thelerner

Hi Danc I think that is close to empty force breathing that Mantak Chia was teaching a few years ago. Can someone refresh us about bodri's 9 bottle breathing. That also had you breathing out and holding, didn't it? Michael

It worked for me. I didn't realize you didn't need a Paypal account to use it. It will take any card. Michael

D'oh M

I will spend 5 more minutes in Live Chat now. Note no one came yesterday. Make a sound effect when you get there so if I'm not looking at the screen I'll hear you. M_

Thanks for the description. I'll have to look at my schedule and see if I can go. Michael

Hi Sean, Why don't you put up a little flag that says, 'Support Taobum culture, click an advertiser or two'. If it was small and within an interesting graphic I don't anyone would mind. If clicking a few advertisers puts some change in your pocket it should be encouraged. Michael

Sorry GT. But I hope it at least brought out a smile in you. One answer to the original question is this. Where there is laughter and self mockery there is rarely elitism. Where it is stone serious and frivolity is banned, there you will find the world of fascism and master/slave mentality. Michael

Thanks, I'm a Chicagoan. I'll look into it. Do you study with Oleg? What can you tell me about him? I'm a basics kind of guy, I did Tao basics with Chia (in Chicago) and Winn (tao mountain). I've used there materials plus Minke's and Glenn Morris's book and audio tape to get a better feeling for the orbit. Michael

I'm certainly a slackard so I don't think I'll be up for the mostess on any of these: Who meditates the most per day? Who exercises the most? or hardest? Who been doing retention the longest? Who has the most stringent diet? If you think you're in the running, please add to this thread. Its certainly not about competition. But I'm interested in what people have gotten out of extreme longer held practices. Michael

I used to play around with things like that all the time in Ki-Aikido. Here's one: Someone standing by your side grabs your arm with there two hands and yanks hard. Its very hard to keep from moving and being pulled. Then you imagine the grabber is falling off a cliff and you must pull him in to save him. Without much practice, you tend to have perfect balance and are able to save him almost every time. And its just a change of thought. Michael

He was too good for this Earth. Thank you for the safety tip, I'll lower the voltage on mine. my condolences and may I say you are taking it very well. Michael

Now that winter is approaching I wonder whether its time to dedicate two weeks or so to heavy duty meditation. I mean sitting two hours at a time in emptiness every day, maybe twice a day. SeanDenty spoke about his master requiring 3 hours a day of meditation. There may be some pretty good fruit to be gotten from such extreme practice. Is 3 hours so extreme? Maybe you give up an hour of sleep, some time on the tube or surfing the net. How many people, the heavy hitters here go long? and how often? Michael

Some of Daniel Reids early books had a potpourri of different breathing, meditation and movement techniques to them. One called something like "The Tao of health, sex and Longevity" was good, unless I have it mixed up with one of his other early books, both had an encycopedic feeling to them. For structured course, Eric Yudelove's "100 Days to Better .." and its follow up books are very good. Though it helps not to know how Eric turned out. (poorly) Michael

My Aikido teacher used to say, In Tai chi they let you use 4 ounces of strength, he would allow us 2 pounds. The power always came from the core, the arms were just relaxed extension. I'm not a tai chi person, but I read Al Huangs early works. He seems more of a dance focused Tai chi player. Though without taking a classes with him its hard to say. I do think that Taichi, even in dance mode has many benefits. After years in the martial arts I do think its the ability to be calm, think clearly, move strongly that saves and prolongs your life. Michael

Everything SEEMS to be changing. But thats an illusion, its really a pendulum swinging back and forth. And we humans who are taken by surprise when as it changes directions. Michael Do we moderns who live in a democracy? My mayor Daley, is son of the original Daley I, elected til he died in office. My president is son of a president, whose brother is royalty er governor in a powerful state. Swings within swings..we tend to get what we deserve. We rebell against and become our parents.

The heavily socialist system has ruined the average Canadian as a slave. Even the mexican slaves are barely worth the effort to whip them. I find the best slaves to be..robots. But as we all know eventually all robots rise up, rebell and kill there masters. Until then, go robot-cheaper faster and as it says in Leviticus get them from neighboring countries. Hope that is clear. Michael

Hey Yoda, Avatar is on cable, Nicktoons I think, season I is out on video. Its worth while enough to at least rent. I expect the next generation to be more fully realized. I have one son who with no prodding is a veggie. My 6 year old who is an orange belt and quite talented in karate wants to chuck it for yoga. He can stand still and hold his leg over his head forwards and side ways. hey how come the site isn't saying happy birthday michael ? Michael 42 yo

Hands down the best cartoon on TV for kids and adults is the Avatar. Very Taoistic, each episode has a taoist lesson on element theory. Well written, well drawn and it works on many levels. Its the cartoon form of Kung Fu of our time. Michael

Here in the states taoism is exotic and strange. In Taiwan I'd expect it to be more common. I know a number of masters fled there during the cultural revolution. How common is it there? What kind of practices do you do? Yours Michael

When I was taking karate back in highschool reading Funakoshi's biography 'Karate My Way' was mandatory. Its a good read. There was also a book something like 3 Masters. Biography of Funakoshi(father of modern karate) Kano? founder of judo, and Ueshiba founder of Aikido. It illustrates there dedication, skill and also there kindness. Kano was instrumental in helping Funakoshi. All 3 were good people, not just highly skilled, but very moral and not as violently macho as there modern counterparts. Having kids read 'kid frinedly' biographies is a great way to have them see the bigger picture in the world and start having real heroes they can emulate. I think discussions of retention make more sense at 25 or maybe 35. Not really for the teen years where biology is soo against it. Michael

The Bahai temple and its gardens in Wilmette have been one of my favorite places to go since childhood. I've never been to a service, but the Bahai's I've met there have always been very cool. Beautiful site in Israel too. The religion seems to be into the unification and brotherhood of mankind. It takes awhile to get over the not swastikas that adorn the building but the ..I forget the name, but they're the backward facing swastikas that are ancient symbols of faith and good luck. I've made the mental conversion though I'm sure they get flack for it. On the books they may be antihomosexual, but aren't all older established religions. Hopefully the modern translations and expressions are more with the spirit oneness and peace. Michael

Thank goodness for purists who do go deeply into each system. People like me, see the video a few times, like it, and do it for years without going back to the video. I'm sure my order and movements are widely diverging from the original form and will diverge more unless I take a class. Thats not neccessarily bad, but if I teach it someone, there is a significant loss. In Taichi circles it would be near heresy. But the forms Michael teaches are relatively simple. Despite some tittles its not precise style Taichi. The energetics are more important then the exact mechanics. Matter of fact you can feel most of the effects doing them in your head. Michael P.S Posting a few new kids stories on my personal site here.

On a more serious note I find the names of Qi interesting. I've been working on sacred sounds. How and where sounds connect to your body. If you take a look at the names listed: Polynesian: mana Australian Aboriginal: maban Egyptian: ka Greek: pneuma Roman/Christianity: Spiritus Hebrew: ruah Inuit: inua, sila Leni Lenape: manetuwak Norse: seid Druidry: Awen Yoruba: oloddumare European alchemy and philosophy: aether, (or ether), quintessence Hindu philosophy: prana Arabic or Islamic: Baraka (or Barakah) Its no coincidence that many of the words resemble each other. Particularly the ones from the older cultures. Two syllables, one with an Ah. The Ahh sound is widely used as a warming heart sound. Uuuu is a lower gut sound that reverberates upward. Ennnn and Emmm's start in the throat and move downward. Most of the words reverb with power, some more then others. Thats my serious thought for today, expect no more from me Michael

Michael Don't underestimate the power of qi or ghee or chili con carnii. I've seen TM'ers triple there seated levitation with just one bowl. I also remember the story of an older indian woman who asked a famous swami how to reawaken her sex life. The swami said 'You're bodies must be full of qi inside and out'. 'Yes swami' she says and goes to the supermarket and asks for some. A week later she sees the swami and says 'The sex is great now swami, except we keep sliding off the bed and have to go to the washroom too much'

What? I always thought Qi was clarified butter? Michael