Junbao

Howdy!

I live in Colorado Springs also and have been wondering the same thing lately.

Found this taichicolorado

And this 4 branches

Though I might check them out.

I took Kung Fu for a while at Black Lotus studio and they also do some Qigong sets there.

4 branches looks cool, and the instructor is also an acupuncturist so I assume she has some good understanding of internal energies.

I also have both courses that Hundun mentioned. I am just about to check out Spring Forest and see how that resonates with me.

I'm sure if you really wanted you could borrow one of them from me. You can send me a PM if you want.

sheng zhen,

I'm sorry if you misunderstood me? The book itself is not free, but on Google books search, Lama Tantrapa has allowed for full viewing of his book.

Cool stuff, I will be reading it over the next few days.

I grew up in Santa Barbara where they have a TCM school and they did acupuncture treatments for about half of what you would pay at a normal acupuncturist. You could get some good herbs prescribed to you too.

Here is a school in Santa Cruz for you. I think the have a campus in San Jose too, but I would rather be in Santa Cruz personally. Treatments with a senior student, supervised by the instructor are only $25.

fivebranches.edu

Chris, I think you are me 10 years ago...

Seems exactly where I was at.

Valerian and hops can be good.

Actually, if you can go a natural food shop that has herbs, a chamomile, hops, and skullcap tea is something really nice to make for yourself. You could take that with Valerian too.

Sometimes the ritual of making a good warm herbal tea, and drinking down a few cups, really can calm you down.

Also, a couple Ayurvedic herbs that are good are Bacopa and Ashwaghanda. I prefer Bacopa myself. It's also supposed to work well with meditation, and balancing left and right brain. I get it at Vitamin Shop, $9.00 for 100.

I took poppy without any troubles, but it was kind of expensive and other things worked better for me.

Thank you Lama Somananda Tantrapa for stopping by this forum.

And thanks for your generous direction as to where we can brows through your entire book, and where to listen to the audio as well.

I've listened to the audio, a few tracks so far, and I really quite like it. I like the way you describe things and the philosophy behind your ideas.

One thing I can't seem to get through is your initiation track. I lay down and put it on, and I only last a few minutes past the relaxation sequence. I tried yesterday and today, in the middle of the day when I was awake and alert, and I would drift in and out, only to wake up right at the end of it.

Then I would feel very calm and relaxed for the next few hours.

So far I like this enough to check out the book next and see where things go.

Thanks!

Thanks for sharing that!

I always feel inspired when I see older folks being active like that. Helps me understand that I can be like that too. My goal is to hit 100!

Chris that's awesome that Hundun can give you some help.

Re the drugs and anxiety. At least if your admitting that the drugs increased your anxiety, regardless of weather or not they were the cause, you can see that they are not a helpful long term healing tool. I think in this type of situation you really have to think though the whole cycle and see where you come out at the end based on what decisions you have made.

My outlook on weed is pretty mellow. I smoked everyday for 8 years, very small amounts, and it effected me less than coffee or cola or beer. I will tell you though that I have not smoked now for almost two years, and my life is still going just fine. On a side note to that, Tai Chi master Cheng Man Ching stated that weed drains the kidneys, so you might think about that if there is a kidney imbalance.

I have a tendency to over think things very often, and so for me, calm comes from less focus and more relaxing and releasing. I tend to do better with things that take effort but not thinking or concentration. Like running or cycling, or Kung Fu and Tai Chi. You just do them and they work for you and keep your energy flowing and your body healthy. For the mind, emptiness meditation is good for me. I also have to try to stay away from the word focus, as this to me implies the tightening of an image, like focusing a camera...that kind of thing.

For me the words relax, or imagine, work much better.

Glad to see you around here, and that you can be so open and honest. Wish you the best!

Hey Chris,

Could it be that your attachment to the drugs is what's adding to your anxiety?

You seem to mention them as a solution to problems you have had.

I've gone through a period where I was using hard drugs like speed and heroin, and mind expanding drugs, and during those times my mind was very good about rationalizing everything.

For me, the best way to get over the desire was to meditate daily on the ill effect they had on me, and the rather pointless short term "enjoyment" that was so completely outweighed by the negative side effects. Which by the way, were more the main effects. The high was more like the side effect.

Basically, try to stop thinking that your problem is your solution.

I'm sorry to hear you get anxiety attacks. I'm familiar with that and it's really no fun

I think some personality types are more prone to that kind of thing.

It happens to me more rarely now. If it does, I always know that a good nights sleep will do me better than any drug ever could.

I don't know Hundun very well, but from what I've read in his posts he seems knowledgeable and could probably be able to help you.

Best to you man....if you really want to pursue this, my advice is get clear and go from there. Best thing I ever did for myself, and not one day do I feel like I'm missing that stuff.

Yes, Ben D, that's what I was implying.

I like to keep things simple.

They are only ideas anyway.....coming and going, ever changing. Just thoughts.

Thanks for the link.

Everything is waves/vibrations right?

What is interesting to ponder is what intelligence exists that keeps everything vibrating at it's particular frequency. What's holding it all together?

If it is "God", then what type of intelligence it that? I feel that it's not the kind that has me forming words and typing sentences here, but more the kind that keeps my heart pumping, or a tree growing, or the planets orbiting the sun.

I would like to learn to be closer to that kind of intelligence.

Maybe I could see it like this....

God = The Tao

Jesus = The Physical Manifestations of The Tao

Holy Spirit = Chi - the force that animates the the physical manifestations within the Tao

???

I remember reading that Cheng Man Ching did some kind of intense qigong similar to Iron Body when he lived in China or Taiwan. I would have to go back to get more details though. Maybe in Wolfe Lowenthal's (sp?) book.

I think it's good to take care of your body by keeping your muscles fit, and stretching. I like to do Pilates for core, and Hindu pushups for upper body. I ride my bike to work everyday, and on weekends, so that takes care of my legs. I can't stand being in a gym, so I have to find things I enjoy that add a healthy bonus.

I like to do some standing forms in low stances to stretch and warm up the legs, the some Kung Fu forms to get the Chi moving, then some Tai Chi to smooth it out....

Here is something posted here at taobums to check out...about using tones and patterns to help get the brain to different states...

link

It's interesting to find music that we easily sync to.

For me it's funky electro breaks, with cool acid synths. Something about manipulating such a raw waveform, a simple sine-wave stretched, distorted, rising, building, breaking off and releasing......I can really feel that current and sometimes I get chills. When I'm cycling or running it peaks me out with and incredible natural high along with fantastic energy.

Wow Vortex,

That really is incredible!!! Lucky you to have been able to visit there.

Kunming, Yunnan Province

Dragon Gate on West Hill

The Western Hills (Xi Shan), a band of sheer cliff faces, rise 2,000 feet above the shores of Lake Dian.

Thanks Trunk! That's just what I needed!

Really great help here from everyone. I'm sure it will help my Kunlun practice as well as in daily life.

Thanks Hundun!

Trunk,

Since your talking about following the breath...if you don't mind a question?

My breathing sometimes seems to get more tense than relaxed when I focus on it. I am able to breath deep into my lower body, belly and back expand, but when I follow it, I latch onto it too much and it becomes more of an effort than a natural happening. It's hard to balance the two.

I have read that the in breath is more yang (active), and so it's hard to relax on the inhale. The out breath is more yin (passive) and so it is easier to relax at this point.

For me, I can feel a bit of restriction in my middle dan tien area, air flows fine in upper chest, and relaxed in belly.

Any tips? Thanks!

Chris,

Do you keep the chin tucked the whole time then? I tried this last night and got the impression that once you felt you couldn't hold the breath anymore you just relax and let the posture go, and focus on the visualization?

I went through some shaking, some bursts of energy, and then a few moments of fading in and out. It was really easy to visualize at that point since I wanted to breath so bad, I imagined the hot red burning energy melting my desire/need for air.

Then I felt like I might be getting close to passing out so I stopped and took some air.

I was wondering, since this shouldn't be done too often, what is considered attempting, and what is considered success? Like, if I don't feel like I got it, is it harmful to try till I do? And once I realize I have made it, stop there? Or should it only be tried every so often?

Thanks for sharing techniques and I hope everyone enjoys the weekend!

Sorry Trunk,

I hope I didn't contribute to your frustration. I really respect your contributions.

Apparently the lotus pose was mentioned in the blog as a testament to the students stamina and willpower?

I like the blog, very interesting.

Yeah Karen, I think I read some articles on that some years ago. About the sequential eating. Also about inspecting the scat you could see the layers in which the food was consumed. I think that was it. It presented some interesting ideas. I'll have to re-look into things.

So would cows milk be better than soy milk then? In cutting out grains would that be things like breads, rice, pastas....along those lines?

Would potatoes be a good alternative for carbs?

Thanks Karen for taking the time to post that!

So, if I was interested in trying out a diet that cuts these things, mainly grains and soy, what would be good choices for food? I have had weird digestion things off and on for some years now, and am wondering if abstaining from grains could be helpful. I have a strong digestion, I am really lean and food goes through me fast, but I often get stomach discomfort, and sometimes very bright red ears.

I don't think anyone here is endorsing anything, just sharing and speculating.

I personally feel that the after effects are much worse than the enjoyable parts, which is why I have not done anything like that for a LONG time. But I don't think I am a bad person for trying these things.

I don't even drink anymore. I just like to be myself.

I've been curious about the benefits of full lotus pose.

For a while I was doing headstands and could get into it while in a headstand without my hands. That was cool...

I find it really helps put my body in just the right posture, spine straight, breathing easy. Keeps me just alert enough to where while I am relaxed, I do not start dosing. The only thing is coming out of it. Getting my legs straight again and being able to stand back up.

Hi,

I was looking up some info from David Frawley on Ashwagandha last night, and came across this...

Ayrvedic guide to Polarity Therapy

Has anyone tried this out much? Have any opinions or recommendations? It looks interesting to me.