30 minute 30 day mentorships

[thelerner]

Does this make sense? I'm imagining one month mentorships, where for a month one person gives another a practice that should take 10 to 30 minutes. There would be short daily feedback for advice and encouragement.

Many people here have practices they find invaluable and are amazed few do them. They run the gamut from Zhan Zang to Mantras. I'm envisioning this as focused on a single practice. It should be taken seriously, done daily, with short emails to each other regularly.

Trying large classes, often doesn't work well. But I wonder if 1 on 1, a single practice would be more conducive for this kind of medium.

What do you think? Any interest? 30 days could start a lifetimes practice.

For example I stink at dream work, but its an area I really want to get into. It'd be great for me to have a mentor who has experience. On the other hand I have experience with Ecstatic Kabalah and Rawn Clarks IHVH chants. For the right person it'd be an interesting introduction to the field.

The practice could be simple or complex, its the feedback and dedication that will make it special.

 

>edit expanding the scope of this idea:

 

To include 30 Day Yin Yan Self Improvement Promise.

 

30 Day Yin Yan Self Improvement Promise: You make a 30 day commitment to subtract a habit and start a habit to fill the void left by the subtraction. The habit should be a specific easily measured thing. Example: I will not eat blank (wheat/sugar/fries) and I will have a blank each day (juice/salad/green smoothie/sasquatch) (subtraction).

 

Here's mine- I will not watch TV in November. Instead when I feel the urge I will- meditate/exercise/walk.

 

This shouldn't be too hard. Good to start out easy. Next month diet. No vegetable starches, potatoes, corn. Positive Have a green or colorful low sugar smoothie every day. Third month maybe something harder no baked grain ie grain/cake. Positive eat good salad and soup each day.

 

The idea is to grow- gain some discipline and develop the 'will power' muscle. The hope is this becomes a consistent practice. Subtracting something bad, gaining something healthful. Yin/Yan, bringing life into a better balance.

Edited October 28, 2013 by thelerner

[thelerner]

I'm game. Will exchange dream work for Ecstatic Kabalah and IHVH chants.

That is so cool. I am always amazed at the insights in your writing. My idea wasn't for this to necessarily be an exchange, but I'm quite happy with your offer.

 

I'll PM you with my ideas on how to start.

Edited September 25, 2011 by thelerner

[thelerner]

Hmnn, not to much band wagon jumping so far.

 

The point of this thread is to get people involved with each other and a short practice for 30 days. I've made a mentorship connection with TaoMeow that will start in October and I'm very happy.

 

What I'm hoping to see is others post to say they're up for a mentorship and see who bites and how.

 

As TaoMeow has said there's not a whole lot of coaching in dreamwork, but the point is it puts a little pressure on me to succeed; someone I'll report progress and problems to. A person with some experience.

 

We have some very talented people here. They're a resource we're not taking advantage of. We are too disconnected. Again I'm envisioning entering a 30 day period with another member here. It shouldn't take too much time, <30 minutes, nor should the emails back and forth, they should be kept on target. We're here to explore and learn a new practice.

 

So I encourage other people to post here and say 'I'm open for a mentorship, I'm interested in X' or 'I know Y, is anyone interested in me sharing it with you?' Or drop the X's and Y's and just say your open to learning or teaching.

 

Michael

Edited September 25, 2011 by thelerner

[Sloppy Zhang]

Well I don't have anything to give, and I'm not really looking out for anything right now.... so.... yeah, I'm just doing my part to let it die?

 

I don't know if it's a good idea, or if there is a better alternative.

 

On the one hand, I think it's good. But on the other, it is a time commitment. You'd have to check in every day (?). The teacher would be putting themselves up there, and there's no guarantee that they'll be partnered up with a good student.

 

There ARE lots of good people here. I think what may be a good alternative is if we made use of the articles section. Maybe ask Taomeow to do a piece on dreams, Ya Mu to do a piece on foundational practices in preparation for his Stillness Movement, as 5ET to do a piece on spirit fighting or some of his Thunder Wizard Path. Obviously some people have their own sites, books, and other resources. But it might be good to host some material here, so that people get a good idea.

 

I'm a "do it yourself" person with an eye for practical. So I, for one, wouldn't be so hot on another theoretical essay (not that those aren't good). But if a new person is trying to find a practice, and isn't sure what to do, and maybe would like to travel for a Stillness Movement seminar, or work with fiveelementtao, but wanted a better idea of what some practice would be like, a solid foundational/preparatory practice presented would be good. 5ET has some great free videos up on his youtube page for the Thunder Wizard Path, so maybe a little article to go along with some of those practices would be good.

 

That way quality material would still be spread around from some of the quality people here, but if something were to happen where a mentee/student couldn't follow through on a practice, it's not like the whole month would have gone to waste. And this way, new people coming in would have a lot of practical where they could try out a practice on their own before deciding whether or not it's something they'd like to actually physically/financially spend money on.

Edited September 25, 2011 by Sloppy Zhang

[zerostao]

sounds like a good idea and a good opportunity.

for me there is a synchronicity at play(as usual) this time however

is not so good for me. the past year i have had plenty of free time and would have

enjoyed being on either side of this, both even.

right now tho, my time is alot tighter.

i will check back when that changes.

[konchog uma]

michael, i think your idea is awesome. I had to check myself and see if i knew enough to mentor someone, and if i had the time. Then, if i wanted to do this in the first place.

 

i can help someone who wants to learn kuji-in. That is spirit mind strengthening by building chakras.

 

also, if someone is just beginning to cultivate the way, i can help them with meditation in general.

 

I do not have any real desires for training or practices that i am not already engaged in. I am studying qigong right now, and if someone wanted to mentor me in that, i would accept. So as far as what i am looking for, i don't know. I am open to lots of things, not limited to qigong. But i would like to learn yi jin jing and xi sui jing, and we do not study that in class.

 

i look forward to seeing more people offer mentorship on this thread. Bless you michael! lovely idea

 

[gendao]

Of recent or relatively active posters, I'd love to learn (just a few off the top of my head):

 

Hundun - qigong

zerostao - Baguazhang

fiveelementtao - spirit fighting

Clarity - Yuen Method

Taomeow - Shamanism/divination

Trunk - acupressure

Etc.

 

Maybe we could start compiling a personnel/skills listing, lol?

 

I'm not really of their calibur to be able to offer a worthy exchange (nor do I have much time right now), but it would be cool if maybe they could just post an open primer covering some of their basics (article or vid).

Edited September 26, 2011 by vortex

[thelerner]

..I had to check myself and see if i knew enough to mentor someone, and if i had the time. Then, if i wanted to do this in the first place.

 

Mentorship may be too loaded a word. Maybe what I'm suggesting is closer to sharing. I don't expect actual teachers to be involved in this, because they're professionals and are paid(rightly so) to teach. I do hope that if you're going to share something with someone else you have a level of expertise above beginner.

 

Honestly for many people to have a 'mentor' relationship with the goal of better sitting or zhan zang standing is perfect. If you don't have a regular practice, or if you want to deepen one getting advice and feedback from a senior student is going to help. It will also help the mentor, because to teach is to relearn.

 

I'd recommend keeping the practice simple. There is nothing wrong with basics. I Want to have Lucid Dreams, Astral Travelings, but what I'm working on is dream recall. Slow and steady wins the race, move along step by step and you climb mountains.

 

 

There is another agenda too. That is bringing people a little closer together. Send emails back and forth for a month and you know what..you've probably made a friend; and thats invaluable in this world.

Edited September 26, 2011 by thelerner

[Sloppy Zhang]

Of recent or relatively active posters, I'd love to learn (just a few off the top of my head):

 

Hundun - qigong

zerostao - Baguazhang

fiveelementtao - spirit fighting

Clarity - Yuen Method

Taomeow - Shamanism/divination

Trunk - acupressure

Etc.

 

Maybe we could start compiling a personnel/skills listing, lol?

 

I'm not really of their calibur to be able to offer a worthy exchange (nor do I have much time right now), but it would be cool if maybe they could just post an open primer covering some of their basics (article or vid).

 

For the sake of compiling a list, I'd like to add:

 

Pietro - I Ching/lots of wonderful other Taoist knowledge.

Edited September 26, 2011 by Sloppy Zhang

[Protector]

Hi, soooo...

yeah...

 

I'm in, teach me something. Maybe share a qi-gong routine or teach me bagua/tai-chi/xin yi form you guys do. Can't think of anything to give back now but maybe in these 30 days we can connect and when you ask me something I will be able to answer.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

I'd liek to request either a subforum for this topic, so that individual threads for practice exchanges can be made, or, more likely, this topic be pinned for convenience.

 

 

I'm not terribly well known with anything (as far as i know) but i am all for giving feedback on what i pracatice!

[thelerner]

I'd liek to request either a subforum for this topic, so that individual threads for practice exchanges can be made, or, more likely, this topic be pinned for convenience.

Not a bad idea, but my thinking is most of the correspondence will be through Private Messages here between people. Keep it simple. Slow, steady progress.

 

Just a few lines a day on how things are going in the discipline. Ofcourse everyone is different.

[Protector]

Can somebody at least tell me where to learn 8 silk online

[Tung]

Exelent idea thelerner, I realy hope people will trye this out.

 

I dont think I can be of mutch help to any one, but this idea has my love.

 

Tung.

[doc benway]

Great idea!

 

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Moderation Alert!

 

Pinned

 

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[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Not a bad idea, but my thinking is most of the correspondence will be through Private Messages here between people. Keep it simple. Slow, steady progress.

 

Just a few lines a day on how things are going in the discipline. Ofcourse everyone is different.

 

 

All the better tp keep it pinned!

[konchog uma]

I have started to mentor Hot Nirvana Judo Trend in kuji-in. So i am always available to any bum who wants to PM me about it to talk or ask questions, but i am not able to respond to any more mentoring requests at this time.

 

Thanks everyone.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

I have spent about a week or two, mostly contemplating what anamatva has presented me, until today. The results are simply beyond expectation. Paranormal might be an accurate description, if i believed in a "para"normal or "super"natural

 

 

This is an awakening for me, to something that i have so secretly cultivated that even I, my own self, HAD NO IDEA how far I have advanced in cultivation and practice.

 

Such that i had no formal understanding of what i was doing, any genuine potential internal recognition would, until today, have been lost on me.

 

I see now how far i've truly come, and that I am, indeed, very capable of practicing and cultivating more than i thought, nay, more than i thought i already have.

 

 

My gratitude to anamatva for what he has so graciously shared.

 

 

 

Many blessings to this thread, this board, this forum, this website, that others too may reap the vast benefits available here.

[manitou]

On the appearance, this won't seem pertinent at all.

 

If anybody wishes to work the 12 steps of recovery to get to their Source, I'd be happy to work with them. This template is not fun.

[Kali Yuga]

Hey Guys..

 

I am wondering, is anyone else an adept at the methods of dreamwork, lucid dreams and astral traveling? These are also the things that I would love to work with and learn, seeing as methods in books haven't helped me a whole lot. Is there any way I could have TaoMeow when you're done Lerner? or maybe someone else who is also pretty good at these things that i've mentioned above. I am very much interested in lucid dreams and astral travel.

 

 

 

also, the skill that I can teach:

 

I am very skilled in the technique of restoring balance to the body caused by common ailments, through a certain kind of meditative technique that I've developed. It speeds up vastly the recuperation period required for the body to bring itself back to healthy vibrancy. Where other people's colds , soreness and other common ailments tend to bog them down for days, my recuperation for anything has always been cut down to the minimum through my mastery of the technique.

 

My technique is very simple, yet incredibly effective at curing small stuff throughout the day, but what is required is at least 10 minutes in order for it to be effective. You always want to have the small stuff handled because they tend to build up into one big thing if you don't address them. This technique is more effective than most prescription medicine, much healthier, and does not cost a dime.

 

I'm willing to teach this most prized technique of mine, provided that that person is serious about learning it and will put it to good use, and won't just keep it on them as book knowledge, because to not utilize and practice it in daily life is to squander it.

 

 

 

if karma's good, then I'll learn something cool from the things I mentioned above. If not, that's fine as it's always good to pay the kindness forward.

 

 

Kali

[thelerner]

We're approaching a new month. I admire Kali for putting an offer out there. I hope others follow suit and we have some good mentorships going on.

[Taomeow]

We're approaching a new month. I admire Kali for putting an offer out there. I hope others follow suit and we have some good mentorships going on.

 

So, the first try has taught me that two proverbs, a Chinese and a Russian one, are right on the money:

"don't travel in two boats simultaneously by placing one foot in each,"'

and

"if you chase after two rabbits at once, you'll catch neither."

 

Meaning, it is probably better to take turns -- one is a student, the other one is a mentor -- and give a month to each before changing roles -- than trying to combine teaching a new student and learning a new skill. I had to review what I know on lucid dreaming and only yesterday found exactly what I wanted to share to begin with (a taoist routine for LD that requires some preparation/prerequisites on the part of the student... I forgot completely that I used to do this one, LD is not at the center of my own current practices and hasn't been in a long enough time for me to forget some of the best stuff); while Michael found something from the start that resonated with him (an LD/kabbalah combo which I'm not familiar with), so we probably needed a month dedicated exclusively to his work to sort things out. In the meantime, I got busy in RL and Michael's excellent material, instructions, and experience with the subject he was to teach me (ecstatic kaballah) didn't quite elicit the kind of dedication from me they deserve, because I was juggling too many balls while jumping through too many hoops as it were. So, I still want to pursue the study, but better timing would yield better results... Hence my experience-derived advice to others who might follow suit:

 

don't travel in two boats simultaneously by placing one foot in each,

and

don't chase after two rabbits at once or you'll catch neither.

[thelerner]

 

Meaning, it is probably better to take turns -- one is a student, the other one is a mentor -- and give a month to each before changing roles -- than trying to combine teaching a new student and learning a new skill.

 

Wise words. I didn't originally envision the mentorship to go both ways.

 

Computers and email are a relatively impersonal medium. In someways the best a mentor can do is open a door, show a route. Let a person know the possibilities and problems along the path and offer encouragement.

 

I encourage other people to get involved. I've gained from having a mentor who is intuned with the Shamanic and Taoist traditions.

[thelerner]

We're closing on a new month and new year.

 

If you have something you'd like to learn. Give a shout out and see if there is a practitioner here who could give advice and act as a coach. Same if you'd like to mentor someone in an aspect of an art you have some proficiency in.

 

 

I see this as a small step practice. Nothing aggrandized, one month of practice with guidance and feedback by someone who's has some level of expertise in it. Small steps, consistent practice.

 

 

Michael

[Aetherous]

I am interested in learning rare and special things...if you want to share something like that PM me!