liminal_luke

I don´t know. It looked to me like it was melted under a broiler in an oven but I suppose there´s more than one way to melt one´s cheese. Never mind me, today I´m operating with half a cauliflower.

Looks delicious. I´m of the opinion that anything topped with broiled cheese is delicious -- but that´s not an unpopular opinion.

Maybe the beauty of having all these "brains" is that we can change what we think without staying strictly in our head. There´s a gut-brain axis? Good! Let me change my thoughts by eating differently. Movement works too as well as various cultivation practices. Getting the right kind of sunshine can have a profound effect on the kind of thoughts associated with a bad mood. It´s often easier to change thoughts indirectly -- by working with the systems that effect the various brains -- than trying to strongarm thoughts on a cognitive level.

In her youth, Zazen sometimes gets up and walks around. By the time Zazen is in her 80s she still walks just fine, thank you; but, especially after prolonged sitting, she can be a bit wobbly for a few steps until she gets going.

I´m interested in lonliness, connection, and intimacy. Here´s a Substack post I came across that puts these subjects into the context of spiritual awakening in a way that might be useful for some Bums. The Loneliness of Awakening: From Isolation to Divine Intimacy

They are few and far between, but a few nutrition scientists are conducting studies that confirm my beliefs about what is good to eat. These folks are OK! It´s the other ones I can´t take.

Good to hear from you, Earl Gray. I still remember some details from the Akasic reading you give me several years back which I found very helpful. It sounds like you are doing well. So glad. (Incidently, you are not the only neurodivergent Bum that has gotten into repeated skirmishes with the mod team. I suspect this happens a lot. Leadership here seems to value people who can easily let things go and happily disengage. I´m no expert, but believe that this kind of easy-going attitude is not associated with neurodivergence.)

Systems are like recipes. Two people may think they are following Julia Child´s beef bourguignon instructions and yet their dishes don´t come out the same. There´s inevitably a dialectic, a subtle tension, between the approach of a given teacher and a given student; the crosscurrents that ripple out from this tension are, as they say, "a feature, not a bug." Ultimately, we´re all following our own path.

Cool cats rarely follow rules, or get good grades in public schools. They cultivate an air of mystery, not for them the one two three. So Apech´s drinking wine in Portugal, and not concerned with us at all. Let alone the great cat Bastet, who surely deserves her own sonnet. meow

Not my brother, a friend. And in reality he´s a sweet guy and I don´t wish him any harm. Just someone who got caught up, as so many of us do, in a particular mind loop. For brother Apech He´s a cool white cat, who knows where it´s at. He´s done lots of Egyptian study, I´m lucky he´s my buddy.

Science is fascinating, so I can´t fault those who make it´s study their life´s work, though there are certainly ethical landmines to be navigated -- and some navigate them with more humility and grace than others. But I like to think there´s a special place in some unfathomable lower realm for those who know nothing of science themselves but proudly declare "I believe in science" in an attempt to coerce relatives and friends to make a given behavioral choice. Not that I´m bitter or anything.

Sorry to hear about your loss, Steve. Take care...

...

Group hug, OK? Hoping things go well for you Steve.

Ah, OK. And you´re saying that the MCO isn´t actually real but rather a belief system?

Yes, I suppose it is. "Belief" is one of those words that comes freighted with connotations in some spiritual corners. Anyway, it feels like you´re trying to make a point but I haven´t quite understood it yet. Not sure if you want to try again?

Yeah, that sums up my first impression too. Definitely eyeroll-worthy. What's next -- quantum cinnamon buns? quantum lip gloss?

I´m not sure what her understanding was. She changed her own style of practice from Zen Shiatsu to Pauline Sasaki´s Quantum Shiatsu so that may have something to do with her evolving view. (As an aside, I´m generally not a fan of spiritual and wellness modalities that call themselves "quantum" this and "quantum" that though, who knows, perhaps the term makes sense in this context.) Clearly, this is a complicated subject and I don´t think popular views do it justice. I asked Gemini how the conception of chi differs between practitioners of Zen Shiatsu and Quantum Shiatsu and got this interesting answer... The primary difference in the view of Chi (or Ki in Japanese) between Zen Shiatsu and Quantum Shiatsu is one of dimension and focus: 1. Zen Shiatsu's View of Chi (Ki) Zen Shiatsu, pioneered by Shizuto Masunaga, views Chi primarily through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles, emphasizing its flow through the meridian system and its manifestation in the physical and psychological body. Dimensionality: Focuses on the Chi that flows through the 12 main meridians as pathways that connect to the organ systems and emotional/mental states. Quality and Balance: Chi is diagnosed in terms of Kyo (deficiency/empty) and Jitsu (excess/fullness) along these meridian lines, particularly through palpation of the hara (abdomen). Treatment Goal: The aim is to harmonize and balance the flow of Chi by tonifying Kyo (deficient) areas and sedating Jitsu (excessive) areas along the meridians to restore the body's natural energetic balance. 2. Quantum Shiatsu's View of Chi (Ki) Quantum Shiatsu, developed by Pauline Sasaki, expands the concept of Chi by incorporating ideas from Quantum Physics and the understanding of a multi-dimensional energetic body. Dimensionality: Views Chi not just as flowing through meridians in the physical body, but as multi-dimensional, holographic energetic fields that extend beyond the physical form, including the "Light Body." Quality and Coherence: Focuses on the activation of anti-pathogenic Ki (healthy Chi), emphasizing the body's inherent health and ability to heal, rather than solely focusing on eliminating pathological or problematic Chi. Treatment Goal: The goal is to achieve "Quantum Coherence"—a process of unifying the energy within the physical body with the surrounding expansive energy field. The treatment aims to access and amplify this higher, vital energy and foster the dominance of the Light Body, often using faster and lighter touch to access these non-physical dimensions. This approach may also simplify the meridian system into a "One Meridian system," reflecting the interconnectedness of all energetic flows.

Stock market contrarians will tell you that by the time ordinary people on the street are saying to invest in X, it´s time to get out. Opinions are like that too: if everybody believes it, it´s probably no longer true.

Lindy Ferringo, an old shiatsu teacher of mine, once said that she no longer thought chi "traveled" through the meridians. Which isn´t to say that she didn´t believe in chi or the meridian channels because she did. I was intrigued by the statement and wish that I´d asked her more. Maybe the MCO exists but the idea of some sort of esoteric substance traveling through it is a misunderstanding.

The Lovers I was always afraid of the next card the psychic would turn over for us— Forgive me for not knowing how we were every card in the deck. --Timothy Liu

Jenny Lamb´s DVD appears to be available as an online download here, Eastern Internal Arts Institute

All true. The basic Kunlun practice is essentially the same as Sufi Jenny Lamb´s yigong. Max has added other practices to it to make his "system." I´m not sure if it´s still possible to purchase Jenny Lamb´s Qigong for Self Healing dvd. (Perhaps it´s available now for online download?) This dvd covers the basic yigong practice as well as some preparatory qigong warmup exercises as well as practices to do after the spontaneous movement. Recommended. Is Yamu still offering seminars? If a person is able and willing to attend a seminar with Yamu, I´d count this as a major advantage of stillness movement. Being able to plug into a living tradition and get instruction in person -- no small beans. Alternatively, one could seek instruction from Max, but, as forestofclarity notes, Max´s personality isn´t for everyone. I´d feel more comfortable with Yamu. My partner was having some health problems and Yamu offered to do a distance healing on him for free. We didn´t take him up on the offer, but I was impressed by his compassion.

Surya, Best wishes for you and your dad and your entire family. I think it says something good about you that you were willing to reach out and be in touch. LL

I don´t fancy myself a reader of "past lives" but it´s easy to imagine you as a swaggering sailor out of Moby Dick.