Gender identification

[Romie]

So I've been going back and forth with a friend on to topic of Taoism. A summary of our on going banter is that they feel there is too much emphasis on gender when it comes to energy practices. My response to that is there is only an emphasis if you want there to be, but they're pretty insistent that there's no middle ground in some areas, that your body dictates what you are told to do, even if you are genderqueer or transgendered and don't identify with your biological sex.

 

I guess my question is, is perception of gender really that big a deal when it comes to energy practices/cultivation of chi? And if so, in what areas? Are you perceived as doing yourself a disservice by not perceiving yourself as having the traditional energies ascribed to a body by its physical attributes?

[Sloppy Zhang]

Well I try not to get too bogged down in labels and words and stuff like that. I go by the feeling of the situation.

 

So I suppose someone could look at something like "yin" and "yang" and say "that means 'female' and 'male', zomg gender but I am LGBTQ!" But I for one really don't.

 

Maybe I am insensitive? Maybe I just don't care about something that doesn't affect me? Maybe I have transcended?

 

Whatever. You've got a force going up and a force going down. Up has bees associated with "male" and down with "female". You got "in" and "out"- "female" and "male".

 

Does that mean it's gendered? I don't look at it like that. You're still going up and down, in and out, no matter where you fall on the LGBTQS spectrum.

[ShaktiMama]

So I've been going back and forth with a friend on to topic of Taoism. A summary of our on going banter is that they feel there is too much emphasis on gender when it comes to energy practices. My response to that is there is only an emphasis if you want there to be, but they're pretty insistent that there's no middle ground in some areas, that your body dictates what you are told to do, even if you are genderqueer or transgendered and don't identify with your biological sex.

 

I guess my question is, is perception of gender really that big a deal when it comes to energy practices/cultivation of chi? And if so, in what areas? Are you perceived as doing yourself a disservice by not perceiving yourself as having the traditional energies ascribed to a body by its physical attributes?

 

 

women tend to have a much easier time cultivating energy than men. women tend to be more in tune with energy and nature. They also know how to surrender to the forces of nature in a more relaxed way. Since they give birth and shed blood women can know in an intimate way what it means to be in the natural flow. But this is just generalization. There are always exceptions.

 

personally, in my 20+ years of teaching and training...nope, not a big deal. Practice and intent can compensate for a lot or even equalize differences between biology. What is your intention in your practice? That's accounts for more than gender.

[imonous]

Definitely yes. It doesn't matter who you "think" you are. You are what you are. Your body was created for "you" to inhabit. It is your 3rd dimensional physical self. Identification with anything other is an "idea" that resides in the mind. On the path to self realization once you get rid of that thing called the mind, you realize that you are who you are.

 

 

Men tend to have a much easier time cultivating awarenss/conciousness than women. Think being cold/distant/unattached. As a man it is best to purify this aspect and move to an energy/emotion practice. If you can "master" your sex lessons you are most of the way "there". Never forget that you create, and hold the very seed of life itself.

 

Women as shakti stated tend to be in more tune with the energy/emotion aspect. For you it is best to start here and work towards the cultivation of awareness/consiousness. If you can master non-attachment then you're most of the way "there", but its hard not to get attached to things when your emotions are so strong

 

 

But of course having some twisted identification will not harm your practices. But if you can open up to yourself and embrace your physical body and its attributes you stand to increase your personal chi/awareness substantially. Your body is the tool that you must use, it is your map.

Edited May 18, 2011 by imonous

[imonous]

I just thought of an interesting analogy:

 

-Even if one self-identified with the universe aka the great IAM, you still are your separate self as well. "You" are the entire universe yet at the same time you are not.

 

-Even if you self-identify with both male & female. Which i agree is true at some level. You are still you, whichever gender you happen to be born into for whatever reason.

[Romie]

Thank you all greatly for the replies I can't really think of anything pertinent to add (at the moment, at least), but I enjoyed reading the responses and found them helpful.

[Otis]

So I've been going back and forth with a friend on to topic of Taoism. A summary of our on going banter is that they feel there is too much emphasis on gender when it comes to energy practices. My response to that is there is only an emphasis if you want there to be, but they're pretty insistent that there's no middle ground in some areas, that your body dictates what you are told to do, even if you are genderqueer or transgendered and don't identify with your biological sex.

 

I guess my question is, is perception of gender really that big a deal when it comes to energy practices/cultivation of chi? And if so, in what areas? Are you perceived as doing yourself a disservice by not perceiving yourself as having the traditional energies ascribed to a body by its physical attributes?

I think that self-identity is pretty much just a trap. You will never be what someone else says you should be, because their fantasies have nothing to do with who you are. (Nor can you live up to your own fantasy, because that's not you, either).

 

You don't need to have an identity, just live a life that's honest and caring. Everything else flows out of that.

 

All of the energetic/Qi practices are suggestions, based upon what works for the largest amount of people. But they are not "what is".

 

Only you are "what is", and therefore you are what's true, not a concept or method. Live someone else's concept, and forever be a stranger to your path. Live your own truth, and your path will reveal itself to you. And if you live as your path, then "you", "your life" and "your practice" are the exact same things.

Edited May 19, 2011 by Otis

[Otis]

In improv partner dance, she does not surrender to me, nor I to her. Instead, we both surrender to us.

 

That is: neither of us is trying to make something happen, nor are we trying to guess what the other needs. We are merely being honest and caring, at the point of connection. And from that springs beautifully integrated dances. We become one self-balancing being.

 

In other words, neither of us is right or wrong. There is no correct method that is designed for the specific two of us, at that specific moment. What works for us, is being true to where we're at, and caring for the other's well-being.

 

I think that connecting to life is the same way. Try to force a change, and bruising happens. Trying to outguess life, or letting it run me, is a disaster. But being honest and caring in the way I meet life, transforms me, and transforms interactions. The world and I become one self-balancing being.

[deci belle]

(Responding to Romie's original post)

 

The energies are the same, but the balances are different. The person is responsible for approaching energy in the body in an impersonalized, mature fashion. The energy is not a person-identifiable possession. Nobody "owns" the air they breath. It's not about them. Exercises utilizing chi are really about getting outside of yourself (psycho-emotional matrix).

 

Other than opening up and familiarizing oneself with the active and passive channels, everything else is "extra credit". Others may not agree, but the fact is, once the channels are open and practice has evolved, the microcosmic orbit is self-sustaining. It is a mistake, imo, to over-emphasize induction practices. Once the body is sufficiently disciplined to move and store chi effectively, it is the mentality that needs to be refined (stilled).

 

It might be that people who have sexual issues are just habituated to sexual issues. Other than effectively addressing the male/female body intricacies, sex, in terms of practice, is immaterial. If sexual identity is still a weak point (or even a strong point) in one's personality, one is simply not ready to evolve far. There may be reasons for that, some "necessary", others frivolous at best. Regardless, they must be addressed and resolved, eventually— but that's why we're here.

 

Claims that taoist practices are gender-emphasized may have a library-deficiency situation as that is a new one, to me. The volume titled "Immortal Sisters" has female-specific practices, if this is an issue. At any rate, the individual's unique differences are to be de-emphasized as a matter of practice, as these "issues" only serve to prop up an ego that doesn't need that kind of re-enforcement, quite frankly. Self-refinement is specifically aimed at eliminating the needs, fears and cravings of reflective personality while strengthening the essential health of the ego-function.

 

Depending how you are plumbed and wired is significant. Each individual is responsible for finding their own unique way to work with, and ultimately, transcend, the levels of energy one is capable of refining.

 

With all due respect, perhaps the friend could invest more personal sincerity and less personality, or less talk and more action?

 

Self-refinement isn't easy. It's not a "program" as much as it is an attitude towards living with openness and sincerity, so to be fluid in responding to the authentic requirements of practice~ as opposed to the habitual reifications of the intellectual/emotional organism.❤

Edited May 20, 2011 by deci belle

[Birch]

In improv partner dance, she does not surrender to me, nor I to her. Instead, we both surrender to us.

 

That is: neither of us is trying to make something happen, nor are we trying to guess what the other needs. We are merely being honest and caring, at the point of connection. And from that springs beautifully integrated dances. We become one self-balancing being.

 

In other words, neither of us is right or wrong. There is no correct method that is designed for the specific two of us, at that specific moment. What works for us, is being true to where we're at, and caring for the other's well-being.

 

I think that connecting to life is the same way. Try to force a change, and bruising happens. Trying to outguess life, or letting it run me, is a disaster. But being honest and caring in the way I meet life, transforms me, and transforms interactions. The world and I become one self-balancing being.

 

I plus-oned you on this one, but do you realise how incredibly what you wrote was?

 

I would say more, but I censure myself

[Otis]

I plus-oned you on this one, but do you realise how incredibly what you wrote was?

 

I would say more, but I censure myself

Sweet. Thank you.

[markern]

Definitely yes. It doesn't matter who you "think" you are. You are what you are. Your body was created for "you" to inhabit. It is your 3rd dimensional physical self. Identification with anything other is an "idea" that resides in the mind. On the path to self realization once you get rid of that thing called the mind, you realize that you are who you are.

 

 

Men tend to have a much easier time cultivating awarenss/conciousness than women. Think being cold/distant/unattached. As a man it is best to purify this aspect and move to an energy/emotion practice. If you can "master" your sex lessons you are most of the way "there". Never forget that you create, and hold the very seed of life itself.

 

Women as shakti stated tend to be in more tune with the energy/emotion aspect. For you it is best to start here and work towards the cultivation of awareness/consiousness. If you can master non-attachment then you're most of the way "there", but its hard not to get attached to things when your emotions are so strong

 

 

But of course having some twisted identification will not harm your practices. But if you can open up to yourself and embrace your physical body and its attributes you stand to increase your personal chi/awareness substantially. Your body is the tool that you must use, it is your map.

 

Can you alaborate on teh sex lessons men need to learn?

[imonous]

Can you alaborate on teh sex lessons men need to learn?

 

Gladly, you should take note that these are insights from my own path which could vary for others. I would like to start first with a little background on the chakras. The lower chakras which are physical in nature are literally a persons backbone/ground into this physical world. These relate to how your individuated energies come to manifest. During energy work it is always advised to start and stop in these energetic areas (i.e. lower dantien). The higher chakras which are more sensitive to thoughts are usually more adept at being self-regulating especially the 3rd eye which is almost pure thought-form. This is also why it is advised to be very cautious when running energy through this area. Our thinking draws energy here automatically from the lower areas and if you arent careful can easily become overexcited leading to overthought and "living in the head".

 

Now, what does that have to do with a man and his sex "lessons"? Well, energy naturally wants to move to this lower area. Its a natural balance to your head. Ever notice how clear-headed you are after sex? It is up to "you" to evolve how you think and relate to this area and to find a constructive balance. One that allows you to experience and guide energy to these areas in a way that is SATISFYING. What a lot of people here fail to realize is that over"spiritualizing" this area leads to stagnation and actually FEEDS desire, yet too much physical stimulation here leads to drainage. It is up to you and only you to find a path/method that allows for a healthy relationship with sex. Want to know the health status of this chakra? Easy, go to a very public place and pay attention to how you see women. If your lower chakras are undernourished you will tend to see them through the eyes of lust. Your thoughts will tend to be drawn to this area more than you might like. Even conversing with a "pretty" girl could be difficult. At the level we currently live in it has to be stressed how individuated our energies are at this point. Different people will require different levels of balance and at different times in their live's. You need to tune into your body to know what balance is right based on what feels right for you. (yes the physical body people like to ignore and say doesn't exist ) It is vital for a man to pay attention to his OWN thoughts, feelings, desires and current perception of reality in order to more successfully discern problems in this area. Youd be surprised at how much of a mans issues stem from sex.

 

One of my favorite techniques to balance this area (for me anyway, because i tend to overthink and draw energy upwards) is when meditating think of the horniest/raunchiest images you can. Whatever opens this area are your "keys" no matter how disgusting your mental images could be. This is how your mind has learned to associate these energies and you MUST start HERE. Whatever makes you genuinely horny works. Hell even the girl in the miniskirt you saw at the mall will work. Feel this energy in your lower areas, use your mind to play with it, not hands . Pure sexual creativity here. Rock & thrust the hips, move the energy between the tailbone and pubic area. Relax into it and enjoy, have sex with your mind afterall sex is a brain experience . There will be a point where the energy will suddenly dissipate, like a mini-explosion and the area will feel very empty. The more you do this, the more energy you are able to experience before that 0-point. This is also the key exercise for all of you just wanting to screw your girlfriends for long periods of time lol. If you can master this technique physical sex will begin to become "obsolete". You get to experience great sex, exercise/strengthen your creative mind, and clear blockages in this area at the same time. <---Hint hint for all you transmutation folks. To progress this technique start having mental sex all over your body, even the heart is receptive to this. Mastering this technique along with cultivating emptiness/silence=god, and provides an enormously strong flow of healthy energy to the rest of the energy system (key to developing psychic energies) and bodies. I truly believe this combination to be one of the highest paths available to us, yes even up there with paths of love. And i can say this through my own experience (which may not mirror yours btw) For more info research sex with eros. Or here's one of my favorite links http://www.philhine.org.uk/writings/tt_erotchk.html The "ideal-type" lover image mentioned here is the same concept mentioned above, whatever mental image get's you fired up. See it/her entering and pleasuring whatever chakra or body part you may be working on. Non i hope you in particular are reading this, may be very helpful to people like you who just can't "let go" of sexual urges, you can satisfy them instead.

 

 

p.s. Didnt have a lot of time to write this, will proof-read later. : )

Edited May 21, 2011 by imonous