is Taming the White Tiger. About 3 months ago, i've decided to research the subject again. by that time i had fully taken in the sensations of sexual energy rising and falling, and how powerful (and dangerous) that energy is. By simply typing "Sexual energy" into YT i came across a channel that talks about sexual energy and the MCO, which led me to Qigong and Internal alchemy. I learned about the MCO, the 3 treasures, the dantien and some more of the basic concepts. I started doing Shi Heng Yi's Baduanjin qigong routine a few times a week. Which helped me: 1. feel much more connected to my body, within 2-3 sessions ive noticed a lot of stored tension in my shoulders, hands and head. 2. Meditate more easily. I became aware that i couldn't meditate a lot because it felt like too much energy is floating to the head. Thanks to the anchor to the body, meditation doesn't feel like suffering. 3. cultivate more of the non-action mindset. I'm insisting on NOT imagining Qi and simply doing the practice, and noticing the effects in my body naturally. During heavy training sessions i would listen to metal music in order to hype myself for the lift. for the past to month or two that desire did not arise. Syncing the breath and closing the magpie bridge during qigong made me realize how powerful my body can feel without external stimuli. So using the same methods in my training, i can focus on my body, gather and use immense amounts of force with a tranquil mind, ultimately making my training feel easier and energy refining rather than energy draining. 4. slowly feel the effects of the dantien and MCO. After a Saturday of going to the beach alone and an evening of meeting with a friend and smoking weed, I've had a realization on the drive back home. I started to remember the habit of the tongue positions and reminded myself to do it. suddenly i felt a click, almost like my mind was sharper the second my tongue and the roof of my mouth connected. Also i swear i could almost feel a flow, like it was almost very easy to see the breath and rhythm of the universe in that moment. perhaps it was an illusion, however it felt very real. The feeling carried over to my everyday even when i was sober, then faded and sometimes comes back just a little bit now and again. To reiterate, I've been practicing internal alchemy for only about 3 months, and already feel significant benefits. The absolute basics of the practice were already known to me (see A-D) and I haven't been grasping or forcing (as far as I'm aware). I really hope this is real progress and not an illusion. Please share you opinion or thoughts Besides that, is there something else i should do besides meditation and qigong to build a strong foundation? I still struggle with the White Tiger sometimes, however it is easier now than it has ever been. Should i read a book on qi/neigong? (all info so far was learned on the internet) OR should i hold off on learning about higher concepts for now until I've laid a strong foundation?

Hi, Been browsing here for about a month or two after discovering internal alchemy. On a journey to hone my Self and Daoist practice finally feels like the place to call home.