pilot

welcome The Way is Virtue, have already seen you on the forums!

Hi David. a city like Toronto/GTA must have its benefits in finding like-minded practitioners, and its share of workshops and dojos

It is rare that a single book can encompass an entire training system so clearly and concisely while also being enjoyable and profound. It explains and teaches basic principles that I have never come across in any other book, and makes it easy to devise your own training schedule. Has anyone read the author's 3rd Book Way of Power? Does it change or add anything new to this original book?

I wonder if a sticky somewhere in here mentions these must-have classics on internal alchemy (in my opinion, to date). I have arranged them in a way that the reader can appreciate and understand them, so that the next book illustrates and fills in the essence of the former. Tsung Hwa Jou - Tao of Meditation Yang Jwing-Ming - Small Circulation, Embryonic Breathing, Yijinjing/Xisuijing, [Grand Circulation when it is released] Wilhelm and Cleary - T'ai I Chin Huo Tsung Chih Wong - Huimingching, teachings of Chung & Lu, holding yin embracing yang

cell phones while connected during a conversation do seem to emit a slight pressure/heat effect on the side of the head I use them that starts within the first 30 seconds if not right away. I've heard that different cell phones have different EM radiation ratings. Also, flip phones might help as the antenna is slightly away from the ear. Bluetooth should be a good alternative provided you hold your cell phone away from your body. It it is short range and presumably lower in EMF radiation. some people claim to be sensitive to microwave ovens even.

the (theoretical) relation between chi and shen is unclear from my readings as well. I even speculate the possibility that chi may not even convert to shen, but may instead empower the faculties necessary for its refinement (to borrow Rudolf Steiner's way of thinking or Seeing). Even if it is, according to Yang Jwing-Ming it may not even be written anywhere. Regardless, I predict higher order methods should become more accessible or decipherable by virtue of greater intuition as long as you keep working at your foundation. See Tsung Hwa Jou's Tao of Meditation and Wilhelm's SGF.

the body is aging as it is, and the mind along with it. the way of energy was meant to be an introduction to getting some experience with the practice so that if we are fortunate enough to get one on one instruction it will be greatly beneficial as opposed to the view that one should not exert oneself for fear of damaging one's body. I follow and stick by the author's advice since his experience seems sound and complete and his lineage authentic, and therefore minimize the chance of harm. After all, we each have our own intuition and feedback to rely on before anything or anyone.

I was under the impression that once tea is in water beyond 10 min or so, its antioxidant properties will begin declining. I have heard that advice before from someone selling high quality Chinese green tea, and it makes sense now you mention it. Wish all tea was grown in low-fluoride soil so perhaps we would have the best of both worlds.

Hi heavenlycircuitbreaker!

since this is about tea selection, any idea what kinds of tea have the least fluoride? I'm looking into Yerba Mate since it claims to have the least fluoride and more antioxidants than green tea, but have not found a single source that actually lists it in ppm.

Hi Melanie, as a new member as well I wish you good luck in your explorations. A lot of techniques are out there to explore and develop your abilities, and if I knew of any to date that did so more directly I would be glad to share & collaborate. enjoy!

Kam Lam Chuen from Way of Energy suggests you do the 8 Brocades daily to prepare the Qi body for Zhan Zhuang.

Hi nicky How do the new energy ways work for you? Did you find them useful for trance/LD/AP? I have practiced them as well a few years back consistently for a short while, and the TI and MBA really bring results in terms of sensation. However I stopped since in a number of Tai Chi books they state never to force your Qi or even place your Yi (intention) on it since it will harm your Qi body and stagnate the Qi. (the skill of TI however never wore off).

Hi Tao Bums Ascetics and neo-hermits can wander the mountains only so far before their solitude betrays them to others alike. Be they a mirror, or something completely unknown, I still offer a smile of understanding before parting ways. Inside that recurring moment, however friendly, hostile, or indifferent, Tao Bums happens. Time, energy, and opportunities are sparse within a single lifetime. Death as the advisor (impermanence) reminds us of their value in living here and now, and in being honest to ourself and others. With that in mind, I do hope to contribute and learn, and perhaps get connected with others on the Way. I'm Canadian with a European background who started internal arts in the teens. But really, it all started with a normal realization of Awe (whatever you may or may not call it), and the immediate logical inconsistency of why others who surely also share this do not care to pursue it. the rest is personal, but I do hope to see you around! pilot

Gauss: thank you. I have heard about Falun Dafa and about how it incorporates zhan zhuang and sitting meditation as well as chi kung if I'm right.

in Jwing-Ming Yang's book he mentions Gv-4 mingmen as "located on the lower back between L2 and L3...sometimes it means the two kidneys in Qigong society...[in] Chinese martial arts, Mingmen means the area between the shoulder blades" p.364, Qigong Meditation Embryonic Breathing. and again I'm not sure what kind of "tired" you mean. I have heard about how others receive temporary relief from some discipline which goes away when they stop, but I have no experience with that myself.

There might be more than one mingmen depending from what perspective you are looking for (Yang, J-M), but I'm guessing you mean Gv-4. I don't have experience with particular points to date, but maybe you can be more specific about symptoms and what role you think the Gv-4 plays in this. Have you seen a doctor about your lower back soreness? could be a good idea just to rule out other potential causes, such as posture, ergonomics etc. Tiredness could mean different things. Short of breath? Feeling bodily weakness? Mood? If you are clear about the symptoms you might have a starting point to trying something over time and seeing whether it helps. I wish I could offer more... good luck

I'm not from the States but our cars aren't really different. My parents had a car back from the 90's that had a foot-operated handbrake, and it was automatic. Not sure if foot-operated handbrakes are even around anymore (gladly so since they are near impossible to use). As for using them while stopped uphill, if they are hand operated you would engage the clutch where it grips and gradually release the handbrake (something not possible if they were foot operated, or unless you had a third foot!). Like you said if you are fast enough I can't imagine a scenario where this is really necessary, unless you are climbing an extreme hill with someone almost touching your bumper (in which case it would still be their fault if you hit them, for being too close to you, at least that's the rule here).

WallaMike, that's a great endeavour, a vocabulary for inner states. I can see how it would be useful in teaching the specifics of a method. this would be useful for any internal art as well since the subtleties and fine points that make any practice work are often omitted from regular books. here's one example I created way back from Robert Monroe's Ultimate Journey book. I found his book and his idea of belief system territories inspiring even if a good majority of his experiences sound more like lucid dreams. It is unfortunate that even his TMI research bordered on dabbling the paranormal however unintentional (the batteries of cars in the parking lot regularly getting drained incident). I may know a bit of what you mean by 'opening interior space' as it does feel like an expanded awareness where the darkness gains depth and size relativity of objects/perception loses meaning. Monroe may have called it Focus 12 as he describes it in the same way. For me it happens on the rare occasion during meditation (standing or sitting) and I seem to have no control over its onset or termination. Another person has described the same thing at my dojo at one time. Interesting though that you can actually induce it and link it to hypnagogic imagery; that's very close to inducing a lucid dream directly! The "falling" sensation I have used once (by instinct, not willingly) and it helped me cross into sleep; I imagined standing in embracing the tree posture which naturally relaxes the mind and was able to let go into a lucid dream. well, there's a lot of techniques and still much to learn and explore. in the end everything should connect to everything else just so long as we develop the basics properly. happy navigating and look forward to hearing more from you WallaMike

Hi WallaMike, thanks for the welcome! I heard the term psychonaut and have liked it ever since as a better way to describe anything to do with exploring oneself, states of consciousness, or anything that falls in what the term implies, spirit navigation. It is unfortunate that the term is generally linked with exogenous substances; sure, it's interesting and I have nothing against that method other than not personally advocating it. But it is an inclusive word that goes beyond loaded or potentially misleading terms such as lucid dreaming, trance, NDEs, etc. taoist texts also speak of it so often it is hard to miss. the tale of the fox who became immortal is a nice one. Sure, it was free, but to what end. On the other hand, we can barely sustain lucid living without blocking ourselves or falling into another daydream.