Cameron

Curious what peoples experiences are practicing Sifu Jenny's 'opening channels' exercise from her dvd/workshop. I finally started practicing it regularly lately and immediately felt qi flowing through the governor and conception channels. She teaches it as a finisher to spontaneous qigong/yigong/Kunlun. A very simple practice with immediate and powerful results!

Breath holding is essential especially when the weight gets heavy. check out Pavel Tsatsoulines work for in depth explanations on this.

Hindu squats are good for leg strength. I did them on and off for years. Best thing would b just try them out for yourself and see how you feel.

Thanks for the feedback. I tend to switch back and forth between kettlebell training and bodyweight. As they seem to develop different systems of strength. My first love was Aikido(Japanese internal martial art) but after several knee surgeries years ago just can't risk the wear and tear/trauma to the knee from that MA anymore. What are your favorite exercises? For myself, kettlebell swings and hindu(bodyweight) squats have yielded the most bang for the buck.

Bodyweight excercises are also really good. I was doing hundreds of reps of squats a few years ago for training. But prefer the kettlebell. I find meditation and good sleep or so important for good strength gains and recovery. Anyway, was just curious. My sense is most IMA stick with the particular training of their art but in our modern mixing systems world would be interesting to hear from people doing this.

I mean Western style strength training. I guess from the Tao perspective 'external' strength or 'hardstyle' strength. Do you mix barbell/dumbbell/kettlebell training with your Tao stuff? I have been doing kettlebell training pretty seriously the last few years and am enjoying it. Or do you think it's better to just stick with qigong or IMA training? So basically, who enjoys/does strength training? One perspective I liked from a high level kettlebell teacher who is also very seriously into qigong and IMA is that kettlebell training is the Yang to the Yin of qigong or meditation. This has been my way of looking at training recently. I find if I focus too much on my qigong and meditation I get a bit too yin and then focus on kettlebell training for balance. But I will sometimes get too yang from that and cool down with qigong.

Back in the day I had started a thread asking what people's top 5 practices-'spiritual' or otherwise-are. Would be interesting to get an updated feedback from Taobums practitioners. What have you found that really 'works' to make the quality of your life better? I noticed Bagua Zhang seems to be really popular here now. When I first moved to China I dropped in on the class of an internal martial artist. He gave me his teacher's Bagua Zhang book in English for free. Which I lost! I sort of took that as a sign that it wasn't my practice at this point in my life. Although perhaps later. So for myself I would say. 1. Red Phoenix 2. Kettlebell lifting 3. Bodyweight excercises 4. Yigong or Kunlun Method 5. Standing meditation What's yours?

Yup..come to China sometime we can do some sacred mountain hiking trips and jam with Chinese metal bands:) To OP..take it slow..if you think it's not helpful drop it. Did you just take 1 Kunlun seminar?

Yikes! This is a major reason I am always cautious in sharing Kunlun with people. I have done the practices for 7 years but don't think it's for everyone. My feeling is most people would do better just doing exercise and some simple meditation that doesn't stir up so much energy. I am fine with the energy and don't think 'snake' energy is 'demonic'. But if your feeling bad you need to assess that and take everything else in your life into account as well. But in the short term, I would discontinue the practice and get with a good Chinese medicine doctor. Something that I did for awhile after first learning Kunlun was get hiking regularly. Get out into nature, breath fresh air, enjoy the beautiful sunrise and sunsets. If your qi is too low for that get with a good doctor and build that up first with acupuncture and herbs. Take long walks or join a good yoga or tai chi class. Good luck!

The Temple of Heaven is a cool place. I go there occasionally. But more often the Temple of Earth and it's surrounding park since it's in my neighborhood.

Interesting interview

New Interview with Max. Good stuff. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/awakeninginaustin/2012/09/14/the-kunlun-system-of-awakening

I don't know that I can say anything that would be helpful or useful here. I saw Kan San in Tokyo several months ago and had a good time. All I have is my own experience. Even my teachers, Max, Kan etc I don't blindly follow whatever they say. My impression is I am really my own best teacher in regards to Kunlun. I value my own judgements about what is balanced and correct for my path above anyone elses. That's not to say don't listen. But it's your path. Regarding the issue that Trunk has brought up. I think if I had one critisizm about the way Kunlun was initially presented years ago is that it probably would have been good to have had more of a screening process for students. I think it was Chris's enthusiasm for getting the practice out there, which I appreciate in regards to my own life, that might have missed the screening process to see if the practice was "balanced" for every individual student at those seminars. A tall order but it would have probably been the responsible thing to do. I think Chris is a great guy and he and Max let me know where they stood on things from the start but for that 1% or 5% or whatever it is of students who's energy or mind didn't jive well with Kunlun, perhaps their personal or energetic issues in regards to this particular lineage energy were overlooked. There were many people coming to those seminars. I wouldn't expect Max to be able to handle each and every individual students every energetic/emotional/karmic issue. But I think Max tried his best. Interestingly, it sounds like Max is taking more time to let students develop on there own now and not just giving the transmission that I was given and others were given immedietly. Kan said something similar when I saw him about transmission. Though I was given another transmission in Japan. It's really beyond the scope of my understanding as to why or why not some people have a good or bad experience with Kunlun. I think it can be a very quick and intense practice. Some students really embrace the quick and intense speed at which Kunlun reveals to you, well..truth..and why some freak out. Is that freaking out wrong or bad? I don't think so. Again, in those instances, perhaps more initial "screening" of people may have been good. Anyway, looking forward to reading the new book. I am 100% certain Kunlun has done far more good in peoples lives then bad. I consider it a very safe but no doubt a very, very powerful system of awakening to Tao. The fact that this system was and is taught publically still amazes me. And I am proud to have been a part of it. ps. I am getting pm's which I don't answer here. I don't have anything to say in regards to peoples personal practice or advice. I am not a facilitator in the Kunlun System. I prefer to just do my practice and leave the teachers to answer your questions. Or buy the new book if you like. I haven't read it yet but I suspect that would be the best place to start. Cam

It's truly humbling seeing a real internal martial artist in action. I was walking in the early morning a few months ago saw a Bagua Master. He was walking in front of me and suddenly went into his Bagua form so spontaneously and effortlessly it was mind blowing. His movement was like Like something out of the Matrix movie but better

Take it eaaaaaaaasy with Kunlun. Don't rush it. It simple to do but very powerful. A friend of mine in Beijing I showed the practice to practiced once and started experiencing all kinds of things. She became uncomfortable. I showed her Jenny's DVD and explained that you shouldn't attach to different phenomena. Basically approach it the same way you would cessassion contemplation practice. If you don't already have a basic emptiness/cessation contemplation practice I would do that for awhile before doing Kunlun. See meditationexpert.com, Adyashanti.org, Eckhart Tolles stuff, Zen etc for that. Good wishes ps. even though I have been doing this practice for almost 5 years I very regularly take extended breaks. Weeks and even months off sometimes.