liminal_luke

I'm not remembering your recommendation so I guess I didn't --- sorry! In any case, I've already ruled out ECT for my partner so at least I won't be going down that road.

My partner's psychiatrist suggested that if Jose's current drug regimen doesn't work the next step would be electroconvulsive therapy, which he described as a "very good treatment." Perhaps the doc is right. I might be overly influenced by One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next. Still, I can't help but think that this is the modern version of a lobotomy. (Fortunately it doesn't look like it will be necessary -- whew.)

Thanks for the shout-out Trunk although this year Jose and I did very little. Credit where credit is due: @Trunk choose and artistically refined both the dragon image and font. I think it looks great! Happy new year, everyone!!!

Don't feel bad, Unota. Snacks are what matter in life.

Miror, mirror, you got what you had comin' Wise old Apech: keep on Bummin'!

The forum is like a spicy Thai curry with lots of balanced flavors. Some bums are a little sweet, some bursting with savory umami goodness, and yes, a few are a tad bitter. But it's the combination -- how we all come together -- that really make the dish. Most of us aren't the smartest or the funniest or the most spiritually advanced, but chances are we've got a little somethin' somethin' to contribute -- and that's enough.

What is an immortal? My understanding is that immortals die like everybody else (although they might be long-lived) but something of their consciousness remains intact after death so that there's a sense of seamless continuation as they enter whatever comes next. It's unlikely the existence of this kind of immortal -- or any other kind -- can be proven scientifically though we might come to feel it's true (or not) as we progress along our spiritual paths. In the meantime, what is to be gained or lost by believing or disbelieving? I prefer to rest in the "maybe" state -- open to the wondrous possibilities of life.

I would report Sleepy Bluejay but I'm sure it won't be necessary -- your report will be more than sufficient. I used to be a mod and feel confident that they will take this seriously. The least that will happen is that Sleepy Bluejay will be suspended and a ban wouldn't surprise me. There's a lot of love and support for you here on the forum, Maddie. I hope you feel it. You've doubtless had to deal with many "sleepy bluejays" in your life, online and perhaps in person too, but you strike me as a strong woman. Don't let the occasional twittering bird get ya down.

This forum is not a war zone. Just because someone says something that you find offensive, that's no reason to try and hurt them back; we can do so much better than that.

Is the class offered online? Do you have a link to the sign-up page? Thanks!

In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips. -- Salman Rushdie

Hi Solo Cultivator, I'm a big fan of barefoot walking in nature! Whether or not it replenishes jing or not I can't say, but I think it's a healthy activity. If you really asked people, I think you'd find that many here agree. The negativity you're sensing is not because you champion spending time in nature, or going barefoot. I think it's because you refer to yourself as a master and your posts have a tone of superiority, as if you were looking down on your spiritual inferiors. It might be that you are a particularly advanced spiritual being; I wouldn't know. What I can tell you is that nobody likes to be treated like they're not equal, especially from a stranger they don't know on the internet.

Sex is scary. It's natural, fluid, nonlinear, essentially feminine (even for men), and a clear threat to our small, egoic selves. Many try to get around the fear by compartmentalizing themselves, having sex with bodies only, as if our physical selves could be separated from emotion and spirit. Many try to have sex like square pegs in an erotic world that is curving, spiraling, and infinitely oceanic. Compartmentalized sex is like a Snickers Bar. It can taste good in a superfical way but some part of us knows we aren't really eating food, aren't really receiving nourishment. Although we might strain to hear it, every sexual encounter evokes the echo of the divine. Because sex is scary, many try to tame it with rules. Don't ejaculate (for males), and so on. Is there something to the idea that sexual energy can be harnessed for spiritual purposes? I don't claim to know for sure but this seems possible to me. But if celibacy is beneficial to some, surely it has to emerge naturally, organically, out of an adept's longterm practice. It's not something that can be imposed in a top down way because we're scared of the sometimes out-of-control feminine power of our own bodies.

I'm going to assume that what you say is true: that listening to only part of the audio can hurt a person and make them more vulnerable to demons. In this case, it's unethical to post the file here on Taobums. All sorts of people visit the forum and not everyone will listen to your file to completion. As someone who is aware of the power of the file, you have a responsibility to safegaurd the wellbeing of those who listen. The right thing to do would be to take the file down immediately.

A great new official video, Elton John - Tiny Dancer (youtube.com)

Or maybe you're a rebel like those go-your-own-way centenarians you always hear about, the ones who claim the secret to a long life is a bottle of Jack Daniels and a good cigar. When it comes to health -- and perhaps spiritual practice too -- pluckiness is an underrated virtue.

I think how a practice feels can change over time, and that's not a bad thing. Sometimes more is going on underneath the surface than we realize and it's best just to stay the course. Agree with silent thunder that talking about this with your teacher is a good idea.

I don't claim to know for certain, but intuitively I would think that not touching grass is the greater danger to health and energy. In fact, a whole industry of "minimalist shoes" (vibram fivefingers, for instance) has sprung up to accomodate the needs of people who want to feel the healing effects of being closer to the earth without actually going barefoot. This said, I suppose the advisability of walking around sans footware depends on local environmental conditions.

In the larger sense, everybody is spiritual and everybody is on a path to enlightenenment. We're all Dorothy on our way to the Emerald City. Of course not all paths are the same and, to our smaller selves, which path to take often seems a momentous decision. Some paths are more treacherous, some more direct, some feature finer scenery. From my reading, I gather that the path of kundalini checks all of the above boxes.

Gilles Marin's Bone Breathing practice recording comes to mind, Audio Downloads | CNTI (chineitsang.com).

It's a booby prize.

I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King .Jr HD (subtitled) - YouTube I watched this again and, I have to say, it really is something. It's hard to imagine a leader giving such a moving speech today.

Over the years I've read kundalini accounts from some Bums who regarded K activation in their lives as a great benefit and others who regarded the same as a nightmare. As with so many other things, one size does not fit all.

I like to do physical things for spiritual reasons, so put me down as a physical/spiritual hybrid guy. An example might be qigong -- physical movements that I perform with the hope of developing spiritually. This is opposed to physical movements that are done solely for physical benefits, like lifting weights to get big muscles. To these four paths I'd add a fourth -- introspective self-awareness. I think the start of all searching is values clarification. Once I know what's important to me then I can figure out how I want to live. Taking time to get to know myself -- through conversation with friends, journaling, deep thought, maybe therapy -- is central to my process. This path could potentially underlie and inform any of the other paths laid out.

How would I know if I have a lower dan tien or not? (It strikes me that this question is a little like asking how much a certain item costs at a fancy restaurant: if ya have to ask, you can't afford it.)