Product Endorsements - Things you Love

[thelerner]

I was thinking it'd be interesting to know members favorite products.  Particularly the unusual ones.

 

Physical

Spoonk.  Its like a yoga mat with 1,000's of quarter inch rubber spikes.  After the initial pain it produces deep relaxation.  

 

Pine Pollen Tincture.  Mine from The Rural Apothecary(Etsy).  This is an amazing tonic, one of the few supplements where I definitely see the difference especially the morning after taking it.

 

Audio CD

Tao Basics from Silent Ground by Minke De Vos.  4 very well done guided meditations of Taoist practices Microcosmic Orbit, Deep Body Smile, Energy Meditation and Sexual Energy.

 

Music-Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.  Superb acoustic pickings, accompany great harmonies.  Rock melds with the best of Folk music. 

 

 

 

[Karl]

iPad even though in recent years it has become bloody cantankerous-time/money saving, entertainment, information.....

V2 Visor cleaner - makes shifting bugs off a dirty visor simple-ease of use

Air compressor with tools - marvellous, particularly for tyres and all sorts of jobs that can't be done without one-convenience

Weather device with all the instruments-information

LED spotlight bulbs - 3 watts equivalent to 50 watts and last ages-economy

Optimate battery conditioner - bike has never had a flat battery since buying one-Peace of mind.

Sat nav - sometimes, it's referred to as satan nav, but still, my days of fidgeting with an AZ and running out of fuel/getting lost are at an end- lifesaver.

Mobile phone-yeah, I hardly bother switching it on, but such a handy thing, we really dismiss them these days-safety/convenience

Waterbed-if you haven't tried one you should. Utter bliss and warm in winter, cool in summer-comfort, health.

[silent thunder]

great topic idea mate!

 

My Blendtec blender in conjunction with a high phytochemical diet changed my life and kept me off a lifetime of three separate pharmaceuticals. 

 

My far infrared/negative ion generating sauna is another that has had a deep, immediate and lasting impact on my qi gong practice and my energetic process. 

 

Not much time tonight to add more, must sleep soon, but what a great idea for a place to share things with a positive impact.

[thelerner]

My far infrared/negative ion generating sauna is another that has had a deep, immediate and lasting impact on my qi gong practice and my energetic process. 

That sounds really cool.  details? 

Is it a big unit that was a major install?  or something smaller? 

[Taomeow]

Ah, the toys thead!  I like toys.

 

InstaMorph moldable plastic.  I used it to fix a broken car key (made a new plastic "head" to replace the broken one), to make stands for large quartz crystals that keep them vertical and secure, to repair an indispensable Swiss grater (a replacement would be $39.00, I got it to work like new for pennies), to make a holder for calligraphy brushes of vastly different sizes that are now all aligned, and to make a fake stone to keep secrets in.  This is not the limit of what it can do.  Great product.

 

Animal fats sold now in jars by some HFS and Amazon and assorted paleo food outlets.  I'm still experimenting with brands for the optimal price/quality deals, but it's a vast improvement over my previous practice of begging the HFS butchers for fat trimmings and rendering my own, and melting down ducks and the like -- total steampunk, my grandmother used to do it, my mother was already in the generation that forgot how cooking with animal fats broadens the horizons of both the gourmet and the fad-proof health nut (I am both.)  Fatworks pork lard and Epic duck fat, both free range, are the current favorites.  I'm yet to find a beef fat counterpart that satisfies (Epic's I didn't care for, didn't try other brands yet).  I keep looking for more stuff to fry in that duck delight -- apples, e.g., ...omg, crazy...  but yum! 

 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  With this, I'm also always on the lookout for something to paint, because it is so much fun to use.  Nontoxic, water-based, no smell, dries in one hour, idiot-proof (very easy to apply, very forgiving of mistakes), and you can use it on anything (almost...  not on Formica or plastic) -- if you know the techniques (which vary depending on your goal), you can transform anything with it.  If it gets too thick, you dilute it with water.  If you get it too thin, you keep it in an open container overnight and it thickens.  You just can't go wrong.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Taomeow

[daojones]

@karl why dont you think the water bed is healthy? 

My favourite product is boobies. Unfortunately, I don't own any so I borrow them from women who have a pair.

There are 3 types of infrared saunas - far, mid, and near. From what I have read near is the most beneficial.

[Vajra Fist]

Would have to be my bamboo qi brush for post gong fu cool down.

 

Or my wooden tibetan prayer wheel amulet, which contains two million mani mantras. Just putting it on, I feel my heart chakra opening.

 

I also have a bed of nails mat like thelerner, but I've never got into a habit of using it.

[Karl]

@karl why dont you think the water bed is healthy? 

My favourite product is boobies. Unfortunately, I don't own any so I borrow them from women who have a pair.

There are 3 types of infrared saunas - far, mid, and near. From what I have read near is the most beneficial.

It's got electrolytes ?

[liminal_luke]

Omron Pedometer...Sure, I could go all high-tech and go with FitBit or one of the other new-fangled activity trackers that would allow me to upload data to my computer, but for me this simple, relatively cheap step counter is all I want.  Wearing a pedometer really changes my perspective about walking.  It encourages an every-little-bit counts attitude.  I get up at the cafe to go to the bathroom and feel the glow of accomplishment -- another two hundred steps towards my goal!  It makes walking into a fun game.  Getting 10,000 steps or whatever isn´t the be-all-end-all of fitness, I know that, but, for us less athletic types, it provides a baseline of healthy activity.

 

Red Boat Fish Sauce...Really healthy asian food can be hard to come by.  You might think you´re ordering a simple plate of meat and stir-fried veggies, but what´s that gloppy florescent sauce?  Unlike so many other fish sauces, Red Boat contains no sugar or mystery chemicals: it´s just black anchovies and sea salt.  What´s more, it´s delicious.

Edited October 7, 2016 by liminal_luke

[dwai]

1. Hyperbiotics Pro-15 - best probiotic I've ever taken

All music by John McLaughlin (in various formats...Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shakti, 4th Dimension etc). Especially Shakti to experience spiritual interplay in the form of music (most of the music is Jam based)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016D4RQS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - this has an excellent assortment of incenses 

[Brian]

It's got electrolytes ?

It's what plants crave.

 

 

 

 

Oops. That just slipped out.

 

Here, this is on-topic!

Camelbak...

Edited October 7, 2016 by Brian

[silent thunder]

That sounds really cool.  details? 

Is it a big unit that was a major install?  or something smaller? 

There was no install at all.  It's lightweight, portable and folds up flat for transit...

I brought it along on my last few road trips and my retreat with Wang LiPing...

 

It's just big enough for one person to sit in... small enough that it fits in any hotel or motel room I've been in.

Inside it has three panels, that generate the infrared, on the back and the two sides, it also comes with a small space heater that fits under the chair you sit on in the unit, to add standard heat to it to get a good sweat going...  Here's a page with several varieties all of which look just like the unit I have...  https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aportable%20infrared%20sauna

 

What really impacted me and what I most appreciate is the effect on my joints, the warming of the deep tissue.  It's particularly great when used before qi gong or a long sit.  In the colder months I use it daily.  My hips and ankles have always been tight and require the most work to loosen up, this unit is like an infusion of warm, liquid light, into the kua and the joints...  It's blissful.

 

I highly, highly recommend it.

[Vajra Fist]

Do you have to leave it out to dry after use or can you just fold it straight up and put it away? I ask because the missus is undoubtedly going to flip her lid if I introduce a big indoor tent to our already crowded two bed

[silent thunder]

I let it air out for an hour or so before folding it up and I always use a towel on the floor and under my stool, to keep my sweat off the unit. 

 

Though we'll often leave it set up in a corner of the room that we use for sitting and qi gong.  It takes up about the same footprint of a standard recliner chair and our cats love it for the cave like awesome that it is... and speaking of cave like awesome... It also works great as a black box/dark room for sitting open eyed in pitch black... which is a practice I've grown to really appreciate.  I leave the stool out, sit inside on the floor then draw a blanket over the neck hole and zip it up.  In a dark room with the drapes closed, it's really effective. 

[sagebrush]

what an odd topic.

I have to really think this out.

Most products that I would endorse are strictly work related tools...not necessarily fitting into the context of Dao Bums.

 

Full Circle (360) sanding disc.----necessary for wall sanding prior to painting. I mostly use it for knocking off schlep painting from previous painters....nap filaments from roller cover, bits of drywall mud, etc.

I have closets full and truck full and basement full of painting tools. I have my GOR(good old reliable) Titan 440 sprayer since 1996--

so many memories...so many tools.somehow I got side tracked with N. Maharaj on this one....

 

.I do not think my work speel is much help to foster new products related to this forum.

 

so on a more healthier note:

looks like I don't have one damn thing! holy shit. holy shit.

I enjoy burts bees lip balm for years. I am an addict during the winter. I like it because it works for me. Blistex, carmex,and all the other lip balms I do not like.

 

I like tea tree oil. not sure of the brand. maybe melalueca or aura cacia. whatever brand

simple uses like a sore toe nail--I suffer from tender corner on my big toe...I think they are slightly prone to ingrown sensitivity.

any other cuts, dings or picks--get a dose now and then..including my belly button :-)

 

my latest favorite is bath Aveda bath stress fix soaking salts...smells great maybe lavender..not sure I have not read the fine print..it has a slight oily feeling in the bathwater so it seems to make skin supple.

 

I guess in thinking about this topic I do  not really endorse many products.

I get caught up in endorsing rocks that I find along the way.

Today my neighbors have left town for several days and I will tend to the flowers and grass watering. They have a rock pebble path under stone pavers. I look forward to investigating there today. shapes and colors.

 

I think I will leave now to water and take in fresh air and go rock hunting

Edited October 8, 2016 by sagebrush

[Karl]

LOL love to hear a man talk with passion about the tools of his trade.

[Taomeow]

I let it air out for an hour or so before folding it up and I always use a towel on the floor and under my stool, to keep my sweat off the unit. 

 

Though we'll often leave it set up in a corner of the room that we use for sitting and qi gong.  It takes up about the same footprint of a standard recliner chair and our cats love it for the cave like awesome that it is... and speaking of cave like awesome... It also works great as a black box/dark room for sitting open eyed in pitch black... which is a practice I've grown to really appreciate.  I leave the stool out, sit inside on the floor then draw a blanket over the neck hole and zip it up.  In a dark room with the drapes closed, it's really effective. 

 

Is there some sort of ventilation when you use it like this?   How do you breathe?

[silent thunder]

Is there some sort of ventilation when you use it like this?   How do you breathe?

There is no free flow of fresh air with the blanket over the neck hole so it gets warm and a bit stuffy, but it's not harsh, there's enough air coming in through the blanket that I can easily sit in there for an hour, hour and a half no problem. 

 

Though due to the body heat and stuffy air, I only tend to use it for this in the cooler months.  If I want to do the black box practice in the summer, I sit in the closet I have cleared out and hang a blanket over my drapes and over the closet door, although this doesn't create a total blackout, it's still effective.

[Taomeow]

Thanks for the ideas, ST.  I'll have to do something like that too with a closet or don't yet know what.  I'm starved for total darkness.  I remember moonless, overcast nights in nature, and how you would start seeing the bioluminescence once your eyes got used to it, around plants and insects and, eventually, people.  How alive the total darkness was.

 

Maybe someone knows of an eye mask that blocks out the light completely while letting you keep your eyes open?  Please endorse if you do! 

[Karl]

sounds just like my caving expeditions when the carbide lamp stopped working.

[silent thunder]

Thanks for the ideas, ST.  I'll have to do something like that too with a closet or don't yet know what.  I'm starved for total darkness.  I remember moonless, overcast nights in nature, and how you would start seeing the bioluminescence once your eyes got used to it, around plants and insects and, eventually, people.  How alive the total darkness was.

 

Maybe someone knows of an eye mask that blocks out the light completely while letting you keep your eyes open?  Please endorse if you do! 

Yea this practice manifested for me, out of a real need for darkness... far too much light in my life at all times of day, living in a major city.  The practice is so potent, very cleansing and yet oddly ironic that with eyes open in pitch black, there are all manner of luminescence, telescoping, sacred geometric patterns revealed.  Colors iris in and out.  Potent and cleansing are the two words that continually come to mind.  That and my mind still consistently wonders... what is the speed of dark? 

 

A good documentary on the topic of light pollution and the lack of darkness in our lives came out a few years back.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1863406/

 

edit to fix broken link

Edited October 8, 2016 by silent thunder

[Taomeow]

my mind still consistently wonders... what is the speed of dark? 

 

 

I only know the speed of dark matter.  It's equal to mine -- or, to be precise, to the speed with which I decide, in silence and darkness, what matters and what doesn't.

 

[silent thunder]

LoL... thank you for that... it made me snort!

[Orion]

There is no free flow of fresh air with the blanket over the neck hole so it gets warm and a bit stuffy, but it's not harsh, there's enough air coming in through the blanket that I can easily sit in there for an hour, hour and a half no problem. 

 

Though due to the body heat and stuffy air, I only tend to use it for this in the cooler months.  If I want to do the black box practice in the summer, I sit in the closet I have cleared out and hang a blanket over my drapes and over the closet door, although this doesn't create a total blackout, it's still effective.

 

Funny you brought up infrared saunas... I have been wanting one for years. My current dwelling is too small for one, but as soon as I have a larger living space and can afford it, I'll be getting one!

 

There's a Korean spa near my home that has an entire room (think dance hall size) that's a giant infrared sauna. I love being in there, meditating, stretching, doing yoga and other body work. It's so great!

 

How much did you pay for your portable at-home one?

[silent thunder]

Funny you brought up infrared saunas... I have been wanting one for years. My current dwelling is too small for one, but as soon as I have a larger living space and can afford it, I'll be getting one!

 

There's a Korean spa near my home that has an entire room (think dance hall size) that's a giant infrared sauna. I love being in there, meditating, stretching, doing yoga and other body work. It's so great!

 

How much did you pay for your portable at-home one?

 

The unit I have goes for around $300.00 but on sale when I purchased it... it came to around $250.00.

 

When I got it, I wasn't in the market for one and had never even heard of them in fact... but a family member came to visit us, who was in treatment for Leukemia at the time and the use of far infrared was recommended as a support therapy and as they are on the road a lot, the portable unit was the way to go for them, as it even works in their RV. 

 

Between that and my blender... some of the best money I've ever spent.  Really appreciated benefits.