VCraigP

i'm with Trunk on the whole swimming, going to the water thing. I will take it one step further and say - going to the ocean. I have lived withing an hour of the pacific ocean (also much closer at times) all of my life. To me the most soothing thing is surf and sand - cliche' though it may seem. Nothing like it. Someting in our DNA about being at the shore I believe. Craig

IN the last year Youtube has become such a revelation to me in the world of internal m.a. It has fully renewed my interest in Bagua zhang, among others. But the significance of such a resource really suddenly becoming available to the world is something to be pondered. such a plethora of demonstrations to enrich your understanding and just plain leave you wide eyed and scratching your head. Smile I especially liked the demo by Ma Yueh Liang . I liked how he worked all in one place throughout the demo, and not until the end did he really use stepping forward and back to increase his power. At the end he takes one step into the attack and then receives and pulls him back a step which really sends that guy out of the picture. I can really "see" what he is doing if you take my meaning. I can see the physical aspect of the technique and sense what he may be doing energetically. What does decades of diligent cultivation do? Craig

Hi all I have a friend with an injury in Bergen county NJ. I suggested he use acupuncture among other therapy, to recover from his injury. Any Taobums with info about good acupunturists TCM practitioners in North NJ or NY(Manhattan) please advise. thanks in advance for the help. Craig PS- Max and Plato?? I know you are hereabouts (Manhattan?)

Ok, more details been a bit preoccupied while here in NJ. My friend has Plantar fasciatis (swollen bottom of foot) from running. I misspoke when I asked for an acupuncturist. What I meant is a practitioner of traditional (or classical) oriental medicine. One who can use the whole tool box of oriental medicine, herbs, acupunture, etc. Thaddeus By the way, if you've never heard of someone being helped with a sprain by acupuncture, well you have heard of someone now. I have recovered frome a very severe ankle sprain through the use of acupuncture and moxa. I had only recovered about 50% of my mobility in the 6 months since injury when I started in with the acupuncture (S.F. school of acupuncture clinic). returned to 90% + flexibility in about 3 months time. grand trinity: care to expand on your recommendation a bit? Dit dat sounds good too. This is a common injury to western docs, so what do eastern docs have to say about this common foot injury? My experience is that eastern medicine can do wonders for pain and mobility, maybe inflammation as well? Anyway still open for more suggestions, especially now that I have been more specific. thanks for input. Craig

Herbs also known as "forgotten foods" but the two type of herbs are superior and inferior.

Ron Teegaurden - of Dragonherbs makes this distinction between superior and inferior herbs. Inferior herbs are used to correct imbalances specifically related to disease states ongoing at the time. In other words you take them after you get sick to bring yourself back to general health. Superior herbs are taken to support all systems and create radiant health beyond risk. Which means these are substances which support you and can be taken at all times. They are the treasures of the biological world. Substances like Reishi, Siberian Ginseng, Ginseng, He shou wu, Schisandra etc etc, I believe he lists 50 of the top herbs in his book. This is not his unique view but rather a traditional way of approaching chinese (and global) herbology. Therefore I would say your statement does apply well to inferior herbs, but not to the superior tonic herbs. My full response to this thread is not ready yet, insufficient time to give it the attention it deserves. Craig

Aww shucks. I am dissappointed. I thought you and Max were standing behind Michelle laughing your asses off the whole time. If you didn't put her up to this then where did she come from anyway? Maybe you two really have given up on playing jokes? Anyway, I do like Max's question "what are your qualifications chicky baby??" My thoughts are that there are many levels. Ok, so you are 24 and supposedly "hot". So we know something about your JING level apparently. What about your Chi and your Shen? Do you even know anything about these layers? Do you want to know? What practices do you do? Are you willing to learn something more than how to have really great Orgasm(s)? If you just want someone with Stamina and attentiveness, you can probably find this without having to go to the trouble of playing around with any of this "Taoist" stuff. But it seems she has ducked out without really wanting to have a conversation about this stuff. Come on back Michelle. We can talk about it and it will probably be fun, and perhaps even educational for both sides. Anyway, it was fun watching from the sidelines for me anyway. Craig

You say "I wonder..." what if you were holding the thought of abundance for everyone. What would it feel like if that were the reality in this world? What if more and more people held onto that thought passionately and ACTED on it? I think this is a very important aspect of the message. As long as people hold the beliefs that we are rich only through depriving others and that the poor are always poor, will always be poor, etc , then with people acting on those beliefs how possible is it to change things? Part of the message is that "you get what you focus on". That goes for negative things as well! If you focusing on that which you do not like, it is still the point of focus and you are therefore creating more of it. To paraphrase the movie Mother Theresa said " I will not attend any anti war rally. When you have a peace rally, go ahead and invite me. She understood." So if you want to create abundance for everyone, see it, feel it , believe it. Then you can open up to the possibilities which can bring it about, or at least help you see what direction you might take personally to bring it about. Is this the desire you wish to fulfill? It's a big one. But it allows me to demonstrate that the secret is not just for "materializing" a nice shiny new car. Craig

Ah...there it is. I sat by the sidelines long enough til this question was asked. Yoda. the formula is ASK...BELIEVE...RECEIVE. Yang Yuan Yin Active phase of desiring, getting clear on the desire and then asking. Neutral phase of believing. This is where the emotional flow part comes in. You must set the feeling tone. Use the emotional set point to assess what your emotional state is. Where is your emotional state with regards to your desire. When you focus on the desire are you aware only of your excitement about the subject? If you dig deeper do you perhaps encounter some resistance? This is the step where you need to make your subconscious beliefs reveal themselves. If there is resistance you need to reveal it and release it or transform it. Perhaps there are other techniques which could be expanded upon in this area, but I believe that is the essence of it. This is why the power of positive thinking is often just a veneer of ineffective mental energy set on top of a pile of undealt with psychic crud. Guess what, you still have to do the work to transform yourself and uncover your resistance, ie deal with your crud. Finally the passive phase - Receive. Let it happen. Maintain the emotional flow. Let your emotional set point reveal how in alignment you are. My main point once again resonates with the comment that western people tend to be top heavy mentally driven types. If you are not experiencing your emotions and are shut off there I believe you may not have the guidance system to show you the way to manifest that which you desire you will be missing the middle step of the process. So the real valuable characteristic is Emotional Intelligence. The question was asked "do you need to have developed powers of concentration?" I think you need to have developed powers of self inspection and emotional perception. Craig

Taomeow Nice made up definition. You are demonstrating how to play one fo my favorite parlor games , "Fictionary" (not to be confused with Pictionary). Take a word out of a good dictionary which no one knows the real definition off the top of their head. Everyone writes their own fictional definition and turns it in to the person holding the dictionary who adds the actual definition to the list (dumbing down the description a bit to not give it away as coming from the dictionary.) You get one point for guessing the actual definition and you get two points for every person who guesses that your fictional answer is the correct one. Very fun and funny game. omphaloskepsis is a perfect Fictionary word. Now to find someone to play... Craig

The law of attraction. What is it? Is it real? If so, how does it work? What could prevent it from working for you? Whats Old is New again. Old occult knowledge by definition (occult = hidden) is not available to large groups of people. The concept of changing ones state, changing ones vibration. Working on oneself, rather than giving that responsibility to church and priest and god. This is revolutionary. This is going towards spiritual independance. This I think is going towards the Universal Integral Way. This is Tao. So what it wrong with putting this information in a slick and exciting perhaps inspiring package for a wider audience? OK so for most of us here it is presumably not new. But as mentioned in the Secret, having an intelectual understanding isn't it. First change your state. Change your vibration. Change what you focus on. "Once everyone thinks positively there wont be enough to go around." It's not about positive thinking first. But here is another question for you. If everyone holds the belief that "there isn't enough to go around" or "Africa will always be poor and this stuff doesn't apply to people in such a state." Isn't it more likely that such will continue to be the case. Consider the opposite. What if the majority of people believed, and acted upon the belief that "There is enough for everyone" and "africa's problems are the problems of all the people of the world, so since there is enough to go around it applies to them as well." Its about managing your states so that you vibrate at a certain frequency and reduce the time spent in lower frequency. This I think is something we all know about. What are you doing when you meditate. Aren't you changing your state? Adjusting your vibration? When doing Chikung? Commonly shared belief here I think by most Taichichikung people etc, is that what you focus on grows. Put your attention on something and your energy/chi flows there. Sometimes this is very beneficial, sometimes this becomes an inbalance. But the majority of us understand this concept. Is this not the law of attraction in microcosm? Emotional states, not intellectual concepts. What is perhaps not enough emphasized in this material is the idea of being aware of your emotional states. Is that not a big first step on the path of alchemy? Working with your emotional states. I don't know about all schools, but I know that working on your emotional states through Jing chi shen engaging practices is at the start of Alchemy in the HT school (Fusion of the 5 elements). different schools go into this with different focus. Relationships If someone is attrracted to you what is it they are attracted to. Is it in part your energetic signature? I think this is especially true for those who are able to go beyond the physical layer of attraction. In business it is often said it is not only what you know but who you know. How do you attract the people who can help you succeed? Does it work the same way? Would you rather have a relationship (personal or professional) with someone who is in a low state most of the time or would you seek out someone who was in a state of positive excitement? If you change your state aren't you more likely to have more in common and therefore have a basis for relationship with those on a similar vibration. Materialistic bent of "the Secret"! We live in a material world. This emphasis should be viewed as more of a reflection of our society than of the makers of the movie. Tangible, material examples are perhaps easier by far to grasp than less tangible goals. Of course if everyone had the goal of living in a multi million dollar mansion we would certainly run out of resources even more quickly. But different people have different values. I myself have a certain degree of abundance, but some of my goals, based on my values, include simplifying my material life. The law of attraction can function here as well. Ooops, I may have revealed my bias. I think the Secret is a valuable contribution. Does it contain hype and hyperbole? For sure. Anything can be criticized. Criticism, it occurs to me is not related to applying critical thinking to analyze what is being said and why. Why don't more people understand and use the law of attraction? I think some of the reactions I have seen here and elsewhere demonstrate that this type of concept will immediately bring to the fore certain core concepts which people hold, such as "there isn't enough to go around". If you cannot confront these concepts and beliefs and figure out where they came from your defense mechanisms will lead you to throw the whole out as a fairy tale. To see a belief as a belief and not a fact is the start. This is having a flexible mind. Perhaps the most important flexibility training is to maintain mental flexibility. Ok, this above was a basically unstructured stream of consciousness response to reading all above posts on this subject. Chi eers Craig

Hi all. In some way I am going to try to resopnd directly to the original post. I began with external arts, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo. Somewhat along in my training I started working with an internal stylist who taught me some basics of Bagua and Hsing I. Standing in Santi stance was part of my training too. I also developed my structure with this standing and stepping in Santi moving from pichuan on one side to the other. This one internal piece still comes up in my external sparring work. (TKD play) Using this technique to drop down onto a kick is really effective and I can still stay within the rules. I would say this is an excellent technique to drill in order to develop your fighting. I will not attempt to answer whether I think it would work as a whole method of development that could serve as you described. But it has been my experience that this simple Santi posture and Hsing I stepping simply combined are a very good training piece. I also don't want to venture too far down the road of answering the question about what training is necessary or effective to develop self defense. I think this is almost unanswerable. I have witnessed numerous attempts to answer it. One of my favorites was what my TKD teacher said some years ago. "If you are training correctly self-defense is a positive side effect of the training." So to some the question of martial arts and self defense is really not important. The journey, not the destination is another phrase which makes sense to me. IF we all spent all our time training in order to deal with the "big baddass bubba" where would we be? What does training with this image in mind do to our spirit? There are more important aspects of cultivation which are related to martial arts but not to self defense. This is my focus. Craig

You can do all the same focussing and sealing while using the machine, and for me it generates similar levels of chi as an extensive shaking practice does. I have no idea what Winn teaches pertaining to shaking but I'll take your word for it that it's limited. BTW, there are other practices which generate more chi than shaking =) Word games, your body generates the chi with movement and the machine is what makes you move, so the machine is doing the work and you are getting the benefit. That's called high efficiency, and high efficiency is particularly important in this chi cultivation scheme of things. It generates energy in the same way that shaking does. Do you or anyone else here know how shaking generates energy? Starjumper Not desiring to be playing word games regarding chi generation. I think it is an important distinction to make and I appreciate your precision in exploring my comments. OK, we can agree that physical movement, kinetic energy is definitely being added to the system with these shaking machines. There are other "Chi" machines out there which work with electromagetic energy and are not shaking machines. Electro stim acupuncture also is using external energy. OK, we both agree there is a benefit of some kind to the shaking chi machines. Is this benefit actually "adding" CHI to the system? I don't think so. And you pose the question "how does shaking generate energy or chi. In fact I am not sure that it does either. In the particular specific practice I was referring to I think perhaps what is really happening is that physical and energetic systems in the physical and energy body are being released and this is allowing things to FLOW more smoothly this can be said of the shaking machine as well. Also there is a Shen (spirit) layer which is being contacted as part of the practice. Making a connection and opening up allows the possibility of connecting with Heaven and Earth as well as releasing old stuck energy. Perhaps there is in fact an adding of energy to the system thereby. Your comment about efficiency is well taken, but a bit mechanical. Allow me to elaborate. I appreciate that you can combine the chi machine with chikung or other internal art practice to enhance the benefit. Physically it would be hard to argue that this is not efficient. Therefore I pose another question for you from a chikung perspective. Is it most efficient to connect with your chi and shen layers while lying down and being shaken by a machine? Is your chi cultivation most efficient on all layers using this method? The energy dynamic of being horizontal is quite different from that of standing on your feet. Also I agree that there are a myriad of other practices to look at for many purposes. I merely took the practice of shaking as an example because of the similarity to the effects of using the chi machine. I have experience with both. IN my practice the shaking is an important warm up and the drumming/dancing energy is said to awaken and connect one to the spirit. This also is my experience, within the limitations of my ability to perceive such a connection. I like your incisive approach. Do you have a lot of metal in your chart Craig

Sun Ancon Chi machine. I have one. Don't use it very often anymore. But sometimes my kids do. They like it. I think that says something when a 4 year old decides she wants to do it of her own volition. Or maybe it's just fun. I enjoyed using it. I definitely don't think it provides and chi to the system, but perhaps the function of opening up the body through the rocking does allow for chi to move better. I do a practice of shaking with Master Zhongxian Wu. This is much more than the ordinary "shaking the tree" which M.Winn does. This process is done over a long period of time, sometimes as much as 1/2 hour or more. At the end of the shaking one has the nice buzzing, vibrating, heat sensation which is similar but much richer than that achieved by the so called Chi machine. Since one maintains focus on the tantien and keeping the crown open and the perineum sealed the effect is much more than provided by the chi machine. Also, focusing on the tantien after the shaking creates an opportunity to work with the chi and store it. I view the Chi machine as something which will provide some movement benefit to someone who cannot or will not get exercise on their own. Expecting it to "generate" chi is silly to me. It may oxegenate the cells by the movement and may provide some movement in the gut to break things up and move them along, but YOU generate the chi, not this machine. All in all, I liked it, but if I were to use 15 minutes to generate chi through shaking and standing focus I would get a LOT more from that. TaoMeow I expect you have plenty of knowledge and experience to do the same. Craig

Hi there. Mr Broken record here. Still taking HeshouWu Formulation from Dragon herbs. Still feels very beneficial to me for the reasons listed earlier. NOTE: It is a FORMULA!! Not a single herb. Also the He shou wu is properly prepared as mentioned. Straight powder is probably a really BAD idea. especially all by itself. Even so, it would probably be wise for me to consult with a TOM doctor to check what's up with my system. But, no time for that, so I have to self medicate with herbs and chikung :-) Reishi - good stuff. Many sources of Nutritional ingredients sell CRAP!! ONce again, you get what you pay for. I highly recommend Duanwood Reishi from dragonherbs. For something more potent that you definitely will feel, I recommend Wild Reishi drops from dragonherbs. Ultimately the best approach for Reishi would be to get your hands on some whole dried reishi (fresh is probably not doable) and make your own decoction in water, wine or alcohol. I really like the Reishi too and take it daily. Come on, its the "immortal" mushroom. Arent all you Taobums taking it?? As far as true Tonic herbs go I would say this one can be taken by itself with no concern at all. But I would also like to hear QiDr's opinion. Beware: Some mushrooms are merely the mycelium made into a powder and are not from the fruiting body of the Reishi. Where did your reishi powder come from? Craig

Hi Acronym explanation request. CCO = ??? SKF = ??? Is my brain not working or did I miss something when studying with HT? thanks Craig PS - If I don't get the acronyms you can bet there are any number of folks who also don't.

This topic never fails to gather a lot of attention when it comes up. I often find myself wondering what women think about all this. I am aware of the Taoist concepts regarding female cultivation. It is hard to escape the conclusion that all these systems exclude women as candidates for cultivation beyond a certain point. It always seems that men are talking about the magical elixir of semen and sexual essence cultivation. And, women, of which there are quite a few here at Taobums lately, seem to stay away from these discussions altogether (probably bored by us sexually obsessed males). My apologies to those taking this subject ever so seriously. Just wondering... What is my question? Without Semen to transform do women have no path? Or is it just simpler? Or is their physical composition and emotional tendencies truly an insurmountable hindrance in cultivation as it seems some less politally correct schools seem to think. (don't attack me, I don't believe this, but I know the thoughtform is strongly out there in one form or another.) I guess I feel like asking questions today, and not answering them. As for retention. We are in the depths of winter. This would be the ideal time to reduce or eliminate anything which would tend to drain your vital energy. Now is the time for storage and rest. As for myself. Not doing retention. But reduction of frequency and recycling are ongoing processes which ebb and flow. I am married with children. Not ready for the mountain....yet. Craig

Teach. Learn. Participate. Lurk. Depart? What is your natural inclination which flows from your authentic experience of the forum? Should you share more? It seems that this is your dilemma. In the face of so many armchair teachers of questionable quality, should you join the fray? What role does a ultra modern thing like a forum have in connecting with others when you yourself are attracted primarily by those with a real lineage connection which goes back to premodern times. ahhh, the lineage question. This has become a recurring theme and I have thought on it much myself. Mostly I agree with the tremendous value of an "authentic" teacher. But it also leaves the question. What is the value of other teachers? I myself have learned from several. And it would be silly to say that there was no value received from those who do not have such authentic lineage. For one example I studied TaeKwonDo for a long time. I don't think it is a lineage tradition. In fact it is self admitedly one of the most modernized sport martial arts. Does this mean that the discipline, fitness, coordination and focus, not to mention power which I have developed are not real? Do lineage martial arts teachers have more to offer? Undoubtedly yes. But that does not negate what I have learned. Also, there are many things I have learned from one source which can be seen as stepping stones on my path towards learning from more "authentic" teachers. My background has enabled me to recognize quality and to perceive it on different levels. My background has put me in a position to understand and more fully experience those things I have encountered in this past year studying with someone I feel to be an authentic teacher with lineage connection. What is the place for teachers without this authentic transmission? What is my place should I decide to teach what I know? And what is the place for other chikung and meditation teachers in this vast world, where there is in all probability 100 times as many worthy students as there are "authentic" teachers from whom to learn. What is the place of an internet forum for sharing, teaching and learning any of this? Finally your so called hypothetical question is inevitably turned back towards you. What do you want to contribute, or not? How can you contribute in way that is meaningful to you? Perhaps your question is the only way you see to contribute. A sly instruction disguised as a hypothetical situation. What's next?? Craig

Aren't we now in the year of the Fire Dog (Red Dog). Doesn't that mean that next we will be in the Yellow Boar or Earth Boar? I thought the element changed each year? Craig

Cat It's funny you never met anyone named Craig in the UK. I had to go to the UK to learn to "properly" prounounce my name. I was in the west country and had to make a call back home. Went something like this. "Hello I wouldlike to make a person to person call." "Alright who is making the call" "Craig ..." "Greg??" "No CRAIG" "Oh...Creeeaaag" "um...right" Seems I had been mispronouncing it for two decades. Anyway I think I remember you now. Your husband was there and one or the other of you were watching the kids most of the time, while the other participated. My son was just over 2 years at the time and daughter was only - on the way. Now he is turning 8 in a couple weeks and she is 5 1/2. Wow!! Parts of the visit in Tulum are still very present in my memory. Like swimming in the caribbean ocean in the beach off of the ruin. Also the equinox ceremony and communing with the stones of Tulum which was really incredible to me. It seemed I was able to actually make some sort of connection with them and their past. A wonderful little week long adventure it was. All the best to you and yours Cat. Craig