Taoway

Taoists try to escape dreams and do not use them in practice because dreams are a product of our mind. Taoist approach streams to develop body and spirit but not mind and fantasies. This is Taoist approach to dreams as I heard about it.

Rgrds, Ilya

If that is so. I can't help but think that's a little foolish. I enjoy the Tibetan idea that if we learn to become lucid in dreams we can continue to be lucid during the bardo after we die. I mean wouldn't a Taoist like to work on having clear dreams at least ? I could understand not flying around at night lucidily for entertainment. But if there are subconscious hang ups do Taoists just focus on their waking practice and feel things will work them selves out in dream

I've had experiences that might correlate with Apeiron&Peiron's. Refining energies before bed with qigong exercises seems to result in more "productive" dreams, rather than just getting a symbolic representation of a blockage/explicit flashes. You start tapping into psychic networks, rather than just working thru your own gunk.

 

I also tend to think that people's psychic sensitivities are increasing in general these days, so qigong before bed and then dreaming of "past people" is you peeking into the fact that they've been thinking about you recently. Lots of people are reflecting on past relationships these days, why things played out the way they did, etc. Definitely had an instance of this recently, with fairly decent anecdotal proof. Streams of consciousness are interacting and things are being triggered b/c your energies are tapping into the collective unconscious, is one possibility, I think.

 

As for scientific explanation, this personally happens when my pituitary and pineal glands are vibrating with chi. These are hormone-regulating glands, including inducing sleepiness, and the pineal gland supposedly manufactures DMT, which is said to be the catalytic substance in entheogenic plants like ayahuasca. On those nights, I notice there are more "weird shows," as you put it, and patterning--versus, say, dreams of 'oh here I am again running from a monster...

 

Certain Chinese herbs mixed with qigong can really do the trick, too. Like he shou wu. But applied wisdom, like lucid dreaming, is hard to do in these scenarios, in my experience.

All this makes me want to get back into dream yoga.

When you talk about the hormones in the pituitary and pineal gland. It reminds me that when I just lower my gaze in the middle of my brow. My forehead and brain start to vibrate. Is this what you mean ?

"Don't think you'll necessarily Be aware of your own enlightenment " -Chung tZu or maybe dogen. Or someone else

How do I focus on anything else right now? It feels like the world is seriously going down the drain.

In the past 3 years I went from having this undeniable faith that the world is waking up. To this sudden harsh awakening that humanity is in shambles and at this point nothing is going to change it. It's definitely not heading in a better direction. The way people treat each other and act and think has gotten visibly worse since let's say 2012.

The only moments of content I feel are when I let go of my attachment to this planet and my life. I welcome an asteroid to start it all over.

Anyone else feeling confused and conflicted over this mess ?

Some of the things that stimulate the vagus nerve I realized I did when I was a kid. A few examples are.

Pressing on your eyes of which I used to do in bed to make everything doubled. Fast forward to my teenage years. I smoked some weed and about an hour later I leaned back and rubbed my eyes and I saw a very vivid chamber of geometric patterns ... hmm

Another example is the yawning of which I would have a uncomfortable feeling of having to yawn for along time.

Last is I used to save up saliva in my mouth and keep it there.

Turns out this is a way to stimulate vagus nerve. By gathering saliva while pressing the tongue to the palate

Yawning...my Zapchen coach had me yawning three times a day for ten minutes at a go. Relaxing and calming.

Hey its interesting you say this! When I was looking up information on vagus nerve stimulation I came across the jaw bone and realignment exercises. I think a lot of tension resides in the jaw and the ability to relax is maybe what's so important about yawning for the vagus

Thanks so much for sharing that. I'm going to delight in yawning all the time now

If you are skinny this is a Vata body type. No matter how much you lift you will still be weaker than anybody else, because Vata bodytype is weakness by definition. The insecurities come from anxiety, fear which are due too much adrenal hormonal activity. Your adrenals produce too much adrenaline and cortisol and anything in life scares you because your body reacts too much from external influences. But you still can balance that, Vata dosha is balanced by increasing Earth element ( Kapha ).

You still need to eat meat (beef, eggs, diary) to increase kapha -earth element and go to gym and work out but at best you will be balanced, which is good enough to regain your own self esteem and confidence.

 

 

 

 

You should avoid eating Vata aggravating foods like these

 

You should eat Kapha aggravating foods like these

That sounds a bit depressing man. Am I really more prone to anxiety and releasing cortisol

How old are you?

22. The metabolism starts slowing at 25

Do a weight training program that progresses to heavy weights. I recommend Stronglifts. Doesn't hurt to have a personal trainer if you need help, but anyone can lift weights for free (well, with a gym membership). "Starting Strength" is a good book for learning proper form.

 

Make sure your meals always have equal amounts of carbs, proteins, and fats. Make sure you always eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner...even (especially) if not hungry. I'm not surprised that a skinny person is saying they don't always eat due to not having an appetite. Sometimes, a lack of appetite is due to not eating...a vicious cycle. So just break it by nourishing yourself.

 

There's nothing wrong with Organic Valley whole Grassmilk. It's good to have some, but not so much that mucus blocks your nasal passages. Everyone is different, but I don't notice any problems with a half glass or even a full glass in a day.

 

In terms of feeling weak around others, there's a simple fix - body language. When you're standing, keep your feet slightly wider than your hips and point your feet about 10 degrees outward (as opposed to standing pigeon toed). Keep the weight on both legs, rather than shifting to one leg, and have 55% of weight in the heels and 45% in the front of the foot. In other words, only very slightly more. This stance portrays personal power. If you stand too wide, it appears as insecurity overcompensating in a weird overbearing kind of sexually immature way. If you stand too narrow, or if you're slightly pigeon toed, it's seen as incredibly weak and unstable. If your feet point too far outward, lets say like 80 degrees, it seems like you lack personal boundaries and that something is wrong with you. If your weight is shifting to one leg, you appear unstable (stability is an aspect of power) and shifty or untrustworthy. If your weight is primarily in the front of the foot, it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and makes you appear less relaxed...if your weight is too much in the heels, you appear incapable, so just slightly gives a relaxed appearance.

 

The second aspect of personal power body language is to have the upper body portray it, as well. If only the lower body does it, it doesn't actually look like power, it looks like confusion and like you're trying too hard to have a certain kind of body language. Same for it you only practice the upper body but forget about the lower body.

 

For the upper body, it's important that your chest doesn't cave in, your shoulders don't hunch or roll forward, that your head doesn't go forward or tilt down too much...it's good to just be upright and centered with a slightly open chest and a balanced head. If the chest is too open, it looks like you're either trying to seem bigger than you are, which appears like overcompensation for insecurity, or that you're mentally a bit off. The point is just to prevent the caving in of the chest, which portrays weakness, depression, etc...just be upright. It helps to practice Dr. Eric Goodman's "Foundation Training" as well as play around with the basics of Esther Gokhale's method. Those methods basically re-train the upper body to be upright in the correct way. It's good for the chin to be kind of level...in other words, don't tilt your head down as if looking at a smartphone, and don't overcompensate and raise your chin up high...experiment by doing those things and finding a happy medium, where the head just balances centered on the neck.

 

When sitting, it's good to be able to slightly rest against a back rest, while sitting upright and centered. Slouching looks sloppy...sitting too upright to the point of not being able to relax appears just like that...as a person who is too insecure to relax. Maintain the same kinds of rules as for the standing upper body...such as not caving in the chest. Keep the shoulders open when sitting against a back rest.

 

Weight lifting also helps the structure of the body become normal, so having proper posture doesn't have to be such a conscious decision. You will just look better naturally as a result.

 

So, if you do the body language, you will appear to others as not being weak. You'll seem stable, mentally strong, capable, etc. You still might feel weak overall, although slightly different...you might feel like people think you're weird for standing like that and will want to change it. Changing it again to a position of weakness (as described above) might feel like going back to the safety of normal, but it will appear weak to others. It can help to look in a full length mirror and practice the body language...see how to do it so that it works and makes you appear strong. See what doesn't work.

 

Finally: it's not true that the healthiest people are very skinny and eat one meal a day.

Thank you for all of that my friend. Especially on how to stand. It reminds me of the standing posture used in qi goingand taichi. With the root sunk down and crown raised up.

Can I ask you more advice on what foods I can eat to gain? I won't have money for a gym but I have freeweights. I just need advice for what I can buy cheaply that Will help.

I don't make much money and I'm living alone. Also the foods I do have I quickly get tired of. (Oatmeal / soups) so I end up not eating because of it .

And I'm sorry maybe what I meant with skinny people bein the healthiest was that people who fast have health benefits

Try https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sertraline

I actually weighed more when I was on antidepressants. I was on zoloft when I was 7. I don't agree with those medication though. So although it definitely would help me gain weight it wouldn't be worth it for me

I've heard the healthiest and longest living people in the world are also very skinny and eat one meal a day.

That's the only reason why I would embrace my skininess. But beyond that I feel quite insecure to be so skinny. As a man I feel like I am weak next to other men.

I don't have much money or space to cook so I find it incredibly hard to gain weight right now I also dont have much of an apetite at timea because of anxiety and depressed states.

My metabolism is very vast and gaining weight would mean I have to eat to the point of feeling like I'm going to throw up all day.

So where can a balance be found with this? I want to maintain a healthy diet. I don't want to consume milk because it's not very healthy these days in America and because it will create to much mucus making it hard to breath through my narrow nostrils.

Any tips on how to gain slowly? Or even just advice on how to let the insecurity go ?

Thank you guys !

Thanks everyone. I can see now I was making excuses more than being in a bad situation. Im going to start the form everyday starting tomorrow

What form do you practice?

How long have you been practicing and how solid is your basic understanding of the principles?

I practice the dong family yang slow form. I learned 3 years ago and gave been practicing since. I know some of the fast set but only practice the slow form for now.

I understand the principals of how to hold my self as I perform. I have imagery of what my teacher would look like too and also get a feel for how it should be as I'm doing it over time.

I used to do the form twice everyday but now it has become once every few weeks and I'm not happy about that. :/

I'm living in a confined space in a basement. There isn't much room for my form and it's a little stuffy to breath.

I want to start doing the form more often before and after work but can't figure out where to practice. I don't like doing it where people walk by closely.

I live in a populated island in new York so it's difficult to find a spot that is open enough.

Any ideas as to how I can adapt to this situation?

https://youtu.be/O-2p32yN39g.

I would love to start a discussion on this video.

I have to watch it again before I start some points.

Anyone have any experience balancing or studying this nervous system? Can it become fried or weakened?

I've been listening to this electrical engineer Dan winter lately. And he speaks about how we're meant to graduate/ grow up and project through the sun/star.

I'm also facing a very rough year and have not had the dicipline to practice or the space. I practice the yang slow form and I share your excitement about Tai Chi im so happy that I can carry it with my through life.

Where are you located? I wish I could teach you

You can also do some sitted or standing qi gong forms. Here are two that I have found to be relaxing

Duhkka?

Yes, for sure. It's up to you to find balance between achievements, daily "ordinary" life and practice. But in my experience results take daily practice. I you can do 15 mn go for it but I would say it really started after I was able to do more than 1 hour a day.

I'm no talking about "superpowers" just knowing yourself and your dynamics better, have better balance, clean some tensions, just serious beginner level

 

Another point, if you understand who you are better but ain't able to adjust your life to you, you may experience more difficulties !

 

A good teacher does matter.

 

Good luck

I definitely can verify what you describe it as. A couple years ago I was actively practicing everyday. A taiji form and other simple movements when I could. And I felt like I was in a great harmonious relation with my self. I was always working with my self instead of working against certain feelings.

I am actively getting back into a practice like that

Hi Taoway,

 

You might find this book helpful: The Qigong Workbook for Anxiety, by Kam Chuen Lam.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Workbook-Anxiety-Practices-Rebalance/dp/1608829499/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473961698&sr=8-1&keywords=anxiety+and+qi+

Thanks liminal! That style of qi gong sounds amazing. I'll pick it up

In other terms has anyone felt like they were floating in a cloud at most times with a steady mind and heart from doing qI gong regularly?

I have grown up with anxiety since I was a young kid.

I've gone quite far with cans of Tuna with mayonnaise and canned beans with onions and spinach. In short, learn how to cook all your meals at home and you can live of 30$ a week for food.

 

It seems like you have much of your life planned out, but I would advise you to be open to the unexpected. Life can and often will surprise you. Best of luck.

I'm going to stock up on bags and bags of organic brown rice... ( can you believe a small 3 pound or so bag at stop and shop is only 2 dollars)

And lots of cans of beans. I live in a basement with no stove or conventional oven so I have a rice cooker which has worked for most dishes !

I will be open and ready for any challenge that comes my way. I embrace having to live off of little. It sounds like a great place to start

Well the space I am living in is of a family friend who don't expect to move anywhere or kick me out.

With tattooing it may seem like just a cool 20 year old thing to do but it's my only skill.. to draw and since many people still flock to get tattoos I can make a living out of it.

I am currently in a shop paying my dues with out being paid. 5 or 6 days a week. I will have to ask to go in less in order to get a part time job. But once I start learning I can schedule let's say 3 tattoos a day 5 days a week. Little ones costing 100 to 200 dollars per tattoo... with that amount I can afford food and car insurance and once I develop my skill with the medium I may move to my parents or a place that is easier to live in.

This is my last try at doing something I love with my life.. If this doesn't work out I will probably join a monastery because I don't plan on having a family and don't necessarily want to work long hours in a trade I don't enjoy. Plus an electrician apprenticeship may take 2 or more years.

My plan in the next 10nyears would be to grow in this skill and use it to travel around.. and I plan to just live very simply for the first 5 or 10 years to save money for the distant future. Save money for a nice property and the ability to take care of my parents later on.

That is great advice with the food question. When I get back to my space I'm going to organize the kitchen and make sure it's a space I don't mind making some quality food in.

I don't do drugs or drink or really need any money for leisure or entertainment. I am very simple minded and am just glad I have a lot of books to read.

I definitely see nothing nwrong with a construction job or a carpenter or electrician. Its just not something I feel I'd be very good at. I love exercise and work that involves manual labor but I'm very skinny and I don't think I'd be appreciated much in a job like that.

For now my skill is with art and luckily tattoo art is something that is still in high demand. So I'll use that to my advantage and make it work.