Damo Mitchell Interview for TBS May 2014

[Apech]

Now posted in Interview section as a pdf for download.

 

http://thetaobums.com/topic/34992-damo-mitchell-interview-for-tbs-may-2014/?p=549696

 

Its worth a read.

 

Apech

Edited May 28, 2014 by Apech

[JohnC]

Awwwweeeesoooome.

[Jetsun]

Very interesting read, thanks!!

[JohnC]

Highlights:

Those studying Daoism have a great challenge ahead of them as they are trying to silence the acquired

nature and contact their true consciousness whilst living in a world which is essentially run and directed

towards strengthening the acquired mind. In order to effectively go deep into our practice we have to be able

to see beyond the shackles of our own society and not allow it to form who we are. I think that if more and

more people are able to do this then Daoism will have a bright future. If people are not able to do this then

we will see an increasing movement towards schools which resemble McDonalds in their approach to

teaching.

---

In the next stage the student should aim to move the lower Dan Tien so that it begins to ‘wake up’. At this

point we are starting to generate a rotation in the lower abdomen. Many schools of both Qi Gong and Taiji

actually have practices for this contained within them but people are unaware of their purpose leaving them

with empty movements. When the Dan Tien turns it causes the lower abdomen to shake and twitch a bit. It is

also common for the lower abdomen and waist to temporarily make sudden physical jerks to the left and right

which can look like a strong twitch to an onlooker. This is the energy body and the physical body starting to

learn how to work as a unit. It should take place during your practice for a few months only and then begin to

settle down. When it is fully rotating it is visibly moving beneath the muscles of your lower abdomen and

when another person places their hand upon your body they can feel it moving. This stage takes a little

longer but it is not actually very difficult, it just requires patience.

The functions at this stage involve efficient circulation of information around the body but at this stage it is

still Hou Tian post Heaven Qi which is shifting.

After this you have the divide in practice. Do you A: try and bring Yin and Yang to this point and get them to combine, or do you B: rotate the energy to open the Mai and then move on to the Xian Tian practices as in the alchemical schools? This is partly personal preference and partly due to which teachings you can get access to!

---

Edited May 28, 2014 by JohnC

[Apech]

Nice idea post some excerpts of discussion!

[Apech]

"As for how much progress can a person make without changing their lifestyle or diet? Well, that obviously depends upon what a persons lifestyle and diet is in the first place. For a person who wishes for good health and healthy energy levels then an hour or so’s practice each day will do the job. There needs to be little major change in lifestyle for this I think. The majority of people can simply give up television or time-wasting on the internet and find the time for this kind of practice. Much of the energetic work required for good health and so on can be done in this time. "

 

 

Ouch that hurt

[JohnC]

The technicality of Damo's understanding is awesome.

 

From the highlighted quote above, he talks about mixing yin and yang, versus the microcosmic orbit (xian tian) of alchemy.

 

... I would love him to talk a lot more about all of that. I imagine he will soon in his books.

[GrandmasterP]

Deep respect to Damo Mitchell for all the time and obvious care he took to give us those answers.

[Blackfinger]

Thanks for facilitating this, Apech. Good informative answers. Much appreciated

[soaring crane]

ooof, he set the bar high! Such a great example for all of us :-)

 

I've been much more off than on the internet for a while now and it's certainly doing me good. But the internet is also a gold mine of solid information and this interview is a golden example of how valuable it can be.

[Apech]

I've just bought his Daoist Nei Gong , The Philosophical Art of Change book ... and on initial look (its literally been delivered an hour ago from amazon) it looks very good. His writing is very clear, nice style, lots of information ...

[Apech]

Thanks for facilitating this, Apech. Good informative answers. Much appreciated

 

de nada

[cheya]

Damo has another book due out in Sept: the Four Dragons: Clearing the Meridians and Awakening the Spine in Nei Gong. It looks like an update/expansion of his earlier book on Dao Yin. Sounds GREAT!

 

Amazon blurb:

"The Dragon Dao-Yin exercises are a set of four short sequences designed to work with the subtle energies of the spine. Damo Mitchell teaches and explains the exercises in detail, within the context of a larger discussion of Dao Yin. He covers the theory, history and development of Dao Yin exercises in general, and the effects of the process which a student can go through if they practise them. He also explains the difference between Qi Gong and Dao Yin, including the qualitative differences, and their effects upon the body, as well as the concept of purging as opposed to nourishing or regulating, and how Chinese medical theory relates to Dao Yin training. One chapter is devoted to problems related to stagnation and the the flow of Qi, and covers the different causes and forms of stagnation (including the location of stagnation along the meridian pathways, stagnation in the Qi Men, and in the psyche), and the Chinese medical theory of the process of damage caused by stagnation. Later chapters look at breathing patterns and the extension of Yi, opening the joints, and rotating the bones and spine. The author also discusses stillness as the source of movement, and the philosophical significance of the Dragon and the pearl, as well as the means of hardwiring Dao Yin exercises into the energetic body. Central to the discussion is the concept of the spine, and how to wake it up. The Dragon exercises - Awakening, Swimming, Soaring and Drunken - are described in detail, with photographs and step-by-step instructions on each of the exercises as individual therapeutic exercises and as a form."

[manitou]

I just picked up Jerry Johnson's Daoist Internal Alchemy: neigong & Weigong Training. Odd that you should post this topic right around the same time this book came out. (This darned book was $200 in paperback but appears that it is going to cover subtle energies from every place you can think of.)

 

I just started it, and love the way he takes on the Acquired Personality, as mentioned above.

[BaguaKicksAss]

 

"As for how much progress can a person make without changing their lifestyle or diet? Well, that obviously depends upon what a persons lifestyle and diet is in the first place. For a person who wishes for good health and healthy energy levels then an hour or so’s practice each day will do the job. There needs to be little major change in lifestyle for this I think. The majority of people can simply give up television or time-wasting on the internet and find the time for this kind of practice. Much of the energetic work required for good health and so on can be done in this time. "

 

 

Ouch that hurt

 

I like him .

[Apech]

He's a mover ....

 

[JohnC]

I'm going to email him to ask about mixing yin and yang and xian tian.... as I understand it the xian tian is microcosmic orbit right?

[Apech]

I'm going to email him to ask about mixing yin and yang and xian tian.... as I understand it the xian tian is microcosmic orbit right?

 

 

he's on 4 month retreat in sweden ... so you won't get an answer for a while ... have you read his book Daoist Nei Gong? the answer might be in there not sure I'll have a look later.

[JohnC]

I have the old version, but I haven't read the new ones.

 

Worth a look...