Alchemistgeorge

I went to a live event with him and had watched some video. My acupuncturist, who I strongly trust, recommended him and has personally seen (and treated) people who have had remarkable healings from this system. There was A LOT of energy at the event, I can't say I was impressed by the content, and afterwards I felt tired and disinclined to practice for days. I talked with my acupuncturist who said "apparently he is not the teacher for you."

I was a member for a long time, then lost my password and could never get the reset to work, so I'm back with a new name. I think my old name was 'AlchemistGeorge.' I studied martial arts in Japan in the 1980s - jodo, jojutsu, a bit of kenjutsu. After years of doing aikido and never knowing what ki was, a friend taught me a qigong set, and I found out. Since then I've studied with Mantak Chia for a while and currently with Bruce Frantzis, and read and practiced from a ton of books, and various less famous teachers, and friends. I am exploring breath, and do a bunch of neigong - explorations inside the body. I teach a little bit - mostly a set of medical qigong called 'dragon & tiger' that breaks up stagnant energy - it was very helpful for me for dealing with burnout. I just found a local teacher and am going to try to learn a Yang family Tai Chi form.

I recently learned of a qigong technique called the Nine Turns / Sleeping loop - its in Gilles Marin's book "Healing from WIthin with Chi Nei Tsang', Gilles says its from Sheng Zhen Wuji Yuan Gong (Master Li Jun Feng). With practice one is supposed to arrive at the state of being able to fall asleep anytime you want by doing this technique for a couple of minutes! I'm skeptical, I'm practicing, if this works, well, wow! Are there are other qigong /meditation techniques that are specifically for improving the quantity and quality of sleep? We've all done meditations or practices where we inadvertently fell asleep, that is not what I'm talking about. There are also loads of techniques that will make you happier, make you healthier, build strong bodies 12 ways, and, among their long list of side effects, probably improve your sleep. I do those $!%#$ things every !$%#$ day, and I am $#$@! happier, and I am healthier, and no, they haven't really improved my sleep that much, yet. Thanks

Another book on Paperbackswap.com Martial Musings by Robert W Smith

I read a lot of books, and try to get them inexpensively. Used books from Amazon, Abe Books, Powells, etc. But the cheapest is PaperBackSwap. http://www.paperbackswap.com is a paperback swapping site. I've been a member since 2009, I've gotten 223 books through the site. There are usually about 10 books on Taoism there, among the 4 million other titles. You post books, others request them, you mail your books (which costs about $3), you request books, the other folks mail them to you. I'm planning on posting my "extra" Taoist books there, I'd encourage you to check out the site and consider joining. ----- disclaimer: I have no stake or interest in paperbackswap.

Oh, Yes. I've done a great deal of research and tried all those and many more. Avoiding alcohol for at least 5 hours before bed is a huge factor. Avoid eating a few hours before bed also helps, putting my cellphone into airplane mode, and using an app on my phone that monitors my snoring and rates my sleep quality and the effects of different factors. That kind of approach has been very helpful and resulted in a huge measurable improvement in my sleep quality and quantity. And I'd love to go even further.

If I am reading that site correctly, the description sounds great and learning it costs $1,600 Aus (8 hours * $200 per hour) to learn - ie a bit over $1,000 US - for the first level. Have you learned this?

I am trying to learn the skill of "sung" I've seen this described as 'releasing', and 'sinking.' I've found a number of helpful mentions in various posts on the site. So far most of the instruction I have received have been along the line of 'practice it a lot, and it will happen.' I stand about 45 minutes a day, very slowly scanning through my body from top to bottom, looking for anything I can release, let go of, or let fall. Any suggestions for other things I can do (or cease to do) to would be much appreciated. Any useful sources online or in print? Thanks. Apologies if I've posted this in the wrong forum.

Here is the pdf 132904043-The-Tao-Bums-Interview-With-B-K.pdf

You can find the PDF on scribd, I think it is free, at least at first. https://www.scribd.com/document/132904043/The-Tao-Bums-Interview-With-B-K

Wow! Thanks everybody. This is so much more than I expected to get. Now for watching video, thinking, digestion and then back to daily practice. When I wrote my initial question I neglected to mention that in addition to standing and sinking, my daily routine also includes slow deliberate movement ('cloud hands') with sinking, and a small amount of fast repetitive movement with sinking. I also do a chunk of seated meditation daily. To what extent would you all describe 'sung' as a continuous experience - like falling rain? Or is sometimes a single wave ? of sensation Or is it like dropping a stack a plates - they all fall down

An excellent (imho) video, thanks for producing all three of these.

Its not kundalini, its just too much hot energy in your head. You should stop doing whatever is causing the problem, and now you know what happens when you skip preliminaries or first steps. You can't build a tall building on a weak foundation. Concentrate on your lower dan tien with your tongue touching the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth, allow the excess energy to drain down to your lower dan tien.

Sure. Consider that releasing each blockage has effects. 'side effects', 'consequences'. Consider the possibility that you are able to dissolve them at a rate that you, your body and your spirit can accommodate. Go faster if you wish a 'rougher ride.' YMMV

I'm looking for practical / practice-able information on the Chinese healing system known as San Ren Dao (善人道 "Way of the Virtuous Man"), most famously expounded by Wang Fengyi (?) It seems like this system provides methods of healing by releasing or processing buried emotions? This is done largely through contemplation? I'm not sure if this is a synthesis of Daoism/Buddhism/Confucianism or a Confucian system, my apologies if I have posted this in the wrong forum. There are two books by Wang Fengyi available in English and another about him, do any of these provide the kind of information that would allow one to practice this system? Are there other resources available in English - other books, websites, DVDs, youtube, classes, etc. There seems to one two week retreat each summer in the US. Let the Radiant Yang Shine Forth: Lectures on Virtue by Yousheng Li Twelve Characters: A Transmission of Wang Fengyi's Teachings by Wang Fengyi Discourse on Transforming Inner Nature: Hua Xing Tan by Wang Fengyi https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Shanrendao

I'm posting the following books on paperbackswap.com Ten Methods of the Heavenly Dragon by Robert Sheaffer Mastering Miracles by Dr. Hong Liu Chuang Tzu translated by Burton Watson The Tao of War, translated by Ralph Sawyer Master Lam's Walking Chi Kung A Natural Guide to Weight Loss that Lasts by Nan Lu Sword and Brush by Dave Lowry I Ching by Cheng Yi Exercises Illustrated: Ancient Ways to Keep Fit: Zong We & Li Mao Attune your Body with Dao-In by Ni, Hua-Ching The Way of Harmony By Howard Reid The Chinese Art of Healing with Energy Qi Gong Therapy - Tzu Kuo Shih

I'm not sure if you are looking for books or teachers, here are some. I'm assuming you are beginner, or relatively new to Daoism? The Valley Spirit: A Female Story of Daoist Cultivation by Lindsey Wei my original Daoist instructor was Marie Favorito, in Boston, MA, USA - http://www.bostonhealingtao.com Immortal Sisters Conference August 2017, is already passed, but there should be resources listed on the website Eva Wong and Lilvia Kohn are both famous western scholars of Daoism and have written many books There are more books about women, written by men, not sure how interested you are in those. If you'll say more about what you want probably we can come up with more resources.

I'm posting the following books on paperbackswap.com Uncovering the Treasure: Classical tai chi's path to internal energy and health by Stephen Hwa Chinese Qigong Outgoing Qi Therapy by Bi Yongshen Riding the Dragon, a taoist meditation guide by Liviu Argeseanu Tao & Longevity: mind-body transformation by Huai Chin Nan Seeking the Spirit of the The Book of Changes, Master Zhongxian Wu

The Way of Qigong: the art and science of Chinese Energy Healing: Ken Cohen Taoism: John Blofeld The Secrets of the Golden Flower: Wilhem / Jung The Secret of the Golden Flower: cleary (translator) Tranquil Sitting, Yin Shih Tzu Tao & Longevity: Huai-Chin Nan (Wen Kuan Chu translator) Lieh-Tzu, Eva Wong http://www.paperbackswap.com/

I'm posting one of my copies of The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands: A Gateway to Advanced T'ai Chi Practice by Robert Tangora on Paperbackswap.com. I'm not sure why I have two copies. The book contains four or five simple exercises (Ji Ben Gong?) that will help you develop awareness of the central channel (zhong ding), left & right channels, and to develop the four basic forces of tai chi. I'm no tai chi expert, these exercises are very helpful to me.

My eyesight is getting worse with age (I'm 58) and I am very nearsighted. I see mentions in various books that TCM will help your eyesight, and I'd like to use TCM on my eyesight. I've found some very simple exercises, and two specific systems: Wu's Eye Qigong program (three DVDs, $120 US) Tai Chi Ba Gua Qigong - taught via skype sessions from a teacher in Australia. Neither of these options is inexpensive enough for me to buy and try. Does anyone have experience in improving their eyesight via qigong, especially any specific practices for near sightedness? FYI: I do about 2 hours per day of various qigong and meditation, including standing (zhan zhuang) about 40 minutes per day. As my knees improve I am planning on resuming my practice of Beng Chuan (Xing Yi wood fist) - which is good for the liver. I am planning on investing about 20 minutes per day in addition to my daily practice on my eyesight, perhaps more at the beginning. In my 20s I experimented with 'the Bates method' but didn't practice regularly and didn't get much in terms of results. Thanks. ----------------------- I apologize if I should have posted this in one of the other boards, please feel free to move this.

Well, instead of hundreds of pages of text plus stacks of DVDs, its all PDF files and MP4s. There is a lot of extra material (added cost). The original program is just the first palm (?), the extra material includes the other seven AND the monastic practices (circle walking with different arm movements and postures).

So Bruce Frantzis is going to start selling his Bagua Mastery Program again. Did anyone get it the first time around? Do you learn a martial form or is a series of mudras you employ while walking the circle? I got it the first time around, and am getting the add-ons. It covers walking the circle, the eight palm changes (martial forms), and all the basic monastic practices from his lineage (which are transformative personal meditations performed while doing circle walking). There are also warm up and preparatory exercises, and circle walking as a meditation. Its very much like his other material. Its relatively expensive in terms of cost per hour of video. This one also includes extensive written material that supplements and explains the video and the practices. There is a ton of information and it is very detailed especially on fundamentals. He breaks the material down until it is relatively simple, but little of it is easy. It begins with information on 'how to step', and how to walk: first in a straight line, then in a circle. Later he teaches the first palm change. There are many places where he explains a particular point, and then you are expected to practice on your own until you get that point. This could take you two hours, ten hours, ten weeks. For example, one of Bruce's instructors told me I should expect to spend about 100 hours of practice to master and internalize 'the four-part step.' (this is the way you move your feet, legs and hip joints for every step as you walk the circle / do any bagua movement.) I'm very fortunate in that there are several of his instructors living in SF Bay area (watertradition.net.), so in addition to having taken a couple of weekend workshops from Bruce (once a year at most), I can go to weekly classes. As others have pointed out, this material is a great addition to a live teacher, or infrequent weekend workshops. I don't know if I'd recommend it as a program for someone who has never studied Bruce's material and who has no access to a live teacher.

Today I'm posting my copy of "Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603" by Stephen Turnbull. Not exactly a Taoist book, but perhaps of interest to some warrior amongst us.

In January, they released 3 additional titles: Shi Er Duan Jin: 12 Routine Sitting Exercises Mawangdui Daoyin Shu: Qigong from the Mawangdui Silk Paintings Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Shi Er Fa: 12 Movement Health Qigong for All Ages Anyone know what specific effects or special benefits each of these have? The descriptions on Amazon aren't very helpful, Redwing doesn't carry them yet. FWIW I tried searching for these terms in the forums before posting but did not find them