Chang

Women have an energetic superiority over men. An example of this is the female ability to deal with colds and flu. Whilst the female is able to carry on regardless the male is bowled over. It is popular to talk of “manflu” and describe men as wimps but the fact is that men simply cannot not cope with these things as well as women. Another example of this energetic superiority is reiki. The number of women drawn to this healing art is far greater than men. We could say that this is due to the nurturing, healing aspect of the female but could it not simply be down to the fact that women have a greater ability to express energy. My own opinion in this matter is that whilst the female has this natural ability and initial advantage, men can cultivate equal abilities. As regards female abilities in Internal Martial arts and the expression of energy for martial purpose. I would not hesitate to say that women are the equal of men in this respect. The number of men interested in and practising in this area may be greater but the females abilities are no less.

I am Gemini but I cannot help but thin that when considering this question it may be more appropriate to use the 12 animals of the Chinese system. I am a water Snake.

Welcome.

I ordered this book on June 14th and it has arrived with me in the UK today, which is not bad delivery speed at all. I am well impressed. I will be fully committed now until next week and so will not be able to take an in depth perusal of the work for some days. First impression is that the book is densely packed with all manner of useful practices as well as background information. It is going to take an awful long time to work my way through all of the information presented which appears to cover numerous different areas of cultivation. My first impression is that this is a most impressive work of encyclopaedic quality. I will write more when I have had a chance to spend more time with the book.

Just relax and go for it. It will all be fine.

Some of you may find items of interest on this website. The link will take you to mainly Taoist texts but you can easily navigate the site to find writings on all manner of interesting topics. http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/index.htm

Whilst tension can be used in various qigong exercises it differs from the technique taught in the Harry Wong book which is designed for muscular development and increased strength. I have myself used these techniques in the past and if you are interested you may want to take a look at http://transformetrics.com/ which features John Petersons books which will take you to another level. My own view is that you really need to add bodyweight exercises to tension techniques so as to strengthen the sinews. Tranformetrics is a really good mixture of dynamic tension and bodyweight drills.

hot black drink ... sweet crumbs. gentle rain falling on unfolded leaves how restful my repose

Unless you are a Lighthouse Keeper or Hermit you would be far better to attend a class rather than learning from a DVD.

Welcome. May you find what you are looking for.

Please keep us informed.

Welcome. Lots of interesting stuff to be found here.

my one thousandth post marking my path towards infinity making clear the way

Research certainly shows that a reduction in the amount of food we consume can extend our lifespan. It can also certainly be argued that a vegetarian diet can expedite our spiritual growth and many would take this further espousing a vegan or raw food diet, perhaps even fruitarian. There are also those who believe that a breatharian existance is possible. I new a fellow practitioner of the Taoist Arts who was working towards this and had reduced his food intake to one apple per day. To say that I have seen healthier looking corpses would be an understatement. My own view is to follow a far less strict diet but aim towards what I consider healthy. But what is considered healthy by me is arbitrary and so I will not bother to relate it here. We should also keep aware of the fact that traditionally diet would reflect the geographical whereabouts of the person concerned. In the old days you would struggle to find a vegetarian Eskimo. I believe that there is a quote from the Gospel of Thomas to the effect that we should pay more attention to what comes out of our mouth than what goes in it. We would all do well to reflect on this.

My own view on standing practice is that it allows for the correct alignment of the skeleton and the relaxation of the surrounding tissue thereby allowing the whole body to come into a state of energised relaxation. I look upon the practice as one of using the physical body (that which is manifest) to effect the energetic body (that which is un-manifest); the various postures effecting the movement of energy to bring about the desired result.

eyes that have no gleam reflect the setting sun brightening the twilight

A style of tai chi which has been practiced in the U.K. since the 1930's is Li Style. The Li style is a very traditional form of T'ai Chi similar in its size and frame to the Wu style. It contains all of the basic principles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Click on the link below to see a demonstration of the form;- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMGqrH0rPuo

When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self. Confucius Probably the best course of action. We cannot expect to go through life without coming into contact with those who annoy us. To what extent we allow that annoyance to effect us is something we can learn to control.

I have ordered a copy of Daoist Alchemy: by Jerry A. Johnson and I promise to add a review of the book when I have had a chance to digest it. It may not be soon though as by the look of previous comments it will take some time for the book to reach me in the U.K.

Peter Goullarts other books are also well worth a read. Great insights into Tibet. They are no longer in print but you may be able to pick them up second hand.

But does it work?

Welcome.

Try the The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud. Four books in all - The Amulet Of Samarkand , The Golem's Eye, Ptolemy's Gate and The Ring of Solomon. The Bartimaeus Sequence[1] is a fantasy series by Jonathan Stroud consisting of a trilogy published from 2003 to 2005 and a prequel novel published in 2010. The titular character, Bartimaeus, is a five-thousand-year-old djinni, a spirit of approximately mid-level power (fourth). The story follows the career of a teenage magician Nathaniel (later known as John Mandrake), and the alternative history of the peak of London's power as a magical oligarchy, through the eyes of the djinni Nathaniel first summons. The series is mostly told from the perspective of Bartimaeus, although the Bartimaeus Trilogy also makes use of the perspectives of the magician Nathaniel and the commoner Kitty Jones. There is also one short chapter featuring the viewpoint of a foliot called Simpkin. Hugely enjoyable.

Very interesting. Thank you.

We still seem to be lacking a decent review of this book and yet many Bums must have a copy by now. Many of us would like to know if the book is worth the price.