Dainin

These books may be of interest: Skills of the Vagabonds Beyonds the Incredibles I haven't seen these personally, so I can't comment on the quality of the material. "The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded"

Actually, it was a line in "Enter the Dragon", but the concept of the book seems like an expansion of the idea expressed (with humor) in the movie. Looks interesting.

"The Art of Fighting Without Fighting!"

Yes, a friend of mine got it from Gabriel Cousens at the Golden Bridge in Los Angeles. She wasn't ready for it, and had problems dealing it with it for some time afterward. I think you can add Santiago and Tao from UMAA Tantra to the list, and Dr. Morris's former colleague Susan Carlson as well.

I'm not sure where you live, but here's another vipassana retreat center: Spirit Rock In regard to your last question, in my opinion it would be a good idea to learn it from a local sangha before jumping into a 10 day day retreat. You will then find out if the practice appeals to you. On the other hand some people might say it is better to have no preconceptions beforehand, and that would lead to greater transformative potential. You probably won't find vipassana being taught at a zen temple. Most practice zazen, although some do use certain techniques associated with vipassana such as labelling. Good luck on your journey!

I think Bruce Frantzis teaches a practice called Standing and Dissolving that sounds kind of similar to what you are describing. I don't remember if he breathes from the points to the dantien or not, but he does something to dissolve tension and blockages at these points. It is part of a system that includes some arm swinging exercises, wave hands like clouds and a spinal stretch. I have it on VHS tape that is buried in a box somewhere in my closet, but I'm sure some of his students are on here and can chime in about it. It is also described in a book called Opening the Energy Gates of your Body.

I was at WKK's seminar in Orlando last weekend, and he really stressed that the spontaneous part of the practice is the most important part of his system, and is what separates really doing qigong from just doing physical exercises. He suggested that a beginner do 60% forms and 40% spontaneous, and then gradually increase the percentage of spontaneous. He said that a master might only do 10% forms and 90% spontaneous. And he did say that it should be learned under the supervision of a master or at least a qualified teacher. By the way, the 18 Lohans that he taught did include the 8 section brocade as the first 8, and 10 additional movements on day 2. It was not the kung fu form of the same name, but was a very cool qigong set. The venue where the course was held was great. It overlooked a lake and had lots of trees with Spanish moss hanging down!

Shon, there's an interesting article in the current issue of Qi Journal entitled "The Role of Momentum in Tai Chi" by John Loupos that may be of use to you. It has some pictures illustrating correct and incorrect alignment. The article was taken the book "Tai Chi Connections" by the same author. Since you are practicing mostly on your own, maybe using a mirror or video camera might give you some useful feedback. Regards --Ken

There's a very good book called "A Tooth from the Tiger's Mouth: How to Treat your Injuries with Powerful Healing Secrets of the Great Chinese Warriors " by Tom Bisio, who is an acupuncture physician and martial artist, that may be useful to you. He covers things like therapies for cuts and lacerations, cupping and bleeding, liniments, poltices and plasters, herbal soaks, acupressure, massage, internal herbal formulas, and moxibustion. I remember one passage in the book where one of his Chinese teachers was really against using ice on injuries, stating that it was for dead people! For lower back pain, some of his recommendations include: slow abdominal breathing, trauma pill 2x a day for 2-3 days, cup the injured area, trauma liniment, wu yang or yunnan paiyao plasters, press and massage BL 60 and BL 40. He also gives follow-up treatments, exercises, acupoints and massage, and dietary tips. He also is partners in a school that teaches tui na and zhen gu, which seems to be something like physical therapy. They have programs for both acupuncturists and laymen. It sounds really impressive, I'd like to take some courses with them some time: Zheng Gu Tui Na: Chinese Medical Massage. Hope this helps --Ken

If I'm not mistaken, the only thing proven under controlled experimental conditions to extend life span is caloric restriction. A lot of the early research in this area was done by the late Dr. Roy Walford of UCLA, who found the same effect across a variety of species. He was one of the people in that BioSphere project in Arizona a while back, and later died of ALS. Many other people are carrying on this work, both in the lab and on themselves: http://www.calorierestriction.org/ The idea is to pack in as many nutrients as possible with as few calories as possible. Many of the ideas discussed above have a lot of merit, and I will add one more: getting enough sleep. I think the importance of this will become increasingly apparent over the next few years.

The Wong Kiew Kit version is illustrated on this page: http://www.flowingzen.com/18lohan.htm

Hi BaguaKid, By coincidence, I registered to attend this workshop this morning. I went to some of his workshops in Miami during his first US tour in 2005. During those classes he only taught a few movements (he calls them "dynamic patterns"), and then how to do "self-manifested" (i.e. spontaneous) qigong. He spent a lot of time on questions and answers. I think what stuck with me the most from the things he said had to do with the importance of one's state of mind while practicing. I remember when the class started the movements, he said "Now smile from your heart" and you could feel the energy in the room change. I think he also did an energetic transmission during the workshop. Another class was on a meditation called the "golden cascade" which was like an energy shower. Since my main interest is in moving forms, I was mildly disappointed that he didn't cover more of those, but overall I felt the experience was beneficial and worthwhile. In the Orlando workshop he will be teaching an 18 movement form, so I am looking forward to it. He charges a bit more than most, but he is also coming from farther away (and I should add that his fees are way less than some of the people I've heard about on TTB that charge thousands!). Regards, Ken

Dragonfire, I've been considering making the same career move, and I'm a lot older than you, 46. In my case I have 19 years in a state pension plan, so it would difficult to give that up now. But my thoughts keep going back to it, so who knows. Last year I completed a course on medical qigong at an acupuncture school. Many of the other students were either acupuncture students from the school, or already practicing acupuncturists. It seemed like about half of the students in the acupuncture program were non-traditional, i.e. older students transitioning from other careers. Interacting with these folks, as well as my main qigong teacher who is also an acupuncturist, has inspired me to consider this career/life. This school is the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture and is located in Gainesville, FL. They moved there recently from Hallandale, here in South Florida. The unique thing about it is that for the first 2 years of the program, classes meet for 2 week intensives only, like 4 or 5 a year (I think), so students don't need to reside there. The third year is clinical, so that is full-time and you would have to live there for a year. It's not that inexpensive though, about $48K for acupuncture and herbalism. The web site is http://www.acupuncturist.org/. Another school that looked very appealing to me is the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, in Tucson. This school seems reasonably priced (about $40K) for acupuncture and herbs, and also includes a strong concentration in tuina bodywork, so you can get certified in that too. It even includes daily qigong and taiji practice in the curriculum. (http://www.asaom.edu) I wish you well on your journey.

Apparently this can also be accomplished with milk: and smoke: Imagine the volume of disciplined spiritual work these people must have done to develop these miraculous siddhis!

ToL, I've seen a number of good reviews of the bagua DVDs by Ted Mancuso. I haven't seen the DVDs personally, but I'm thinking about getting them. They're listed on this page (and I think in Amazon too): DVD Ba Gua Kung Fu assorted That being said, it was my experience that trying to learn tai chi from a video was extremely difficult. You need a live teacher. And since bagua is faster moving and even more complex, it may be virtually impossible to learn from a video. I agree with phore that it is possible to learn simpler qigong forms from a video, as you won't have all the fancy footwork and changes of direction to deal with. You won't get the same transmission as you would in person though (or get answers to your questions). Good luck!

I was just going to list the film El Topo in the "Resources" section, and looked up Jodorowsky in the search engine and found this message which no one responded to. I agree with Steve that the Holy Mountain is an amazing movie. Personally I liked El Topo even more. I can't recommend both of these films highly enough. There is an interview with Jodorowsky with clips from these films at: Alejandro Jodorowsky - Abkco Films Two other films from the same time period that I love are Performance by Donald Cammel and Nicholas Roeg, and Roeg's Walkabout. They deal with somewhat similar themes, although in a less extreme manner than Jodorowsky. Does anyone have any other favorite films along these lines?

There has been a collection of these relics touring North America for several years, called the Heart Shrine Relic Tour. It is part of an effort by the FPMT to build a 500 foot bronze buddha statue in India. I went to see it a few years ago at a Chinese Buddhist temple in Ft Lauderdale (International Buddhist Progress Society). First they did a service and chanting. There were both Chan and Tibetan priests present. Then we lined up and one of the lamas would touch an urn containing the relics of the Shakyamuni Buddha to each person's forehead. When this happened to me I felt what I can only describe as an immense surge of happiness and compassion. Then we walked around a large altar/table with relics of many other saints: Milarepa, Marpa, Tsongkapa, etc. The energy emanating from these was tangible, and I felt really good for a few days afterward. It was an unforgetable experience for me. The tour will be continuing through the fall in North America, and one will also be beginning in Europe. If you have a chance to check it out, I would definitely recommend it. Here is the web site: Heart Shrine Relic Tour I think some other religions, including Catholic, venerate the physical remains of saints as well. I don't know if they get the jewel-like relics though.

R.W. welcome to the Tao Bums. Would you happen to be the author Robert W. Smith by any chance?

Bowie enlightened? I don't know. He was aware of the path though, and had an interesting spiritual life. This is an excerpt from an article on allexperts.com by Jamie Soule: "All one has to do is study Bowie's lyrics and it is obvious that there were many periods when he wrote about the spiritual realm. Not only did he write about it but on many occasions he immersed himself studying various teachings. Bowie was searching for a truth and this is especially evident beginning with his very early work until 1987 Now, to fully understand this we have to go back to around 1967. Many do not know that at this period in Bowie's life he was leaning heavily toward Buddhism. Bowie first became interested in Buddhism while still attending Bromley Technical High School. His initial interest was aroused while reading Keroac and furthered when he went on to read two additional books, one titled Zen Buddhism, and the other titled Buddhism. His interest in Buddhism was quite deep by the mid sixties. Bowie said that he was now studying Buddhism and reading about the history of Tibet. He also spoke of a desire to visit Tibet and the monasteries. Bowie also said that he was thinking of learning to speak Chinese. Bowie and Tony Visconti joined the Tibet society and spent quite a bit of time there with a monk named Chimi Youngdoong Rimpoche. This monk had escaped along with two others when the Chinese invaded Tibet. Bowie has said that in 1967 he went on pilgrimages to a monastery in Scotland.. Bowie apparently at one point was ready to take the step of shaving his head to become a novice monk. Lindsay Kemp has taken the credit for "saving" David as he put it. Kemp apparently convinced Bowie that he could share himself with others and also pursue his beliefs. This was around the time of Pierrot In Turquoise and the colour Turquoise symbolized everlastingness in keeping with his Buddhist teachings. Later Bowie also named his multi media group Turquoise. Bowie has said that he was mostly studying Mayana Buddhism which is mostly oral and he was never involved with Buddhism linked to yoga. Even though Bowie was searching for happiness and inner peace he was still unhappy which also had a bearing on his decision not to become a novice. Some of his early work such as Karma Man and Silly Boy Blue contain references to his belief in Buddhism. It comes as no great surprise that with Bowie's thirst for knowledge and the desire to explore the hidden mysteries that his search would eventually lead him into the realm of Majik, Mysticism and the Occult. The Man Who Sold The World gives quite a good indication where Bowie's search was headed as there are many references to the mystic arts on that album. In addition there emerges the "Death of man " concept seen later on Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs." The entire article is available here.

Hi JJW, Two short and easy-to-learn qigong forms that in my experience bring a lot of qi to the hands are: 1. Xiang Gong (aka Fragrance or Incense Qigong): level 1 is about 15 simple movements, all done with the arms and hands. It got the name because supposedly advanced practitioners start to smell pleasant aromas while doing the form. This has never happened to me, but I felt the energy right off the bat. No special breathing or visualization techniques are necessary with this form. You can find a document with directions here: http://www.qi.org/fragrant/index.html I learned it off this DVD: Dr Jin's Self Healing Series 2. Pan Gu Shen Gong: the basic moving form involves circular movements of the hands in 3 positions, while doing visualizations, and short recitations at the beginning and end of the practice. This is a "channeled" rather than a traditional form, but it seems to produce excellent results. In fact, when I took the medical qigong program at the Academy for 5 Elements Acupuncture, this was the primary method used for the practitioner's cultivation (although we learned many other forms as well). You can buy a course off their web site, or there may be instructors in your country. Whenever I do either of these forms my palms get red, blotchy, and really tingle, so perhaps they may help you with your cold hands. (Interestingly, I also get strong tingling on the soles of my feet after doing these) Good luck! --Ken

Hi Seth, Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming has a book and DVD called "Simple Qigong Exercises for Arthritis Relief": YMAA Publishing Dr. Paul Lam has a number of tai chi DVDs focusing on the health problems of older people: Tai Chi Productions Another one is Mark Johnson's Tai Chi for Seniors DVD. I saw this one a few years back. He seemed to have a good sense of humor. There are a lot of senior citizens in my city! Regards --Ken

The Findhorn Community is in Scotland, and has been into this kind of stuff since 1962. They were renowned for growing giant vegetables using natural means in the 1970s. This is copied from their web page: "Meditation in its various forms - such as sitting quietly, singing, dancing, being in nature, working - is practised at Findhorn as a means to connect with and listen to our inner source of wisdom. Before group activities commence, we stop, attune to the wisdom within, attune to each other and to the task, and then move forward. By doing so, we contact the part of our consciousness that recognises our unity. From this comes a sense of shared motivation and purpose which can result in action that serves each individual, the group as a whole, and life itself. Tasks are often achieved with ease, peace, joy and beauty, and sometimes with new and unexpected solutions to problems. Deep inner listening was applied to the task of growing the first garden at Findhorn, which the founders - Eileen Caddy, Peter Caddy and Dorothy Maclean - engaged in as a way to supplement their diet by growing their own food. The inner source of wisdom they contacted daily included the intelligence of nature, and when they listened to and applied the wisdom they received, the garden flourished. As they progressed in their practice of attunement to the intelligence of nature, they came to understand that they were actually enagaged in a process of co-creation with nature. This new understanding, and its results in the Findhorn garden, were the catalysts for inspiring others to work in this way, and launched Findhorn onto the world stage." It sounds like a nice place to visit: Findhorn Foundation

I haven't read this book yet, but it sounds like it may be of interest: Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality: Pathway to Growth & Healing I think Glenn Morris cited it in one of his books. Regards --Ken

Chen Man Ching: The Master Tapes This 4 DVD set sounds like it might really be worth watching!

That sounds like "Magic and Mystery in Tibet" by Alexandra David-Neel. I liked the part about the monks that could run ultramarathons across the plateau while in a trance!