taijistudent

Yes, I very much agree. Each person is different and has to find the diet that works best. Some people find tofu, for example, difficult to digest because it is dense in protein, thus creating phlegm and possibly allergic reactions. Each person is different. The key attributes of a healthy diet are lots of vegetables and whole grains, moderation, avoidance of process foods and as you said smaller, nutritious meals (even the body doesn't get the nutrition it needs, it will be in a constant state of hunger). Stress creates a need for quick spikes in energy, thus one often finds oneself seeking quick fixes like coffee or sugar. Best to look for ways to manage the stress. Otherwise, as you have wisely suggested, seek moderation in all activities in life including diet. It is a safe path to take.

It is good to reduce gluten because gluten is difficult to digest and thus create stagnation. Gluten products that have been sprouted (e.g. Ezekiel Bread) are better tolerated. GMO is something I stay away from. My general idea is that the body has evolved over millions of years to gain energy and life from certain foods, e.g. vegetables, whole, grains, etc. It just doesn't know how to naturally assimilate all of these newly developed foods which are foreign to the digestive process. As a result, they are not digested well and are left undigested in the system. Some of it can be eliminated, but if the body gets overloaded with undigested by-products, it is stored in fat cells which ultimately manifests as diseases.

There are many good books to read. But I can provide you with some very good basics: What to eat: 1) Vegetables. About 60% of your diet. Mostly green, but a variety of multi-colored, steamed or lightly cooked. Eat those that are in season and grown locally. Organic is best. Cooked soups are excellent. Moderate amount of raw vegetables. 2) Whole grains. About 20% of your diet. They should be whole. Steel cut oats is better than rolled. Usually takes about 20 minutes to prepare. If you eat wheat, sprouted is best. Organic is best. 3) Beans and seeds. Sprouted is best. Some nuts are good. 4) Some fruit. Avoid the tropical fruit. Eat fruit in season. Organic is best. Avoid fruit being flown in from far distances. 5) Limited about of fish, poultry, meat in this order. Fish is becoming a problem because there are so many toxins in the fish, especially the big ones. Fish that are raised on farms are suspect. Try to get smaller, ocean fish that are caught in relatively unpolluted areas. Poultry and meat should be raised without antibiotics. Free range and organic fed are the best. 6) Dairy is controversial. The casein is linked to cancer, however it does have some positive effects also. Best to eat it cooked or fermented. Goat is better than dairy since the fat is much more digestible. 7) Nice variety of spices. Spices depends upon your constitution. If you have a hot constitution, then cooling spices are better and and warm spices if you have a cold constitution. 8) Olive oil is a good oil to use. For cooking, canola or grapeseed. What to avoid: 1) Cane sugar 2) Cold or ice drinks 3) Coffee 4) Processed foods (empty calories will leave you hungry and less energy) 5) Basically anything you find on the shelves at Walmarts 6) Fatty foods Nowadays, I avoid almost all foods coming from China. The agriculture there has become quite grotesque. I think this gives a good basic idea. I might have left out some items but I think these are the basics. This diet is pretty much one that most cultures share whether it be China, Mediterranean, Macrobiotic, etc. Of course, this should be coupled with regular, moderate exercise and clean air if you can find it anywhere. And remember, practically everything is OK when done in moderation and part of a diet that is primarily vegetables and grains. If you have particular problems, such as gout or arthritis then meats are totally verboten.

Yes, people go through stages in life and each stage has different challenges which bring about changes and new knowledge.

Yes, one aspect of life is learning how to be a skilled navigator.

Synchronicity.

In my humble opinion, I believe Kelly Hu is very pretty, possibly even beautiful.

I believe it is safest and most beneficial for any experiences to unfold in a natural way. I have seen so many people harmed (I am not sure they are even aware of it) by too much intensity in order to obtain a certain desire. But, then again, it is up to each individual to decide for themselves the path they wish to follow and hopefully they are aware of some of the potential experiences they might encounter.

Yes, anything done with intensity can potentially be quite harmful. I have learned to just let things unfold as they might naturally unfold from any practice that one may have. The third-eye can be interesting. Is it mind-boggling? I do not think so. Does it have any great practical value. Again, I don't think so. Is it interesting? Yes, I believe it is. It is something interesting to experience in life. But then again there so are many other activities that one might be involved with and are also very interesting experiences. I believe moderation and gentle unfolding of experiences preserves one's health and permits many new and healthful experiences to continue unfold in one's life.

It is difficult to articulate since a value system is what we are. But if I was to choose a single word, I would say "fairness". Not surprisingly, I am a Libra.

In a way it is all practice. It is for me difficult to draw a bright line between practice and non-practice. If I was to draw a line, I would say that the duration between dreams one might consider non-practice. Listening is but a type of practice that steers me on a journey that is true to myself. There are a multitude of ways.

This I do not know and have not learned. What I have learned is to be true to my own self.

I believe it is a practice of listening. There are probably many signals and many signs that one can use as signposts. For me, I use my health and my sleep for sources for these signals and I try to learn to listen. As I get older I believe my listening becomes more sensitive to the signals.

We are all practicing in life in different ways and in our different practices we are searching, learning, creating and sharing. Why do we chart different journeys? A topic for another discussion maybe. The Hindu stories call it the Maya-Lila (the Hidden Play). Play is a both a verb and a noun.

Usually, I try to create distance. No reason to try to share if there is no sharing. Sometimes it is not possible and I have to search for a way out. These are the challenges in life. It certainly happens.

Yes, I very much agree. I once was attending a spiritual presentation and the spiritualist was exhorting the attendees to do this and to that (all in her book). And I asked her whether she believed in a forever soul that is always learning from one life to the next, and she responded yes. So, I asked her what was the rush? We'll get there when we get there and if not this life then maybe the next?

Thank you for your comment. As always it is one's own journey and what they learn along the way.

Respect can suggested in different ways. In terms of respect for what they are doing, it is judged upon my own value system. In terms of their life journey, I respect them all.

Storms, as everything else in nature, have both the constructive and destructive elements within them. They clear and thus make room for the new.

To be among people to share similar spiritual beliefs. It brings great comfort to many to be among many. Others may find similar comfort on a forum.

This above all, to thine own self be true.

I have had too somewhat similar experiences in my life so I will relate to you as they transpired and hopefully the information will assist you in some ways. I am a somewhat spiritual person, but it is more of an individualistic spiritualism. My wife on the other hand favored more of a group spiritualism. About 10 years ago she decided to join a Buddhist group (the group changed over time), and became more and more drawn into the group to the extent it seemed that she was looking for a new family in exchange for the one she had with me and my son. It was confusing for everyone. The upshot was that she finally decided she was going to train to become a Buddhist priest and she left me (my son went to college) for a new life (she was 55). We had been together for over 30 years. Over the next five years things did not turn out as expected and the Buddhist life that she was training for turned out to be much different than she expected. Lots of internal fighting and dissension as people vied for power, status and authority. In the meantime, I met another woman who was Catholic. At first she suggested that she was not a practicing Catholic but over time she became more and more drawn to the religion of her family. This left me the odd person out. It felt like I was an outsider for all things happening in her life. That relationship lasted about 5 years but the strain of the different spiritual lives (particularly her desire to be the matriarch of the Catholic family and have me convert) was too much for our relationship to handle. After this, my ex-wife was having many emotional problems that emanated from her lifestyle choices. I helped her get out of these problems. She is much better now and we have an excellent relationship. She is much more moderate in her spiritual views and rather than dominate her life, it only occupies a small segment. Having broad net of activities has definitely stabilized her life as opposed to her concentration on just one aspect, i.e. her spirituality.

I had a couple of very interesting series of spiritual experiences in the broadest meaning. They came unexpectedly and also went away just as unexpectedly. I do not believe one can work toward a spiritual experience (working toward one can possibly be counterproductive in that the effort becomes an obstacle). I think these experiences just come when they come. And they aren't much. It is more like looking through some binoculars or a microscope and seeing something new. Subtle but quite interesting. Then it is a matter of trying to make heads or tails of what has just transpired.

We also use cupping but for completely different purposes. If the toxins are more superficial and can be felt as "sand" then gua sha seems to work better since it can crush and release the toxins in the superficial layer. We use cupping when the stagnation is deeper. Sort of like the way someone would use a plunger to suck out and release deeper seeded toxins. Of course, for very deep, acupuncture is best, however, modern training does not include using the very long needs as was used classically and thus the effects are significantly muted. However, the very, very best all around is ....... Tuina!! (deep, deep, deep).

In my life experiences, significant spiritual experiences came naturally and spontaneously. I didn't seek them nor did I work to achieve them. On the contrary, I never thought much about them. They just came when the time was ready. Qigong practice for relaxation and health is very beneficial. However, it may be quite counterproductive (possibly even harmful) if you are attempting to achieve something that is beyond your natural situation at the time. I believe that spirituality unfolds as it unfolds in a very quiet and natural way. If you attempt to jump too far the results can be much different than you expect. Each person experiences something different in their lives. Wishing you great wisdom in what unfolds for you.