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It sounds like what you're feeling is really good. Maybe what complifies things is the actual terminology- the way I'm seeing what you're saying is- in one's practice one should start from the bottom up, or work with the most base before the most refined, or simply not neglect the physical bodies role in the quality of our awareness. Is this it? It sounds like there is perhaps more going on, but for me I am slightly confused by your words "spiritual spark of essence"- to clarify- the essence is Yin and it is sparked by the Yang of pure awareness? A

the symbol represents everything around us, and everything inside of us... the act of breathing... constant and continual change, when the in-breath reaches it's peak it transforms into the out-breath, when Yin reaches it's extreme it transforms to Yang.... and evolutions, Yin and Yang as the first two things that kicked it off, progressing in number and complexity to the infinite, but grounded in just two things, me and you, enjoying the presence of each other... or just YOU and your relationship with everything else, dynamically playing off each other... "Movement from the Yang levels activates the creation of Yin substance. Nourishment from the Yin levels supports yang activity." Wang Ju-Yi a

This guys ideas brought up a lot of questions for me. It also seems to resonate with some of the current thoughts on this board about managing personal and social relationships. How might the Buddha approach teaching/training the post-modern mind? How might Lao Tzu? How deep does the modern social/behavioral conditioning go? (I'm speaking about growing up in the last 10-15 years) Is it just another layer of self to peel back and witness our pure nature, or is there the need to discover new approaches to deal with way the modern mind works? If your have a look at the videos or read some of his work, it'll put these questions in much better context! a

Through many, many years of careful observation of the movement of stars and planets, traditional cultures have accumulated knowledge of their patterns. By aligning ourselves with these patterns, it is thought we can live in greater harmony. Additionally, astrological knowledge can be applied to diagnosing illness and disharmony, and guide one back into health, in whatever area it may be. Many of these systems are still in practice today (stems and branches acupuncture, eight-fold method of the divine tortoise, Yi-Jing seasonal acupuncture, jyotish, Mayan medicine) There are a few factors which make me question whether these systems are still valid- 1. the advent of modern culture has separated our day to day patterns greatly from those of the heavenly bodies- we are in some ways less dependent on the sun, moon and stars (electricity, artificial lighting, technology and agriculture, GPS). in most cities you can never even see full glory of the stars. How far does this disconnection separate us from the influence of the stars? 2. it is generally acknowledged that we (humanity, earth, and our solar system) are in the process of particularly significant shift. (often referred to in "2012" literature, esp. procession of the equinoxes, etc.) How does this shift affect the classical systems? It seems to me that one cannot use these old systems as they were practiced 1000+ years ago, they need to change with these interesting times. How might we come to do this? Can you think of anything (links/teachers/teachings/ideas) that could shed light in this area? a

One one level I agree with this, it's like the view from 100 feet up. It's an assuring point of view, 'everything is exactly as it's supposed to be'... it just doesn't go down too smoothly in a clinical setting! The systems I'm referring to are seeking to amend the discordance that can arise when the celestial bodies look unfavorably upon you. It may be just delaying the karmic card one is being delt, but not many people think in that kind of timescale and pattern, especially when they are in pain.. You words remind me of a saying someone once told me- "it's all gonna be alright in the end, and if it ain't alright, it ain't over yet!" a

Hi Gerard, Thanks for the thoughts. Could you expand a bit on aligning with the heart-liver network? Are you speaking from a Five Element standpoint? Does this network have a particular affinity for balancing with outside relationships? (I'm thinking perhaps of the Shen + Hun dynamic..) Many thanks, Alex

There is a great significance to this period of time we're living in- it's not hard to recognise- but at the same time because of this, it has been used as a marketing 'buzzword' by many folk, particularly those writing about the 2012 date. Whatever the significance of the astrology, there are a number of culminating global events that are very relevant to your question- the rate of technological advancement has rapidly grown over the last decade, leading to the opportunity to replace our dependance on fossil fuels and, fingers crossed, undo some of the damage this dependance has created. Secondly, wisdom that has matured over long periods of time through indigenous cultures and traditions has either been been killed off by this same dependance on fossil fuels and ensuing "march of modernity" or been forced to flee, to find new ways to carry on these traditions. Because of this, a great deal of previously highly guarded and precious teachings have found they way into the light of day as a matter of survival. Coincidentally, there hasn't been a greater need for this wisdom at any other time- the crazy speed and turbulance that whirls around us has whipped up a huge cross-pollination of ideas and traditions. We have the great fortune of harnessing this whirlwind in the creation of a 'never-before-seen' way of breathing, seeing, thinking, and working. May we rise to this challenge and lift ourselves and fellow beings upwards and forwards! Bless a

Just thought I'd mention that this seems to be a theme with a number of people- eric pearl (of reconnective healing) suggests that his healing work is aligning with a new vibration of light and information that has only recently appeared on Earth, which changes or adds to our currant DNA composition. drunvalo melchezidek- also suggests that the global shift is changing our DNA/ enlarging our DNA also the 'indigo children' thing is based on the same assertion. It all seems abit far out for me, but strange that it keeps on popping up... a

After reading some of the comments on this forum recently and also starting to work with prayer in my qigong practice, some thoughts have occurred in me that you might like to reflect upon or help out with. In the Buddhist tradition there is the practice of the Four Immeasurable Minds or the Four Great Abidings- cultivating the qualities of Love, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity in the mind. This has a resonance with the qigong practices of Inner Smile and Secret Smile. Usually one goes about practicing these by activating these qualities in oneself, keeping them in mind, and emanating them outwards. Although it may seem like only a subtle difference, if one practices by not self-generating the qualities but rather assuming they're inherent in all the environmental space around us, by tapping into these emanations, the feel of the practice is quite different. There is less of an imposition of oneself on the space around you and more of an opening up and outwards, like a mutual resonance. Do you think there is much difference between the two approaches? How about in terms of creating a healing space? The idea of aligning one's own will with the "heavenly will" seems to be at the crux of the matter... what do you think? a

This is something I'm also exploring. From one angle, the Trigrams can correspond to the channels of the body and their associated qi dynamics: heaven: Du earth: Ren lake: taiyang fire: shaoyang wind: yangming mountain: taiyin water: shaoyin thunder: jueyin JueYin, for example, is composed of the pericardium and liver channels, which are characterised by storage, retreat, and rejuvination. It is these qualities which might be experienced as the trigram in ourselves- the ability for the blood at it's deepest level to nourish the body and at the same time hold and calm the shen and the emotions. How does the blood actually feel in our body? to rest our mind on it and really feel the blood pumping through the limbs and different parts of the body, does actually feel quite calming. How do the channels feel? how do the organs feel? perhaps this is a good way of going through the different trigrams in the body. I'm not sure though, sometimes it seems like fixing the trigrams to aspects of the body can be too rigid, especially when considering the way the bagua can represent so many different things, can be stamped endlessly onto every smaller and smaller part of the body and greater and greater part of the world at large. In my case I should probably heed Taomeow's words and not jump into such complexities without reaching the equivalent experiential stage- I could save myself a headache! a a

From the modern TCM perspective, yuan qi is "pre-heavenly qi" and as such cannot be replaced once it is gone. It could be thought of as the genetic life stamina you inherit from your parents and Source. Whether it can even be replenished is debatable; I would assume it's very much down to what kind of relationship you share with Source, with "pre-heaven". The time period of 100 hundred days to start anew is found in quite a few different traditions. Gurdjeff used this time period for a specific practice. Also the exercises known as "Kai Men". a

Hey, you might find useful the words of Hazrat Inayat Khan. He was a magical musician and singer, and also walked the way, with grace and eloquence I might add. "To a person who knows life's music the art of personality comes naturally; and it is not only inartistic but also unmusical when a soul shows lack of this art in the personality. When a man looks at every soul as a note of music and learns to recognize what note it is, flat or sharp, high or low, and to what pitch it belongs, then he becomes the knower of souls, and he knows how to deal with everybody." his works can be found at: http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/III/III_III_2.htm a

It's well worth going to a class with Master Lam, or with any of his students. However, the crux seems to be what type of class you go to- basically, if you attend a class with Mater Lam you can be sure you'll be standing for a straight 30 mins, and then some. The group energy keeps you focused, and the results are great. If you go to a class where you're not standing for that amount of time, the effects are different. I've heard (from another teacher) an interesting theory about standing- when you take a low stance, you want to shift/ align your weighting so there is no stress on the knees- for this your weight should be in the centre of the foot/just forward of the heel (so as the weight is evenly balanced on the whole surface of the sole) and one should gently pull in from the navel so as to lift the pressure up the thigh and away from the knee. The higher one can take the weight, the better (so long as you can keep relaxed). Now, supposedly this area of the body, the upper thigh, has the the largest amount of mitochondria. Mitochondria is one of the closest suspected links to the concept of Qi. So, we might make the assumption that holding and using this part of the body in this kind of way is a surefire method of boosting your energy/tonifying your Qi! Another benefit of going to Master Lam's class is learning the postures of Da Cheng Chuan (fantastic!), not to sure but i don't think these are taught in his books. A

This reminds me of something special a group of archeologists discovered on the east coast of England about 5 years ago- an ancient sacred site containing a large tree that was buried upside-down, with its long roots extended to the sky. There was some significance to the time it was dated and how it brought the pre-historic English peoples into a new perspective. Maybe this is not the thing to be writing about casually, but are you aware of this symbolic structure in other places? a

Body imaging can be described as layering one part of the body over another. It is a well-known technique and forms the basis of reflexology and many aspects of traditional Asian medicine. Essentially, the trunk of the body, the pelvis, spine, neck, head, and the organs can be transposed onto any bone along the limbs; the base of the bone corresponding to the lower part of the body, the head of the bone corresponding to the top. When there is illness in, let's say, the neck, it can be treated by using the associated neck part of the distal bone. It can be applied in many other ways too, for example, imaging the whole of the body onto the ear, or the face, or the abdomen. In this way, one part of the body can be used to diagnose another part. This is the idea behind pulse and tongue diagnosis, and also face reading. This way of seeing the body can be remarkably effective with treating illness. How can it be explained? From a Western medical perspective, the only viable explanation would be due to the nervous system, as the different nerves that run out from the spine reach and span different parts of the body. This isn't satisfactory though, as these nerve zones/dermatomes, don't correspond with many traditional mappings. Looking for answers in Eastern sources seems quite difficult- the common answer is, 'this is how it is, it works, what's more to know?' The closest understanding I can reach, is similar the the concept of Indra's net of jewels, which is a metaphor for the interconnectivity and interbeing of every single thing. The part reflects the whole, the whole reflects the part; microcosm and macrocosm are inseperable. Within every person, the whole world is contained... If we are to work along these lines, there comes some profound implications. I am reminded of the Kahunas of the Ho'oponopono traditional who heal people without ever meeting them, and succeed working purely on themselves. So, I'm trying to research body imaging and need some help... any suggestions? a

Perhaps that's just it- the link is on a more refined level than the physical a

Hiya, could you share a link about holographic theory? don't think i've found the same thing.. thanks a

This is fascinating. I've read Tom Myers work on myo-fascial meridians, it's groundbreaking stuff. However I haven't heard of this network of pathways for light; could you share any thoughts and info about this? In terms of light in the body, I don't know if it's correct but I would associate bio-electricity as luminescent. Other than this, I have heard speak of a subtle light that glows from the base of the heart and sense organs, perhaps this is connected.. a

The sun is a super-conscious being! http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j11/sheldrake.asp?page=2 http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Angels-Exploring-Science-Spirit/dp/0060628642

I've been trying to read his work for a while, just haven't got round to it- so thanks for the prompt! Along similar lines- I have read this book called The Eyes of the Skin by Jahanni Pallasmaa, I'm guessing you know it too, it's an inspiration for sure. One of its main themes is that the west has fallen into 'ocular-centrism'- the dominance of the vision over all other senses. The implications of this are manifold, but if we think of how the senses work in relation to whether they internalise the world or externalise the world, vision separates the world from us- makes it 'out there', whereas taste, touch, and smell bring the world into us, and hearing seems more balanced. So ocular-centrism reinforces our disconnection with the surrounding environment, bolsters Descartian dualism. From an oriental perspective this might reflect the tendency of Westerners to be more Yang natured, as the eyes fall under the Wood element which is Yang... On another note- did you know the skin can detect colour? mad huh? brings more clout to using the hands to absorb Sun or Moon Qi. a

Synchronicity! Just came across this too- http://www.spiritdoctor.net/html/geopathic_stress1.html an excellent piece on geopathic stress- detailing links with Feng Shui and science. The transformation of our urban landscapes will happen in tandem with change in our language- and the key? Creating free-flow for the imagination?

Interesting thoughts. Thanks for the links. It is right- the two systems do seem to be traversing distant paths, phenomenology along one more in the realm of the thought, qigong more in the realm of direct experience (if you discount all the theorising). Both paths are evolving in interesting ways, I delight in thinking of what will happen when these paths converge, especially in light of scientific discovery and the growing bridge between science and spirituality. Some exciting work that i could see tying things together is that of John Paul Eberhard, a neuroscientist who is mapping the effects of architecture on our brains/minds/health. his site- http://www.architectureandthemind.com/ also http://www.anfarch.org/ How this might correspond with traditional Oriental theories of harmony in space and the landscape is so fascinating for me! check it out. a

A wonderful walk-through! Thank you for sharing. To wander deeper and further into the play of the Five Elements I whole-heartedly recommend this book- Michael S. Schneider- A beginner's guide to constructing the universe. AND of course, immersion in nature. If we break it down into the most basic forms we have- numbers, a whole world opens up to us. Yin is represented as a broken line (--), Yang an unbroken line ( __ ) If we combine these two, four possibilities arise- 1. two broken lines 2. two unbroken lines 3. an unbroken line atop a broken line 4. a broken line atop a broken line. These are known as lesser yang (wood), greater yang( fire), lesser yin (metal), greater yin( water). The fifth element Earth holds a special place within the sequence, it enables life and regeneration, it moves us from a square to a star. Earth can also be placed at the centre of the Five Elements, and be seen as the transformational period between one element to the next. When we layer geometry and maths onto natural forms, the number 5 and the pentagram, the Five Elements, crop up in wonderful ways! The golden mean and the Fibonacci sequence are a reflection of this... 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55....... what a mystery! a

Yeung Sau Chung's 'Red Book'. - alot on applications, some great pointers too. Ip Tai Tak's 'Tai Chi Chuan Revelations'. - a treasure chest.