liminal_luke

For the inner smile, I`d recommend Michael Winn`s free ebook (you have to sign up for his newsletter, I think) at https://healingtaousa.com/. No idea how to open a chakra or shuck an oyster but I had two this morning, oysters that is. They were delicious. Oprah Winfrey`s schtick is based on having the appearance of an open heart. Now, whether or not appearances are to be believed... As far as the percentages of people with various chakras open, I won`t pretend to have a clue but I`ll toss my hat in with those who believe it`s highly variable, highly individual.

Liking the creative arts is a great sign. You may indeed be depressed but you can identify something that fulfills you deeply so things could be worse. Deeply depressed people can`t identify anything that they like. This also points to the obvious way out of your doldrums -- do more of these things that are speaking your creative language. Now, making a living as an artist of any kind iisn`t easy. (Recommended book: Art and Fear.) It might be that you can`t entirely make a living right now doing any of those thing but someday. Some people do make money this way so why not you? It won`t be easy, as you know It will be a hell of a lot of work, but it will be worth it because art is inherently meaningful. And not just meaningful in a hedonistic give-me-pleasure kind of way, but meaningful in a putting your vision out into the world kind of way -- totally different animal. I believe some people are put on this earth to create, and you might be one of them. If so, this is what you`ve got to do. You might be poor for awhile: do it anyway. We`re hardwired for freedom. If you`re doing something that`s "not really your choice" you`re not likely to be happy doing it. If it`s for your parents, and not for you, you`re not gonna be overjoyed either. In Zapchen, a somatic wellness practice, there are a lot of practices around "objecting." We generally put up with a whole lot in life we don`t like without objecting, without saying NO. Suppressing our objection to things that are objectionable (like full-time employment in a boring environment that we wouldn`t choose for the purpose of paying somebody else`s bills) can make us depressed, or worse. The way to stop feeling dead is to object, forcefully. And then go to work if that`s what you have to do. This is something you can do privately, as a somatic exercise: it`s not about complaining to anybody else. Ways to object: stomp your feet and say no; make raspberries with your lips by blowing through through them while they are lightly closed; or horselips, blowing through your lips and letting them vibrate so that they make a sound somewhat like a dissatisfied horse. Journal about how much it sucks. Whatever you do, don`t let your anger go unvoiced.

Not really doing any organ meditations now, but I`m also drawn to this kind of practice. What particularly strikes me is how each organ (or organ system, really) has a certain...ummm, I dunno...flavor? What I mean is that I got so that I`d recognize the difference in feel between a kidney feeling and a liver one, and so on. My shiatsu teacher in massage school once said that she could be blindfolded and have someone put her finger on someone else`s meridian point and know which meridian it was from the quality of the qi. I just find this fascinating.

Qigong-wise, I`d suggest anything that tonifies the kidney system. Michael Winn has a whole DVD devoted to kidneys/sexual energy. I`m choosing to do "swimming dragon."

Wow, that`s quite a story. The friends I referenced who prefer forks and spoons are gringos, but they don`t make a fuss about it and servers always seem happy to bring them whatever. I generally stay clear of non-Mexican food here (but go crazy for anything asian during trips to the states). Mexicans do love their sushi, though.

I`d use the chopsticks for my rice simply because it`s still enough of a novelty to me to be fun. Some of my friends prefer western utensils which is odd, but I don`t begrudge them their choice.

I haven`t made this, but I like the Serious Eats website and this one looks good. Some ideas for ingredients anyway. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/01/all-american-beef-stew-recipe.html

Some years ago I interned in a county jail. Not all the inmates were sadists of course, but as a group they did skew towards the sociopathic. Anyway, they didn`t strike me as being anything close to enlightened. I get what you`re saying Dawn90 about opposites coming together; it`s an intriguing idea but it just doesn`t jive with my experience in the field. No worries about offending me though. It`s an interesting topic and we`re all free to discuss -- and believe -- whatever we want.

True. There`s lots of ways to look at "sexual issues," and I think we`re both touching on different aspects, Oak. Sexual judgment (and especially sexual shame) and low self-esteem often go together.

For most of us, lust is a part of life. It`s an animal desire, for sure, but also part of what makes us human. Why be so hard on the lusty? Sexual issues, including irresponsible promiscuity, arise from sexual judgment.

Everybody has to work with what they have. Any emotional tendency or situation can be a doorway into awareness if a person is willing to shine awareness there. Shadow work can be potent, and many people have a lot of hidden treasures hidden in the basements of their psches. So yes, becoming aware of our potential for cruelty and sadism is a very good thing. There`s danger in a thread like this, however. We can end up glorifying cruelty, putting sadists on some sort of pedestal. Sadists aren`t in any way closer to enlightenment than the rest of us. Just no. Sometimes when a person`s been cruel it`s tempting for them to try and find a hidden upside, as if to say "yes, I was cruel but it`s just because I`m someone who has this great spiritual potential." This is making excuses and dodging responsibility. It`s hogwash plain and simple and not spiritual in the least.

You might not have a self, Dmattwads, but it`s nice to see you back around here anyway.

I`ll bet. You, Karen, have this don`t-confuse-me-with-a-doormat quality that would stop a would-be harrasser in his tracks. A trait that probably contributes to your longevity as a moderator as well. (Or at least that`s my perception of you. If I`m delusional, well, wouldn`t be the first time.) Not everyone has your gumption.

Sociopaths can be good con artists, but that`s no great shakes. Lack of empathy, poor impulse control, narcissism -- these aren`t signposts of awareness in my book.

Great video. Please note that the professor did not say that being cruel or sadistic is a sign of self-knowledge or enlightenment. He said that being aware of that aspect of one`s shadow -- of one`s capacity for cruelty -- was an entry point into wisdom. People should be aware of their capacity for cruelty and sadism and then not be cruel. The part about not acting on that potential for cruelty is all-important. People who are actually cruel and sadistic are neither self-aware nor enlightened. Quite the contrary.

Tofu, good? My healthy-diet sources say otherwise, though I`m not feeling motivated to post sources at the moment. You can probably get the scoop by googling tofu and estrogen. From what I`ve read, soy is a health no-no (although the fermented forms such as tempeh aren`t so bad, and natto is a great source of vitamin K).

Touche! I don`t doubt the accuracy of your observations, Rene. My definition and understanding of feminism is an idealized version and may not match the reality in the field. Nevertheless, I consider myself a feminist (and a masculinist) in that I believe people ought to be free to follow their own path in the world. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I am a humanist or a libertarian? Cheris Kramara wrote that "feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings." That is the definition I`m clinging to -- because I think it`s the one we desperately need -- even if it doesn`t really represent feminism as practiced in the "real world" you reference. Trauma warps people. Oppression warps people. And when people have been traumatized and oppressed, as I assert women have been, their subsequent attempts to overcome that oppression will reflect that warping. For this reason we see feminists who try to crawl their way out of oppression by becoming masculine -- and insisting their sisters do likewise. Such "feminists" aren`t evil and bad; they`re just imperfect people reacting to an imperfect situation the best they can. I see the same thing happening with the gay rights movement. Many insecure young gay men act queeny and flamboyant -- more queeny than they really are in their authentic selves -- because they think this is the only way to be gay and they are following the model in their heads. Maturity is the process of getting comfortable enough with ourselves to be ourselves; we allow ourselves to be as masculine or feminine as we truly are, rather than mimicking somebody else`s notion of who they think we should be.

I disagree with you about feminism. Feminism doesn`t say that women should be in stereotypically feminine roles or in stereotypically male roles. Feminism says women should be in the roles they choose.

I think Winn changes every form a bit. Doesn`t mean they`re bad -- they`re just authentic Winn.

Just mention the possibility of a matriarchal society and people get pretty stirred up. They ask...isn`t that abusive towards men? Aren`t women just as yadda yadda yadda as men? And then fights break out. All of which suggests that very few of us grew up with the kind of nurturing recommended in the book Taomeow references, The Continuum Concept. Which is exactly the point. We need a society that first and foremost recognizes the needs of human beings; nevermind what that society is called. Rather than reacting with reflexive defensiveness, we might ask ourselves what living in a matriarchal society would truly mean. The fear is that it would be a bunch of women bossing the guys around --but what if that`s not it? What if it`s something radically different? Don`t we owe it to each other to ask the questions?

Sign Me Up.

Never been in the service, Windwalker. I think you`ve got me confused with some other Bum.

Well, I agree that we`ve got to follow the rules. If it`s determined that the veterans aren`t legally in the country then we have to follow the law and deport them -- or else change the law. That said, it`s hard to think of a more touching way for an "illegal alien" to express dedication to the US than to serve in the military.

Manitou, I haven`t been in your situation but I came across this quote by someone who has, Joan Didion. It`s from a book called The Year of Magical Thinking. “Grief turns out to be a place none of us know until we reach it. We anticipate (we know) that someone close to us could die, but we do not look beyond the few days or weeks that immediately follow such an imagined death. We misconstrue the nature of even those few days or weeks. We might expect if the death is sudden to feel shock. We do not expect this shock to be obliterative, dislocating to both body and mind. We might expect that we will be prostrate, inconsolable, crazy with loss. We do not expect to be literally crazy, cool customers who believe their husband is about to return and need his shoes.” Joan Didion