how do you do it?

[the buddha & the beast]

for those of us who still struggle to see that everything is one: are there any techniques, thoughts, tools that help you get back to your "calm"?

[NeutralWire]

I think you have to have two strategies for this, the long-term and the short-term.

 

Long-term is you have to relax your body half hour per day, pref. go to no-mind for a long period, and be well-exercised. That will work wonders. And sort out your personality so your hot buttons go away and you become deep and grounded, then life won't shift you away from calm in the first place. After a while of doing that I've developed methods I love.

 

Short-term, I really like EMDR -- or EMT, as this book calls it, 'Eye Movement Technique' -- http://www.amazon.com/Yourself-Movement-Te...9428&sr=1-1 .

 

Lots of people like EFT as well.

 

From a western reflexology manual I learned to use interlaced fingers, slightly squeezed at the base and held for a few minutes, to calm anxiety. That always worked. I was very surprised to find it demonstrated here:

 

 

... by a young Masaaki Hatsumi as part of a ninja-lineage calming technique.

 

Most important is to be aware throughout the day also, probably everyone knows that; I am not sure how obvious these answers should be getting.

 

EDIT: Also, not being around assy, sensitive, easily-threatened arguey people who are desperate about their lives, don't know how to be satisfied and enjoy themselves... is really good for this. Good luck on that one. I know it really 'shouldn't' make a difference, but when you're with cool people, it's just so much easier

 

All best wishes,

 

~NeutralWire~

Edited March 15, 2009 by NeutralWire

[Yoda]

Newt,

 

That ninja vid rocked out!!!

 

Your pal,

Yoda

[NeutralWire]

That ninja vid rocked out!!!

 

Cool yeah? Who knew?!

 

Forgot to say also that the acupressure on 12 ordinary channels that Trunk is talking about is also a real help in that whole area of calm. Really educates the energy and smartens it up, recommend this. NW

[Aetherous]

The most effective thing I've ever done is zi fa gong.

[rain]

Edited March 15, 2009 by rain

[Aetherous]

I'm going to do it right now.

[forestofsouls]

Become aware of thoughts, feelings, and sensations with relaxation and bare attention.

[Mak_Tin_Si]

Not to joke, but doing the basic internal trianing on stage 1 practise taught in Chi in Nature's lineage will really help you to gain that "calmness" and "peace". Easy to do, 10mins each day, no stress.

 

"The main difference I feel before and after becoming a student in Chi in Nature (Stage 1) is belief in Taoism. Before I was skeptical about what it all involved. In some ways leery of what Taoism promised. After I felt peaceful, calm, less emotional as I began to see the power of Taoism reveal it self to me in many lessons learned." - a testimonial by "Tung Fu Ji" (a stage 2 student now) - original name Amanda Signh

 

She is not chinese, but a local taoism student at my temple. Wish this can help you out.

[goldisheavy]

for those of us who still struggle to see that everything is one: are there any techniques, thoughts, tools that help you get back to your "calm"?

 

There are many techniques, but techniques are short-term, emergency band-aids. For example, you can focus on breathing out. Or you can sigh. You can let your arms flop around under their own weight and drop your shoulders, then shake your body a little. You can imagine a pleasant summer beach, ocean waves, forest sounds, or your favorite peaceful moment. All of these techniques work -- short term.

 

They work because they allow you to take your mind off your problem. So for example, there is a hungry lion about to eat you, and you look at the blue sky and count your breaths. You get very calm, but then as soon as you return your gaze back to the lion, you are scared again, just like before, just for the same reasons as before.

 

Long term solution to this is contemplation. You have to contemplate the causes of nervousness (or whatever your favorite word is for "lack of calm"). The best way to do so, in my experience, is to deliberately enter into a mildly (key word "mildly") nervous situation, and then contemplate your state of being as the situation unfolds. Why are you nervous? Examine it. Remember the situation too.

 

Then when you have a few such situations clearly committed to memory, you can also contemplate them later in the comfort of your own home, as they say. Maybe you already have some clear memories of what makes you nervous -- so much the better if that's the case.

 

When you contemplate your situation, don't dwell at the level of details. Instead try to rise higher and higher toward the ultimate basis, or the ultimate reason of your fear. Try to see it from multiple angles, but as you look at it from each angle, rise to the root concern. Don't stay at the superficial level and don't worry about solutions either. The goal should be wisdom and not some practical solution. The reason for this is that often when people seek solution, they want something that works at the level of concrete details while failing to see a deeper pattern or the root cause. So you end up having to constantly re-solve the same problem over and over as you solve your symptoms and not the root cause.

 

So, when there is an emergency, use a quick technique to maintain calm. But if you want long term change in the flavor of your life, contemplate.

[thelerner]

What has helped me is doing a Vispassana dissolution saying then a bit of seated meditation. Its a mental giving away. I am not my body(I merely inhabit it), not my thoughts (they are like clouds moving through the sky),I am not my emotions(they settle like ripples in a pond), I am not my past(they are old memories and patterns I can choose not to repeat), I am not my future(it is guesses and projections), I am not my name, I am not my family, I am breath and awarness, I wish to go home. then I'll meditate.

 

I'm sure everyone puts there own spin on it.

 

Michael

[Yoda]

Just to second what Mak Tin Si said, I've only been doing it for a week but the energy from it is very nourishing and peaceful and makes me feel warm and protected sort of like eating hot porridge!!

[TheWhiteRabbit]

The easiest way i have found to achieve calmness is to simply look for a place inside oneself that is calm, and feel and spread the calmness to everywhere else...

[Mak_Tin_Si]

The reason why one cannot be calm and peaceful is usually because of the energy that made you frustrated, violence, unsafe, nervous or even scared or depress..

 

so when we do the practise in taoism (stage1), you will be drawing in the energy of the lineage which also help you dissolve the bad energy inside your body and convert your energy to a more "positive" stage which means you turn your black ink into white or even make your white ink even whiter.

 

We say - turn your body more "yang" in energy and you will achieve peace when you are pure or purified.

 

Mak Tin Si

 

----------

Btw, WhiteRabbit- why are you posting the FU-ending at our signature? Are you trying to tell me that this post is a FU you made which need the ending and lockage? um~

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Btw, WhiteRabbit- why are you posting the FU-ending at our signature? Are you trying to tell me that this post is a FU you made which need the ending and lockage? um~

 

Ah, so negative, and especially in response to a positive FU.

Positive energies rock, especially when they come from heaven only.

[doc benway]

Something that works for me is the following very simple approach -

 

Sit in a quiet room in a comfortable chair and close your eyes.

Turn your attention toward your physical being.

Feel your feet touching the floor, explore what that feels like and stay with it for a moment or two.

Move that quality of attention systematically through your body. It's particularly easy in body parts that are touching other parts or objects. Next bring this quality of attention to the rythym of your breath.

Next, bring that quality of curious interest and attention to whatever it is that you can hear, smell, taste, etc...

Once you get to this point you may even open your eyes and do the same with your sight.

Spend a few minutes paying attention to all the sensory input and see how that affects your anxiety, stress, etc...

[Mak_Tin_Si]

Not to be negative, but do you know what this symbol means?

 

It is from taoism, and it is used as the "footage" of each FU sometimes for a special reason. Do you know the meaning of this?

 

Ah, so negative, and especially in response to a positive FU.

Positive energies rock, especially when they come from heaven only.

[goldisheavy]

It is from taoism, and it is used as the "footage" of each FU sometimes for a special reason.

 

Mak Tin Si, do you mean "footer" by any chance? Or do you mean "footage" as a movie recording of something?

[Mak_Tin_Si]

Sorry, that was a typo. Yes, Footer.

 

This symbol is written at the bottom of the FU as an "ending symbol". It have a meaning to it and if you use it for the signature, it doens't make sense unless you are saying that your "post" here is the word of god or deities in Taoism. Which need to be "tradmarked" with this symbol.

 

Just like writting a letter to your friend, and you work at a hospital (very high pose) and so you will not stamp your hospital stamp at the end of the letter when you are just gossiping right?

 

I was just confused why WhiteRabbit used this symbol. But it is nice for him that he do know some taoism symbols which means he do have fate in taoism too. Congrad.

 

Mak Tin Si, do you mean "footer" by any chance? Or do you mean "footage" as a movie recording of something?

 

 

 

 

Just for your info. These above are the "FU footers" samples that is simular to the one above. This is used only for FU that require the footer. Each do have it's own meaning and channel.

 

For example if you write a FU of LaoZi, then you use a footer that is linked to LaoZi. If you use a fu that is written with the name of "Wong Tai Sin" then you cannot use that same footer anymore because they do not link to the same place.

[Cameron]

One of the keys I think is letting things flow.

 

Usually moments where I find tension or stress arise in the body is when I am not allowing the experience to just flow as it is. That might be a business situation or when communicating with friends or family. When you can relax and allow things to flow they sort of find there own answers. Rather then "you" trying to figure things out or trying to figure out the solution to a certain problem that arises. Let the situation flow and see what insights or understandings naturally come to you.

 

Basic stuff like the inner smile practice and following your breath might be helpful with this.

Edited March 16, 2009 by Cameron

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Not to be negative, but do you know what this symbol means?

 

It is from taoism, and it is used as the "footage" of each FU sometimes for a special reason. Do you know the meaning of this?

 

It means to close the door of negitive energies and is not an end stamp, but has deeper meaning. Ghost script always does. You know open the heaven door open the door of man, close the ghost door and the door of hell.

(there is more meanings also, but you know that)

It blocks invasive unwanted energies.

I should think something so good that only draw human and higher being should be something everyone should want.

 

Interesting, sorry I didnt critique you on your signature. Golden Light just the same Mak.

Edited March 16, 2009 by TheWhiteRabbit

[Mak_Tin_Si]

TheWhiteRabbit ,

 

Your symbol is not the one for open the door of heave,...etc,. This one is a symbol of a lineage's energy. Which means this is a tripod symbol for a lineage's power. If you are not the member of the lineage, yes you can use it, but you do not have the full power of the lineage. You know what lineage?..........it is well known by many sect of taoism for sure.

 

The one you talked about is the letter of 罡. Which I have attacted in the previous reply.

 

Mak Tin Si

[TheWhiteRabbit]

TheWhiteRabbit ,

 

Your symbol is not the one for open the door of heave,...etc,. This one is a symbol of a lineage's energy. Which means this is a tripod symbol for a lineage's power. If you are not the member of the lineage, yes you can use it, but you do not have the full power of the lineage. You know what lineage?..........it is well known by many sect of taoism for sure.

 

The one you talked about is the letter of 罡. Which I have attacted in the previous reply.

 

Mak Tin Si

 

Sorry, all I heard was 'there was a violin playing'

Ghost script is not chinese text but it is somewhat derived from chinese so... no. You just struck out.

It is an extremely elementary thing.

Perhaps the truth you are hiding is that you really are not knowledgeable at all, and are in fact a FRAUD.

Edited March 17, 2009 by TheWhiteRabbit

[Mak_Tin_Si]

Ghost script - where does you term comes from?

 

 

The knowledge of taoism is wise and massive, to understand the true meaning and real usage of each takes lots of "FUK credit" to accumulate. Not everybody can get to know the real thing in one life, but maybe the next. You are one step forward already. I wish you all the best in the future finding out the truth to the taoism knowledge.

[Mak_Tin_Si]

 

 

Maybe for reference.