liminal_luke

Seth, Point well taken. Much as someone would defend themselves physically when attacked, there's plenty of times when defending oneself, or others, with a hex is the right way to go as well. I'm coming more around to the pro-hex point of view. Even in those situations though I think "sending love" is useful because it helps a person get to a place where they aren't angry. You can be a total aggressive bad-ass when the situation calls for it without the anger. I say love 'em first. Then go in for the kill. Liminal

I'm also having a "likes" related issue. Whenever I try to like something a message comes up "There was a problem storing your reputation vote." Liminal

Recently, when I've felt like a good hex was really in order, I've sent love instead. Just a little mini-meditation I read about here: The Tools: 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower--and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion a book by Phil Stutz. A few months back this computer repair guy cheated me (or so I think) and I've been fantasizing that I had secret powers to destroy his business ever since. Thankfully perhaps, my powers in this regard are extremely limited and the negative energy stays firmly in my own space. I'm sure he's ripping off others with abandon totally oblivious to my internal ranting. Anyway. It was almost painful to do, but I sent the guy love and immediately felt better. I still wouldn't shop there or anything--not that stupid--just don't want to be carrying around that black victim cloud anymore. Sending love isn't the first thing that comes to mind when people mistreat us, but if you can get over that initial resistance I think it's almost always more productive than sending a hex. Liminal

Most people come to the Taobums to get and give advice about spiritual practice. Boy can that get old fast. So it's a relief to know that there's also plenty of opportunity to reflect on why the particular group one belongs to is better than, well...you know, other groups. You've got your threads about the superiority of the male gender. (Always a personal favorite.) Your threads about the superiority of straight people. And, why not, the superiority of certain racial groups. I didn't want to practice Tai Chi anyway. Liminal

Thanks Trunk. Ironically, sometimes the taobums can be a distraction from cultivation. Lets just say we've got our share of pointless bickering. But then every once in awhile you read something that actually swoops you up and takes you to that deep place. You don't just write about it, you ignite it. Much appreciated. Liminal

I think cultivation can be great for addicts but not because it's similar to the addictive process--just the opposite. Addiction is about running away from emotional pain and uncomfortable experience in general. Cultivation turns this whole process around running straight into reality even when it hurts. Liminal

Manitou, I love the image of octopus tentacles. My feeling is that your holding that sense of oneness sends out healing for your whole family-- whether you ever communicate your view to them explicitly or not. Maybe they won't show it anytime soon, but when one tentacle so strongly radiates that sense of connection, the other tentacles can't help but pick up the beat. Just my thoughts. Liminal

Oh sure, this might work. I'd wager there's easier ways to induce crying though. Liminal

Edit out an attempted joke that, on second read, wasn't that funny afterall.

Sounds like you have a good working idea yourself of what makes a practice not such a good idea. While raising kundalini sounds appealing (at least to me) your intuition wisely sent out red flags and warning sirens. I'd listen to yourself on this one: don't do it. Liminal

Hi Flofolil, Some thoughts. I'm not so sure how useful it is making crying a goal. Not that you're not right--you may well need to cry. It's just that I suspect you'll go farther trusting, and following, the impulse of your body in the moment. The part of you that's "thinking" and deciding to make crying is a goal, isn't the same part that will cry when and if that time comes. So thinking "I really need to cry" takes your attention away from the inner process that might actually lead to crying. Hope this makes sense. Here's what I would do instead. You say you feel a "need to cry pressure in my eyes." That's great. Put your attention on that feeling. No need to try to figure anything out. Just notice what is. Where is the pressure greatest? How does it change as you focus on it (get more intense or go away)? What's the temperature (any heat or cold)? You can also ask yourself questions to go deeper...if this sensation were a color what color would it be...if this sensation could talk to me what would it say? This is not an attempt to cry, or indeed, to make anything happen at all. It's just paying attention to yourself. This attention gives your body the go-ahead signal to take the next step, which might or might not be crying, but will be the right thing for you. Also, this kind of unconditional noticing and acceptance of what is in the moment sends yourself the message that you're worthy of this kind of attention. I don't know about you, but I sometimes need that reminder. Liminal

Thanks Trunk. What's been interesting in my experience is the way the three (opening, centering, vertical integration) play off each other. Certain practices seem to emphasize one aspect or the other, but ultimately you can't go deep into one without the other two coming into play. Take a standing practice like "embracing the tree" for instance. If I had to sort, I'd put it in the vertical integration pile with opening and centering in a crucial, perhaps supporting role. Sitting in silence? Centering comes to my mind first. Again though, the other two players come along for the ride. Self massage is a shoe-in for opening, and again, out of that openness comes a deep centering and vertical connection. In a similar way, practices undertaken with a purely personal focus evolve naturally to include transpersonal dimensions. Something ridiculously simple like smiling at your liver eventually evokes the wood element on a cosmic scale, and from there pre-heaven energies of vast emptiness are a hop, skip, and a jump away. Personally, I'm a little skeptical of this happening in reverse. If one starts with a super big transpersonal focus does the process eventually grind down to include the nitty gritty of the physical tissues? This brings me to a useful, for me anyway, way to evaluate possible new practices. The more fluidly a practice that appears at first glance to focus on one of the Big Three calls up the other two, the more I like it. The more fluidly a practice morphs between personal and transpersonal levels, the more I like it. Just my thoughts. Liminal

Wow, thanks White Wolf. I do agree that vegetarianism is an appropriate and worthy topic of discussion. I just think the board works better when no one subject has so many threads that other topics are crowded out. Thanks again. Liminal

White Wolf, We get it. You think people shouldn't eat meat. And you're passionate enough to tailor make separate pro-veggie threads for different personality types: science nerds, health nuts, visually-oriented types who respond viscerally to graphic images of slaughter, and on it goes. You can do this but I really really hope you won't. I think it takes away from the board as a whole. Liminal

At the moment there are three separate threads in the opening page for members to weigh in on the benefits, or lack thereof, of vegetarianism in it's various forms. In my opinion, that's two too many. Maybe even three too many but whose counting. Any objections to limiting the debate over meat to a single thread? Liminal

When I told my mother-in-law that I'd like to make a chicken dish today for my first cooking lesson, I didn't think she'd go right out into the backyard and kill a bird on the spot. We went from chasing it down to marinating in marjoram and thyme in thirty minutes flat. (She's a speedy feather plucker.) Watching the dripping blood, I got how a person could fall into a vegetarian panic; there's something horrific about the whole experience ya just don't get picking a carrot. I didn't like it but I'm glad it happened. Life is glorious but not always pretty and I think it's important not to shy away even from the gory parts. Liminal

Nice. Here's another one (not as funny and considerably darker) from Victor Frankl: "What is to give light must endure burning." Liminal

Cameron, What benifits have you seen from the hindu squats? I dabbled with them, and the hindu pushups too, but not enough to know what they might do for me if I started a serious program. Would like to actually build muscle rather than just endurance though at this point anything that gets me off the couch is a step in the right direction. Liminal

Thanks for clarifying Taomeow. Reminds me of some posts you made awhile back about the covering over, rather than reality-perceiving, nature of "positive thinking." Liminal

Hi Taomeow, I'm intrigued. Studying war wouldn't of made my top five, though, now that I think about it, learning how to better relate to the aggressive impulse in myself and others would certainly come in handy. If you'd like to elaborate I'm all ears. Liminal

Thanks for that link. In the past I sort of villified antidepressents, but recent events have pushed me out of my overly-rigid, anti-pharmaceutical newage rut. Yeah, they´ve got sideeffects to be sure. Then again, being depressed has some heavy sideeffects too. When you need them, you need them. Liminal

I don´t know if meditation can help you look younger or not, but I´m pretty sure it can help you not care one way or the other . Liminal

Other than helping bums out with your postings here you mean? Liminal

No big theories on the significance of hats here, but I think it´s a meaningful question. Traditional Jewish guys always wear some sort of head covering. Dress in general is perhaps an under-investigated area of inquiry. Certainly I "feel" different when I put on nice clothes versus some ratty old sweat shirt. And come to think of it, different colors correspond to the different elements. If my heart energy needs a boost would wearing a bright red shirt help? I like the idea of a feng shui of fashion. Liminal

Hi ShivaShakti, I don´t have Robert Peng´s dvd. My experience is with the chi gong master behind the other dvd you mentioned, sheng zhen. I have done several workshops with him (Master Li) learning some of the standing movement forms and also the seated form for healing disease. I´ll always remember him telling us to smile and saying "enjoy the movemnent, enjoy your life." Good stuff. Liminal