Trunk

A number of TDBs management changes: I'm leaving. @steve is also leaving staff. @dwai is the new admin Both @forestofemptiness and @stirling are new moderators, and backing dwai up w/ admin tasks. Please welcome, and salutations, Trunk

while this process individually, as a group, as a culture often in the thick of it: slow, frustrating yet also tremendously rich satisfying inspiring worth while I look out over the quality of progress since '86 in the Earthling Bookstore what's available, what people bring to the table TDBs has been luckily positioned to participate substantially in whateverthisallis, very grateful. I'm happy glad relieved that the staff transition is so smooth. several staying, two going, two arriving, a bit o' re-shuffle almost like nothing happened, *whew* special thanks to @zerostao for introducing Sifu Matsuo special thanks to everyone who has ever contributed on staff thank you to each for sharing your practice - Trunk

Inspired by the video below, I’ve made some effective strides on ren and the whole abdominal region. She instructs along the line of belly dancing … I modify the breathing towards a more Daoist orientation. The tip: 1. Put your finger on any acupoint (indendation) along the abdominal section of ren (below the sternum and above the pubic bone). Whether you place your finger firmly, lightly, or not quite touching at all - will emphasize physical ~ subtle engagement (all good). 2. Do a slow smooth inhale ~ exhale from the center at finger-level. Basically, doing dan tien breathing at the level of the finger. Slowly, so that the layers of tissues gently separate during the (inhale oops!) exhale, often including a gentle tug-pull from the inside at the acupoint. Just 1 to several breaths, then… 3. Next acupoint, repeat 1&2. All up n’ down. I find that this extremely simple tip: - Helps to locate areas of the abdomen that are … unfamiliar, inarticulate, physically, and getting the sensitivity and muscular articulation online. - extraordinarily effective in activating acupoints along ren - overlaps + complements other kinds of deep abdominal work - Trunk

as far as vertical aspects wisdom ~ love ~ power and layers physical ~ subtle ~ transparent imho, the guiding aesthetics end up being well blended well rounded toward balance and harmony as basis for development ”every inch of the central channel (sushumna)” different schools, different teachers have their areas of expertise (and gaps, usually). a well rounded internal arts *culture* has a variety of mature authentic schools, teachers

a little "qi sphere basics" essay based off of Sifu Matsuo's Kwan Yin Magnetic Qigong. lotta links!

(too much for me right now to sort through all the variations of breathing pls pardon my non-response to above popping in briefly) Continuing to find the ren acu breathing at various levels applicable in various methods. Planks, for instance, where I've blended LDT-breathing with a very easy angle of plank, such that some slack is available in the abd muscles ... in order to do qigong breathing and abd manipulation. Anyway, doing the breathing at various pts from solar plexus on down n' back.

sorry, nope

I continue to find the method that I described in the orig post simple, on-target, effective. and include it in my list of especially effective abd methods.

@DreamBliss, a few thoughts I find that what is available and deeply satisfying is gradual integration. You use your own sensitivities and trying modalities of method/s to engage basic transformative dialectics: conscious ~ unconscious, body ~ awareness, drop ~ Ocean, lofty ~ heavy. The people that dig it and stay with it … *basically* enjoy (yikes, not that simple) have some kind of bond that that’s just part of their life and there is incremental progress over the long term. That’s where the gratification is, the real game. Hidden Journey. The internal path. All that. *That’s* accessible, and it adds up over time. Worth while. And, yup, all kinds of exaggerations that spirituality will give you all the things that you want in your external life, fix all your character flaws, and give you super powers. Bullshit, all bullshit. The progress that you can make is frustratingly slow, and partial, and usually not in the proportions, areas that you might prefer. Still, deeply worth while. cheers, Trunk

~~~ admin note ~~~ I've suspended Salvijus from posting through the end of the month. He posted twice here in-thread after being warned not to, both posts I've hid. (I've also hidden a post by @silent thunder re: Salvijus). Drop this conflicted bullsh#t and please ... continue on with the thread's topic at your leisure. ~~~ admin out ~~~

~~~ admin statement ~~~ Agreed with both of the quoted points below. And in *usual* (objective philosophical) threads on this site I'd stay on middle ground, resolutely. Bedrock. This thread is different. Someone is stepping up incredibly bravely to share more intimate things about themself, to the community than ... in this moment, I can't think of any thread where any member has been so brave and vulnerable. Ever on this site, since it's inception. @Salvijus, my view is that you are expressing sincerely, just as you are, without hidden animosity. And you're coming from a philosophical view (that is very worth exploring, but also extreme ... and to persist in the context of this thread is rude). Out of courtesy for the unusual dynamic of this thread: enough. Stop posting within this thread. Period. If you have a major problem with a post, report it and let myself and the moderation team handle. Everyone else, please leave Salvijus alone. I get that there are people with conscious, deliberate covert hostilities, and those with subconscious hostilities. Don't paint Salvijus as either. Ok. That's over now. Onward, Trunk ~~~ admin out ~~~

~~~ admin comment ~~~ This is a bit of a tricky thread to moderate as it's so unusual. As a matter of courtesy, the main point of this thread is not to explore every permutation of how things might be seen (and I get that that's *part* of the dynamic), but the main point is to allow someone who has direct personal experience to share their point of view. - Trunk p.s. I haven't had time to keep up with this thread well, so things might've sorted well already ... but I still had lingering that something like this needed to be said. ~~~ admin out ~~~

also, we've made sure that the entire "gender gardens" area is not viewable to the www at large; TDBs Members only. I've edited the description to make that clear.

“… just when I thought I’d stop talking, … pulls me back in” adding Kwan Yin Mag.Qigong back …

regarding practices that would be considered microcosmic orbit, especially re: jing refinement .. Well, the above method~s, - for me - within the last few months … Have brought me more healing, more towards balance than … some other mco approaches, lol, that emphasize ‘up’ first (and include the *ideas* of balance and mco, but often works out w/ opposite results). And it’s easy. And I’m def still progressing w/ it. Essential tool belt item, imho. Other results?: 1. My singing voice has improved. I’ve been listening to Al Green a lot, and I’m surprised at my improvement. Really good articulation and sustain. 2. My belly is flatter; such that people ‘ve been commenting. My diet? I’ve been ravenous and I eat anything I want, as much as I want. I’ve been pigging out for … weeks, if not months. Exercise? No changes. Almost none, recently, honestly. It’s just this method, very little practice time, actually -> strong ongoing results. - and people ‘ve been commenting on my flatter stomach. 3. Internal arts. Assisting in various ways, won’t belabor by detailing. Ok, that’s my blab on the subject. ciao, Trunk

I've been doing some review of du & ren in Deadman's Manual of Acupuncture. If you're really into this stuff, consider buying that - or some other hard core - book on acupuncture. Of the caliber that they use in schools. I find it to be a valuable reference. Anyway, the trajectories of ren (and du) are significantly different than is presented in pop-Taoism. A couple of other references.

@Euhen, Welcome! - Trunk

@PathOfbeansGod, Welcome! You might find the links in my signature to be helpful. - Trunk

It occurs to me that these two practices (below) contain an especially effective duo (in the context of well rounded etc) for addressing the typical (male) jing cultivation difficulties.

@yang107, Welcome! - Trunk

@lionkin72, Welcome! - Trunk

@SteamingTea, Welcome! - Trunk

@MaximusIA, Welcome! - Trunk

@Kdd, Welcome! - Trunk

@surrogate corpse Welcome! Trunk