Out of your 20s, into your 30s

[Scarlet Wampus]

For those that first became interested in Taoist practices in their 20s (or a little younger) and are now in their 30s (or a little older), how have the exercises you do and their significance changed over the years?

 

The experience of doing them? The meaning to you? The attitude you have? How your body feels to you? Comparison with your peers or other practitioners?

 

If you could offer some advice to yourself when you first started, what would you say?

[Moonbar]

Very good question

 

If i could give advice to myself 10 years ago it would definately be - "Ok so youve read a load of books, youve spoken to a load of people, youve sat for many hours wondering & worrying ... Now is the time, get off your ass & start doing!!"

 

I spent SO much time "Thinking" about spiritual practice & i wish i began an actual practice sooner

 

In the time between 20's & 30's i feel that my mind has calmed a great deal & is more easily focussed, priorities are different.

 

Thanks for bringing this topic up

 

Bill.

[Fire Dragon]

Not realy an asnwer to your question but:

 

I have heard the following but forgoten the sorce. Lao tzu?

 

The problem with tao is:

 

When you are young you don't understund it

 

When you are in middle life you have no time to practise it

 

When you are old you understund the need for it, but you no longer have

the energy to gain from it.

 

 

F D

[Scarlet Wampus]

FD I hope we can all buck the trend.

 

I'm 33 now and I really notice a difference in attitude and also how my body is, which is why I thought this thread might be interesting.

 

In late teens / early twenties I was very impulsive. I had this whole boom & bust cycle going: I'd try to stick to an impossibly strict discipline until I felt ready to explode with pent-up energy - physical, sexual, intellectual, spiritual - you name it, I was getting overloaded on it. Next I'd go really wild; party hard & trip out until I was drifting into the arena of the unwell. That would prompt me to be wary and the whole thing would start over.

 

I remember I used to think, "When I'm in my 30s this won't be a problem because my energy levels will be calmer & smoother." I was mostly right.

[King Kabalabhati]

I'm soon 30,my kids are growing up and I'm feeling ready for the Tao

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Still in my 20's.

Will see what happens in 5 years...

[hagar]

Good questions;

 

I started in my early 20s, and now being in my late 30s I can honestly say that for most of that time I was doing it wrong.

 

I think what you experience from practicing is really dependent on the form of practise, the attitude, the goals, your cultural milieu, and your aspirations.

 

When I was in my 20s I felt I was doing something special, and I thought that doing the practice was going to change me, improve my life, and take me to some ideal state where things could not affect me that much. I was really attached to my body (still is) and looked for ways to increase my chi, my power, and to feel good and enjoy life.

 

Now, in my thirties, I've realized that practice opens everything up, making life raw, and force me to feel everything. Being honest is much better than being blissed out. And that my life is one big mistake.

 

Best bet; never become an expert, and forget about experiences.

 

h

[Marblehead]

... and forget about experiences.

 

But remember the lessons!

 

Peace & Love!

[King Kabalabhati]

 

When I was in my 20s I felt I was doing something special, and I thought that doing the practice was going to change me, improve my life, and take me to some ideal state where things could not affect me that much. I was really attached to my body (still is) and looked for ways to increase my chi, my power, and to feel good and enjoy life.

 

 

 

Haha, I feel I'm doing something special, the practise has changed me already, my life has improved, and I'm not quite as affected by certain aspects of my life that I used to feel in a negative way.

 

But the main reason I started this was because I have a family with three kids and I was simply not capable of handling the pressure.. I was fatigued and often depressed. So I turned to yogic practices because their promise was to be healed and energized. It took 4 years of practice and going from system to system, finally the simplest possible Qigong, before I started to feel consistent results on a daily basis.

 

Of course I don't know how things would've turned out if I never did any of these exercises, that's simply impossible. But my faith in the healing powers of Qigong is strong and growing... Most of the people I've given Qi treatments to, including my kids & (ex)wife, have received benefits from it like relief of headache, stomach ache, back pains etc. In fact my ex is constantly demanding that I work on her because it makes her feel good and get sleep easier.

 

It's true that the power of these practices depends on your situation and attitude. They aren't supposed to put you somewhere above daily existence and its challenges, although the high you get from meditation might put you up there for a while

[hagar]

Haha, I feel I'm doing something special, the practise has changed me already, my life has improved, and I'm not quite as affected by certain aspects of my life that I used to feel in a negative way.

 

But the main reason I started this was because I have a family with three kids and I was simply not capable of handling the pressure.. I was fatigued and often depressed. So I turned to yogic practices because their promise was to be healed and energized. It took 4 years of practice and going from system to system, finally the simplest possible Qigong, before I started to feel consistent results on a daily basis.

 

Of course I don't know how things would've turned out if I never did any of these exercises, that's simply impossible. But my faith in the healing powers of Qigong is strong and growing... Most of the people I've given Qi treatments to, including my kids & (ex)wife, have received benefits from it like relief of headache, stomach ache, back pains etc. In fact my ex is constantly demanding that I work on her because it makes her feel good and get sleep easier.

 

It's true that the power of these practices depends on your situation and attitude. They aren't supposed to put you somewhere above daily existence and its challenges, although the high you get from meditation might put you up there for a while

 

I hear you. Being a parent myself, I understand completely. Actually, the main aspiration I have for my practice is that I may be a better father. Don't get me wrong, qigong as a healing practice is beyond discussion.

 

What really has struck me is that my form of practice has brought me closer to reality, or maybe life as it is. And life has its own agenda, totally oblivious to whatever we may want from it. And practice brings you closer to life, not your desires.

 

The LoA gang's got it all backwards.

bla bla.

 

h

[King Kabalabhati]

I hear you. Being a parent myself, I understand completely. Actually, the main aspiration I have for my practice is that I may be a better father. Don't get me wrong, qigong as a healing practice is beyond discussion.

 

What really has struck me is that my form of practice has brought me closer to reality, or maybe life as it is. And life has its own agenda, totally oblivious to whatever we may want from it. And practice brings you closer to life, not your desires.

 

The LoA gang's got it all backwards.

bla bla.

 

h

 

Yesss. Meditation etc. won't necessarily give you what you want, but it can help you accept not getting what you want.. And after that you may even become quite happy not getting what you wanted, but getting what you needed.. in my case, a smoother flow of life and more spontanious joy out of nothing particular.

Edited April 13, 2010 by King Kabalabhati

[Russell-NWIA]

Hmmm... advice to younger self.

 

Keep it simple enough to be consistent.

 

Emphasize Yichuan (standing meditations)

 

Stop thinking so much about what you are doing and just enjoy the practice.

 

Train every day.... even if you can only manage 15 minutes, that's fine just make it happen.

 

 

My training has changed over the years. I've become calmer with it and found my focus. I'm still always exploring new things but have a core daily ritual practice.

Other than that, the biggest difference is becoming less excited by the brain's intellectual fireworks. This equals less theorizing and more practicing.

 

 

 

Russell

Northwest Internal Arts