Master Logray

I don't really understand your question. Perhaps it can be explained in this way. Let say Yang Chi is Money. The more is considered the better. Yin Chi like debts, dirty money is not desirable. While the Yin/Yang principle looks after how one interacts with money. Uncontrolled spending/over investment etc are considered too Yang. Pure saving/hoarding money under your bed would be too Yin. Some kind of balance, harmonising is necessary. There is no transition from one to the other. They are separate, although inter-related.

Is TM mantra in Sankrit or belong to other Indo/Tibetan languages?

I only know people go to US to attend a one week course and then becomes a certified Yoga instructor. But I do wonder they could already have ample skills so that week and test may be a formality - looking from the positive side.

Paying dearly for Mantra or similar things can be good for the person. Let say Earl Grey provides a mantra, no one is going to pay attention to him. But if he charges Usd1000, everyone will be interested. The person who actually pays him will remember the mantra and probably use it from time to time, and may even have good results.

Earl Grey, we are in Asia !

Mantra is better in some obscure language. It is more effective.

I think 5 weeks Wudang teachers are not common. But there are far more who don't receive the genuine teachings themselves, or they are successful in something and expect it to be applicable to the whole world, or just know about their own lineage and nothing outside of it..... These teachers may be good for total beginners, but you get stuck after a few years. Many of the people here may not realize, it is not easy to leave a teacher. It creates ill-feelings with him and all other disciples. If you have a problem with your practice in the future, don't expect any help. Other teachers would not be willing to take such a student, someone not faithful to one teacher would not be faithful to another. If the departure is not pleasant, the student's name will be tarnished in the whole community, forever. A western money based online approach is far better, a person can come and go at any time, but I wonder there would not be something deeper.

I think those interested in the philosophical or spiritual aspects are naturally attracted to the forum. Those spend most time in sitting won't have much time to talk.

Zhang San Feng would be the best. He was said to be invented Taichi. He was also an Inner Alchemist and became an Immortal eventually. He had some writings and some of them are translated into English. For others, as you say, sayings scattered here and there.

Martial arts principles can be learned from classics. Taichi is good example. But the techniques and experiences cannot. Such trainings may be able to help to get away from the trouble, by your stance, your confidence etc. Fighting should be avoided because even you have the power and skill, you don't have will to seriously hurt another person or to kill him without thinking, but the opponent has no limitations and may even has the experience. Unlike you, they also don't have to face the conscience afterwards. Trainings do can limit damages. In general, I think it is similar to an encounter with a bear in the wild. Be prepared in all ways.

Then do the females in your branch practise the "Female Neidan" or just the normal ones?

In the old days, Taoists mostly didn't live in monasteries as Buddhists. They either lived as normal people or often traveled to visit sacred places. Needless to say it would not be safer than now. And they had all kinds of travel problems plus tigers, wolves, bandits, evil spirits to worry about. It was why most of them learned some martial arts and medicine skills. In general they would show humility and move away like facing a wild animal. I think nowadays they just call the police. By the way why downtown is not safer when there are more people around?

There are 2 usages of Yin and Yang. The first explanation is Yang is superior, Yin is not desirable. Lu Dong Bin, one of the eight immortals, and being the "in-charge" of Taoist religion, has another name Lu "Pure Yang". We accumulate Yang Chi in the LDT etc. On a day to day basis, a TCM doctor would say your Yang Chi is insufficient and sicknesses arise. While a person is having Yin Chi, let say green and black eyes, bad conditions, then it is usual to suspect some spirits may have entered the body. The second common usage is as per Yi Jing or philosophical line. Yin/Yang are symbols of opposing/harmonising states/forces like active/passive, expanding/contracting, up/down etc. It is usually not difficult to differentiate the two usages in normal discussions with additional information from the context. But Taoist classics may not distinguish between the two clearly. So some care must be taken in reading.

這類方法應該可以代替子午小周天。 全身充氣，自然吸聚吐散的路線 -> 有些像陳攖寧/胡海牙之聽心齋法。 黃元吉應該是中派。但其書並無特別提到中眽？

The writing is fake. The slave of the cat Jumbo photoshoped an ID card for his master.

今時今日，祈求網民閱讀自己作品，然後再評論，未免强求。 就算免費，亦不見得吸引人。 網上注意力是最值錢的。

Then how to avoid falling into sleep in a lying down pose?

It depends on the text. It is already very problematic to translate ancient texts from old days Chinese to modern Chinese, not to mention English again. Some of the texts were already not understood during their written time which was a few hundred years ago. However if the writing is from a current day person, who would bear in mind the possibility of English translation, that may be possible. Anyway Neidan writings are more like technical manuals than sacred teachings. Manuals are sacred, they are deep and boring and no one wants to touch them.

What time frame are we talking about ? One second per breath holding or one minute? Or 5 minute ?

Holding breath is not the so-called secret, or the key ingredient to alchemy. It is commonly used among manual labours and made use by martial arts and Chinese stunt men. Nowadays most Chi Kung systems are teaching movement forms. It is not very possible to hold breath. While the mainly static alchemy would view holding breath against the principle of following the natural flow.

Freeform can write textbook.

YangShen is by nature YuanShen. For practical purpose, it is the duplicate of oneself, a spiritual doppelganger or Horcrux as in Harry Potter. The confusion probably arises as people seldom can achieve that level. We all just talk about it. Those who achieve such would not in human society, never on internet.

There are different views on YinShen. Taoism and Chinese medicine are said to be from the same source, they share many things but there are differences between the two. Pure Chinese medicine does not care about YinShen, YangShen or even Neidan, unless it becomes an emotional or psychological problem, then they will deal with it, by using medicine and/or acupuncture or offer living recommendations. They won't prescribe ChiKung and many of the doctors don't practise ChiKung at all, not to mention Neidan. But there are doctors who have high level of ChiKung and preach their styles. ChiKung methods, generally deal with everything in the body, though some of the movements may benefit a particular part like kidney more. They are better term as a system adjuster. In this regard, the term Medical ChiKung is somewhat not so appropriate. We mostly see all kinds of ChiKung used for medical purposes. But they are usually termed as "Life Nourishing". This is an official term.

YangShen is like a foetus or baby. It is not allowed to venture away from the head at first. With sufficient practices, it can only go out for a few steps from the body. Only in very mature situation, then it can travel. Otherwise it is easily be mesmerized or dread by hallucinations. Death of the host can be a result as the YangShen is linked to its host. YinShen is basically the Chi or consciousness going out. There is no issue of not coming back.

Not related to TCM. Yinshen, or similar phenomenon, can arise from trainings or develop naturally as you can see a lot of western psychics with similar abilities, though they never have Neidan training. It is not encouraged for a few reasons, firstly, as in Buddhism, it sidetrack the seeker from the ultimate goal. Secondly, it is somewhat between heightened abilities and hallucinations or both. It is very hard to distinguish between the two. The things can be so real that some people believe in what they have seen and become messiahs, gurus, starting their own religions or cults. They become lost. Yinshen is said to be rather safe in practising, comparing with YangShen. But some Taoist traditions say it is necessary to have protections before engage in something similar.