uroburro Posted November 16, 2006 (edited) Hi All, I am currently studying Healing Tao and Pan Gu Shengong practices. I attended the HT Chi Kung fundamentals (1-4) retreat last summer, and am working my way through the HT Fusion 1 CDs now. I will be going to SanFran in December to study with Master Ou, Wen Wei. I have recently started the PGSG moving form, and am reading the Path of Life book. I have read the Pan Gu Mystical Qigong book, and will be re-reading it (thanks Michael Udel, your posts triggered something inside me). I am also starting to work my way through the scholarly books; I recently finished James Miller's Daoism, An Introduction, and am reading Livia Kohn's The Taoist Experience: An Anthology. I started studying martial arts in '73; Judo -> Shotokan Karate -> Taekwondo ->Wing Chun Kung fu, then in '78, Tai Chi. The Tai Chi form I learned was described as a blend of Yang and Wu. I learned it from Larry Anderson in Chicago. The lineage, which was not Larry's thing, was described as Da Liu (maybe) -> Robert Cheng -> Larry Anderson. The form is one of the classical versions: 108 move one person form, a short 2 person push hands form, a 48 move 2 person 'San so', and a Sword form. I studied these forms intensely for 8 years, devoting the majority of my time during that period to study, while working just enough to barely pay my bills. During my Tai Chi days, I thought I had all the answers, and was extremely dogmatic in my approach to Life. The birth of my daughter changed all that, and taught me far more about Life than I had learned in my ascetic days. I realized that I had been insisting on living Life on my terms, rather than on Its terms. This turned out to be a long and painful lesson. After my daughter was born I stopped studying Tai Chi with any teacher, and practiced and taught it on my own. Though I thought Tai Chi was the answer I had been seeking most of my life - I have been interested in the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the martial arts as far back as I can remember - as I continued my practice I still felt a certain emptiness. Larry's approach to Tai Chi was very stripped down. Discussion of chi, much less shen, jing, inner alchemy, never happened. The form was a tool used to find the most efficient way to move, and to find out if you were really 'going for it' and being totally 'honest' (see Carlos Casteneda). I use quotes, as in retrospect I realize that those terms did not mean what I thought they did. A couple of years ago I was laid off from a job I had. During my downtime, and the beginning of a complete re-examination of my life that is still on-going, I stumbled onto Ken Cohen's Qigong video in the library. My previous exposure to Chi Kung was watching 2 noted practitioners in the Chicago and Oak Park area. I did not like either one, as both of them were into hurting people, intentionally or otherwise, with their knowledge. In the late 80's I also read a cultivating sexual energy book from Mantak Chia, but ended up injuring myself via pressure on the Million Dollar point. Ken Cohen however touched off something inside me. I read his books, and started practicing the form on his video. From there I went to John DuCane's site, and picked up a couple of his DVDs, and then landed on Michael Winn's Healing Tao site. I read his Inner smile book, and something opened up inside me. That was over a year ago, and the unfolding continues. I am now trying to figure out what the next step in my life is. I know that what I have been doing professionally for the last 10 years is not working for me. Fortunately, my wife and daughter also know that this is true. I know that I am completely devoted to the Path, but I do not yet know how financial support will take place along the Way. I will be looking into teacher certification for the HTIA and Pan Gu systems, and am also actively looking around for other great teachers. Yours in Way-making, Michael Edited November 17, 2006 by uroburro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voice Posted November 17, 2006 Michael, Great intro! You seem to be doing really well at your way-making -- so much more complex and rewarding than just subsuming ourself to someone else's way. Good luck working out the job thing. So difficult to figure out what we can do, what we want to do, what pays "well enough", allows us to support children etc. Whatever the job, it allows connections with which we can deepen our "spiritual" practice. Chris Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trunk Posted November 18, 2006 Michael, Welcome, and best of luck with your sorting-out. A moving intro, clearly a lot of deep dedication - and the conflicts that come with it. This board can be a real resource; posted questions/topics draw diverse responses from an assortment of experience cultivators. Trunk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandTrinity Posted November 20, 2006 Very cool! I like how you are going with James Miller and Livia's material, very academicaly grounded. Komjathy too. Also, you found Winn's path is surely a nice introduction to Daoist Alchemy. I feel you about the profesional thing... You might want to check out and read Wudangtao.com Their Tai Chi Chi Kung, I think, is something you might want to learn, practice and teach. Wu Dang is serious! Look at the seminar link on the Wu Dang page, where they desribe all the classes they could offer to teach??? That is amazing! The Shibashi Qi Gong is the same form of Wu Dan Tai Chi CHi Kung 1, 18 movements. I will video record myself doing it, or teaching it soon for posting online. I feel that doing research with Qi Gong is perhaps more important than making a "job" out of it, although these two things do not need to conflict. Everyone, these days, is interested in preventative and integrative medicine! Health care is the biggest industry in the world, trillions of dollars, spirits and hearts... Keep training in WU DAng and you could start to teach at a medical school! Med schools are open to this stuff now... check out the podcast interview with the Qi Gong institute founder, whose 86 years old... very interesting stuff. Welcome! Oh, and keep us posted on the trianing with Ou Wen Wei - that is a great form that will heal a lot of people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sean Posted November 25, 2006 Welcome. Great introduction. Living in the Bay Area myself, I've considered studying the Pan Gu Shengong as well. I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on this form sometime if you get a chance. How would you compare it to the other approaches you've been exposed to. Thanks, Sean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
