liminal_luke

Who experiences greater freedom -- a Buddhist monk or a hard partying bachelor with a trust fund? Although the bachelor has less constraints on his behavior, I think it's likely the monk would feel a greater sense of freedom. Not that I've ever been either.

Luke had traveled long sustained only by chicken soup (without noodles!) and zucchini pesto when he heard whispers of dark discord between two beloved Bums. First a worldwide pandemic then Joe Rogan and now this? He wouldn't have the mental bandwidth to unravel the mystery without a bagel and cream cheese, maybe two, but, alas, his intermittent fasting "eating window" had closed. How could Penetrating Wisdom and Humorous Good Fellowship be at odds? He mentally hugged them both -- and himself for good measure -- knowing from hard personal experience how the divisive energy of the zeitgeist could descend like a twister, sending body and mind howling up into the sky. "If it could happen to these two, it could happen to anybody" he mused. Maybe one bite of onion bagel wouldn't hurt. (After sharing his little vignette, Luke reconsidered: was it wise to openly divulge his habit of mental hugging? Touch is such a fraught subject, even when it takes place in one's own mind. Luke would like his readers to know, in case there's any doubt, that he is presently incapable of sitting in full lotus and has never consciously summoned up the image of a buxom blond.)

My awareness is still very much a top-down affair: I experience myself as residing in my head and scan my body from that vantage point. This is OK but not ideal. Teachers have told me that it's possible for a body part to be self-aware; for example, the lower dan tien can be aware of itself, no mind travel or reaching out required. The same is true for other parts of the body -- liver, spinal vertebrae, feet, etc. I think this is something that just comes with practice. Not sure how much this pertains to your question sometimes but I thought I'd chime in. If there are Bums who perceive themselves this way, I'd be interested in hearing about their experience and process.

Thanks for speaking up, @helpfuldemon. To me, your perspective is the most important and relevant to this particular tributary of the thread.

Are psychiatric medications overprescribed? Probably. Do they have harmful side effects? Most definitely. We live in an imperfect world full of problems for which there are only imperfect solutions. I don't think it's fair to characterize me as someone who is "all for more harm than help" because I've helped my partner access conventional medical treatment. If people are able to address their mental health needs without pills, that's wonderful. But I refuse to secondguess the choices of those who, in consultation with a medical professional, decide that pills are the way to go. Do you run some sort of nonpharmaceutical treatment program for chronic mental illness? Are you willing to relocate to Ensenada, Mexico? Or perhaps you can recommend a local practitioner of your method? If not, don't judge me. You have no idea.

Those who have read my recent vaccine rants will not be surprised to hear that I'm no friend to Big Pharma. Psychiatric medications, in particular, seem especially suspect. I read holistic psychiatrist Kelly Brogan's anti-drug screed, A Mind of Your Own, and was fully prepared to join her rebel forces. And then my partner attempted suicide. Multiple times. Waiting in a hospital reception area, my resistance to conventional medicine softened. My partner is now on multiple psych meds and has racked up several years without trying to take his own life. Is it placebo? Could be but I don't care. I've seen firsthand how psychiatric medications can bring a person out from the nightmare of psychosis and I'm so grateful for antipsychotics and antidepressants I could dance. Could my partner have achieved his present level of health through paleo dieting, regular exercise, and daily handfuls of vitamins and supplements? Maybe but not everyone with mental health challenges is willing to make that kind of life overhaul. Pharmaceutical companies are motivated by profit rather than a do-gooder desire to alleviate suffering. I know that. The situation isn't ideal but if psychoactive plants help some people feel better -- and there's some evidence that they do -- I'm all for it. Mushrooms for the win.

Thanks, Yueya. I imagine most people here would agree that sex is more than just physical, there's an energetic aspect. This energetic aspect is what makes phenomena such as OAD possible. I think sexual energy spans a wide spectrum: from the very physical and dense to the most ethereal. Sex is a metaphysical bridge connecting body and spirit. Like Daoism, sex is about interdimensional integration. (About babies too but I digress.) It's a huge life project, harmonizing the rock hard physicality of earthly incarnation with the many layers of the subtle body. For many, sex is hard to talk about without snickering because it goes so deep.

Trunk found Luke wandering on the ridge again au @natural. Although @thetaoiseasy the provincial moderators agreed that there are still rules and it's not like he had a @Spotless record. Luke claimed to be delirious after a bite from a @blue eyed snake but Steve had examined him and said "that's no bite, it's barely @Apech." (A @C T scan showed no abnormalities.) Desperate to stay out of lockup, Luke next claimed to be insane, something about a @helpfuldemon, and kept muttering @Iliketurtles. "Most people do," said ilumairen, shining her usual wisdom. Almost out of options, Luke buried his face in his hands. Outside the courtroom he could hear a street preacher's booming megaphone voice, "repent, repent, the end is @dwai." Oh, this was bad. Where Luke was going he would never again see the sun, feel the rain on his face, or hear the sound of @silent thunder.

I wouldn't say there's a lot of visualization in the Yi Jin Jing course. Some, I guess, but it's not a central part of the form. In any case, I don't question the merits of the practice. Although I haven't been the most diligent student, I've gotten a lot of benefit back for the work I've put in.

I've taken the Robert Peng yi jin jing course. According to Robert, his form can not be learned from following a video showing the movements only as the "secret sauce," so to speak, is in the breathing. (Well, he doesn't use the phrase "secret sauce" but that's the idea.)

Thanks, zerostao. Where does the idea that tomorrow is the beginning of the energy of spring come from?

I would also suggest looking into medication, helpfuldemon. And I say this as someone who is very suspicious of pharmaceutical companies generally and almost always prefers to treat things in a natural way. My partner has schizoaffective disorder. He takes medication for it and his pills help a great deal. They aren't a perfect cure but with the meds he can function and even, sometimes, enjoy his life. No small thing.

It was just a passing feeling. When the feeling passed, I edited my post.

No two people will take the same path recovering from depression. It's not a simple illness with a one-size-fits-all solution. Some might well benefit from doing as you suggest Seeking: taking the depression as a signal that something is going wrong in life and fixing it. Others will need pharmaceutical help or therapy, often both. We do a disservice to those suffering with this difficult disease when we imply that the way out is obvious or easy.

This is a depressing response. Fifty million euros would likely cheer me up, at least for the afternoon, but civility would be the more fitting solution (though arguably harder to come by.)

Congratulations on your expanding perceptivity, Felecula. Perception is a near universal phenomenon -- almost all of us are aware of something -- but the range of what we're aware of can expand and that's a beautiful, fun thing. When perception expands there's often an urge to know if we're "right." Do our feelings and sensations correspond to real things happening in the real world? The trouble with this meta-analysis of experience is that it tends to take us away from the experience itself. There's also the potential trap of using these perceptions to reinforce a part of us that is stuck. We believe things about ourselves. I am someone who senses energy on objects. Or...I am psychic. These beliefs may or may not be true (who knows?) but spending time believing these things is one thing and basking in the innocent wonder and childlike joy of feeling what is felt something altogether different. The meaning of the experiences you are having is not separate from the experiences themselves and cannot be explained or given by anybody outside of yourself. Understanding is not something that is figured out. Understanding blooms. Just my two cents.

My own experience is that it doesn't take much more than a week or two of daily practice for me to get a sense of whether or not a given practice is taking me in a direction I want to go. It's true, no doubt, that there are unscrupulous teachers best avoided. Still, most people are better served just diving in and then evaluating things in their own mind after a short period rather than greatly concerning themselves with the legitimacy of others. I'd guard against the tendency of expecting perfection from teachers, especially if you're just seeking to pick up a qigong form or two. Perfection is seldom on offer. Greater due diligence may be warranted if you're looking to formally initiate a teacher/student relationship. Just my point of view.

A Parable A person is born and he's more or less OK. But then, through some fateful accident of life or genetics, he goes what some people might call "crazy.". He starts to perceive energy emanating from other living beings. He begins to lose his boundaries and thinks that he can read other people's thoughts or that other people can read his. This way of thinking makes him very unhappy (but drugs help). He gets better and becomes what some people might call "a productive member of society." But he's still not happy. So he starts hanging out with spiritual types and joining fringe Taoist forums. He takes up meditation. Soon he begins to perceive energy emanating from other beings. He comes to recognize how wondrously interconnected we are and how this interconnectivity can lead us to commune with each others thoughts, feelings, spirits. This way of thinking makes him very happy.

Yes! It's so easy for us to think that what works for us will work for others but that's not always the case. What's important is the fit between a person and a practice. This is true of so many things; my partner and I both take prescription medications that work well for us but I'd never suggest Jose take my medication or take his. Another area where the importance of individual context is often underappreciated: diet.

I don't have much embodied experience to share about the equinoxes and solstices but what I've gathered from lectures by Michael Winn (not everyone's favorite source of alchemical information, I know) is that these are dates when it's especially easy to sense Yuan Chi, a harmonious mixture of yin and yang energies which is deep, balanced, closer to the empty/full center of...well you get the point. The year is like the breathe. There's the yang of inhalation followed by that empty moment before the yin of exhalation -- a mini summer solstice. There's the yin of exhalation followed by that empty moment before the yang of inhalation -- a mini winter solstice. And not unlike the day with it's sunrise and sunset, similarly potent turning points. Not unlike the beach where land meets water or the mountaintop where earth meets sky. Perhaps not unlike birth...and death. The balanced chi that's more easily perceived in these places and times is, of course, available always but there's something magic about aligning our personal practice with the cycles of the universe. Most of us have our own favorite practices/methods for touching in with the deepest center. Whatever that is for each of us, I'd say that's the best possible solstice/equinox ritual.

Conversations about the fine points of enlightenment might be useful for some. Personally, I'm just trying to get through the morning of the second day of the year without the indulgence of a bagel. I'll know enlightenment is nigh if I'm not bothered if the barista skimps on my cream cheese. Others may experience enlightenment differently.

Beautiful sentiments, Steve! Perhaps it's true that those underappreciated little comments and gestures are magic. Happy New Year!

There's this idea that actions that result in benefit are "good" -- unless the actor is the beneficiary. I'm not so sure. So many people these days struggle with self-hate and find it challenging to do things that benefit themselves. These same people often find it easier to do things that bring benefits to others, often at their own expense. In some circumstances giving to others might actually be "bad" and doing things to further ourselves might be "good." I'm not convinced that valuing the welfare of others over our own welfare is the morally superior position.

So much suffering in the world today can be traced back to overconfidence in moral judgment. We live in a world where too many people are too sure they know what's right and wrong; a world in which the punishment for being wrong in the eyes of society is increasingly harsh. In my own moral judgment, no good will come from this easy dividing people into good and bad camps. There is great power in humility. When I'm open to the radical notion that some of my thoughts might be less than 100% grounded in reality, I soften. I become open to other people. Being unsure is my superpower. At a more refined level, perhaps it's possible to know what's right and wrong -- even for other people -- but to live in a mindplace where everyone is loved and accepted regardless. Benevolence can shine like the sun which warms everybody equally. Good or bad, right or wrong, we're all human beings. At least so far... For those of us, like me, who are unable or unwilling to arrange clandestine meetings with famous Sufi poets in metaphorical fields -- no worries. Basic humility goes a long way.

She still checks in on the forum regularly so I'm sure she'll provide an explanation if she wishes to do so. For my part, I'll just say that she's missed.