Trunk

Exploring extremes in qigong is often counter-productive (injurious, to varying degrees). It's a very different kinesthetic approach than weight lifting, running... basically all the 'usual' modes of exercise. in qigong, at least what I've observed on this board ... and my own opinion Kind of a loose concensus is that any pressurizing not past 70%. Also, for breath retention, I do it in a relaxed state. Meaning, I inhale, hold and relax around the held breath. That allows alchemy to occur with the breath n' body. Same on the exhale. Once I start tensing up, the alchemy stops. just my 3 cents. best of luck, Trunk

Browsing Lama Jampa's youtube playlists, he has a 7-video playlist entitled "The Stages of the Path: from Refuge the the Vajrayana". I'm impressed enough with this guy that I'm writing out this post before seeing the playlist myself ... and ashamed enough of that to at least start watching the first video before I click 'submit reply'. p.s. Watching the first video on refuge. Lama Jampa strikes me as talking in a really common relatable way & words, no non-sense, not (so far) romantic idealized spirituality, but at the same time it feels~sounds like both his historical and religious training is serious, technical and deep. He covers a lot of ground quickly, but each point is made relatable and clear in some way, within the limits of brevity. Wow, just wow.

Coming back to watch the rest of the video. This guy, Lama Jampa Theya: *wow*. Resonates as very well educated historian (+ T.Buddhist educated) who speaks no-nonsense. Really enjoying this. Subscribed to his channel on youtube. Thank you @Apech! https://lamajampa.org/

(Apologies if I'm repeating what others have already written; I haven't read all previous posts.) First of all, just to recognize that there are a number different modes, phases, of experiencing awareness~identity. And it's not a matter of rigidly always shooting for one as 'the right/best', but becoming more aware of the variety and their relation. ... and that the overall general direction is towards more complete and more fluent integration. One term that I find useful is "yi" meaning, "focus of awareness". Several varieties, not a complete list. - Generally we start with somewhat diffuse yi and top-down (up in our heads). - "Following the breath" (and variations) meditations train our attention to travel vertically up & down within the torso, and the breath acts as a go-between to help integrate awareness with the body. Also, adding awareness to breath sparks the qi of the lungs throughout the body... just this simple practice does a lot to activate and blend. This progresses in myriad schools ways/methods (hatha yoga, breathing into stretching areas, etc), moving & refining energies, layers of the body, and perhaps a culmination is some kind of whole body breathing. (Just to broadly refer to a huge amount of material in one sentence.) - There are very focused methods of working with yi. Placing your attention in specific focused location/s. I would suggest that the simplest and most useful approach to this is to have a small sphere-like focus that refines energy (aka "pearl"), at still places along the center-line. (There are also several potent other places such as kidney 1, center of palm.) But the potent still places along the vertical center line tap into the nerve plexuses and hormonal ladder, as well as the deeper spiritual potent points that help to keep the body together in advanced practices. Reference free artsy essay here. - Often yi is moved slowly and repeatedly between two potent points to help activate and integrate their natural polarities. Much of energetic layout is summed up as a series of resonant polarites separated by semi-permeable membranes. Things degrade as those connections degrade. Integration keeps 'em alive. Some substantial portion of qigong is activating these sort of magnetic polarities. (And, more deeply, going into the non-dual.) That was kind of an all-over-the-place overview. Hopefully is was more helpful than confusing. Best of luck, Keith

Uh... that it feels good?? I don't know of any classic references on this ... though "The Art of the BedChamber" by Douglas Wile is a compilation of classic texts and may be of some use.

Most of the time I log in via my desktop PC, but sometimes iPad, more rarely iPhone ... so far no mishaps - but I don't post often (and mostly from my desktop).

Wow. What diligent and focused study and practice! I know only a little bit of the channels & vessels of Chinese medicine and that lack has sometimes put me up to a brick wall of understanding some complex subjects (like finger-knitting mudras) deeply. I've often thought that we need a generation of students who are more deeply trained in Chinese medicine, who then apply it to deeper internal arts training... just what you are doing! Very cool. I can't comment on the absolute accuracy of what you're saying, because you're beyond my knowledge-set - but I can say that study, practice, experience over time add up (just like in any subject) so keep at it. I'm just sitting here impressed. My own approach is very simple (I can't help with the complexities that you are delving into), but maybe my approach could assist with some aspect (maybe it's just me mouthing off, lol). My approach to the chakras is very simple: enter, abide, and dissolve in the "deep-centers" (the still quiet spaces where major centers intersect sushumna). Explained in my picture-book-style essay Enso, Emptiness and the Deep-centers. Very concisely summarized in this triptych. As far as mantra, just a simple version of the mani mantra. Not sure if it will be relevant, appropriate, just throwing it out there. Anyway, a pleasure to read of your vigorous study, practice and breakthroughs! Congrat's on the sleep resolution, impressive. - Keith

Obviously not a gimmick. Interesting to see the progression over time. To see it go from more effortful, more chunky, to more smooth and fluent - which is a progression that many of us can relate to (even when doing much less dramatic practices). I think about myself, when I started into the internal arts, I was young strong male in my 20's and my physical fitness background was typical western. It took a long time to un-learn that the things that weight lifting taught me was 'power' ... all the feelings and body training of what that was ... would only get me into trouble in the internal arts, that 'power' development in the internal arts was profoundly different. It took a while for me to get that both conceptually and in my body. I think it's typical, but less of a problem nowadays as many quality teachers have emerged since the 1980's. edit: Touches on topics of: What is power, and the basis of power, how does it feel, in the internal arts? The trigram of ‘lake’. What is effort / no effort? (It takes a lot of work and a long time to go from effort to no effort.) In any case, thanks again for sharing! Really educational.

Thank you for sharing. Really enjoyed the video.

One of the best under-used features here at TDBs!

First off: I'm generally supportive of the idea of there being other internal arts discussion sites, a balanced variety. I think that TDB's has a semi-monopoly and that's an unhealthy situation, imo. I'd prefer OD (and any variety of others) to flourish. And the above is what happens when hostile forces are allowed unchecked: the cool people just quietly leave (and we're lucky if they check back later) and potential new members, the kind we'd really dig, just don't join at all. I'm not for letting banned former members back willy-nilly. As far as process and specifics, I prefer to work out most of the details in private with staff... However, I also value community input here in the public spaces. - Trunk

For those undecided: A flowchart to help you choose your religion.

Welcome! I've approved your account. - Trunk

Hello @ccardini, Welcome to TheDaoBums! Take a look around, join in. - Trunk

relevant video posted by Damo Mitchell this morning, "Stilling the Jing" with Qigong

Some of the simplest methods are the best and just keep going deeper and deeper. Zhang zhuang, standing, is one of ‘em. Just keep going, it adds up over time. Some free content: johndaoproductions.wordpress.com

I just wrote a short sushumna tips n' tricks thread in my personal practice section. Just a few ideas accumulated that I felt impelled to rattle off in sequence in one place. (Most of which I've already mentioned before.)

Thank you, @steve! So, again, two kinds of emoji's: 1. Responding to a whole post (just added the 'wow' to that). Current intention is to keep these down to simple few. 'Wow' is it for now. 2. In-post emoji's. Looking into how-to.

There's the "like" emojis, that we use to react to a post. Then there's the "in-post" emoji's... Currently, I don't know how to update either ... I might look into it when I get a chance. (Bogged w/ meat-life stuff right now).

A simple view of sushumna https://johndaoproductions.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/enso-emptiness-and-the-deep-centers/

Many good points being made. Throwing a few scattered phrases, thoughts, guiding ideals into the soup: Master Kim, from SunDo.org (which has LDT-br as its’ main practice) mentioned the ideal of “silk breathing”. That you should work towards the ideal of your LDT breathing being as smooth as silk all the way through, inhale and exhale. He also mentioned that there are fizzy drinks with lots of flavor, but that his school was similar to the trend of drinking more clear water. SunDo breathing was “tasteless”, he said. The larger context of a Main path, something like, “integrating harmoniously into the One” (while maintaining a functional life). Another useful dual concept, “scholar ~ warrior”, can be applied to breathing. Sometimes it’s better to go slow, steady, carefully .. other times it’s fine to stride forward. And it’s important that a student develops sensitivity in their own process. A popular rule-of-thumb in the community is not to go beyond 70% pressure while doing the internal arts in general, qigong, breathing etc. Leave some flexibility in the strength.

I have plenty of half-baked thoughts that might only add confusion; I’ll share a little bit. Most of these conversations (especially when “saving jing” is involved, male practices) have the context of “on the cusp of being a superman”... and I think that that’s a dangerous place to start. A couple of general questions, to mull over a long period of time ... 1. What are the typical dis-harmonies of the LDT? (So that we can recognize them, and then have a better chance to go in the direction of better health, not worse). 2. What sort of practice & life-approach would be supportive of an average person?, average lifestyle? *normal* healthy lifestyle? My observation is that, as a community, we’re almost entirely lacking in acknowledging #1, and weak on #2. We skip knowledge of typical disharmonies, knowledge of basic health, and (attempt to) go right into advanced. It’s problematic, often injurious. I’m not discounting the quality conversation in this thread, just saying that - typically - there tend to be neglected aspects. The conversation at large has major gaps.

when things go wrong... tension and stagnation are stored in the LDT http://alchemicaltaoism.com/HTCaution.htm

@thelerner, Handled. Thanks for the heads-up. - Trunk

These days I don't feel like I can speak authoratatively on any subject, and sushumna is the deepest channel, so *yikes*. I've a very simplified concept of sushumna: a straight line (or potential for a line, or dynamic open space) vertically up/down the center. With especially potent points distributed along it. (Could be likely I'm missing all kinds of details, branches and such.) As to where it ends? Top n' bottom? (Even in my super-simple model) That's a good question, and it's a mystery to me. Connected to stuff beyond my reckoning, ah reckon. p.s. The Tibetan pictures include stacked heads and a big ol’ flower underneath.