Encephalon

I try to get to Noah Levine's Against the Stream Meditation Society on Sunday mornings, but that's about as close as anything to Chatsworth. Of course, if there's any Taoists in British Columbia who want to sponsor our defection, send me a line!

The number of entries related to physical symptoms of our practices must be off the chart, but does this sound familiar to anyone? I've got less than 2 years of energy training (nei kung) but it gets awfully annoying, and of course, being the worrier that I am, I start to imagine chi accumulating behind my face because of some horrendous blockage, leading up to an exploding brain on my 50th birthday. Let me guess... it's related to ego, right? Thanks, gang.

www.neikungla.com is a great site - very informative. Maybe it'll answer some questions. I've done this for a little under two years.

A knife keeps its edge Only with honing and proper cutting. A warrior's virtue is readiness. A sage's virtue is awareness. "This life is so competitive and challenging that one must remain in constant readiness for the problems and conflicts that come with each day. That is why the followers of Tao meld the way of the warrior and the sage. They want the courage and preparedness of the fighter, the luminous perception of the wise. Each day, they dedicate themselves to maintaining their characters and perpetuating their development. But how does one maintain one's edge without blunting? There is a fable about a king who was watching his butcher. He was amazed that the man could dismember a whole ox without much effort and without dulling his knife. Seeking to learn, the king questioned his servant, who said that his secret was to insert his knife only in the spaces between muscles, thus parting the body along its natural lines. In this way, where an ordinary butcher had to grind his blade daily, he only had to sharpen his knife once a year. From this we can learn that we must first hone ourselves to a sharp edge, but the proper use of our talents is equally essential. We must remember to take action along the basic lines and seams of the day. If we do this, we can never be opposed for long." I implore all Taoists who would be ready for the future to read James Howard Kunstler's weekly essay at www.kunstler.com. We are really headed for an extraordinarily different future, one for which most people, at least Americans, will never be able to adapt. For Taoists, there will be extraordinary opportunities.

1/3 cup buckwheat groats 1/3 cup bulgur wheat 1/3 cup quinoa 3 tbs whole flax seed add to 2 cups boiling water, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. Then, add 1 tbs. coconut oil, 1 tbs cocoa powder, 1/4 cup walnuts, and sweeten to taste with stevia Protein, fiber, nutrients, EFAs are all off the chart here. And it tastes like eating German Chocolate cake for breakfast, especially if you hose it down with whipped cream.

Greetings - I'm fairly new to Taoism as well. I've studied Buddhism for 25 years, but Taoism brings the physical body front and center. My favorite author is Deng Ming-Dao; he is both prolific and comprehensible. He says that perfection of the body/mind is as essential for the Taoist as the redemption of the soul is for a Christian. i got started with a Nei Kung technique which is very simple, or, uncomplicated. check out www.neikungla.com. It is a very well written and informational website. I bought the book and dvd and have been doing the practice for 20 months. The electrical impulse that we sense as our nervous system starts to wake up is the most exquisite sensation imaginable, but the psychological effects are just as pronounced. Your latent talents come out, while your "lesser habits" begin to slough off. I was a critical thinking junkie in college (still am), and the beauty of Taoism is that it makes no demands on your rationalism. There seem to be as many lineages of Taoism as there are styles of music, and finding the right one that jives with the rest of your mental universe will happen, one way or another. "Scholar Warrior" by Deng Ming-Dao is also a great introduction, although I don't eat frogs! Happy journeys!

This is important subject matter down here in Los Angeles. Perhaps some of you have read "Emergency: This Book Can SAve Your Life", the tale of a metrosexual editor and self-confessed outdoors incompetent who decided to take a couple of years off and learn as much as he could about surviving: firemarms, hand to hand, EMT, you name it. It was one hell of an entertaining and informative story. Anyone familiar with the website "Life After the Oil Crash" probably knows more about bug-out bags and emergency preparedness just by following the links. Anyone who owns a copy of "365 Tao" by Deng Ming-Dao knows that the ancients placed a premium on pragmatism and preparedness, so it is a subject that Taoists of all stripes would be wise to consider. We have our bug-out bag in the car - emergency food, extra clothes, medical supplies, water - but to get out of LA, our only recourse is to drive up to my mother's mountain property in Northern CA, which is about 450 miles north of here. She has five acres, deer proof fence, two wells, generator, barn, and some arable land. We have concluded that riding out a financial meltdown in the middle of San Fernando Valley makes about as much sense as asking violent and desperate people to be kind and generous to strangers. I don't own any weapons but the hard-core types recommend a sidearm with three extra clips, cell phone, atm card and cash, and a really good pair of shoes/boots. It's hard to know when to beat the rush if we had to escape LA, but an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is a really good time to go visit mom. I would also recommend reading "The Long Emergency" by Howard Kunstler and his weekly essay at Kunstler.com. TLE profiles the post-oil scenario in America by region, and LA does not fare well at all - an extremely violent and unhygenic environment to find yourself in when the electricity and water and food stops flowing. As someone with a masters in geography, my guess is that all those Chinese Taoists that emigrated to British Columbia will have descendents that will see the 22nd century because they are such a resourceful crowd. It's going to be too unbearably hot anywhere south of Canada 100 years from now, and BC is so resource rich that the main concern of its citizens will be how to deal with a wave of psychopathic Americans. Cheery, eh?

She has only taken 2 pills a day for 20 days (so she's gone through 2/3 bottle). She was instructed to be conservative with her first dose but she still reports an absence of chronic lethargy for the first time in years. Don't tell her I said this but she tends to be a little symptomatic, but I can definitely notice an improvement in her attitude, and she doesn't crash on the couch before going to bed. I think the deer products are key. Eternal Jing has deer placenta. I'm definitely investing in the deer antler for both of us when more $$ arrives. As I may have stated, Dew Drops completely eliminated her dry flaking scalp in less than 3 weeks.

There simply ain't no way of getting around the long slow patient work of chi cultivation. My guess is the herbs work if you're doing some internal energy stuff already. But in the case of my girlfriend, whose been jing depleted for years, the Eternal Jing with deer placenta seemed to elevate her strength considerably. Nevetheless, she still hates exercise, which is difficult for me as a personal trainer...oh well...

I've been practicing Nei Kung a la http://www.chutaichi.com/neikung.shtml for 20 months now. I'm having some remarkable experiences, vast improvement in internal awareness, electrical current through limbs, increases in personal volition. I am unclear about the next appropriate course of action. Condensing breathing? MIcrocosmic orbit? Do I go out and buy Mantak Chia's books or just enroll in a local chi gung or tai chi class? Serious feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

My initial inquiry was spurred by all the literature regarding condensing breathing, microcosmic orbit, opening the gates... I have since purchased Mantak Chia's Awaken Healing Light of the Tao, as per a suggestion in here somewhere. His explanatory power with regard to physio and anatomy is mighty impressive. It is our nervous system that connects our body and mind, so to be purely reductionist, most of this isn't that esoteric at all. I must say that being a personal trainer in LA and having the chance to work out four hours a day has really helped. Strength training really improves the mind/muscle connection, but nervous system awakening such as Nei Kung is proving to be an even bigger rush. The Chi Revolution by Frantzis is also written with a language that is demystifying.

As an eager beginner, I leaped into a 45 minute session within a 4 month period, but was encouraged to cut back and go for quality time instead, really paying attention to strict postural form. It was probably a wise choice. I'm 48, with some osteo-arthritis in my R-shoulder, and I do want to be able to do this for the rest of my life. When they say that it can take up to two years to get a proper feel for good form, they ain't kidding. When my posture is correct and I commence abdominal breathing, the low voltage shoots down both arms. I'm assuming this is bio-electical; with proper breathing, pressure is applied to the solar plexus triggering an electrical impulse that you feel in your hands and fingers. Actually, I can feel this sensation simply standing, and it feels so bloody good I can only imagine what a rush it must be when the energy really starts to pulsate. Of course, the psychological benefits are equally pronounced. But I'd have to tell everyone how crazy I used to be to make a forceful argument.

Bulk herbs are terrific if you're perched on the top of the herbal learning curve. Synergism is an awfully important thing in TCM. I am almost entirely unschooled in herbalism.

I used to do 30 minute horse stance, or what some call Embracing Tree, followed by the 9 movements, but I've cut back to 20 min. as I am about to undergo shoulder surgery. It takes about 40 min. total. I've heard that people would hold the horse stance for hours in the old days. The book and video are very helpful but I assume they are adamant for a reason for having your stationary posture carefully monitored in the beginning, but I guess a local tai chi or kung fu instructor could probably perform this function. The following gives a pretty good visual of the technique although the proper pace is a little slower. www.neikungla.com is a great site for getting to the particulars. enjoy.

The deer antler is probably the most potent product you could take if you are looking to feel strong. If you're working out you will start to feel a little aggressive - so be careful and don't cop an attitude, but as an alternative to steroids, the data seems to support genuine strength gains, and that translates into size gains. I would call them and ask specific questions.

"Green tea edges out coffee as an energy-boosting beverage for several reasons. A cup (8 ounces) of green tea contains 20 to 30 mg of caffeine--enough to pep you up, but not enough to cause jitters" This sounds a little high to me, but stats are slippery things. I've been recommending green tea consumption to all of my personal training clients who want to get off the coffee roller coaster because you get the benefits of caffeine but not all at once, as well as the calming effects of theanine. But I go by data that shows green tea as closer to 6-15 mgs per cup, and tell people to consume 6 cups a day if they'd like.

Master Chu lives in NYC. I live in LA.

I share your longings, no question about it. Unfortunately, if you don't possess either the financial wherewithall or the survival skills necessary to stay alive in uninhabitated mountain ranges, you're probably not going to pull this off. My advice is either 1. sell about 3 screenplays and head for BC, or 2. read this - http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-This-Book-...e/dp/0060898771 and then go to http://www.nols.edu/ and take as many classes in outdoor/wilderness survival as you can, and then you might be ready. However, if you do acquire the abilities of SurvivorMan/Rambo/Medic-FirstResponse, you will paradoxically open your mind and heart to those that truly require your assistance in life and death moments, and you may think twice about pulling a disappearing act on humanity. Competent folk have never been in greater demand. Be useful.

I would invite people to acquaint themselves with James Howard Kunstler, author of "The Geography of Nowhere" and "The Long Emergency." As a geography graduate student I find his writings essential. What the devil does this have to do with our internal energy practice? Well, if Kunstler is right, our fossil-fuel based consumer economy has just about run its course, leaving North Americans with the prospect of a collapsing food production system and a failed health care system. I've read with much sympathy some of the posts that express a longing for a simpler life, where our immersion in the Taoist arts can unfold unimpeded. Seems like there's always the thorny issue of financial independence that keeps folks from truly taking the plunge and committing to practice full time. All I really need is an off-the-grid home in the Canadian Rockies, maybe BC, with a greenhouse and a water supply, and...oh yeah, a 12-foot Mason Hamlin grand piano... and my library and...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$... Please check out www.kunstler.com and at least read his weekly essay on how the world as we know it is really on its last legs. The remnants of humanity that survive the collapse of the oil era will not engage in the luxury of Taoist healing arts; these arts will become as necessary as growing food and dressing a freshly killed deer, or constructing a dwellingplace. Since Taoists appear to be a curious and intellectual lot, I suspect I am not alone in this dialogue.

5 element Tao -- good point, direct. There's no way I could continue another year or two as I did in 08. Too much brings you down - obliterates the yang, or so I've heard - and it's impossible to finish a master's thesis while chronically toked. Plus, as you imply correctly, will power goes out the window, especially for addictive personalities. The beauty and wonder of nei kung practice corrects for this, in my experience, as I have never possessed so much volition in my life as I do now. Andrew Wiel suggested the best dosage is once a week, for inspiration, to shake out the cobwebs and to synthesize novel connections between your own personal subject matter. For my temperament, I think it prudent to eat a brownie once a month and leap into a yin vinyasa saturday afternoon. I can perform a 98% side split in this space, not bad for a 49 yr old. So, where do we go from here? Condensing breathing? MIcrocosmic orbit? If anyone's got a proper training trajectory that's in chronological order it find it immensely helpful.

Greetings from Chatsworth, CA., the porn capital of Los Angeles - If there were as many Taoists as "actors" in this neck of the woods, I'd most likely be somewhere else right now. I've been an arm-chair Buddhist for 25 years, and not a very good one at that, but I've recently aligned myself with the Tao, and this was ONLY after a mid-life crisis which compelled me to land a gig as a personal trainer, spend hours a day working out, doing lots of yoga, and especially a nei kung practice as detailed at www.neikingla.com. "Healing the mind by way of the body" was the essential memo I didn't really get until my life was half over. I'm also finishing up a master's thesis in geography and fancy the idea of having a balanced life of Taoist/Asian studies, urban geography, and, gods willing, adequate time to practice piano once again. If I won the lottery? I'd build a Taoist-off-the-grid earth-sheltered compound in Northern British Columbia and invite my friends and loved ones to practice the three Ms - Music, Meditation, and Martial Arts. I'd like to discuss my internal energy symptoms (my nei kung is at 18 months), in order to get some sense of what the hell is happening when my torso feels like a space heater. And, as a geographer, I'd like to discuss how Taoists would/will respond to essential planetary facts, such as how 6+billion people are going to adjust to the reality that our planet can only support 2 billion sustainably (after all the cheap oil runs out in app. 20-40 years). Planetary ecologist James Lovelock ("Gaia" author) says only 500 million will see the 22nd century. Honestly, if the Taoists of the Northern Latitudes make up the population, I'll be darn happy.