DaoWaDiddy

Over on the HT forum - in the middle of a discussion that started with weight loss and travelled widely from there - this exchange about the deep-center took place between Trunk and Plato. The thread that follows from there was fascinating. I am only making mud-pies but have it bookmarked for some time into the future after my cultivation has matured. All the best, Charlie

In a slightly different direction you might want to take a look at Somatics. This book contains gentle "exercises" to make you more aware of what those places in your body that you have forgotten how to let go of - in particular a lot applying to the back. I will be going back to mine this book again - thanks for being a reminder. All the best, Charlie

Well, I've finally decided that it's time to jump into the pool. I've been around for a while and know that the water is not too cold... I started with Chi Kung in January of this year when my step-daughter (who got married this last weekend) gave me a DVD of Primordial Chi Kung. She said in the letter that she remembered watching me do Tai Chi in the back yard (many years ago) and thought that I would find it valuable. I watched the DVD, was blown away, and learned the set. After reading the HT site, I decided to backfill my practice by methodically learning the basics and have been working 5 Animals/6 Healing Sounds/Inner Smile and Microcosmic Orbit with Primordial Chi Kung on special occasions. I'm still making mud-pies, suspecting that some day I'll learn how to cook. --- Back when I learned Tai Chi - before I set it slip away - one of my favorite times was Saturday morning. This is when most of my teacher's students would show up at the park on top of a hill in San Francisco for practice (Tai Chi, Shaolin long fist, some Hsing I, sword sets, and so forth depending on the student) and general hanging around. Part of the joy of it was the madly diverse group of slightly warped people who came to learn together, play together, and enjoy each other. For me, Taobums has a lot of that same feel. It's not quite the same - I can't give you a hug - but I have already gotten much value out of you all. I'm looking forward to playing more. All the best, Charlie

De-Lurk II - the Unveiling

I think I've seen a CD around but haven't really heard their stuff. How do they compare with the original? And thanks for the welcome - I've been lurking around for a while and keep finding myself drawn to more participation. Up until now I've managed to resist that draw, however. All the best, Charlie

This could be a case of CAESAR acting like a cat. Most of the cats I have known and loved are major energy junkies. They will find a flow of attention or energy and place themselves near it or in the middle of it. That's why a cat will plop down on top of the newspaper I am reading. It's why a cat will quietly place themselves on a line between two people who are in the middle of a pleasant conversation that has some juice to it. They pick up on energy and go over to "warm themselves by the fire." Or, they are the spawn of Satan trying to steal my soul and I just haven't figured that part of it out yet. Of those two models I like mine better. All the best, Charlie

Peace to you all and health to your mother Blessings, Charlie

You might want to check out GeoCities at http://geocities.yahoo.com/ They have an annoying pop-up but beyond that you can post regular web pages with pictures and other images - and the price is right. Good luck with your publishing effort. Charlie

In additon to the reconstition, sugaring, etc there is another factor that makes whole fruit better than juice. Most fruit juice has a fairly high glycemic index - that is, the sugar from the juice enters the blood stream quickly - which results in a quick spike in blood sugar level. The body deals with this quick spike by releasing additional insulin to metabolize it; this can result in driving down the blood sugar level lower than when you started resulting in that "bounce" that sometimes happens - particularly in those of us with a certain sensitivity. When you eat whole fruit, the fiber in the fruit moderates the sugar uptake from a quick spike to a gentle ramp that is much more polite to the overall system - no bounce effect. Charlie