liminal_luke

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Everything posted by liminal_luke

  1. when should long time

    liminal_luke replied to old3bob's topic in General Discussion

    I don't understand your post. If somebody has something wonderful to say, then yes, I would prefer to hear it. But one thing I've learned chatting online is "ya can't change anybody else's posting style." Many a Bum has wished that you'd change the way you post, old3bob. I myself have wondered whether your style of political commentary actually hurts the causes you believe in. But try as we might to change you, you persist -- gloriously! You say what you wanna say and cannot be stopped. And good for you! In the end, perhaps that's for the best, that each of us has the freedom to express ourselves -- or not express ourselves -- as we see fit.

  2. when should long time

    liminal_luke replied to old3bob's topic in General Discussion

    The word "lurk" sounds a bit sinister, as if people who choose to keep their opinions to themselves are climbing on ladders to peer into their neighbor's bedrooms. But wait, isn't that ridiculous? There's nothing wrong -- and often a lot right -- with staying quiet. Lurkers of the World Unite. You are bothering nobody. Share when and if you feel inspired.

  3. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    Welcome to Five Guys Exactly! Can you imagine meeting a group of rowdy Bums at The Five Tibetans after work for drinks? Not what I need to get in shape but lots of fun.

  4. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    That's true --- the five tibetans it ain't! I guess I just liked how the cheerful voiceover and cartoon animals created a positive vibe. It's something short I could imagine doing with my partner every morning.

  5. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    It's not qigong (well, a few of the movements maybe) but I'm thinking of starting a regular practice of radio taiso. Radio Taiso - YouTube

  6. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    Thanks! I've been thinking of joining a local gym but might start climbing up to the local lookout point regularly instead. Intuitively, that feels like the better, and certainly more challenging, option. I wouldn't go all the way to the top to begin with but could work up to it over time. There's a new series on Netflix about the "blue zones" -- places around the world with a higher proportion of centenarians. Almost none of the featured oldsters go to the gym, with the exception of a few Seventh Day Adventists in California; instead they focus on physical activities like gardening. There's supposedly a study that found a correlation between the steepness of the road up to a person's house in Sardinia and longevity. I'm a tad skeptical of that finding, and of the concept of blue zones generally, but the advice about staying active in one's everyday life seems good.

  7. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    I often read that strength training is especially important for seniors who are apt to lose muscle as they age unless they take action to stay in shape. It's said that muscle helps with balance, helps people continue to be able to do everyday activities, and is associated with longevity. Are there particular routines you'd recommend for the over 50 set who want to preserve muscle without doing anything that might interfere with qi flow? Would the Yi Jin Jing I've already learned fit the bill? Bodyweight exercises like pushups and pullups?

  8. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    The conversation seems to have turned back to the subject of qigong. a development that, I'm sure we all agree, is for the best. Still, I'd like to say a few words on my own behalf. I liked Taomeow's post above because I think she made some good points. Weirdly, our culture suppresses women's sexuality while sexualizing all touch, a combination of attitudes that takes us to some pretty dark places. My intention was not to attack you. I just wanted to riff on the cultural issues being discussed and (I hope you'll notice) never mentioned your initial post one way or the other. And yes, I do believe that white people are disparaged in some corners but that's not to ignore or exclude the rampant discrimination against other groups. There's plenty of bad behavior to go around. If you want to reply to this post and have the "last word" so be it. I've said all I need to say and won't contaminate this thread with any further "bullshit." How 'bout that physical qigong?

  9. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    While qigong wouldn't be my first choice for building a muscular physique, some disciplines are indeed physically demanding. The Sundo folks I mentioned before do finger-tip pushups, with advanced practitioners tackling tougher, more impressive moves like finger-tip handstands. Some years back, I attended a Sundo retreat where the teacher had all the students duck-walk around a huge track, perhaps a mile long, while he looked on with binoculars. Every day we did a sort of Daoist burpee / prostration that involved repeatedly moving between a seated and standing positions. Did I mention that I only attended that retreat once? Yi Jin Jing as taught by Robert Peng (Robert Peng) is not so obviously physically demanding but regular practice is said to confer great strength, not the strength of a gym-going bodybuilder, not strength that derives from muscles alone, but rather strength that comes from extraordinary integration of various energetic and material layers of our anatomy. At least that is my take.

  10. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    Older white women who joke about sexy younger men? Oh the horror!

  11. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    I hear ya! It's been so long since I've done a cartwheel or a handstand. My idea of a "physically demanding" qigong set these days is anything that requires standing up.

  12. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, Vajra Fist. Not at all. But I think I know what Taomeow means when she says that middle-aged white women seem to be "free game" for character assassination lately. For starters, there's the whole "Karen" thing. Also, if you Google "white women's tears" you'll get results like "how white women's tears oppress women of color" and "why white women crying is still racist." I mean, I'm flabbergasted. How did we get too this point where anybodies expression of emotion is automatically seen in such a negative light?

  13. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    liminal_luke replied to Nuralshamal's topic in Daoist Discussion

    I don't think anybody should be disparaged or humiliated in any way for the color of their skin or age, a minority opinion in this "anti-racist" age. But to get back to the topic, SunDo is physically demanding. About SunDo International - SUNDO INTERNATIONAL
  14. The burrito cart is nothing special.
  15. Agreed. What language arguably can't do is define reality with precision and certainty; we can't use words like mathematical symbols and prove this or that about the Dao. But words can suggest and imply so much more than their denotative meaning alone. Think metaphor, think rhythm, think syntactic symbolism. Language as art. Words do not do their work alone but are always mediated through the consciousness of the reader. The skilled writer can dance with the skilled reader, bringing forth a unique experience in which the distant echo of the ineffable is heard.

  16. N/A

    liminal_luke replied to blkmgk's topic in General Discussion

    I'll second Cobie's advice above. I would stay well away from anyone who claims that you'd receive spiritual benefit from having sex with them. You can get great advice from very experienced people right here on the forum -- no sex required.
  17. Whatever your gifts of analysis when it comes to spiritual traditions, I can assure you of one thing: my smooth talking doesn't work especially well on pretty girls.
  18. I was mildly alarmed when I read that GB was going to do an "unbiased" distillation of this thread on his Youtube channel. Would I become famous, and not in a good way? After thinking about it, I've decided that there's not really much danger and, should he desire it, he's welcome to comment on my asavas.
  19. This one went over my head, or maybe not -- not sure. Something tells me that's a good thing.
  20. Asavas happens.
  21. Beautifully put.
  22. I was just joking about the donut and enlightenment. I do like to get involved in these discussions and know some of the lingo, but, honestly, it's a little above my pay grade. Rather than aim for enlightenment, I'm just trying to be less nuts. I'd like not to be so darn anxious all the time, to be more forgiving of foibles (my own and others), to overcome my addictive tendencies around food. Declining a donut won't get me enlightened but it does represent emotional growth. For me, right now, that's enough.
  23. I'm having one of those learning moments so common to the Bum experience. People are fighting and I feel that old familiar urge to get into the ring, to write up a blockbuster post that, in my deluded fantasy at least, would set people straight. In fact, I did write such a post earlier today but managed (just barely) not to post it. I don't know what's harder, resisting the urge to spar on the forum or resisting glazed donuts. So far today I'm two for two. No fighting, no maple bars. Yahoo! What do ya think -- is enlightenment nigh?
  24. ...

  25. Mistake in the Welcome section Insult reminder

    liminal_luke replied to thelerner's topic in Forum and Tech Support

    I like this a lot. I think it works particularly well among people where there's an established sense of good will. It's more challenging, at least for me, to do this with confrontational people on the forum because I sometimes think that people intend for me to feel bad (possibly a misperception on my part) and, well, I'd rather not let them know they succeeded. That's a level of vulnerability that feels too much for me personally. On the other hand, letting people know when they've said something that makes me feel good seems like it would always be a good move.