Ish

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Well there is central channel work and as chakras lie inside this channel i suppose that they are affected, but calling something a chakra would be borrowing from sources outside Taoism i think.

Thanks for answering. I guess having an aware silent mind (so long as its not attached to or forced) is helpful to break through to rigpa. Will just have to simply keep practicing <------ Most of my questions have this as a resolution, but I always get something useful or a reminder from asking those who are further along the path such as yourself.

Hi C T, I currently practice some Dzogchen type meditation because well... it just feels normal for me and i hope to participate in a transmission at some point. Now what I have noticed is that basically no thoughts arise, my understanding is that thought or no-thought is irrelevant as the natural mind is beyond this. So can you tell me why no thoughts arise? Is it due to not actually being the natural state (where thoughts spontaneously arise and dissolve themselves) or is this normal. When some thought arises it does just go by itself without any effort so i may be on the right track, but for the vast majority of the time there's no thoughts.

In my experience jhanas easily appear naturally, not made up or created intentionally. For how advanced you imply yourself to be these are completely basic and just appear if one employs a one pointed meditation focus, so i'm surprised you say this.

How about getting into half/full lotus with no hands? I can do a half lotus without a helping hand but full lotus - nooo way

Now i'm embarrassed

Of course Ya Mu can answer best here but from my understanding - Not really concentrating as such, more like deepening awareness. You completely "allow", most other meditation keep the body completely still. Any movement of the body is due to energy patterns not normal spontaneous movement, i think this is where the transmission is important - you can just set the intent to "pull in" energy then just let everything be. Personal connection to lineage - i don't have any experience here but have heard some pretty amazing stuff from other students.

Just sayin' but if you do another distance class then you have at least +1 person applying

Just curious Gerard, have you ever been in a situation where you have tested your internal power from your practice?

Sure thing

Haha yeah the third one gets me as well, its like every time you watch it can make a slight tweak. Also helps to watch the 2 different angles/versions on the DVD.

Just today i've had pasta/tomato & cheese sauce for lunch and pizza for dinner. I think i'm screwed .

Mak tin si's signature is glorious!!

Naw you have to get a syringe (you know where i'm going with this) suck it up and inject it directly into the blood stream!! Be careful if you get blood work done, they will think you're on steroids due to your insane testosterone levels . For a good answer refer to Mr.joeblast ^^^^.

The other guys have covered it well. From a martial perspective after stillness movement I often notice my strikes feel heavier than usual - can actually feel a somewhat dense wave travel down the arm and to the hand, not directed it does this by itself naturally. Makes sense as the dan tian is the core of internal martial arts and Stillness Movement develops this nicely.

Thanks for your response. Interestingly I've recently found myself to be lying comfortably with my right palm over the center/upper chest and the left palm over ldt so some correlation there. I think i'll try to wake up earlier to practice, my lying down qigong before sleep seems to be improving this. Eating late has also been an issue i need to work on, i can see how this would disrupt the rising energy. Thanks again. -Ish

Hey taoiseasy, could you speak a little about dreaming & sleeping practice/awareness - perhaps what affects these? I ask as I am looking to make more use of this sleeping time, i can become lucid occasionally but then there's the jump of maintaining it and using the plane to practice or discover things. Appreciate your time brother .

Have you tried using the individual palms in the circle walking as zhan zhuang?

I've never taken a seminar and even i know that's not true

I stopped using a pillow few nights ago. My neck feels looser and more balanced.

Sounds interesting, thanks.

You're assuming emptiness and all that are just theories, its not. It's direct experience, not an invention or guesswork. Your other theories however are just guesswork, please tell me any actual evidence to back it up then it may be more believable.