thelerner

Thanks for being honest with your story. my 2 cents, take it for what its worth.. You seem to be caught in a manic cycle of accomplishment then self sabotage. Perhaps one way to break out of the highs and lows is to aim lower. Stop worrying about the world or big accomplishments but work on smaller foundational goals. Perhaps less pot, more sustainable work, cultivation, friend balance. For awhile, do good, not great, be steady. No millions, no John Chang, just steady simple practice for awhile. Stronger foundation; no crashing or dramas for a long time, then once steady go after a big goal.

The above answers have good advice. Here's a different avenue of attack. Try lying on a Spoonk mat. They're kinda like yoga mats but with thousands of 1/4 inch plastic spikes. At first lying on hurts, then the muscles relax into it giving a deep sense of release. It might be hitting pressure and acupuncture points too. https://www.amazon.com/Spoonk-Relief-Cotton-Regular-Acupressure/dp/B00GEN1HIQ/ref=sr_1_2?hvadid=177779113425&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9021485&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=13761809248443353969&hvtargid=kwd-11354736122&keywords=spoonk&qid=1555008357&s=gateway&sr=8-2&th=1 I've had one for years, like it and recommend it to people who have back pain. It may not give permanent pain relief, I've been told strengthening and flexibility (yoga) are the best long term solutions, but for temporary relief it is very good.

at least they died clean. <<bad humor>> actually I have no idea what a Poison Frog cleansing is. Just the name seems to be warning enough.

Not sure from your description exactly whats wrong, but you may want to try shaking. Its found in a number of qi gong traditions, often as a good warm up, sometimes as a practice within itself. Starting with the hands shake. Start slow, get in the elbows, shoulders, hips, thighs, knees. Shake big like an ape. Shake small and quick too. Shake til your heels are hoppin on and off the ground. Shift your balance from one foot to the other. Shake til your tired. then slow down and gradually stop. feel the residual vibration in the body. Wait til it calms down. boom your normalized. reset maybe.. if not try it a few times over a week or two. Don't over due it, but get to the point of being tired.

Welcome, this place is not so much garbage in, garbage out, as much as.. get involved. Add to a few discussions. Create a topic; ask questions. Talk about yourself and your aspirations and see if others are on a similar path.

not bad but when the shit hits the fan you need this devasting (& spiritual) art p.s. the book guy was all that bad, he moved smoothly, used edge and binder intelligently.

I am reminded of the wise and magical Nanny McPhee- “When you need me, but do not want me then I must stay. But when you want me but no longer need me, I have to go” I was taught one of the secrets of life was to turn desires into preferences. Ie you may prefer chocolate but vanilla or strawberrry are just fine. And the more fine we are with stuff we encounter the happier we tend to be.

Ten years isn't so long. Googling Long Men Pai Chicago, gave me some Youtube videos and maybe 1 in 5 articles having to do w/ the art. No local schools, but thats not surprising. Course I'm not looking for anything exotic these days.

from my limited understanding there are many family chi gung systems, not exactly secret, but not open either. Some literally family, others only taught to a select few who have an in. Our pop culture filled is with the White Savior myth- the young Western seeker meets the secluded master (who speaks english!) finds him worthy (but not the locals or his own kids) teaches them the ascension secrets in a few days, then off they go to save the world.. ie the Keanu Reeves syndrome.

We all have things we like and connect with, and then there's a million things we haven't done. If you're looking for a system that has levels is on the internet and is free, I'd point to you towards Rawn Clarks abardoncompanion.com . Particularly the Archaeous series or YHVH chanting series. Both have healing applications and come in short lessons. I also like his Center of Stillness guided meditation, but thats got lots of visuals that can be hard to get, but worth it for the 'sealing of the senses' lesson. I tend to think marry one art, flirt with others. Though after a decade or two, it may be time for trial separations as you're a different person with different needs and perspective.

I would, but then I'd have to kill you. kidding. these days its only 4 days of merciless internet trolling. I'm not a part of the school and was surprised that in a town as large as Chicago, some sort of school or meeting group didn't pop up when googled. Perhaps @Wu Ming Jen could direct you better.

I don't doubt it, but its not like there are schools teaching it everywhere. It's seems so rare that if I plug 'Longman Pie Chicago' into Google I get restaurants and pie recipes. Which is too bad. or maybe not. things get too popular, they dilute.

I agree with Kar3n that single word and spammy new threads are bad. But I found the chinadaily to be an interesting read. While its unstintingly rah rah China (duh), it also has some decent articles. I was surprised that it wasn't filled with negativity towards the West. It's production values and graphics were well done. Course some articles like 'happy' Tibet Transportation Network stories are also eye opening for what they don't include.

I'd play it as a troubled rich guy.. that way they come to you. Be subtle but drop a few hints. In conversations drop a vagary or two about past expensive gullibilities ie ex-scientologist.. Have a skeptical yet inquiring mind.. its all about getting them to chase you. Course you're dealing with potential nuts. You don't want them knowing your address, email or phone #s. Playing a game with them could be setting yourself up, not so much for danger (actually some are very dangerous) but for long term annoyances, so it might not be worth it. You can't out crazy the crazies. Instead it becomes contagious. addon> I don't think logical arguments work against cults. Focusing on how the logical extremes of there philosophy might become problematic. Pretend being a super fan of a similar group that crashed and burned. Bringing it up constantly, we are like them, we need to be even more like them, its too bad they went down in flames.. kind of talk.

I've added a downward flow sensitivity to my usual sitting. I try to get in 20- 30 minutes twice a day. Listen to dharma speeches on various subjects. Long walks.. Keeping it simple.

Perhaps thats because they're concerned and looking at the big picture, ie the global scale. It's easy to say its cold here or there and laugh about climate change but scientists don't have that luxury. The models are complex and some places will heat up, other cool down, with current models the aggregate is global heating. The sun is a factor, a powerful one and thanks to science we've gotten a better handle on its cycles. Its also one we can't do anything about. There are a multitude of factors that we can, ie our pollution output, which is huge. It'd be wise to apply science and see what we can do to keep our planet most liveable. My earlier argument is without such models in the recent past, ie 50's we were smart enough to see smog choking our cities and stopped putting lead in gasoline, put catalytic converters into cars, put teeth into the EPA to stop wholesale, preventable mass pollution. And it worked. We listened to the science and the smog went away. Skies went back to blue, inner city kids saw IQ's go up because breathing in lead was bad. A whole myriad of benefits that might poo pooed now with the same arguments, because the science has become political.

Peace. Good. Cause it seems like people are caught up arguing about things they are probably more in agreement with then not. Course isn't that the nature of most 'ultimate' threads. Who's best? Who'd win? To me, we win by finding a path (hopefully w/ heart) and walking it. You lose when you waste time on other people's beyond learning and discussion. what else.. we can't handle the ultimate. rather we start where we are, build.. grow. Right now I'm doing some Surrender Yoga, very simple. Easy postures, staying with them for a few minutes, 5 to 7, relaxing into them, breathing. Its nice. Not the ultimate, pretty beginner actually but I think its where I should be yogically right now. So perhaps.. ultimate is where we're growing and expanding.

What's a good spring practice? Spiritually- meditative.. Lifewise? How should honor the new season in our life? Particularly this one of growth and renewal? Probably spring cleaning is a good start. Clean and simplify aspects of our physical dwelling. Might be a good time to do a fast too.

Nowadays what separates us from the animals is credit cards and cell phones. and yesterday i saw a pigeon pecking at someones iphone, so i don't know how long those advantages are gonna last.

I am so much less poetic. What makes me human, idk, I think I was grandfathered in by my parents, ie a legacy. What keeps me human? hmnn, some modicum of sympathy, empathy, respect for others and the world.

Above all Taoist keeps things in proper perspective. On things they can't influence much I assume they'd keep an eye on it, but not obsess. Ie keep there concerns on things within there sphere of influence. I get the feeling the average man wastes time and energy on it. Its our gossip point, our outrage outlet. If a Taoist was political be political. If not, they'd be much less opinionated and attached. Seeing politics like the weather, not much you can do about it but you can get out of the way of a storm you see coming.

For me, expensive or inexpensive, I don't think it ethically matters as long as the pricing is clear and the place isn't hustling true believers into buying up. Course it helps if people get solid feedback and are moving in a positive direction.

I wrote this in another thread about another system, but wonder how universally applicable it is? Outsiders can guess and make assumptions, but its so much better to get an insiders honest answers.

There may be more truth to that then we know. Not just literally great fruit, where you taste from seed to sun, but there is meaning in our desires and striving. In our limited life span. Good stories have an arch,a lesson, a quest and an ending.. they don't dribble on. To survive long term immortality, I would need rebirth. To tell a new story.

Thank you. That was a great write up. One other question and its kind of a trick one. Is it, in any way cultish? that's a trick question because if it was cultish, a member wouldn't consider it so.. So I guess how does SoG deal with opposing thoughts and conflicts? How much 'my way or highway' is it? Is there money creep whereby advanced levels/lessons get more expensive? Does he set himself up as ..the superior being who has all the answers?