Yoda

there's not much info. Try googling shakers or shaking quakers.

Quakers call themselves Friends and I think that the term Quaker came from their shaking that used to happen in their services. Others applied it towards them. I don't think that they shake anymore, but it's probably true that some sects used to. Nobody knows for sure. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ch...quakers_1.shtml

I've noticed that husbands who kill their wives have an easier time moving on. Just a thought.

As an AYP fan, I'm enjoying using a backrest during energy practice and meditation more than my years meditating with perfect posture. That's counter to most approaches, but it's thought that the increased rest and relaxation afforded by leaning back on something is worth the loss of perfect posture. I'm guessing that the net advantage for energy practice goes to perfect posture and the net advantage for meditation goes to leaning back on something, at least for modern Americans. Just a guess. As far as I can tell for Quakers, during the meeting they are meditative, but there's zero technique to it other than "be still" or "be still and listen to God". Maybe there's a technique described in Fox's writings, I don't know. It seems like everyone uses the backrest of the pew.

Often a Quaker college's mascot is a "fighting Quaker" and he looks like the oatmeal man with boxing gloves on. I went to a Quaker wedding ceremony first and really loved it. You can sell it to a non-Quaker too as just the format itself is very fun. The format happens to be legal in PA where we got married so no need for a judge on the sly. It's like a Quaker meeting but with the couple sitting in front facing everyone and everyone who feels like it can stand up and say something. And we had it in my in-law's backyard. She has to be brave. Anyone can say anything and they will. The spirit of the occasion stirs the crowd and brings up great memories and associations but there's always the ex-alcoholic religious freak who will offer up some crazy shit. Worth it, imo, but I know Quakers who reject the open format for that reason.

I went to a Quaker aka Friends college and I got married in a Quaker service and used to attend Friends meetings on and off. Some meetings are very talkative ("Popcorn Meetings") and others are more meditative where not many people talk. Don't think that Quakers aren't tough. Traditionally, after a meeting Quakers would play kill the carrier type games to blow off a bit of that meditative steam. So there's a hard elbow rugby spirit to many of them. But they are pretty much like everyone else with a bit more interest in contemplative practices, charity, and idealism. Very simpatico with the zen tradition. I'll sometimes refer to myself as a Quaker or Quaker-like in my spirituality. And that is pretty much available to anyone. It's a good thing for 18-21 year old boys to know about in case they don't wish to participate in any sort of military draft. Having said that, I think the days of military drafts in the USA may be over thanks increasingly free markets. Many Quakers would have no compunction about killing animals or humans with their bare hands for basic survival purposes, but they just don't think that war is a viable option.

Here's another page telling of their extreme ruggedness: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrades Cute little guys.

He's got cool exercise gear: http://www.99estore.com/Html/newtrainingmachine.htm

I have a foot massager/infrared machine and I went a long time having a nice foot massage before going to bed. Very nice, but it's in the closet currently. It's nice to have some sort of beddy-bye practice.

Steve Justa in Rock, Iron, Steel makes a case for isometric training having incredible carryover to other areas of life and being an amazing way to train to gain great strength. I would think that the contract and hold method (no weights) would work nicely in this application with an extremely low risk factor. With Xenolith and Trunk mentioning it favorably recently plus Witch and Cat talking about pelvic floor contraction training does put the issue in the spotlight. At least for me, just doing regular pelvic floor contractions as part of a spinal breathing/mco and asana type practice is adequate for my current needs. I've only been doing so on a daily basis for a few months, so I'm very much the beginner on this important subject.

Top-fan, SeanD says on good authority that taoist practitioners die at normal ages. So do the longevity gurus (Walford, Bragg). Then again, Jack Lalanne and Peter Kelder are still going strong around 100. Imo, when one gets to a threshold point of chronic boredom or frustration one goes no matter how old or healthy. We are sort of like the lemmings of popular mythology... we go when our friends and family are gone. I know a woman who is 98 and is in good health and is completely bored with her life. All her pals are gone and her one child who she lives near to just doesn't keep her amused. She says she's had a very nice life, but it's time to move on. I bet if she had more enthusiasm she could keep going for many more years. I think it's a fun project to shoot for 100 in perfect health, so that's my goal. Living longer I think is good for amassing mundane and cosmic knowledge. Pero, Whippersnappers is just a funny term for young people. ~~~ Misc thought: I think the reason we don't bring memories of past lives with us is that it would be too emotionally confusing to see that an ex-mate is now a parent for instance. I know one little girl who remembers that she was her mother's mother which makes the current mother's job more challenging. I've always been in love with a cousin of mine and I think it was because we'd been happily married in a recent past life. That's not too challenging, but what if I had that awareness with my mom? I'm sure we've all had romantic relations with our parents in our past lives and that would make running a household way too complicated... 51% of women and 49% of men are single in the US today and these numbers are rising... if we had past life awareness we'd be 100% single. Having a family would be too much work! Only gurus who gain emotional detachment can allow past life memories to come back to them. Re ghosts: I think that ghosts are like vibrational turds. Sort of like energy body corpses that dissipate with time depending often on how strong the energy body was at the time of death (highly emotional deaths leave smellier turds). No biggie. It's just that when seers tune into grandma's ghost, they are seeing the old personality of her. In her last days she was likely bored or frustrated hence the 'hungry ghost' thing is commonly seen. Not her current reality. Grandma has moved on and is probably playing with a coloring book right now with 100% happy disregard towards her past habits, past body, past relations etc. -Yoda

Congrats Sean! You deserve it. Imagine what it'll be like 10 years from now... You'll be driving something fast.

If you desire what is then you don't have desire... I don't think anyone has ever fit that mold! Having said that, I think that gratitude, reverence, peace, and intrinsic happiness are what most people could use more of.

I agree... croaking is like taking a dump. But then again, if you can't lose the paparazzi at least know that you are doing the whippersnappers a great service.

Sweet link!

true words. Thanks for Yoda's transcription on croaking.

EFT in a nutshell!

Most impressive!! I went out and bought the ball after reading Plato's blog, but my kids squirrelled it away with the other balls and that was that. I'll dig it up and try it. Thanks for the report.

Nice angle. I really should dig something up. I just found out that I am a descendant of one of Robert The Bruce's generals (of Braveheart fame) against the Brits. When RTB died, my ggggggggrandfather removed RTB's heart to transport it to the Holy Land but got his ass handed to him by some Muslim dudes en route. I wonder what affirmation he employed at that fateful moment? Anyways, I do samyama practice which is done right after meditation while you are still buzzed. Just lie down after meditating and visualize/fantasize/affirm for awhile. Imo, it's best to go in and out of focus with it a bit. -Yoda

Chris, Excremation is an amazing word, by the way. It really captures the emotional realities of cyberspace. Good work on that. -Yoda

It's not a pretty sight!

I've met Lozen in person and she's way too bootylicious for the taoboys. We may be able to impress mere mortal womenfolk, but we are way out of our league when it comes to the ravaneous appetites of the tao goddesses, I'm afraid. Just imagine keeping up with Witch's 40 orgasms a day... Oy Vey!! Even with an IV of fish oil, it aint going to happen. Sorry to be the buzzkill. (Since I can't attend anyways, I'm hoping the party will denegrate to a lesbian thing with one of the quickly spent taoboys using the last of his vitality to post photos... thanks in advance!)

Universal enlightenment would have its perks... but I do wonder if I would still have high speed internet access? I'm all for it, but since I don't see it being 100% consciously dominant anytime soon, I'll stick with the tough guy angle. ~~~ This thread reminds me of a saying in Tibet, "When the string breaks, the beads scatter." Referring to lamas making their transition and the fact that it can be felt at considerable distances away. I do think this can apply to any sentient being and to the transition of sleep and meditation as well as croaking but even down to having a thought. I like to think that this effect isn't primarily dependent on the spiritual qualities of the transitioner, but rather on the depth of connection between two people. Like yawning... a yawn is transmitted more strongly between strangers on a similar vibe than between enemies but angry thoughts are transmitted better through enemies than strangers, etc. After degree of connection, then would come the transmission power of the individual in question. A Bill Gates, Gandhi, W, MLK, spiritual master can be very powerful but if there's nobody simpatico their vibe wouldn't be felt.

Nice book!! Great reviews, too. It looks like it'll be a seriously strong seller!!

Witch, I love Plato, but that was a bit extreme... I think you look nice and I enjoy your many valuable insights and opinions. -Yoda