soaring crane

yeah, well, I was of course replying directly to your statement: "YES!!! Along with our anti-natural, pro-GMO FDA, lobbyist-run EPA, FRB, 0rweIIian NSA, war-mongering MIEC, anti-holistic Opharmacare, burgeoning tax-paid po-po state, exploding ~$50 trillion debt, etc.." Now your off into genocide and WWII deaths... and I'm really done with this thread. My summary: Libertarianism, although there are a few good ideas in the platform, is childishly naive at its best and virulently evil at its worst.

Speaking of mystic poetry: Design I found a dimpled spider, fat and white, On a white heal-all, holding up a moth Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth -- Assorted characters of death and blight Mixed ready to begin the morning right, Like the ingredients of a witches' broth -- A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth, And dead wings carried like a paper kite. What had that flower to do with being white, The wayside blue and innocent heal-all? What brought the kindred spider to that height, Then steered the white moth thither in the night? What but design of darkness to appall?-- If design govern in a thing so small. -- Robert Frost

Neither did Robert Frost, and 99% of the people who read this poem are in fact being mimicked: The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

says it's name: Kerplunk! That's a tough line to follow When casting my line

oh, I'm sure he won't live up to the standards in this place, but he's all I got, and I do know him from other seminars and know that he's a very serious person and places a lot of value on authenticity (can be a bit derisive of less-than-perfect people, actually). If I remember correctly, he's trained with BK Frantzis, too. Regardless, we don't all live in Bagua-Meccas... would be nice!

Learn to read German and go search the information yourself, if you're actually interested in other points of view and facts that undermine your arguments. LOL does not translate to 'I laugh derisively in your face', it simply means that what you wrote made me laugh. Actually made me laugh, out loud. Not derisively, just plain old humorously. I found it very funny that you chose that particular story to illustrate your beliefs - a story that I'm well-acquainted with, and do know the background to. You on the other hand saw a youtube clip (From French television) and liked what you saw, yet you know nothing about the history of the story, you simply feel it translates into a confirmation of your political beliefs and so you posted it, probably not expecting a rebuttal. I gave you the background and you can't even bring yourself to admit that maybe there's more to it than you're aware of, maybe it isn't so cut and dried as you thought. I also generously posted a link to the wiki page where there are many other stories noted, none of which I have the background to and so can't draw any conclusions. Btw, you honestly think people should be allowed to buy and drive cars with no training and no licensing? Starting at what age? This is the kind of thing that drove me from the Libertarians in the first place. Blind, ideological thinking, inflexible unwavering adherence to a political theory. It's no different than Leninism in reverse.

There were two monks walking to a temple in a faraway city. They came to a river where a poor woman was standing at the bank, waiting for someone to help her cross. One of the monks let her climb on his back and he carried her across the river, letting her off at the other bank. The monks continued walking. After some time, the monk who did not carry the woman said to the other, 'We're not permitted to contact the female. Why did you carry that woman?' The other replied, 'Hmmm? What? Oh her. I left her at the bank of the river. But I see you're still carrying her'.

I agree, overthinking, too much anxiety over nothing. Your story isn't very remarkable at all, to be honest. And you're not particularly weird. You want to meet weird? I can introduce you to ppl who make you look like Clark Kent. If you find a girl (how old are you btw?) who loves you, and who you really love, you can talk about anything. And since this weighs so heavily on your mind, I'd say you almost have to to talk about it. If you suppress it, it'll come out in other, less pleasurable ways. You can phrase it like you're talking about your past, before you met her. Doesn't apply to casual sexual contacts, of course ...

no

After having read a few pop-tao books, joining Taoist Depot (remember that one?) and thinking I was a 'taoist', a new acquaintance said, 'If you want to know what Daoism is, learn Qigong'. That was about 15 years ago and remains the best advice I've ever got on the subject. Still learning, still practicing ...

Is it ok if I ask - How much experience have you actually got with any of this? And, where do you plan or hope to go with it?

.

I am so going to kick you!

It's a little town in Germany that took part in a EU project called 'Shared Space' (the wiki page - there are some success stories in there). The reason they agreed to be part of the project is because they got close to a million Euros from the EU parliament to resurface a 450 meter section of their inner city area. The area is now basically flat, with no clearly marked zones for automobiles or pedestrians, and no traffic signs of any kind, and ostensibly no 'rules', the idea being that people will be more careful and attentive if left to their own judgment instead of being told how to drive and where to walk. And it works, more or less. For the residents of the town, it's resulted in a more relaxed driving experience. There haven't been any bad accidents (I'm pretty sure it's still in effect), and it's generally seen as a success. For the drivers. This is why it's called a metaphor for the Libertarian principles: Leave people to their own senses and they'll work things out to the best of their abilities, certainly better than when government interferes with the natural course of things. However - there are a few facts about this 'experiment' which don't support the Libertarian claims: First, the funding. This is a government project. Next, this is Germany, the country with arguably the most stringent driver's licensing laws in the world, and therefore arguably the best drivers (I'm and American who's been living here a long time and would feel comfortable taking that bet). Next, there are still rules in play here. 'Rechts vor Links' means 'Right before Left' (they got it wrong in the video), and everyone knows it with or without signs. There are in fact speed limits within city limits, with or without signs. Unless otherwise marked, the speed limit inside a town here is always 50km/h. Specifically in Bohmte, pedestrians now avoid the area when possible. They do not feel safe and are much much more alert when they have to walk through this 'free zone'. There aren't many people in Bohmte to begin with. It's a little town of 13,000 residents, and very little thru-traffic. Even the mayor of the town advises against trying this in larger municipalities. (he's also tried and failed to get the money to extend his shared space zone, but not because of the better traffic flow, he just wanted the cash for road improvements). Last thing - this situation is not that unusual in Germany. There are lot's of old town centers where pedestrians and vehicles have to share space every day.

In selfish terrors Or was it shellfish terrors? Nightmare of the shrimp.

Lol... Are you absolutely certain that you want to use this video to illustrate your points? I'd advise against it...

THAT is a great point and an excellent post! I have to confess that I concentrate on the wuxing, it's a major part of my own practice and also my group sessions, and really forgot all about that. And it just clicked with me that the sound for the triple burner is in fact the same as the tianmu/heaven's eye/forehead sound from the vowel method I described earlier. Interesting...

wow, that is gorgeous! Thanks :-)

I didn't read Cat's post to mean just make the sounds in any old order, don't think about anything in particular and let nature take its course. I'm pretty sure the order is still important (if not, I'd totally disagree), just don't do anything subjective at the time. Emit the sounds, and that's it. Have faith that they'll do their job (which I do agree with). But do them in a structured order (or perhaps specifically as prescribed by a doctor for an ailment). The direction I described (with or without the sounds) starts out as the cosmic wuxing, ending in Earth. And in practice, without forcing it or thinking about it, it just becomes an inhale up the right side, up to the top of the breastbone, then an exhale down the left side, into the DT. It's an organ massage, especially if the body begins to move accordingly. It's something I do constantly. The problem you mention with the liver, I don't know. It seems to me that coming up from below the liver, then right through it to the heart, does a pretty god job of directing it where it's supposed to go, and keeping it focused. I did, as you said, mistake your previous instruction to mean follow the meridian flow ...

I think youtube is awash in those videos, no?

nice, I was just thinking about this while driving home from a qigong session last night. I do a lot of qi work while driving, I drive a lot and I'm always doing something. I think modern car seats have become so ergonomic that they can in fact be very helpful for breathing and posture. And with cruise control, with both feet flat on the floor, the position is very fortuitous I often hold the wheel with the left hand and gather qi with the right, for example. I like chanting while driving, too. Computer work, otoh, is deadly to me, I hate it. The only way I can use a computer anymore is with the laptop, leaning back on the reclining sofa, feet up on the table. Like right now, lol, and I'm actively belly-breathing as I type. As soon as I sit at a desk and use a mouse, my right shoulder stiffens up and I feel rotten. We got a tablet recently and I'm getting used to that and can see it taking the place of the laptop in future, but it'll still be a while. Good topic!

Lung, Spleen, Heart, Kidneys, Liver ... actually, no, I've never combined the two like that, or better said witnessed it being done like that. I've learned the sounds pretty in-depth in the past, and have practiced them in groups, but I honestly don't spend that much time with them. I've only ever heard of them as associated directly with the organs, and I have to admit it seems a little 'off' to me to emit the sounds while focusing on the meridians. I'm picturing doing the meridian qigong routine combined with the sounds and it doesn't feel harmonious. I want to focus directly on the organ at the time. But then again, why not?

It's government/private collusion that you're (rightfully) railing against. The mistake, as I see it, is in thinking you can remove one of the those aspects i.e. government, and the problems will solve themselves. Those agencies didn't start out corrupt; It took a few decades of hardcore industry lobbying to destroy them. And if the barriers had never been there in the first place, it's hello Oliver Twist.

Yes,very simple, like I said - easy peasy It's just an approximation of the organ clock, and it's an accompanying meditation to a much longer, intensive medical qigong form that follows the exact path of all twelve meridians. It doesn't start with the heart, btw, it simply starts in the 'chest' but the general focus in the beginning could be the lungs, where the clock technically begins. But like I said, its only an approximation, and the breath from chest along the inside of the arms to the fingers represents all three arm yin channels. It's more effective the less one concentrates on the exact meridian flow, though. It goes deceptively deep. Once you get it going, it starts to move on its own, and you can obviously build on it e.g. begin shifting the focus outward from the body and into the weiqi and finer layers ... And move the body with the flow. It's a good way to set spontaneity into motion. Thank you for the more advanced version! What you describe is closer to the real grand circulation (and there are a lot of approaches to that, too, especially in the martial arts).

and the easy peasy grand circulation: breathe think chest (don't over intellectualize it, just think 'chest'), and when you feel ready ... On an exhale, send the focus along the inside of both arms, across the palms, to the fingertips On the next inhale, send the focus up the backside of the arms, up the neck to the head (again, just the head in general, be careful with the head) On the next exhale, send the focus down the back, across the butt, down the backside of the legs, under the feet to the toes On the next inhale, send the focus up from the toes along the tops of the feet, the front of the legs, the front of the body, to the chest ... start over ...