Greetings. I'm new to this forum and the topics of Taoism, Buddhism, TCM, and other physiological/spiritual practices/disciplines. so I hope i am doing this correctly. I have joined this gathering in hopes of finding answers, improving my health, and possibly finding my own path in life. I am an American - who has had very little human interaction outside of public schooling and college education - so I have little idea where to start and much I hope to learn. the most I have done is searching the internet for general information (which eventually lead me here), attempted to find a teacher for meditation, and practicing the hatha yoga I learned in college at home. I have a low amount of funds to spend but a decent amount of free time on my hands. So any pointers on where to start with learning my fundamentals and building a foundation for safe learning would be appreciated.
with that introduction over.
Being an uninformed westerner I'm not sure what else to say. although I have a few questions that have been bothering me since I started researching.
First can anyone learn and practice? is my age a limitation?
second does learning one school of practice lock you out from learning another?
Third and I hope this Question is not offensive. Does the religion I prescribe to limit my compatibility and ability to practice?
Fourth and I apologize if this is offensive. does learning require that I divorce my self from the hobbies that I enjoy such as reading and writing fiction.
Fifth and most importantly to myself could someone please direct me where I can obtain concrete information on how to properly meditate?
