心神 ~

Mother of the World / Матерь Мира (Mater' Mira) by Nicholas Roerich (1924)

I've been learning about Taoism and the internal arts for about two years now. I've absorbed a lot of information from various sources, and I'm ready to develop a more disciplined, consistent practice. I'm here because I'm interested in learning from people on a similar path. My current reading list: - Nei Gong for Women by Damo Mitchell, Roni Edlund -Taoist Yoga for Women by Oleg Tcherne, Elena Lazaro - Cultivating Stillness by Eva Wong - Opening the Dragon Gate by Kaigui Chen, Sunchao Zheng, Thomas Cleary Any reading suggestions are welcome. I appreciate the presence of this community, and I'm grateful for the lessons that lie ahead. Shen

@Thrice Daily Thank you so much. I'm going to take your advice and sit and breathe for 20 minutes this morning. Afterward, I'll send you a message about my health. I also think I'd like to start a PPD, to journal my daily habits. Do I need to be a member longer to do so?

@Ascetic I'm grateful for your response, but I don't quite understand your meaning. Are you saying that the responsibility to nurture the student-teacher relationship lies with the teacher?

Well met, @blue eyed snake ! I think you're very right, and I still have a ways to go. Thank you for the reminder to pace myself.

Thank you, @ChiDragon ! I really hope so. I'm just a bit overwhelmed and trying to determine the next step.

That's so kind of you to say, @liminal_luke. I worry about the mud settled at the bottom of the lake. What comes up when the water is disturbed? I want to be clear all the way through, not just on the surface.

Thank you so much for offering your perspective, @Thrice Daily. It sounds like you're saying that basic knowledge of the five arts and meditation practice gave you a foundation from which you could have learned more effectively, had the opportunity come to fruition. Did I understand it right? It's a shame that you didn't get to go to Wudang. I would love to know how you continued in your studies and spiritual pursuits after the trip fell through. Did you eventually find a teacher? I'm familiar with a few TCM basics, like living in accordance with the hours of the day and with the seasons. But I know I can be better about my daily habits, so I'll make an effort to improve this. What attracts me to Internal Alchemy? Among various other hardships, my parents died when I was a child, and my partner died when I was in my early 20s. I've been through a lesser hell and have no desire to return. I don't want to lose the crumbs of knowledge and experience I've gained in this lifetime. I don't want to come back to a life that repeats the same lessons and suffering. I don't want to come back to a life that is "better" and forget why this pursuit is so essential. I understand that my current karmic conditions may not allow me to find what I'm seeking, but I have to try. It's not all out of desperation and avoidance of suffering. I deeply enjoy learning about Chinese culture and history, painting, philosophy, music, medicine, physiognomy, divination, etc. But if it all goes away in the end, then it was merely a way to pass the time. Maybe naive and simplistic, but my learning goals are: To calm the nervous system To regulate my emotions To protect and heal myself To protect and heal my relationships To understand myself and others To live a longer, more fulfilling life To develop discipline and discernment To learn from and with sages and saints To understand, or at least perceive, the nature of reality To inspire others to protect and heal themselves To release my karmic debt To escape samsara To be an eternal light for others I don't have children, but I am married now. I'm blessed to have the freedom that I do to pursue my spiritual interests in the face of domestic responsibility, but for now, the monastic / community life is out of reach. Thank you again for sharing your opinion with me! I'm very grateful for your time.

Thank you, please forgive my ignorance. Hopefully I learn how to ask the right questions. I'd like to study traditional Chinese so I can read the classic Taoist texts on Internal Alchemy. When I've learned to read the texts, I'd like to learn to understand them. If I can learn to understand them, I'd like to apply and practice the teachings. Because I come from a Western culture, I'm unfamiliar with the basic expectations of interactions between student and teacher through Chinese mindset. I would like to know how to show respect to a teacher as a student, so that if I'm blessed enough for the opportunity, I don't ruin it with my cultural ways. Please correct me if I'm still approaching this ineffectively.

Wheels of Light album - Beautiful Chorus

No Title, Lin Sun

@ChiDragon Thank you! I'm grateful to be here, and I hope in addition to learning from everyone, that I can one day add value to the discussions.

Yes, I would absolutely prefer in person training for the corrections that can't be made otherwise.

@-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- The DVD format is a small obstacle. I can purchase a DVD player, though. The zoom classes that begin in October, do you know what they might cost?

Okay, that's encouraging. In that event, I'm leaning toward Lotus Nei Gong International with Damo Mitchell / Roni Edlund. I found the book they wrote to be incredibly helpful, and the school offers a program that supports women's specific practice in addition to the standard program. I've noticed Damo Mitchell's name pop up in a few threads, and the mentions seemed relatively positive. Are you familiar with his teachings / approach / reputation? Edit: A little more reading and I see opinions on the forum are kind of split. 🤔

It might not be what you're looking for, but I've recently read Perfect Health the Taoist Way by Hua Sun. The book describes many natural positions of the body that help to stimulate the detox process, such as while sleeping or sitting. It also explains the circadian rhythm and how to eat (and not eat) at the right times, and to be asleep at the right times, so as to not interfere with the body's natural detox processes. It's certainly not the only book on the subject, but it's easy to understand and apply. Here's the table of contents: 1. Introduction 2. What is Tao, and How Can It Help Us? So what is Tao? How to achieve the wisdom of Tao? What is the purpose of practicing Tao? Yin and Yang The five elements of nature The Taoist’s three treasures Why the training of the mind is the prime business for the Taoists 3. Living to Your Perfect Health Sleeping the right hours for perfect health Sleeping on the right beds for perfect health Sitting to your perfect health Kneeling to your perfect health The sun is your best friend The moon is your best secret friend Simple changes in living can lead to lifetime health benefits 4. Using Taoist Exercises and Other Techniques to Reach Perfect Health Standing still is a perfect exercise for health Slow walking is another perfect exercise for health Using your back to hit a wall to gain an excellent health benefit Other exercises that have good health benefits A footbath is a perfect way for health Moxibustion is another perfect way for health 5. Eating and Drinking to Your Perfect Health The Taoist approach to foods The Yin and Yang nature of foods The food pyramid The way to prepare food and drinks Salt in the diet reexamined Slow weight loss is the only good way for weight control Make your own vegetable drink to detox: the detox drink Make your own drink for weight loss and beauty: the slim drink Make your own longevity pill—Gouqi pill Making your own alcoholic drink to combat back pain and aging Is Bigu worthwhile to pursue? A list of foods with regard to their Yin and Yang characteristics 6. Sex and Taoism The growing-up years Marriage and sex The Taoist sex practices Things to avoid in sex Sex liberation is a major drain on health The traditional approach to sex has substantial value 7. Avoiding Damage to Your Body and Mind Why coldness is regarded as the chief cause of diseases Where does the coldness come from? How do you know that you are under attack from the coldness What can you do to get rid of the coldness? Avoiding damage to your body Avoiding damage to your mind Avoiding damage by menopause and retirement 8. Meditation to Your Perfect Health What is meditation? The Taoist meditation Using your life as a way to practice Tao The Taoist meditation practices After cross-leg meditation Ways to help concentration Other ways of meditation Do I need a master to learn the Taoist practices? Summary on Taoist meditation training Quotations from a Ming Dynasty book 9. Putting It All Together The easiest way to achieve primary good health The intermediate way to achieve perfect health The advanced way to achieve perfect health and beyond How do I know whether I am on the right path? What are the signs of perfect health? A few case studies using the Taoist and TCM principles 10. Some Critical Health Issues of Modern Life Ten confusions on health Ten myths on health Four health trends facing the West…and the East Ten ways to fight back for perfect health 11. My Own Journey in Practicing the Tao The Taoist nine-year body transformation teaching My first year of practice My first four years of practice My second four years of practice My ninth and tenth years of practice My eleventh and twelfth years of practice What lies ahead 12. Questions and Answers with Regard to the Tao and Taoist Training (I'm not a doctor, just a person who read a book by someone who claims to have knowledge on the subject. Please take this suggestion with a grain of salt.)

Thank you so much. I will read about them and I'm sure I'll have follow up questions. Maybe my first question(s): Why did you choose these schools? Why did you choose these teachers?

Thank you for the advice! I'm looking through the forum now. I live in an isolated area, so I the chances of finding an in-person teacher is low, for now. And I understand that online teaching is not an ideal replacement. It's tough to not have access to a teacher, but still desire progress and knowledge toward what feels like such an essential pursuit. I don't want to consume information aimlessly or in excess, but I also want to balance receiving too much information versus receiving no information. Hopefully joining this forum is the catalyst I need. "When the student is ready, the teacher will show up." I included this in the draft of my previous message, and it feels as though you have responded to my inner thought. Thanks again for the guidance.

That's a really helpful perspective. I'm hoping that finding a teacher is something I'm ready for. Thelerner (sp?) said in an old post to "look for the teacher's advanced students, because they are what you're mostly to become." This forum seems to have plenty of advanced students. So I guess my idea was to observe, ask questions, and start to figure out which teachers to trust. Do you have any suggestions in that regard, identifying reputable teachers?

Thank you both! And thank you so much for the book list, this is sure to keep me busy for a while.