thelerner

yup. faced with more death and war, I think the world would be happy accept Assad back as ruler if he promised amnesty and a good chance at peace. The world may well end up making payments to Assads government to rebuild all the destruction.

damn, peace talks are called off after 2 days due to nothing getting settled, not even who's allowed to officially join. They'll recommence (hopefully) in 3 weeks. In the meantime more of the same. As of late Assad on the rise (Pyrrhic victories?) and Isis continues to lose land, men and steam.

They put out floods . back on OP. War is bad. Civil Wars tend to be even worse. Civil wars where other states use the various sides as proxies end up the worst.

At Burning Man a guy gave a long speech along with video's on his aquaponics. He was pretty sophisticated, growing vegetables on top and trout(!) on the bottom. A constant balancing act. He could defray some of the food costs by getting throwaways from local fishmongers. Youtube has many video hydroponics from enthusiasts. I forget which one, but one of the best and simplest systems I saw the guy used a bubbler (like in fish aquarium) to move water up, ie bubbles in a tube pushed up water. It made for a quieter less energy intense system. Please give us links to any youtubes or sites you find the most promising.

Tickets available (lottery for them) for the Midwest Regional Burning Man Event- Lakes of Fire. It's a nice approachable, more laid back, Burning Man light kind of event with a 1,000 or so people, surrounding a lovely lake. Well worth it, easy camping versus the big burn in Nevada. I put my hat in for a ticket. It'd be nice to see other Dao Bums there. http://lakesoffire.org/the-event/ LAKES OF FIRE 2016: Mythical Creatures JUNE 15 – 19, 2016Every year, the Lakes of Fire community chooses a theme to rally around – a central focus that many people use when deciding on the art they will bring, the costumes they will create to express themselves, and the art cars they will design. If you join us for 2016, you will see beasts of legend writ with fire, wood, paint and fur. You’re sure to run into satyrs and banshees, giants and dragons. Of course, what would an event on the water be without mermaids? If we’re lucky, maybe Nessie will put in an appearance! What creature of legend speaks to you? What does it want to say through your hands?

Very inspiring Fu-doggy. I've been doing fewer cycles since I 'graduated' but I should spend some time, at least once a week with longer sets. Here's a good video explaining the (possible) benefits: (he does lay it on a little thick)

Sorry, I don't remember the exact rules (and I'm too lazy to check). I think Dawei stated them recently. In some sections the OP writer can hide posts on their thread but not in others, such as the 'main' discussion areas. It's relatively new that OP writers had control. Being able to edit out others is quite a bit of power. Its nice to keep things ontrack, but editing out counter views can get tyrannical. (Please correct me if I'm wrong) The compromise was to create a Wu Wei section that gave OP's the power to hide things. People also have greater control in there PPD sections, from hiding unwanted posts to locking down threads. In some ways they're the ideal place to have full control of conversation. The problem is you don't the eyes and interest there, sometimes no one sees it. I think the board reached a pretty good compromise. If you want more control go to Wu Wei or PPD. Or like I've done ask nicely (mostly) for people to keep on subject.. sometimes it works, though its adds to aggravation when they don't. But C'est la Vie, such is the cost of the electronic life.

I said it firstishly.

JK not sure you understand US politics. Obama isn't running, he's not toast, he's been elected president twice, that's pretty impressive and only 2 terms are allowed. He'll continue to be president til November. As an 'antichrist' his 2 terms haven't led to the chaos and horror of apocalypse. Instead of starting WW III he's mostly (not totally) pulled American troops away from war. Taking risks to make peace with enemies like Iran. By most metrics he's leaving the country in better shape then when he started 7 years ago, imo. Noting there's still a ways to go but most people have a bias toward brighter yesterdays. Your prediction that he'll declare himself messiah, is probably in the zero percent range.

Yesterday I did a Polar Plunge in Lake Michigan, the water was 33 F. It was no big deal, I followed the crowd around the bend, dipped my head in, left the water then ran around to get in line to do it again. It felt really easy. Likewise today I hit the oriental King Spa- home to a dozen crazy sauna rooms from amethyst to ice, from salt to Gold (22 karat) pyramid room. Dipping my toes in a few months it felt insane to go into the ice water sauna. Today it felt no colder then a swimming pool. Likewise there uber hot sauna I could only take 45 seconds of last time (190 on the bottom, 240 in the middle, they cook eggs on the top), this time I stayed in for quite a while, it didn't seem all that bad. The ice room, was the same, it felt like air conditioning. When I pointed that out, a fellow sitter told to sit with my back against the wall. That helped make it colder but I felt I could sit there indefinitely. There is a chance that in all these things it was a very crowded day and these were indeed less extreme then on quiet days, when doors stayed shut. But.. there is also no doubt that I'm physically and mentally tougher and temperatures don't bother me as much.

I want to do some experimentation with breath rates. In the mornings strap on a heart rate monitor, record my beginning heart rate, do 15 minutes of breathing with a specific rhythm and record it again. I'd like to do 16-16 even in/out breath, and 8 - 24 - 16 retention style breathing. Each day do one and record. Every third session do control, listening to music or just resting to see how it affects my heart rate. Try to get a few cycles of data and see what results I have. Maybe I shouldn't have any expectations, but I'm guessing the retentive style breathing will result in a lower heart rate. Anyone else have thoughts on Body hacks/experimentations? Or want to join in on this one?

On an exercise machine I can drop my heart rate by 6 or 7 beats by visualizing a beach where I'm on a hammock and the moon is rising. Likewise I find negative thoughts raise my heart rate about that much. The heart rate probably is a more sensitive barometer then we give it credit for. Good advice to disperse attention. Though sometimes, for a limited amount of time, a magnifying glass is just what we need.

Great post, I was wondering if you could talk about the sleep meditations

Nice, someone on the facebook page recommended this kind of device but I hesitated because it was in the $60 range, but for $19 it's a buy. Thanks.

I don't either, but ideas often don't die but lay dormant, revive and evolve leaving traces of there origin in linguistics.

I trust the mods. I assume the only posts at risk are going to be when threads degenerate into flame wars and that kind of hiding happening very rarely. In truth, the real threat to our 'great' writing is once threads are off the first page or two, they end up getting swept away by the hands of time. Its worthwhile for people to save the best of there writing in PPD's if for no other reason its easier to find. Tibetan Ice I've found your whole threads on Jhanas to be golden. Ultimately our writing, reputation and stature has to speak for itself.

eeyup. moseying on past the fences. giddy-up little doggy the sunset awaits.

Interesting, the average hold in the test was 5 min 35 seconds. That is pretty long. I saw a show on sport diving and get the feeling that its a pretty high risk sport. Still, I'd like to hit a 3 minute hold. The bad is in the study 7 out of 9 divers is showed a particular cellular marker for brain damage going up after an extreme hold. It'd be interesting to see if historically such extreme breath holders ended up with brain problems (other then caused by drowning). Still its a different protocol then Wim Hof method uses and in general we're not doing it for 5+ minutes. And a marker is not the same as direct link. For example, inflammation can be good, ie showing you've worked out hard and are growing muscle or a sign of a disease. My thinking is once you've done the 10 weeks its good to keep up with the practice but you can stop trying to set new bests and keep to a more comfortable track. With showers too, keep up a few weekly cold showers but less need to be exotic and go to far out of your comfort zone- as always, in my (limited) opinion. I'm trying to settle into a post 10 week routine. Doing the breathing routine as a wake-up from bed exercise. Only doing 2 or 3 sets w/ the last set only 30 'reps' vs 4 sets of 40. Today I climbed into a cold shower, rubbed my front, let water hit my pits (to clear/stimulate lymphs?), doused my head.. then switched to warm. Luxuriated, then turned faucet back to cold as it goes, turned around so it hit my back Got used to it, rubbed down my back and legs, turned to my front, a little more head (help keep the hair?) ended, turned off water and did some chanting.

We used to have a couple people here JoeBlast, Pedro (Trunk who's still active is very knowledgeable) who were very well studied both anatomically and esoterically in the matter of breath. If they see this it'd be good to have there opinion. I'm practicing breath patterns in the morning while still in bed. 8 16 24 and 16- 16. Keep up for a few more days then keep a heart rate monitor and pen and paper nearby and start making records. But I'd like to be secure in my breathing first. I should probably break out the Insight Timer app. That precisely allows you to set up breathing rhythms and times. Counting in my head is probably imprecise and the timer will discipline me to do it for a longer amount of time.

Wonder what they'd say about Monopoly? Which has torn many a family asunder as father, mother and sibling are crushed penniless before a siblings lucky dice. . Lots of possibilities in chess, but in truth modern play logic, which my son has and I don't, quickly ends many lines of play due to theoretically poor position. With a 19 x 19 grid, Go tends to be open up more intuitive situations but even then there are joseki's, patterns of moves that have historically better outcomes. My Aikido sensei always used to say he could tell someones native country by the way they played Go.

If we disregard the trigger we're left with a problem of fear and anxiety. If the trigger were snakes or heights I'd recommend relaxing and slowly acclimatizing yourself to them. Watching your body for reactions that cause the fear and trying to relax or distract them. Build up confidence and/or resistance. This is the thought 'What do people think of me' in social conditions. This tends to be more prevalent in Japanese society, where conforming and pleasing the group is a very powerful social norm. There are classes in deconditioning it. In them people are ordered to do outrageous things, like going to a street corner and shouting repeatedly something ridiculous. So.. I'd recommend deconditioning it. Join a group where you are forced to talk in public. Something like Toastmasters, where you're forced to talk in public. In my case I'm in a creative writing group where we write and voluntarily read what we put down. These kinds of things are good practice. Again its about looking for the mental and physical clues that come before the panicky thought and coming up with skillful means so they lose power over you. Put yourself in controlled positions where the panic will strike and welcome it, study it. What we put under a microscope often fades away. Maybe not the first or 2nd but in time we overcome it. In my case heading to a place like Burning Man which celebrates the outrageous and you learn its all good, we all do our thing, do our own dance, (within the rules of common courtesy) let it all hang out and to hell with whatever someone else thinks of it.

I like much of what he said in his early books but on some subjects modern findings are against him. As I recall he was into mega doses of some vitamins, and that hasn't proved out. His writing on milk based on cat study was based on bad science. Still, I like the detox regiment he had in an early book. I like his writing on daoism in general. Still the things he was wrong about were stated so confidently that.. I'd always listen to him, he wise and experienced but I'd also double check some of his facts.

and we've driven the mods to self-medicate.

Spacing out is reported. It's happened to me, not terrible, kindof a blank out, where I'm peaceful and think I was just counting breaths, wasn't I? I've done pretty well as far as not being chilled afterwards. That varies widely with some people reporting it lasting a while after the showers. I think it goes away in time. This is a 'you are in charge' of your health kind of thing. Better to go slow, repeat weeks and take breaks, as I did, then push too hard. Especially if your older, like me (51) or have health problems. There are frequent warnings not to hold the breath underwater, to be careful and conservative in the shower or bath. Ther comments in both the facebook and video site (both private) and are overwhelmingly positive, but who knows if bad ones are edited out? Some people credit it with solving health problems, but then doesn't every 'method'. Going into the cold is shocking and accelerates the heart (I think) Cold showers can drop core temperatures which can be dangerous. The breathing style is a bit extreme, not too far from rebirthing methods (I think) and those can prove psychologically fraught and maybe physical dangerous for some subset of people who push it too far. The method is not without its risks, though I think they are low. I haven't really researched skeptics of the method. For me, its been worth it. Like most things the truth is somewhere in the middle. Done slowly, carefully its not dangerous, nor will it be a miracle cure all. Finishing it will be an accomplishment and you'll be much more tolerant of the cold and perhaps a few more goodies.

Here's a short informative video on relatively recent neutrino research from Fermilab. It must be correct because he's got a chalk board (w/ equations) behind him . Fermilab is pretty cool. They have an interactive mueseum for kids (a little dated) lots of land w/ nice bike and hiking trails plus a herd of Buffaloes. Makes for a great place to visit, then watch a Minor League baseball game, the Batavia Muckdogs in the afternoon. Nice way to spend the day.