soaring crane

Short on time, but more or less in this order.... http://www.amazon.com/Gong-Total-Wellness-Longevity-Monastery/dp/0312262337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268558182&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/Root-Chinese-Qigong-Longevity-Enlightenment/dp/1886969507/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268558092&sr=1-3 http://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Meditation-Embryonic-Yang-Jwing-Ming/dp/1886969736/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268558092&sr=1-12 http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Promise-Qi-Creating-Extraordinary/dp/0809295288/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268558092&sr=1-6 http://www.amazon.com/Way-Qigong-Science-Chinese-Healing/dp/0345421094/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268558092&sr=1-1 And plenty more...

wow, that's actually pretty intense

Hardy - I'm sure it's truly sehehnswert, but you forgot to mention that it's a 30Mb download.... takes too long on my "DSL LIGHT" connection (you know, living a whopping 7km from the center of town, they don't run the real dsl cables out this far )

Thank you Mal, that helped a lot The "intense" scenes are probably too much for my kiddo, she's pretty sensitive.

Hi z00se - Everything you wrote is perfectly alright with me, I agree completely and think everyone is an experiment of one. But I want to point out that I also said the exhales are somewhat more explosive. So the system I'm describing is four short, quick intakes or air (Qi) followed by three outward bursts: in in in in OUT OUT OUT (or 3/2 or 4/3, depending on load - hills and tempo, as you mentioned). left right left right LEFT RIGHT LEFT right left right left RIGHT LEFT RIGHT, etc... This doesn't involve any extremes - no extremely shallow inhales or aggressive exhales. The actual ratio of inhaled to exhaled breath will vary and should adjust itself. It's an excellent way to keep your mind focussed on your activity, and coupling the breath to movements creates a complete system that comes very close to advanced Qigong practice all on its own. And the odd-meter keeps you balanced, which I think is the most profound effect and the reason I'd like people to experiment with it a little. I'm not saying to do this pedantically, of course not. Keep it light and loose, practice a bit until it kind of runs on its own, then let go and enjoy the scenery. I repeat odd-number mantras to myself sometimes, too. I was out today and I was repeating: I-Lum-I-Na-Tion I-Lum-I-Nate (while holding a Crane Claw mudra and feeling into it to find the difference between pointing the fingertips upward or downward - my conclusion: Fingers upward aids concentration and helps me stay focussed). And then, I also practice the MCO - with five inhales up the back and four down the front, for example... It works like a mainsail - each inhale is like a gust of wind from behind that pushes me forward, all I have to do is keep the keel in the water, lol, I have my fun out there

Hi Sir - try something like this for fun: In sync with your feet, 4 short inhales 3 somewhat more aggressive exhales Repeat, the whole time. 4 in, 3 out, 4 in, 3 out.... The 4/3 cadence has the beneficial effect of alternating the start of the sequence from left to right and back again. Am I explaining that well enough? If you look at like a musical beat, the "one" will shift back and forth. This can help sort out imbalances in your structure. It also leads to a quiet mind/strong body, the right combination for running. I'm outta time but I can 'splain more later... One quick thing - you can also try 3/2 or 5/4, depending on your pace. The main thing is the odd-number (5, 7, or 9). And, like everything else, once it's really been integrated into your system, you just let go of it and let it run on its own. Every now and then, you "reactivate" it consciously, but gently...

nice There was an interesting medical discussion on the radio here this morning about fearful people. One of the points brought up was that that fear shuts down the ability to listen to rational explanations of the situation. It was discussed in detail in a psychological/neurological context but I thought - fear attacks the kidneys and shuts down the ears.

When I finally get around to it, my entry on my personal practice page is going to be called "The Tao of the Trail" - meaning Trail Running and running in general. Feeling inspired to start it now!

I'm planning on seeing it soon but was wondering if it's ok for my 10 yr old daughter. What do you think, DC?

There's a reason why that exercise appears toward the end of that book. Your tears are just tears (of pain) until you've mastered all the steps that come before, and that's saying a lot. It's really not a good book for an introduction to Taoist/Qigong practices. A person of average ability needs years, decades, to master the techniques described, and isn't going anywhere without additional formal instruction anyway. It was one of the very texts first ever published in English, but that was a long time ago (1973). There have been so many more sensible, better structured, understandable, safer books published since then, many of them probably took their cues from Taoist Yoga, but would be a good idea to look elsewhere for instruction. And then, when you're old and wise and experienced, return to Charles Luk

Hey Slim - Could be many things, or a combination of a few, or who knows what without observing you. How do you position your head? Are you aware of what your head is doing while you practice? Keeping the wind gates open? Chin in? Neck vertebrae open and relaxed? Baihui in the middle? Shoulders and arms can also bring tension to the area. Let the shoulders sink and the shoulder blades open up. Dazhui could also be blocked and stiff. Tongue, jaw, eyes, ears, temples... all potential problem areas. Every one of them deserves attention. Do some thorough warm-up rubbing before you start, too. Do you have a good self-massage routine? And some gentle skull-rotation. There are many variations on this theme.

Hey, MB - I know the program very well, thanks. Btw, you don't "sell" to Adobe, lol. Adobe decides if they want you or not, and then they take you. Ask MacroMedia My friend has a home studio and uses Cubase. Take a looksee at Audacity from the old Soundforge people: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/?lang=en It's pretty good and completely free. I think the multi-track section of CE is easier to work with but Audacity has better tools and just a more modern interface in general.

Shining bright at night My lantern illuminates Stones beneath my feet

yummMMmmmmm@ Wilson Pickett I'll be editing some singing bowl and gong recordings I made with a friend last year, I committed myself to finally getting the project done. It'll be a CD for friends and family, and for people who've attended our meditation evenings. It's kid of tough to do because the waves from the bowls are so overtone-rich that they quickly cause the speakers to hum. It's hard to get the perfect mix... Plus the lowest freq's from the gongs are missing, we have to re-record them with a better mic

That was my thought as well and, thank you for the new word, David

Get the book, really. It isn't a "breathing method", it's a rebirth.

Hi I've had this since the day it came out (had it on pre-order at Amazon). JoeBlast describes it very well with the word "signposts" - there is not a lot of how-to instruction in technique here, especially for someone with no experience, but there's a lot of motivation to practice and to delve deeper into the meditations. Dr. Yang encourages experimentation and state straight-up that he also does not have the answers to everyone's questions. He's very humble in that way and that just makes his work more valuable to me, since I'm such a rotten student to begin with and always apply my own interpretations to everything. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in those translations, you can really just open the book to any one of those pages and start reading, just for the enjoyment of it. One of the more profound Qigong moments I ever had was when I first turned to the page with the image of the Taiji superimposed on a sketch of a standing person. The Yin point of the Yang field is situated directly in the middle of the head (the Mud Pill) and the Yang point in the Yin field in the true Lower Dantian. The center of the Taiji, though, where Yin and Yang meet, is where's it's really at. That's something you discover with this book. I'll write more about my experiences with the book later. I had some pretty profound moments with it. What about you, Joe? Have you put the book into practice? Had any special experiences? I'm scheduled to visit with Dr Yang at a seminar in October in Graz (Austria). The themes will be Push Hands and Yi Jin Jing/Da Mo's hand set. I wish the session were based on this book, but I'll be happy one way or another

This one requires amplification, ample: What this World needs is a good two dollar Room ana' good two dollar Broom Oh and then this one, lol, not the Nat King Cole version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhiVzHO_V8M ok, I'll stop now...

ha! Great one - put me in the mood for some New Wave and I thought of these guys: Totally undervalued and underestimated pop awesomeness. RIP Doug Fieger

The BKF Blog! Great link, thank you Dainin (also, I offered the above description as an effective alternative to the original request, I do realize that it isn't the same thing... )

Hey David - I misread your description at first and thought you were describing one of the movements from "Shibashi" 18 Taiji Qigong, and one that would be especially good for stroke sufferers because it requires some balance and cross-side concentration. The movement I'm thinking of is called "Play with the ball like a child" and it can have really profound results. Aha - I've been clicking through Youtube videos while writing this and actually found a short clip of it. It begins at 1:20: A9pPqOrQ They show it in context of Taji fighting but you don't need that goal or imagery in mind to make it effective. As you said, the Qigong state of mind will make it work. The "state of mind" is in the name - play with a ball like a child - like a child bouncing a ball on the pavement, passing it from one hand to the other. Be light and joyful, no worries, keep the eyes open and gazing far off over the horizon. Smile (laughing is ok, too!). There are of course 1,000 technical points that go into making it even more effective, I can describe a few if you want (or maybe you already know them), but you'll just overwhelm the person with too much information and the playful profundity will be lost... Edit: One detail that is probably too important not to mention is the shifting of the weight from leg to leg. Show the person how to move the center of gravity from one leg to the other. The supporting leg will be the one doing the "work", the leg that gets lifted will be the lighter one, and the central vertical axis remains vertical, and central. If you just "step" from one foot to the other, unconsciously, you'll tend to lean the body from side to side and the raised leg will remain tense. Raise the legs out of the hip flexor/groin region and let the foot "dangle", relaxed and light in the air for that short moment. Place the foot very carefully down on the floor/ground and feel the weight shift somewhat gradually from the one leg into the other. The transition from supported (stressed) leg to lifted (relaxed) leg should be very smooth and continuous. Practice the leg "work" for quite a while before brining the arms/hands into the game. I'd suggest just holding the hands atop one another on the lower belly at that time. The feedback from the soles of the feet to the brain is a major component of the exercise - that's why I mentioned this especially for your situation.

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica Lick My Decals Off, Baby Batchain Puller I put them all on an mp3 CD and have had it in my car for a couple weeks now, lol. Gimme dat ol' time Religion! Once you go Beefheart it's hard to go back!

Christ was a useful tree that got chopped down, as useful trees always do. The antithesis of Daoist teachings. My daughter learned the Garden of Eden story in school last year (third grade - they teach "Religion" here, choose your religion - Catholic or Protestant). She told me the story and I replied that the God didn't sound like a very good father to me. When she asked why I explained that I'd never throw her out of the house for breaking a silly rule (of course that's not what the parable is really about, but try explaining that to a Church Lady, or a Conservative third grade Religion teacher). The idea that we're "born guilty" is a purely human convention, a product of one-sided, cynical, manipulative human reasoning. Guilt and innocence occur simultaneously, the presence of one dictates the existence of the other (sounds familiar, lol). Why choose to stress the one and not embrace the duality?

The words "always" and "defeat" might cause problems. Maybe find a new way of formulating it?