Cameron

Curious what peoples experiences are practicing Sifu Jenny's 'opening channels' exercise from her dvd/workshop. I finally started practicing it regularly lately and immediately felt qi flowing through the governor and conception channels. She teaches it as a finisher to spontaneous qigong/yigong/Kunlun.

 

 A very simple practice with immediate and powerful results!

Here you are speaking of Chi = Breath.

 

Yes, in 1. you are not feeding the muscles oxygen but in 2. you are. A world of difference.

 

 

 

Breath holding is essential especially when the weight gets heavy. check out Pavel Tsatsoulines work for in depth explanations on this.

Hindu squats are good for leg strength. I did them on and off for years. Best thing would b just try them out for yourself and see how you feel.

Thanks for the feedback. I tend to switch back and forth between kettlebell training and bodyweight. As they seem to develop different systems of strength. My first love was Aikido(Japanese internal martial art) but after several knee surgeries years ago just can't risk the wear and tear/trauma to the knee from that MA anymore.

 

What are your favorite exercises? For myself, kettlebell swings and hindu(bodyweight) squats have yielded the most bang for the buck.

Bodyweight excercises are also really good. I was doing hundreds of reps of squats a few years ago for training. But prefer the kettlebell. I find meditation and good sleep or so important for good strength gains and recovery. Anyway, was just curious. My sense is most IMA stick with the particular training of their art but in our modern mixing systems world would be interesting to hear from people doing this.

I mean Western style strength training. I guess from the Tao perspective 'external' strength or 'hardstyle' strength. Do you mix barbell/dumbbell/kettlebell training with your Tao stuff? I have been doing kettlebell training pretty seriously the last few years and am enjoying it. Or do you think it's better to just stick with qigong or IMA training?

 

So basically, who enjoys/does strength training? One perspective I liked from a high level kettlebell teacher who is also very seriously into qigong and IMA is that kettlebell training is the Yang to the Yin of qigong or meditation. This has been my way of looking at training recently.

 

I find if I focus too much on my qigong and meditation I get a bit too yin and then focus on kettlebell training for balance. But I will sometimes get too yang from that and cool down with qigong.

 

 

 

Back in the day I had started a thread asking what people's top 5 practices-'spiritual' or otherwise-are. Would be interesting to get an updated feedback from Taobums practitioners. What have you found that really 'works' to make the quality of your life better?

 

I noticed Bagua Zhang seems to be really popular here now. When I first moved to China I dropped in on the class of an internal martial artist. He gave me his teacher's Bagua Zhang book in English for free. Which I lost! I sort of took that as a sign that it wasn't my practice at this point in my life. Although perhaps later.

 

So for myself I would say.

 

1. Red Phoenix

2. Kettlebell lifting

3. Bodyweight excercises

4. Yigong or Kunlun Method

5. Standing meditation

 

 

What's yours?

 

Also, one question, how much time and emphasis have you put into the stillness after the active portion of the practice. It is very important, as with anything potent you utilize. I do *way* more of that than anything else.

 

 

hiking rocks, I still remember that view down in phoenix in 07...and trying to not lose you getting there good to see ya bro

 

 

Yup..come to China sometime we can do some sacred mountain hiking trips and jam with Chinese metal bands:)

 

To OP..take it slow..if you think it's not helpful drop it. Did you just take 1 Kunlun seminar?

Yikes!

 

This is a major reason I am always cautious in sharing Kunlun with people. I have done the practices for 7 years but don't think it's for everyone. My feeling is most people would do better just doing exercise and some simple meditation that doesn't stir up so much energy.

 

I am fine with the energy and don't think 'snake' energy is 'demonic'. But if your feeling bad you need to assess that and take everything else in your life into account as well.

 

But in the short term, I would discontinue the practice and get with a good Chinese medicine doctor. Something that I did for awhile after first learning Kunlun was get hiking regularly. Get out into nature, breath fresh air, enjoy the beautiful sunrise and sunsets. If your qi is too low for that get with a good doctor and build that up first with acupuncture and herbs. Take long walks or join a good yoga or tai chi class. Good luck!

The Temple of Heaven is a cool place. I go there occasionally. But more often the Temple of Earth and it's surrounding park since it's in my neighborhood.

Interesting interview

New Interview with Max. Good stuff.

 

 

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/awakeninginaustin/2012/09/14/the-kunlun-system-of-awakening

I don't know that I can say anything that would be helpful or useful here. I saw Kan San in Tokyo several months ago and had a good time.

 

All I have is my own experience. Even my teachers, Max, Kan etc I don't blindly follow whatever they say. My impression is I am really my own best teacher in regards to Kunlun. I value my own judgements about what is balanced and correct for my path above anyone elses. That's not to say don't listen. But it's your path.

 

Regarding the issue that Trunk has brought up. I think if I had one critisizm about the way Kunlun was initially presented years ago is that it probably would have been good to have had more of a screening process for students. I think it was Chris's enthusiasm for getting the practice out there, which I appreciate in regards to my own life, that might have missed the screening process to see if the practice was "balanced" for every individual student at those seminars. A tall order but it would have probably been the responsible thing to do.

 

I think Chris is a great guy and he and Max let me know where they stood on things from the start but for that 1% or 5% or whatever it is of students who's energy or mind didn't jive well with Kunlun, perhaps their personal or energetic issues in regards to this particular lineage energy were overlooked. There were many people coming to those seminars. I wouldn't expect Max to be able to handle each and every individual students every energetic/emotional/karmic issue. But I think Max tried his best.

 

Interestingly, it sounds like Max is taking more time to let students develop on there own now and not just giving the transmission that I was given and others were given immedietly. Kan said something similar when I saw him about transmission. Though I was given another transmission in Japan.

 

It's really beyond the scope of my understanding as to why or why not some people have a good or bad experience with Kunlun. I think it can be a very quick and intense practice. Some students really embrace the quick and intense speed at which Kunlun reveals to you, well..truth..and why some freak out. Is that freaking out wrong or bad? I don't think so. Again, in those instances, perhaps more initial "screening" of people may have been good.

 

Anyway, looking forward to reading the new book. I am 100% certain Kunlun has done far more good in peoples lives then bad. I consider it a very safe but no doubt a very, very powerful system of awakening to Tao.

 

The fact that this system was and is taught publically still amazes me. And I am proud to have been a part of it.

 

ps. I am getting pm's which I don't answer here. I don't have anything to say in regards to peoples personal practice or advice. I am not a facilitator in the Kunlun System. I prefer to just do my practice and leave the teachers to answer your questions. Or buy the new book if you like. I haven't read it yet but I suspect that would be the best place to start.

 

Cam

It's truly humbling seeing a real internal martial artist in action. I was walking in the early morning a few months ago saw a Bagua Master. He was walking in front of me and suddenly went into his Bagua form so spontaneously and effortlessly it was mind blowing. His movement was like Like something out of the Matrix movie but better

Take it eaaaaaaaasy with Kunlun.

 

Don't rush it. It simple to do but very powerful.

 

A friend of mine in Beijing I showed the practice to practiced once and started experiencing all kinds of things. She became uncomfortable. I showed her Jenny's DVD and explained that you shouldn't attach to different phenomena. Basically approach it the same way you would cessassion contemplation practice.

 

If you don't already have a basic emptiness/cessation contemplation practice I would do that for awhile before doing Kunlun.

 

See meditationexpert.com, Adyashanti.org, Eckhart Tolles stuff, Zen etc for that.

 

Good wishes

 

ps. even though I have been doing this practice for almost 5 years I very regularly take extended breaks. Weeks and even months off sometimes.

Do what you want. If you enjoy Tao Bums keep posting!

 

I feel I have said everything(probably too much)and don't have time or interest to keep writing here.

 

If you are already enlightened great. I don't know you.

 

I practice the Kunlun Nei Gung system. I am just a student and not a master.

 

Who knows? Maybe in 5 or 10 years I will feel in a position to say more stuff and will.

 

Cam

I asked Kan San very directly about his opinion on Tao Bums and all the bickering about different paths.

 

He said(rough translation as his English isn't so good) "each path is special and leads to the same peak."

 

The point isn't what path is better. It's what path is best for you.

 

namaste(last post! lol)

 

The Three Pillars of Zen - Philip Kapleau

The Way of Qigong - Kenneth Cohen

 

Two of my favorites as well. '3 Pillars' was the first meditation book I ever read. It describes the entire process of enlightenment from the Zen perspective from a practitioners direct experiences.

 

The Eight Gates of Zen by John Daido Loori is also a good one if your into Zen.

 

For myself:

 

1. Kunlun by Max

2. Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey

3. Convict Conditioning 1 and 2 by Paul Wade

I would say the Kunlun system itself was really the fruit of my online Tao search in America.

 

Now in Asia, I'll try to be receptive to what the Universe has to teach me. In China I have been given some special gifts. But I want to keep them for myself and my own journey and not blab all over the internet like I did the past few years.

 

It's a great adventure living here in the origin of Taoism. Anyway, I hope my contributions here have been atleast somewhat helpful. I don't view myself as high level at all but aspire to atleast work to reach whatever my potentials are in this life.

 

Ok, enough, best to all of you.

Thanks guys!

 

Vortex,

 

I was practicing martial arts pretty seriously and got into Zen. Th Zen center I visited reccommended a book to me which I used as a guide. I basically did nothing but train martial arts and zazen for an entire summer when I was 19.

 

I don't like to conceptualize the experience, but the way I think about it now is it was my first contact with reality. Nothing special really. I presume others here have experienced the same or similar and it wasn't enlightenment, more like a small taste of enlightenment.

 

Now I just do Kunlun and not Zen. I had the honor of meeting with an authentic Zen Master while in Korea but it was pretty clear to me that Zen isn't my path anymore.

 

If I add anything else in now it will probably be internal martial arts or maybe yoga or something.

 

Anyway, th-th-th-th-that's all folks! Don't ask anymore questions here because I won't answer!

I would like to leave something of potential value here so am going to take some time to write this. I am finished writing on Tao Bums after this. I won't answer PM's either so please don't write them.

 

I began my search 18 years ago. My path started with martial arts. After that I got into Zen. I saw my "true face" relatively early when I was 19. That was interesting. What I found out though was seeing your true nature is just the beginning of the path. The 'Ox hearding pictures' of Zen portray this very well.

 

After I got interested in Qigong I started to do online searches for "more". In retrospect it may have been better to simply practice all that I had been given at the age of 20 and be quiet about it. But the Taoist chat rooms drew me in.

 

Right from the getgo drama was a big part of this. Michael Winn and Eric Yudelove had their respective "systems" each approaching Taoist alchemy in a different way. But essentially following the same foundational work.

 

Eric's work looked very interesting but I found the behavior of the teacher made it impossible for me to really get into the system. Winn was a nice guy. Very easy going and friendly. I was an impressionable young guy in my 20's. So it was all good I suppose.

 

When the first online Taoist wars started way back then I became attracted to the drama. It was fun. Here was one super high level Tao practitioner critisizing another super high level Tao practitioner.

 

The actual differences in the systems and what the real issues were God only knows. I was a 23 year old clueless qigong lover and just found it interesting. Qigong Masters have ego's? Weeeeeeeeeee

 

It got to the point when too much had been said, too much mudslinging and confusion around Mantak Chias system. His two most Senior American students seemed to be saying different things. So I mostly ditched the practices all together.

 

I just returned to my qigong roots: Ken Cohen. He's as solid, down to Earth and approachable teacher as your ever going to meet. Friendly, no ego, intelligent. Ken is a real Qigong and Chinese Medicine ambassador. He stays out of online discussions entirely. A testament to his wisdom.

 

Later, I became interested in modern Advaita style teachers. Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle etc. I found there stuff to be great. But I still needed my Taoist fix! LOL

 

Enter my old friend Smile telling me on the phone 4 years ago " There is this amazing teacher named Sifu Max. He has attained Rainbow Body. I would definetly check him out."

 

I was quite happy with the path I was on. But you only live once. So I decided to go. I think it goes without saying we were all pretty clueless on who Max was and what we would learn. Chris entered the Tao Bums almost immedietly after my post and it sounded like Kunlun was the best thing ever. Like the Ben and Jerry's of cultivation paths!

 

From my first encounter with Max and Kan my feeling was I was now on a different path. Almost like everything I had done before was kind of a warm up. I doubt I was prepared for what I was given. I think Max just believed in me. I remember after recieving transmission from Max walking around the room in an almost completely different awareness. Max put his arm around my shoulder and told me " You are a martial artist, you can handle it."

 

It was intense but I made it. I couldn't with any honesty admit I would feel comfortable for others to experience what I did. To say the months after meeting Max were intense would be an understatement. It felt like I was being rewired by the universe or something.

 

Anyway, where this left me then and continues to leave me is in a permenent state of I DON'T KNOW. Not that I think I don't know. But I really, really don't know. The whole path as others have said seems to be one of surrender.

 

The path of no more learning. Very simple, blissful direct pointing to emptiness.

 

What is most useful in my view now is not engaging in discussions with other students. It doesn't matter what system we are each talking about. I don't care if your doing Healing Tao, BK Frantzis,, Spring Forest Qigong, Jenny Lamb, Michael Lomax, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen or whatever. As far as I can tell everyone basically has the same or very similar goals. We are just following different approaches.

 

Within that understanding I see respect and respecting eachothers path as especially important.

 

We are each complex creatures. With complex and emotional blocks, traumas, different challanges and struggling to find our way. I don't think it is fair to ourselves or our friends to put that struggle on other students. As far as I can tell most others on Tao Bums are also students struggling to find our way.

 

One thing I never tried to do is put any burden on other Tao Bums to help me spiritually. I was always very clear in myself the distinction between authentic spiritual teachers and online Taoist newbs full of ego.

 

I would say most people on here acting like teachers arent. They are doing more bad then good and would be better service to the community by simply stating that they have an ego, aren't actually verified as being enlightened by any lineage or given permission to teach on enlightenment by any lineage.

 

It's a disservice. Your not Englightened yet. Enlightened people have englightened teachers who verify there enlightenment. To pretend that your somebody your not on an internet chatroom is pure ego. We all know who Buddha and Lao Tzu are. No one is Buddha and Lao Tzu's representative here. Get a grip.

 

As a final note, If you are genunely interested in cultivation I sincerely and with all my heart hope you can connect with a living lineage and practice it. There are a few good ones, several being represented on Tao Bums. And I know this won't sit well with many people but if you really want to do this I think the best thing is to shut up and just follow what your teacher tells you until your enlightened.

 

My teacher in Japan I feel is a living example of a modern awakened person. He says very, very little and when he does say something as far as I can tell it is always helpful.

 

My teachers in China are the same way. Very much is communicated saying very little. I find these discussions can degenerate into very little good being communicated saying too much.

 

May your path lead you to your goal,

 

Cameron

If you want to talk shit about Max talk shit.

 

I don't care, Max has accomplished enough he doesn't need to say the crazy stuff. But let's be honest it was Chris marketing that did that.

 

I think Chris is a great guy but he's very Hollywood. He's a movie director. So what was not a big deal for him to talk about apparently is too far out for the conservative Tao Bums.

 

Anyway, I am going to ask Kan very directly about his advice on all this stuff. If I continue communicating here or not it will be with his blessing.

 

Max himself has already said he doesn't like the vibe here. But I don't like leaving all these damn questions hanging with know one who really knows(Max, Kan, Chris etc) answering them.

 

Probably I just need to let go. I am just a student not the teacher.

 

Cam

Wow you guys are hard on each other.

 

Bickering over our respective paths?

 

If I wanted to do that I could have picked Catholocism or Islam a long time ago.

 

Tao Bums, unfortunately, doesn't remotely resemble my interest in Eastern Spirituality.

 

I am embarassed to ever mention this place to any lineage adepts I meet in China. And I am embarassed Max had to have his name dragged through this crap.

 

We are the representatives of Taoist practice in the West?

 

Thank God that's not actually the case.

 

Peace out

Not accurate.

 

They have everything here that they have in the West. I bought a PS3 here and play lots of God of War

I would get a beer and chat with any of you guys in person.

 

And I think if we all had lunch around a circular table, Chinese style, these conversations would look diffirent.

 

Time to upgrade. Let me know when Taobums becomes a live, virtual chatroom and Ime there