thelerner

In some YinYang/Tai Chi symbols there are 2 dots. Black at the center of white, and White at the center of black. So to me, that means in many cases at the heart of one thing, is another. I was taking a tai chi class and the instructor asked us about the important of stillness. I said stillness is at the heart of motion.. he seemed to approve. In Aikido, in yoga there are times when the body stops moving yet the feeling.. the extension continues and makes for a much stronger posture. Should our stillness be dead? or alive and alert? that kind of stuff.

I like the concept that at extremes things can becomes there opposite. and that the heart of each lies its opposite.

Some members have distracting flashy pictures or images on the bottom of every message, ie in there signature. These can be made invisible. On the lower right hand corner there's an X in people's posts and you hitting it will give you the option to not see there signature including any flashing graphics. Sometimes useful.

Nice to see people breaking records, but its even better when they can teach people how to do what they do. Ie the value of Wim Hof isn't watching Youtubes, but gong through the method and greatly improving your breathwork, immunity, cold tolerance and general toughness

I was interested in image streaming years ago, but never got it to work well. Switched over to guided hypnosis. I've found Anna Wise's Series Higher Performance Mind has a guided meditation early on that works nicely with improving the sense recollection. One practice that stayed with me was filling up a glass with coca cola. Visualizing the classic shape of the glass, thicker on top, curving down. The ice, the sound, the dynamics when its first poured into the glass, the foam, the waves, the bubbles, the smell. For some reason that was always my go to visualization. That and at the end of the day trying to recall detached and in detail what occurred that day, things.. meals etc.

I can't help thinking that there's more.. or less harm in eating decisions. undoubtedly it makes me hypocritical, yet I'll make weak attempts to do less harm. Like.. I don't eat veal cause its been caged and has had a poor life. I'll buy cage free eggs, cause they're still a cheap protein. I avoid types of fish that are in danger of being over fished. I also avoid animals in terms of intelligence, ie I avoid people, dolphins, chimps, elephants, parrots.. in favor of dumber animals.. people, fish, foul etc.,

A girl I went out with had this philosophy. Go through life doing the least harm. I think it made her an unusually kind person, she was also vegetarian. I'm not that good. Like most I tend to make decisions based on my own comfort and convenience. A bug doesn't bother me outside, I won't bother it. Outside I'll move to accommodate a bug or animal. Inside, not so good. A bug's pretty lucky if I do catch & release. My point.. I don't know.. I think the world is lucky to have people like my old girl friend (& Aetherous) around as an influence to do better. When we kills things and feel nothing, it seems we've closed off a piece of our heart.

I went through both courses and have been doing it for 2 years. I enjoy it, but think of it more as a good tool w 2 good exercises (breathing & cold showers) then a complete practice or bona fide path. I think its helped my meditation practices. Too often newbies look at things goo goo eyed and miraculous. Maybe I was a little bit like that when I started, it's nice to see steady progress and there are some nice benefits, its also not easy, I bet most people don't make it through the 10 weeks, so there's also survivor bias at work. It's too much to think any seminar or 10 week program is going to revolutionize ones life. But if you can get a couple good practices from them, it worthwhile. I found the program a welcome change to the usual sitting & standing & philosophizing I do. It's vigorous and demanding. A real test of mind/body coordination. At times painful and uncomfortable (not so much now, the new program w/ sticking your hands in ice water for 2 minutes owww). Make it through and you've picked up some real physical skill and toughened mind set. Its not a 'way', there's no particular philosophy to it, other then you're tougher then you seem. I admire Wim Hof, though his cheerfulness can get on my nerves. (FWIW I blogged about it in my PPD)

Sex, powerful drive. Its good to acknowledge that it can be hurtful. Wrong partners, too many partners, addictive behavior, STD's, unwanted pregnancies. Yet there can also be danger on the other side. Set it on too high pedestal that you don't or never have any is imo robbing oneself of one of lifes cardinal pleasures. Carry the concept that sex must be spiritual too far and one may be in store for disappointment, since it's not always, maybe even not often, yet it can be fun, loving, connecting.. releasing or so so. ie being obsessed is bad, but being overly prudish has its own set of baggage.

Perhaps a more important question is How does your understanding of God, influence your life? From my answer I'd say it tends to make me less dogmatic and more willing to sit in emptiness, listening, hoping eventually to find the right frequency to get some insight. Also it pushes me to say 'Yes' to more of life, be more open to intuition.. play more, think less.

done all I get is porn sites used by genetic scientists.

The sun shines on the just and unjust. Yet the sun is not the tao. Straw dogs may be discarded, but thats after they've served there purpose. I suppose if one is considering Tao as the universe, it doesn't moralize. Yet Taoism as religion takes Te seriously (& has writings way beyond the TTC). (imo) Most religious Taoists live by a relatively strict code. You can say a philosophical Taoist doesn't, yet to live without Te.. grace.. is probably not moving along the Way. This is as good a definition of Te as any- https://personaltao.com/taoism/de/

That reminds me. The Tempest is playing this year at Stratford Canada. I am really hoping to get tickets and do a road trip there this summer. It's a very romantic destination. They had the Tempest at the Shakespear theater in Chicago on Navy Pier last year, and had either Penn or Teller design the special affects, sadly I couldn't get tickets for it, but it sounded like it'd be visually awesome. Fingers crossed for Stratford this year. p.s. this year they the Shakespeare theater on Navy Pier did MacBeth. Once again with Teller doing the special affects. Wonderfully done. From the very beginning where he asks the audience to 'Turn off there phones.. so you can't call for help..' Great acting, a wonderful use of sing song delivery with the witches. The staging and special affect put it over the top. Very worthwhile.

What's the word on Mint teas? Similar to ginger? They tend to be a goto tea when I'm feeling cold and damp.

I mentioned A-weema-weh in jest, yet there is an uplifting power to singing. Happy songs, silly songs, even matching our mood with the blues or hard rock outrage. Not a bad way to get out of anxiety and worry. Matter of fact lately when I get a little flustered here's my go to song of late- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKtsdZs9LJo

In his Gi gong fundamentals Michael Winn has an easy form I believe its called Sun and Moon, its part of a series. Very simple, your hands are held low, near together as if grasping a medium size ball, they travel from your lower hara, low and the right, as you breath in- up the leg, up to the shoulder, turn and the head slightly to see it, and the sun. Then the hands go down the same leg as you breath out, to the neutral point then up the left leg as you breath in, turning the head to see it and feel the moon. then slowly repeated left, neutral right, a slow pendulum U shaped swing. The interesting thing about this gi gong is as you move up the right side, you tend to breath exclusively from the right nostril and breath out it on the way down. Same phenomena on the other side too. It activates single nostril breathing remotely. For me at least, it nicely activates right and left channels. The OP also reminds me of a remembered quote from O'Sensei- With my right I show yan, with my left I show yin.

hmnn, in summer I drink hibiscus type tea/tissanes, things like Zinger brand. They seem cooling, light and pleasant, so yin. I'll often mix a bag or two of regular tea with them when I make a pitcher of iced tea. In winter my go to tea is gen mai, roasted green tea with puffed rice in it. It's sweet, earthy and filling, warming and satisfying (cheap too), so in my book its yang and compliments the yin of winter.

Epicurus rocks. I'm sure his works have been out of copywrite for 2,200 years. Here's a good site with links https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/e/epicurus/ I might be wrong but I think the Dao De Jing is the only 'sure thing' attributed to 'him', Lao tse. He's regarded as an immortal (& god) in theTaoist pantheon. There are other writings attributed but more mirky. Course I put 'him' in parenthesis cause the history is murky and imo he may be as much legend as man. A member who brought that up in China was kicked out of a seminar, so at times be careful whom you call legendary.

Famous Lion Chant- A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh repeated 4 X In the jungle, the mighty jungle The lion sleeps tonight In the jungle the quiet jungle The lion sleeps tonight

The Dude is wise but never like, never totally serious Man. The Dude doesn't Judge, The Dude Abides..

There's also the question of 'IS mantra the best way to deal with anxiety/worry?' Probably not a bad tool to have at your disposal, but if its chronic then sometimes you have to face the problem head on. Or deeply acknowledge that the problem itself is either an illusion or beyond your control- letting the anxiety dissolve. not easy, cause these things can run deep but with time and effort it is possible.

Nah, the spoonk is great for relaxation and It keeps me from rolling around, but after an hour or two.. I've had enough, the effect is gone. On the other hand at times when I can't sleep. I've hit the floor with a blanket underneath for a little padding and somehow a change of altitude has helped. Sadly, nothing works for long, I have periods where sleep happens, and periods where its like some tantalizing secret that escapes me.

omg I would love to find those. If you have those coins, you should put them out, drop'em on the street at random. Some person will find them and if they live with a foot in the more mystical side of the world, the coins might give them pause. A moment or two think about the odds of finding such strange objects, to reflect if there's any meaning they can draw from the coins into there life. (i bet somewhere out there is a person who tarot cards outside, for just this reason) I'm somewhat inspired by Robert Moss's work on the shamanic side of dreaming. As a spiritual exercise he states we should "Take our dreams more seriously and take real life more as dreams". Keeping an eye out for synchronicities, symbols, archetypes; using dream interpretations in our real life. Seeing what happens. First thing is a certain fearlessness and not taking things as seriously. Second it hones the awareness because you're looking at the world for signs or letting them come to you. An interesting cloud, a falling leaf, can be matters of importance and lead you one direction or another (helps to be retired). That's the 'foreground' level, in the background your subconscious is gaining a little more free reign, with resources we most often ignore. You're guided by an intelligence often left dormant. I have a section on this in my PPD 'Life as dream'. I don't use it all the time, but when I do, it leads to fascinating experiences, and hopefully that rubs off a little bit on me when I'm not consciously using it.

We live in an age where many 'secrets' are revealed but without the decades of training the crazy high stuff is probably beyond most of us. (& the crazy high stuff is possible only through refining the low basics for long periods) Reading a secret and learning the actual skill may be two very different things. Especially in the martial art and esoteric world. Without someone going through the subtleties, the little angles and attitudes repeatedly.. things might be almost impossible to learn.. cept by the rare genius's.

The OP make some good points. I can't argue against them. Though having a teacher (vs book or video) is often a safer faster way of learning anything, also making things exclusive and mysterious.. sells better. I will point out that when it comes to esoteric energy arts, ie meditations that circulate energy. Some people, particularly those who are energy sensitive or do too much, too soon, go nuts (to varying degrees). People who've been involved in practice know a few that it's hit. It's a minority, far end of the bell curve, with most in the middle, not getting a whole lot from the exercises, people at the other end getting.. 'enlightenment' or big energy boosts to there systems. For those who crack up, the dao may not care, but they and there friends and family are put through hell. So good teachers and experienced practitioners put up warnings. errata Modern times have given rise to people taking the best from multiple sources. Arts that ignore modern training techniques do so at there own risk. For example MMA, hour for hour, month per month tends to produce imo better fighters. On the other hand to lose the spirit and techniques of traditional martial arts would be very sad. Hopefully there's room in this world for both. But in a ring.. better to bet on the MMA guy.. in life.. quality of life.. might be a toss up.