Audiohealing

I take it the best way to learn Cosmos Chi Kung is by taking a class... Is there sufficient information in the book to start practicing Cosmos Chi Kung without guidance?

Is this the book you are referring to? http://www.amazon.com/Chi-Kung-Health-Vitality-Practical/dp/0091876583 Is there any talk of cosmos chi kung in the book?

As someone with severe bipolar disorder this was a very interesting and promising read. Too bad the system is nowhere near my area and doesn't offer any kind of book/DVD product. I guess I'll stick with FP qigong for now.

Sifu Terry, Would you then say it is inadvisable to learn Tai Chi once a week while simultaneously practicing FPCK daily?

Hi guys, I decided to incorporate a meditative aspect to my daily chi kung practice. I have done this type of meditation many times in the past few years but only recently started doing them again after a year long hiatus. They're basically 5 minute tracks for each chakra consisting of a crystal tibetan bowl being played at a specific note. I simply focus all my attention on the chakra being worked on and that's pretty much it. Sometimes I imagine white light infusing the chakra. I have been troubled by some of the stuff that's been coming out when I do these meditations. In my mind's eye I see some very negative images popping in from time to time when I lose focus. Things like skeletons, blood, devils, etc. Does this mean I'm sort of "detoxing" and getting rid of all the bad stuff or is it revealing something that is trapped inside of me? Or is it just all illusory and I should not pay any attention to it?

We got Breaking Bad for our Cranston fix now

Hi fellow Tao Bums! I feel this may be an "its up to you, man" question to ask, but perhaps some may have experience with the yearly Rainbow gatherings held around the world. It's basically a 3-week gathering of a few thousand people where people "live off the land" in a completely remote place. Daily activities include gathering food, getting water, building fires and shelters, meditating, talking, (some) do entheogens (hallucinogens) or other drugs although no alcohol is allowed. The gathering is famous for an event in which everyone forms a giant circle holding hands and everyone chants "om" at the same time. I'm not of the hippy mindset at all, and I'm a bit of a hermit myself and dislike being around people most of the time (I'm 23) My girlfriend is hell-bent on going (again) this year, as she said she went last year and it was a transformative experience. Should I go? Will I learn something about myself? I'm an inner cultivator... not a hippie... and I have some unconscious prejudices against some things .... I am undecided.

You mean if I knew this would have happened would I have gone in order to prevent it? Yes, of course. The inherent problem that is the cause of the breakup may have still persisted but perhaps a turn of events or something else may have turned this around. Instead it's a sudden "BAM! You're out!" thing that I can't do anything about. Its weird to be asking you bums for advice but here's the deal. I keep insisting that she stop contacting me since the breakup because I want nothing to do with her (and want nothing that reminds me of her) because it just revives the old memories and brings back the pain of loss. She insists that she wants to get back together again in .... a year or so (her words). In the meantime, she's off roadtripping the southern US with some guy she's known for two weeks. It comforts her to get updates from me from time to time, which is why she contacts me. What should I do? Is there any point in not severing all ties permanently? This is the first time I've ever gotten dumped (asking for help- not bragging) so I'm at a loss.

Thanks for the reply Terry, Like I said I have extensive knowledge about these sort of medications and would be glad to give you information about method of action on the body, positive and negative side effects, how it relates to the central nervous system, etc. it would take me quite a while to cover all the different types (benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, anti-depressants, antipsychotics, etc.) You mentioned beta-blockers- these are not antidepressants per se. They are mainly used to control blood pressure although since they generally calm down the entire nervous system by activating the peripheral nervous system (completely different method of action than tranquilizers) they are sometimes used to treat the physical symptoms of anxiety and things like stage fright as well as an aid in archery and shooting (stops the shaking). I can see how that can relate to FPCK as it would block natural involuntary movements from occurring (probably not a good thing). Anyway like I said if you need any information whatsoever, it would be an honor to work with you on this subject. It will also give me a chance to dust off and get into my old Uni textbooks. It would be immensely interesting to do a little research on the biochemical aspect of just how FPCK works, how it regulates neurotransmitters and hormones and brings homeostasis and healing, etc. Cheers. -Audiohealing quote name='zen-bear' date='07 September 2011 - 02:51 PM' timestamp='1315435918' post='289710'] Hi Loann, Thanks for your input of experience of doing FP Qigong while taking medications. You pose a tough question that will require me to do some research some reading in my PDK. I actually have a life sciences background form college and may be able to provide some basic explanation about how FPQ training can interact with psychopharma prescriptions. But I'm glad to hear that you've been experiencing good results from the FPQ while you've been taking psychopharmaceuticals--I assume some forms of Beta-blockers? For now, until I do more research and think about it, recall my most basic explanation of how the FPQ works: Through its alchemic formula of consciously coordinating the functions of posture, breathing, and mental focus, it perfects the regulatory function of autonomic nervous system and promotes all visceral (organ) functions. To the extent that ppharma's such as beta-blockers prevent natural hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine from binding to the Beta receptors on the nerves, they will slow down the natural self-healing effects of the FPQ to some degree. It's safe to say that this possible slow-down or dilution of the FPQ effects would (1) differ from person to person even if they were on the same type of medication under the same dosage. (2) would differ from person to person with different dosages; (3) and would differ from person to person especially if they are using different types of Beta-blockers affecting different organs. But this is an interesting question that will require me to do some serious research on how psychopharmaceuticals work. I just know the very basics about 3 classes of beta-blockers and other types of neuro-inhibitors. but I also need to talk to a good physiologicist to more describe how the FP Qigong "formula" precisely affects physiology. Finding one won't be easy. Anyone out there in the TTB community know of one? Sorry I can't tell you more for now. But if you haven't experienced any negative effects from 5 months of regular FPQ practice and are feeling positive benefits, it should be safe to carry on. Thanks, Terry Dunn

Dude... lol. Read my update right above your post.

Sorry to revive this sorry thread but if anyone is interested: My girlfriend ended up going alone and lo-and-beyold- she met some guy and (probably) cheated on me. She said she wanted to live another lifestyle than the one we were currently living. She insisted that there was no one else involved in this thing. But I later found out she met a guy and they both decided on a whim to dump their partners and go on a roadtrip to California *sigh* She moved out the day she came home. Mind = blown.

Dear Sifu Terry, In regards to pharmaceuticals, especially anti-depressants, tranquilizers, antipsychotics, ADD stimulants, etc. I am on most of the above and I have been practicing FP meditations for 5 months now with only minimal results although I enjoy doing the actual practice and despite the minor changes, it has brought on tangible results such as calmness and better focus. That said, is FPCG contraindicated in a person like me taking these sorts of medications? Is there an inherent danger in this combination or is it simply a slow/lack of results? For me, so far, I have not had absolutely no negative consequences other than frustration from lack of results. It is interesting to note how certain medications taken prior to practice effect the results. ie: taking dexedrine or ritalin (stimulants for ADD) makes the practice completely not worthwhile in many ways. I can go into a lot of detail about the medications I'm on and how they work having studied psychopharmacology extensively, but I have no clue as to how the FP system works, so if you have anything to add on the topic, I'd be very interesting in reading. edit: As a side note, all medical disclaimers aside, (meaning we're talking hypothetically here), does the FPCK system have the ability to cure inherent mental and bodily disorders due to biochemical imbalances if practiced diligently?

Sorry, I don't mean to bash you in any way but surely you should be able to admit that you have very little knowledge of the subject you seem to speak so authoritatively about. Fear is an emotion- it cannot be measured and we know very little about how emotions function in our body aside from being intimately tied to the brain's limbic system. A piece of bread, a vitamin, a neurotransmitter, are all made up of molecules of which we can decipher the chemical composition. For instance, I can say that cyanide is most definitely toxic. A "toxin", if you will. So what is the body releasing? If you don't know the answer to this question how do you know that there are any toxins in the body in the first place? What if what you "flush out" via fasting/sweating/raw dieting is simply water? So ponder what I wrote a bit and try to give me a sensible response when you get your head out of your ass if that's at all possible. Cheers.

Threads like these truly make me wonder where the future of this forum is headed...

Well, you can spend a ton of money on useless herbs and supplements or you can go on testosterone replacement therapy along with supplemental human growth hormone because heck, you're 50. You're halfway there- might as well live that last half of your life feeling like a 20 year old. Before I get bashed on by the "OMG STEROIDZ = CANCER" crowd, testosterone replacement therapy is proven to be a side-effect free treatment that will restore youth, vigor, libido and energy as well as a host of other goodies like actually *decreasing* risk of cancer. Go and get your levels checked first though. No point in starting TRT if your levels are already high, but I'd say there's a 90% chance that you're below the norm given your age and symptoms.

This thread. Why?

Hey guys while we're on topic whats a good Taoist way to take care of my skin?

Your post made me want to slap my monitor. Muscles are "built" when resistance training causes micro-lesions in the muscle tissue which is systematically rebuilt during rest using amino acids as building blocks. When it rebuilds it grows larger. Muscle mass is no illusion. Once the muscle you have is on you the only variable to how big it looks at that point is water content. Big muscles are swollen muscles? I think your brain is swollen. I could go on but it's pretty redundant. Just answer me this: what exactly is a "toxin"? Don't give me a vague definition like "it's dirty poo poo waste your body stores up". I want the actual molecular composition of what a toxin is. Please, tell me- I am dying to know.

Hi, As someone with severe bipolar disorder I would highly recommend you see a psychiatrist as soon as possible. Schizophrenia is a neurodegenerative disease which means it will only get worse with time. Although there are cases in which meditation and other non-medical practices have curbed or even stopped symptoms, there is no guarantee that it will work forever (an environmental trigger might cause relapse), and when relapse occurs, there's no way to predict how severe it could be. Simply put- there's no "cure" for schizophrenia. Your brain was born predisposed at birth and will be for the rest of your life. So go see a psych so you will at least have a plan B to fall back on in case things go haywire. FWIW yours seem like a mild case but I personally don't know of any schizophrenics that are living normal lives without being medicated. Good luck!

You're dwelling in paranoid schizophrenic territory here, OP. You can find almost anything on the internet and there is absolutely no way to suppress it so "the powers at be", even if they had any interest to do so (which they don't) are powerless in this regard. The only thing you should be wary of is the armchair gurus playing the one-up game. Personally, after lurking on the forums daily for months the *only* good thing I got out of it is Terry Dunn's FPCK system- but I'm not going to rant.

Hi Terry, I have been practicing series number 4 of your flying phoenix chi kung system for about a week now and it's my favorite so far! I have a question.. I think it's in part 3 or 4 of the choreography... you specify in the practice section that you need to turn left and right (leading with the arm raised with palm facing you) a total of 5 times before switching to the palm up/palm down position. However, in the final section where you perform the entire choreography you go left and right a total of 7 times instead of 5. Is this an error or does it not matter? Thanks!

What video are you guys talking about- anyone got a link ? Also that LittlePie fellow is quite an asshole if you don't mind me saying. Cheers.

Specifically, like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1pcEtHI_w I've google-fu'ed for lessons but came up short for this particular style of throat singing. If anyone knows how to do this or knows where I can learn please share! It's one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard and I'm extremely devoted to learning this artform!!