doc benway

Which part of the foot is numb? The top, bottom, or entire thing?

Not reliably - all have been so modified over the years that I'm not sure I could honestly say any particular system is true to its ancient form. That said, a few relatively old sets are Eight Brocades, Five Animal Frolics, and Shiba Luohan Gong. Date of creation is certainly no guarantee although successful systems tend to last and weak systems tend to be modified or discarded over time. Certainly a new system can be better but there are only so many ways the body can move and I suspect the old masters investigated this quite thoroughly. The Taiji form is Qigong. It is not broken down into short, focused bits like most Qigong exercises are. I think that proper performance of the Taiji form will, arguably, yield as much benefit as other Qigong systems. If you like Taiji, stick with it.

Excellent question! I think the best way to answer such a question is to practice some different forms and see what, if anything, you get out of it. Find what is right for you - physically, emotionally, psychologically. When we try to answer questions like this verbally, I tend to find the answers gratuitous or rote. Physical movements combined with focus and breathing are valuable for a lot of reasons - physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual. Different patterns will be beneficial to different individuals and this may change over time depending on where you are at any given period in your life. I think that almost any movement of the human body combined with focused attention and breathing can be instructive or valuable when practiced appropriately. All muscle groups and joints benefit from stretching and strengthening. Often this will mimic other animals, sometimes not. Your idea of "aligning ourselves" "with OUR OWN nature" is absolutely reasonable and as, or more, valid than any other. This does not apply to us only as a species (although that's part of it) but also as individuals. The only way to do this, I believe, is to learn a variety of methods (or no methods) and either find what works best for you as an individual or develop your own. Be wary of putting too much faith in all Qigong systems, however. The vast majority of Qigong systems practiced worldwide were developed by opportunists during the Qigong "boom" in China in the past few decades or by non-Chinese riding on their coat tails. Most of what is practiced was not developed by ancient shamans who were deeply in touch with nature but by modern Chinese looking for something to believe in after the decimation of the Cultural Revolution. This Qigong craze started in the 70's in post-Mao China and really gained momentum in the 90's as China progressively opened to the west. The publishers of multiple Qigong books and videos are not sharing priceless, ancient secrets for the most part but anything that looks like it could sell. A very famous publisher of Qigong videos approached a friend of mine, wanting to put the Qigong sets we practice on tape and package and sell it to the public with a fancy name and history. Buyer beware...

I like the fact that people point out the human weaknesses of our gurus. It helps keep us from getting as attached. Gurus are simply people that have something we think we need. All they have is a different perspective. There is nothing else to have. Getting attached to the guru just gives you something else to have to shed. Books like this help that.

Your friend makes gratuitous generalizations that are unfounded in reality.

A great opportunity to paraphrase the definition of belief (ala Alan Watts) - a fervent hope that something unverifiable is true. In contrast, faith is the certainty that what remains when all beliefs are abandoned is truth.

I would second this. Whenever you are thirsty OR crave soda, drink a substantial amount of water first. Gradually, you should be able to let go of the attachment to the soda. It may also help to substitute tea for soda. Don't buy premade/presweetened tea. Brew some, sweeten it lightly as needed and gradually diminish the amount of sweetener/sugar and gradually transition to decaf. Many years ago I was able to stop drinking soft drinks completely - I'm not saying it's easy but it can be done. I occasionally drink some ginger ale or coke for an upset stomach and that's it. If you have other addictions, tackle on at a time. Each will give you confidence to tackle the next.

I've just been shoveling mine lately. We got ~ 30" of snow on Saturday and due for another 18"+ over the next two days... I do my warmup exercises first, shovel, then do the Eight Brocades after. Seems to keep me feeling pretty good. When I'm done, I'm so thirsty, I would drink from the dog's bowl... yummy!

Praise Tina Chang Brooklyn Poet Laureate All night long there was digging, and the bodies like accordions bent into their own dying instruments, and even after this, after the quake, there was, in news reports, still singing: A woman's clapping was followed by another who shuffled and dragged her own apparition through the ruined streets, though each one knew the anthem the other was singing. History taught them better. No one was coming. The film crews had their sights on the large hotels, the embassies. So they set to digging with their hands and with the shoes of those who were no longer alive. And with that, night fell and fell again like an old black pot tumbling to the ground. When a man dies, the first thing that goes is his breath, and the last thing that goes is his memory. I once saw this civilization passing through a great white door, people weeping, then the weeping was followed by the sound of tambourines rattling the heavy air, something that sounded like celebration only livelier and more holy, voices rising, and then a marching into the dusty road of the next century. When shelter is gone, find your solace on the ground. And when the ground is gone, lift yourself and walk. And after all the great monuments of your memory have collapsed, with the sky steady above you, you shatter that too, with song

I practice because I haven't gotten it right yet...

In my opinion

The "modest degree of science" refers more to trying to apply reproducible data (PET, fMR data and the like) to thought - that is a big leap of faith and quite soft as far as science goes, IMO. "Why are some people isolated, associative, and nihilist when they practice meditation?" Why are some people isolated, associative, and nihilist when they don't practice meditation? I don't think there is any data that shows a direct association between such traits and meditation. Spend some time with Buddhist monks - some of the most gregarious and loving people I've had the good fortune to meet - certainly not nihilist. It's true that meditation requires a fair amount of time alone without outside stimulation but taking the time to practice does not equate to a person being isolated, IMO. I think you are jumping to conclusions based on limited exposure to meditation or those that practice it.

Great post! I'd certainly like to hear more from you on the topic.

With all due respect, you are jumping to conclusions based on a modest degree of science and alot of assumptions related to meditation. I do not agree with your conclusions or concerns. Meditation is highly unlikely to lead to any memory loss. To my knowledge, no research has shown this to be a concern. As already mentioned, you are implying that our daily mind chatter is activity, almost like an exercise needed to maintain brain funciton. It is not that. It is a side effect. It is totally passive. The brain exercise is meditation. It allows us to develop skill in having some degree of control and real time awareness of the process of thought. All of the questions you ask about the relationship of thought to consciousness is something that is revealed with the practice of meditation. There is no need to fear meditation.

I never meditate to music but I do like traditional Chinese music or chant (Tibetan or Chinese) on occasion for Taiji practice.

Welcome brother! Beware of the balut No need to be nervous in this group. We're just a bunch of pansies... Enjoy yourself.

My point exactly! Enjoy.

I've just started reading Relaxing Into Your Being - excellent book! I practice a system that has fire and water elements but is definitely, fundamentally fire oriented (Kun Lun Xian Zong Pai). The information about dissolving practice is wonderful and the book is very well written. Bravo Bruce!

It's only unfortunate for those who become attached to particular methods. It is the nature of mind to desire the practice one cannot do or does not know. There are no practices that are necessary, many paths to choose from, none of them necessary...

I don't interpret the author as saying that forgiveness is impossible or inadvisable. She is saying that for most people, forgiveness will not be successful at eliminating the pain and memory of trauma and will not solve the problem of PTSD. "The survivor imagines that she can transcend her rage and the impact of the trauma through a willed, defiant act of love. But it is not possible to exorcise the trauma, through either hatred or love." I imagine that if we had more of Dr. Herman's thoughts to consider we may have a better understanding of her thoughts and recommendations on the subject. What has been quoted her is a very limited snippet and would be easy to misinterpret. I happen to agree with everything Dr. Herman says. I live with a victim of PTSD and her descriptions are quite accurate, IME.

From an anatomical point of view the spine is NEVER straight. It is shaped like a recurve bow. That curve is lessened in meditation but the spine is only straight in pathological conditions. The importance of a "straight" spine in seated meditation is that it allows you to find a balance where there is a minimum of muscle tension necessary to remain upright. This is the same in standing (and moving such as Taiji for that matter). Trying to learn proper posture from a book is difficult. If you are trying to learn from a book and experiencing discomfort and frustration, you may want to think of investing in a live teacher. That said, the spine is not straight in meditation. The goal is an erect spine with minimum muscle tension. If sitting on a chair or stool make sure the hips are at a comfortable degree of flexion - too flexed or too extended will cause imbalance and tension. Experiment with higher and lower stools. Allow the top of your head to lift upwards tucking the chin extremely slightly (millimeters). The feeling should be elongation, opening, relaxation of the cervical spine. Relax the shoulders and allow the chest to relax inward very slightly. The pelvis tucks under just a bit, again - all of these adjustments are minute. This should allow a similar feeling of elongation, opening, and relaxation of the lumbar spine. That's about it. I used to use half lotus but am more comfortable now with the Burmese posture. The full lotus is the most stable and can be achieved with a little patience and proper practice. Good luck!

Similarly, I began learning a bit of Chinese to translate Taijiquan and related stuff for my Shiye (and for myself). I will have to take a look at Chapter 15!

On a more serious note, I think that your personality will determine to what degree you specialize or generalize in things. I have a tendency to get very deep into things that interest me, pathologically so at times, but then I get tired of them and move on to something else. I'm not sure either approach has an advantage in the grand scheme of things but in a limited sense there is a difference. If you choose to be a performance artist, martial artist, or a surgery you'd better be prepared to specialize. If you are interested in politics, history, philosophy, counseling, and so forth, a wide base of knowledge will serve you well.

I once stopped a guy and asked for directions. He looked at me with bloodshot eyes and said, "Man, I don't know nuthin' 'bout nuthin'!"... and walked away. Not sure if he was a specialist or a generalist,.... definitely a Daoist!

Even that much is questionable. Here are a few links with decent scholarship about Laozi. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/laozi/ http://history.cultural-china.com/en/166History5066.html