Uroboros

It's interesting that you say that without explaining why. Just pointing out how you think someone is wrong without explaining why gives very little validity to your point. It just isn't constructive and continues the cycle of confusion. There are so many methods of cultivation out there, yet most seem to keep us rooted in the human affliction. Lucid dreaming, from what I have read and heard from people who practice various methods of it, does not lessen the afflictions. That is why I stay away from most things that appear to have a higher chance of creating illusions of transformation.

The kind of practices I am curious about are not lucid dreaming focused. Lucid dreaming has little utility in my view as it is just more thinking/ imagining. I am asking more about cultivation in alignment with qigong/neigong/meditation practices. How to enliven the shen-qi-jing, so to speak, through sleep practices. Even though it happens already, how to utilize it consciously and improve the quality of the process. Something more along those lines.

What form of SHS do you practice? Just the sounds or movements? I did that for awhile and it did appear to help the quality of sleep. I am not so much talking about lucid dreaming, as utilizing our natural movement into emptiness/ process of revitalization to benefit our cultivation.

I know that kapal bhati, fire breathing and nali kriya all strengthen the LDT. Utilizing the four gates of breath also transform that process of transformation.

As to breath cultivation, utilize various methods of breathing- fire breathing, cleansing breath, various pranayama methods, etc. They all cultivate the breath. Yes, also play with your breath. Feel its state and condition. Is it deep and easy? Does it get stuck somewhere consistently?

Some Taoist texts refer to Emptiness and a state of drowsiness, along with forgetfulness. I was taught to utilize this emptiness. Adding in breath cultivation, penetrating it into the body, is a key, too. Ah, one more key- the way of the Tao is returning.....To return, we must start. Sunrise-sunset. Follow nature. Nature begins and returns. That is about as much as I experientially know. I hope it helps.

I had recurring uti's caused by a medication I was on. The percentage of people affected in that way was listed as .005%, I had to find it myself as the doctors considered that too low to consider. Something to keep in mind. As to your need to strengthen the lower region to stop energy leakage, how do you know you are having them? Men and women both "leak" energy differently and have different ways of replenishing it. A form of stance training would be advisable, as well. Just pick any number of the various stances, work them lower and longer, see how that feels. Good luck

That is a good book. Definitely a solid recommendation.

I dont know if that is a glitch, I have not been registered here for 12 years..Thanks, though. I thought you might be talking about Mantak Chia's TaoYin, as his video course starts with an exercise to strengthen the psoas muscle in the inner thigh and kua. There are various styles and each have their own method of guiding and leading. The Yin Style Bagua group has one, which one guy has videos on youtube about. I was taught a way that is different from both, yet similar. The focus of what I was taught is simply to root the breath into the body. All the various postures and stretching and opening/closing is used to aid that process. Health, vitality, spiritual cultivation, etc are all effects, not the focus. Another person posted about Damo's method of TaoYin. Lots of different styles! Depends on what you want and why you are doing it.

What form/ style of TaoYin are you interested in?

A tree can only grow as high as its roots go deep. How deep is the root of a mountain, then? To the core, perhaps.

A very important and beautiful reminder/ thought. Thank you, Dwai. I concur and will integrate this more.

Yep, I do that, too. Black light for kidneys eventually creates blue...sometimes. The kidney sound is a toughie, too! So many variations, all with more distinct differences then any other sound.

In the book QiGong Empowerment, they start with Liver/Wood as well..... I usually start with the Liver because my Liver needs allot of help. Sounds like my body knew the way!

I dont know why Metal starts the series in the Five Phases. I usually start with Metal because that is what I was taught. Although my teacher did say you dont have to, there are various ways to do it for specific purposes. As to a different way to do it.... Metal-Earth-Water-Earth-Wood-Earth-Big Fire-Earth-Small Fire- Earth- and so on....

How do you begin to start using Power? At the very least, we can actualize our own destiny and utilize our power.

In relation to Daeluin's quote from Liu Yiming concerning emotional/mental states and their Five Phase correspondence relating to cultivation.. Does Earth/Sincerity/Integrity relate to Wu Wei? My thought is this, if we are who we are and act according to what is naturally, self-so, within us, is that what Wu Wei is about? Or is Wu- Wei what Earth becomes after nurturing the whole cycle of Phases? Relating this chain of thought to Power/Te- If Te is within us and it is a piece of Tao, then we would need to be our Self to embody and manifest Te. How does Ziran fit into this? Food for noggin munching Thank you for all the posts! It is very helpful.

If the hair is connected to the kidneys and the Jing both post and pre natal, if a baby is born with a full head of luscious locks does this suggest strong kidneys and Jing? What about strong breathing/ expelling reflex upon birth? Strong lungs and liver?

He considered space exploration and discovery to be the myth of our time/ future. Of course, much has changed since he died... He wrote a book called, The myth of our time.

Yupp. It was exactly like that! He said the human voice is the most powerful sound producing instrument in the world. The body acts as a resonance chamber of sorts, if the body(various sheaths) are "clear" and "open" the deeper the resonance. I have experienced this to be true, for sure. The more tension, less sound/resonance.

My old QiGong teacher could chant in those tonal ranges. Being in the same room when he did it felt amazing! I aspire to that, as well.

When you say -Quick Fire Method- Can you be more detailed in what that entails? From what I gather you are speaking of horse stance along with a form of bellows breathing. Bellows breathing pumps the Hui Yin....

One way of looking at is is that metal condenses moisture into water.

It would have helped tremendously to know how much the breath matters and how much the mind matters. That just doing the forms and such is not enough, there needs to be a cultivation of mind, breath and body. Cultivating your character/ virtues, helps allot. Also, getting healthy and a calm mind is a vital step. Wanting to go way beyond that, without doing that is not a good idea in my opinion.

An important aspect of yawning that is not commonly talked about is its healing/ qi transformative function. When you yawn, it opens space. It clears away. Try utilizing yawning with your qigong/ yoga movements or poses and see how it starts to open where you are closed. If you feel you need to yawn allot, do so. See how you feel after. My experience is that once the impulse rests, there is a transformation internally. You must open up/ delve into the yawn, though. Not just yawn weakly, give yourself to it and see what changes.