laughingblade

Is that like cracking when you pull you finger joints? Sitting still or moving? I've got no diagnosis, it's interesting though.

Maybe. I find your approach challenging, and politeness evades me at times. Thanks for engaging. 🙏

Thanks! Nice to be reminded of foundations. Ah, your edit with the added link is great!

It's definitely not central channel. From the bai hui it's down through throat, behind breastplate to chi hai below belly button. Interestingly tongue to roof of mouth is not a feature. From previous experience where I've driven up Du and down Ren with some force - when I was young and spunky and would live forever - the results were harsh to say the least. Not recommended. This current approach is far more gentle and I'm enjoying letting the points 'arise' with light attention. Moments of flow occur naturally. Combining with long breath holds (my other recent thread) is really nice. Yes - thanks for the Damo Mitchell reminder. I should find time to watch that series. A couple of reminders I got from his podcast recently is not to confuse MCO points with acupuncture points, the LDT is deeper in the body than you think, and you need to cultivate LDT before anything else is going to happen.

I don't think he actually has a book with that title. Surprising! I did find it here though: https://www.healing-tao.co.uk/ht_microcosmic_orbit.htm so I guess it's kosher. See, there you go again: "it's a bad method". You _could_ offer some explanation as to why (you think) it's a bad method. Is it the way MC teaches it, is it MCO altogether, is it MCO before you've started building a LDT, are there 'good' MCO methods? All I've seen you do is say practices are bad because they don't let you levitate or set fire to paper, and frankly that comes across as juvenile bluster. Assuming you do some kind of practice then I wonder how you're getting on with it, especially if your marker for progress is (still) to be able to beat up on everybody else?

Well, I've seen your comments on other posts. My impression is that you usually cruise by, ignore the topic, and say that unless the OP or their teachers can do what John Chang did then they are all worthless. Happy to be wrong if I've missed the nuance.

Yeah, I know that. The specific book might be of interest ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ You seem to say that every attainment that isn't setting shit on fire or levitation is false, or of no value. That's false. People can still teach what they know to their level of attainment. Calling themselves guru might be valid, I dunno: personally I think the term is beyond broken. But some probably dead guy across the world who apparently once set stuff on fire but never taught any fly white guy except, allegedly, Jim MacMillan, is hardly any use to anybody. Might as well follow Jesus, he had some cool miracles

Which Mantak Chia book is that? So per my OP it's been suggested to find those spinal points in front of the spine. Like this one every diagram I've seen seems to locate them behind the spine. (I guess this leads to confusion with acupuncture points too, but that's perhaps another discussion). I'm interested to know where that comes from and what difference it makes - subjectively it's different, but why? Are these old diagrams all misinterpreted, is it just a stylistic quirk that they are shown outside? And a blanket "it doesn't work" isn't in any way a helpful comment, cos stuff does happen, even if nothing catches literally on fire. I say those attainments are bullshit because almost nobody can do them. That doesn't mean that people have zero attainment: this is a gradual path like most others, and there are valuable degrees of progress.

Do you know anything about these points along the front of the spine? What do you mean "work"? Just one minute of paying attention and you would know that _something_ arises at those points. Do you mean _I_ don't have the energy? This is your default position to almost anyone as far as I can see, isn't it... but you don't claim attainment for yourself: So who are you to say who has what? I was asking about intention at the points, not about the flow. But I kinda agree, and ime mind must rest before LDT develops and MCO flows spontaneously... which is why I'm investigating what I'm being taught. If you even knew Mantak Chia you would know it's not Mantak Chia. Good to know what people teach before you flip them off. Levitate and burn stuff is imho a bullshit goal of cultivation. Only one guy seems to have demonstrated it, ever, and as far as we know he was never able to teach others. But thanks.

Thanks bums. I'd come across the vase breath in tummo from Glenn Mullin & Lama Yeshe and had good results with the syllables, channels and so on. But that's held on a full breath. The only empty hold I've seen until now has been Wim Hoff of course. I'll take it gently according to advice, and note that it is really quite enticing.

I've come across a teacher using points at the front of the spine during MCO upward flow instead of the rear as usually taught, and using intention to light them up. I'm wondering does this have any genuine lineage connection? I've only ever come across one hint of a "subterranean" Ren (yes, Ren) flow at the front of the spine.

I've come across a teacher using long breath holds, particularly empty holds, as part of the firing process in neidan. I'm wondering does this have any genuine lineage connection? I've certainly only encountered normal or reverse breathing.

If the KAP1 guy is MH then he's considering teaching a KAP2 later in the year.

Hi Manitou! Yes, I remember my weekend in Springfield very well. The S-M energy still kicks in even now when I'm sitting, and I'll occasionally have a go at Ya Mu's Gift of the Tao - the world's scruffiest movement form, yet quite potent. Love your endlessly soulful compassionate posts. Be well. R