dawei

For something immediate: You can massage it downward, over the ear and backwards. You often need to keep the pressure enough to encourage it to move. But this is not always successful. You try to apply some epsom salt with water mixture to your head with a towel (while showering) and then include your neck area, glands, etc. Apply again and again. Rinse after about 10 minutes. Then try to massage.

The two hour cycle, 12 branches, is based on the Luo Shu. And then assigned to 12 hour segments of the day which reflects the energy flow, change, transformation of Yin-to-Yang and Yang-to-Yin. There are two hour ranges probably to account for seasonal shifts and that the change/transformation is not instantaneous but ever shifting. So I don't see a need to figure up an actual or best mid-point based on time when what your working with is energy. 11-1 is said to be the best time but at both times of day; midnight and midday. If a Yang Qi imbalance then midnight (energy is most Yin); a Yin Qi imbalance then midday (energy is most Yang). To take advantage of the texture of energy during that part of the day. The reason 3-5am is popular is that instead of just looking at the most Yin 'time', is to look at when the lungs peak for energy work, and that is this time. Each two hour block has many associations including an organ. http://kerrchiropractic.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/the-meridian-organ-clock/

That is my experience asking monks at Daoist temples to explain the difference. The standard first response is that there is none. If pushed to make some explanation I usually got: Daojiao - teachings of the Way Daojia - followers [family] of the Way To make a distinction seems a more academic effort to take snapshots of time and see the 'process of its evolution' but in the process it misses the 'cumulative and integrative' nature. I think Robinet said it well. One can always catch this mistake when someone is trying to claim philosophical daoism precedes the religious and then doesn't consider what preceded all that.

For Baopuzi, all practice is unnatural. Thus, Sagehood, transcendence, living an exceedingly long life. Trying to mimic nature is not natural. These are not an endowment from above. Only the ability to develop such unnatural techniques and to achieve something unnatural is.

I can tell by how quickly they fall asleep... which means I don't take it as a slight when the person next to me can quickly fall asleep

And what predates an understanding of Tao as a philosophical awareness? I also see developmental divisions but they are branches of the same tree, evolving like: Primitive Naturalism > Divining and Mythology > Shamanism/Spiritualism > Political Philosophy > Alchemy > Religion > Dark Philosophy > Modern Philosophy ---- Re: Dao is Eternal: ​Not sure one can hold that if Wu is supposedly Absolute nothingness as Dao cannot be a part of that. Dao conceptualizes once there is something rather than nothing. Re: Daojiao is religious Daoism: This is simply a perspective in time problem. Daojiao was actually coined before Daojia, and meant "The teachings of Dao" by ANYONE. Apparently first used by Mozi 墨子 (400 BC) Daojia was first used by Sima Tan 司馬談 (100 BC) in his 6-part classification of the thinkers of the day (a development really by his father). How they were used and adopted later is a matter of developmental issues but still branches from the same tree.

There are so many sources to this issue that you have to figure it out and maybe with the help of a practitioner of energy. It can originate from anything from low self-esteem to pent-up energy wanting to release; or simply too early an exposure to something which causes the desire. An important step is coming to terms with this, but you can (and should) try some things on a practical level to curb the immediate problem/pain. If it is the liver/gall bladder lines, you can try this: 1. slap the physical liver and gall bladder area. Does it have sharp stinging, deep pain, coughing arising, etc. This can help to purge any energy which needs to get out. 2. Massage near you temples and towards above/around the ears. If these lines are painful or swollen then it is an indication of gall bladder line issues. Massage to the lower side of the nose and under cheeks. Slowly push through it. 3. From your hips, with a fist, beat your legs moving downward to the feet... over and over. This set will help clear and activate the liver/gall bladder. Get energy out of the head: 1. You need to not put your mind there. Put it in your dan tian or perineum. 2. Do an oil drip visualization. Oil dripping down your head and in front to feet; then behind head to feet; then inside your body to the feet. Encourage the energy to sink and let your mind/eye/breath stay together in the downward movement. If visualization is causing the head to hurt, even when not placed up there, then stop it as the mind placement is not controlled right. I would exercise to see if energy release is helpful.

I suspect that 'clock times' which were historically defined down to a 'best' for certain organs or practices differs now in modern times due to environmental and physical influences. That just means that we need to listen to our body to figure out what works better than not. For myself: I am a night owl and have a hard time going to sleep earlier than later but I know that going to sleep after midnight usually leaves me less than feeling good, even if I get 12 hours of sleep. I also know that any practice I attempt from 11pm-1am just doesn't feel good. But I can go to sleep and wake up at 3-5am and practice fine. So I've made an agreement with myself: If it is late, I simply go to bed. And if I happen to awake, for any reason, between 3-5pm, then I will do some breathing exercises.

I mostly consume green tea, jasmine tea, chamomile flower tea, or lotus seed tea. Sometimes I mix certain ones but the last two together are a very good detox. All are quite good for overall health. We bring back as much as we can from china on various trips. @Taomeow: My wife always recommends to refrigerate the team (or even in the freezer) but it should be rather air tight wrap and boxed/sealed so it does not absorb any other odors. JMO.

I don't expect member by member discussion. I get it. You don't need a line-up. Just ask those whom the board thinks would help the board. You get a simple yes or no thanks from them. It doesn't need to be only a passive approach. It is really that easy to try. I just hear lots and lots of excuses for various things but I do appreciate the exchange and information.

I think you have missed his point... this is the classic sport problem of the 'second foul' gets the worse offense. The originator and baiter(s) are empowered more. What may be lacking is an understanding that posting behavior which *appears* within the guidelines but IS the source of the problems. There is either a flaw in the rules or in the interpretation of the rules when the real source of problems is ignored as 'not breaking any rules'. This is simple stuff. Maybe the problem is rotating moderators don't have enough time to understand posting behavior and 'the old boys club' mentality that arises on almost every board. I am sure it is coincidence that it took Cat to push my question to get an answer. And at least one ex-mod (I think) admitted that Deci avoided more reprimands except for the 'quality of the posts'... That is smokescreen for 'old boys club'. If you don't actually understand this occurs on most boards then time to find people who understand posting behavior and moderator favoritism and knows when it applies and doesn't apply. This is simple stuff.

And what if the Steward is the problem?

I agree. It is there just as our senses are. But the more we reduce our reliance (and belief) and our senses the less power they have over the formation of belief based on external stimuli. And the more we can look inward for clarity and intuition. I don't know if the goal (or even my goal) is to get rid of beliefs) but simply sink into something else. And let belief morph as it will but it becomes secondary on some level, yet still there. I guess I mean: If one is stuck at the level of trying to change belief then belief itself seems to have the control. Step aside, step outside it. It is still there but you are less there. Baopuzi has an interesting line that goes something like: Clarity is an endowment and ethics a practice. To me, there is so much meaning to take from this but one is that clarity comes from somewhere outside oneself; its source is not of this world. While ethics (or anything we believe) is inside oneself and generates a desire to 'practice' it to improve oneself. @Skydog: I think you would like the book The Biology of Belief. It is also in audio.

Very good to hear that you are on a good path. Come to recognize that the 'walk' is also insubstantial<transition>substantial; high-pressure<transition>low-pressure. As you prepare the next step, focus <look ahead> on that leg (now insubstantial as it is off the ground and moving to step) and let the energy flow from the grounded leg (substantial and carry all the weight); ie: High-pressure in the grounded leg will want to flow Qi to the low-pressure leg in movement towards the next step. Really sink into what is going on in the transition between the legs in terms of the energy flow. Steve gives good advice. If our additional words conflict or confuse you, step back and stay grounded in your teachers method. But you'll find there is a thread running through these issues and you can connect the applications once you see them.

So it sounds like you have a good base of meditation and there is already mention of some things you can do to get deeper while still. I am not if your teacher is showing meridian stretching exercises (or maybe not explaining if something is even for that). You can use some of the meditation to encourage meridians to open but there are also exercises to do it. Three items: 1. Substantial vs Insubstantial Not sure what the hand rotation is. In front of the face, alternating side to side? And I assume it is done very slow? If slow, do you know why? One key aspect (to look up and read) is Insubstantial vs substantial. You can stand in Wuji and then shift weight from one foot to the other very, very slowly. Dividing the weight from 100%/0% , ever so slow until it is over the other leg as 0%/100%. This is a base movement and then arm movements are added to this. A key issue to know is that Qi moves most freely from an area of high pressure to low pressure. This can be easily tested in various movement exercises, but the leg shifting movement encourages this. I added my own drawing Qi up the insubstantial leg up (100/0, the 0% resting leg) to the heart (50/50--Wuji) and then down the other leg which is now insubstantial (0/100, the other leg is now 0%) and into the earth. If you want to be more sensitive to the feeling Qi, you'll want to try these kinds of exercises. There is an Yi Quan set which I have which is perfect for this. If you PM me your email I can send it. 2. Focus/Intention In some movements, are you focusing your mind on the hand too? When doing the forms, it is important in some cases to be focused on you hand, particularly when the hand is the next place the energy is being directed. By 'looking ahead', you are giving some intention to the Qi. I had to learn to temper my intention/focus as my hands would get too hot or vibrate while doing the forms. I had to learn to temper my Qigong side and sink into it more. 3. Mind/Intention moves the QI BUT Qi moves the body Beginners cannot conceptualize this idea as QI moving the body has almost no meaning to them yet. While I described above some ideas on mind/intention moving the Qi, you should develop the feeling of Qi moving the body. Here is a simple exercises and breathing is important here. ( In fact, breath, mind, movement are in union in all movements and exercises but you should be able to find the proper breathing on your own given an exercise. ) Have you ever breathed and formed a Qi ball in front of your body with your hands? That is a more movement oriented exercise which is very good. You inhale and as you expand your arms, feel the Qi going down to the hands and then on exhale slowing bring your arms together and once you feel some pressure between your hands, then stop and simply 'bound' your hands in and out very small amount, like your touching the surface of a balloon. Look this up to get it down. But, the exercises to use Qi to move the body: - Stand in Wuji and breath (normal abdominal about a minute deeply and sink the energy to the dan tian filling it more and more. Sink the body and ground. - Now change you focus so that on inhale you raise the Qi from the dan tian to the heart/shen dao, and on exhale, send it down both arms to the hands. Inhale and breath in through the palm of hands back to the heart; exhale and bring the energy down to the dan tian. DO that a few times. - Now keep your focus/intention on your arms and hands and you should be feeling some warmth or pressure. .You will do long, deep breathing and on inhale visualize your ams raising from their side on their own. Exhale and see your ams return to your side. Continue this until your arms start to actually move outward on their own with each inhale. Apply more focus.intention as you want to get the arms to raise more and more outward. This is an idea of Qi moving the body. This also includes the ideas of high- low-pressure and 'looking ahead'.

You may want to get more specific as books have been written on just this idea I had a friend who was well skilled in Tai Ji and QIgong. He commented that if he had it to do over, he would of just focused on Qigong as it is generally faster to connect with and is foundation to many energy arts. I had the benefit of Qigong before I picked up Tai Ji and I will say that it fast-tracked me to 'getting it'. My foundation was already set with many aspects of energy work to include mind/intention, visualization, sensitivity training, energy exchange with others and the environment. I was also lucky enough to find a Tai Ji master who realized my background and fast-tracked my teaching as well. Instead of making me learn for years some secrets he put others through, he gave me direct teaching, exercises and advice. This all being said, you have to decide what you want out of it. If you want to truly master Tai Ji, it takes a long, long time, as a beginner. You may feel like your simply going through movements and wondering when it will come. If you want to do it nonetheless, I would recommend you start looking at Qigong and the essentials. You can also, immediately, begin to do sensitivity training to develop intention and sensing. There's a whole new world out...

I get it.. and instead of emailing, I'll just say here: Thank you for the honest exchange. I personally have no interest in Aaron's thread which got pitted... that is why I have not posted in that. I have an interest in what he raises HERE about threads ending up in the pit... that is why I am posting here... for the greater good of threads. Thanks again. You have a valid point of view... one of tolerance applies in life, not just at TTB. And the idea to 'post your truth' is a catch-22 as it can feed the BS. I personally don't see any reason to counter BS, however honest, in most cases. I recently saw a thread where a poster who normally likes to rock the boat had posted twice and nobody responded to either one... and the thread moved on... and that was the end of that poster's BS. Sometimes, it is like watching a sports game: the first shove is sometimes not the cause of intervention as much as the counter-shove... And the second guy often gets the higher foul... Problem is, this is called 'baiting' and is sometimes a worse offense.

Is this a general comment or specifically to an example which was raised [by me] here? If the former, I don't disagree that if a mod is posting as contributing of the discussion... If the latter, then I disagree as the mod posted twice as a mod; warning posters. I agree with your other points. I do appreciate what you share here but it is simply defending a position instead of looking at the issue at hand. Even the supreme court knows you cannot get 100% agreement... And it is much easier to sit in a cave and open our hearts than in normal life activities, yes? Let's take an example: In the last two years (arbitrarily chosen), How many threads has Sean started and seen derailed with BS and end up in the Pit? The moral of the story is: It is easier to embrace all mankind by staying away from mankind (ie: posting here). So we are not really comparing apples and apples, IMO. Now, I would agree that not posting is easier to help people achieve open hearts... what is posited here is that one should learn to post and achieve this. That makes the TTB much more akin to therapy. I guess in this day and age, with all the pent up energy people have, TTB becomes the place to 'let it all out' at the expense of what is otherwise not done in their real-life. Go to your work, the store, the church, a concert... Why is it that people have not grown an open heart during those normal life events which consume the greater part of their day and life? Their hearts are closing down in normal life... so the solution is they can come to the TTB and get therapy to open it again, but letting it all go... I like what the standup comedian Ron White says,"You can't change stupid"... and TTB therapy isn't going to change it either. Forest Gump was right too: Stupid is as stupid does. I don't look at it as open or closed heart... just stupidity at work. It's much deeper than the heart and drives to the core of the individual... because 'individual' is stuck in its mode...

I took a look... thanks. and that seems more about splitting out to the pit... I wasn't thinking of the pit but simply splitting out to another thread in the same forum area. Let that conversation occur as those folks want. I do understand when postings get split off to the pit but I was thinking more of the earlier stage when it is simply off-topic and not yet a pissing contest.

So, wanting your original thread and material to stay on topic is not reasonable? I'm a stickler for threads I start to stay on topic. If others people's rants, scent spraying, and off-topic BS is more valued than the original posting idea... there is definitely something amiss... I know the idea is that 'all people's communication' is supposed to be valued but that does not make it valuable towards the topic... so I think we're missing a subtle point here.

Warning system or not... I don't see how that negates the idea to directly warn in a thread with a heading and a PM to ensure the member gets the message. That is the real point: Get the warning in the face of the intended poster. Thanks for explaining more.

There is a fourth option to deleting or hiding or leaving... If people run on about a really separate issue, break those posts into a new thread. I can't imagine this board lacks that ability. I understand what Trunk is saying about this, but there is no communication without the first thread; The original poster communicating a thought. IMO, a priority goes to the OP for this very basic reason. No OP, No threads. And it is true that deleted threads are lost; but they can be hidden for historical review...

Can you clarify what "the old style" is? Part of member expectation is they understand what the mods are doing (or will do)... akin to the thread title. So why not explain this instead of just saying an old style is back and forcing people to ask you to just explain more.

You didn't quote anyone... so are you asking me? Posting 101: If you have a serious question for someone, quote them and direct it to them... I think I'm proving my point. And I am serious... if this is directed to me... I've moderated for many, many years... the moderation here is like a slumber party at times... If you don't take moderation serious then you will lose the members trust... and get what we see arising in questions.

Sorry to say, this is not bad cop out... this is just a 'cop out' on some level... you need to really listen to what your saying as a mod. You jump to the negatives of 'banning' and then say nobody listens to mods anymore... You don't see how your gloss over the issue by a woe-is-me, what-can-I-do attitude. Here is what you do.. and we're back to Mod 101: 1. You directly quote a member's post you want to warn, and you directly warn them with some ** MOD WARNING ** as the first line of your reply. Nobody listens to your 'stop' because it is done sheepishly and without any force. 2. You then send them a PM. This is critical as some posters may walk away from the thread and really see the post warning. The PM ensures a better chance that they 'get the message to stop'. 3. You alert the mod team of such warning... Now all mods know (if not already) that this member is warned, and if they do the same in another post, that is the same as doing it in the first post. Moderating is not rocket science and it doesn't have to be intrusive or heavy handed in the end, but it needs to be very direct and specific and if it does not produce results, there is a problem with implementing moderation (or the mod). I know moderation seems a thankless job and I've done it for years at another place... but there seems to be no real direction on how to moderate here and members clamor to preserve their own threads. That is the bottom line. We get caught up in who did this or that, but the spirit of posting should give priority to the original poster. JMO...