Forestgreen

I started with that stance, and really didn't get that much out of it. A shoulder injury from sparring didn't help. Changed to another, things started to happen, and have moved through a system of standing positions since then.

They feel different. After a while, you function different. A shitload of proper practice. Jindan = The reversal of Water, also called the replenishing cycle. In the wuxing, if you move backwards from water you get metal. It is an important step, but in the quest for Celestial immortality it marks the end of the intermediate level of practice. It can also be used for other purposes, leading to develop powers. The way to navigate through the process is to see phenomena as signposts, and continue with the practice. Some of these signs means that the focus of practice must change, a teacher is invaluable here. Otherwise, one might spend years on aspects that are "good enough". I have years of experience on that one.

My system is ....

The forest brothers

Nice transcript. Slightly too focused on samadhi for my taste, but we are all limited by the spiritual knowledge we have. In this case, having trained oneself in the art of concentration will make visualization easy, and that can refine energy and lead it up until it becomes a bridge to the One. But the point here is to "implant" stuff in the chakras (existing or not). Colours, shapes, mantras: All in this case relating to the elements. It is the elements that should be implanted, the rest are just symbols used to allow the mind to access the elements. In my practice, we do not go though those symbols, instead we learn to access the elements in other ways. And the result is different from the above. And follow the intent of kundalini yoga as described in one or two of the 20 yoga upanishads. In short, the linked text is a very good example showing that someone can be highly trained and accomplished in one tradition, and still miss out when trying to train from books.

You could always bring up the nature of kundalini. One or two of the yoga upanishads are really helpful, and quite different from the popular view of the subject. And through those, there is a bridge to chinese traditions.

Maybe not even that. That sounds more like biomechanics. Useful, but the post heaven dantian should be so much more. Pre-heaven, at least in my practice, the notion of dantian is just another habit that should be shed. It is useful when the post heaven reacts to the pre heaven.

I start every morning with foundational practices, and move on from there. But even the foundational practices are informed by the more advanced practices. I have written some about the different categories of Xian in my ppd, and for the one I am aiming for, practice differ from what we normally argue about here. If you saw me practice, you would say moving and static qigong. What's happening from my perspective is quite different though.

I'd like one of those too. Thanks.