LBDaoist

I think that we get what we create. Our own internal mental state and spiritual state of being determines our place in life. For example if a person spends their life stressed out, anxious and angry, they are going to drive away people who are calm and collected.

Don't make the same mistake that I did of ignoring it. If you are uncomfortable, adjust your position. If anything ever starts to go numb or tingle, stop what you are doing. That numbness comes about because of a lack of circulation. That lack of circulation is the exact opposite if what you are trying to achieve.

Acceptance might help you. When you come to accept that we are all connected and that the connection includes awareness of both pleasant and not so pleasant feelings, your mind can begin to adapt. Whatever you try to resist will only grow stronger. Acknowledge what you feel, then turn your attention elsewhere if you do not want to be burdened. Reframe the annoyance into a heightened sense of awareness. Lastly, you can ask yourself what bothers you so much. For some reason you are giving power to the negativity that you are experiencing from others. Rather than making the conscious choice to accept, you are deciding to perceive it as a problem and an imposition. Figure out why.

This is just a guy thing. We all, at some point or another, obsess over talking to women. I'm going to tell you this... you hesitate because you doubt yourself. Women love confidence. It is a magnetic force that draws them toward you. You hestitate because you probably feel some sort of guilt about talking to her. One, get over "asking her out". That is a problem frame of mind. Just talk to her. Let go of trying to get a particular out come and simply talk to her. The best openers are casual comments about the immediate environment. The weather. Yoga. Anything immediate. Practice your conversational skills. Your conversation will get you what you want. One last thing... women are the hunters. They select guys, not the other way around. If she is interested in you, she will drop hints in the conversation. Do not look for those hints. You will know them when they come up. Just keep your conversation casual. Whatever you do, avoid anything having to do with her looks, sex, wanting to get together, or anything like that. Here's a suggestion after you open up with the weather or whatever. "I really like coming to yoga class. It seems like life can get so busy. Yet when I am here, we can be relaxed. It feels good to spend this time doing this. What got you into yoga?" That reminds me... questions are good. Questions are what keeps the conversation going. Asking questions, and listen to the answer. work with the answer. Conversation is like hackey sack. The point is to keep it going. You do that by asking questions, and making comments on the response to the questions. Another last thing (for real this time). Avoid forcing it. If the conversation stalls out, or starts feeling forced, just let it go. You will see her again later.

I'm dealing with my own injuries right now, so hopefully I can offer you some helpful guidance. Make sure that your body is getting all of the nutrients that it needs to rebuild itself. I would do the opposite of fasting right now actually. Take a good, plant based multi-vitamin. Get some good amino acids. Glucosamine, MSM and chondrotine are great for joints. There is a mental component to having a good and healthy diet, supplemented with specific nutrients and supplements. Your mind gets to acknowledge that you are consiously consuming substances that are beneficial for it. On the subject of fasting, perhaps you can start by removing any liquids besides water from your diet. Water helps your body cleanse itself. If you have an injury, your body needs to remove all of the dead blood cells and other waste. Make sure that you are consciously helping that process.

I made it from the lungs, to the heart and into the kidneys during meditation. I found that as I was able to relax one organ, the sensation and awareness of the next organ naturally occurred. I also practice healing sounds. There are six of them, but the only ones that I have had success with are the lungs and the heart. When I get the tone and intensity right, I can feel the vibrations centered in the associated organ.

All paths do not lead to the same place. The history of Taoism is littered with examples of misguided teachings and branches deviating from the root. The same things happen to Buddhists as well. So many people get involved in the practice looking for powers; physical, mystical, sexual or whatever else.

I'm posting this here because I have the sense that there might be others on this forum who will have a better insight into what I experienced. If any of this strikes a chord with you, please let me know. I will try to be as concise as possible, while still including everything that seems relevant. I have had experiences with bad spirits in the past. When I speak of bad spirits, I am referring to the specific kind that are drawn to negative energy, and manifest by holding you down at night. Those spirits that keep you from moving your body when you wake up, and exist as an oppressive force when the mind turns back to the conscious world as the body has been resting. Now I know that some have said that the conscious disconnect between mind and body is perfectly normal, and scientists have tried to explain it away. I would rather not rehash that aspect of this. I have been going through a difficult healing process following a fall that I took about six months. Because of that my energy levels have been low, and my attitude has been fairly negative at times. I have felt despair about whether or not the pain will ever go away. My girlfriend has been dealing with an alcoholic father for her entire life. Last night she just got bad news about him, and she was upset. She often times talks in her sleep, and last night she was vocal in a very angry sounding way. I just mention that because hearing her practically shouting is what woke me up one of the times last night. We are sleeping in different rooms because I need to be able to move around and stretch out to work with the spasming muscles. Last night I was feeling particularly optimistic, and I was doing some deep, meditative energy work in an effort to clear out the blockages and will my body to relax. I mention this because my suspicion is that all of the grief and negativity that my g/f was feeling, combined with my light work might have drawn the negative force to our home. (If you're still reading, thank you for hanging in here). A while after I awoke to hear my girlfriend angrily talking in her sleep, I was drifting back and forth between that state of sleep and waking. Now that I am fully conscious I do not completely remember what my thoughts were, but they were along the lines of concern for her, and peace and relaxation for the both of us. At some point I drifted asleep because I later became aware of that oppressive, evil force. As an aside, I heard a concerned meow from our cat who was in the other room around the same time. It might have even been what turned my attention to it. You know how attention and focus get weird in that in-between state. Upon becoming aware of it, my first intention was to try to move, to test it. I was unable to move. The next thing that came to mind was to form my index fingers into a cross (I'm not Christian, but something about it made sense at the time). I was unable to join my fingers together, my hands and body were paralyzed, yet I felt like I was making progress toward moving them together. Then I began to mentally direct my intent toward the force, and I told it basically, "You will leave me. You will leave my home." That seemed to get things going. I was able to move and actually put my fingers together to form a cross. At that point I became conscious, in control of my body. Now this is where it starts to get weird. I sat up and felt this concern for my girlfriend in the other room. I stood up and placed my hands together, palms touching in the traditional "prayer" style. I silently asked for help, for light and I went into her room. The tension in the air was palatable. She was laying on the bed completely rigid, and some how I just knew that she was struggling with her own internal demons. I could feel the negative presence around her, and I just stood there at the foot the bed, breathing deeply, willing it away. It probably took four or five deep, concentrated, breathes during which I willed relaxation and peace over her to break the aura of badness that had built up around her. I saw her visibly relax. I considered that I was done at that point, then I realized that I was not. I laid down next to her, and ran my hand over her head a few times, over the crown, breaking whatever connections had attached themselves there. (Isn't it interesting how malleable an unconscious person's aura can be?) Then I hugged her and told her "You are okay." "I love you." "Everything is okay." "I love you." It was odd because she was verbally mumbling the equivalent of "leave me alone... go away" while at the same time snuggling closer and hugging me for comfort. Eventually she relaxed and mumbled something along the lines of, "I love you". I laid down next to her with my eyes closed and consciously willed myself to Wudang mountain in China. It was day time (which is odd now that I think about it, since this happened around 1am PST which would make it afternoon in China, right?) I saw incense burning, and I drew the positive intent from the incense toward us. I saw clear blue skies and monks doing their forms... I felt the energy, and I channeled it into the room. I stayed with her for a few minutes then I whispered that I was going to go lay down in the other room again. About five minutes later she comes into the room, still half asleep... scared, crying... worried that she had done something wrong. She had no recollection of me being in there with her (that is common... I talk to her when she talks in her sleep all the time... full blown conversations that she never remembers). She just remembered waking up from a really bad dream, and needing to be with me. Anyway, that is the story. Here are my questions. Evil influences... external or internal? Part of me feels like it was drawn to us. Another part believes that it came from inside of us. Banishings... real or not? Can we as human beings consciously perceive manifestations of ill will and negativity? Can we counter them with positive intent and energy work? Taoist immortals, buddhas, repositories of pure qi and positive intent. Real? Available to those who need them?

I avoid putting any significance on things like that. The mind has the interesting ability to notice things. Randomly glancing at the clock at 11:11 ignores all the other times that you randomly glance at the clock and notice that it isn't 11:11. Have you ever noticed how many black cars there are? They are all over the place. I mean, I think black cars mean good things. The more black cars you see, the healthier you will be. The mind just gets conditioned. My alarm goes off at 6:30. I often times wake up at 6:29 and think, "Wow, I woke up RIGHT before my alarm went off." The only thing mystical or magical about any sort of experience like that is how precise the mind is when we are not trying to control it.

I am practicing to become physically healthy and mentally clear.

My grandmother often made the comment, "In an early age, they would have called me a witch." One of her favorite tales was that during WW2, she knew who was coming home and who wasn't. She just had a sense about people and seemed able to see their destiny. I can relate to what you have said about this forum being here for a reason. There are a lot of good insights here, and a lot of good topics. It has served as a good catalyst to get my mind refocused on some things that I have allowed to drift into the background. I enjoy the collective conscious and conversations. One of the realizations I had once upon a time was that we are all given only a partial glimpse into the big picture. Our own minds are only capable of comprehending so much at any given time. Only through our interactions with others are we able to bring about those deeper understandings. We're all here to learn from each other and to help each other.

I have found it helpful to remain in the moment. A fun practice involves paying attention to what comes to mind. As you look at the world around you, take a mental inventory of what comes into focus. Maybe you see a flower, and it reminds of you a person you know. Then you find yourself thinking of the last conversation you had with that person. At that point stop, and focus again on the world you see through your eyes. Then focus on sounds. Work your way through your senses, always staying focused on the immediate here and now. The mind tends to wander. Resist the urge to let it. Once you notice it happening, refocus on the present. As always, breath training helps. Stay focused on the breath. Just breath and remain present in the moment. Practice tuning into your senses. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the breath. On a related tangent, when you get tired of bringing the mind back to the present, try this exercise. Remember the thought you had before the current though. Then remember the thought before that one. Then the one before that one. Practice going backwards through your thoughts, following the train in the opposite direction. Have fun getting to get to the root of whatever might be on your mind.

I would offer you the suggestion that you have not lost anything. Your mind has simply found other things to focus on. When the opportunity for sex arises, you will still be able to indulge in it if you choose to.

Where do you live? Are you studying under a master? My sifu has a very clear program, including levels of achievement that qualify one to pass on the art to others.

Here is an interesting exception to consider. I have been dealing with an injury and because of the injury I have a lot of stagnant qi built up. Last night I was meditating in the seated position and when it came time to be done, I thought of this thread and the importance of closing. It has been mentioned that closing is necessary to ground any accumulated qi. What if a practitioner is in a situation where they do not want to ground the qi. What if they want to get rid of it? In such a situation, it seems that closing would be counter productive.

I was about to order it, but from what you've described I am glad that I did not. Are you exadurating, or is the entire book really filled with all of those metaphors? Are the metaphors ever described in layman's terms, or do they remain obfuscated?

There are a few things that I remember. One was warmth in the belly. That's one of the first signs that the qi has started circulating. Another big one is trembling in the belly / abdomen. That happens because the dan tian is full and you need to start ciculating the accumulated qi.

Before I began to study Taoist and Buddhist philosophy, I was very negative on Christianity. As I have seen Christianity practiced here in America, it always seemed very exclusive. The "born again" sects of church seem to develop a holier than thou attitude, an attitude of either being with them, or against them. Either a person has accepted Jesus, or they are cursed and going to hell. About five or so years ago, someone made the comment to me that Jesus was a Buddha, an enlightened being. Around that time I was reading a lot about the degeneration of Chan Buddhism, and Taoism, and how the followers got so caught up in the ritual that they lost touch with the original intent of the teachings. I heard a saying that was attributed to Ghandi, "I like your Christ, but I am not fond of your Christians." Since that time I have come to realize that at the root of Christianity is the same healing energy and path to enlightenment that underpins Buddhism and everything else. The problem is that the flock has been lead astray over the last two thousand years. Christians understand Buddhism and Taoism, yet trying to speak to them in those terms hits a barrier. The church has warped the teachings of Jesus for their own purposes, and in doing so has excluded dialogue about God. I have never been a believer in God as an entity in the sky who has a place called heaven that we go to if we are "good people". However I fully believe that the God of the Bible is simply another manifestation of that which gives life to everything. I realize I've gone off on a huge tangent here, so I'll try to get back on the path. You very well might have a lot more in common with your neighbors than you know. They all want to be healed and live a happy life. Although energy healing might be beyond though (even though I have heard tales of Jesus being able to heal with his hands), they can appreciate your energy. By cultivating your own light, you can show them possibility. Sooner or later, people will be curious and ask you things like "Why do you look so young? You always seem so positive, how do you do it?" Just realize that Christianity has led them astray. Where as Buddhism teaches that everyone can be a buddha, Christianity convinces people that there was only ever one Christ (until "he" comes back again). By making Christ an exclusive figure and scorning anyone else who aspires to be like him, Christianity does a huge disservice to its followers. It robs them of their own power. It keeps them shackled to the church. Have compassion for them. In their hearts, they all need the same thing that you and I are seeking. In their own way, they are finding it.

Other than shaking, I have also swayed from time to time. Those are natural occurances that will occur as the body begins to relax and let go of accumulated energies. I think it was Dr. Ming's book, Introduction to Chinese Qigong that had a section on a large number of common occurances that people will experience when they begin to meditate. Shaking / swaying was on the list. When such things happen, if you can, resist the urge to focus on them. You can remain aware of them, yet do not allow them to cloud your conscious. Observe them dispassionately and retain the focus on your breathing. Constantly tune the breathing, allowing it to flow more easily.

The copy of the I Ching that really made it accessible to me was Brian Walker's translation. He lays out a simple system of using coins to determine the lines. Here is a link to his web page. http://brianbrownewalker.com/i-ching/ I use his book first, then I reference Thomas Cleary's translation of the "Taoist I-Ching". What I do is write in a journal the thoughts that the I Ching evokes. No matter what might be on my mind at any given time, the I Ching seems to be some how relevant. It helps me develop insights into whatever challenges I might be facing in my life, and it often times provides hints towards ways to handle situations in a manner that will bring about good outcomes for everyone involved.

It might be helpful to seek out people you have already met in real life. Seek out someone who you know is positive. For example, the other night I was thinking about a very positive girl I know who is very into energy healing. When I thought of her, I saw a vibrant trail of turqouise flashes of light.

This is a good point that you bring up, and I respect my sifu a lot because he does the above very well. He has a way of telling stories that are absolutely relevant, while at the same time remaining non-referential. Another technique he applies involves addressing the class as a whole, yet when sharing an observation about a particular student, never addressing them directly and even going so far as to direct the comment toward another student (never by name, simply by body language and the way he faces when speaking about the subject). The mind has a way of picking up on metaphor and story much more easily than it does with direct speech or instruction. I remember when I was studying NLP and learning about Milton Erikson, one of the things that was pointed out about him was his ability to tell stories in a way that they delivered a message to the person he was speaking to, without directly challenging any defense mechanisms that they might have. I am still working on cultivating the above ability in my own practice. I have found E-prime to be helpful with the endeavor. It seems to help shift the mind into a different perspective in relation to the rest of the world. Although it can be tricky at first, it can pay dividends in the long run.

Can you expand on what you mean here? There are a lot of references in the translations that I have been reading that make reference to knowing when to let the light shine, versus knowing when to keep it hidden. The message that I have gotten from the reading seems to imply that letting the light shine at the wrong time can be harmful. My suspicion has always been that the cautions are there because the purity of the light can draw some seriously negative forces. Opposites attract and all that.

What I got from the original post was that a person can love and wish others well no matter where they are. The experience of being in squalor does not preclude one from loving another, helping another, and bringing another peace of mind. I think it was a Tupac documentary that I was watching. And they were talking about life in "the ghetto", and the lack of money there. One woman made a very insightful commentary that took me a while to comprehend, but I think it fits in with the idea being touched upon here. She said, "If compassion were money, the ghetto would be the richest place in the world." Money and privilege seem to be inversely proportional to compassion. Even in my own life, I find that as I find more materialistic success, my thoughts gravitate toward disdain for others who lean on others, and need others. I am constantly reminding myself that I am fortunate, that my experience in this life time has been one of blessing and luck. Just because I have attained what I have, does not mean that everyone else can be as fortunate and have the same opportunities that I have had. A lot of where a person ends up in life comes down to luck. I think the Buddha left India and traveled to China, leaving behind a life of riches for a reason. There is a reason why I recently heard a tale of an energy healer who makes LOTS of money every year healing very rich heads of corporations, yet he donates all of his money back to the temple on Wudang mountain. Letting money accumulate leads to bad things. It needs to remain in circulation, preferably spread around as evenly as possible so that all who have a use for it can get what they need.

I tried being vegetarian for about a year. I never really felt quite right. I was getting a lot of protein in the form of beans and nuts, plus supplements like chlorella. After about a year of denying myself I finally gave in and had an asada burrito and it was like all of a sudden, that feeling of not being right went away and everything was good again. About a year later I found out that I'm an O blood type and someone introduced me to the idea of eating for your blood type. Lately I have cut out dairy and I feel good for doing it. When I do have dairy, it does not seem to agree with my body. I am still mostly vegetarian, but I make sure to get meat every once in a while.