dwai

Oh No! This is fascinating stuff...thanks for sharing

I can't help as I'm not qualified to discuss TCM. However, there are others on this forum who are and can help.

did you look at a meridian chart and see if there's any specific meridian which you are feeling the pain in? From your description seems like the Pericardium meridian to me -- http://lieske.com/channels/5e-pericardium.htm

+1 Why not also tell them they're pure love and love them too?

We do similar drills with taiji practice. Stand in ward off. Sink into the ground with your mind as far as it can go. Then reverse and send mind up from crown point as far as it will go. This will make you physically sink (vertically down). Then again send the mind down through the feet. This will make you float. It's a very interesting feeling and develops both suspension and root. Also shows how we can sink or float energetically...(not a physical but an energetic stretch nonetheless)

Not all are on these videos. Those I presented as an example. I'll post a list shortly

I'm currently a student of Master Jose Perez, one of the oldest/earliest students of Master Waysun Liao (he brought temple style to the US and is the Grand Master). I've been with Master Jose for a year and half now. Prior to that I studied for almost 13 years under Master George Bolger who also is a direct student of Master Liao.

I can and do regularly switch between English and 3 other languages. We all have our neural hardwiring.

Well I can't really comment on your insights. My own understanding is that Yoga is absolutely 100% internally anchored (with the objective of union - depending on the underlying tradition, of self and God or Realization of the Self). There is no external focus at all as the first two "internal" stages of Yoga involve sense withdrawal (pratyahara) - meaning drawing the senses in, from external objects to the Self and Dharana (concentration on the Self). The asanas and breathwork are beginning practices aimed to still the mind and prepare for sense withdrawal and meditation. To call asana practice "Yoga" is akin to calling "taijiquan forms" taijiquan. The real taijiquan starts once the forms are dropped.

http://swarajyamag.com/culture/the-meeting-of-vedic-philosophy-and-cognitive-science

Well it is possible to find genuine yoga too. Just avoid flashy yoga studios

See my PPF. I have posted some videos of my practice there

Indian/Hindu traditions are replete with lineage from historic times. Now whether the orally transmitted chronology is accepted by someone or not is another matter. By authentic Hindu sources I mean one has to go find a genuine teacher in India. Some of this might seem incredible to "modern" scientific people. For instance Paramahamsa Yogananda lineage traces back to a 2000+ year old immortal known as Babaji. For millions of Indians, that is sufficient evidence of the authenticity of their lineage. Even there his students are Giris or Nathas, etc. For instance yogananda's teacher was Sri Yukteshwar Giri. Being a Giri his lineage is one of the dasanami sampradaya established by Adi Shankara. Having a teacher with title Giri, Puri, Natha, Saraswati automatically makes the student of said lineage. Of course that implies one has been truly initiated. I'm sure you can find people in both daoist/IMA as well as tantric or yogic systems claiming lineage when they have none (or claiming it because they attended one class with an established master). This is also true that In India millions can study under these masters but only a select few are given the formal lineage (there are very strict guidelines to get formal lineage - celibacy, renunciation etc). That doesn't mean someone who has studied under a Giri or a Natha doesn't not have the knowledge of the system or the power of the lineage. They can even claim tutelage under the lineage, but can't claim formal lineage until they become renunciants.

Start practicing single form taiji. All you need is 4 square feet of space. I've shared my personal daily practice in my personal practice forum here. PM me if you are interested to find out more.

One has to go to traditional Hindu sources to find real yoga. That said, even what BKS Iyengar or Pattabhi Jois disseminated via their guru T Krishnamacharya was based on the authentic system. Can't say much for what is taught in the West though. Tamil siddhar yoga is one system that comes to mind that retains the original and powerful internal alchemical knowledge. Yoga has always been about spiritual transformation and internal alchemy. Yes arts like kalaripayyat, Hyuen lanlong (aka thang-ta), silambam do still contain yogic exercises (even breathwork), however I wouldn't consider these the preceptors of yoga as we know it. Yoga has existed before patanjali (for millennia). Modern yoga is a derivative of ashtanga yoga (which dates back to at least 500 BCE).

All you need is to practice 13 forms. All you need is 2-4 square feet of space and the drive to practice. Glad to be your Taiji buddy and we can motivate each other

Basically Hatha Yoga Asanas and Pranayama are needed.

Tao meow, Yoga asana practice is not about stretching the ligaments. It is also about elongating the spine, opening the joints, kua, etc. It is about integrating breath with the form and movements/transitions. It depends on how authentic the yoga tradition one learns is. If it is McYoga you can find in a zillion lululemon yoga studios...yes you are right. But that is not Yoga...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sktN6ddKs00

I have found the similarities between the Indian/Yogic/Vedic and the Daoist internal traditions extremely heartening. Here are two systems, both going back millennia in antiquity, having developed with some cross-pollination (via cultural exchanges in the early history/late pre-historic periods perhaps), but generally independent of each other during the formative periods (more than 5000 years ago). The one missing link was that the Indian system clearly categorizes Prana as having five constituent winds - Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana and Udana Vayus. Each of these have specific roles to play in the human bio-energetic system (and the psycho-physiology as well). Then as I was reading Damo Mitchell's excellent book on Neigong (Heavenly Streams), I found a section that is pretty much articulated in this blog post as well -- http://www.scholarsage.com/five-elements-2/ light shen yi po zhi hun colour red yellow white blue green movement expansion division contraction sinking forwards element fire earth metal water wood The overlap (and biological functions of these) are stark with the Pancha Vayus. Good illustration is provided here -- http://sequencewiz.org/2014/09/03/5-vayus/ Would love more thoughts on this.

I've heard theories about fascia and how this is all biomechanical alignment and perfectly "scientific". Then these proponents of "fascia" theory bring the mind into the mix. They'll say - "it's all perfectly scientific...just send your mind to the other person's root" or "feel the fascia with your mind" etc. Hello! The only role the mind has in the scientific method is to observe and record phenomena. It cannot "enter someone's feet or feel someone's fascia" and imaginary simply means make-believe. These are IMHO just mental acrobatics! Sometimes I feel these teachers make ip these crazy "scientific" theories because they don't want to be ridiculed by skeptics for following a framework other than modern science... If we are relaxed enough we will feel the qi. The ball will push back whether we inhale or exhale. In fact the breathing needs to be divorced from the energetic aspect after the preliminary phase. My teacher would say in context of energetic application -- "if someone is coming to hit you, will you ask them to wait until you finish inhaling to strike back?" No! Tying the energy to the breath is well and good at the beginning learning stages. As we mature we should be able to project or condense energy during inhale, exhale or even when breath is suspended or held.

I can comment on some practices in temple style we call the prayer hands or praying hands set. These involve generating a taiji ball between the palms. The laogong points of the palms are connected to the center of the taiji ball. Then we compress this ball and move it vertically along the length of the body from upper dan tien to lower dan tien and back. This movement will automatically mobilize the MCO. Then from the MDT we let the ball rise above the Baihui point (12-18") and expand and contract the ball but from the LDT. Expand the ball and hold it above (like you were holding the sky up...palms parallel and facing up. No locking. Breath from the LDT. After holding this posture for a while the palms will start feeling the energy build up. Now let one palm arc down and face the earth. The energy from the sky palm will spiral down through the MDT into the earth palm. Let the energy flow and balance out between the palms. Let the taiji balls at each palm feel eveN in size. Sky taiji ball will be yang and earth taiji ball will be yin. After a while (a few minutes) raise the earth palm again to hold up the sky with both palms. Now repeat the heaven and earth palms for the opposite palms. Raise both palms again to the sky after a while. Then bring both palms down in front of you, facing the earth. Hold the ball there. Repeat the set. There are totally 10 sets of these palm meditations we do. It's easier to demonstrate than write about them... The entire sequence can be done once in about 15-20 minutes. And then repeat if necessary. If arbitrarily holding is hard, do 9 breaths per posture... But I think the key is to not exert ourselves and remain sung. The energies can be felt by the body when we are relaxed. It is therefore important to not force these...as the muscles will strain initially. If you feel discomfort, hold for maybe 1'minute beyond that point and relax by switching sides/hands or just moving into a form that feels more relaxing.

It is both within and without -- and I'm not speaking in parables here. The lower dan tien is always connected to the taiji ball(s). The taiji ball moves energies along the meridians. Depending on the sets/forms we do. This is about Damo and it's not right to discuss temple style on this thread. My apologies to the OP for distracting the discussion. If you want to know more let's start another thread to discuss taiji ball work.

So funny my teacher told us almost the same thing last night. As we progress in our practice the old tensions and traumas release to reveal even deeper ones. We have to just keep working at it until one day we will realIze that there are no more blocks and traumas.