doc benway

Pig’s feet

Precisely and even this shows that master-student deference in their practice. Looks like a little wing chun mixed in to my eye... At the end of the day, I find it's good not to be too concerned with what others believe or don't believe. Even more important not to be too concerned with what I believe...

I don't deny the masters shown in the posted videos have skill. The issue I have with videos like these is they generally show star-struck, admiring students trying hard to learn something from their revered master. It's a very particular dynamic and shows clearly when filmed. Nungli described it best. When you are on the receiving end of fajin you don't jump up and down, run backwards, wave your hands, and stomp your feet. You generally end up on the floor, no smile on the face, no chuckle, no bouncing right back for another go. One training tool is to find a small room and pad the walls, usually with mattresses. Then practice with each other. No running backwards, no foot stomping, more like bodies flying against the walls and ending up on the floor when you get it right. These folks are very likely feeling some real internal energy. The master is controlling it so as not to injure anyone and the students are doing their dances, cautiously going along with the master, hungry to learn their secrets.

I’ve trained it, felt it, and also debunked a “master” or two trying to demonstrate with me at tournaments. Demonstrations with one’s own students necessarily bring multiple factors into the equation beyond martial skill alone. For me they are rarely impressive. Not denying there are masters of internal power but they are few and far between and a video will rarely, if ever be adequate evidence for me.

I can’t speak for Mizner’s skills or lack thereof but the guy he’s playing with in the video is intentionally making him look good. Videos like this are embarrassing IMO.

gizzard

resort

Atlas

Exactly how I feel when I take off the N95 at the end of the day! 😂 Airgasm!

😆 Yeah man, that’s me! And I love camping!! I noticed some leaves falling, felt a nice cool breeze, and recorded it on my deck with my phone... 2nd take, 1st was a touch too slow.

Now

I played Autumn on a flamenco guitar. I like the percussive sounds and the buzzing for that song. I’m also a big fan of the cello, closest instrument to the human voice.

I got one about a year ago. Not quite the same as a handpan. Rather than pounding out sections to change pitch, this one has cut-outs - much cheaper and easier to make. Nice thing is it allows harmonics to be played but sounds a little more subdued than the original handpans.

I once took care of a beautiful young girl who tied a rope around her neck and jumped from a 5 story window. The rope broke, she broke her back, and was paralyzed from the waist down. Her desire to die evaporated and her will to live was immense during her recovery. If only she’d found a way to access that before jumping...

Hair

Heart

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In order to help others effectively, you need to first take care of yourself both physically and mentally. It’s valuable to find a way to continue with your practice as you do this work. You may have to make some adjustments or modifications to your training and it may help to give yourself permission to do so. Yes it does. It’s a great blessing to have the opportunity and skill to make a difference in the lives of others. 🙏🏽

I remember the first time someone stuck a popper under my nose, totally unexpected. She looked like Grace Jones. Wow!

I am doing well. Spending a lot of time with family. A blessing I never expected at this stage of life. Both adult kids back home, with their dogs. A second chance for me. I was a bit of an absent father at times, the source of some of my deepest regrets in life, and we’ve been through some terrible family traumas when the kids were young. Being all together is astonishing! I am so deeply grateful. I hope others can find this sort of silver lining in relation to the pandemic. Returned to playing some music, which I’d gotten away from for a good while. One of those things I can sort of put at a distance, avoiding it if certain conditions aren’t met. Waiting for a good ‘fuck it!’ to get me in gear again, which has happened. Getting a lot of satisfaction from my work. After 29 years, it’s still surprising at times but there’s an ease and a certainty that allows it to flow. The fear is not there much anymore, working in the Covid environment. People are a bit more appreciative than in the recent past and seem to see a healthier, more grounded perspective about the value of life and what’s worth sweating. Being here is weird. I’ve felt like a pariah since beginning to moderate. I expected it from the last time but nothing prepares you for the abrupt change in one’s relationship to the community, mostly in a not-so-good way. Helping people with tech stuff, to the limited degree I’m capable, is satisfying. Feeling the frustration, and pent up anger, seeing all the long-standing baggage and feuding, the lack of empathy, patience, and support, all of it is disheartening. It certainly offers lots of negative energy for practice. The recent negativity from rene, while certainly understandable, was painful. I genuinely miss many of the folks who’ve gone and while I sometimes joke about the whole thing I mean them no harm, it’s mostly painful for me hence the poor attempt at humor. So many broken relationships over ideology, not to mention the horrific ideology itself and its consequences on vulnerable lives. My practice has been a huge support and there are so many opportunities to study and practice with others online. The pandemic offers such enormous potential for deepening one’s practice, whatever that may be, at so many levels. While I acknowledge all of the pain it has brought, I am deeply grateful for its lessons. I really appreciate you starting this thread dwai. You’re a good dude. Here’s to coming together as a community and helping one another through tough times. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Hippity

Yes, dzogchen also. Everything is the path - sounds, lights, and rays. I sometimes see practitioners who claim to work with “energy“ but somehow don’t address their emotional life. Not sure how that works. The single most powerful and practical energetic movement in our experience to work and play with is emotional. Warning - if you’re not seeing changes in that part of life, the practices are not working.

Nothing quite like Zeppelin’s rhythm section! Cool vid about Bonham. Talks about Kashmir ~5:05

Meely

Beautiful feline!