adept

I would like to thank Jax for sharing these videos which I will watch when I have more free time later.

I have also read that Xiang Gong (Fragrant Qigong) is also very powerful, yet only takes 20 minutes and is really simple to learn. I will try it for 6 months and see how it works out.

Bumping this thread. I'm going to stop my other qigong routine (baduanjin) and practice this alone for at least six months to see how it works out. I have a few health issues (nothing serious) that my baduanjin hasn't managed to sort out. Maybe the more subtle, but powerful energetics of Xiang Gong can succeed where the breathing/tendon/muscle focussed 8 brocades can't.

Exactly, CT. The interweb is full of charlatans, con-men (and women !) and all sorts of not very nice people. The martial arts, fitness/health and spiritual/religious domains seem to be the ones that unearth the most unsavoury characters. Folks, please do your homework on anyone you have an interest in learning from. It doesn't take much time and could save you years of misery, confusion, ill-health and financial ruin.

Nooooooo !! Not this again ! Please please please stay away from him. Please see this thread and especially my comments. http://thetaobums.com/topic/28324-is-the-energy-bubble-created-in-the-fusion-of-the-5-elements-process-the-same-energy-bubble-that-lama-dondrup-dorje-uses-for-empty-force/

Greetings folks. Just something I thought I'd share and get some feedback. I've had many different meditation experiences over the years. Voidness, peace and tranquility, heat, cold, intuition, being-ness etc etc. Lately, a new feeling/experience has entered my meditation sessions. A feeling that my whole body is expanding on the in-breath, and contracting on the out-breath. I can also sense individual parts of the body as they expand and contract. Hands, feet, arms, legs, shoulders, back, hips, head. Not only that, but I can feel the insides such as muscle, bone, tendon, blood, veins expanding and contracting. This has come upon me without any conscious control. I've just been sitting as normal in full lotus, focussing on the mechanism of breathing. Not placing my awareness in any particular place such as the belly, nose or third eye. Just the breathing in, and then out. Sitting without a goal in mind. This is all very interesting to me and also very pleasant. Over and out.

No problem. What would be those certain possibilities ?

Well, I'm not sure if I've accomplished anything. My experiences are what I term as a 'work in progress', or 'self-refinement', never finished, there's always another level to reach as it were. Is that what dual cultivation (xing and ming) amounts to according to the ancient Daoist texts ? I was under the impression it meant something completely different but I may be wrong. I don't know enough about it to comment. I'll leave that to others. Thanks for your input ChiDragon.

I've tried eyes-open meditation many times before and I just can't get comfortable with it. I can't relax and I find my eyes twitch. I find it far better with my eyes closed. I can get into a meditative state of mind quickly and can keep my concentration. Mind you, a lot of people prefer eyes open, it's just I'm not one of them. We're all different, with varying personalities and traits, and find our own ways to do things that suit us individually. Thanks for your comments 9th.

Closed. Why do you ask ?

That book is about as clear as mud ! There are more accessible teachings around.

Anyone know ? He hasn't been around for a while and has deleted a lot of his posts. He has an awful lot of first hand experience which he usually shares with us. A great shame indeed if he has left.

Thank you for this advice ! See what I mean about your value here. Good luck with your endeavors.

Gerard, thank you for your frank honesty. Perhaps you are right. We spend far too much time online, bickering, comparing, arguing, praising etc etc. Experience, practice and more practice is where it's at. However, it's also good to hear of others experiences and wisdom, as this can also be a catalyst for a solid practice. There are some of us here who value your postings and your advice. Please check in every now and again. I'd love to hear how you are and of your practice. Best of luck.

Oh, well that would account for him not posting here, but why delete all those posts ? Some of his wisdom and advice was great to read.

Here's a few tips I would give her. Cut down on starchy carbs and sugar, gradually, until they are all but eliminated from your diet. Water and green tea for liquids. Green tea is great for beating food cravings. Get out into natural surroundings (woods, parks, countryside) and do plenty of walking. Try to incorporate some hills and do this a few times a week. The golden rule for weight loss is eat less, move more. Good luck.

Thank you for your input yabyum24. Judging from the brief video clips and articles I've skimmed through, he has a good handle on western culture and the mindset. That's a great leg-up for any teacher of eastern spirituality and cultivation.

No problem. Glad to be of help. It's a really solid form of qigong which seems too simple to actually be as good as it is. People are often drawn to the styles which are presumed to offer special powers and whatnot, but what could be more special than having resistance to disease and infections, a strong but flexible body and the big possibility of a long healthy life. Hope you find the DVD is of as much benefit to you as it is to me.

The DVD covers everything required for the 8 brocades form, but the book is gorgeous with lots of extra points of practice for a full experience. I think the book is out of stock at present so if you do want it, you may have to try elsewhere such as Amazon.

May I recommend Shifu Yan Lei, his products are very well put together, everything is explained properly and is easy to follow, even for a complete beginner. I have his Qigong book and the accompanying DVD. Maybe £40 in total for a system that will be probably all you'll need for your entire life. http://www.qigongworkout.com/

I love cricket too. Only we (England) seem to have forgotten how to play. We were a shambles, a pale shadow of the previous Ashes test series. Credit where it's due though. Australia were excellent and battered us from start to finish.

I started martial arts before I hit my teens. It was through watching David Carradine in 'Kung Fu', Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris films that I seriously wanted to learn this stuff. Late teens however, and women, partying etc became the primary thing to do, and as a consequence, my martial arts were abandoned, only to return in my late twenties when I'd settled down and married. Mid-thirties, and I started to explore the internal arts, as hard external forms had taken their toll on my body. which in turn has led to my sole practice of qigong as I'm now mid-forties. I'm really glad I started young. I had the passion and raw determination, which has matured over the years, and seems to be leading back to childlike wonder. I feel my path has been a natural progression, starting hard and strong, hitting a peak, then a plateau, and slowly working down to ground level, trying to refine myself all the time.

Hello folks. Happy holidays to you all. I feel a bit daft posting this but I've never spoke to anyone apart from my wife about this before. As long as I can remember, probably going back to my childhood (40 + years), I've been able to know what people are thinking (not word for word but in general), what their intentions are, and the course of action they're likely to follow. All this is sometimes through eye contact only. Other times I don't even need eye contact, it's a feeling. It's usually a first encounter with someone which sets the tone. I immediately know, and feel the energy coming from them. It's either positive, or in most cases, negative. Never neutral. In nearly every case I'm spot on with my observations. This has made me very skeptical as I find a lot of the human race extremely non-trustworthy. Whereas most people would give someone the benefit of doubt, I do not, and cannot because I can feel what the person is thinking or planning to do. I'm not sure if this is a blessing or a curse to be honest because the bad seems to outweigh the good at a ratio of 10:1. The thing is, I feel I should be doing something with this ability, if it can be called that, but I don't know what or who to speak to about this. If there's anyone who can offer some advice I'd appreciate it. Thanks

Thanks.