foolishmonk Posted February 14, 2020 Hello everyone. I've been reading threads here and there on this site for some time. Having many questions which I couldn't find specific answers for, I figured it was time to sign up and seek some advice from the vast pool of knowledge which this place appears to be. So firstly a bit of a background into me and my practice, and then some questions. (I don't know if this is breaking some sort of rule and I'm supposed to do this separately... hopefully its all good). I am a 25yo male. I got seriously into "spirituality" and spiritual practice in my early twenties after a series of intensely spiritual/mystical psychedelic experiences. The psychedelic exploration was prompted by years of severe depression/bipolar and anger problems. These experiences pretty much cured my depression overnight, but left me with more questions than answers, and I spent much of the next couple of years obsessively trying to find the secrets of the universe and delving into all sorts of spiritual and religious philosophy. Along the way I got into yoga, and through yoga into meditation. I've had a serious daily meditaiton practice for the last 2.5 years, and have been mainly practicing Buddhist style breath-meditation (based on a book called The Mind Illuminated which is very popular in some reddit communities that I spent a lot of time reading). Along the way I delved into a number of other spiritual traditions and tried a number of different practices - various styles of breath work, mainly the wim hof method; some ceremonial magick; "just sit" or "do nothing" meditation - but the majority of my practice has been breath meditation. About 3 months ago I felt like I'd hit a roadblock in my practice, and feel like I received a number of signs in dreams and in life to explore different spiritual paths. I had been feeling intense energetic sensations in my practice for over a year and felt that the tradition I was practicing completely ignored this aspect of the practice, and felt like I needed to explore some kind of "energy work". I delved into practicing Robert Bruce's tactile imaging, some microcosmic orbit, and spinal breathing as outlined on the AYPsite. To cut a long story short, I feel like my explorations have led me to Daoist chi gung / nei gung / nei dan practice, and my intuition is strongly telling me that this is the path for me. The problem is, there is so much information out there that it feels overwhelming to me, and I'm at a loss for where to get started and devote my energies. I've been reading Damo Mitchell's works and am drawn to the path that he outlines, but he seems to recieve mixed reviews on this forum. Lately I've been trying to really simplify my practice routine after a period of strong confusion regarding how to integrate all of these different practices. I've been practicing abdominal breathing, Damo's "Sung breathing", and going through the Ji Ben qi gong routine that he outlines in Daoist Nei Gong. So... the question is: for someone who feels deeply compelled to explore this path of chi gung / nei gung / nei dan, what practices, books, traditions would you recommend to really delve into this practice? Some additional information which might be relevant: I am a martial artist (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and in very good physical health. I am a vegeterian I have been practicing semen retention (nofap) for about 8 months, although I am in a long term relationship so ejaculate on average about 2-4x per month (too much information? ) I have a very flexible lifestyle and generally devote at least 2-3 hours a day to meditation/spiritual practice. I am deeply grateful if you've taken the time to read this, and even more so if you have any advice to offer this eager young aspirant. Hopefully this post isn't breaking any rules. > foolishmonk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Welcomer Posted May 19, 2020 Welcome to the Dao Bums. A wonderful forum to learn, discuss and cultivate. Below are 3 important sections: Our Rules, The Insult Policy and our 3 Foundations. Before you join give them a read. Most of it boils down to being respectful. No name calling or trolling. Post as if your mom's looking over your shoulder. Discussion and arguments are what the board is about. Keep it civil, don't get personal. Don't be a troll or one issue zealot. We're here for good conversation and make some friend along the way, to be a community. Jump right in, start threads asking questions, look for interesting threads and post your (relevant) thoughts. For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day. Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Michael and the TDB team Read and review Our Rules: Our Insult Policy- Read it, Live it TheDaoBums' Three Foundations: Eclectic, Egalitarian, Civil. Welcome, sorry for the long delay in approval. I hope you'll start some interesting conversations here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cleansox Posted May 19, 2020 On 2020-02-14 at 11:35 AM, foolishmonk said: I've been reading Damo Mitchell's works and am drawn to the path that he outlines, but he seems to recieve mixed reviews on this forum. Welcome @foolishmonk We all do different things here, and it is human to divide things into on one hand "what I do" and on the other hand "what other people do". With that in mind, the dynamics here are more easy to understand. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zork Posted May 19, 2020 On 2/14/2020 at 12:35 PM, foolishmonk said: So... the question is: for someone who feels deeply compelled to explore this path of chi gung / nei gung / nei dan, what practices, books, traditions would you recommend to really delve into this practice? Please do not take this as an insult or attack. There are thousands of qigong styles in the world and most of us have practiced a single digit number maybe some few a double digit. What do you expect us to recommend to you? What are your goals? Most neidan schools keep the processes hidden and there are very few people that really know what they talk about when they mention Neidan. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
