lydian

Thanks Ya Mu, that puts things into perspective for me.

IMO one shouldn't take information at face value. Everything I read on this board and elsewhere on the internet I take cum granu salis. Where is the poster coming from what has he/she studied, what are his credentials, what feeling do I get from reading a collection of his posts. I appreciate discussion on issues that I have not yet had personal experience, but I try to be very cautious in applying it. In defense of drew, he is not an official representative of SFQ and has not said so. He just shares his own experiences with this system and other methods he has practised. IMO, his posts can be a bit unfocused and theory-laden, but certainly food for thought. He does encourage people to try out SFQ, but that is ok. I would not have found it, otherwise and I thank him for that. On the other hand, the correction you made, mjjbecker, is valuable. Thank you for it. I don't take drew's word as gospel w.r.t. SFQ. I only really trust Master Lin himself, since I love his presence. Since the official SFQ forum was brought up: I read through pages of posts sometime ago and was a bit disappointed by what I got out of it. It deals mostly with beginner questions and the answers are not deep. Nowhere comparable with an average level on taobums. The reason is probably to keep the alchemical jargon out of SFQ and make it accessible for regular people. I get the feeling it is a bit oversimplified in this respect, although I love the concept of simplicity of the SFQ active exercises and meditations. There is enough in there to keep oneself busy for a long time. I feel that theory certainly can provide another level of understanding of 'stuff' that happens during practise, after the fact. But, it pales before actual experience. So, when it comes to qigong I am in favor of doing what one has been taught. I cannot deny the urge to compare SFQ with other systems, since that is what my rational mind likes to do. Ideally I would like to directly ask Chunyi Lin questions and study with him. As this is not possible for me, this board is the next best thing. I am definitely looking forward to Sean's interview with Master Lin! Rainbow_Vein thanks for bringing up the question of "sick qi" and how one would protect oneself in healing somebody. I am sure I can't transmute sick qi and I guess this is not something one can simply learn from a book. Since I am cautious, I would only try the sword fingers and on myself. Would that be safe from your experience, Ya Mu? If I then draw out sick qi and drop it with my hand, would that just pollute the earth, as you mentioned? Thanks for indulging a newbie

I once knew, but I forgot; I haven't really practiced level 2 yet. Thanks, drew, I will ponder this.

I have the feeling that Drew, will chime in shortly, but let me give you my take on this. Edit: Ok, he beat me to it. I have practised SFQ for about 2 months now and so am only a little less noob than you Maybe you find my experience valuable. The reverse abdominal breathing feels a bit strange in the beginning, but if you stick to it, it will eventually work on its own and your attention can be focussed elsewhere. As Dr. Yang Jwing Ming mentions in one of his videos, reverse breathing may feel unnatural, but it is not so. You probably do it in everyday situations like pushing an obstacle. And it is also used in daoist practises, such as Ironshirt Chi Kung. Just try to do it gently without strain and it will feel more natural over time. I use reverse breathing for all SFQ active exercises. Small universe meditation is a different practise from zazen and I would not replace it, since it is one of the cornerstones of SFQ (and other daoist systems). At the beginning of small universe practice you may not feel much. Just follow the guided meditation and don't expect anything. Eventually, when you have cultivated more qi, you will notice sensations along the two meridians it connects. Just keep you tongue on your palate. From my limited experience, adding zazen should not do any harm.

Ah, how could I have missed that! Thank you for pointing that out, Hundun. I guess it just goes to show that I have never done a course with master Lin and only learned from the video and book. Little things that have a big impact! It may be comparable to how reciting the SFQ password did nothing for me at first, but now (also through other practices) I feel a stronger connection to the universe and it enhances the practice quite a bit. Now I still have to figure out on who's energy I should call - being a bit eclectic, I usually get confused at this point in the guided meditations.

Great video, thanks! Having done SFQ for about 2 months I do feel some chi movement and increased sensitivity. The healing techniques like sword fingers and giving energy I have seen explained in the SFQ book and video, but I cannot feel and directly relate to yet. I am also a bit reluctant to try something on somebody else before having had a connection to it. On a plant or animal would be fine, though. One question that I have repeatedly asked myself is why is there no danger in depleting one's energy when healing/giving energy to somebody else in SFQ. I remember reading that in other systems you don't want to give your own chi, but instead act as a conduit for heavenly energy. But Chunyi Lin stresses that in his system you will even receive more energy every time you give energy to someone else. Is this because of the focus on heart/love energy?

Thank you Santi, steam and everseeking. That cleared things up for me! The terminology w.r.t. polarity is really confusing. Some books try to give a working definition of their terms, but mostly are not being precise enough to rule out mistakes on their part. So you get to guess what they assume and where their definition comes from, which is not satisfactory. Basically, if I can't clearly feel the energetic actions of the polarities and don't have anyone around for muscle testing me, it comes down to a question of trust. IMO, Walter Last really explained the polarity issue very well here: HOW MAGNETIC POLES ARE NAMED He seems to be experienced and has studied the literature. This book also seems to be a reputable source: Alternative medicine: the definitive guide / Magnetic Field Therapy It uses the "positive/negative polarity" terms and defines: So, negative polarity = scientific south = bio-north (Davis/Rawls) = yin side. Now, on to experiment ... The next mosquito sting gets a magnet treatment

Thank you!

Thanks for the link. What I find really interesting is the recommendation to eat a potato with skin but without additional protein before going to bed:

I vaguely remember the color pink being associated with the blended 5 elements including sexual energy in Chia's system. Can't find a reference, though.

I totally agree, be wary of raw foods depending on your constitution. Steamed veggies are great! This supplement may also help: Glycoscia

I don't know the programms you mention but I have a fairly simple suggestion in addition to some quality aerobic exercise: Try to restrict your intake of carbohydrates. Don't eat any sugars and refined carbs (white flour) at all. Only eat some, say 150 grams of complex carbs (whole grain breads). These will not raise your glucose levels as fast and in turn insulin release will be slower. Complex carbs will keep you satiated for longer. In addition, always combine the complex carbs with some high quality fat to make them last longer. This entails also watching where the sugars and simple starches sneak in in processed foods. You could also drink some licorice tea. But don't consume too much licorice, in large doses (via supplements) it may raise your blood pressure. It will be hard in the beginning, but give it some time, it will relieve insulin resistance. Sugar cravings will disappear. Good luck! lydian

Thank you!

I would ask Chunyi Lin about the significance of reverse breathing. Also, will embryonic breathing arise naturally through the practice? I was also wondering about the different energies involved (using Chia's terminology): the connection with heavenly energy is certainly there in the harmony of the universe active exercise where you receive energy from above. And cosmic energy is associated with the third eye, as far as I know. But in the system there is no explicit focus on earth energy or rooting, although the standing pose will provide some of that. Since AFAIK SFQ is not a complete system of alchemy, it is natural to ask which practices (from other systems) could safely complement it. This is probably out of the scope of the interview, since it would assume familiarity and experience with other systems. Perhaps Chunyi will decide to expand the system at some time.

Hello, I've found this forum via Trunk's very interesting site on alchemical Taoism and have decided to come out of lurking to participate in some discussions if I have something of value to contribute I am relatively new on the Taoist path and still have much to learn and experience. I did some yoga a few years ago and liked the physical postures, but somehow the spiritual path was not for me - too much shrouded in secrecy. Following some advice given on this board I checked out SFQ and I have found the simplicity and general vibe of Spring Forest Qigong very appealing! I am also interested and do some practices from the healing Tao, separate from SFQ. Some of these practices I feel need to be molded into a form compatible with me first and that takes time. I'd also like to add some stillness meditation into the mix. There are many knowledgeable and compassionate beings posting here and I am thankful for the open and undogmatic discussions I have read. Love, lydian

Thank you I'll do my best to share.

Hi Kate, This comes more from the realm of yoga, but give it a listen! I couldn't find it on youtube, so the samples will have to do: http://www.shantiomm...mond-p-374.html This is trancy earthy percussion music: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=v3av7FPziVw And if you care to listen to jazz, this is very powerful spiritual stuff http://www.youtube.c...h?v=dbZl87O3UcU http://www.youtube.c...h?v=7Xx-rawGfn8 BTW, I loved the Vajra Guru 7 line prayer! So beautiful.