Pranaman

^^ This where it's at.

thanks for the fast reply. I am already learning yichuan and taiji from a qualified teacher, so I don't really have the time or money to learn hatha yoga as well. I will ask my teacher for help too because he seems to know about body work and such too. I will do your exercises and report back here with results in a few weeks or so.

I do not own this book, but my Sifu has trained with the author, Yu Yong Nian. The book is "Zhan Zhuang & The Search Of Wu". From what I have read about Yu Yong Nian's book, I think his teachings and what I have been taught are similar or same styles of standing. I enjoy the feeling it gives me as well as the subtle and immediate martial benefits I recieve, I can imagine what standing 1 hour a day would do. That book shows you how to stand, mentally and physically, as well as gives results of scientific studies on ZZ. I'd check it out, I plan on buying it myself soon. I really like my practice, but it's painful at the moment and I only do 6mins on good days, sometimes 10, never less then 5 (and always in horse stance, sometimes i'll add 5min combat stance each leg, and 1:30 in dragon). My goal is 20mins a day by September.

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You believe that a woman and man in a relationship should be given an equal workload. I believe that this should not be required IF it made both of them unhappy. Alot of women would be extremely happy with a man that Deida calls superior. Alot of men are happy to be what Deida calls superior. So i'm not sure where the division of workload really matters. Also, you say that if the man is to fully express himself it's considered more work. I say if he is to fully express himself then it's only natural and completely effortless. For if he is truly a yang man, then it's in his heart to be a "superior man", whether or not it's inhibited by fears, anxieties, numbness, or just plain cluelessness. The work is in eliminating inhibition. If some one doesn't think that Deida's advice of living on his edge, facing his fears, unconditionally loving his woman and living his purpose will make him happy, then it's probably just not for the guy.

I have read Way Of the Superior Man. Note that he says, IF a man is able to truly pierce the woman's testing with love, and she does not accept the love..... maybe it's time for the man to move on to someone that can (or something of the like). A women that acts like a bitch, recieves love in return, then continues acting like a bitch, is playing the part of a masculine energized ego. The yang characteristic of active dominance. David's book WOTSM is for an essentially masculine person in relationship with an essentially feminine other. It would take dedication, and an ample amount of mindfulness and discipline to actually develop yourself as a "superior man". Fully expressing your inner yang. Having the "spine and heart" is an effect of a large amount of meditation that I have yet to give to myself. The proof is in the examples of teachers across the world that have an open heart, and a whole lot of spine.

This is a rather major experience, post #7 by hippie3. HUGE experience

I have a female friend who has an extremely low libido and she wants to increase it. Are there any herbs or anything that could help? Any other suggestions?

good post Craig, keeping things real and organic.

Developing and refining coordination and balance requires an internal focus on the body. This is what is internal to me. I believe in qi but my experience with sitting energy work(mantak chia, chunyi lin, and chakra work) and zhan zhuang(a la Gregory Fong and I think Yao Cheng-Rong, which is more focused on the matter of focus, intention and body), my experience with these two methods have drawn me to zhan zhuang. The physical labor that requires relaxing into the pain, while growing stronger, being okay with pain, the discipline to continue, and the mental work of visualizing a 1000 new ways to work your muscles while aware of the senses, doing all of this simultaneously has led me to grow. Since Yiquan/Kung-fu/Tai Chi (focus being on intent and body) has given me an avenue to grow, I consider it to be internal.

came across this, it's relevant to this thread. New DVD coming out. it's only 3 min, and it's a quick glance at shamanism, the influence of LSD on some great minds of our recent history, temporary ego-loss, the nature of consciousness. The people, like Denis Mckenna or Rick Strassman, in this film seem very grounded. Manifesting The Mind Sneak Preview

In regards to trypts I don't really care about the visions and ideas that tend to only distract people, such as non-duality, insights into the universe, "the way the world works", energy theory, parallel universes, and all this stuff that is just knowledge with no practical gains. that being said, there is one thing I enjoy about psychs, and two things I respect. The thing I enjoy is the empowered sense of humor, everyone likes laughing and connecting with people. The first thing I respect, is when the scope is turned towards your ego, clear and un-sugar coated. The second is that it anchors you into feeling the present experience. The home of change. I think the danger in hallucinogens is thinking too much. If you get thinking too much, you lose the healthy experience of a good atmosphere with an archaic and positive attitude. for me, it's nothing more and nothing less. But that's for me, and I think what everyone has said here is true for them and probably others too.

good movie, I think the book is worth a read too.

I 100% agree with you about the psychedelic experience not equalling enlightenment. I've heard 60's drug gurus talk about this, like Tim Leary, and it's not only untrue but temporary (based on my experience at least). I wish I could have delivered my side of the story without sounding as harsh as it sounded to me rereading it just now. I'm sorry if I resonated an attack vibe. I tend to defend anything that has done well for me(family, girlfriends, martial arts, meditation, hallucinogens, food). I like you and hope you have a great night. take it easy soul-bro, Bobby

exactly, and it's your misunderstanding that people here are trying to argue that. psychotropics have helped me see my out-of-conscious judgements of other people and ideas(my cultural conditioning)... You are saying that it's not worth anything that I grew out of hatred and into openness, because I learned of my hidden error while a certain plant was in my body? I'm not saying the psychedelic experience = enlightenment, and neither is Trixter and I don't remember anyone else saying that. What i'm saying, what i've heard, and what i've experienced is that I have alot of hidden judgements, and my psychedelic experiences have made denial of these evaporate and my vision of them clear as day. So, from then on, in my sober life, I can work on growing beyond them. It's simple as that, no tainted happiness, no delusion, no harm, no enlightenment, none of that. Just a simple telescope for that psyche of ours.

Trixter and Taomeow have something here. It seems like alot of people, besides Trixter and some others, are on one end of the spectrum or the other, and not the middle. Either psychedelics harm you completely, or they enlighten you completely. I've never met anyone to claim either of these things that resonated a more ego-free vibe then the most enlightened person that I've met. So, my question is - If you learn to be happy, compassionate, loving, free of suffering and judgement, and you are truly at an incredibly grounded inner peace....... does it matter how you got there?

So I'm supposed to go out and find the reason why she has a low libido? I'm not a psychiatrist.... do you think I should try my best to convince her that she needs to see one? or try my best to pretend to be one? ehhh I think I'll get the medicine and just try to be a good friend with a heart, maybe that'll lead her to a soul search faster then me telling her to go looking.

I couldn't find Ashwaranganda. Maca sounds like the choice unless there are vegeterian alternatives to sardines and ceviche. thanks for the info, and i'll pm you about that. so what are the benefits that maca has in store for guys?

this neuroanatomist, Jill Bolte Taylor, experienced nirvana and nonduality when there was a bloodclot in left brain and she had a stroke. Her story of the experience is very cool, and her language is science.

why does it matter what his beliefs on death are?

I second that.

Is wing chun a discipline that would compliment my taiji/yiquan and does it have the same subtle body affects?

this is my experience too, I was able to be opened up to yoga and taoism because drugs shook me up. In the end, my fascination with the information that tickles my intellectual bone like energetic model of realty, quantum physics, fractal geometry etc.. all this started to clutter my hallucinating mind, it took me farther from the short and simple path that is currently providing me with a great way of living. That's the loop I took to land where I'm at.