Andrei

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/electric-bacteria-eat-electrons When we eat, our cells break down sugars, while their excess electrons flow through a series of chemical reactions until they’re passed onto oxygen. This process generates the energy molecule ATP, vital to nearly all living things. "Life's very clever,” Kenneth Nealson from the University of Southern California says. "It figures out how to suck electrons out of everything we eat and keep them under control." Not too surprisingly then, there are bacteria out there that eat and excrete electrons -- and as it turns out, they’re everywhere. Years ago, researchers discovered two types of electric bacteria, Geobacter and Shewanella, which use energy in its naked, purest form: electrons harvested from the surface of rocks and minerals. Now, scientists show that many more electric bacteria can be fished out of rocks and marine mud by baiting them with a bit of electrical juice, New Scientist reports. "Electrons must flow in order for energy to be gained,” Nealson explains. “This is why when someone suffocates another person they are dead within minutes. You have stopped the supply of oxygen, so the electrons can no longer flow." Electric bacteria, however, have done away with sugary middlemen. Nealson and colleagues have grown electric bacteria on battery electrodes, keeping them alive with electricity and nothing else. (In humans, that’d be like powering up by shoving our fingers in a socket.) The team collected seabed sediment and inserted electrodes inside of it. Applying a slightly higher voltage than the sediment’s natural voltage results in an excess of electrons -- which bacteria in the sediment eat. With a slightly lower voltage, the electrode becomes eager to accept electrons; in this case, the bacteria breathe electrons onto the electrode, which generates a current. "Basically," Nealson says, "the idea is to take sediment, stick electrodes inside and then ask 'OK, who likes this?'" In unpublished work, the USC scientists have identified up to eight different kinds of bacteria that consume electricity, and they’re all very different from each other. A handful of other researchers are also working on electric bacteria. Daniel Bond’s team from the University of Minnesota in St. Paul is growing bacteria that harvest electrons from iron electrodes. Lars Peter Nielsen and his colleagues at Aarhus University in Denmark have found that tens of thousands of electric bacteria can join together to form “daisy chains” that carry electrons over several centimeters (huge distances for a bacterium). Here’s a video of electric bacteria forming their “microbial nanowires.” Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/electric-bacteria-eat-electrons#RoCel0kYl2DS0lox.99

I don't know but I can tell you this: Hu Yaozhen was a master of 33. Shen Ming was a master of 34 - 35 - 36. Also Max Christensen, Lama Dorje Dondrup and Dr. YK Leung (Shi Delong). What comes to my mind right now as master of 37 is Michael Lomax but 37 is mostly used for medical Qigong in my opinion is too weak to be used for martial purposes. But these guys are rare, you don't find many like them.

There are 36 types of JIN from Taichi, I found them in a book but most of them I felt them during pushing hands with my friends, except from 33 to 36 empty force which I never experienced but I am eager to see someone performing one of them: 1. Ding Jin - stillness or non-movement force 2. Peng Jin - repelling force 3. Lu Jin - rolling force 4. Ji Jin - pressing force 5. An Jin - pushing force 6. Cai Jin - grabbing force 7. Lie Jin - splitting force 8. Kao Jin - shoulder force 9. Zhou Jin - elbow force 10. Tzan Lien Jin - sticking force 11. Ting Jin - listening force 12. Tong Jin - understanding force 13. Tzo Jin - following force 14. Fa Jin - neutralizing force 15. Chieh Jin - borrowing force 16. Ying Jin - reflecting force 17. Ti Jin - uprooting force 18. Chen Jin - sinking force 19. Na Jin - controlling force 20. Kai Jin - opening force 21. Ho Jin - closing force 22. Boh Jin - deflecting force 23. Short Jin - mostly translated from Fa Jin 24. Long Jin - which is the basic push that everybody is showing on youtube as an extraordinary achievement 25. Chou Jin - rolling force (different type of rolling than Lu) 26. Jzeh Jin - twisting force 27. Jen Jin - tumbling force 28. Dzuen Jin - spiraling force 29. Tze Jin - cutting force 30. Nung Jin - cold force penetrating deep and explodes 31. Tuan Jin - breaking force 32. Chuen Jin - 1 inch force 33. Fuen Jin - concentrated force into a grain of rice 34. Dow Tiao Jin - vibrating force that makes you jump 35. Dow So Jin - vibrating force that is flowing smoothly 36. Tzo Teh - bending force 37. Kong Jin - empty force or distance force

At min 36:30 starts the interesting part, but the whole video is interesting:

But I like Chen style more than Yang style. IMHO Yang style is a watered down version of Chen style. The Yang family tried to invent some thing to replace the holes in their style but it is not the same thing. What you see nowadays in Yang family styles are just poor imitation of Chen style. I know I will flame a war with my statements but this is the pure truth. As master Wong says "they're very different". This is a wonderful fa jin expression:

I agree with you, I like Adam Mizner very much, I would train with him if I would have the opportunity.

I wouldn't be so optimistic with the forecast... Do you have any news about Maradona? Or Pele? These guys were not "one lucky shot" guys.

Yep, temple style vs all the other classical taichi styles. I would rather go with master Wong style, much more realistic.

I was doing zhan zhuang standing on a zapper a couple of years ago. In my opinion the electric current is the same thing as Qi, the difference being that is artificial compared to the mini bio-currents the body is using for different purposes some of them being pain receptors. I was using to charge my kidneys with Yin Qi and it worked but the only negative effect I can see and I felt on me is that you become dependent on the artificial Qi the device is injecting inside your body. So at some point I just stopped the practice but then the pains were a lot more exacerbated, because the electricity is blocking the pain gates but the cause of the pain which is an energetic imbalance produced inside the body is not removed. And still I suffer from this, it is like a recovery from heroin addiction, but I struggle to keep things natural. The same principle with grounding using wires but I think the zapper or TENS devices have a more Yang characteristics since they have a certain frequency while the grounding wire is a passive device connected to a source of static electricity, you take as much as you need. To compare with drinking water, you drink just as much as you need versus the hydration you have trough an intravenous serum, so in my opinion should be used occasionally only when there is an acute pain crisis. Normally I would seek negative ions in the nature, trees and waterfalls are the best sources instead of electrical devices. They fix a certain narrow frequency but they can produce more imbalance in longterm. And if you need Yang energy the sun light is the best.

Exactly like in the description you posted : The thumb of the left hand should touch its middle finger and the right hand should be placed under it (palm upward) with its thumb bent over the left palm;

You can do this meditation standing or sitting:

I don't know who this guy is but If he is a member of the board I hope he won't be upset that I use his image, but the posture described in the Taoist Yoga is like that:

Yes it is a good sign, the alchemical process started, you see the shen refined from qi in the middle dantian which is refined from jing in the lower dantian. In time will became brighter, like a white cloud, you may see white stars or white snow. After a while the whote spots will concentrate in the center like a white moon which will pulsate, and which will became brighter during full moon. This is the immortality embrio, it is the beginning of Da Dao, the Great Way. Here is an important alchemical text: http://www.charleschace.com/pdfs/Xing_Ming_Gui_Zhi-BurtonRose.pdf

I think yes, your voice weakness is spiritually caused. Manitou is right, it may be a karmic consequence of past life actions that is forcing you to be more silent and more contemplative at the life around you in this life. I understand you because I have the same issue. In my opinion the voice power is directly related to the sexual power which comes from kidney essence, which is stored in the Ming Men area. Ming Men means the "gate of destiny" or the "gate of life", and the essence stored there comes from previous lives (yours or your parents, because we also carry our parents karma too). But at this point is useless to blame yourself or your parents, just you need to accept who you are and you need to do everything you can in a positive direction. That being said, keep in mind that the consequences of your speech and especially the words spoken under emotional turmoil have a lot of power and can hurt people including yourself, so this karma you have today is a good opportunity to remind you that you should keep a humble attitude and keep your words to yourself if they don't serve a good purpose. I have a rule that I learned in the recent years, and which may help you too: If you have nothing good to say don't say anything. So in my opinion you have a weak kidney essence that is causing you all those symptoms. Usually this is called "kundaliny syndrome" and this is like a the sexual energy "fire". In Traditional Chinese Medicine this is diagnosed as Kidney Yin Deficiency. And because of the Kidney Yin Deficiency there is a link with Liver Yang Raising. Please see these videos, they explain how these energies manifest and how can be treated. I advise you to go to a TCM/Acupuncture doctor instead of a physician, they understand these illnesses in a totally different paradigm, and may agree with spiritual causes especially if he is buddhist or daoist. Kidney essence: Liver Fire Blazing and Liver Yang Raising Don't worry about the emotional numbness. It is just a phase, it will pass. It is caused by the qigong practice that is increasing the serotonine level in the guts (stomach and intestines) and blood. Serotonine is called the "happiness hormone" because in small quantities numbs the pains in the body and let you feel happy but if too much serotonine is produced in the guts, this numbness may transform in emotional neutrality. Also you have no reasons to be happy since you accumulate a lot of frustration, which is manifested through anger - which is a sign of Liver Fire/Yang Rising. There is nothing wrong with your vagus nerve, nor the acid reflux, is just the energy imbalanced. Also, this phase is exacerbated by the year energy. This year in particular is the year of the Wood Horse, which is causing a lot of Yang Fire in the liver. Now we are in the middle of July which is the hottest month of the year so right now the symptoms are at their peak. More over right now there is Full Moon which makes it even worse. Next year will be a milder year, the year of the Wood Goat which will be a Yin year with a lower energy, so just hang on this month and the next months until the year ends, keeping a positive vibe and this shall pass, you'll see. So in conclusion I would suggest you to quit the qigong practices you've been doing, especially if you don't understand what are their purposes. Pangu meditation from Michael Winn is similar to Kunlun and will do more harm than good in your case. Instead focus on charging the kidney with yin energy from the trees and earth. Meditate under trees, stay more under the trees and bushes shadows, avoid direct sunlight. You may try to learn some tree qigong. Connect Kidney 1 point with naked soles directly on the soil/grass and absorb earth energy, or absorb directly the earth energy through Hui Yin (The Yin Gathering point located between the legs). Here are some exercises that are charging the Kydney and Liver Yin meridians, the best is if you do them early in the morning or after the sunset, avoid doing exersises when the sun is up, you may even do them at night when the energy is Yin. Observe that he has the naked feet in the grass so that he is charging the K1 point: Diet is important for Yin deficiency, a TCM doctor may prescribe you a treatment, but you can use yourself these foods that are already generally used by Chinese people: green tea for cooling down the liver, goji berries (gou zi / wolfberries) also for liver and ling zhi (reishi / ganoderma) mushroom tea for cooling the kidneys. Also you may try to eat rice congee with mung beans. These two rice and mung beans are widely used by Chinese people to charge the kidney with Yin energy. So keep emotions cooled down and keep a positive attitude and things will improve, you'll see. I forgot to say, drink a lot of water but you hydrate best if the water is warm like a tea or a soup or fruits like melon, oranges, water with lemon, any juicy fruit directly from the fruit itself.

You have to cut all strings attached and let it go.... That is real cultivation

This is the beginning of the Matrix!

Yang means light side of a hill, yin means the shaded side of the same hill. By this they extrapolate saying Yang is light and Yin is dark. Heaven has stars and suns that produces light, earth has only darkness. We are here on the lighted side of the earth, we as human beings living in the yang world lighted by the sun. Day is yang and night is yin, because day has light and night has shadow. And so on, if you go into a cave you go into the yin world of the earth. A cavity is yin because it provides shadow, and so is the womb of a woman, which makes a woman the yin side of the manifested human energy. And so on. Of course there is duality everywhere you look but the starting point has to be set universally so that everybody has the same reference. In Yi jing Heaven has the three yang lines and earth has the three yin lines. But if you flip the polarity everything else is flipped.

All books about taoism I ever read said that Heaven is Yang and Earth is Yin. I hope Marblehead wanted to say the same thing but he switched them by mistake.

'one kick' in the sense of 'one kick technique' which is 'pushing with heel' that you do it twice, but in the traditional sequence you have four kick techniques.

Also this text Xing Ming Gui Zhi which is a text from Daozhang is partially translated by Burton Rose as his master thesis, I higly recommend this text as a free online resource. http://www.charleschace.com/pdfs/Xing_Ming_Gui_Zhi-BurtonRose.pdf

Eva Wong, Thomas Cleary, Isabelle Robinet, Fabrizio Pregadio have published some taoists texts from Daozhang. But I hope you don't expect them to finish the whole cannon, since it is huge. Anyway they repeat themselves at some point, same old same texts.

Men's brains have a little box that has 'nothing' in it. So tell your gf not to be concerned about, all men have it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvu0J-gaJ50

http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/chang1.htm#Principles Chang San-Feng said: 1G. Move in an agile, balanced, and coordinated manner. Once you decide to move, The parts of the body should act together: Feeling connected and coordinated, As balanced as two feathers on a scale, Strung together like pearls in a necklace, Agile like a cat, Lighter than moonbeams, Mobile as a young monkey. 2G Energize the body and quiet the gathered spirit. Raise up awareness to draw Chi to every nerve, Fill up the body with the strength of the excited Force, Stir and stimulate the Chi from head to toe, Playing the Great Drum of Inner Powers. Keep the spirit calm within, Vital forces tamed and quiet, Riding the Tigress to the Temple, Gently leading the Great Ox past the Gate; Condensing the Elixir of Spirit in the Inner Chamber. 3G. Move in a continuous, even and smooth manner. Do not overextend the limbs or sully the forms. Flow like the Great River Filling all the holes and hallows, Unbroken, gathered, full, unstoppable; Seeking the True Level, finding the Golden Mean, Neither excessive nor deficient in Yin or Yang; Holding postures as perfect as the Blue Lotus, Moving steadily between forms like the White Tiger, Uniting body and will in the Jade Furnace, Transcending inner and outer, starting and stopping.

In my opinion the slower you move the better is the neuromuscular programming, it is that "hand-brain-eye coordination". Also the slow movements allow time for the practitioner to be aware of the body and its feed-back sensations. An untrained person have a sensory perception of her body like the cortical homunculus, this is how we perceive ourselves - (untrained in a body movement activity) If you had a mechanical sciences education you would know that a chain breaks in the weaker link. This is exactly what the taichi classics taught, to find the weak links in your movement and reinforce them. So the slower you move the more you reinforce the weaker points in your kinetic chain.