Mattimo

controlled opposition....be very wary.

Oh realllyyyy.

Hi all,

While practicing standing postures it occurred to me to start subtly rocking forward and backward while paying attention to the connection between my feet and my head: weight transference might be a better description. I observed that my breathing became more automatic and my eyes seemed to shift focus. I was wondering if anyone could share their opinions or experiences about dynamically standing. That is to say, subtly moving while standing. It truly is a fascinating concept.

Thanks.

Thoughts on External Meditation like Yoga/Tai Chi vs Internal Meditation, like Zen and Vipassana Meditation?

 

Thanks,

Leon

In my opinion yoga and tai chi are more holistic in their approach in that the practices do not negate the body like zen and vipassana appear to. The effects of movement arts that involve the quality, refinement and coordination of physical action is more tangible than meditation alone.

If you want to read up on this stuff the best book I ever read was The Body Electric by Robert O. Becker. Fascinating read.

Fascinating definition.

tajiquan in and of itself awakens you to the magnetic reality of existance itself.

 

tajiquan is another part of the alchemy. You move because the universe moves it is the unification of movement and stillness thus taichi. It does what stillness meditation could not due alone.

 

all of your neikung and chi training comes together in the taji form itself.

 

Taichiquan expands your shen.

 

Taichiquan is the gateway into the tao. When i practice my form with just a thought i can increase my inner feeling and i can see a network start to form that connects to everything. The deeper i go into my form the more clearly i can see this network. In time you will be able to see this network by just thinking of the feeling but only taichiquan can take you further into it.

Unless the tooth is extracted a specific way, it could lead to the same/similar issues as a root canaled tooth. If you read the Weston Price literature, bacteria can also be trapped from an improperly pulled tooth. Apparently it is necessary to drill away several millimeters of the bone/socket around the tooth? Or something like that.

Just listening to an interview with Bruce Frantzis - very interesting. However, the interviewer bugs the hell out of me. He has to be one of the worst interviewers on the planet.

I would like to think that I have researched a lot about what constitutes an optimal diet. I tried the raw thing for over three months and lost all of my body fat and was generally tired. I've also dabbled with vegetarianism. Here's the thing, most of us need animal fat/meat to function well. Additionally, cutting out refined carbs, sugar, etc is a good idea. Google "Weston Price" for more information.

It is especially noteworthy that in the Weston Price literature it states that if the body is not receiving enough nourishing animal fats, one will crave [paraphrase] junk food. Unprocessed animal fats are absolutely essential for optimal health. Indeed there is a lot of misinformation about fats i.e. you eat fat you get fat. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Have you ever watched a National Geographic documentary or footage of African tribal peoples still holding on to tradition? The first thing I notice is their perfect, white teeth and generally fit physique.

Do some research, you'll figure it out.

Could my dead master be contacting me and giveing me hints?

 

I doubt it. Let's not get carried away with the 'dead martial arts master hanging around to teach his students' thing again. I don't buy into that notion. Why not take credit for your own inspirations and accomplishments? Why look to magical thinking and "beyond the gave" explanations?

I agree 100 percent. This is delusional self-destructive thinking in my opinion.

Leaving all the qi and jing jargon aside, what you are experiencing can be described as a greater level of presence. There are qualities about a person who is more aware and centered that are undeniable; moreover, it is often reflected in movement.

With regards to differences in energetic feelings between men and women, I have no idea. No disrespect intended, but could it be your imagination?

Regarding your stretching ability, I would say it has to do with enhanced neuro-plasticity derived from your meditative state. Quite simply, your brain can organize your muscles better.

Maybe you can start a fund, saving up a few dollars here and there, until finally, you can get a few treatments from a powerful energy/TCM healer. In the meantime, good luck to you in staying healthy.

Look in the yellow pages under "powerful healer" if you need to make any appointments. Pardon the cynicism but in my opinion you are far better off investing the money in reading material or healthier food than going to a so-called healer.

I don't recommend fasting for your intended purpose. Moreover, you seem to be desperate to find a solution which may contribute to a general feeling of anxiety. This could be your greatest obstacle in affecting change within your body. Step out of the way, let go and let your body do the rest. That being said, making sure you are receiving proper nutrition would also be beneficial. Lot's of healthy oils and fats from fish, chicken/lamb/beef liver, bone broth soups, etc wouldn't be a bad idea. I would also highly recommend re investigating the Feldenkrais Method in order to do a few basic "exercises" daily, weekly, or whenever you feel like it. Remember it's the principal of slow conscious movement which is important, not some other form of magic contained within the lesson. The only other thing I can recommend is to read up on SCENAR therapy. PM me if you have any questions regarding it.

Greetings all,

 

Well, as you can tell by my forum name, my name is alexander (alex), and I am a 18 year old college student. I have been doing a lot of research/practice in Eastern "faiths" (I suppose you could call it that), and that is what brought me to this forum. If you don't mind reading a little paragraph, I have been having a lot of difficulties in my life because of some recent changes in my brain chemistry.

What first brought me to what you would call "religion" was that at some point during the summer I had smoked marijuana and had a very depressing high, and through a a series of coincidences I was convinced of a higher power other than "myself". I then somehow stumbled upon Buddhism, and it made so much sense that I pursued it for hours and hours each day. I practiced mindfulness, etc. and I noticed that everything became more lucid. Then one day, I decided to smoke (I'm sorry for all the marijuana references, I just feel that they are important to know about) to let it all soak in, and boy did it. The effects after the weed were just tremendous, it was like the lucidity that I was experiencing before multiplied x10. I continued on through the summer, and I felt a little less "stable" than before. Two weeks later, I had to go to college, and I found myself devoting even more time to these studies. I picked up many Hinduism things, and thats what has finally led me here. It seems that my lucidity I suppose you could say, is getting out of control. I am losing my sexual drive, and I find it hard to relate to people now. I am usually a very sociable guy, and I am finding myself lost in my own mind these days. I feel like my individuality is lost, and I think that is one of the beautiful things of Humans. Hinduism/Buddhism has nailed in my head that looks/personalities are subjective and there is no point in seeing someone as attractive, and someone as not. But how can that be so when they advocate naturalness? Isn't being natural related to sex, much like eating and sleeping? I'm just really confused what to do, and I read somewhere that Taoism doesn't denounce sex, but rather sees it as a sacred thing. So if you guys could please explain to me, what am I experiencing, and how can I gain back my sexuality/life?

I strongly urge you to be cautious and consider dropping the books for awhile. From what you describe, it seems like you are certainly having a spiritual/anxious/psychotic experience. Yes, these things are closely linked. I recommend trying to find a way to calm your mind. Whether that be meditation, physical exercise, etc. It isn't necessary to try and figure everything out - you have plenty of time. I also humbly suggest that you have misinterpreted certain aspects of Buddhism/Hinduism. Do not take things too literally or create absolutes or unfounded ideals that do not resonate with you. Always relate it back to yourself and ask yourself what you think and what you believe. The world is not out there it is "in here." Frankly, your emotions/feelings/perspective/thoughts/beliefs ultimately have more merit than abstractia' written in texts.

A great well-rounded response Blasto.

The internal martial arts techniques around now, have mostly been developed over hundreds of years. Each new practitioner/teacher makes improvements and refines the training method slightly. If you want to learn by merely observing yourself etc -go ahead, but unless you have acheived physical immortality through some clever taoist yogic practice, you will save youself A LOT of time by getting a master who knows what he's talking about to point you in the right direction. I have practiced zhan zhuang diligently every day for three years now. However a lot of that time I have been subtly harming myself, by practicing in a bad way. If I had had master Lam there the whole time to guide me this would not have happened. I strongly recomend seeing master Lam to anyone, even if you are already an expert. He has so much skill and knowledge about not only yiquan, but also taiji, feng shui, acupuncture, herbal medicine, kung fu etc...

Yes, I hear you. I posted my succinct comment to invite debate. There can definitely be value in "having" teachers. However, fundamentally I believe that it is not absolutely necessary - at least not in the capacity of having a long-term teacher. Perhaps I haven't met anyone with a high degree of cultivation. That being said, one could argue that the act of making a mistake and then learning from it is a fuller/truer form of learning (for lack of a better phrase). That is to say, one would not be adhering to dogma in the sense that "you're not supposed to do this because that could happen because my master/teacher said so." Not only that, at it's core, internal martial arts principally involves the refinement of the quality of one's movement (while performing movement) through observation. This invariably leads to greater coordination and otherwise knowing what you are doing from the inside out, while you perform any action. This in and of itself can take you all the way...in my opinion.

Anyone who says that you don't need a teacher to learn how to stand, is really just saying that you can learn how to stand the way that they stand, without a teacher.

Hogwash. Who taught the teacher? Who taught the teacher that taught the teacher?

Do what feels natural to you. Since meditation is generally a process of letting go, the answer should seem simple.

I find it hard to believe that tattoos in and of themselves would sap energy from a person. Rather, it would be ego-identification with a tattoo that might serve to do that. Respectfully, I would also analyze why you feel it prudent to ask about getting a tattoo rather then simply getting or not getting one after careful, independent consideration.

I just wanted to report that I continue to experience quite effective results. Again, I am needling primarily around the naval/abdomen area so there is little chance of any danger. Essentially what I am doing is finding extremely tense areas and/or trigger points and inserting the needles there. Slightly twirling the needles and/or subtly brushing them in a direction with the hand and/or cupping the hand over several needles so as to apply very slight pressure also produces amazing results. To me, it seems that inserting needles into these areas alters the stagnant state and/or charge of a muscle and/or area of muscle. Furthermore, I would also equate it to inputing novel sensory data into the body which enables the body to affect change. It really is quite fascinating and quite relieving at the same time because I have struggled with body-wide tension which seems to originate from the abdomen area for quite sometime. I can honestly say that out of everything I have tried this has been the most effective - it really has surprised me.

Thanks for the informative reply Trunk. Indeed, when I have needled my abdomen everything was balanced.

Well, I guess I was kind of asking for it. To be clear, I was only needling around my abdominal area and especially around the naval. It honestly helped a lot. I got a fantastic sleep, substantially reduced some tension I was experiencing there and am still alive. I would never needle my chest area. Anyway, was just curious what some opinions were.

Thanks

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to pick your collective brains about any danger associated with self accupuncture. I should also add that I am not following any charts or maps. Interestingly enough, I have gained more benefit from intuiting where I should put the needles then paying for accupuncture from a so-called professional trained in China. Also, I am using the needles to try to reduce muscular tension.

Thanks everyone

Holding the ball a little lower and smaller has helped a lot with my breathing. Does anyone else get really hot from doing ZZ? Like even when they are just in wuji posture?

Yeah that's normal. You are essentially eliminating parasitic muscular tension through standing postures. The energy has to go somewhere (heat).

Lol?

Bodri is full of shit. Moreover, who said yoga is just stretching? True, most modern perversions of yoga and the weekend-trenders' may perceive yoga as stretching and so practice it with that level of awareness. However, I believe one can extract more out of the practice. I recall reading a very eloquently written post about what yoga means to one member on the AYP site. He said that yoga was like a puzzle for your mind/body which forced him to relax into a greater sense of being. One could also say that yoga is about neuromuscular organization. i.e. everyone as the capability of touching their hands to the ground while standing right now; however, certain organizational patterns and inhibitions within their brain may prevent them from accomplishing the so-called feat unless they learn novel ways to reorganize themselves. Therefore, yoga is also synonymous with learning. By working on movement/posture/organization one is directly influencing the brain and increasing the level of choice for physical action in any direction. Life is movement, if we can't move that well we might feel old or inadequate. Therefore, by increasing one's ability to move with ease and grace we are directly influencing all aspects of our life. Moreover, even from a biological perspective the movement/organizational center of the brain touches areas of the brain devoted to thought, feeling, etc. But movement is tangible, it is observable; if one has an inability to move a certain way one can directly perceive that. In working to increase freedom of movement, one is becoming a fuller human being, governed by choice and spontaneity...

So you see, Bodri is delusional.