Damo Mitchell - Internal Arts Academy

[Trunk]

This thread is for any topics/books/videos of Damo Mitchell's.

 

Damo Mitchell's "Internal Arts Academy" website
Damo Mitchell's Lotus Nei Gong youtube channel

Books on Amazon by Damo Mitchell

 

 

Couple of youtube videos of Damo Mitchell ...

 

 

 

... led me to a couple of yt channels with, it seems to me at first glance, to have Daoist discussion videos (a ton of them) at a pretty unusually deep clear and seriously progress level ...

https://www.youtube.com/user/SingingDragonVideos/videos

https://www.youtube.com/user/LotusNeiGong/videos

 

I know that Damo Mitchell has been around for a while; I'm only just checkin' 'em out.  n' so I thought I'd start a thread. 

 

- Keith

[Vajra Fist]

I've read most of his books and did his dragon dao yin for a while. The stuff he teaches is a fairly slow and steady path. A medical clairvoyant, Eric Isen, said the dragon daoyin would need many years of practice.

 

That said he's a fantastic teacher with a talent for presenting complex daoist alchemical terms in easy to understand language.

Edited October 1, 2016 by Vajra Fist

[idquest]

A wealth of knowledge in his blog website:

http://www.scholarsage.com/

There are dozens of articles and videos on all topics.

His senior students (who have been with him for 5-10 years) are more accomplished than some teachers around.

And if you attend one of his workshops, you'll be able to feel his 'presence'.

His approach is indeed from physical to subtle which requires more time&effort to get to the point where you can work with the LDT. This is somewhere in the middle of his level 1 which takes on average about 3 years to complete.

[Apech]

Just for cross reference - we have an interview with damo:

 

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

[blue eyed snake]

 

Couple of youtube videos of Damo Mitchell ...

 

 

... led me to a couple of yt channels with, it seems to me at first glance, to have Daoist discussion videos (a ton of them) at a pretty unusually deep clear and seriously progress level ...

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/SingingDragonVideos/videos

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/LotusNeiGong/videos

 

I know that Damo Mitchell has been around for a while; I'm only just checkin' 'em out.  n' so I thought I'd start a thread. 

 

- Keith

 

 

thanks,

 

I looked at the second video and found it very useful, short and clearing up some basics, when I'm up to it I may look at the longer one too.

 

some weeks ago I read this book 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daoist-Nei-Gong-Women-Lotus/dp/1848192975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447765614&sr=8-1&keywords=roni+edlund

 

the description of female development closely matches my own development (unto the point my development has brought me yet of course  ) I would advise it to any woman cultivating and to every guy who is closely associated with a woman, whether she is cultivating or not

 

I like the clear way he talks about concepts that are often hard to unriddle due to the difficulties with chines language and culture.

[Trunk]

Thank you to those who replied above.  Very much appreciated your comments, experience, and links. 

 

I bumbled onto this Damo Mitchel video re: stretching, just a few minutes into it now, enjoying.  Finding his descriptions (as before) in very plain language, describing ... well, clearly he has a talent for bringing this knowledge into accessible language.

 

[dwai]

I read a couple of his books recently, because one of my friends who is learning taiji from me also is practicing his nei-gong and nei-dan techniques. It's pretty close to what we do in Temple Style Taiji, with the exception that we work with the Indirect method (considered to be more powerful and yet less dangerous), and Damo's system uses the Direct method.

 

I liked his presentation of the material in a very respectful manner (no appropriation into ridiculous notions of "Western" Daoism) as well, without being either over flowery or over-terse (both of which are an immediate put off for me). 

[Aeran]

It's pretty close to what we do in Temple Style Taiji, with the exception that we work with the Indirect method (considered to be more powerful and yet less dangerous), and Damo's system uses the Direct method.

 

 

That sounds interesting - are you able to clarify on the distinction?

[dwai]

That sounds interesting - are you able to clarify on the distinction?

 

The distinction is as follows (per Temple style as I've been told by my teachers) --

 

In the Direct Method, the practitioner uses his/her mind to drive the Qi through the Microcosmic orbit and the larger circulation of the lower meridians, arm meridians and the microcosmic orbit simultaneously. This is subject to the ability of one's mind focus, and is known for skipping/bypassing blockages instead of working through them.

 

In the Indirect Method, we generate an energetic Taiji Ball and move it and it's movement induces Qi movement through the meridians (including the MCO etc). This is a gentler and a more efficient way once the practitioner learns to generate an energetic Taiji ball. In the Indirect method, we don't over-exert the mind to spin the lower dan tien, etc. We focus on feeling, letting the mind settle into stillness. Anything that is forced (even if it is slightly) is too much and should be dialed down. All movements and all meditation should be natural and gentle.

[idquest]

Based on your description, Dwai, and on how I understand what Mitchell teaches (I've attended a number of his workshops), Mitchell advises against the direct method and teaches indirect method in his curriculum. My take anyway.

[dwai]

Based on your description, Dwai, and on how I understand what Mitchell teaches (I've attended a number of his workshops), Mitchell advises against the direct method and teaches indirect method in his curriculum. My take anyway.

 

My assessment of course was based on reading two of his books. One on Neidan and the other on Neigong (forgot their names). He does present the "technical" details in an extremely lucid manner. 

 

Glad to hear that he emphasizes the Indirect method over Direct method in his workshops.

[Geof Nanto]

To my understanding, Damo Mitchell is very much a proponent of indirect method. (Note: his teaching on indirect method is not the indirect method Dwai  is describing here.)  

 

From his essay MASTERY OF FORM 1 (THE SIT)…….

 

Over the years, I have travelled throughout Asia and studied various forms of Tantric (meaning 'works with energy') practice that aimed to raise energy upwards within the body. There are countless ways to achieve this aim, but I found many of these methods to be somewhat risky. This is because the majority of the methods I came across were based around forcefully lifting Qi upwards through the use of forceful breathing methods or strong mental focus. In many instances the energy of the base instinctual drive of sexual desire was used as a kind of mental 'fuel' for this lifting process — a method that has found its way into many Western schools of internal practice. In almost all of these methods there are many people who have damaged themselves both physically and emotionally, as they are using the wrong aspect of mind as well as a forced method. If you force something to take place, or use the lower aspects of mind, you go against what is natural, and thus there is always going to be an element of danger involved. Within Daoist alchemical sitting practice we never force anything nor use the mind to assist in the process. Instead we establish the 'pyramid' shape within the body and allow this structure to guide the movement of Qi according to a key rule of Qi flow: Q will move to where there is space. In this way it.can be thought of as being like water. Water will flow to fill any space, and Qi moves in much the same manner if it is left to move of its own accord. 

 

(From Damo Mitchell, Daoist Reflections from Scholar Sage.) 

Edited October 13, 2016 by Yueya

[Aeran]

 

In the Direct Method, the practitioner uses his/her mind to drive the Qi through the Microcosmic orbit and the larger circulation of the lower meridians, arm meridians and the microcosmic orbit simultaneously. This is subject to the ability of one's mind focus, and is known for skipping/bypassing blockages instead of working through them.

 

In the Indirect Method, we generate an energetic Taiji Ball and move it and it's movement induces Qi movement through the meridians (including the MCO etc). This is a gentler and a more efficient way once the practitioner learns to generate an energetic Taiji ball. In the Indirect method, we don't over-exert the mind to spin the lower dan tien, etc. We focus on feeling, letting the mind settle into stillness. Anything that is forced (even if it is slightly) is too much and should be dialed down. All movements and all meditation should be natural and gentle.

 

 

 

Thanks for explaining - although I have to agree with idquest, from what I remember of Mitchell's books, his method is much closer to what you describe as "indirect" than it is to what you describe as "direct." But it's been a while since I read that section of the book, and I've never tried the dantien work itself, so I could be wrong.

 

If you don't mind clarifying a bit further to sate my curiosity What does the "energetic Taiji ball" you described consist of, and how is it moved around the body?

Edited October 13, 2016 by Aeran

[dwai]

 

Thanks for explaining - although I have to agree with idquest, from what I remember of Mitchell's books, his method is much closer to what you describe as "indirect" than it is to what you describe as "direct." But it's been a while since I read that section of the book, and I've never tried the dantien work itself, so I could be wrong.

 

If you don't mind clarifying a bit further to sate my curiosity What does the "energetic Taiji ball" you described consist of, and how is it moved around the body?

It's a ball of energy that is generated between your palms or one palm and the ground or one palm and the sky. If you press into it, it pushes back. If you try to pull it apart it resists. But you can press it, compress it, expand it, split it, and so on...

 

As to how you move it...exactly like how you would move a physical ball

Edited October 13, 2016 by dwai

[Aeran]

Interesting - never heard of anything like that before (at least not in the context of Taiji and cultivation).

 

Can the ball be taken into the body, or does it stimulate the internal energy structure by being moved over the surface?

[blue eyed snake]

even though my teacher teaches a different style, i do recognize this.

 

i do not know how it ' works' but it feels as if this ball sort of 'pushes' into the channels that lodge in the physical body, thereby cleaning them up from old shit.

 

no intent needed, not advisable either i think, it works all by itself  

[dwai]

Interesting - never heard of anything like that before (at least not in the context of Taiji and cultivation).

 

Can the ball be taken into the body, or does it stimulate the internal energy structure by being moved over the surface?

It is both within and without -- and I'm not speaking in parables here.

 

The lower dan tien is always connected to the taiji ball(s). The taiji ball moves energies along the meridians. Depending on the sets/forms we do.

 

This is about Damo and it's not right to discuss temple style on this thread. My apologies to the OP for distracting the discussion.

 

 

If you want to know more let's start another thread to discuss taiji ball work.

[blue eyed snake]

If you want to know more let's start another thread to discuss taiji ball work.

 

please do so

[dawei]

 

From his essay MASTERY OF FORM 1 (THE SIT)…….

 

Within Daoist alchemical sitting practice we never force anything nor use the mind to assist in the process. Instead we establish the 'pyramid' shape within the body and allow this structure to guide the movement of Qi according to a key rule of Qi flow: Q will move to where there is space. In this way it.can be thought of as being like water. Water will flow to fill any space, and Qi moves in much the same manner if it is left to move of its own accord. 

 

(From Damo Mitchell, Daoist Reflections from Scholar Sage.) 

 

 

That's an interesting way of putting a 'rule of Qi flow' but I've always like the idea (I think by Dr. Yang) that Qi flows from higher to lower areas of pressure.  For example, if you raise you arms for a minute and then lower them, the Qi flows due to the pressure differential that was created but one could say that Qi was filling the space created in the movement.

 

Wonder if Damo has elsewhere  explained his Qi flow idea using different words or theory ? 

[Bindi]

That's an interesting way of putting a 'rule of Qi flow' but I've always like the idea (I think by Dr. Yang) that Qi flows from higher to lower areas of pressure.  For example, if you raise you arms for a minute and then lower them, the Qi flows due to the pressure differential that was created but one could say that Qi was filling the space created in the movement.

 

Wonder if Damo has elsewhere  explained his Qi flow idea using different words or theory ? 

 

I like this idea as well, Qi flows due to the pressure differential, I see it as having to build up in one channel before being able to break into the next.

 

I also really like the idea of the Qi ball that Dawi mentioned, I think this Qi ball develops naturally as well, and seems to want to rise and maybe extend outwards, a very creative force.

[Trunk]

If you want to know more let's start another thread to discuss taiji ball work.

Rich topic.  If you start such a thread, please post a link to it from here. 

 

Sifu Matsuo's version of qi sphere work is presented in Kuan Yin Magnetic Qigong.  Lots of info in that thread but it is a broad topic; there is still much to explore re: qi sphere (taiji ball) work.  I will say that getting into sphere work improved my qigong a *lot*, in *many* ways, for very little effort. 

[Bruce Qi]

has anyone read

White Moon on the Mountain Peak:

by him ?

[blue eyed snake]

Rich topic.  If you start such a thread, please post a link to it from here. 

 

 

 

http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/42248-indirect-method-using-taiji-ball-practice/page-1#entry713576

Edited October 22, 2016 by blue eyed snake

[Apech]

has anyone read

White Moon on the Mountain Peak:

by him ?

 

Yep.

[Trunk]

has anyone read

White Moon on the Mountain Peak:

by him ?

 

I recently bought 3 D.Mitchell books:

1. Daoist Nei Gong

2. Daoist Reflections from Scholar Sage

3. White Moon...

 

.. and I'm going to read them in roughly that order.    Just started.  If you are reading them, feel free to chip in w/ snippets n' thoughts here.