tao stillness Posted September 11, 2016 We live in a world I have read where onlly 2% of the population has a cultivation practice. People think that India is a land of meditators. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi told us that modern India is a place where there is more talk of meditation than actual practice of it. And until the 1980's there was not much practice of chi kung either. We see where this has got us. Addicted to the outside for our fulfillment. So when someone realizes that that the Godliness of his energy practice is next to cleanliness; this is a person who is aware. Please excuse my play on words. There are days when things have to get done and the only alone time I might have is at 1am. If I have not done my second session of chi kung for the day I will stay up at that time and do chi kung instead of go to bed then. I think the day has been wasted if I have not worked on evolution of consciousness. I have put that first since age 25 and I live by it. So nice to read those words from Earl Grey, a true Duke! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Earl Grey Posted September 11, 2016 I grok your words and drink deeply, Tao stillness, thank you my friend. The camaraderie here is what else drew me to the Flying Phoenix system, because a great teacher and good-hearted students are the fruits by which one one may know what kind of seeds an art like this sows. May we all grow together as a community, team, and family. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tao stillness Posted September 11, 2016 I have seen some other threads on Daobums and they are much different than the Flying Phoenix thread. They have have the feel of ego based, immature sarcastic dueling and showing off. So I find this Zenbear thread an oasis which you have aptly described why it is different. And I agree that it all starts with the Consciousness of the Sifu. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted September 14, 2016 (edited) On 8/29/2016 at 6:16 PM, Frederic said: This leaded to an eureka moment for me in my practice, thank you. 'I' rest in the movements, I rest in stillness and Being while my body moves. Truly, Flying Phoenix is meditation. There's nothing like the experiential Grokking (I know that phrase is redundant) of this basic quality of Flying Phoenix Qigong. Enjoy and congrats, Frederic! Best, Sifu Terry Dunn www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html Edited September 14, 2016 by zen-bear Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chai Hu Posted September 14, 2016 (edited) Which of the excersises is good for spleen Qi and removing dampness? Edited September 14, 2016 by Chai Hu Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tao stillness Posted September 15, 2016 Some qigong methods result in the chi having an intelligence of its own sending it t where healing is needed. I don't know if this is true for all qigong methods or not. I have not heard of specific Flying Phoenix mediations recommended for specific conditions. My understanding is that it is a holistic healing method. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the fool Posted September 21, 2016 Still enjoying Flying Phoenix. Always feel calmer, and at peace when I complete a session. Thanks to everyone for their input and encouragement. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted September 22, 2016 On 9/21/2016 at 6:40 PM, the fool said: Still enjoying Flying Phoenix. Always feel calmer, and at peace when I complete a session. Thanks to everyone for their input and encouragement. Calmness (meditation) and Wisdom are like a lamp and its light. -- The Platform Sutra by Hui Neng, 6th patriarch of Chan Buddism (Zen) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted September 22, 2016 (edited) Mid-Mercury Retrograde cycle advice: 1. Repair all transportation and communications equipment--i.e., vehicles and phones. 2. Back up your computers. 3. Be alert to missed messages, miscommunications, and all kinds misunderstandings. 4. Do NOT enter into new ventures, start ambitious new creative projects, make major capital expenditures, or sign new contracts (until after merciury goes direct on Sept. 27) 5. Work on completing and perfecting old, long-standing projects. 6. Increase your daily FP qigong practice from 2 standing Meds. + 2 seated Meds to 3 standing meditations + 3 seated (MSW) meditations every day, rotating through all the Meditaitons taught in the DVD series (6 volumes). that will keep you very clear, stable and grounded as you watch everyone else pull their hair out over retrograde set-backs and "do-overs." Sifu Terence Dunn P.S. further to Suggestion #6: Each time I practice Flying Phoenix seated Qigong meditations, I now always practice 3 different seated "Monk Serves Wine" Meditations, each one done in full sets of 7 repetitions. I've been recommending doing 3 MSW's over the past year or so because I've found that doing so increases calmness, one-pointedness (ability to stop the world), and the syngertistic healing, energizing and rejuvenating effects of the practice to profound new levels. www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html Edited September 22, 2016 by zen-bear 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted September 22, 2016 On 9/11/2016 at 6:46 PM, tao stillness said: I have seen some other threads on Daobums and they are much different than the Flying Phoenix thread. They have have the feel of ego based, immature sarcastic dueling and showing off. So I find this Zenbear thread an oasis which you have aptly described why it is different. And I agree that it all starts with the Consciousness of the Sifu. Since "Fu_doggy" introduced me to thedaobums and asked me to join this FPCK forum way back in early 2010, I have from time to time poked around and read some of the other threads whose titles caught my attention but haven't had time to follow any of them to any great degree because of the time required to respond to questions posted on this one. (And I've started a couple of other threads--as public service warnings-- about my pet peeves and what I believe are obstacles to anyone's growth such as Dreamworks' Kung Fu Panda and "Tai Chi and Zen Master" david dorian ross -- lofty titles and all.). Thanks for the compliment about my "consciousness." But as I stated quite early on in this thread, it's very, very easy for me to focus solely on the teaching and correct practice of Flying Phoenix Qigong because it is purely a healing art that cannot be re-purposed or perverted in any way for martial purposes. And martial arts prowess--from mundane to supernatural, as well as delusional-- is what the falsely proud like to bluster about. Also I'm older, starting my Act III in life, and it's all about teaching and leaving a real legacy, and I (hopefully) took care of all egotistical bluster and over-reactions during Acts I and II. (A lot of kung fu politics in Act II, actually--some of which I've shared on this thread when it was releveant or appropriate to keep the channel clear of distractors.) At any rate, I hope everyone survives this mercury retrograde and gets back to deeper absorption and greater spontaneous transmittal of the FP Qigong healing energy. Best to all, Sifu Terry Dunn 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tao stillness Posted September 22, 2016 Thank you for the good advice about that ever pesky Mercury Retrograde. When it began I warned my wife to drive carefully. Then earlier this week I backed up and scratch part of the new car so took it a few days ago to schedule a repair date after the 27th. Unfortunately, during this retrograde I did sign a contract with a company to start litigation against a debtor. Had I read Sifu Terry's pointers, I would have delayed unleashing the dogs until Mercury Retrograde moved on. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vajra Fist Posted September 24, 2016 Just wanted to jump in. I've dabbled with FP with various degrees of commitment over the past couple of years and have always found the fact that the qi has intelligence as tao stillness mentioned to be one of the defining features of the practice. That and the ability of FP to tie together different arts that have different methods of cultivation. I also consult regularly with Eric Isen, and following tao stillness' recommendation I asked him to test for me exercise 4 from dvd 7. Results came back very positive: calming for the mind and powerful energies for the body. That's true, but it's also the ability to provide a safety net or 'glue' for the different practices I currently have (mantra recitation and Shaolin internal practices), that's added a lot for me. So hat tip to tao stillness and thanks again to Sifu Terry for teaching such a great art. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted September 25, 2016 (edited) A Flying Phoenix Saturday: Yesterday, as a prolonged warm-up to my morning Tai Chi class because I had 3 beginners, i taught my standard warm-up conditioning sequence: (A) Qing Dynasty Imperial Exercises (learned from Master George Xu in the 80's), (B ) the 3 Yang style warm-ups taught on my 1989 Tai Chi for Health DVD (first 40 min.): (1) Wave Hands Like Clouds in bow stance, (2) The fluid, alternating Snake Creeps Down posture drill (3) The alternative Play Guitar/ Lifting Hands opening and closing pattern stepping 90-degrees each time. (C ) Inward circling in blow stance contouring the body (bagua exercise) (D) My favorite internal conditioning exercise that I learned from Master Bow Sim Mark (E) 3 Basic Flying Phoenix Standing Meditations: (1) Bending the Bows -- 12 rounds very slowly (2) Monk Gazing At Moon - 8 minutes (3) Monk Holding Peach - 10 min. Then the class proceeded with several rounds of William Chen's 60-posture Yang form. It ended 1/2 hour later than usual--at 2pm. After giving a private lesson in the late afternoon, I practiced for my own cultivation: (A) 2 rounds of the Long Form Standing Meditation (30 min.) -- which I recall "ridingtheox" in Arizona had discovered on his own that that was all he needed for daily empowerment of his ranching lifestyle. (B ) the first 4 short 90-second "Flash" meditations of Vol.5 (C ) One Advanced Monk Seves Wine Meditation from Vol.7 I am still feeling the cumulative sublime health and consciousness effects of yesterday's practice this morning upon awakening as a mild bliss...with the brain centers at the back of the skull and inside back "corners" lit up. I will be roughly the same amount of Basic FP Meditations each day this week. This is because, as I've stated a while ago on the thread, the FP healing energy cultivated by the Basic FP Meditations on the DVD series (vol. 1-5, and vol.7) is unique and distinct. No other Flying Phoenix level cultivates the same distinctly pristine type of energy nor imparts the same health benefits. Practice FP Qigong intensively and regularly so that you feel the continuity of its light healing energy from one day to the next to the next... Then, the blissful FP transformation will be more than just for a day or the time that you spend in practice. Sifu Terence Dunn www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html Edited September 25, 2016 by zen-bear 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cihan Posted September 26, 2016 (edited) This is a 30 seconds timelapse of the about half hour practice of the Long Form The mountain background is one of the infamous Olympos Mountains of the mithology in Eastern Mediterranean in Kemer Turkey Happy practicing all Edited September 26, 2016 by cihan 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tao stillness Posted September 27, 2016 That video is really cool! I loved the moving clouds too. Pretty amazing to think of someone doing chi kung in Turkey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted September 28, 2016 (edited) On 9/26/2016 at 3:53 PM, cihan said: This is a 30 seconds timelapse of the about half hour practice of the Long Form The mountain background is one of the infamous Olympos Mountains of the mithology in Eastern Mediterranean in Kemer Turkey Happy practicing all Hello Cihan, Thanks for sharing the video of your FP Long Form practice. Beautiful background. Even with fast forward speed of play, I can make out the specifics of your moving meditation. You are doing very well and have nice flow through the Long Form and are doing the basic postures in general correctly. Here are some pointers/minor corrections to consider if you want to further develop the internal movements of energy so that your practice becomes more "liquid": 1) Give yourself the feeling of ALWAYS hugging a large balloon or airbag with your arms and chest--so that the chest is empty most of the time. 2) Specifically, maintain a larger angle inside your elbows. 3) When you "open and close" the "Monk Gazing At Moon" position 3 times (at 9 -10 seconds on your video time code), try to figure out how to also "open and close" your legs in the horse stance IN SYNC with the closing the circle of your arms and chest--so that tangibly feel the compression of the Qi from the lower body going upwards into your torso, arms, and fingertips. This upward compression of the QI is a jealously guarded secret in all the Chinese internal martial arts. 4) One position is incorrect: The next movement after the 3 opening-closings of the Monk Gazing At Moon posture"--at approx. 12 seconds on your timeline-- is a little bit off: bring the palms in facing downward at the level of the solar-plexus--not at the level of the throat/collar bone again. (see 1:59 to 2:07 in my video below for reference) You can use this recent video as a reference for keeping a constantly MORE ROUND posture of the chest and arms: Watch the coordination of the whole body. It's very subtle. You want to coordinate the entire body to expand and contract with every movement. Overall: Good Job and keep up the regular practice! Best, Sifu Terry Dunn P.S. If you're interested in getting an online Skype tutorial to work on the specific form improvements listed above, just contact me through PM here. Edited September 28, 2016 by zen-bear 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Attumidha Posted September 29, 2016 Hello everyone, I wanted to thank you for such generous sharing of information on this forum. I’ve been practicing FP Qigong for about 2 months now. Reading through the various dialogues and information has been really helpful, both in providing an overall feeling for the system and how to work with it, as well as giving a sense of being plugged into a greater community. I also feel very grateful, as Tao Stillness’ recommendation and high praise of FP Qigong, elsewhere on this blog, led me to FP Qigong in the first place. So, in the spirit of sharing, to add some comments. I had a consultation with Eric Isen, recently. My experience of him was that his clarity of perception and diagnostic ability is just as amazing and exceptional as others here have mentioned. One thing I asked him about was FP Qigong. In particular I was interested to know whether it would enhance and compliment my meditation practice (I practice in the Theravada Buddhist tradition) or whether that would interfere with it. Eric said that Flying Phoenix great for me, mainly spiritual really opens higher chakras and very compatible with Buddhist practice and really help it long term. No problem. Since I travel a lot, and can often be quite sleep deprived (and this can also apply to life at meditation centres) I asked Eric about the issue of adequate sleep and the FP Qigong practice. Eric echoed what Sifu Terry has often mentioned in the forum in regard to the issues of sleep and FP Qigong practice: that for the FP Qigong to work, one does need sufficient sleep. However, if, for example, in my case my meditation practice advances and the body naturally needs less sleep, then there won’t be any problems with FP Qigong. However, denying the body sleep, then Flying Phoenix isn’t going to work so well. Eric also said about the different Qigong methods, that they have their own intelligence and what a system might be doing for one now, would not what they would be doing for one in a few years. Also, what he says about how the different practices are operating is a subjective interpretation that will just be relevent for me, at this moment. This is just a general comment re. Qigong practices - as I asked him about many different styles (I’ve practiced in about 7 different schools). I also asked Eric about how the Flying Phoenix worked with Pangu Shengong. He said that the two systems don’t mix so well. I didn’t quizz him further, however, about how FP Qigong would mix with other Qigong styles. But, his response re. Pangu and FP does echo Sifu Terry’s comments elsewhere in the forum about FP Qigong being a stand-alone practice. There’s much more I could write, but leaving it here for now. Wishing everyone very well and happy practicing, in, according to my own experience a very beautiful, and, to echo Sifu Terry’s description, a truly sublime Qigong system. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Astral_butterfly Posted September 29, 2016 On 9/29/2016 at 5:17 AM, Attumidha said: Since I travel a lot, and can often be quite sleep deprived (and this can also apply to life at meditation centres) I asked Eric about the issue of adequate sleep and the FP Qigong practice. Eric echoed what Sifu Terry has often mentioned in the forum in regard to the issues of sleep and FP Qigong practice: that for the FP Qigong to work, one does need sufficient sleep. Thanks for this. I am still struggling to get up at 4am in the morning as I am still very sleepy (though not as much as before) and 1. not advised by Sifu to lose sleep if doing, 2. not advised by Sifu to do in evening then sleep. It is a terrible struggle for me but I am still holding onto hope. I am feeling 65% better than before and not completely healed of my pain. I seem to have reached a plateau. What can anyone tell me as concerns the best compromise? Better to sacrifice sleep and do in morning, or better to do in evening but how long after that can I sleep? I will still lose sleep but not as harshly as in the morning. Sorry for being such a pain after so many months but I am really attracted to this method after having seen the effects after only a few times when I was doing before lunch (not possible anymore). So I am wanting to give it my best shot but struggling with the restrictive advice. At one stage I wanted to replace it with pranayama as I can do that at any time but others here have indicated that it is not worth it (plus the asanas have to be perfect, right?) and that FP is worth so much more. As before, I continue to do normal but deep breathing whenever I think of it and just slowing down my breathing is what I attribute to feeling better in spite of having stopped the Chinese herbs. As there is no retention as opposed to for example square breathing I don't see any inconvenience to this. I am tempted to do some retention though (square breathing) and I was wondering if that clashes with FP? Just as a beneficial add-on (when I start after advice regarding the above) but is it totally unnecessary as most say FP is sufficient unto itself? All in all I just want to know what I can do to go forward in spite of my hurdles. I want to commit to a practice to which my lifestyle will not be counter-productive (I do at least 30 hours per week of housework/childcare outside of my dayjob, plus travelling to various countries for work every once in a while). Cheers A_B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Earl Grey Posted September 29, 2016 On 9/29/2016 at 9:38 AM, Astral_butterfly said: Thanks for this. I am still struggling to get up at 4am in the morning as I am still very sleepy (though not as much as before) and 1. not advised by Sifu to lose sleep if doing, 2. not advised by Sifu to do in evening then sleep. It is a terrible struggle for me but I am still holding onto hope. I am feeling 65% better than before and not completely healed of my pain. I seem to have reached a plateau. What can anyone tell me as concerns the best compromise? Better to sacrifice sleep and do in morning, or better to do in evening but how long after that can I sleep? I will still lose sleep but not as harshly as in the morning. Sorry for being such a pain after so many months but I am really attracted to this method after having seen the effects after only a few times when I was doing before lunch (not possible anymore). So I am wanting to give it my best shot but struggling with the restrictive advice. At one stage I wanted to replace it with pranayama as I can do that at any time but others here have indicated that it is not worth it (plus the asanas have to be perfect, right?) and that FP is worth so much more. As before, I continue to do normal but deep breathing whenever I think of it and just slowing down my breathing is what I attribute to feeling better in spite of having stopped the Chinese herbs. As there is no retention as opposed to for example square breathing I don't see any inconvenience to this. I am tempted to do some retention though (square breathing) and I was wondering if that clashes with FP? Just as a beneficial add-on (when I start after advice regarding the above) but is it totally unnecessary as most say FP is sufficient unto itself? All in all I just want to know what I can do to go forward in spite of my hurdles. I want to commit to a practice to which my lifestyle will not be counter-productive (I do at least 30 hours per week of housework/childcare outside of my dayjob, plus travelling to various countries for work every once in a while). Cheers A_B Happy to hear you are doing a bit better and sorry to hear you are struggling a bit. My practice a couple pages back on page 236 had Sifu Terry mention an advanced practice was to do it just before sleeping as an advanced practice to eventually go into lucid dreaming state, wherein eventually I practice just befor sleep and then practice forms in dreams as well. I personally practice before sleep because it really helps me sleep peacefully, and if I'm doing the wakeup monk serves wine meditation, I'll do that set in the morning. So I personally feel that it depends on what forms you choose to practice to determine what's best to do during the day. I end up practicing all of the volume 1 and 2 forms daily, as Flying Phoenix is practically my main cultivation nowadays since my intention is to hopefully be certified to teach at least basic forms due to the wonderful effects it imparts even to people in my vicinity when I train. So I'm going to say that if you do morning practice, I do the three monk serves wine meditations and any three standing. If you do only evening practice, the I do the first three basic seated and any three standing as well. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Astral_butterfly Posted September 29, 2016 On 9/29/2016 at 10:05 AM, Earl Grey said: So I'm going to say that if you do morning practice, I do the three monk serves wine meditations and any three standing. If you do only evening practice, the I do the first three basic seated and any three standing as well. Thanks for your kind wishes Wow so since I am a beginner on DVD 1, I can do mine in the evening? That helps me greatly, thanks a lot! I can plan to do "Monk gazing at the Moon" and "Bending the Bows" to start with and then do more afterwards?? That is such a pleasure to know. I hope that someday I can do all that in one day, you are one dedicated person! So inspiring On 9/29/2016 at 10:05 AM, Earl Grey said: I personally practice before sleep because it really helps me sleep peacefully, and if I'm doing the wakeup monk serves wine meditation, I'll do that set in the morning. So I personally feel that it depends on what forms you choose to practice to determine what's best to do during the day. I end up practicing all of the volume 1 and 2 forms daily, as Flying Phoenix is practically my main cultivation nowadays since my intention is to hopefully be certified to teach at least basic forms due to the wonderful effects it imparts even to people in my vicinity when I train. What do you mean, people not doing it are feeling benefits too just by being around you? Consider me boosted 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Earl Grey Posted September 29, 2016 On 9/29/2016 at 11:08 AM, Astral_butterfly said: Thanks for your kind wishes Wow so since I am a beginner on DVD 1, I can do mine in the evening? That helps me greatly, thanks a lot! I can plan to do "Monk gazing at the Moon" and "Bending the Bows" to start with and then do more afterwards?? That is such a pleasure to know. I hope that someday I can do all that in one day, you are one dedicated person! So inspiring What do you mean, people not doing it are feeling benefits too just by being around you? Consider me boosted Yes, when I train, people not doing it who are sitting there see or feel a surge of subtle and light energy. Especially my ear acupuncture patients. Sifu Terry can answer best for your situation, but I am glad you are inspired. Take care! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted September 30, 2016 (edited) On 9/29/2016 at 9:38 AM, Astral_butterfly said: Thanks for this. I am still struggling to get up at 4am in the morning as I am still very sleepy (though not as much as before) and 1. not advised by Sifu to lose sleep if doing, 2. not advised by Sifu to do in evening then sleep. It is a terrible struggle for me but I am still holding onto hope. I am feeling 65% better than before and not completely healed of my pain. I seem to have reached a plateau. What can anyone tell me as concerns the best compromise? Better to sacrifice sleep and do in morning, or better to do in evening but how long after that can I sleep? I will still lose sleep but not as harshly as in the morning. Sorry for being such a pain after so many months but I am really attracted to this method after having seen the effects after only a few times when I was doing before lunch (not possible anymore). So I am wanting to give it my best shot but struggling with the restrictive advice. At one stage I wanted to replace it with pranayama as I can do that at any time but others here have indicated that it is not worth it (plus the asanas have to be perfect, right?) and that FP is worth so much more. As before, I continue to do normal but deep breathing whenever I think of it and just slowing down my breathing is what I attribute to feeling better in spite of having stopped the Chinese herbs. As there is no retention as opposed to for example square breathing I don't see any inconvenience to this. I am tempted to do some retention though (square breathing) and I was wondering if that clashes with FP? Just as a beneficial add-on (when I start after advice regarding the above) but is it totally unnecessary as most say FP is sufficient unto itself? All in all I just want to know what I can do to go forward in spite of my hurdles. I want to commit to a practice to which my lifestyle will not be counter-productive (I do at least 30 hours per week of housework/childcare outside of my dayjob, plus travelling to various countries for work every once in a while). Cheers A_B Hello Astral_B, I assume that your lifestyle or career requires you to wake up at 4 am every morning. That is a rough routine even if you do get 8 hours of sleep per night. In my experience over the past 42 years with 4 complete major systems of Qigong/Nei Kung (Tao Tan Pai, Flying Phoenix, Ten thousand Buddhas, and 8 Sections of Energy Combined, plus a few tiny compact systems), I've come to learn that (my) body needs to be asleep between the hours of 4 am and 6am. Certain orbs need to be rest and regenerated in allostasis during those hours. But given that you must awaken at 4 am. I would recommend that you immediately start doing the Seated FP Meditations called "Monk Serves Wine" on Vols. 2 and 7. As Earl Grey commented: FP seated meditations in the evening insure sound, restful, comfortable sleep. ONE BIG EXCEPTION: the last MSW meditation on Vol.2 with breathing sequence 90 80 50 20 is known as Thee Waker-Upper. DO NOT do that meditation in the evening if you want to sleep. It will do the opposite, keep you up for hours if not all night and make you miserable! Other that meditation, you can do any of the seated FP Meditations to aid sleep. Also out side of Monk Serves Wine medtations. Do at least 10 minutes of quiet sitting before sleeping. Regarding breath retention. Do NOT do any breath retention when you are practicing FP Qigong. Do it in a totally different practice session. Breath retention will cause a certain degree bodily tension in all beginners and that is counter-productive to the FP Cultivation. The other system that I teach, Tao Tan Pai (Taoist Elixir Method) which is a beautiful and powerful system equal to the internal arts in the Bok Fu Pai tradition, utlizes breath retention throughout the system because it is a totally different alchemy in terms of: A. Xing (Hsing) (shape form of the body), B. Yi (I) Mental focus and concentration and "will", and C. Qi (Chi)--esoteric breathing method. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, and to continue along the line that Adhimutta verified with medical clairvoyant Eric Isen, Flying Phoenix Qigong practice to be optimally effective requires one to have a normal healthy sleep cycle. Also, FP Qigong practice does NOT replace sleep. Whereas the two most advanced levels of Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung can replace a certain amount of lost sleep. But the Tao Tan Pai path of cultivation is long and rigorous and requires a certain period of celibacy as well. My recommendation is to start doing the seated FP Meditations to get immediately improve the quality of your sleep. If you like Yogas that utilize breath retention, and have the time to learn it, you can learn Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung starting with the Basic 31. There are no publications in any medium teaching the TTP-31 at present. I teach TTP in Los Angeles in several settings and at different times of the year. I also teach it to a number of students around the world via Skype. If you're interested in exploring it through online tutorials, you can let me know via PM here. You can contact "Joolian" in Germany to get his review of the Basic TTP-31 that he has started to learn. Good luck with your practice. Sifu Terry Dunn www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html Edited October 5, 2016 by zen-bear 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zen-bear Posted October 5, 2016 (edited) On 10/5/2016 at 12:38 AM, Apeiron&Peiron said: I see that some of my questions were already answered. I'll revise parts of my earlier post. I just wanted to finish an incomplete sentence I wrote at the end of the second to the last paragraph of this post in reply to Yuyumonk on May 18, 2016--and to elaborate further upon that statement. My additions are in blue below: It’s my experience and opinion that TTP Nei Kung complements and enhances FP Qigong more than FP Qigong complements TTP. This is because TTP Nei Kung works with the body’s generative force (sexual energy) and thus is fully rejuvenating to the extent that its practice can replace sleep to a certain extent. In contrast, Flying Phoenix Qigong and all the other Bok Fu Pai internal arts that I've experienced thus far, and according to GM Doo Wai’s answer to my questions about "qigong as sleep replacement"--are NOT able to replace lost sleep or take the place of sleep. (Certainly, advanced practitioners of the BFP internal arts like Sifu Hearfield will have greater endurance and better alertness and overall functionality while enduring sleep deprivation.) However, there are Bok Fu Pai and Flying Phoenix meditations that can be done with our BFP 5-powder meditation tincture that will definitely keep one awake for an extra 24, 48 or more hours. That is, meditation and this herbal tincture can enable one to totally skip one night of sleep and possible up to two nights of sleep. But this meditation phenomenon is not an exception to the rule that for the Bok Fu Pai Meditations to have maximum effect, one has to have normal, sufficiently restful sleep. Because the body still recovers allostatically by going to sleep as soon as possib.e for all hours that were skipped. The BFP Meditation tincture makes this sleep very soft, smooth, deep and calm without any jagged "edge" that one typically feels from sleep deprivation caused by drugs such as ampetamines, and also when "crashing" to sleep after prolonged sleep deprivation. Bottom line: one will NOT do well by practicing Flying Phoenix Qigong while one should normally be sleeping. Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung, on the other hand, can be practiced in an emergency to replace sleep or to stave off the effects of sleep deprivation and to continue functioning at peak levels. This makes TTP training useful if not ideal for elite military and police personnel and also extreme endurance athletes. But Tao Tan Pai is a somewhat more rigorous and demanding monastic training than FP Qigong. Edited October 5, 2016 by zen-bear 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Earl Grey Posted October 5, 2016 I just wanted to chime in that my dream practice is now feeling even more the distinct effects of Flying Phoenix (more can be seen of my overall practice in my personal practice journals). Extracted here: "I then dreamt of Master JR and his ex-wife, and he told me we had to train in a dungeon-like room in his castle. The world was black and white, and his ex-wife took his son while he took his daughter. Eventually, I flew around the castle in a panoramic manner, and looked up to see a larger version of myself doing Flying Phoenix's first seated meditation (5% 60% 80% 40% 30%), and every time the palms turned inwards and outwards, a flash of blue tinted the world." I had indeed been doing that meditation just before sleeping, and even as I am already practicing volumes one and two and just learned Wind Through The Tree Tops, that particular seated basic meditation still resonates with me very strongly for some reason. It was almost eerie to see a larger version of myself dreaming like the Red King of Alice in Wonderland and The Looking Glass, doing form and looking translucent, bringing color to the world, even if only the blue flame of Flying Phoenix. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites