Hello Bums! :)

[SFJane]

Hello gang,

This is Jane and until tonight I had no idea this forum existed so I am a total newb!

 

Like many of you I was raised in an Abrahamic monotheistic religion. When I was 13 My real father spirited me away to Hong Kong and I spent over a month there. While in Hong Kong I visited temples and shrines and saw tai chi chuan being practiced anywhere and everywhere. Like many of you my first philosophical taste of Taoism came from the Tao Te Ching and I really took to the idea of the *tao* or the *force* running the universe as opposed to pantheism, polytheism or monotheism.

 

In my early teens and very early 20s I was involved in Kundulini yoga, Kabbalah, Wicca and Crowley's teachings. I studied a fair gamut of occult practices like Celtic and Native American shamanism, Santeria, Enochian Mysteries and the works of many modern and historic occultists.

 

As I got into my 20s I learned of the various Taoist meditation and chi gung/nei gung practices that are floating around and I read every book I could get my hands on. I am sure you are familiar with most of Chia's and YJM's stuff on Taoism. I use to live 45 minute drive from Yang's Martial Arts in Mass! However I moved to California and instead I did a little Ontology with Peter Ralston and learned Taoist Water Method meditation from Bruce Frantzis. In fact, I attended every Berkeley weekend seminar, every lecture including driving from Sacramento to Tempe Arizona to attend a 3 hour lecture at ASU. That was the first lecture BKF did after releasing Relaxing Into Your Being. Two years after Relaxing Into Your Being came out, I attended the first Water Method Taoist Meditation retreat on the West Coast with BKF.

 

That was in July of 2000

 

I am not really a Taoist. I am not a Tao Shr or a Lao Shr. I am not a lineage holder or certified or anything. I do not practice religious Taoism. That means I do not pray to Immortals, keep a shrine or observe Taoist holidays. I am not a Taoist scholar, nor am I a Chinese linguist nor am I any more qualified to debate philosophical Taoism than most of you guys. Probably less qualified because I do not really study Taoism any more. I live Taoism on a middle path. I have practiced both extremes of Taoism. I took several years off from life, worked full time, part time, or not at all. I practiced Taoist meditation for thousands and thousands of hours, 4-8, sometimes even 12 hours a day, for months at a time. I lived very simply. No family, no friends, no relationships, no career, no college, just a really tight budget, and lots of standing, sitting and moving Taoist practices.

 

For what it is worth, I am experienced in every phase of Taoist practices, from the lying down, performing nei gung and nei dan, the sexual practices, Taoist tantra and yoga. Taoist standing practices and the internal martial arts and of course, sitting, my favorite. In all honesty, I find practicing meditation to be at least as stimulating and interesting as martial arts, sex, entertainment, whatever. Meditation especially the sitting nei dan practices, are the love of my life and what I really love to do with my spare time.

 

As a disclaimer, I am not a representative of BKF, or Energy Arts or the Water Tradition. I am not empowered to speak for Energy Arts or BKF on the topic of meditation. I was never his personal or indoor student. With that said, once again, I have spent the last decade practicing mostly the Water Method.

 

If you are still interested in letting me ramble a few things or if you have questions about the practice or the internal energy work, you are more than welcome to ask, and I will answer as simply and unpretentiously as possible. Taoist meditation saved my life. The nei gung and the dissolving practices healed my mind of 20 years of depression permanently. The practice changed and healed my body, opened my emotions and calmed the racing thoughts and noises in my head as well as stabilized my chi from the years of occult meditation systems. Taoist meditation did more for my mental and spiritual development in one year, than all the years spent studying the occult.

 

All combined, I have two decades of meditation experience, 7 years full time practice. I am hardly an enlightened master or sage but I know a few things about Stillness and I have done several meditation talks on Youtube, most of them geared to non Taoist beginners but there is at least a few videos where I talk about advanced stuff. Like yourselves I am just a student of the Tao, always learning and growing.

 

that is all

 

Jane

Edited October 24, 2007 by SFJane

[nightwatchdog]

Welcome to Taobums Jane! It's great to have an experienced practitioner to share. As you may be aware, there were questions about Water Method, Water Path, and thier differences (if any) right here:

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/Mixing-Practices-t3893.html

 

 

Bodhi

[Cameron]

Impressive!

 

Welcome!

[sean]

So glad to see you here Jane. I'm a fan of yours through your Youtube videos. Believe it or not I had a PM on Youtube open to you literally YESTERDAY inviting you to this forum. Then before I hit send I thought ... naaahhh... she probably gets a zillion pms and she is probably too busy with Youtube community to come over to the forum. I'll send it to her later maybe. Glad the message got through somehow. I think I read on the Mixing practices that Oolong Rabbit invited you. Awesome!

 

Feel free to jump in on any topic and if you want start a new topic in Taoist discussion talking about the water method or anything really. Some of us are familiar with the water method, in fact I think there are some other BK Frantzis students on the forum, but to my recollection no dedicated topic discussing his approach.

 

Welcome to the forum Jane, so glad you are here.

 

Best,

Sean

[nightwatchdog]

Oh I checked out your youtube stuff too. Very nice.

 

Have you met George Xu? Any chance we'll get to see you do some Hsing-i?

 

High regards,

 

Bodhi

[Yoda]

What the world needs right now is more taobums!

 

I'm glad you found us!

[gendao]

Peter Ralston and learned Taoist Water Method meditation from Bruce Frantzis.

 

I practiced Taoist meditation for thousands and thousands of hours, 4-8, sometimes even 12 hours a day, for months at a time. I lived very simply. No family, no friends, no relationships, no career, no college, just a really tight budget, and lots of standing, sitting and moving Taoist practices.

Wow, SIMPLY AWESOME! I am sure you have attained some great kung-fu here.

 

Anyhow, I've only read some stuff on Ralston & BKF...but would love to hear some firsthand impressions and stories.

 

Also, kudos on your own dedicated practice and I'd definitely love to hear more about your own development and progress as well..

 

And where are your Youtube vids at?

Edited October 24, 2007 by vortex

[90_1494798740]

Impressive CV!

 

[SFJane]

 

 

Also, kudos on your own dedicated practice..

 

And where are your Youtube vids at?

 

nightdog,

 

SFJane

 

on that channel I do talks about meditation and mental health, psychotherapy, that sort of thing.

 

just a webcam and a laptop, not ILM quality but hey, substance over form eh?

 

 

Oh I checked out your youtube stuff too. Very nice.

 

Have you met George Xu? Any chance we'll get to see you do some Hsing-i?

 

High regards,

 

Bodhi

 

Hey Bodhi,

 

I have met him George Xu! Actually but only once! It was very interesting and educational for me and I think you guys would get a laugh. He was super cool. When I get a chance I may tell you guys.

 

There is a remote possibility something with Hsin I may materialize. Hsin I is the least of my practice and I do not know very much other than 5 element and gazing.

 

Thanks Sean and everyone else too.

 

[nightwatchdog]

Oh that's great!

 

George Xu "set me on the path" so to speak, as he was the first high level internal master I had met and worked with. I've been working on his advice gleaned from a single seminar for almost a decade now. It seems like every master I've met since usually gets around to emphasizing things he gave me in just a few hours, but it normally takes them many months.

 

He's a wellspring of information, cuts right to the chase no B.S., and he is SO amazingly strong.

 

As far as Hsing-i is concerned, the five elements are where it's at so it's all good. Your example concerning long years of solo work is inspirational, and reminds me that it really CAN be done. I hope to see more from you.

 

 

 

Bodhi

[ted]

uote name='SFJane' post='39692' date='Oct 23 2007, 09:48 PM']

Hello gang,

This is Jane and until tonight I had no idea this forum existed so I am a total newb!

 

Like many of you I was raised in an Abrahamic monotheistic religion. When I was 13 My real father spirited me away to Hong Kong and I spent over a month there. While in Hong Kong I visited temples and shrines and saw tai chi chuan being practiced anywhere and everywhere. Like many of you my first philosophical taste of Taoism came from the Tao Te Ching and I really took to the idea of the *tao* or the *force* running the universe as opposed to pantheism, polytheism or monotheism.

 

In my early teens and very early 20s I was involved in Kundulini yoga, Kabbalah, Wicca and Crowley's teachings. I studied a fair gamut of occult practices like Celtic and Native American shamanism, Santeria, Enochian Mysteries and the works of many modern and historic occultists.

 

As I got into my 20s I learned of the various Taoist meditation and chi gung/nei gung practices that are floating around and I read every book I could get my hands on. I am sure you are familiar with most of Chia's and YJM's stuff on Taoism. I use to live 45 minute drive from Yang's Martial Arts in Mass! However I moved to California and instead I did a little Ontology with Peter Ralston and learned Taoist Water Method meditation from Bruce Frantzis. In fact, I attended every Berkeley weekend seminar, every lecture including driving from Sacramento to Tempe Arizona to attend a 3 hour lecture at ASU. That was the first lecture BKF did after releasing Relaxing Into Your Being. Two years after Relaxing Into Your Being came out, I attended the first Water Method Taoist Meditation retreat on the West Coast with BKF.

 

That was in July of 2000

 

I am not really a Taoist. I am not a Tao Shr or a Lao Shr. I am not a lineage holder or certified or anything. I do not practice religious Taoism. That means I do not pray to Immortals, keep a shrine or observe Taoist holidays. I am not a Taoist scholar, nor am I a Chinese linguist nor am I any more qualified to debate philosophical Taoism than most of you guys. Probably less qualified because I do not really study Taoism any more. I live Taoism on a middle path. I have practiced both extremes of Taoism. I took several years off from life, worked full time, part time, or not at all. I practiced Taoist meditation for thousands and thousands of hours, 4-8, sometimes even 12 hours a day, for months at a time. I lived very simply. No family, no friends, no relationships, no career, no college, just a really tight budget, and lots of standing, sitting and moving Taoist practices.

 

For what it is worth, I am experienced in every phase of Taoist practices, from the lying down, performing nei gung and nei dan, the sexual practices, Taoist tantra and yoga. Taoist standing practices and the internal martial arts and of course, sitting, my favorite. In all honesty, I find practicing meditation to be at least as stimulating and interesting as martial arts, sex, entertainment, whatever. Meditation especially the sitting nei dan practices, are the love of my life and what I really love to do with my spare time.

 

As a disclaimer, I am not a representative of BKF, or Energy Arts or the Water Tradition. I am not empowered to speak for Energy Arts or BKF on the topic of meditation. I was never his personal or indoor student. With that said, once again, I have spent the last decade practicing mostly the Water Method.

 

If you are still interested in letting me ramble a few things or if you have questions about the practice or the internal energy work, you are more than welcome to ask, and I will answer as simply and unpretentiously as possible. Taoist meditation saved my life. The nei gung and the dissolving practices healed my mind of 20 years of depression permanently. The practice changed and healed my body, opened my emotions and calmed the racing thoughts and noises in my head as well as stabilized my chi from the years of occult meditation systems. Taoist meditation did more for my mental and spiritual development in one year, than all the years spent studying the occult.

 

All combined, I have two decades of meditation experience, 7 years full time practice. I am hardly an enlightened master or sage but I know a few things about Stillness and I have done several meditation talks on Youtube, most of them geared to non Taoist beginners but there is at least a few videos where I talk about advanced stuff. Like yourselves I am just a student of the Tao, always learning and growing.

 

that is all

 

Jane

Edited October 30, 2007 by ted