thelerner

I think he's got it. The 'showy' powers are in reality pretty boring, ie heat from the hand is hot, but not shine a bright focused light and burn paper hot. So you can impress students with very hot hands, but for a video and large demonstration you cheat. Still, David Verdesi systems demand a very high level of commitment and time from students, I have no doubt that people practicing 4 to 6 hours a day get impressive results. Michael

I noticed they lived and the husbands died. Guess life after 40 for them was no fun Michael

Yup, Daniel Reid echoes that point in his book, Tao of Health Sex and Longevity I think.

I do something like this when starting to come down with something. I'll make a pot of herbal tea which includes lemongrass, which makes me sweat, drink half of it, then take a very hot shower and allow water to pour into my open mouth(now swallowing) and along my throat. When done I'll drink more tea, then wrap myself tightly in a large towel then go under the covers to 'sweat it out' and sleep. Michael

Oh my, oh my, what will they go after next???!!!! The trees. Just kidding, actually it looks like on April Fools the stores that carry herbs will be just as stocked as ever. If you have a few minutes to google it, it looks like the legislature will demand a level of certification of safety and standardization for herbs. It shouldn't be a problem for any medium or larger distributor. Smaller ones might have problems. Course really small individuals may not give a damn since they already have a close relationship w/ customers and really will police go after you for unlicensed chamomile?? I know Germany has already had prescription type herbals for years. In that way they're way ahead of the U.S. where there are so many manufacturers we may well be buying 'junk' herbs half the time. Its also allowed for the best controlled tests on herbs which have proved there effectiveness. IMO its not a great piece of legislation, but its not hair raising prohibition either. Michael

Every month or two we should 'bump' this up so people are aware of it. Its a way to meet fellow bums who live near yah. Michael

I agree with it and I'm glad he added other breath techniques have value. I see a clear parallel to energy meditations vs stillness debate. They both have value, but stillness is the nourishing main course. Thankfully there is time to make room for both.

Here is what I get. There is the stereotypical monk or scholar who's straight laced and observant, but every now and then comes one who exudes joy and breaks the rules. Their spirit and purity is such that they get away with it. It reminds us the way is bigger then we imagine. Michael

I've always been amazed at the angry bitterness some people have shown for old teachers, even mellow ones who they've actually had relatively little contact with. Michael

Here is an unusual Herbal site I ordered from years ago. They seem fast, honest and certainly have an unusual collection. Here's a quote from a newsletter they just sent: Greetings from IAmShaman.com and ShamansGarden.com. First, we apologize for any unwanted intrusion. Your information is not only safe with us, we respect your privacy and will never send you another newsletter if you choose to unsubscribe below. For those who remain, we've got a special one-time coupon for 15% off of anything in the store. Simply type NEWSLTR15P into the "Coupons" section during checkout on either Shaman'sGarden or IAmShaman and the discount will automatically be applied. We're proud that with over 350,000 customers and counting, with strict adherence to security protocols, and by offering only 100% legal products rich in Shamanic history and tradition, we have become the top exotic botanical vendor on the internet. We couldn't have done it without your help and loyalty, and our newsletter is just another way to give back. Our newsletter will offer exclusive discounts, access to useful special offers, and valuable information not available on either website. They're worth checking out if you're into herbals or shamanic stuff. I may brew up some tonics for the coming winter. Since they're best after a few months, its probably time to start choosing now.

Are you sure we're not dancing around the original question w/ semantics?? Getting into everything is a miracle territory, which I think of as very fuzzy. FT88 is probably not a figment of his imagination, he's probably a real person who wrote the question and I'm a real person reading it. I'm thinking of a purple ape right now, that ape is a figment of my imagination, a class totally different from FT88 who's posting a pretty deep question. For me the Buddhist answer is to side step the question with the very logical 'You won't ever really know, concentrate on whats important'. No one can tell you a satisfying real answer. You may be able to put yourself into a state (w/ long practice) where you'll get some understanding, but someone else telling you will never be anything other then conjecture. on second thought maybe our answers aren't so different after all Michael

1)Try sitting half lotus (w/ zafu) w/ your back against a wall. Should be easier, as your sitting improves, slowly move away. No rush. 2)Have someone experienced observe your sitting posture, there are tweaks that might solve the problem. Michael

Insightful stuff. When I do ZZ I dissolve tension in my body by listening to a 15 minute guided meditation called the Archaeous. Its from Rawn Clark, it has an interesting take on element theory by having you imagine the feet to the hips as earth. Waist & stomach region as water, chest as air, etc. Listening to it takes me through 15 minutes effortlessly, feeling strong. Its a free download, just google it if interested. Rawn has many fascinating indepth meditation available for free mp3 download on his site. Michael Michael

I'm on the fence with this. I tend to believe UFOs are mostly projections of the mind. Angels are out, unhip and religious, Aliens are in, sexy and scientific. I have friends who are true believers. Some have communicated with aliens, albeit in a mental realm rather then in the car in driveway one. It seems most esoteric meditation teachers believe (heck Glenn Morris engaged some in mental combat(!)). So maybe I'm siding a little more in the belief direction myself. Still until they land in my neighborhood or start taking over the world there existence or not has no effect on me. Here is a link a respected meditation teacher sent me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrK2YgfjnHo Michael

Meditation- the human reset button. Michael

It seems the posts in the Introduction still go back to the originals but the Discussion starts in 2010. Are all the old posts gone for good or is there a back up somewhere? If so what loss of history. Guess I'm asking this a couple months too late. But now that they're gone I wish I'd saved some of the deeper, more poignant and crazy threads. Michael

I'm waiting for the third edition, when it will be down to 10 Lessons and the chick on the cover will be a little older

Here is one Golden Bell/Shield group. Interesting stuff. Too bad they don't have more classes around. http://www.goldenshield.org/levels.html Michael

For some reason your post made me think of this one: By Dao Zhen I think for serious students, this is a big hurdle to overcome. It is best to not get into the habit of gaining depression when an emission happens in sleep. It is natural, and go slow and do not force anything, nor become obsessed with "saving" jing. Keep practice, follow solid methods and guidelines. With time, all will become secure quite naturally. I have found the following to be a help for me in my practice. Yet this is by no means advise from an expert, as I have very little experience. In the tradition I am learning, it is generally accepted that a serious student is celibate. 1. Change conditioned habits and patterns in regards to viewing and interacting with women - on the street, and in the manner we speak and deal with them in public situations - If we flirt, and have playful interaction with women, it may stir things up quite a bit, and cause trouble during sleep. Honor and respect women as your sisters in Tao, yet do not view them as sexual objects, nor project sexual fantasy on women. 1-a. Do not view pornography video, magazine, or sexual movies. 2. Diet. Do not over eat, and do not go to bed while full. I have found it best to eat the last meal of the day around 5pm or so. Also in the tradition I am learning, it is thought best to follow a simple vegetarian diet, with no spice, garlic, onion, scallion, chives, and cilantro. 3. Do not have very heavy blankets on the body that will create too much heat when sleeping. 4. Do not sleep on the stomach. Sleep on the back with one leg crossed over the other – hands resting below the navel, or on the right side with one leg tucked behind the bottom leg at the knee level – right palm cupping the ear – left palm below navel area. 5. The most important point I have found that helps is to sit for 1 - 2.5 hours or so in proper seated meditation practice before sleep. This is perhaps the most important point, and will yield the most results. In this tradition, we have a method to transfer Jing to Qi that is taught. It is termed - "Lighting a Fire", or "Burning a Soft Fire". It is very effective, and yields the effect of the Jing being transformed to Qi, and really is like something burns away and evaporates. There is great warmth generated in the Lower Dantian area that moves, and steams upward during the process in a manner that is very pleasurable and uplifting. One is left with a feeling of great expansion, and the sign that the Jing has been completely transformed, and it is safe to sleep is one has a feeling like a vast, expansive, clear blue sky. The sign that one has made some gain in transformation of Jing over a period of time, is generally one will stop to have dream activity. There is a great stillness in the sleep state, and no real strong dream activity. This is also related to the pattern of the Metal conquering Wood; Or the Po suppressing the Hun during the night. When the Hun is suppressed by the Po, it wanders away from the sphere of the liver, and the resulting experience is dreams. As Jing is transformed into Qi, and the Hun is strengthened, there is less and less dream activity during the sleep state. One sign I have also come to notice is that if I was lazy and just lie down for sleep without practice, there will be a feeling of something stirring in the lower Dantian, like a movement, or maybe even a worm or something is really moving and stirring. This is a sign that one will experience an emission during sleep, and it is important to have a strong will power, and sit up and cross the legs and sit to Burn the Soft Fire. It is also a good idea to get into the habit of getting up from sleep at any time in the night when you awake and there is a stirring in the sexual organ, or a strong erection. Just sit up, cross the legs, and lightly gaze over the Lower Dantian area and sit in stillness. In this system, they also teach a standing method of body movement, contraction and breathe retention in the first stages to strengthen the lower gate, to help prevent the emission during sleep. This stage does not last forever. It is as if the body and being is at first in a habit to let the liquid flow out, and loose the essence. Yet with slow and steady practice, the body and being learns another way. It becomes the natural state to preserve the essence, and no loss is experienced. It is an investment of time. So it takes a strong and steady will power. Constant and steady daily practice over a period of time. Persevere. Dao Zhen

Great idea. If the weather is okay and its not going to rain, try a night bivouac style; sleeping outside. There's some extra magic in it- warm bag and insect repellent may be required. Michael Winn of the healing tao us site had a good article on living in a taoist cave. He took it to an extreme level ..ie piss drinking. I'd suggest work on long sitting. When in nature the real magic happens when you sit somewhere beautiful, stay there beyond mind chatter, boredom, stiffness, sitting til you forget everything. Michael

Yup, you gotta turn off the soap operas and live life the best you can.

The Wudang Meditation CD's Master Chen has a gentle type of reverse breath. You simply clench your buttocks a little when you breath in, relax them as you breath out. You don't tighten your stomach which is how I've seen it done in some chi gung. It feels like it 'concentrates' the chi inside a bit, and makes for a more expansive breath out. Is the SFQ style of reverse breath similar? Thanks Michael