dawei

Figure 15-32 through 15-36 on page 331. There were organ breathing exercises that can be employed with the associated position as well. Like with the Hand Mudras, with some practice their difference can be felt.

From my experience and practice with Medical Qigong in Jerry Johnson's program, there are five tongue positions corresponding to each elemental association. So the pictures provided are incomplete and wrong, IMO. If you develop enough sensitivity,you'll find each one on your own with practice. Just to stick to the original question, for the MCO, the tongue should be as the OP stated in #1 (placed at the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth, in the hard palate). Yang, Jwing-Ming (which many here know the name) relates that if you put the tongue in the metal position (not shown in previous images), this may cause some drowsiness in the practitioner while doing the MCO.

One can read the book by Kosta Danaos for less then $5 from Amazon: The Magus of Java I recall that JC asked his spiritual teachers for permission so he did not make the decision himself on some level; but then he followed with stopping some things after he sensed spiritual dissent. JC said he was not a Taoist, yet the author insisted on referring to him in the subtitle as "Teachings of an Authentic Taoist Immortal". So it is clear that even when people directly ask him questions and he gives straight answers, they still twist a label on him he denied. So I would carefully read the book as how Kosta saw JC but it may not be exactly who JC is or that he is properly portrayed. My Qigong master has said he hoped some day to find him over in Indonesia to have a chat.

Not so much a recommendation as simply passing along a Mantak Chia book: PDF Link

This is like an idiot asking others to define an idiot... If any label or word is used to describe you... you are truly a Taoist. Same as Idiot... Think Zen... duh... Welcome to Man-made philosophy and justifications for our lives...

So you have never had a girlfriend in your lifetime??? or perhabs a boyfriend??? Visualization is a game player. If you have personally never tested it scientifically then your not at a place to talk about it. There are many who can testify to visualization; why else do colors play a role in Yin-Yang association? Did you know you can generate the color based on mental visualization? Welcome to visualization

FH... you're as close to acceptance as you'll ever be. Dao Is Open is for open minds but you'll likely not change any thinking there. Tao House is for lost souls... too lost for saving. Tao Bum... I'll bite my lip and we'll see as responses are already telling... but you are probably in the most right place. IMO, what people want, even they are into deep practice, is PROOF of your claim. This may require either physical, energetic, spiritual, or dao level experience; You have to figure what each person wants. I have heard and 'felt' your ideas and so accept them on an energetic and spiritual level. I don't claim a dao level since I am not so sure exactly anyone knows this except maybe someone like you...

Food, Inc.

Exactly. Interfering can be quite natural; just look to nature as you point out. Showing its relation to natural or spontaneous action is a step in the right direction; Just as Dao is better understood once De is brought into the picture, thus Wu Wei is better understood when Zi Ran is brought in. While the DDJ compares Wu Wei to water and its ability to 'yield' some have taken this as the 'way' for humans to proceed and be the basis of their action; as yielding. I don't agree since that is the 'way' for water and is an illustration of how to follow one's own way; Don't follow water, follow your own 'way'. Which implies we need to simply look within and stop trying to find it outside of ourselves. I think when one is acting (so yes, there is action) without the command of the [monkey] mind and instead from that inner sense which is connected to that natural, spontaneous guiding motion which is the same as when water flows, a flower blossoms, lightning strikes, a bird goes south... In such a scenario, one doesn't care or act from interference, harm, effort, will, mind, etc. And from such action will be at times interference, harm, effort, will, mind, etc. For as long as we defined Wu Wei in human words we will find it defies it. And it is possible I am talking more about Wei Wu Wei, but the picture gets clearer (to me) in regards to Wu Wei...

A few thoughts come to me: 1. You don't understand Qigong, the universe and yourself. 2. It is not about religion (blog) nor psychology (normal mentally and physically healthy person). It is about something else. 3. You don't have a teacher/master directing or guiding you 4. You may of opened some emotional or energy blockages 5. If your now scared, your mind is messing up your energy and emotions; possibly doing further damage. Get with a proper teacher/master and follow a proper progression of practices. There are many which are very low key and don't really need too much guidance but your already into something more. Maybe you can share what you do as a practice or exercise. BTW: Forget other blogs... find a group to discuss it with. I think your in the right company for that.

This is similar to how I 'see' it; if it has to be explained, shared, or talked about, it is the mind and the 6 senses talking...

And it sounds like you are seeking relief from the mind itself. There is the mind; there is the emotions; there is the 6 senses... These interact with the environment and society. What I suspect you seek relief from is all this. Although my mind won't stop, I find relief in the 'inner sense'. We lost it at a young age and some realize they need to lose what was acquired to get back to it. Zen story: A monk asked the master Sengcan: "Master, show me the way to liberation." Sengcan replied: "Who binds you?" The monk replied: "No one binds me." Sengcan said: "Then why do you seek liberation?"

I see you verbatim posted this on more than one website... is that part of the computer addiction or 'nothing to do' feeling? Maybe you have found our ultimate fate: "Nothing to do and nothing to worry about"... and it scares you since our society says otherwise? If you can't find absolute relief in this then you may be seeking relief from society's demands.

Let's not forget that the chinese language originates in pictograms... and what does a bird do which a land animal cannot???

YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL with Qigong and broken bones since the vibrational aspect can damage you instead of healing you. Seek someone who knows how to help you.

Your not going to solve this in posting. If your willing to go to Orlando let me know... or contact some others you can travel to.

My first thought was 'intention'. Why need food?

SNAP!! I think you just went there... I will say I don't disagree with your comments. Ultimately there needs to be a 'motive force' for our minds to understand this. For this reason, when I consider the metaphysics and transformation from void to manifest, whether light is in manifest vs void, it has some energy behind it. I think it is kinetic vs potential.

Why? Because light must have a mover or originator? Even if we stick within philosophical taoism, I don't see this supported... if I read beyond just Lao Zi word; and there is plenty to read to learn about this stuff. In the Huainanzi mentions a 'Primal Illumination' which is where the dao began work[ing]... which would suggest undivided light is prior to energy and dao... so I agree that energy arises... and is a microcosm of something... light... and spirit is ok too. I generally agree; One was birthed from the Tao is to suggest an 'arising' via function or operation of Tao. Energy arising from Ki (Qi) is an interesting thought. Then Qi is more like Tao creating an arising. Your 'wholeness' point is something I have always agreed with. Beyond One, particularly if one is interpreting One from Lao Zi Chapter 25.

Here is how I understood it: I think it is a rather logical and clever argument. The key to understanding, IMO, is the bolded part. From the Tao POV, thus god, does not exist: Non-being (god) cannot exist if it is a manifestation (being). The only problem I might have with it is the idea of microcosm, or Both/And; anything in the manifest world is as a microcosm of the metaphysical world. We see this in ancient Taoist beliefs. Man is a microcosm of earth; which is a microcosm of heaven; which is a microcosm of Tao. But what this would mean is that god (manifestation) would be a microcosm of something else non-being and that is where such an idea would fall apart; thus god does not exist.

This is spot-on. And I think it shows the error in a misunderstanding of Tao and the elevation that occurs when one does not see that Tao is operating within the WHOLE. I see this mostly from philosophical taoist who cannot move beyond Tao as the highest; so Tao incorrectly becomes the WHOLE. To give another analogy: A car engine engine generates exhaust; is the car engine present in the exhaust? It has an operation and function but not a transferable form. I know that some will say that the engine has form to begin with and so the comparison does not apply. It applies through microcosm understanding of no-form to form. If we want a no-form example: Just look at gravity. Is it present in the rock which landed on one's head? When I feel that bump, I feel the rock's contact point. I cannot feel the rock nor gravity. Ergo, I do not feel the rocks form nor gravity's formlessness; I only feel their resulting operation and function. Thoughts?

There have been a few past threads on this... not sure how to accurately search for it. I have been there as a more advanced Qigong practitioner but I will say it is for the lay and those seeking credits. I would go attend, get the credits, learn a bit and go. Then find a higher level than what they cater their revenue from.

I do think it 'depends' since the problems can vary; Is energy not flowing in the correct paths? Is the energy stuck? is it scattered to no return? etc. Practice can create intentions which are not intended. How far along a practitioner is will determine this. I'll give an example: In my early Qigong experimentation, I was a little more aggressive than one should be. Practicing from a book and just going for it... I also was going to a weekly Qigong class led by a true Qigong master. I had a serious Qi deviation occur which for weeks but I refused to tell him about and finally at the height of my pain I told him about it... he thrust his index finger in my throat and after 5 seconds said, 'rest and drink water'. In 1 day it was gone. I experienced the same Qi deviation on an airplane since I was wont to experiment at high altitudes... long story, short. Same location was activated but I was much further along in Qigong training... I did a few breathing exercises and focused my mind... pushed it down my arm... and it was gone. Welcome to Qigong.

My gut says that the harmonizer is mind/intention/awareness... that is what creates the separation and ergo, harmonizes them. I also think practice can bring this along to. As an example: If you practice Tai Ji, do you practice sensitivity training for it? Meaning, to practice forms, swing arms, move body is one thing... to open the meridians, to connect the Yin movement with the Yang movement, to slow them down until there is no longer a noticeable soft/hard transition and it is instead a singular whole flow. In Qigong, I would say the same for sensitivity training... it is one thing to just practice Qigong and another to practice sensitivity or stillness training.

Is the sound high or low pitched? I was taught high pitched is gall bladder related; low pitched is kidney related. My own is very high pitched. But I also have an ear injury from youth. So I have another variable which others may not have. Also look at your ear lobe. There should be a line which is straight down or at a slant.