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If you are a really subtle observer of the movements and state of mind of the teacher and really just get your ego out of the way and do the technique exactly as he does it, you will be doing better than anyone i have ever seen attending qigong seminars and classes. However that level of observation, and patience may take decades of practice to develop. Ive seen gong fu "masters" who cant do it, and 20 year old girls that can. A few years ago I bought a yang jwing-ming taichi dvd and wasnt too impressed. I looked at it recently and it blew my mind. His movements just seemed to flow out of the grainy picture.

I've practiced quite a few qigong systems. I've come to a sort of understanding that qigong is essentially a symbolic body language, or in the case of nei gong a system of internal symbolic language. In order to understand what a system of qigong does, you must understand what it is saying. This is easy to observe without even knowing the full system simply by viewing the teachers who exemplify the art. They will often give away their secrets subconsciously. Lets look at some examples. I recently viewed a man who was teaching in his own words " authentic combat taichi" He used phrases such as: Deadly flow On the concept of steel wrapped in cotton " it's like getting hit with a crow bar" Extremely hard to learn And even called most tai chi classes bs. Simply put from what this person communicates subconsciously he carries around a lot of fear and anger. He looked like he had some authentic combat skill, but I believe that he needs to develop the calm loving spiritual state of taichi. I would not learn from him in order to preserve my inner peace. Another teacher of taichi I veiwed recently had a very loud and over the top personality. I felt as though he was trying to sell himself and his system. He commonly used phrases involving " power" His system was super powerful and such. There was also a recurring theme of vaccums and suction. If you accept his teaching then you will be taking some time out of your day morning, noon, and night to say to your self, through the symbolic body language of chigong: " I am a very powerful vaccum and I suck, vrrrrrrr" I suppose if I believed this about myself I would probably end up overcompensating in the outward personality department as well. A few years ago a certain nei gong school had a large following on this forum and now I don't hear from it much anymore. It had some interesting things to say. The energy of this school is unique. By practicing this you are tuning into a different kind of energy than everyone else. Instead of enlightenment we seek to become dragons. Considering the depth of the philosophy's passed down to us from the ancient sages, these statements are silly, egotistic and delusional. I have encountered a lot of new age folks floating around who work only with the upper chakras. They will utilize the heart, throat and third eye. They occasionally work with solar plexus and navel to balance lower drives. They do not touch the root and the crown. This is interesting. They are saying to themselves: I possess deep insight, am in communication with my spiritual reality, and love unconditionally. My will power and emotions are in balance. I am not earthly, and I am not god so I will not interfere with his plan. Pretty good system these new agers got going for them. KAP is interesting as well. It simultaneously very eclectic and traditional. It teaches you the traditional symbolic tools of the ancients. Once you speak the language you can program yourself however you wish. Solid I've seen quite a few taichi teachers, who just exude peace and love. They talk about how beneficial taichi and qigong is. They teach the martial applications without bringing hate and anger into it. They tend to be very insightful. It's always nice to see some authentically spiritual people teaching authentic gongfu. I have met qigong teachers who are the complete opposite. They are loud, energetic, somewhat obnoxious. They talk about how powerful their chi is. They tend to work with primarily the lower centers. They want a lot of money. The lower centers represent the lower drives in the personality. If you emphasize the use of these centers too much you can become a very unbalanced individual. These teachers can have a lot of energy. But they are ineffective at sublimating it to shen(spirit). Instead it manefests as excesses in the personality. A good teacher will have a loving and peaceful personality. ( Shen) A master will not have a personality at all(return the Shen to the void remember) If something about the teacher doesn't seem right . Then it probably isn't. " I'm sorry, I'm not very interested in learning your ultra powerful qigong. I'm perfectly happy with my mediocrity" Lets look at some traditional Taoist devices. Baby's breath: I am child like. I am also prone to childish mistakes. I am still learning. Still playing. This traditional exercise is pretty deep. It allows us to have a calm and beautiful attitude. It allows us to become aware of our silly flaws and learn to correct them gradually. Microcosmic orbit I am the same as everything else in the universe. The wisdom, love, and peace of the ancients is in me. The egotism and ignorance of the universe is within me as well. This is also very good. It allows us to recognize that any flaw that we do not like in another, is just a projection of a part of ourself that we need to change.( a jungian principle). It also allows us to recognize the wisdom and integrity within. Macrocosmic orbit. I am part of a larger structure. I am connected to all beings. Unity. In order to change the I world must change myself. This is the progression of recognizing the internal reality of the microcosm. One must begin to live out the way of the sages in the external universe. To be in harmony with oneself one must be in harmony with the world at large. Inner smile Don't worry, be happy. As you can see the traditional devices of inner alchemy, compose a well thought out system of progressive ascension and realization. This is why they are called yoga(union). Love and light Edit: typo

Theres an old zen saying "the great hermit lives in the city" In my experience people with a lot of energy arent necessarily any more saintly or wise than others. One of the most egotistical people ive ever met was a "qigong Grandmaster" He lied to his students, and business partners, stole money, molested young girls on the massage table (around 200), verbally abused people, cheated on his wife, gambled, drank alcohol, and did drugs. He regularly claimed that his qigong was the best in the world, talked trash about any other teacher or system that was mentioned, he claimed to be a uniquely qualified master to transmit enlightenment to the masses, based on the fact that he could preform a basic trance induction that involved visualizing light. He ran his orginization like a classic cult. In my experience kundalini does not equal enlightenment.

Hello, I like the health benefits of Kombucha, and apple cider vinegar, but drinking it regularly hurts my teeth. I would like to neutralize these acidic liquids with baking soda. I am aware that Adding baking soda during brewing would prevent my kombucha from fermenting properly. So i plan on adding it to my glass 1 hour or so before drinking. There is apparently a precedent for this as some german scientists added calcium to a kombucha concentrate to neutralize the acidity in the product kombuchal. http://www.happyherbalist.com/browseproducts/Kombucha-Tea-Concentrate--Kombuchal.html Adding and allowing the reaction to occur will produce carbon dioxide and various neutral salts. This process normally would occur in my duodenum, to neutralize the acid anyways, so i see no reason as to why this will interfere with the health benefits of the acids. http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/question464.htm http://www.ddc.musc.edu/public/organs/stomach.cfm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreatic_juice Now as to the probiotics. They grow well In the acidic environment but the fact that they are able to colonize the digestive tract and body outside of the stomach suggests that "the bicarbonate rich pancreatic juice and alkaline bile" do not kill them off. The fact that the KT and ACV are converted to alkaline substances during digestion implies that the salts produced by alkalization/neutralization are responsibe for many of the health benefits. From a chinese medicine-esque perspective, preneutralizing the KT and ACV Conserves the earth and wood energy in the pancreas and gall Bladder. Its just my theory? What do you think?

I didnt realize diatomaceous earth was calcium carbonate. I have read of calcium carbonate being used to neutralize a kombucha product called kombuchal. But i have also read that the compounds formed under these circumstances may contribute to kidney stones. Heres the link to kombuchal from my first post: http://www.happyherbalist.com/browseproducts/Kombucha-Tea-Concentrate--Kombuchal.htmFr From the above site: "The original version of the patent recommended calcium to be added during the process. The intended purpose was not implicit for health, as Dr. Barefoot and others have recommended, but was an attempt to improve the taste by neutralizing the acids. For two main reasons we choose not to add calcium. 1. Amounts of simple calcium, without complete minerals, may lead, in many people to calcium poisoning (like gout) and 2. The acids not only are beneficial health wise they provided a preservative action and we found the semi-sweet taste quite acceptable Calcium may be added when taking. We recommend a high grade of marine Coral Calcium, which may be taken in extreme high doses without side affects We do recommend TRC Coral Calcium or TRC Liquid Calcium." I do not totally agree with everything said here as i believe that the acids are just as beneficial in a ph neutral form, and possibly more easily absorbed. Do note the part about calcium poisoning. Heres a link about baking soda and ACV http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acv_baking_soda_cures.html

Update. Kombucha taken ph neutral form apparently causes none of the symptoms I was experiencing with the acidic version. What if many of the foods listed as highly alkaline that contain high acid contents (lemon, apple cider vinegar, kombucha, ect) actually just cause a strong attempt to neutralize the acid by the body excreting its alkaline substances. This might cause a short term observable spike in alkalinity while consuming these substances, but a long term acidic effect, as the alkaline substances become depleted. I have not tried diatomaceous earth. Would it taste good and dissolve well?

The previous mixture grew a full scoby. I made a neutral solution then set it in a jar. It has also grown a full scoby. When ph neutral it does not hurt the teeth. It tastes a bit salty and sweet. This is good if you like to sip it throughout the day. The tart juices are great when neutralized also.

24 hours report. I poured kombucha and a small amount of pineapple juice into a jar added some baking soda. Resulted in a slightly acidic brew. I left it in the jar covered. Today upon inspection a beginning of a scoby is forming. (engulfing the foam created by the baking soda lingering at the top of the jar.) If it continues to thrive, I will try it with an approcamately ph neutral solution.

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acv_baking_soda_cures.html this is a good rescource i have located. I also use the organic with the mother vinegar, and my kombucha is home brewed from organic ingredients. I am drinking some Kombucha with baking soda (not baking powder) right now. The ratio of neutralization seems to be 8 oz kombucha (continuous brew) to a little over 1/4tsp baking soda. I still like it a little sour. Tastes like very sweet tea. Maybe i will do a test run to see if neutralized kombucha can still grow a scoby.

Can someone give me a breakdown of this mantra. It is From kashmir shiviasm. Om sauh paraayai namah. I know om is the sound of the expanding universe. Sauh is the trika. namah is adoration, recognition of oneness. I suppose my primary question is what does paraayai mean. Is anyone familiar with this mantra and its background. Thanks all.

Thank you. I had read the mantra on his website but was unable to navigate his site very well. Do you know if the book listed above contains all 12 volumes, or is it just a single volume, and i have to buy 11 more. http://www.sears.com/indira-gandhi-national-centre-manthanabhairavatantram-kumarikakhandah-12-vol/p-SPM2439369421 Maybe i can just go pick it up at my local sears. also shouldnt it be 14 volumes?

I have recently began fermenting kombucha and water kefir. I wish to receive the full probiotic benefit from these cultures. I am wondering whether these beverages should be consumed together(like the same day.) The cultures come from symbiotic colonies of bacteria and yeast. The 2 cultures are not capable of existing together in a ferment. (I can not throw in kefir grains to my kombucha batch and expect it to work well. ). So it follows that if I want kombucha to colonize my body that kefir would interfere with the process. I realize that this is all theoretical. Does anybody have any expert opinions or experience on the above. Does anyone know of any specific benefits of consuming the two together. Keep in mind that what might be true from lab formulated isolated probiotics might not be true with natural SCOBY forming probiotics, if my theory is true. Does anyone know of any drawbacks to only consuming one. thanks

This view seems to be more common than the one I posted. I have read that in russia, in the good old days, they used both milk kefir and kombucha. Most people seem to combine the different beverages with no negative consequences. It could be that a variety of flora is as important as a variety of vegetables. My question is in light of the fact that i could consume a large amount of these beverages by making them myself. I am wondering if there could be any special benefit to allowing only one to colonize me. I wonder what the ancient chinese felt about this issue, as they had access to kombucha. What sort of benefits have you noticed from consuming them together. Thanks for your response.

http://www.health-science-spirit.com/borax.htm According to recent research borax can help to detoxify sodium flouride. It can flush the substance out of glands bones and soft tissues. It also seems to have other benefits as a candida cure and arthritis treatment. It is also exteremely alkaline. The above article says to dissolve 1 tsp of borax into 1 liter of good quality water (I suppose either filtered or spring water) to form a concentrated solution. Take 1 tsp of the concentrated solution with a meal 1-2 times daily According to the msds it's safer than salt. Has anyone had any experience with this? Love light

I recently came across this guys book www.jadelunaastrology.com He says that he studied with Brahmin priests in India. He claims that he has translated their jyotish astrology system into an Latin form. He apparently set up the correspondences to the western astrological signs and added three subhouses to each sign. The time of the year for each house is different. For instance a Capricorn might actually be a Sagittarius in this system. He claims that western astrology is astronomically incorrect due to the procession of the equinoxes. He claims that the chart is off by as much as 23degrees. What do you all think of this?

There is a concept in mantak chias work that the body and soul are just vehicles for the spirit. The body being burnt means to transcend identification with the body. The soul being soul means to transcend identification with the individual psyche. With this dualistic identification discarded one is able to access the collective psyche. This is similar to the zen saying "the wind blowing through a dead tree." There is the line about lustful desire being transmuted into flowing bliss that stands out. This draws a very distinct line between alchemy and luciferian based magic systems. In these practices the lustful desire is not transmutated and is generally glorified and ritualized.

This would make an epic game manual. A spiral graph of the iching might be interesting too.

I was looking at your element charts. I believe you could benefit by looking into pokemons element system. There is a core system of elements that logically oppose each other in a cycle (fire water grass). Then a whole system of elements that do not fit into this pattern. The key to making a good element system is to take into account the realistic properties of each element and finding a way to incorporate it. I would feel a bit off using lightning if it was weak against fire creatures because it was geometrically convenient. This seems off to me. I would rather use an element system that I can discern some logic behind. Lightning weak against rock strong against water. I do not suggest copying it completely, but I believe that by modeling the qualities that make it excellent you could integrate your system into a realistic one. I support using the I Ching primarily as a system for designing plot lines, and characterization. I used to DM self created campaigns. You can pm or email me if you wish.

In chan practice it is traditional for a person who has recently experienced satori to go into a hermatige in the mountains for a period of time. This is so that they do not become unstable and lose focus by mixing with the world. The chan tradition makes a distinction between self enlightening beings and true Buddhas. After the great love is experienced within the self it must be aroused for all beings equally. The oneness of all beings in the great love must be recognized and honored. After the hermitage the adept will seek liberation in life. They may leave the monestary and mix with society. Loving all beings attached to none. There are even stories of layman chan practicioners with families all practicing together. The external circumstances are only provisional for cultivating the real. "True love is unattached" -chan proverb

I have started drinking this according to the instructions in the article I posted. I did not notice any nausea with this concentration. I put it in spring water. It didn't have a bad taste. I will post on occasional update.

Hey I recently visited krogers simple truth organic and natural food label Facebook page. facebook.com/simpletruth I've noticed that most of the recent comments are concerning the use of genetically modified ingredients in their natural foods. They have a very standard answer that does not really answer the question. They say that their organic products are gmo free but their natural foods are not gmo free. Anyone want to help mob their page with non gmo questions and requests?

I remember reading that article now. I've heard it so much the past few weeks that its blurring together.

Whole foods is beginning a mandatory gmo labeling initiative for all of its products. http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/03/20/whole-foods-gmo-labels-grocery-shopping/ California gmo labeling did not pass. Also congress recently passed a rider popularly called " Monsanto protection act" with another bill. http://www.ibtimes.com/monsanto-protection-act-5-terrifying-things-know-about-hr-933-provision-1156079

Here's an online grocer committed to non gmo products. Greenpolkadotbox.com

For heavy metal cleanse I -have found that the ionic foot bath works beat for me. I have heard that there is a distinction between the sodium flouride that water is treated with and calcium flouride that is found in spring water naturally. Molecular structure can make a difference, apparently.