VCraigP Posted September 16, 2005 Sean Marvelous place this Tao Bums, really enjoy hanging out here, altogether too frequently. My Name is Craig Payton I am a Certified Healing Tao instructor since 1993. Never actively sought out to teach seminars, etc. I am employed in other activities to make money, acting as a broker selling Nutritional ingredients in bulk. I Live @ 25 miles west of Portland in a little Town called Forest Grove. I wish I were actually living in a grove, in a forest, but for purposes of truth in advertising I will state for the record that we only have actual forest some miles from here and just normal small town foliage. Born and raised in the Bay Area - Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont, Burlingame (that's for Sean and other Bay area people who would know where these places are). I have studied martial arts since pre teen age, and seriously from 1980... Most interested in Taoism for a long time. As a young person, 8-10 yr old, I began studying metaphysical, mystical subjects. Experimented with meditation from very early on. Upon discovering Taoist practice, primarily through Mantak Chia initially I kinda dropped all other interest in new age, metaphysics an so on for a long time. The result of seeking and finally finding some satisfactory answers which allowed me to focus on Taoist alchemy, meditation and chi kung without much appetite for anything else. So I have Studied and taken seminars with M.Chia since 1986 (approximatley, ok, so it was a long time ago.) By the late 1990's I had got kinda stuck with my practice and somewhat detached from M.Chia (that's what happens to your USA students when you move to Thailand). But through taking some retreats with M.Winn and studying with a really intense internal martial arts instructor in Pacifica (again for Sean) I would say I reawakened my love and desire to pursue the Tao arts further. So, I am pretty pure HT trained, though my structure training came about more through Bagua, Hsing I and eclectic martial arts training (preceeded by at least 15 years of intense TaeKwonDo training.) I learned the HT iron shirt structure principals, but it wasn't until I started working with a learned internal MA practitioner that my structure reached a real functional level. Lately, though I am not entirely in accord with the Buddhist/Bodri emphasis on stillness and emptiness, I have been just doing sitting and opening my tantien through counterforce breathing (chi kung fundamentals, M.Winn) and letting whatever happens happen. Sometimes doing Fusion, sometimes going into Kan/Li. Working, raising two children (Boy 6 1/2, Girl 4), cocreating a healthy marriage with my wife who I've been together with for 17 years, maintaining my household are all things which take up quite a bit more time than my cultivation can at present. Lately I am getting better at sleeping less, though with Fall season I am working more. Too much for an introduction? Are you falling asleep yet? Good Chi to all. Craig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sean Posted September 17, 2005 Hey Craig, nice intro ... But through taking some retreats with M.Winn and studying with a really intense internal martial arts instructor in Pacifica (again for Sean) I would say I reawakened my love and desire to pursue the Tao arts further. Is this instructor still in Pacifica? I'm actually in the market for a live teacher of this sort right now. Lately, though I am not entirely in accord with the Buddhist/Bodri emphasis on stillness and emptiness, I have been just doing sitting and opening my tantien through counterforce breathing (chi kung fundamentals, M.Winn) and letting whatever happens happen. Sometimes doing Fusion, sometimes going into Kan/Li. I don't have 1/3rd of your experience level but this is exactly where I am at with my practice right now as well. Working, raising two children (Boy 6 1/2, Girl 4), cocreating a healthy marriage with my wife who I've been together with for 17 years, maintaining my household are all things which take up quite a bit more time than my cultivation can at present. Well you said it yourself, you are mindfully attending to your home, co-creating a marriage and transfering wisdom and discipline to your children ... sounds like a form of cultivation as deep as any to my ears. Sean. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VCraigP Posted September 20, 2005 Hey Craig, nice intro ...Is this instructor still in Pacifica? I'm actually in the market for a live teacher of this sort right now. I don't have 1/3rd of your experience level but this is exactly where I am at with my practice right now as well. Well you said it yourself, you are mindfully attending to your home, co-creating a marriage and transfering wisdom and discipline to your children ... sounds like a form of cultivation as deep as any to my ears. Sean. 7142[/snapback] Sean Thanks for the kind words. This site is a great service to us all. About this instructor in Pacifica, write me at ; [email protected] and I will give you some more info about him. Very private person who was teaching me in his garage. I am not sure if he is actively teaching right now. send me an email and we can communicate more directly about this. Craig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
