Rara

Hey! I'm 31! Have you taken any lessons in anything before? Either way, like @Michael Sternbach said, finding a good taiji school close to you is a good start

No, but I've read one of his books. Personally, I think he's onto something. Perhaps maybe a bit misguided when talking about the arts' effectiveness in combat, but for healing, I'm on board.

Interesting, this. Becuase my friend often makes big salads when I visit him and I always feel "good" after because I don't usually eat like this. I tried to once, but found it unsustainable. I found that doing this every so often is good, but eventually a good ol' KFC will give me a strength and energy boost when physically tired, and keep me full for ages...and also I will eat less calories in a day because around that, I'll eat very little except things like fruit.

Haha, this happened to TWO of my TTCs! I'll raise my hand because I like the idea and want to at least try. I am decorating/moving to a new place as we speak but I'll swing by when I can.

Yeah. I lost 14 lbs in Wudang eating rice, but my physical enerrgy output was huge. I eat nuts and seeds anyway...oats, potato, bread, meat, veg, fruit...daily. I run out of things to eat so I still manage to get chocolate cookies in as well and I still struggle to gain. Genetics, eh? Anyway, thread derail alert! Ha

Out of curiosity, what have you replaced rice with to gain wait? I eat a lot of bread, rice and potatoes but still struggle to get over 155lbs

I like to think internal power will eventually have the ladies flocking to me. I'm still waiting, but I'm a believer.

All I can say is that I lifted weights for 10 years along with external martial arts. Due to injury, I won't even do a push up these days and in the last 6 months, my qigong/taiji have vastly improved. But now I have a big head and a skinny-fat body. Meh, can't have it all.

Likewise, good to have ya back.

So it's true! You're back!

I think with enough guided sessions, you will get more and more familiar with correct posture and method. You will naturally feel more confident when doing it alone in due course (as lomg as your teacher revisits it!) When I first learnt, I did it under regular supervision and even two weeks down the line, I would be corrected. But it wasn't much longer until I was able to remember all the details and practice independently. All the best!

With all due respect, I wish to be allowed to ask questions in return to help me understand. Especially if your teachings differ to mine, and a lot of others'. Hence the forum tagline "Discussions On The Way" Either way, thank you for your offerings. It will digest one way or another.

This is beautiful and a wonderful turn on the thread. I only sought a basic answer in the first place. This is not the one I thought I'd see here but thank you for reminding me about the true importance of this all.

Sure, I understand this, but I have been taught the first level which is seated meditation. The rest comes after... Really? Why is it known as the "energy centre" then? I'm pretty sure a dantian is commonly known as a storage space for life force.

But to be done without force. Yet it is difficult sometimes to ignore urges.

It took a couple of reads but I got it. Thanks!

And thus work is done with the savings to put into the wallet? Building up that bank and so forth?

Thanks. In fact, it's something I expect to learn more of first hand, than reading books. So basically, my understanding wasn't quite correct, no? I'm aware that the qi is stored in the LDT, and builds with meditation/neidan. What is happening with the jing or all the crazy stuff that settles over time during the meditation?

Fasting, sure. This was effective for a short while to discipline my habits of "eating for the sake of it", but I eventually began to cheat and crammed during my eating window. In the end, I was just simply getting indigestion and consuming just about the same amount. I'd recommend doing a couple of days then return to normality and see how things change during that short period. You may then be able to work short fasts into your life every now and then. I have ended up cutting down on food by eating more wholesome meals and more regularly throughout the day instead. Just eating until satisfied then not eating again until hungry, then repeat. I find it's useful to have a lot of rice pre-cooked and tubbed for easy access. This will lower bread/quick food intake. Now, herbs. What is it exactly that you want out of these? I had a TCM concoction once to expel humidity from my body...I couldn't tell you what was in it, it was so long ago. It gave me very sticky stools and I was going more than normal, and only felt mildly better. It tasted horrible too!

I'm trying to bring it back. But I'm also trying to bring back double-denim and am failing.

If Taoism got too popular, the world wouldn't operate the way that it does. And we can have that now, can we? Hehe

These days yes due to cross-influences in China. You're closer to the source with traditional stuff. The Tao Te Ching will suffice really, until you find someone that has more knowledge of traditional Taoist schools of thought.

There is no dogma to this. Taoists don't know, and it doesn't matter.

Yin and yang. This what saints are made of. There are some good charities out there, and I have seen that religions also contribute quite nicely. We can start there, join the other droplets and grow. After going to my Dad's native city, Kolkata, I want to do more for the families being raised on the streets of India. But Kolkata is big enough...I must rely on other good souls that may worry about other places. One man or woman can't save the whole world, but we can do what we can. Certainly! Bless.

Ok, so it would seem that typing my profile name and keywords on here didn't bring much luck so I'll elaborate as best I can. The first thread I was thinking of was along the lines of Daoism not necessarily being exclusive to China. Traits can often be found among many people all over the world, and a lot of them won't have even heard of Daoism. Dao is everywhere, so everyone's Way, survival and wellbeing methods has to be. Although I am far from Arfican poverty, my life here compared to many rich people that have the means to live very well (by the best possible diet etc.) cannot compare. It's often said, that those with wealth get good health. But how many of the early Daoists had wealth? With it being such a large scale, I cannot possibly go into much about other poverty. I don't have solutions, only perception. The other thread was something like Daoism being for the well off, in which we went back and forth realising that rich or poor, underatanding and working with the hand that is dealt is most significant. So what if there is a world of ideal food, medicine and exercises? Then we have to peel the onion back further and determine how much of this is BS, how much of it is necessary and so on. But my question to you then...is everyone in the world lucky enough to be able to cultivate?