cheya

Hey SM, I just need to chime in that Jahnke's ten phases in cultivating qi make sense to me and I find them useful. I am biased, as his chi kung video was my first real intro to chi kung, and I did his set for a couple years way back when. It's a beautiful set and I still do his tendon-changing exercises and field brushing moves when needed. He helped me start to feel chi, and his framing of the process still seems a useful overview to me. Thanks for posting them. cheya PS Jahnke's explanation of how movement and breath actually create water in the cells, which the pumping action of the breath moves into the lymphatic system, cleansing the tissues, was a revelation to me at the time. Actually, still is.

Twenty years ago I was given an "old" latex mattress by a friend. It is STILL firm and comfortable! Real latex is pricey, but if it lasts that long, it might be worth it. This one is pretty firm and I have it on a 3/4" plywood platform, well-supported so it doesn't sag. I still love it! The best mattress I ever slept on was two 4" thicknesses of cocopalm, on the floor, in India. Too big to bring back to the states, but it was even better than the latex, if such a thing is possible.

Hi Mal, Check out Resistance Stretching with Dara Torres. She's the forty-year-old swimmer who did so surprisingly well in the olympics, and credits it largely to this resistance stretching she learned from Bob Cooley. I've tried it and am really impressed, especially at how fast it can increase range of motion. It's been practically miraculous with some of my massage clients. She has a book and DVD. I've only seen the DVD. The method works on strength and flexibility at the same time. You hold resistance through the full range of the stretching movement in both directions. It also seems to stabilize joints: because you maintain resistance to the stretch, it doesn't just target the weakest link, which is often already over-stretched. Her DVD is really good, it has a lot of verbal repetition as they go through the different exercises, but it's like a drill. You really get it! Bob Cooley has a book too, with a lot of extraneous (maybe) info on the correlation between personality types and meridian function with stiffness or limited range of motion in different areas of the body. He ends up pretty much using variations of yoga poses. Resistance stretching is certainly the most effective ROM work I've come across so far.

Earthing neutralizes AC fields induced by AC wiring. Not all wiring systems induce these fields. Two friends' houses tested very low fields, while mine tested quite high in a number of places. You can test your house with an inexpensive voltmeter from Radio Shack, and you can verify that touching an earthing mat or other ground, drops the field induced on your body to near zero. However, voltmeters and gauss meters can't measure radio frequency fields, and RF meters are very expensive. The electric company just installed a smart meter outside my bedroom and Broadband Powerline on the stub line 25 feet from my bed! It's really screwing up my sleep. Anybody know how to protect against RF radiation?

Yamu recommend this book, and it's a great read, with many tips for approaching chi and chi practice. Dr. Chow's methods/instructions are a little unusual in my reading, but align closely with my own experience of chi, so of course I like the book. I reread periodically, simple as it is, and find new aspects to appreciate. Available really cheap used on Amazon too.

I love this! Here's a translation by Jos Slabbert, with commentary: http://www.taoism.net/theway/faith.htm (Scroll down that page for the translation w/o commentary.)

You could check out Earthing via earthing.com. Researchers used thermograms to demonstrate dramatic reductions in inflammation in 40 minutes! The US team used earthing/grounding in the Tour de France to speed healing from injuries. Worth a try? Or at least a look-see, especially if you need to be over it so soon. My computer is nuts this morning, so I'm having trouble finding you a useful link, but this looks like it might be a good one: http://www.earthinginstitute.net/studies/thermographic_histories_2004.pdf Do let us know whatever you find that works! Adeha

Another approach: In NIne Nights with the Taoist Master, author Waysun Liao doesn't directly call them the three treasures. He has Lao Tzu saying: " 'For those who cannot connect to the power of Tao, but would like to start to practice to get ready to do so, I have three types of practical messages that I hold and treasure. The first is mercy; the second is storing up; the third is yielding and not being ahead of others. From mercy comes courage to accept the way the power of Tao prevails; from storing up the power of Tao comes immensity; from yielding comes leadership. Intead, nowadays men give up mercy yet try to be courageous. They forsake storing up, but try to pretend immensity. They do not believe in yielding, and instead always try to be first. They certainly would receive no power of Tao. This is sure to end in death.' For mercy will broadcast the power of Tao to win any battle and strengthen defense. For the means by which the power of Tao of heaven prevails and protects is with mercy. If you can explain this to the people, and they can apply it even a little, then their understanding will grow,' said the sage." So Liao seems to be saying that the three practical methods are sort of baby steps for getting ready to connect with the power of Tao. Also, elsewhere in the book, Lao Tzu speaks specifically about "storing up", describing it as a core energetic/spiritual practice, unrelated to storing up financial or physical resources. He describes it as a kind of energetic frugality, taking great care to conserve the energy accumulated in the practice of cultivating and storing chi. Also in his book, Liao talks about "Broadcasting the power of Tao" as a high spiritual power of the sage. But he never describes it completely (not to my understanding, anyway). Anybody with any input on that, I'd love to hear about it!

Dawei makes a great point, one that I think is really core to this conversation. Are the three treasures virtues/ethics that we should cultivate in order to attain sagedom? Or are they the byproduct of spiritual practices, observable confirmations of attainment? If the three treasures are markers of attainment, and not MEANS of attainment, then most of this discussion actually belongs in another current thread, the one about how to tell if someone is enlightened.

Thank you Neiye, The teacher from MWI said he learned Tai Chi Ruler back in the 1980's from two different sources, one being Sifu B.P.Chan who taught in NY with William C.C. Chen, and the other, tai chi master Fong Ha in San Francisco. Ken Cohen lists 3 lineages, all coming down from Chen Xiyi. According to Cohen, two of those lineages came down to Zhao Zhongdao, and the third to Feng Zhiqiang, which Cohen says is a lesser known Daoist lineage. I don't know if Phil Young traces his TCR training back to one of those lineages, but I'd guess it's similar to Cohen's, who learned primarily from Feng Zhiqiang and Madame Gao Fu. And yes, MWI's Tai Chi Ruler sequence is working very well for me. Cohen says Feng listed 3 goals of the ruler practice, goals beyond the "side effect" of developing qi! "The third of those goals," Cohen writes, "is The Dao. Ultimately, the Taiji Ruler student becomes one with the Dao, also called the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth (tian di hunyuan qi). The practitioner learns to blend the qi of the body with the qi of the universe. In the Dao De Jing Lao Zi says, 'The One gives birth to the two.' Here duality returns to oneness."

They're not the same, but they seem much more related to each other than, say, Terry Dunn's version. Ken's article is an overview narrowed down by steps to some specific exercises. His stance is similar to the MWI DVD, and they both call for the lifting the front toe and then the rear heel as you rock back and forth, but Cohen's posture description is much more specific. You can see from the pictures that the exercises are similar, but Cohen's details on all but the first exercise are vague. The details and context he does offer, however, are very compatible with the specific moves presented on the MWI DVD. Cohen also mentions MCO and belt and leg channels, without actually going into the Eight Extraordinary Channel aspects. Cohen is more context. MWI is more doing. They are both in the same ballpark. Hope addresses what you want to know...

Thanks, Neiye. That explains it. And also saves me from ending up with yet another version of SKL's taichi ruler! Any teachers/DVD versions you recommend?

Taiji Ruler: Legacy of the Sleeping Immortal, by Ken Cohen, is available by download for just $3 from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, where it was originally published. It's about 20 pages, and I found it very interesting. Cohen discusses the history, the origin of the two major lineages, and describes some of the practices in detail in the section "Zhao Family Moving Taiji Ruler," including a number of details I have not found elsewhere. Here's a link. http://www.journalofasianmartialarts.com/Asia/Taiji-Ruler-Legacy-of-the-Sleeping-Immortal/flypage.tpl.html You do have to register at the site to order, but that was easy. Also, Baguakid: who's Carl? Do you mean Terry Dunn?

I've been doing Tai Chi Ruler for a month or so now, using the Eight Extraordinary version on the DVD Tai Chi Ruler by Masterworks International. The increase in chi sensation is more than any other practice I've done. I can now clearly feel the alternation of the currents in my legs as I rock back and forth in coordination with the breathing. And my feet are getting hot! I've had some kind of daily chi practice for years, and even though I have come to feel a lot of chi movement in my legs, my feet have never gotten hot before. The practice is almost ridiculously simple, but extremely effective, and best of all it makes me feel really happy after doing it. Questions: Has anybody tried the tai chi ruler with embedded magnets (12500 gauss, Dainin posted link to Carl Totten above)? Interesting, but pricey. I've been playing with another interesting modification for a few days. Doing the set on an earthing mat (see earthing.com), that has you grounded into the earth with wires. Doing that somehow amplifies the chi sensation even more, to the point I have to limit how long I practice on the mat! Anybody else tried it that way?

Looks like you can sample a bit of the DVD at: http://www.masterworksinternational.com/tai-chi/tai-chi-ruler/

Hi Ralis, Terry Dunn's. After I ordered it, I read on TTB that he said the form demonstrated on that DVD was a "broken form" and that you needed the appendix in the book to get the practice right. So I guess that DVD isn't a great candidate for comparison. Do you know of another Ruler DVD that you recommend? Have you practiced the form? I got one book (not Dunn's) but it's not real helpful yet, although I've barely gotten into it. cheya

Hi Ralis, I've been practicing with the ruler for a few weeks now, but only got this DVD 3 days ago. I bought a ruler on eBay with no instructions, so had to wing it. When I first picked up the ruler and did the forward rolling movement, the only movement I knew to do, I was astonished that I could feel the energy moving in MCO immediately. (Well, clearly up the back, not as clearly down the front.) It was so palpable that I immediately realized I was moving the ruler too fast and getting ahead of the chi' s rise up my back! I would have learned more exercises sooner, but I can't watch videos on my rural dial up connection. I suspected that it was activating the eight extraordinary vessels, as your hands are basically making circuits in the path of what one of my teachers called "the suspender channels", which are about the same place on the chest as suspenders would lie. I first tried another DVD to learn the ruler sets, but was disappointed and not remotely interested in that version. I just kept doing what turns out to be pretty much the first set on this DVD. I've only had this DVD for a couple days now, so have only done all six exercises for those two days. However, I've never felt the chi so immediately from any other form or DVD. I'm a bodyworker, and I've been working with the EEV master/coupled points for a few years now, so that may have increased my sensitivity to this form, but I am REALLY impressed. cheya

Thank You Mal! And thank You Marblehead! This is Greatness on Greatness! Adeha

Hey Cat, I've been hesitating to throw this in here, because it seems trivial compared to all the pain in the world, but since you asked... Deep pressure anywhere on my leg muscles has always been very painful. A couple years ago my rolfer was roto-rooting my legs, and it was incredibly painful, when suddenly it changed. The sensation was that he was just pushing a wave of deep thick energy up my leg. It didn't hurt at all. It was just very interesting. I'd been doing a lot of chi gung, and I had somehow shifted into an energy state instead of my usual consciousness. In that state, the work was not at all painful. The same thing happened at our next session. Somehow I shifted into that other state, and the deep leg work was just energy being moved. No pain. I thought I was done with bodywork pain, but the following session, I couldn't find that doorway, and the work was again painful. Recently, it happened again, but this time, before the painful work, I was "in my chi mind" from meridian work that had put me in a strong chi state. Then the therapist moved to the back of a sore shoulder, and the pain brought me momentarily out of that chi state. But then I went back into the chi state, and the shoulder relaxed into the work amidst great waves of chi. Anybody else have their pain shift into energy waves or surges? Tips or techniques for entering that state? Any relation to right/left brain function?

Rebounding strengthens every cell in your body. Really. A friend met a rebounder "fanatic" at a health fair, and was frankly skeptical when this really lean and buff guy claimed he'd been a beer-bellied couch potato before he took up rebounding. But the guy had pictures! It really does work. Some women will want to wear a bra for rebounding, for comfort if not for the stretch/sag factor. Cellulite is supposed to be stored toxins. Rebounding, skin brushing, and some raw juicing is bound to help. (The enzymes in the juice help chew up the toxins.) For a copy of a simple rebounding routine, send me your email address. After you've been doing it awhile, light hand and ankle weights and some different moves make it more interesting. Be sure to put on some heavy beat dance music! That makes it way more fun!

Rebounding moves lymph dramatically, which is why you can feel bad for awhile after you quit. Increasing lymphatic clearance dumps toxins into the blood stream which can overload a sluggish liver. The first time I rebounded 20 years ago, I felt significantly bad after only a couple minutes. If you're lymphatically challenged, you have to limit bounce time in the beginning, increasing the time gradually. After rebounding a couple weeks I could go on indefinitely, no problem. Combining raw juice fasting, rebounding, and dry skin brushing changed my body faster than anything I've ever done. The reduction in body volume due to jettisoning toxins was amazing, and continued even after I stopped juicing. I asked Michael Winn once what he thought of rebounding from the chi perspective, and he said it was a good enough exercise, just no grounding. But for getting stronger and leaner, and building bone, it's hard to beat.

[quote name='TianShi' date='12 March 2011 - 10:04 PM' timestamp='1299985479' post='248214' ??????????this essence is the essence of qi ?????when qi is inhaled the essence is born ????when born it gives rise to true intent ????true intent gives rise to a true knowledge ?????true knowledge gives rise to stability ?????if the heart is snared in external shapes ?????the true knowledge is gone and life is lost. TianShi, Your translation seems more clear and coherent to me than the others, and made me feel like I understand much better. Thank you! I hope you'll offer your translations of the verses often. cheya

The REALLY good ones are the old ones, made before 1985. The new ones are much lighter in weight, and the "action" in the hand is very different. While the old ones definitely initiate an energy current from my hands, the new light ones don't. I find the "magic" seems to be related to the sound/vibration of the chime, so I don't recommend the solid balls. Here's what I wrote in a Baoding thread from a few years back: "A couple years ago, I inherited two identical sets of Baoding balls. They were two inches in diameter, much bigger than the single small set I'd had for years, and I thought they would just be too big to handle. I'd been working alot with feeling energy in my chi gung practice, and when I finallly did pick them up, I was shocked at what I felt. The energy traveled up my arms to my head, down to my feet, back up to my head, back out to my hands. It wasn't a perfect circuit, and it didn't follow meridians, but it was very palpable. I was stunned. I mean, that is what the Chinese say the balls do, but it just never occurred to me that the effect would be palpable! I didn't expect to be able to repeat the effect, but indeed, it happens every time I pick up the balls! I've become somewhat obsessed with Chinese balls, and have bought many pairs on eBay, which I make available for my massage clients. Some balls precipitate the energy effect more than others. Some hints: In general, I need balls in both hands to feel the effect. The old heavier type of balls are much more effective than the new lighter balls, which hardly do anything at all. The heavier balls, having more mass, have a stronger physical vibration. Look for two sets of balls that are at least two inches in diameter (6.5 inch circumference) that weigh at least 13 oz per pair without the box. That's not so easy to do. The new balls are plastic or something, weigh even only half as much as the old ones (pre 1985). Some of the 2" ones weigh as little as 6-8 oz.! Their chime sounds all right, but the sound doesn't convey vibration the same way, as you can imagine. I think it is the vibration, not the sound, that generates the energetic effect. Some martial arts places sell big stainless steel balls which have fairly good chiming resonance even though they aren't from the old stocks. Easy to get two matched sets that way. If you can examine them in person, you can pick sets with more appealing and harmonious sound, which is a plus. My dogs leave the room when I start using those stainless balls though!" Here's the thread URL: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/11820-bao-ding-balls/page__p__146242__fromsearch__1entry146242

For me, Chapter 26 is directing us to focus on the inner rather than the outer treasure. I particularly like Jonathan Star's translation: "The inner is foundation of the outer The still is master of the restless The Sage travels all day yet never leaves his inner treasure Though the views are captivating and beg attention he remains calm and uninvolved Tell me, does the lord of a great empire go out begging for rice? One who seeks his treasure in the outer world is cut off from his own roots Without roots, he becomes restless Being restless, his mind is weak And with a mind such as this he loses all command below Heaven" ....