thelerner

I do yogic breathing as per Christer Ekstroms 'Yogic Breathing' CD. He starts with 8-8-8 and 8-10-10.. 8-12-12.. and moves up w/ longer holds. Currently I'm at 10in 40hold 20out, it gets the body to tingling. You can shoot for 14-56-28. I can only do such long holds after doing Wim Hof breathing exercises, which is another story in itself.

and yet, if you seriously practice the Golden Flower, that's alot of what you'll be doing. later edit. I copied some of the relevant nose info into my comment on top.

hmmn, are the answers to your question really getting you so pissed that they'll burn my ass all weekend?? Oh well, its a full moon and maybe there's something in the water. You imply you're buying small bottles of water now, which is economically, environmentally and even health wise foolish since most bottled water isn't regulated. If you think suggestions to buy a filter pitcher or double filtered (supermarket/hardware gallons) or find a local spring (w/ website locator) are half assed, then I doubt you'll ever find any thing of value on this site. Especially from those deign to try to answer your questions.

Yeah, take the money cause no one can sell you enlightenment. On the other hand, within my idea of enlightenment (everyone's may be different) is the phenomena of 'flow'. Flowing through life, taking it as it is, without so much drama. Living with ease, unencumbered by the many worries and anxieties that plague modern life. Gaining that perspective, is probably worth alot.

I like to start here, the picture of the Three Vinegar tasters- from (https://taoistblogforclass.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/the-vinegar-tasters/) ..We see all three of them around a vat of vinegar, which was meant to represent the essence of life, and sticking their fingers in to taste. K’ung Fu-tse( Confucius) wears a sour expression. To him, the present was out of step with the past and he did everything he could to exercise reverence for the past, for the ancestors, for the ancient ways. Under Confucianism, there were elaborate and very particular rituals used at particular times for particular things. Buddha wears a bitter expression. It is the Buddhist way of thinking that life is bitter, filled with earthly attachments that lead to suffering. Buddhists, while just as calm and tranquil as a Taoist, feel that they need to transcend this world. Buddhism has changed over time but the devout Buddhist still sees transcending to Nirvana as their purpose. Lao Tzu is smiling, the only one enjoying the vinegar. Although vinegar can be sour and bitter, Lao Tzu respected that this was how vinegar is supposed to taste, and he didn’t criticize the vinegar for being what it was supposed to be. This was it’s purpose and the vinegar he was tasting was doing an excellent job at being vinegar. The Taoist practice of respecting everything’s own nature and purpose, is also how the Taoist views the essence of life. The Taoist is not blind to the fact that life can be bitter, but it respects that this is just life being life and you must learn to accept that, and to enjoy your own life within it. The painting truly shows that accepting how everything is can help make you a much more positive person.

does Cthulu seem like he has a comb over?

Funakoshi's Shotokan Karate? From my time in it long ago, very traditional stuff. Course it was strongly hinted there were other sides to it and Funakoshi kept the Americanized version more sanitary, straight lines and katas. Versus exploring some of the darker moves and techniques hidden in the katas. I'm pretty sure quite a bit of cross training that goes on. When you've dedicated your life to an art, you can know several, but teach traditionally to keep the art pure. Odds are showing your friend chi gung.. kung fu, etc., isn't going to make him change Shotokan if he is lineage entrusted.

This is widening two discussions from off topic. How do we define Good vs Bad people? Even though I just wrote it, I think its a bad question. The great majority imo are both; catch us at a good time, we're nice; a bad time, we're hurried and petty. The great majority of us are neither saints or psychopaths. Still, isn't there a norm that runs across cultures of what a Good Person is? What do you think defines them? Are there specific actions they take? Thoughts they have? Karma paths chosen? What kind of experiment or test would you set up to 'catch' the good person?

I noticed that too. Hopefully he's just on some long retreat and will return. Shame about his writings though. We didn't always see eye to eye but he was always fascinating. Some lineages have a 'leave no trail' philosophy that advocates erasing the past including writings.. too bad. It'd be nice to hear from him soon.

Two weeks ago we had a similar question. FWIW here's a link to that thread- http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/41888-the-dao-of-the-poor/?p=707125

Thanks I've been intrigued with this theory for years. That we lost our fur and grew our brains by being water apes for an eon or two early in our evolution. Which means the Japanese Macaque (snow monkeys) are following in our footsteps.

When backpacking through Europe and Middle East I was given this rule of thumb, if you're only going to be in town for a few days avoid the water, go bottled. If you're going to be there over a week, drink, get used to it, inevitably you'll slip up anyway. That's with relatively clean water sources. Getting used to different water, even clean stuff can shake up your system.

I generally distill it into, do I want peace or to keep arguing. Seems to me, once I've listened to there argument and stated my truth (little t) my job is done. 90% of the time no one wins an internet argument, maybe the odds are a little better in real life, but not by much.

My fridge has a built in water filter. When it didn't we used one of those pitcher systems with filters. Good to leave it out so you don't waste energy opening up the fridge. At home I drink filtered water, but I don't get too obsessed with it. Avoid regular tap too much and when you do have an inevitable glass, it could make you sick. While buying small bottles of water is wasteful, there are larger sizes, one to five gallons, find a grocery that sells refills of filtered water for less then a dollar a gallon. Not just grocery stores but the big box hardware stores also are in the water game. If you really get crazy check out http://www.findaspring.com/ and hunt down your own water .

Bit of a mental trick, but downgrades desires to preferences ie don't get into the mental state I want Chocolate Pecan or I'll be unhappy. Rather, you prefer chocolate pecan but other flavors are fine too, even going without is not so bad. It's the clinging that creates most of our unhappiness. It's not all good, but most of it is, we can work on the bad and it will surely pass.

I was thinking about uses for chatroom. Something with a little more focus then the usual random conversations. I read a book awhile back on the Socratic Method. Specifically people getting together to politely discuss specific ideas and concepts. There were certain protocols to it. Maybe a leader whose job was to ask questions and keep the conversation lively. Maybe we could experiment with that here. Pick a subject and time, do a count down and see how it goes. Subjects could.range fro. Simplicity to Karma. Idea 2 Live lectures. Perhaps some could be led by teachers here. Set up a time, and discuss a system and allow for a Q and A afterwards. Doesn't have to be a teacher, anyone could set up a Lecture. I find most of the time Chat is empty. Having a few specific events a week might be a good way to develop community.

It's our way of cyber enslaving a little piece of your electronic souls. You guys are just Pokebeasts to us.

good call Michael of the past, we had a recession, a bad one, but the worst fears didn't come to pass. almost 8 years later the usual.. ups downs life. Shit happens, but so do good things. Its very important to have perspective, know history and listen to both sides of arguments and realize most of the time the big scares are over hyped. That doesn't mean they all will be, shit will happen, keeps your eyes open. Calls for Armageddon happen every few years, and as the man falling from the bridge kept saying, 'so far so good' and low and behold there was water below and he was just fine.

I never got into Michael Winn's version of 'Gods Playing' form. A form that might work very well in a wheel chair is his version of Pan Gu. He gives a nice explanation and teaching here:

Interesting totem. What's it do?

No experience with them. I remember Max Christenson of Kunlun fame liked them and found a way to use them during Kunlun practice. As I recall you held them in each hand. Like tibetan bell bowls they were made of several metals. I remember a few Kunlun people saying they liked 'em but thats the way of any new toy. Good or bad, don't know. Seemed a little gimmicky but never having used them, I can't speak to there efficacy.

I mostly just sit as my normal steady practice. Though when the mood strikes me, I'll run the orbit, maybe do some simple circular fusion. In bed, after meditation, I'll start doing an energy practice before I even consciously decide on it. If I'm on the 'throne' late at night, my hands hit the position and I do Kunlun. If I'm standing for a while I'll do Hermetic Archaeous element practice. Mostly, I just sit.

It's just.. is the latest amazing story brought to us by the same people who worked so hard on the Obama is a homosexual, Marxist born in Kenya who's out to destroy the U.S and white people theory? It gets old. You guys are in for exciting unbelievable developments every month, if you get this crazy over Hillary catching pneumonia.

I kinda hope Clinton wins the election handily so the conspiracy theorists sites aren't put out of business and can keep producing the nonsense they do best.

Sometimes I wonder if its- There is objective reality and, There are subjective interpretations of it. Objectively you cannot fly, but is astral travel possible? i don't know.. Our subjective interpretations are riddled with cultural and egotistic blinds and filters. i wonder if there are other dimensions, lighter ones, stranger ones, tied to this heavy tic toc world..? i don't know. and it doesn't really matter what anyone else tells me. i'll only know, when i experience it. and if i don't experience it, then.. too bad. there's always chocolate. none of that in the other dimensions, i bet.