Seeking my path whole-heartedly

[Bendowa]

I've been a lurker off and on, for some while... I've found Tao Bums to be a very valuable resource that has, to some extent, guided my own practice and development over the last few years. I very much enjoy the frank discussion and melting pot of practices, techniques and ideas that I haven't encountered anywhere else. But these forums are meant to be interactive, and I think perhaps its time for me to throw my own insights, delusions and aspirations into the mix.

 

My current practices include:

 

Soto Zen

AYP

Hatha Yoga

Yang style Tai Chi

Zhan Zhuang (Working from Master Lam Kam Chuen's "Way of Energy")

Diet (Whole foods, TCM, Ayurveda, Paleo/Traditional/WAPF)

Aneros "re-wiring" w/ MGX

Tibetan Buddhist style healing visualizations (working from Boundless Healing by Tulku Thondup)

 

My primary objective is health. For the past half decade I've been struggling with a serious digestive condition, which has psychosomatic components, that I believe can be addressed via spiritual development of the nervous system. My progress has thus far been limited mainly be injuries (for example,currently rehabbing a knee injury that limits tai chi, standing and sitting), time (have a job/career that demands the majority of my waking hours and energy), and self-pacing to remain grounded -- I find pushing too hard in any of these directions tends to be counter-productive, so am working on finding a steady pace of gentle opening and integration.

 

So... who do I talk to about getting a practice journal? ;-)

Edited May 15, 2011 by Bendowa

[Encephalon]

I've been a lurker off and on, for some while... I've found Tao Bums to be a very valuable resource that has, to some extent, guided my own practice and development over the last few years. I very much enjoy the frank discussion and melting pot of practices, techniques and ideas that I haven't encountered anywhere else. But these forums are meant to be interactive, and I think perhaps its time for me to throw my own insights, delusions and aspirations into the mix.

 

My current practices include:

 

Soto Zen

AYP

Hatha Yoga

Yang style Tai Chi

Zhan Zhuang (Working from Master Lam Kam Chuen's "Way of Energy")

Diet (Whole foods, TCM, Ayurveda, Paleo/Traditional/WAPF)

Aneros "re-wiring" w/ MGX

Tibetan Buddhist style healing visualizations (working from Boundless Healing by Tulku Thondup)

 

My primary objective is health. For the past half decade I've been struggling with a serious digestive condition, which has psychosomatic components, that I believe can be addressed via spiritual development of the nervous system. My progress has thus far been limited mainly be injuries (for example,currently rehabbing a knee injury that limits tai chi, standing and sitting), time (have a job/career that demands the majority of my waking hours and energy), and self-pacing to remain grounded -- I find pushing too hard in any of these directions tends to be counter-productive, so am working on finding a steady pace of gentle opening and integration.

 

So... who do I talk to about getting a practice journal? ;-)

"

Welcome. I cannot speak of a journal but I'd recommend checking out The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine" by Michael Gershon. It's a gold mine of info on the function and structure of the lower tantien, although he doesn't use the chinese term. It was recommended to me by a friend who suffers ciliac and IBS syndrome.

All the best.

http://www.amazon.com/Second-Brain-Groundbreaking-Understanding-Disorders/dp/0060930721/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305485874&sr=1-1

 

 

PS - is your gardening in any way connected to Aggies at UC Davis? I majored in geography and dug into post-oil, apocalyptic scenarios as a grad student. All the theorists in down-sizing are unanimous that food prodeuction will be the most important industry after the crash. Don't mean to sound dark; I'm actually an optimist, but not about civilization.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Blasto

[LaoTzu21]

im in your boat mate. look up the low fodmaps diet i have been instructed by the top nutristionist in the uk to use it. it eliminates all fermentable carbohydrates. the ones that cause gas and bloating. but i will warn you its a very hard diet to take. after two month you reintroduce one food at a time and tick them off until youve done it all.

[Bendowa]

Thank you very much Blasto!

 

I've come across that title before and thought it was something that I definitely needed to read, but for whatever reason haven't made it a priority... I'm going to do so now.

 

And I am an aggie, and even got my B.S. from the College of Ag and Env sciences, but other than a couple soil science courses did not study much that seems directly applicable to my gardening habit (was a hydro science major). Other than their master gardener program, I'm not really too aware of what's happening in the ag/gardening scene at the UC. I'm really a novice gardener, but enjoy it much, and am thinking of studying biodynamic ag at the Steiner College here in Sac.

 

And I share your pessimism, though I'm personally hoping for less of an apocalypse and more of a gradual shift towards local, sustainable economies... and if the post petroleum future means trading in my office cubicle for goats, chickens, and a vegetable garden, I likely won't complain too vigorously ;-)

 

Are you familiar with the C-Realm podcast?

 

http://c-realm.com/

 

Lots of great discussion re: collapse, sustainable ag, etc... KMO would probably love to interview you about your grad research.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Bendowa

[LaoTzu21]

http://shepherdworks.com.au/disease-information/low-fodmap-diet

[ChiDragon]

Bendowa.......

You may practice sitting Chi Kung by concentrate on your breathing. Breathe slowly, expend your abdomen during inhalation and suck it in during exhalation. This abdominal breathing will massage your digestion system to help indigestion and prevent constipation.

 

At the beginning, abdominal breathing is not easy. It is better to breathe progressively form shallow to deep breathing until the abdomen can be fully expanded. It may take a little time to accomplish this. In the long run, it will improve your health tremendously.

Edited May 20, 2011 by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

Bendowa...

 

Your current practices include:

Soto Zen

AYP

Hatha Yoga

Yang style Tai Chi

Zhan Zhuang (Working from Master Lam Kam Chuen's "Way of Energy")

Diet (Whole foods, TCM, Ayurveda, Paleo/Traditional/WAPF)

Aneros "re-wiring" w/ MGX

Tibetan Buddhist style healing visualizations (working from Boundless Healing by Tulku Thondup)

 

You are practicing too many things. In the mean time, due to your present health condition, you are better off just do something simple to get rid of your indigestion problem first.

Edited May 20, 2011 by ChiDragon