Cameron

Fun quiz. I am Marsellus. Your name alone strikes fear into others; but maybe, just maybe, there's a little vulnerability and weakness beneath that stoic, fierce exterior of yours. http://www.pyrrha.org/pulp/

It seems to me one of the most important-if not THE most important-aspect of successful qigong, martial arts, hapiness in life in general, is learning to overcome tension. I was laying on my futon a few days ago and sort of sinking in and got pretty relaxed. But even in that relaxed state I thought " Even this is not really relaxation..there are still numerous areas not totally letting go." It is also something that comes up in my martiala rts practice. Why get tense when it's unnessiary? Certainly tension has it's usefulness but learning to overcome tension and let go of all the tension in the body is so important and so hard. In Qigong practice alot of the movements help you to relax. standing meditation is good because it basically forces you to relax to be successful. You can't stand there for 30 minutes with your arms rounded in a state of tension. You relax or you give up. Especially relaxing the abdomen and really letting go all the knots in the belly so tan tien breathing is natural practiced. I have also found excericse itself is helful tor elaxation. Doing a couple hundred hindu squats you just tell your body to knock it off with any tension. It's like when you do qigong or excercise alot or do yoga alot you are reeducating your body to overcome tension. So, I would like to keep this thread going for anyone to add any practices they have found helpful in overcoming tension. Scott Sonnon's material has been referenced as being helpful to this. Pilates recently has been said to be helpful. Deep massage obviously would be helpful. So add to the Overcoming Tension thread if you have some pearls!

Ok I have the plan..now time to implement the second rule of management..organization. So many practices in this book and not much time to do them. I will dedicate atleast 30 min a day in the morning to practice. If I have time at night I'll do some then also but just make sure to commit to morning cultivation. Right away from week one Eric is teaching one of my faovirte practices-standing meditation-in the system. The first week is mostly just going over the posture. I'll just start back with zhan zhuang since I have been doing it so much already. But try to refine the finer points of posture Eric goes over. I'll do hair breathing for a few minutes or longer and then do the Fire Element meditation. I'll complete this and all subsequent weeks with the microcosmic orbit meditation for 15 minutes. Smile, sounds, testicle breathing as needed.

What's the deal with the words Zen and Tao being hip? In my city there are probably more clubs and restaurants called Zen then there are zen centers. I know a really happening new club called Tao just opened up..I think in LA(maybe NY) What's the deal with this? I feel sort of silly telling people I am going to go party at Zen or Tao tonight. It seems many Americans think these words are cool and hip for some reason..but do they have any idea what they mean? Probably they think it is some sort of new term for feng shuei or something. Or sounds sexy? WTF!?

Michael/Spyrelx.. My understanding of the goal of the inner smile(What I got from Winn) is it is mostly about raising your vibration. When you say I like this person and don't like that person(you know, everyday mundane feelings about people) that is sort of on a low or middle level vibration. Nothing wrong with that it is where I am at most of time. However, I think the idea when you come to "practice" is to connect with something that is actually higher than that. Sort of your potential to just unconditionally accept everyone(not neccissarily love them to death but accept) And smiling is like a message-a universal one-that yes, I accept and am ok with you and myself. Unless your a phsycho like in some of Robert Deniro's roles where you smile madly before you kill someone Smiling into your body should hopefully produce a kind of physical bliss. I know when I get it right and smile to my heart it's like I am having sex with the universe and so open. The thymus gland or whatever opens up like a flower and the heart and other organs get bathed in the energy. It's Qigong. In taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy Eric get's into blending the smiling energy with sexual energy more and trying to experience sex with the universe .why wouldn't you be smiling if you could have sex with the universe at will?

Sean.. Ken Cohen's description on his Taoism:Essential Teachings of the Way and it's Power are the best I have heard I think. He says " Taoist Emptiness meditation doesn't mean the emptiness of nihilism but the Emptiness of the cup that allows it to hold the liquid." From the persepective of Taoist energy work..this emptiness or openess allows the Alchemy or formulas to be practiced better. or if you are a proponent of Bodri's way of thinking..it's the alpha and omega. You empty out and essentially allow the process to happen. Only when we are empty of all things(including your own ego) do you realize the Tao. From the Zen teaching seeing the Dharma or catching a glimpse of your original nature or buddha nature comes from emptiness practice(initially) because you have to get to this point where you inspect yourself and ego and see it is transient or unreal..a self created phenomena not a lasting truth. This all changes when you get into Alchemy(Ala winn) because it does seem to be about creating something(The Elixer) Your basically growing your spirit. Winn's explanation of alchemy is you don't save your soul you grow your soul. To use a more graphic example from Cohen's use of the term emptiness is called 'Fasting of the mind'. Just as your body can fast from food(with some benefit) your mind can fast from words and concepts. Thus, you are literally getting an " Empty Mind" through the practice or " Fasting the Mind". Now that that is covered..does the inner smile cover this Fasting of Mind as well as the Taoist energy aspect or is it still too much of a method? My guess is, yes, it does cover it if done correctly. That would be smiling not to achieve anything-like getting your liver to light up or heart to open up or whatever-smiling just as an unconditional love/acceptance of the totality of your self practice. Relaxing into the smile as the deeper dimension of your being that you have forgotten about and are trying to recover-while at the same time Fasting of the Mind/Emptiness practice. And if you can eventually carry this level of awareness into all your mundane or high daily life events that is the goal I think.

I am just messing with reverse breathing and the microcosmic orbit until Monday.

Cameron, your second post is an awesome summation of the Winn School/Bodri School split. Really clarified some stuff for me. Thanks Michael!

Welcome, If your interested pick up " Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy" and join us for group practice and discussion. We start next week but if you want to pick up a week after or whatever no problem. This book covers the beginning levels of Internal Alchemy(Fusion) as well as Sexual Alchemy(Turning Yin Yang Water Wheels and God and Goddess.)

This is where it can get tricky because when you say realize the "illusory nature of the mind" you are..I think..referncing Buddhist philosophy and practices..which is fine. The HT or atleast Winn thinks the mind is not illusory but governed or composed of these shen/vital organ spirits. Now, if you have come to the conclusion shen theory is garbage and buddhism is where it is at(ala Bill Bodri) fine..your talking about a whole different language and all this is just phonemena or Skhandas. The shen theory says they arent just illosury phenomena but have this immortal aspect to them that goes on and on and on but needs to get integrated back to Tao. the smile then serves the purpouse as a communication with these shen and your basically learning to get into a realationship with them. You begin talking with them and caring for them like you do in any realtionship..you care about the other person. Just saying it's illosory phenomena is fine in Buddhism but in Shen theory that may be equivelent to being married and telling your wife she and her opnions and desires are illosory phenomena. Time for divorce! So we should have a CLEAR understanding of what philosophy we are drawing on before we get into a discussion. My view is the inner smile basically covers emptiness practice but was interested in hearing others opinions. Perhaps those that disagree with that.

Let's all do group study of Yudeloves's Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy. It covers primarily Fusion, Sexual Alchemy and a breathing practice called 4 square breathing. Even Chia says it is the most advanced book on internal sex practice ever written in English. I propose we begin week one on Monday and just start a new thread here where whoever wants to do it can ask questions, comments, whatever. From what I can gather quite a few of our practices has been lagging so this would be an excellent opportunity for us to really take advantage of the community while also doing what looks like a great program. Who is up for it?!

Yup

Sounds nice hagar. What stlye or teacher of 5 animals? I only learned the 5 animals healing sounds from Winn but I think John Ducane from dragondoor has a popular DVD of the 5 animals.

Like half the book is about grounding the chi into the earth and standing practices. Did you ignore this apsect?

Oh shit two aries going at it.. (runs to kitchen to get popcorn and diet Mt. Dew)

That's Reservoir Dogs! " Tell that bitch to chill!" -Jules

One thing that stuck in my head that Eric told me in an IM sesshin was that there were these negative entities called "flyers" who literally fed off of human energy. He said they love the taste of human energy when we are lazy or lack discipline. And that discipline kills flyers or they no longer like our energy when we have discipline. Something like that.

Mixing Islamic prayer with Taoist energy work...nice!

It was his personal issues and his practice of Sorcery/Magic not any of the Taoist stuff. Personally, It always confused me how he taught/learned all the balanced and positive Taoist stuff but was so heavy into occult stuff or Magic at the same time. Eric was VERY into Carlos Castaneda stuff and doing Tensegrity..I think it was called..along with those practices. I never was drawn to Casteneda's material but Eric was really going deep with it when things got weird. I hope he is ok now. I think Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy is like the Phoenix that rose out of the fires and ashe that was his life at the time. I don't think anything in there would contribute to making anyone crazy. As Eric wrote in the introduction he finished writing the book right before his wife died. Pretty dramatic stuff. And the practices are all about balancing one's emotions and learning to have sex with the universe(God and Goddess).

Grand Trinity stop lurking you already said you were down!?

Right. I don't think you ever have to worry about turning the TeeVee on at 2am and seeing Daisy Fuentes and Minnie Driver raving about "Windsor Pilates" by saying " I totally opened my Tan Tien and lost the extra flab at the same time. My qi channels are so open right now I never have to worry about getting tired on the set!"

I pray to the great spirits of the 4 Winds that sean and lozen will find common ground and produce a wisdom teaching from there so called disagreements. Or, if not, I implore them to come to my gym in Tempe, Az and settle the debate with a fight(no knives or other sharp objects please Lozen). I will corner Sean since I know Lozen has the Lesbian Death Squad(LDS for short) that will have her back. Or just continue the shannanigans in an educational and respectful manner. Thank you and fight for your right to party.

That's it!? The Master Sean and my man that was doing the program already?! Who will join me? Who has the courage to do a cool program from the notourious Dragonmaster?! We will ride into Rome and drive out the Pompean scum! My bad I am really getting into this show Rome on HBO. Now that was some drama!

Snap!

" This has the effect of opening up blood circulation, and the channels, and challenging your ability to stay centered in your lower tan tien while you do an hour of unusual shit. " In all the years I have been reading your posts I don't remember you ever resorting to profanity to make a point. Pilates must be the fucking shit!