Me and myself

[Aaron]

Hehe, interesting..

 

 

Well, just thought I might add another $.02 here:

 

You might be stuck in your root (Saturn) chakra with your kundalini heating up there and thus pushing you up against your 2nd (Jupiter) chakra now. This could be why I saw a hot coil & a view past Saturn of Jupiter - and you keep seeing young sons (Jupiter being Saturn's son).

 

Often, a chakra is blocked by the one above it..So again, you might want to try solving your "Saturn complex" by focusing on clearing & optimizing your Jupiter aspect.

 

All just hypothetically speaking, of course...

 

Well to be completely honest I've never had a problem taking care of myself or working until this last year when the economy turned to crap. I found a job last week, so I'm hoping my recent financial woes will be history. As far as being poor or rich, I've never seen success as a measure of how much one makes, but rather of one's quality of life. Why make a million dollars if you're miserable, when you can make $10 an hour and be happy? I have no doubts if I buckled down and wrote a book my financial woes would be nonexistent, but I just don't have the desire to really write about anything. My goal in life is to live a good life, not necessarily one where I'll be financially well off.

 

Aaron

Edited October 30, 2011 by Twinner

[Jetsun]

I read every day about how you can deal with your problems using the Chakra map of reality, but when I ask what practical methods this leads to I usually draw a blank or something useless like Reiki. So your problems are root chakra based, ok now what? it's basically the same as a psychoanalyst saying your problems are from your childhood, it's interesting information but doesn't actually help you except to vaguely point in a general direction of what needs healing. There are all these different maps which analyse and diagnose people but very few of these maps actually provide any practical solutions for these sorts of problems as far as I can see.

[Protector]

I create things like this on purpose and this is how I deal with them, pick one

 

 

Change perspective to understand it

Then go where they are just energy and breath them in

They are you and they are a part of you, they just don't know their place like you don't seem to, from your stress. Practice forgiveness

[Birch]

I read every day about how you can deal with your problems using the Chakra map of reality, but when I ask what practical methods this leads to I usually draw a blank or something useless like Reiki. So your problems are root chakra based, ok now what? it's basically the same as a psychoanalyst saying your problems are from your childhood, it's interesting information but doesn't actually help you except to vaguely point in a general direction of what needs healing. There are all these different maps which analyse and diagnose people but very few of these maps actually provide any practical solutions for these sorts of problems as far as I can see.

 

Jetsun, IMO these things are to do with distance and using people's attention to help them look at things in a different way that they can work with. It's one of those oblique methods that uses resonance to resolve things. IMO it's up there with CBT. Getting people to change their thoughts and beliefs head on runs into that tricky issue of identity and i think we know how far people (including myself) will go to defend it. Have a look at some of the "persuasion" literature out there. An especially scary one is "Split-second persuasion". For me, this stuff is the "new witchcraft" :-)

[RiverSnake]

I read every day about how you can deal with your problems using the Chakra map of reality, but when I ask what practical methods this leads to I usually draw a blank or something useless like Reiki. So your problems are root chakra based, ok now what? it's basically the same as a psychoanalyst saying your problems are from your childhood, it's interesting information but doesn't actually help you except to vaguely point in a general direction of what needs healing. There are all these different maps which analyse and diagnose people but very few of these maps actually provide any practical solutions for these sorts of problems as far as I can see.

 

One of the biggest problems on and off the path is that individuals are ignorant that their ignorant. Bringing awareness to the idea that we have a problem is a intrinsic step in cultivation and can be a trigger for deeper commitment to developing ourselves...it certainly was for me.

 

I practice reiki. It is not useless.

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

Edited October 31, 2011 by OldGreen

[Marblehead]

Bringing awareness to the idea that we have a problem is a intrinsic step in cultivation and can be a trigger for deeper commitment to developing ourselves...it certainly was for me.

 

Yes, this is the first and most important step. And regretfully it is oftentimes the hardest step for most people because it is not 'they' who have a problem but it is 'others' and 'conditions' that are causing 'us' a problem.

 

Denial/blame is a really simple process for our mind.

[Jetsun]

Jetsun, IMO these things are to do with distance and using people's attention to help them look at things in a different way that they can work with. It's one of those oblique methods that uses resonance to resolve things. IMO it's up there with CBT. Getting people to change their thoughts and beliefs head on runs into that tricky issue of identity and i think we know how far people (including myself) will go to defend it. Have a look at some of the "persuasion" literature out there. An especially scary one is "Split-second persuasion". For me, this stuff is the "new witchcraft" :-)

 

For me personally the chakra map of problems did exactly the same as the psychological map, absolutely nothing, I could rant about this subject all day as it is a subject close to my heart yet I shouldn't apply my own experience to everyone else. This area of healing is still a place of frustration for me because when I tried to heal my own wounds all I found were explanations and theories without any practical solutions, you could fill an entire library with psychological literature explaining peoples problems and you would be lucky to find one person who presents a solution in all those mountains of text. Many of those published "experts" infact made people more sick. CBT is presented as a solution by those people who are completely stuck in their head, without realising that being so head based is a sickness in itself.

 

The Chakra model I see as little different, you try to address a Chakra individually then you get told that the different chakras are connected and some you have to heal together and it gets more and more complicated and no two peope agree on the way it should be done or agree on a workable method to heal chakras.

 

The Chinese organ theory tries to be more practical yet it seems inadequate and too simplified to deal with some problems, for example you can't dismiss the problems you may have from abuse as exclusively a kidney or liver problem as much as the abusers would probably like you to, you will be going into denial territory if that's all you focus on.

 

All the approaches and theories which try to approach healing on this level seem inadequate to me.

[Protector]

5 elements are even more "interesting", I can think of 3 emotional cycles, 2 color cycles, 1 taste cycle, knowing that there must be a smell cycle somewhere and when you think you got it figured out, there's a second fire elements which makes it a 6 element system

[konchog uma]

 

I practice reiki. It is not useless.

 

 

neither are chakras.

 

i was waiting for someone to say it

[konchog uma]

All the approaches and theories which try to approach healing on this level seem inadequate to me.

 

I see in your comments only criticism, what do you advocate? What level do you approach healing from?

 

when it comes to healing from childhood traumas and energy/mental blockages, that is?

 

or any level you want to get into for that matter.

 

Nothing personal btw, genuinely curious. I've healed immensely w chakra work, and my girlfriend has healed, and healed me, with reiki. I also find the internal organs/emotions map to be accurate and helpful. So i don't understand what you're saying

[Jetsun]

I see in your comments only criticism, what do you advocate? What level do you approach healing from?

 

when it comes to healing from childhood traumas and energy/mental blockages, that is?

 

or any level you want to get into for that matter.

 

Nothing personal btw, genuinely curious. I've healed immensely w chakra work, and my girlfriend has healed, and healed me, with reiki. I also find the internal organs/emotions map to be accurate and helpful. So i don't understand what you're saying

 

The most powerful healing form I have found is Shamanic work with Ayahuasca but I can't really recommend it for all people as it is working in methods completely alien to the Western mind, so you would have to really feel ready or called to use it and would have to be done with the appropriate support.

 

There is a woman who used to be on this site who wrote a book about healing of childhood traumas using Bruce Frantzis' Water Method, so that is something which could dissolve traumas and problems for some people. I don't know of any other Taoist methods which have testimonials of healing in this area but I would be really interested if anyone knows of any others.

 

The basic lesson from my experience is that if you weren't listened to as child then you probably won't listen to yourself as an adult, so the solution is to learn how to listen to your real self, listen to your body and your emotions without trying to change them and I have found trying to follow other peoples maps of reality can be a barrier to this process so I generally think you are better off throwing most of them away.

[konchog uma]

The most powerful healing form I have found is Shamanic work with Ayahuasca but I can't really recommend it for all people as it is working in methods completely alien to the Western mind, so you would have to really feel ready or called to use it and would have to be done with the appropriate support.

 

i have eaten san pedro in the presence of 15 other people who had eaten ayahuasca, and had ayahuasca visions as a result. (There was a shaman presiding over the ceremony btw). The cactus was very nice to me and i didn't purge or feel sick at all. It took my hand and walked me to a warm happy healing place and said don't do any more power plants you don't need them anymore. So i haven't since then. That was 3 years ago. Thats the closest i ever came to ayahuasca. I can agree it was very healing for many who used it, but for me it was a different experience kind of a gatekeeper to get away from entheogens. Different for everyone of course. Prior to that i used psylocibin mushrooms and mescaline cactus to heal from a lot of trauma. So in my own way i agree with you.

 

There is a woman who used to be on this site who wrote a book about healing of childhood traumas using Bruce Frantzis' Water Method, so that is something which could dissolve traumas and problems for some people. I don't know of any other Taoist methods which have testimonials of healing in this area but I would be really interested if anyone knows of any others.

 

I am just taking detailed notes now on a method outlined by Damo Mitchell in Daoist Nei Gong called Sung Breathing. There isn't much information about it via web search, and he says its an "indoor" method passed down only to indoor students. It involves a series of intentions, visualizations, and motions designed to root out pain and habitual tension in the muscles, tendons, fasciae, etc. I have done it once, and it was effective. So i am taking notes as i said. Maybe it will lead to great healing for me, i have to practice it more to say.

 

I would like to hear more about what works for people when it comes to healing deep trauma too... i suffered a classic angry abusive alcoholic father who did a good deal of damage to my psyche during my formative years. Thats all i'm really gonna say about it, it was ugly, and i could tell horror stories but i won't. I am intent on healing, and thats all that matters to me now.

[C T]

I would like to hear more about what works for people when it comes to healing deep trauma too...

Jim Carrey shares his story....

 

 

 

A dedication here to all those on the healing path, and to those who yearn to experience healing ~

Edited October 31, 2011 by C T

[Birch]

For me personally the chakra map of problems did exactly the same as the psychological map, absolutely nothing, I could rant about this subject all day as it is a subject close to my heart yet I shouldn't apply my own experience to everyone else. This area of healing is still a place of frustration for me because when I tried to heal my own wounds all I found were explanations and theories without any practical solutions, you could fill an entire library with psychological literature explaining peoples problems and you would be lucky to find one person who presents a solution in all those mountains of text. Many of those published "experts" infact made people more sick. CBT is presented as a solution by those people who are completely stuck in their head, without realising that being so head based is a sickness in itself.

 

The Chakra model I see as little different, you try to address a Chakra individually then you get told that the different chakras are connected and some you have to heal together and it gets more and more complicated and no two peope agree on the way it should be done or agree on a workable method to heal chakras.

 

The Chinese organ theory tries to be more practical yet it seems inadequate and too simplified to deal with some problems, for example you can't dismiss the problems you may have from abuse as exclusively a kidney or liver problem as much as the abusers would probably like you to, you will be going into denial territory if that's all you focus on.

 

All the approaches and theories which try to approach healing on this level seem inadequate to me.

Well I'd quite like to hear the rant:-) I personally found the chakra stuff got more physical stuff "out there" than other things I've tried. I found it (KAP) to be a rollercoaster of a "ride". And I'm quite happy things have calmed down :-)

I think yes that some people have their "head" in the way more than others. I also suggest that approaches that take what sounds like a purely physical issue like Chinese organ methods have some "lost in translation" issues. You know where a liver is not just "the liver". It's all the chi that goes with it. I suggest this is a way to acknowledge the person's feelings and circumstances in a way that avoids conflit but tells everyone "ok, we know what's going on here" (Aside from what seems to be a real physical correlation between organs and feelings etc. Maybe one day the West will have enough neurobiology under it to agree?) When we offer pills for sadness, we forget the person who is sad and how that sadness comes about. I think Hopononono is another one that will attribute a child's sickness for example to it's wider family. No getting out of responsibility for anyone, including the child.

Abuse is a tough topic.

[Birch]

i have eaten san pedro in the presence of 15 other people who had eaten ayahuasca, and had ayahuasca visions as a result. (There was a shaman presiding over the ceremony btw). The cactus was very nice to me and i didn't purge or feel sick at all. It took my hand and walked me to a warm happy healing place and said don't do any more power plants you don't need them anymore. So i haven't since then. That was 3 years ago. Thats the closest i ever came to ayahuasca. I can agree it was very healing for many who used it, but for me it was a different experience kind of a gatekeeper to get away from entheogens. Different for everyone of course. Prior to that i used psylocibin mushrooms and mescaline cactus to heal from a lot of trauma. So in my own way i agree with you.

 

 

 

I am just taking detailed notes now on a method outlined by Damo Mitchell in Daoist Nei Gong called Sung Breathing. There isn't much information about it via web search, and he says its an "indoor" method passed down only to indoor students. It involves a series of intentions, visualizations, and motions designed to root out pain and habitual tension in the muscles, tendons, fasciae, etc. I have done it once, and it was effective. So i am taking notes as i said. Maybe it will lead to great healing for me, i have to practice it more to say.

 

I would like to hear more about what works for people when it comes to healing deep trauma too... i suffered a classic angry abusive alcoholic father who did a good deal of damage to my psyche during my formative years. Thats all i'm really gonna say about it, it was ugly, and i could tell horror stories but i won't. I am intent on healing, and thats all that matters to me now.

What worked for me was a really sympathetic therapist who acknowledged that what i went through was wrong and then suggested that the biggest revenge would be to live not driven from any of those things. Did not require any participation or admission on anyone else's part.

Also:

- KAP

- Homeopathy

- Emptiness meditation

- A good supportive forum of people doing similar stuff DIY:-)

- Lately, the Yuen method. Pretty weird stuff but seems to be effective on connections to resonant BS

[konchog uma]

- KAP

 

i'm glad that is working for you, a lot of people here seem to like it! I do different chakra work but inner light is awesome

 

- Homeopathy

 

love it! my family doctor growing up was a homeopath.. my godmother is a homeopath.. i have always been surrounded by homeopathy, and i love it

 

- Emptiness meditation

 

also love it, do it every day

 

- A good supportive forum of people doing similar stuff DIY:-)

 

im surprised at how much TTB adds to my daily life. I didn't expect joining would be so neat

 

- Lately, the Yuen method. Pretty weird stuff but seems to be effective on connections to resonant BS

 

got a link you like?

[Aaron]

I've actually done a lot of different types of therapy in my past to deal with abuse and the one that worked the best was the Twelve Steps (even if I don't attend meetings anymore). Essentially the twelve steps encourages one who is suffering to look within and find the root causes of their suffering. For me it had to do with fear. I know that my initial post and recent posts may lead some to believe I suffer from a great deal of depression and anxiety over my past experiences, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. Yes I have a weird mind and I'm not normal in any sense, but I also have a great deal of contentment in my life that stems from the knowledge that shit happens to everyone and it's not so much what happens that's important, but what you do with it.

 

Now one can't do a fearless moral inventory of themselves and just stop and expect change to happen, part of it is realizing one's effect on others as well. The twelve steps encourages one to actively right the wrongs of their past and also right the wrongs they make in the present, so they do not repeat the same behaviors that led them to suffer in the first place. This includes understanding the limits of one's control over their environment, that the world does not revolve around them, and that the only one responsible for the way you are, in the end, is you.

 

Of course one of the chief offenders for the cause of suffering is resentment, so one is also encouraged to examine their resentments and let them go. This takes active work, not just prayer, but understanding the cause of the resentment and taking steps to be rid of it, including changing one's attitude about the person, thing, or situation that is causing the resentment.

 

(An example is that the person who abused me as a child is very successful today, earning in excess of five figures each year, much more than I make. I could easily say this isn't fair, but then I would have to ask myself why? A person's wealth isn't determined by their moral compass, but by their ability to earn money. If I believe that one deserves good things because they have suffered, then I am fooling myself. In the end what happens in a person's life is dictated by what they choose to do with their life. If I want money, then I need only apply myself and I can earn it.)

 

Ironically (maybe it's not ironic but rather coincidental) these practices are also found in those who actively seek enlightenment in their life, they're just brought about less intensely. In my own experience with meditation, I have found that meditation alone does not bring one closer to awareness, but it also requires deep reflection upon the nature of who one is and understanding that their is something greater than themselves that exists that they can rely on. For me that greater power is compassion, for others it may be God, Shiva, the notion of good, or a multitude of other things.

 

The bottom line is that the more one is trapped in the past, the less they can do to make their present a positive place to be.

 

I've said this all before, so it's nothing new, but I thought it deserved a repeat, not just for my benefit, but for anyone who is struggling with the past.

 

Aaron

 

edit- One thing I failed to mention about my inner home, is that it's not a dank, dreary place to be anymore. My own change in attitude has also been reflected in the people within this home. My main concern is that I thought when I came to terms with my past that this would allow the other people within me to finally be free, because I thought that perhaps they were trapped by my own suffering, but what I realize is that from great suffering they were born, but it is through understanding the nature of living that they exist now. Maybe they are more fortunate than me, because they are still innocent and childlike. Perhaps my lesson here is not being rid of them, but trying to understand how they retained that nature, so I can achieve the measure of peace and simplicity they seem to have.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Twinner

[Birch]

Anamatava, I'd need to dig around for the links I like.

OT, what is it with "spirtual" websites (not all of them;-)) that they seem to go all out tacky with things? Enough lotuses already!

Isn't there some kind of web feng shui? And what of techniques like Ya Mu's of layering in qi to texts and such? Or putting magic symbols on things?

Is that, ur, "ethical"?

[manitou]

Aaron - as one who has also grappled with the 12 steps, you couldn't have put things better. The conscious desire (no, necessity in our particular cases) to go back into our personal histories and try and rectify things which were mangled is a spiritual clearing house extraordinaire, IMO.

 

Once the template for inner examination is acquired, then it seems to stay there forever; causing us to examine our behavior daily. LOL, since doing this, I sure put out a whole lot less bad 'karma', or cause and effect, or whatever you want to call it. Life has gotten pretty darned pleasant for Joe and I, both recover-ers.

[Aaron]

Aaron - as one who has also grappled with the 12 steps, you couldn't have put things better. The conscious desire (no, necessity in our particular cases) to go back into our personal histories and try and rectify things which were mangled is a spiritual clearing house extraordinaire, IMO.

 

Once the template for inner examination is acquired, then it seems to stay there forever; causing us to examine our behavior daily. LOL, since doing this, I sure put out a whole lot less bad 'karma', or cause and effect, or whatever you want to call it. Life has gotten pretty darned pleasant for Joe and I, both recover-ers.

 

 

I think once you develop self examination as a regular practice, you tend to notice when you're not practicing it. The one great aspect of the Twelve Steps program is that those who practice it tend to be able to handle life's problems in a realistic way, address those issues they can address and let go of those they can't. It's very much a program that teaches you to live in the here and now, rather than the future and past.

 

Aaron

[RiverSnake]

Aaron - as one who has also grappled with the 12 steps, you couldn't have put things better. The conscious desire (no, necessity in our particular cases) to go back into our personal histories and try and rectify things which were mangled is a spiritual clearing house extraordinaire, IMO.

 

Once the template for inner examination is acquired, then it seems to stay there forever; causing us to examine our behavior daily. LOL, since doing this, I sure put out a whole lot less bad 'karma', or cause and effect, or whatever you want to call it. Life has gotten pretty darned pleasant for Joe and I, both recover-ers.

 

"A mind once expanded, can never return to its original dimensions" Anna Hathaway

 

-My 2 cents, Peace