Dainin
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Posts posted by Dainin
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This one is highly regarded by several people that I respect (I haven't read it yet though):
Daoist Meditation: The Purification of the Heart Method of Meditation and Discourse on Sitting and Forgetting
https://www.amazon.com/Daoist-Meditation-Purification-Discourse-Forgetting/dp/1848192118/
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Yang Taiji Baduanjin: The Eight Brocades (September and November 2024)
https://www.masichinternalarts.com/zoom-8-section-brocade-baduanjin
(Note from Dainin: this is something completely different from the standard 8 Section Brocade. The Yang Family Qigong that I practice with my Tai Chi teacher (can also be seen in a book by Stuart Alve Olson) is just one part of this longer form. You may be able to see some excerpts from it on Youtube. I'll definitely be signing up for this one!)
Join Master Sam Masich for four 2-hour Zoom sessions teaching the almost-lost Yang Taiji Baduanjin from the Yang-style Taijiquan tradition. These eight extraordinary segments are perfect for those who want to go deep into the internal aspects of taijiquan.
In an introduction to his 2011 book ‘Yang-style Taiji Real Power’ (Yang-shi Taiji Zhen Gong 楊式太極真功) author Sun Yizhao explains:
Taiji Baduanjin was originally created by the Yang family as a training method for mobilizing qi and training jin (yunqi lianjin gongfa 運氣練勁功法). Like other forms of baduanjin there are eight sections but the movements are not the same. It can be distinguished by it's 'forging and smelting' (duanlian 鍛煉) of the sections and joints of the body and the strengthening of the internal organs and their way of functioning. It strengthens visceral system functioning and also contains within it a great deal of attack and defence training methods (jiji 技擊).
The Yang-style Taijiquan Baduanjin was originally an indoor family neigong of the Yang family—a secret weapon of sorts. It can be seen variously as a good solid warmup and strength and flexibility practice or as an essential piece of the Yang-style Taijiquan curriculum.
This is the first time this work has been presented in online sessions. As part of your registration, you will receive access to downloadable handouts for each session and access to the recorded session for your future reference.
Cost: $150 USD payment options PayPal, Canadian bank transfer, International (€ & £) bank transfer
Hosted by: Patrick Foley of Longwater Tai Chi
Dates: Session 1: Sep 14
Session 2: Sep 28
Session 3: Nov 16
Session 4: Nov 30
Time: 19.00 CEST, 6pm BST, 1pm EDT, 10am PDT
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48 minutes ago, Unota said:What?
See May 3, 2016 post:
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Upcoming River of Guidance Program
Spiritual Healing to Heal Ourselves, All Beings, and the Earth with Sheikh Murad Finkelstein
Three Sundays: Mar 10, 17, 24- 10:00 - 11:30 am Pacific / UTC -7
- 1:00 - 2:30 pm Eastern / UTC -4
- 5:00 - 6:30 pm UK / UTC +0
Use this Time Zone Converter to find the start time where you live
Registration closes March 8th
You will receive the Zoom and class recording links after you register
A Note from Murad:
I invite you to join me to develop the capabilities and skills for spiritual healing so that we may heal ourselves, all beings, and the earth.
This will be an experiential class in which we attune to the Shafia - the healing energy that comes from Allah. We will explore this through breath, practices, sound, and healing prayers. We will learn tools to clear and move energy through our bodies to heal ourselves so that we can be better channels for healing to flow through us.
We will use wazifa, zikr, breath practices, meditations and shagal to move the breath through the body, imbue it with both the divine healing light and the vitality of the earth, and project the breath toward others through the hands, heart and glance. We will focus on practices for cleansing/release, guidance/intuition, protection, listening to our bodies and aging healthfully.
May the Divine Healing Love, Light, and Life Heal Us
and Flow Through Us
To Heal All Beings
Ya Shafi, Ya Kafi
About Murad:
Murad is a Sheikh in the Ruhaniat, a Shafayat (senior teacher) in the Dervish Healing Order (DHO), and has been a practicing acupuncturist since 1980. He has been teaching Sufi healing classes for the last 40 years, merging his knowledge of Sufi healing with Taoism and Qigong. Since being the President of National Qigong Association, Murad has developed Turning Sound Qigong - Qigong with Sufi influence, and the Healing Zikr - a Sufi Practice and Qigong influence.
At DHO camps and other retreats, he leads zikr, the Healing Zikr and classes on topics that include developing the intuition, building and sustaining magnetism and the integrity of our energetic field, and the expansion and development of breath...read more
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Hello Bums,
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Tom Bisio's Muscle Tendon Change and Marrow Washing course is now live: https://www.internalartsinternational.com/programs/muscle-tendon-change-marrow-washing/
Learn more about theMuscle-Tendon Change & Marrow Washing Online Learning Program
CLICK HERE3-Day Sale Ends February 10 at 7pm EST
Regular Price of $190 reduced to sale price of $165
Use Coupon Code: MTC2024-
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4 hours ago, snowymountains said:Nice! Do you know by any chance the origin of the exercises, are they exercises practiced ie by Bulgarian orthodox ascetics or the origin is entirely different and they incorporated it into their personal practice?
That is a good question and I'm not sure of the answer. Apparently while Peter Deunov's father was a Bulgarian Orthodox priest, he (Peter) attended two Christian (Protestant) theological schools in the United States in the 1890s, and went to medical school at BU for a year before returning to Bulgaria. He was also known as Beinsa Douno and published some books under that name. I just looked in Amazon and there is biography on him and a number of his books have been translated into English. Might be worth checking out.
"In 1932, he developed Paneurhythmy exercises: a sequence of exercises performed to music, to achieve inner balance and harmonization. This practice promotes the processes of self-perfecting, expanding of the consciousness and attaining of virtues. The circle dance, is a conscious interchange between human beings and the forces of living nature. Each movement is the expression of a thought. The effect should be that the observer picks up from the movements, the thought or the idea they express. The rhythm in the movement of the physical body leads us to one in our spiritual life." [Wikipedia article]
I think that was coincidentally around this same time that Gurdjieff was developing his movements, which were also performed to music. At least one of his main disciples was a composer. I don't know if Deunov and Gurdjieff knew of each other or not.
I think there were various systems of calisthenics and other exercises (aka "Physical Culture) that were popular in Europe around the time (and earlier), such as Swedish gymnastics, Indian club swinging, Russian kettlebells, and the Turnverein movement in Germany and among German immigrants in the US. It's possible that this type of material may have influenced them but it's hard to say.
I noticed that Aivanhov used yogic terminology in the title of some of his books. Apparently he went to India in 1959 and met Neem Karoli Baba, who later became the guru to Ram Dass (Richard Alpert).
I find this kind of stuff to be really interesting!
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I just remembered another potential candidate for this, the movement and breath practices of Peter Deunov and his student Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov. These guys were from Bulgaria and considered themselves to be esoteric Christians. They came out of the Orthodox Church but seemed to incorporate some Indian concepts as well.
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I just remembered that two qigong sets that I've studied in the past were transmitted and/or created by Chinese masters who were from Christian and Muslim backgrounds respectively. The Wuji Hundun Qigong popularized by Daisy Lee and Francesco Garripolli was the family qigong of Master Duan Zhi Liang, who a Christian. In a documentary about him, he shows a stele said to talk about his family history. The 24 Posture Therapeutic Qigong developed by Master Helen Wu was based on the 20 posture form developed by her grandfather Master Wang Ziping, who was a Muslim. To my eyes these forms seem to be based on Chinese medical theory and I don't find anything particularly Abrahamic in nature about them.
Another thing that came to mind was the Iranian practice of Zhurkane (also transliterated as Zoor Khane and various other ways) or Varzesh i Bastani. This is a sort of ritual practiced by men in a special building (the Zhurkane or House of Power) in an octagonal pit. While sacred music is played and poetry is chanted, they go they through a lengthy series of exercises including calisthenics (including those typically called "Hindu" squats and push-ups in the West), weight lifting with large wooden shields, swinging very large clubs called Meels, and high speed jumping and spinning. I first read about this years ago in a little book called Zen Combat. It may date back to pre-Islamic Persian empire times but has been continued to be practiced post-Islamic conquest. Again, mind , body and spirit are being engaged, but I'm not sure if they have concepts analogous to the meridian system and qi found in the Chinese (and Tibetan and Ayurvedic) system. There is a guy in Australia selling equipment and books about this system under the name of "Persian Yoga."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahlevani_and_zoorkhaneh_rituals
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I was interested in this too, a while back, but didn't wind up following up with it mostly because the location was a bit far from me. I don't think they just allow you to show up (at least for the latihan part), and ask you to do some background reading for awhile to make sure you're really interested in it before you can experience it. I think it is based on a sort of chain of transmission going back to the founder, Bapak. At least as of a few years ago there was a YouTube channel where some of the old timers shared their experiences with the organization.
The musician Roger McGuinn (of The Byrds) was associated with the practice in the 60s before finding Jesus. The author J.G. Bennett was also involved and wrote a book about it. Some say President Barack Obama's mom may have been associated with them, which freaked out some fundamentalist evangelicals.
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Yes, his courses are online on the Gumroad platform. He usually gives a small discount during the first few days after releasing them. His monthly email earlier today said:
"And speaking of rejuvenation, just in time for Lunar New Year look for our Launch Sale of the Muscle-Tendon Change & Marrow Washing Online Learning Program beginning February 8 at 12pm EST. This very complete online program gives you access to the training methods of Shaolin Monks and Daoist adepts that rebuild the body's fascial system to develop flexible and elastic internal strength and healthy bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Look for our email and facebook posts announcing the launch and sale!
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Bumping for two added sections in Tom Bisio's Yi Jin Jing article series above and added release date for his course (February 8, 2024)
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One of the older sources may be Zoroastrianism. To quote Wikipedia:
" Zoroastrianism, also known as Mazdayasna and Behdin, is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ontology and an eschatology which predicts the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom known as Ahura Mazda (lit. 'Lord of Wisdom') as its supreme being and Angra Mainyu as the opposing, destructive spirit and adversary to Ahura Mazda. Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgement after death, conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions and Gnosticism, Northern Buddhism, and Greek philosophy.
With possible roots dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE, Zoroastrianism enters recorded history around the middle of the 6th century BCE. It served as the state religion of the ancient Iranian empires for more than a millennium (approximately from 600 BCE to 650 CE), but declined from the 7th century CE onwards as a direct result of the Arab-Muslim conquest of Persia (633–654 CE), which led to the large-scale persecution of the Zoroastrian people. Recent estimates place the current number of Zoroastrians in the world at around 110,000–120,000 at most, with the majority of this figure living in India, Iran, and North America; their number has been thought to be declining. "
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Some of these courses sound interesting including one on the Philokalia:
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Nehemiah Gordon did his doctorate on the tetragrammaton at a university in Israel. He has researched and located over 1000 early Hebrew bible manuscripts that give the vowels for YHVH. According to him, these indicated that the correct pronunciation should be "Yehovah." For those interested, he has lots of YouTube videos on this subject.
https://www.youtube.com/@Nehemiaswall
https://www.nehemiaswall.com/about-nehemia-gordon
https://www.nehemiaswall.com/nehemia-gordon-name-god
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Besides the five times daily prayers (Salah) posted above, many Sufi orders have additional practices engaging body, breath, and mind (Zikr, whirling, etc.). Practitioners of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Hesychasm do as well (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesychasm, see section on psychosomatic techniques). Gurdjieff may have combined techniques from those two traditions (and possibly others as well) to come up with his "movements." The ancient Greeks seemed to have similar practices as well (see the interesting books of Peter Kingsley). They would not be Abrahamic but may have influenced them, as they occupied many of the same regions. The books of Idries Shah claim that Sufism had roots in pre-Islamic traditions, but his scholarship seems to be questioned by some people (as does Kingsley's).
Although these practices share with qigong the engagement of body, breath, and mind, I'm not sure of the extent to which the concepts of cultivating qi and the meridian system exists in them. I have heard of concepts such as "pneuma" and "ruach" as being similar to qi or prana but don't know enough about them to say. Maybe someone more knowledgeable about this can weigh in.
On a related note, the traditional system of Islamic medicine (Unani aka Tibb) uses many modalities in common with traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, including pulse and tongue diagnosis, herbalism, dietary therapy, cupping, and body work/massage, as well as various treatments suggested by Mohammed ("Prophetic medicine"). A lot of the roots of this system lay in the ancient Greek concept of temperaments (or humours), which was also widely used in Western medicine prior to the 1900s. It also seems similar to TCM and Ayurveda, in looking at the individual constitution of the patient as a key to treatment. I'm not sure if they have a map of the meridians (or nadis) in the same way though.
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27 minutes ago, NaturaNaturans said:I do not belive the teachings of christ are violent, on the contrary acctually. Human history is bloody no doubt, but Jesus… a really chill fellow
Many of the perpetrators of those atrocities claimed to be followers of Christ's teachings and many believed they were acting on his behalf. If you think he is peaceful and tolerant, read the Book of Revelation.
There are some Christian groups who are tolerant and peaceful, for example Quakers, Hutterites, etc. The majority are not. What is the point of peaceful teachings when the actions of the followers of these teachings are extremely hateful and violent, not just to non-believers but also between different denominations of Christianity?
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21 hours ago, NaturaNaturans said:Thats the point, two very intolerant religions
If you don't think Christianity is intolerant please take a moment to consider the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Transatlantic slave trade, burning of "witches", genocide of indigenous populations in the Americas and Australia, Holocaust, etc., etc.
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Happy New Year, Bums!
I hope to continue mostly in the same vein in the new year. I think I managed to do at least some practice everyday in 2023. Some general objectives (not resolutions) would be to accumulate less stuff; to complete some of the courses that I've acquired but never finished (or started!); to keep my brain active with puzzles, writing, etc.; to do more to cultivate my relationship with friends and relatives; and to make better decisions regarding dietary intake, sleep, and other health-related aspects.
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3 hours ago, snowymountains said:Thank you 😊 that's the aim, to augment the two.
Can I ask, does the teacher provide help with both experiental/practice questions as well as theory, to understand eg why an exercise is structured the way it is, with what it can be combined etc ?
Yes, he receives and responds to all manner of questions. This is currently done in private FB groups, but I think he may be transitioning this function to another platform in the future...and there are also periodic live webinars where he takes questions during the course.
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I've taken the Flowing Zen Qigong 201 course twice and I'm currently taking the 101 course and can recommend them. The information is presented in a manner and at a pace so that it does not become overwhelming. The teacher is accessible and responds to questions. I've also taken workshops in person from the instructor as well as his ex teacher. If you're new to Qigong, I would recommend taking the 101 first, even though they say you can begin with either one. Regular Qigong practice should enhance your Zazen practice, at least that was my experience.
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I don't have a daily chanting practice at the moment, but meet with one of my teachers weekly on Sunday mornings for a 30 minute online chanting session (including preliminary and concluding prayers). These are primarily of Hindu origin, with occasional Buddhist ones as well. When I attend the Zendo, the opening service always includes chanting either the Heart Sutra or Hakuin's Song of Zazen, and sometimes the Sandokai (The Identity of Relative and Absolute) and Kanzeon mantras. Then 3 rounds of the 4 vows at the conclusion of the session.
I've done extended daily periods of the Bihar School's 3 mantra morning sadhana (11 Mahamrityunjaya, 11 Gayatri and 3 rounds of the 32 names of Durga) which I really enjoyed (it's energizing) and will probably go back to doing eventually. I've dabbled a bit with the Maha Mantra (Hare Krishna...) and some of the Pure Land mantras (Amituofo, etc.). I'd like to try working with the Threshold Society's 18 minute Zikr at some point also.
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STARTS 2 FEBRUARY 2024
EARLY BIRD PRICE ENDS 21 DECEMBER 2023PAY LATER OPTIONS AVAILABLE ON CHECKOUTWhat were the ancients involved with? Why did they invest considerable time in studying the stars, the human body, and their perceived connections?In his influential work Stairway to Heaven, published in 2008, Peter Levenda extends their exploration by identifying a correlation between the seven-step spiritual traditions in various world religions and the seven stars of the Big Dipper. For the ancients, who interpreted the concept of heaven literally, the Pole Star presented an evident candidate for the divine seat (whether of a single god, multiple gods, or other entities). Levenda contends that the ancients across diverse cultures comprehended the seven stars of the Big Dipper as the seven-step stairway to heaven.It's in these seven-step rituals a pathway to be found to transcend the transient nature of the world, attain immortality, and ascend to communion with the Supreme.
Explore the hidden threads connecting ancient civilizations, mystical traditions, and secret societies worldwide. From Egyptian mysteries to Qabalistic revelations, Chinese Daoism to Hindu Tantra, we will unveil a universal myth echoing through time.
Dive into the symbolism of the number seven, the celestial chariot called Merkavah, the Divine Throne, Temple, and Being. Together, we will unearth surprising revelations in the rituals of Egypt, Sumer, and Babylon, discovering the roots of a shared narrative of divine Ascent.
Delve into the clandestine world of Western secret societies in the 19th and 20th centuries as our course unravels the enigmatic influence of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor and other esoteric groups that encoded and perpetuated this ancient wisdom, shaping the very foundations of new-age occultism.
Finally, we will explore the intriguing connections between these rituals and the resurgence of contemporary interest in UFO and Ultraterrestrial contact—the true disclosure.
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I just came across this today. I haven't read any of it in detail yet, but at first glance it looks quite comprehensive and interesting. I believe that he will be releasing an online course on Muscle-Tendon Change early next year (February 8).
Muscle-Tendon Change, Marrow Washing & Fascial Training: series of articles by Tom Bisio:
Added sections 8-9
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Kaḷarippayaṟṟ˘: Embodying the Cosmic Wind
in Upcoming Events
Posted
https://www.yogicstudies.com/ys-128