JohnC

Just wanted to contribute this: Meanings of Ming in Daoist Internal Alchemy and Its Relation to Xing or Human Nature http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode2&articleid=192

Do you still practice longmen pai?

Work to what end? ---------------- I see NLP as a communication technique/therapy that helps with changing perception, understanding and beliefs. Potentially with reprogramming, but that is only if you want to use it for that. Like qigong, it is a tool for achieving an end. What end you want is up to how you use the tool. Some people use it for rapport (mirroring,etc) some for helping people clear up perception about reality (therapy, releasing past pain, changing 'limiting' beliefs, etc), and other ways. I haven't personally trained in NLP, but some of the stories my friends have told me is that after a deep training in NLP they left feeling like they didn't know what they believed. That they had so thoroughly questioned through a ton of their beliefs that they started jumping off the belief train all together. That is very close to what I aim for in my training. Not knowing. John

Everything in balance. It all depends on your intent. For health and spiritual development, all exercise is great with good form. Bad form can cause injury. John

To answer your question, depending on the qigong (there are many, some very effective, some not so effective) it will heal the body and develop the energy body. This will bring somatic awareness. It sounds like to me you may need Tai chi, Xing yi or Bagua, in that you are attempting to work with your soft tissues, coordination, body awareness and over all pliability. The internal martial arts are what it sounds like you are looking for. Personally, I disagree that weight lifting is the negative things you suggested above. Poor weight lifting is though. Weight lifting is what you make it. Olympic lifts man.. that is where it's at if your liftin. Compound movements. John

Just wanted to chime into this, as I snagged Master Chen's Hun Yuan qigong a while back. You can see Grandmaster Feng Zhiquan practicing Hunyuan qigong here: Feng was a disciple of Hu Yaozhen, originator or Stillness Movement Nei Gong. John

Yea likewise... hearing about this, I'll not be supporting the CM-DB in the future. I'll be checking out 'let the radiant yang shine forth'. Sounds interesting. She says you can donate on her website. John

Let go of what you want (your attachment) and get totally right with never ever getting it. You'll know your on the right track if it doesn't matter so much if you get it or not. Then what you put effort into has results. What you need to learn or unlearn will come up. The challenges you need to face will occur. And then you might get it. Might. The will of heaven.. etc. John

This event happened last Saturday while I was helping a friend at her Reiki booth at an expo where she was trying to get clients. My friend was offering free 15 minute sessions, and a woman came up with intense breast pain due to weaning her baby off breastfeeding. She asked for a treatment and a recommendation of herbs. One of my friends did a quick treatment on her, afterwards she was still reporting pain. I felt drawn to pulling sick qi on her and do a little wei qi lao fa, but quickly because she was in a hurry. Treatment: I pulled from her breast area, lymph and general chest area for about 5 minutes. Outcome: I had her sit up and she reported an 80% reduction in pain. I then had her sit down, and I pulled some more for about 3 more minutes and she reported that she felt 100% better, with no pain. I also recommended she rub and work that whole area, to increase circulation, with the addition that it may hurt initially, but that it would be better for it in the long run. I didn't recommend any herbs because I didn't feel confident in anything to help, but directed her to some herbalists at the expo. She then asked for me info so she could come back if needed, or refer her friends to me. I was amazed. John

What should or should not, rarely has any basis in reality. As what really should be happening, is.

Awesome. I really dig his work.

Hey guys, My wife has recently taken an interest in the akashic record and all that that is. Her birthday is coming up so I was going to get her a book on it. Any one have any recommendations? Also does anyone have any experience with what it is, how they interact with it and all that? I personally think it is something that as you develop and move more toward the Tao, you gain more access to it... but I'm not sure. I also want to avoid the glut of new age stuff that doesn't have any energy or that is more people exploring their subconscious thinking they are in the 'akashic'... or whatever. Thanks, John

I read the Magus of Strovolos, which is about a christian energy worker. He is a high level healer that believes in reincarnation, although his entire focus is on christianity. The Mountain of Silence (by the same author) is supposedly his search for other high level energy working christians. John

Thanks guys for the posts.

I'm enjoying reading this account, and shugendo sounds cool. Wasn't Quanzhen a sect of taoism that incorporated pretty much everything and every religion? Imagining a dogmatic quanzhen taoist sounds kind of like an oxymoron. John

Anybody?

You continue the cycle of shame. The first step is to accept what is, not to fight it. John

So the idea that men are pushing women out is what is being thrown around... Women are just as strong as men. Stronger in some ways and weaker in others. Just as men are stronger in some ways and weaker in others. I think we should treat them as such. And specific examples of how women issues are getting squeezed out, I think is necessary for us to address if it is even an issue. Are they getting squeezed out, or are there not enough women that can speak to them? Instead of oppression, it could be that thetaobums as a site draws men more than women anyway, and women are looking more for sites like this: http://azra5.afina.co.uk/ Yea, facing the facts of whether things are working or not is important. And facing the reality of what kind of clientele seem to keep showing up and sticking around is important as well. (mopai,the engineering like focus of some of taoist practices, people looking for spiritual powers/enlightenment/etc, semen retention...... which so far seems to be a lot of men) John

The women can post anywhere as well. John

I like the idea of having a space for both men and women. A place where men can talk about their sexual stuff, and women can as well. I prefer that would available to the general area where everyone is, and I get that some people have shame, embarrassment and other experiences that keep them from fully expressing themselves. Yes there will be PEOPLE that are belligerent, condescending, etc on both sides. Women bashing men, and men bashing women. And likewise there will be PEOPLE that feel afraid/not safe/whatever and because of that won't post. There have been men that have been chased off, and women that have been chased off. That individually people will have any number of different experiences. I'm sure there are men here that don't post out of fear, and there are women here that don't post out of fear. But to that end, it is more about the individuals path and journey to bring themselves REGARDLESS of what they feel like is in the way (Male/female oppression... or whatever). But there seems to be this idea being spoken of 'men are chasing off women and making the space unsafe.' Safe as defined by who? Because for every person 'safe' is going to be different to some degree. And by buying into that men are making it 'unsafe', what else are we buying into? That men are doing this to women, and women are the victims of that? Some of the longest and oldest members here are women... who often post amazing posts. I feel most inspired to support a forum where everyone can take care of themselves, both in posting and asking for help if someone is getting abusive in some way. Where people post as they please and are responsible for their experience in that. I don't feel inspired to support a forum where we attempt to take care of everyone and make sure every space is safe. Because I think that will be at the expense of everyone else's freedom of expression. Like the thought police or something, 'NO YOU CANT SAY THAT BECAUSE IT MIGHT TRIGGER SOMEONE!!!' - Yes it might.. and I trust them to take care of themselves, or not read it if they don't want to... or whatever. ------- To the degree that we buy into the idea that one is more than the other, or one is less than the other, thus needing special treatment in some way, we are still playing to the same tune of 'not equal'. I think that if the rules of conduct are supportive and inclusive enough, and moderation is appropriate in action and discernment, then that can provide a space for everyone to post and express themselves as they please. John

Is there going to be a male cultivation space?

I think it is all the same path, although said differently, viewed through different labels and interpreted through different cultures. AND you can reach a certain level, and hang out there for a very long time or veer off going up the mountain to circle around it. All based on what practices you are up to and what you are working for. Check out SFQ's level 5 retreat: http://www.springforestqigong.com/index.php/classes/level-5-retreat He speaks on the move towards enlightenment and development. I think there are some schools that skip the energy development (zen, etc) where they aim at non-dual and realizations. To some degree I think those are faster because it seems like they aim straight for the top at the very beginning. No 'develop this or that' no 'opening this eye or that'. Just straight, 'you are enlightened right now, you just don't know it' and 'STOP FUCKING AROUND WITH SILLY IDEAS AND DISTRACTIONS' as they hit you with a stick. I'm not entirely sure though. I'm part of the stillness movement lineage, and I've interacted with old masters... but the clearest aspect of all this is that I just feel drawn to these things, I enjoy practicing for practicing's sake, and .... keep on chugging. As an aside, I think practicing for anything other than practicing's sake can lead to further delusion and pain. It confirms in some way that you aren't cool as you are. Something I've been thinking about lately. John

Lol!

http://lotusneigong.net/ - Sweden Wang li ping has stuff in russia and romania ? Zhineng qigong - http://www.chineng.eu/ - Sweden, Holland ... and there are others. I've actually seen a lot of high level guys in Europe. John

I have the old version, but I haven't read the new ones. Worth a look...