Trunk

Jox, Oh, hey, I was gonna answer later... here I am. Just an old lazy ass dilettante these days, never know when I'm gonna get to it... I think you asked about the vibrating/whipping palms video. The one that I'm familiar with - which I think is the foundational one in the DGS system(?, but I'm pretty sure) is this, video promo below: Description (copied from the youtube description): It is sold as one video, but has two distinct parts (1. vibrating, 2. whipping) within it. I've forgotten, what was your other question? - Keith

Adding basic variations of plank while LDT breathing: - side/s - reverse - lift one arm - lift one leg If any of you are inspired to blab about any related LDT breathing and/or position/s, please feel free.

I only viewed 1 DGS video on the kuji-in, and I think there's quite a few more... maybe @Jox would list/describe his favorite/s? So, I only got a small DGS sampling, and maybe I'm talking out of my ass, here... the description of what-finger-produced-what&why I found to be helpful, but a little basic, over-simplified for what I was hungry for. (Maybe the DGS videos I've not seen on the topic fill in considerably.) Yup. I've been there. I was looking for detailed technical clear descriptions of "why?" and internal mechanics. Clearly a detailed knowledge of Chinese medical channels would be very helpful... essential, even. ... but there are things that are produced by the finger-knitting mudras that that knowledge alone would not fully explain, I'm pretty sure. I finally came to the conclusion that: 1. this is a book that has yet to be written (at least in English) and would be a major scholarly task. If someone else does it, I will applaud. 2. the 3 or 4 books I've bought/read on it ... I wasn't happy with. Yeah, they contributed something, but weren't at the level of detail / clarity that I find really satisfying. 3. Though very often I chew on these esoteric topics for years & years until I understand, I let this one go and just concluded that I was happy with the results that the finger-knitting mudras produced and that I don't need to know the nitty gritty details on this one. I'm happy with just the doing&results of kuji-in, and a few other finger macrame patterns, lol. I've posted this before, but here's a pdf of a gazillion finger-knitting mudras with drawings and next-to-no explanation. Could be fun/helpful if you are inclined to progressively explore. https://johndaoproductions.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/finger-knittingmudras.pdf cheers, Keith p.s. And there is that introductory essay on finger-knitting mudras that I wrote (link below) that gives some clear and relevant Chinese medical theory, but only in a general sense. Basically, that 1. the qi is very dynamic as you get towards the ends (fingers and toes), and so it’s a very skillful area to change/refine qi 2. If you treat the end (ex. Acupuncture an acupoint on/near a finger-tip) it tends to activate the whole channel Those two theoretical points are very clear in Chinese medicine, and has big implications re: the effectiveness of both finger-knitting style mudras and utilization of the hands’ qi sphere. Short essays on both (mudras & sphere) at my little (free) wordpress site: JohnDaoProductions.wordpress.com and yet another p.p.s. Sifu Matsuo has quite a few finger-knitting mudras sprinkled through his system, with really astonishing appropriateness and results. For instance, in one video he teaches a couple of different kinds of squats, and he shows the mudras that go with the squats! That you do while in that position. And well, slap me stupid, if that specific mudra doesn’t make *that* squat easier! And he’s accurate with the placement of various mudras for various practices throughout his system. His ability to give the right practices, and the right tips, its just freaky. Especially if you’ve spent a few decades banging your head against the wall trying to work some stuff out, lol.

Pardon me for being redundant, but I also find that it is helpful for students to learn one finger-knitting mudra first. To someone who is just being exposed to them, doing the full kuji-in (nine mudras) is just overwhelming. Maybe not for all you guys, but certainly it was for me, at least. They were so strange ... I really had to work to figure out how to get into even one of the nine ... then, as soon as I was out of the mudra I was still almost entirely baffled how to get back into it again. Nine of them??? F###! I got through it, but jeez! If you are new to finger-knitting mudras, I suggest that you hang out with just one or two and enjoy them for a while. (For a week, anyhow.) Then, when you’re ready, take up the kuji-in. You’ll be better primed and it’ll be a funner ride. Sifu Matsuo has been generous enough to put a couple of mudras up on youtube for free. Here’s an excellent one. And here’s a little essay I wrote that has that one above, and another of his. Enjoy. https://johndaoproductions.wordpress.com/2018/03/22/finger-knitting-mudras-part-1-of-2/ - Trunk

I'd say that, for most people, they need 1 or 2 very simple practices that are effective and just go deeper and deeper over the years. ... even for spiritual-nerd-maniacs (which probably most of the people on this discussion board are), you need really simple things, basics, to come back to when you're not in gear for wildly aggressively exploring. A couple of suggestions along this line: 1. Following the breath. Uniting breath and attention is the foundation that everyone gets taught in every meditation hall everywhere. 2. Hands' Sphere Qigong (very simplified version of KYMQ). This is so amazingly effective and so very simple, the simplest version you could teach it to a friend (who has no prior experience) in 2 minutes - and they get *palpable* results in that two minutes!!! and that's why I wrote this: Qi Sphere Beginning. It is a free and functional small most basic piece of KYMQ. I would suggest it to anyone who is considering buying KYMQ, that they try this small piece and get comfortable with it before diving deeper into all of the details and variations that are in the KYMQ video. People often get overwhelmed by all of the material in the video and bail out completely. The most basic is functional in itself, is very small and easy to learn ... is *very* effective and goes endlessly deep. my two cents, Keith

As the new year starts, I'm moved to acknowledge those in my life ... and Sifu Matsuo is one of them. One of the ways I look at Sifu Matsuo's DGS system is a very practical, functional way to address this: During the last few decades, there have been quite a number of teachers in the west who gave *very* high level transmissions (shaktipad and other variations of vajrayana transmissions) to tens of thousands of people... opening up many, many people. And so, a barrier was crossed, a step was made: Those who were yearning for deep spiritual experience got it. And, yet, the teachings on how to functionally integrate higher levels of energy/consciousness have been mostly missing (or so confused, or full of half-truths, as to be actually dangerous, counter-productive). I see Sifu Matsuo's system as a huge remedy for the above. Either functionally integrating higher states, or integrating yourself properly in preparation for, and development of integrating such states. Amazingly well taught, with the right tips, deeply principled. And so, my hat's off to Sifu Matsuo ... and to all who make such quality contributions to culture. - Trunk p.s. getting started page with his system: http://alchemicaltaoism.com/DGSReviews.htm

https://johndaoproductions.wordpress.com/

I’ll write more later, but wanted to drop this link here now. https://appliedjung.com/finding-philemon/ A six month, inexpensive, online course around Jung’s “The Red Book”. That includes producing one’s own artwork. This would be especially interesting to those who are interested in using art to facilitate their inner work. Here’s a video introduction into The Red Book

Another Ida Maria tune. This whole album is full of only covers of 1959 recordings of negro spirituals. Her other stuff is indie rock.

Just barely getting oriented, myself, busy with other stuff. I guess that’s an advantage: participate as much/little as you like. I’ve read at least one of the assignments (there’s absolutely no obligation to do nor to share)... they are substantial if you take them all the way. And the exercises with the imagery that you produce... they have instructions that ... go deep - is my impression. List of steps, last step (if you dare), then, “That’s how Jung did it”. It’s fucking interesting and not fluff. There’s opportunity to download the documents, assignments, instructions ... So I’m gonna download them all (as they are posted) and I can review and dig as I like as long as I like. People are posting their stories along with their art. A lot of people, a lot of art. All of the art is deeply connected to their process. I’ve been hungry for some community along this line... I’ve joined some other art therapy groups on facebook, but this is 1. At a much more consistent serious level, partly due to method and understanding, I think. I don’t have my head around it yet. 2. The number of people posting. Good exposure: similar to here, it can be helpful to see others processing similar method etc. It’s not a “small group feel”, though. - Trunk

https://appliedjung.com/finding-philemon/ I am registering right now - and finding out that "$19 pm" means "$19 per month" ... for the 6 month course. 6 x 19 = $114 total over 6 months. Once I paid via paypal, it redirected me to join the facebook group. The Red Book isn't required for the course, but I got it yesterday from Amazon. Only $10 to get same day shipping on it, f### yeah. ... should be interesting. amazon book description:

Oh my GOD Say three “Hail Mary”’s and a “Hare Krsna” ...

Cool how that uses a mirror to simultaneously show the angles. I started a kuji-in photo project with the intent to not only make artful pictures but ones by which a newbie could get into the hand position. That’s a tough shoot! Some of them are complex that you need step by step photos of how to get into it, then the finished mudra from front & back. Yikes, ugh. Not the fun personal art project that I’d signed up for, lol.

As I've written about at JohnDaoProductions.wordpress.com (shameless plug), my experience is that the qi sphere (the hands' sphere resonant with energetics/sphere/s along the central channel) goes together with finger-knitting mudras (any of 'em, but especially the kuji-in) ... ... like peas n' carrots. The finger-knitting feels like it courses the channels on a level closer to the physical. The qi sphere ... working the qi sphere slowly up & down the core with resonant assistance of the hands-qi-sphere-refinery, addresses more subtley. Lots of practices end up complementing each other, working on the same ol' classic aspects from different angles... opening the channels, deeply-centering, integrating vertically (yeee-ouch!, an*other* shameless plug!) ... cheers, Trunk

Super important meditation, imhe. There are different layers to develop, experience, from most physical to most subtle. I tend to experience this meditation as very physical. (Obviously the other results of deeply subtle and energetics, very cool, and I applaud.) ... The focus of attention (yi) goes from hui yin up the center to the level of the umbilicus and back down. Repeat over and over. For me, this triggers a physical pulsing between my navel ~ ming men (along the line that I figure the umbilicle cord was in the womb, and the kidneys pulse into ming men). Similarly the genitals, urogenital diaphragm pulses with the sacrum. Those two physical pairs, all pulsing. Goes to deep physical, prenatal jing, could be I think? There are some more detailed variations that I work with that have to do with either going more slowly, or emphasizing the luminous & empty quality of the pearl. But the basic is just up & down, developing the center-line resonant connection between hui yin and umbilicus level. As always, I appreciate hearing about varieties of methods & results, learning from/with each other. cheers, Trunk

p.s. ... and, for those serious internal arts nerds here's a pdf document that a friend gave to me some years back: just lots and lots of finger-knitting mudras pdf. I feel like I have plenty with kuji-in and several other mudras, but maybe some of you are hungry to chip away at the linked extensive doc. Have fun. - Trunk JohnDaoProductions.wordpress.com

I’ve played a little with teaching friends finger-knitting mudras... at a very casual level, with friends who are *not* serious internal arts nerds. The nine mudras of kuji-in are *WAY* too much. I can walk someone through them, with good energetic results ... but it is just too complex, often leaves them intellectually overwhelmed. Obvious solution: just one mudra, lol. The “vitality mudra” is a good choice and today I was walking a friend through it. We ended up nicknaming it the “start-with-peace mudra” because putting both hands into the peace sign is a great setup for getting into the mudra. video courtesy of Sifu Matsuo

Gutting science from the dept of agriculture ... Makes sense. Pesky scientists. https://youtu.be/iQkdu6c9g6w

Wow. I think I’ve found a post where I actually *partly* agree with you! I think that most of your assessments of the Dems are off, but we do share some overlapping criticisms of the left. I do think *some* of the Dems are going too far left with some of their approaches to health care and student debt reduction. Not politically viable in this country and only weakens their cause, easy to mischaracterize, is political suicide. I think that the Dems want sensible immigration reform, that doesn’t fit into a simple chant (“build the wall”). I think that the “open border” is a false criticism of Dems. I do think that the Dems should focus more on the economy (Obama did *very* well in rescuing the economy) and campaign finance reform (and some other areas of concern re: cleaning up politics, such as gerrymandering, etc). The earth’s ecosystems are being destroyed from every angle and means. We’re headed towards global environmental dystopia for all foreseeable future generations. The GOP uniformly ignores the problems and speeds the destruction. Dems respect science and want to do many things about it. Unfortunately, the current GOP has followed their leader into an asylum. It’s not the GOP anymore; it’s just a cult, plain and simple. Turns out that a lot of people respond at the level of the National Enquirer, and that’s where djt lives. ... and so it goes. And the masses have not sufficiently learned from history maybe the most elementary lesson: avoid having an egomaniac with violent tendencies run a powerful country. P.s. And what we REALLY need are two (or more) healthy functional parties that can agree on basic facts, communicate and compromise for the better of the whole. We are FAR from a healthy democracy, both in terms of politicians and the national populace.

I’m not sure which way to read your post. (?). (And people are so divided in this thread, it could be either... ) Those “who believes in common decency and some level of morality”... Are you saying there are none in the GOP?, or none in the Democratic party? ... or something more complex that I’ve not guessed?

You’re parsing my sentence incorrectly. For clarity, Separated the phrases and bolded the portions that apply to (many of) his followers. The many ”feeble minded chumps/devotees” are his “willfully blind” followers.

All you have to do to “mercilessly batter” Trump is to just show what he says and does. The worst insults to him are his own words and actions. And so ... Video recording (or any other reliable record of events) is his basic nemesis. ... and he’s a con man and feeble minded chumps/devotees are many, so all he has to do is chant “fake news” and the willfully blind follow along. Merely describing him accurately brings us quickly into areas that would normally be vicious hyperbole grotesque obscene immoral slander. Areas of verbal expression that the more refined are loath to participate in by even saying what is the blatantly obvious behavior of this vile antithesis of a human being. So, yeah. Secondary nemesis of djt: accurate description by others.

Conservative columnist George F. Will, who left the Republican Party after it nominated Trump in 2016, explains to Lawrence O’Donnell why Republican lawmakers are standing by Trump and the long-term damage he thinks Trump is doing to America's civic culture. George Will "I believe that what this president has done to our culture, to our civic discourse ... you cannot unring these bells and you cannot unsay what he has said, and you cannot change that he has now in a very short time made it seem normal for schoolboy taunts and obvious lies to be spun out in a constant stream. I think this will do more lasting damage than Richard Nixon's surreptitious burglaries did." Justin Amash "If you're a Republican, please ask yourself if the party really represents your principles and values. You don't need to become a Democrat. Simply stand up for what is right. America's tradition of liberty is beautiful, and it depends on our love and respect for one another."

Umm ... ok. So, maybe, territories to clarify and how they interact: society (dystopia, utopia, all that) one’s own humanness mystical experience. Some sort of sensible proportion, approach, tempo of influence, how much to expect those areas to solve each other / and not. Really. Not pie in the sky. The serious seasoned viewpoints do not match the advertising, lol. There is a Daoist saying, “knowing the white, keep the black”. Mystics do spend more time alone, and there should be vigilance about that masking escapism & neglect. Marsha Sinetar wrote an excellent book, “Ordinary People as Monks and Mystics”, in which she sought out and interviewed mature people with *functional* lifestyles.