riverheron

Hello Revellatrice, I am a long time student of Master Zhongxian Wu and a teacher of the Wu lineage ~ happy to meet you and welcome to Dao Bums ~*~ I'm always pleased to meet a new Qi family member. Best of luck with your cultivation journey and feel free to get in touch if any questions come up through your practice.

i may be a bit biased, as this is my new cd, but to share with you friends, http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oneroot this cd project, titled "Ling" is a series of songs inspired by my spiritual journey to China with Zhongxian Wu, as well as sacred journeys to Ireland and the infinite inner journey of Spirit. Master Wu's voice is feature on a few of the tracks ~ hope you enjoy! and here is a video of images from our China journey with the title track, love qi, Ryan

some of his dance moves were definitely Qigong ~ arms extended, holding tight fists ~ dragon gate all the way, transmitting some powerful Qi. But I would say he was an accidental, or perhaps unintentional daoist. My daoist teacher's motto "life is delicious!" seems to fit Michael's lifestyle . . . so, maybe?

is there really a choice?

that was cute thanks!

Hi all, coming soon, master zhongxian wu is publishing a book on the Yijing tradition that he carries. This system uses neither coins, stalks or seeds, but works with a direct resonance with spirit and a bit of long division. It is quite an amazing way of working with the yijing, and connects directly in with the images of the trigams and the first 8 movements of the wudang he style taiji form. No book or commentary is needed for a reading, once you learn the symbolic meanings of the trigrams. hope you enjoy! http://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Spirit-Book-...8651&sr=8-1 love qi~

i teach taiji because it is the next natural evolution of my own practice . . . a simple overflowing. If I may misquote someone or another; "to know about something, study it. to learn something, practice it. to master something, teach it." I like this . . . it seems whole and good.

ahhh, la luna! I have always been a moon-child (cancerian) and feel great peace when she shines into me, through the pores of my skin and the windows of my eyes. The moon is a symbol for the feminine aspect of Dao (yin), because the ancients observed that the moon is ever changing, from full to new to full again, and related these changes with the feminine body and the tides of the ocean. Thus it also came to represent the changes of the universe. The sun, ever shining in it's wholeness, was seen to represent the masculine, creative energies (yang), shining upon all with no preference or bias and lending it's light to the receptive moon. moon gazing qigong is very simple and is great to practice especially around the full moon. just stand feet shoulder width apart, and look up at the moon with a soft gaze. Connect with the moon qi through your 'spiritual windows' . . . then draw the moon qi into your body (through your eyes) and down into your dantian, looking within. After a few minutes, open your eyes again and gaze at the moon . . . then draw it inside again. the silver qi of the moon can bring great peace and a sense of inner connection to all that is . . . which is why I love to drink it in

about 10 years ago, I had a dream where I was trudging through the rain, and came upon a flyer lying on the ground. I picked it up and it said "Daoist Crystal Meditation" and gave me the directions. I thought, 'wow, right up my alley!', and the scene cut to me climbing up a steep, muddy slope on my hands and knees in the pouring rain. There was a temple at the top of the hill, and inside were two beautiful people in robes and top knots. The woman beckoned me into a back room, sat me down and looked deep into my eyes. She said that the 'crystal meditation' flyer was just to get my attention and to get me to come to the temple. She placed a string of jade beads around my neck and proceeded to show me some powerful truth about my life (and specifically, the unhealthy relationship I was in at the time) which within a few weeks led to me 'waking up' from this six year relationship, and spreading my wings back into my life . . . I'm not sure how this fits into this thread, but I felt guided to share anyway. I have been a friend to the crystal beings for quite some time, and am caretaking a 10lb Hunan golden healer quartz. It seems to be paired with the shining silver Tibetan black spot of the same size, as a sun and moon energy. It seems to me that the stones have an innate intelligence within them . . . I hear a quiet 'voice' from them at times, asking to be taken here or there (i.e. stone circles of Ireland, top of Huashan, my local waterfall), or given to this person or that. It is a gentle transmission, a gridding of spiritual energy. I don't ask them too many questions, just help them along on their mission. As for the crystals being water element, I can see that in some way, as they are formed from water. My teacher says they are Metal. . . as the 'white' or 'clear' color of quartz corresponds with metal element, and they are mineral, yes I see this too.

~ I've observed your good energies throughout this thread, stigweard ~ I'm glad it came around this way, and I'll add my heart for this healing and clearing. love qi to all involved, with sacred sanity within and without.

This is a bit of an over-simplification . . . but there is truth within. The tribal peoples consider the chacruna (DMT containing plant) "The Light" and Ayahuasca vine (Harmaline / Harmine containing plant) "The Force" . . . so they say that too much Light isn't always a good thing. A good friend of mine summed it up well; smoking DMT is like hanging out in Ayahuasca's bedroom when she is not around. You can look in the closet, check out the drawers . . . but the strong guiding teacher is not there. However, once you have been introduced to her in ceremony, even when working with DMT alone, I have found she is always present as spirit. my 2cents ~

I suggest picking up the latest issue of "Shaman's Drum" magazine . . . lots of info within, specifically the article by Luis Eduardo Luna, phd, 'Ritual Approaches to working with Ayahuasca' I would never recommend working with this medicine (especially the first time) without the guidance and icaros (magical songs) of a master shaman. The medicine can heal oh so deeply, when approached with care and humility. blessings on your quest!

Yoda, thanks for your reply ~ I have had deep experiences with the trees . . . very different from the stones, but somehow related. I was once meditating beneath a beautiful cedar tree when the spirit of the tree came into my meditation and asked "would you like to feel what it is like to be a tree?" Of course, I said "yes please" I was then taken into an experience of the most ecstatic stretch between heaven and earth I had ever experienced. . . yet different from the stones, as I feel the trees are in a constant state of meditation, while the stones literally felt 'turned off', asleep, before the shamanic work . . . cat, whew, I know just what you are speaking of . . . this last fall my love and I spent a month on the west coast of Ireland. The first two weeks we spent in a cabin in the Burren, and the first several nights in this cabin I had dreams of otherworldy battle in the backyard of the cabin. We then learned that the young son in the cabin next door had taken his own life the year before . . . something about this area felt especially steeped in the ghost qi of past suffering. Like you, we also we drawn to shamanically work with these spirits of our ancestors and felt a resonance and release with the work. The second two weeks we spent mostly on the Dingle peninsula, which is very much a soul-home to me . . . the energy there is completely different, as if the elementals and earth spirits are still in communion with the people, and a great creative and synchronistic way of being is held. On this trip, it felt as if the first two weeks of the trip were deep, sorrowful 'work' to help ease the suffering of our ancestors, and the second two weeks the land just opened up to us in the most magical ways. The journey culminated with Samhain, when we entered into deep ceremony way out in the Killarney Ntl. Part, and the universe came completely alive and communicated through the magic of Tir Na Nog. thank you for your work with our common ancestors, sister cat ~ this work is so needed to help clear the collected ancestral consciousness. When I was in China last spring, at the Dragon Gate caves, the temple was holding a week long ceremony to help the ghosts world-wide to move on . . . so beautiful. thanks again ~ love qi

Interesting post . . . thanks for forwarding this! I had a similar experience a few years back when I was drawn to Ireland, specifically to 'work' with 5 stone circles in the SW of the country. As I came to each of the circles, I felt the stones sleeping deeply . . . cold and far away. I was guided to practice Laohu gong, which is a very awakening form, in each of the circles, and to work with sacred sound (didjeridu, voice) and tibetan crystals. During the ritual, I began to feel the stones awakening and re-membering their original purpose . . . at the same time, something was awakening within me. I thought I would share this bit of writing about the experience with you, dao family ~ Last March I was guided to take a journey to Ireland, one of my ancestral homes, and to connect with five different stone circle sites in the far SW of the country. My guidance was to find these sites and enter into sacred ceremony with each which involved qigong, Tibetan crystals, sound (didjeridu and toning), and meditation. Before going, I had not received clear information about why I was to do this or what would happen, just that it needed to be done. I took off on my own to Ireland after a family visit to Paris and Brugge. I had hand drawn maps of how to reach these circles, which I had copied off of a site which lists all known megaliths in the UK and Ireland. I traveled in my rental car down to the Beara peninsula in the far SW corner of Ireland and began my search. I took a group of 20 Tibetan quartz crystals to each of the stone circles visited and placed the crystals upon each of the stones in the circle in different patterns and combinations. Then, holding the request and intention to awaken and activate the stones, I practiced Laohu gong, played didjeridu through the crystals and into the stones ~ I literally felt the ancient stones begin to stir and awaken as this intentful energy touched them and moved through them. I was receiving the message that part of my life agreement during this time was to activate these portals which had been lying dormant and mostly forgotten for the past several thousand years. I could ~feel~ that these stones are living beings, and are here for a very specific purpose. They are awakening now for a very specific purpose. A part of my work on the planet at this time has to do with re-connecting the human realm with the realm of the Sidhe (Shee), the faery and elven beings. This reconnection represents a healing in the rift of humanity with nature ~ the 'faeries' are very real and dwell in a realm which is vibrating just a bit faster than ours, which is why they are largely invisible. They can choose to lower their vibratory rate in order to interact with us, but this is not very comfortable or easy for them and they would rather we raise our vibrations to meet them at least halfway in this connection. These beings are our cousins, sisters and brothers on this planet and it is time for us to remember and return to our communion with them. Remember that they are extremely telepathic and sensitive beings. If you approach them with a clear mind, humility, a cohesive energy field of unconditional love, and a quiet heart, then it is likely that they will connect and communicate with you in some way. The chaotic human mentality which jumps around endlessly makes them quite dizzy and they avoid it at all costs. It is so important to become aware of our inner state at all times and to use the tools that so many masters have given us to return our spiritual energies to harmony and peace. What the stones told me as they awakened was that they were put here by an advanced race in our pre-history and were programmed to awaken at this time of shift on the planet. Their purpose is multi-dimensional in nature, somewhat acting as Earth acupuncture needles. The stones receive the very high vibration of galactic energy which is beaming down on the Earth right now and transmute this energy into a form which can be integrated deep into the Earth's consciousness. They transmit this stepped-down energy into the core of the planet, where it mixes with the sacred Earth Qi and then rises back up into the stones. The circle then broadcasts this new frequency of galactic/earth energy out across the planet in all directions. The circles also are representations to us today of the sacred group meditation circle. WE are as the stones, able to gather in circles and do this crucial work of transmuting energy for the Earth and out to all beings through our hearts. This is a responsibility for those of us who are here now, awake to the greater shifting taking place. As these stones and meditation circles and celestial families broadcast this energy across the planet, the overall vibration is increasing. The stone circles are very closely related to the realm of faery as they are vibrational portals to their realm, as well as one of the means to raise humanities vibration to a higher dimensional reality. What I have noticed recently is a general increase in the awareness and reality of the realm of Sidhe. I see many people awakening to their elf and faerie natures, as many elementals are now walking the planet in human disguise. They are now awakening and remembering who they are, where they came from, and most importantly, why they are here. The message is that the time for hiding is over, and that now is the time for awakened humans to connect with the realms which surround them through the vehicles of sound, rhythm, laughter and love. Discover your trance and work within it. The portal lies within this ONE moment. This is the fulcrum point. Now is the time for the elementals, the elves and faeries wearing human bodies, and the starseeds who work so closely with the elemental realm to awaken within their bodies and open the inner door to the natural magic which is their birthright. The children know this already . . . they are trying to remind us, to teach us that we are connected to such a greater reality than we can conceive. Imagination opens the initial door, and Great Spirit does the rest. So this has been my experience of this lineage work . . . I suggest to you all that you meditate upon your own Sacred Lineage. What are you connected with in your DNA, what lives have you lived and what worlds have you danced within? Call these aspects of yourself home, into THIS body, and welcome the wisdom and power of your multi-dimensional nature into your present moment life. Here it is. Here we are. What are we going to do with it? And if you feel an inner pull to travel to one of your ancestral homelands, to place a crystal on a stone or to tone into a cathedral, then please follow that call. The activations are needed planet wide, and we are the only ones who are going to bring them through. Blessings to you all, and any of your feedback is always welcome ~

protection is not needed if you are connected to the universal qi through your breath and spirit . . . but for transformation, moldavite is an incredibly powerful stone. It is a green glass which fell to earth about 15 million years ago from another world. Some can't handle it's energy field (dizzyness), but it does start to move things in one's life.

vCraigP, You were missed this weekend, but I knew you were having some good family time It was much fun. Yes, I'll see you Friday, but not Saturday . . . we're holding a sound healing ceremony at the Middle Earth Gathering down at Silver Falls for the equinox. It's a very sweet little bi-yearly gathering. Spirit Ape, The cave represents the Dao, the oneness. . . we emerge from the oneness into the form, like a tiger emerges from it's cave. We move through the 24 cycles of transformation, tiger to dragon, and then, as the Dao is a path of return, we return to the heavenly cave, the Dao. We return all of our energy and cultivation and virtue to the cave, the dao, also, the dantian. best of luck on your journey!

Yep, that sounds like Master Wu. Just to share a little fun story with you (Craig, you'll like this one), this past weekend we were in a 5 Elements workshop with Master Wu just a few blocks from my house here in Portland. The workshop happened to be on a street which was holding a big, all day street fair. During our lunch break, we walked out of our workshop building and onto the street where a veeery talented beatboxer was looping beats and lyrics over himself through a PA. Our Qi was flowing from the work we had been doing, and all started to dance around a bit to the music. Then Master Wu, in his golden ceremonial cultivation suit, stepped into the middle of the circle and commenced a full on drunken master style free-form dance, as the beat boxer started to weave in "kung fu fighting" lyrics. What a hilarious and beautiful scene! He later told us that that was the first time he had ever danced out on the street in public . . . not something he usually does, but the Qi was moving and the flow was effortless. Just one of the things I love about M. Wu . . . part of him is an old, wise sage, and another part just loves to laugh and have fun. with love qi ~

Hundun, I certainly wasn't referring to you with my remark about humility in communication. . . what I have read from you has settled into my heart nicely, thank you ~ I think for all of us, humility is a worthy virtue to cultivate . . . and I'm speaking to myself as much as anyone. When we met the 80yr old abbot at the dragon gate caves, and he told us 'I don't know anything about internal alchemy, I just eat the food from the temple and take benefits from the dao' as he poured us tea, I really understood in that moment the meaning of humiity. Here is this sage who has lived and cultivated in the caves for 50 years, about 4 1/2' tall with a qi field the size (and strength) of the sun, with absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. How refreshing! Anyhow, I appreciate your replies and look forward to hearing what you learn from m. wu.

Hello Hundun, I prefaced my reply with 'in my understanding' because that is what I have to offer . . . no complete statements of Truth here, because I feel a sense of humility is needed when discussing any of these sacred arts. . . and honestly I feel this humility missing in many of the posts I read here. . . that's all that was meant. Master Wu has told me that the Tiger form is appx. 300 years old. I have heard nothing from him about changes he has made to the form as learned from his teachers. I'll be interested to hear what you learn from his reply! best,

hi all ~ I just thought I would add my 2 cents to this thread . . . I have been a student of master wu for 6 years now, alongside vCraigP, and also travelled to China with him last spring. I personally love the practice of laohu gong ~ it is a form which really awakens the Qi within the inner body. In my understanding, the form is about 300 yrs old, and not a recent innovation by master wu. During an advanced laohu gong retreat we were led into the symbolic meanings of each of the 24 movements in relation with the chinese lunar calendar, and the depth of information behind the form speaks of deep roots. as for learning the form from the dvd, I think it is possible to follow and get a good idea of the form this way. Of course, many of the details only come through with repeated practice with a live teacher, but this doesn't mean there won't be great benefit from the practice. For a qigong beginner, it may be a bit much to take on through the dvd. I might recommend starting with wu's 5 Elements Qigong, which is a very simple, yet very powerful form from the same lineage. Never before have five simple movements kicked my butt (or more specifically, my 5 organ system) so deeply There is a dvd (less polished than the Laohu Gong dvd, but good nonetheless) of the 5 Elements form available on master wu's site (www.masterwu.net) if anyone is interested. with love qi ~

hey all, thanks for the discussion, . . . just on a side note, I came across information somewhere which said that the Qlink technology comes from the military, and is the same technology used to shield missiles from enemy radar. . . Interesting to think of wearing that karma over one's heart chakra. blessings ~

Well, Swami Rudrananda makes some good points in the quote you shared with us (thanks for the input!) I have to say that reading through the rest of his writings from the link you shared made my chest tighten and my spirit constrict, even though every now and then I thought he was right on. My browser counted 188 counts of the use of the word "Must", which never really works for me as a teaching style. I suppose that is why I am a wayward daoist who enjoys an occasional beer and eats chicken, and not a pure, white wearing kundalini yogi. Honestly, I honor the path that Swami proposes and walks as being perfect for those who are karmically drawn to follow it. Just because it is not for me, does not make it wrong or bad. Similar to the topic at issue, the sacred and ritual use of plant spirit medicine as an aid to spiritual cultivation. True, working with the plants alone would not, to me, feel like a complete path. Daily cultivation and sore limbs is the way for me, with a periodic check-in with the Gaian plant consciousness and frequent immersion into the Yijing. To each their path, their Way, and their wandering . . . and not all who wander are lost. . . in peace,

I do, my friend . . . I do. Any other thoughts on the subject? with respect,

Shen Zhen, Thanks for your reply . . . since the collective consciousness is that which we all co-create together, is there not a need for us to consciously cultivate ourselves, as well as choose our language carefully, so as to have a positive effect on the whole of humanity? I'm sorry if you feel it is a lost cause . . . personally, I'm counting on and experiencing a shift and awakening on the collective level. There will be much chaos through it all, but that is the shock that brings change. Regarding your view of Aya. . . actually, the jungle is sending the medicine, and the shamans, up to the 'western society' in an attempt to raise the consciousness of our sleeping society before we destroy the world with our excess yang. Her intention is not to stay within the secrets of the amazon, but to move through the minds and hearts of the people. It is a bit of a self-defense mechanism. I am sure that the medicine is not honored and is abused by some . . . but that is not the whole picture. I have only experienced her twice, both times with a very talented peruvian shamaness. Work with her is about initiation, healing, raising consciousness, and recognizing our collective universal tribe. It is the same work we are doing as we practice our daoist arts . . . all the same. With respect to all paths ~ vCraigP, Song Yongdao ~ Hello my Qi brothers! What a small world it is . . . Thanks for your reflections, and I must agree that big dipper walking is at least as vibrationally enhancing as plant spirit medicine. Perhaps more-so because we are working with our innate inner medicine so deeply. I too feel that I have come full circle into the chinese shamanic practice, and recognize that I would not have nearly as deep an understanding of what we are cultivating if not for my early plant spirit teachers. All are dancing together, and informing this One journey we are on together. When we look at the 'destination' as the great ocean, and the ten thousand rivers flowing into her . . . what a beautiful geometry we all form. I am glad to be on the path with ye. Song, give my love qi to Xi'an and I'm glad to know you here. peace, riverheron