buscon

Actually I've got a big appetite _always_, that's why I have to control it a bit, chewing better and not overeating, eventhough I've never been fat. I felt like fasting not because of less of appetite, but because of spiritual development. I'm already eating seasonaly, I pay a lot of attention to my nutrition. On the other side, now I've read your posts and I think it's better to fast when I will have a pause with kung fu, maybe next spring. About proteins and carbs, I also follow the rule of carbs before training and proteins after. With carbs you have enough energy for training, with proteins you nourisch what you've burned during the training. Thanks all for the good discussion

Ok, steam, I've got it I usually eat fruits or carbohydrats some hours before the trainings and proteins afterwards and during the days without training. Now I'm too much into kung fu for having a break with fasting, I'll do it when I wanna to have a pause with my training. Cheers

Thanks all for the good tips. I'm already avoiding most of nasty foods, eventhough I still eating whole wheat, (self-made) yoghurt and some lighly fried stuff. I eat a lot of whole wheat pasta, rice, barley, millet, vegetables, fruits, proteins(tofu, beans, eggs, meat). I mainly buy organic food. No coffe, a lot of tea, no alcohol, no sugar. About the food, I'm almost taoist since long time About the fasting, you persuaded me: I won't do that, I'll just keep on eating good things without overeating. Probably I just have to keep on meditating, and doing qigong everyday, as I'm already doing with good results. Waiting that everything goes back to his own place, I keep practicing actionless-action

Hi Scotty, interesting point of view. I actually use to eat a lot, probably too much, since I was a child - I think it was another ego that I left behind. I stopped eating so much since some months, since my body channels opened up and I gave up smoking too. Eating too much was actually not gaining energy but loosing energy. My body still quite healty (ok, maybe not 100% but almost), I've always paid attention to what I ate. So I don't need to fast in order to recover my body (even though the common opinion is that even my body would profit), but in order to "heal" my soul - I think that fasting would be a good test/opportunity for my person, my mind, my ego. look forward to read other's people ideas about it

Hi all, lately I've focused my attention on my heart, as I feel a blockage there since long time. Nothing so bad actually, I had good long-lasting relationships and I have a lot of female friends. On the other hand there is always some "blocking", useless shyness when I meet a new girl; as a consequence I usually don't act when I should. Afterwards I don't feel rage (I rarely get angry), but I feel sad and start to think too much (lungs and spleen). So the root of the problem is my heart, or part of it: I've kept it hidden since long time, the love offered from our society disgusted me when I was a teenager - the best example that I can give you is the sexism of our society, something that I've always hated. As a consequence, I refused the tipical attitude "I-am-super-cool-and-I-wanna-date-you", but I didn't developed a good alternative to create good feelings with a woman (beyond frendship, I mean ). As I already said, it's nothing so bad, but I wanna to have a better flow of my heart channel because I realized that is the root of other physical and psycological problems, that could bring my meditation/qigong/life experience to a further level. For sure I need some time to clear this blockage, as it's a behaviour that I have since long time - I don't expect an easy solution, I just wanna know what do you think about this situation and how would you face it. At the moment I'm practising spring forest qigong level 1 every day, and I really like it. I actually start to better understand the problem when I read an old reply of drew hempel, talking about broken heart. I really fit into this description : Here's the enire post http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?act=ST...;f=1&t=4549 Thank you and love

good to know that we share the same feeling I've dreamt a lot too, more than usual, and I slept little. Sunday and yesterday little energy because of the little sleep, Monday and today a lot of energy... On saturday to sunday I had bad dreams (rage!), last days nice dreams with shiny woman (but no sex at all).

I've actually mentioned it because it's the standard behaviour, and I wanted to specify that is not my case. Anyway, it could even be that I don't really feel rage, maybe I repress it (Catholicism influence again...) and I don't recognize it - I'll try to look more into at the next experience. Thank you for the tip. I'll have a look at the guides on MASF but I don't think it's the right solution. I think that I have not fully developed the loving side of my person: that's what I rejected refusing the standard way to date a woman - no flowers, no hugs, no sweet words. I didn't rejected totally, I just gave my love and sweetness in the right situation, not spreading out like most of the people do. I'm quite a generous and kind person, I think that I have just to be more "physically" with friends and people I like in general - that's what it's missing, or I think so in this moment.

Ok, maybe I have to try with some affirmations for the heart.... Dunno, until now for me was easier to collect energy in the dantien and do the MCO. Even other organs blockage where not so pointless. Anyway, I'm sure I'll find a way No, I come from another kind of dysfunctional family, from the north of Italy: conservatism, catholism and close minded people. I think that Catholism is the main point - I probably hated so much, that I really close my heart Thanks for the answer!

I actually feel the effect of the full moon more than usual - little sleep, better energy. It's just my personal situation or you feel the same ?

What you say makes sense when you have a partner - what about when you don't have one ? Does retention make sense in that case ?

Hi, I've just found this internet site: www.duhtao.com where you can read and compare different translations of tao te ching. enjoy

@TheSongsofDistantEarth, I totally agree about choosing a better subject for this topic - this way is just misleading... On the other hand I think that a PM would be a pity, because it's a subject that can be interesting for a lot of us. @JohnZen: so please, if you wanna to have a public discussion about semen retention in our world, start a new thread with a sensible subject. Be well

Which book are you talking about ? thx

ok, how can I build the second dantien (solar plexus) ? I've read a lot of stuff about the first and the third, but nothing about the second. I've acutally started with the pineal gland just because taoist yoga practice start with that one... ok, cool Thank you for the explanation - I actually didn't want to see the steam for, but how to use the steam, metaphorically speaking. Anyway thank you for the comprehensive answer, now I've got it

Ok, I actually already wanted to have a try with spring forest, I'll do it for sure On the other side, I've already felt the pituitary gland, it started pulsing with "fixing the cavity" meditation of taoist yoga Ok, I've got it - how can build some yin kidney energy ? I've read somewhere on the internet to have more contemplative time in your life, could be a way ? I'll try the 5/6 tibetan rites and I'll tell you. About moving the energy to the middle dantien and to the limbs ? Could be useful some "heart" qigong ? About the steam, how can I use it without disperding ? - maybe sounds dumb, and it's already in front of my eyes, but I cannot see it...

I update my situation, in order to have a better view of what I'm doing. I finally understood that there was some imbalance and was because of too low yang water. The point is not that my kidneys were ill, but the overall state of my body is changing, and I always have to find a new order In the last month I started eating more kidney food (black beans, black sesame, barley, etc.). Two weeks ago I had some emotional imbalance even with one night insomnia, that drained my kidneys; after that I was kind of starting from zero and but I easily recovered. Last weekend I had a wet dream; anyway I kept nourishing my kidney, with good food, kidney qigong from the book "qigong empowerment" (simple but effective), kung fu, squats and (quite new and very important) some short sessions of taoist yoga, but just the first stage: fixing the spirit. I'm practising semen retention too, but quite naturally: at the moment I don't have a partner and I'm not interesting in porn. This morning I woke up with a great heat in the kidneys and genitals, I was quite thirsty. I did some qigong, without concentration on the kidneys - I just felt like to let flow all this heat with some MCO circulation. I massaged a little my body, but not that much (I actually wanted to massage my kidney channel but I forgot it....). During the day I experienced a pleasant warm in my hands and all through the body, like when I was younger Now I'm thinking about this experience: could be some kidney blockades opening ? Should I countinue nourishing the kidneys or what else ? Should I take advantage of this extra energy and put into the 8 extraordinary channels ? Thank you for your precious advices

it's Mantak chia in "Taoist secrets of love: cultivating male sexual energy". There's a chapter called "Exercises to increase male potency" => "tongue kung fu". Anyway this exercise is just to increase sensitivy and strength in your tongue in order to give more pleasure to your partner, nothing to do with male erection... I actually don't know any point or practice that can give instantaneous erection. Cheers

Hi John Zen, I've got the same feeling, even though I've noticed this scent after my kung fu lesson... I didn't look up more information about it, and I don't know if it's because of transmutation from jing to shen, but could be - or at least a firt step to it Or maybe we just noticed smt that was already there... that's the point of meditation actually Hi John Zen, I've got the same feeling, even though I've noticed this scent after my kung fu lesson... I didn't look up more information about it, and I don't know if it's because of transmutation from jing to shen, but could be - or at least a firt step to it Or maybe we just noticed smt that was already there... that's the point of meditation actually

Hi all, I'm living in Berlin at the moment, and other people of the forum too: it would be a good idea to meet us in this city and talk about our practices, exchange our experiences. Hope you like the idea Peace & emptyness

*bump* none is living in Berlin ?

I totally agree. I have been playing music since years and since I practice qigong my concentration is higher, and I've improved my productions filling what was missing. On the other side, music is a lot about feelings, and with qigong and meditation you learn to handle better with them. I think you become more objective doing your music - as doing anything, that should be the goal Just need time, but I've already had good feedback at the beginning. Beats, melody & emptyness

Done.

Hi, I practice qigong regularly every morning, following the teaches of the book "Qigong Empowerment", doing some medical, taoist and wushu qigong. At the moment I find quite difficult to make some evening meditation, mainly because the taoist meditation teached in the book it's a lot about the "Fire method", that is sending energy up. I've also tryed to do just some standing meditation with my hands and concentration on the dan tien, but still kind of too much... I was thinking about putting more attention to the energy flowing down (from the head to the perineum) on the evening, and then circulate it again, but I would like to follow some already exhisting method instead of making up one of myself... Do you have any idea ? Should I read frantzis "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body" and learn his "water method" ?

Hi, I'd like to give up smoking and I'd like to take advantage of my qigong knowledge. I'm doing qigong since one year now, with quite good results. I've used for healing myself, sex, meditation and kung fu. I smoke from 10 to 20 self rolled cigarettes and/or joints. Do you know about some special qigong exercise and/or acupressure methods that help me stop smoking ? Would be great Thx

for me was quite the same as tobacco: - actually I use to smoke hashish mixed with tobacco - I smoked with friends and alone, both were important to me I don't know how much are you into qigong, but if you learn a little about using you energy in a different way should not be that difficult. Anyway, the first step is being conscious about smoking: - every time that you want to smoke, just do it, don't feel guilty or stuff like that, it's your own choice, do it and enjoy - at the same time stay aware of what are you doing, the effects of the tobacco, the feelings that you have with other people - sometimes try not to smoke, and go deep into your addiction-desire - when you feel ready, just stop it: do more physical activity and regulary some meditation for balancing your tobacco desire That's it, hope it helps!