Astral_Anima

Hey bums,

So I've been around on a few fb groups and forums related to health and spirituality and such, and I've found that there's alot of "dogma" and many interesting topics are prevented from being discussed due to being termed "inappropriate" or against "forum/group rules". In response to this I created a facebook group where we can all discuss things freely (similar to this site) and share experiences/theories/ideas and have construction, uncensored discussions. I'm trying to keep it mainly to health/spirituality, but of course there are no rules. I don't know how many of you even have facebook, but you all certainly have some interesting experiences and ideas and would love to have some of you join. Of course this group will not exclude any opposing sides so be prepared to be challenged, lol.

But again, I'd love to have some of you guys join and share some of your experiences or start up some thought provoking discussions preferably related to health/spirituality, but really anything where truth is concerned. Basically I want this to kinda be a "mosh pit" of ideas and experiences, a place where we can help expose others to certain things and also ourselves be exposed to certain things so we can all mutally grow and learn from eachother and hopefully benefit in some way.

So again, I'd love to have some of you guys on here and bring your perspective, backround, ideas, etc and share them with other interested people, or discuss certain topics of interest. I won't exclude anyone, all are welcome to join. Here's the link.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/319246498155208/

-Astral

Turiya - Yeah man thats the same stuf I got from kunlun. I wondered myself if I was possessed. To be honest I think it just raises awareness. The reason I wondered if I was possessed wasn't just from the shaking and laughter and crying and general heart opening but I began to notice my thoughts and realized a difference between thoughts that I was consciously thinking and thoughts that seemed to be "fed" to me. Once I became aware of this I began to suspect spiritual influence and stopped practicing. In hindsight however I think it just raised awareness, and I (and probably most people) already had issues but I just wasn't aware of them. I think most people have alot of things going on with them that they're not aware of. It may seem that the meditation practices "cause" these problems however I think they just raise your awareness of these problems. Kinda like the matrix. You can take the red pill (awareness) or the blue pill (unawareness), either way your reality doesn't change, only your ability to percieve it.

But then again I could be completely wrong, but those are my thoughts.

-Astral

Money is how we're controlled. A mass root chakra imbalance. The main system is set into place where the poor follow a paradigm of trading time for money while the rich follow the paradigm of using intellegence to make money. It forces us to constantly worry about survival. Money is nothing but paper with a value that was SUPPOSED to represent a fraction of precious metal. Once upon a time it was paper that represented a fraction of the gold the country had known as the "gold standard". Now that we've dropped the gold standard (for us in the USA) the paper means nothing.

Here's basically how is works. If we lived without money we could easily go out into the wilderness and grow our own food, be farmers, have our own land and live our life as we choose. HOWEVER because those with power have power, they have decided that they own the world, they own the land and that people have no right to the land, we have to pay taxes to the owner of the land, thus we need to slave for them in order to live on what was originally free. If we refuse those with power pay others to come and take you away and force you into a prison cell or execute you. Thus we are at the mercy of those who claim ownership of the planet. On top of that we are all in a mindset of the "individual" rather than the "group". When you have a small group, like a village or tribe that all work together for the good of the whole then it's a much better(imo) setup.

Getting away from the darker reality of things. Money is indeed a tool for survival. While this "system on self destruct" is still in play, however, we rely on it for the purchase of goods. It has been linked with the root chakra and the worry produced by fear of survival affects the kidneys/adrenals physically which actually leaves us with less energy to spend our time for money. It is, imo, the 'foundation' though, as for all endeavors in this world, it is required. Need food? you need money. Need shelter? u need money. Want to leave the city? U need money.

The bright side is that it's actually not that hard to get. The even brighter side is that those "in the gnosis" can use the money earned trading time and labor and leverage that to invest in better opportunities that can make cash the "smart" way.

In regards to karma...I don't really beLIEve in the "do good an good comes to you" kind of karma, so...idk what that means to anyone, but if you want to make a difference in the world, you'll need cash to finance it. Cash to me is kinda like "The Force" from Star Wars, it's "alignment" is determined by it's user. But I don't think there's a such thing as "money karma" it just depends on if you're exposed to the methods that make cash and if you choose to believe in them and make them work for you.

Why do we need material things? We actually don't (in my mind). As that bangin rap video said..."I'll grow my own food and eat the money". Buy some land, grow your own food and you're golden. Thats what I plan to do anyway. But what about food...do we really need to consume other lifeforms to stay alive? No, we don't, not when we're in our natural state, however the more we fill our bellies with food our body cannot use, the more clogged we become and thus the more we need from the outside. I believe the human vessel is a spiritual thing and comes completely self-sufficient...when it's clean. But from generations of misuse and ignorance, we're born with compromised bodies. If you wish to learn to live without food then I suggest you join the movement and learn to clean out your body. Then you won't even need most spiritual practices and meditation will be effortless. It seems like you intuitively know somewhere inyour heart that all this materialism is...maybe not "wrong" but at least "un-harmonious", that we shouldn't have to do all the things we're doing just to survive. We shouldn't be dependent on material things, we shouldn't need to work or slave just to survive in this world. You can free yourself if you know how.

-Astral

Actually, what FL may or may not do, i'm sick of searching the web for good stretches to be able to sit this way, I'm hoping it would be more comfortable than a chair once I have the inner thighs loose.

 

Unfortunatly I asked my Half Chinease half Korean friends if they knew how to get into the position, but they didn't know what it was!

 

So I showed them a picture on Google, they both broke out laughing, easily moved their legs into the position for the first time after seeing it on the Google, and lifted themselves up with their arms and started walking around laughing so hard. They thought it was the funniest thing for some reason. I KNOW those guys never had to stretch to get into that position. I wonder if being asian makes it easier. Damn being a round eye J/k

It's not our race cause western children usually have that kind of flexibility as well. It's something about our lifestyle. I wager that it's the overeating and high protein, high grain diet of americans. Also you could blame it on our rediculous medical system too. A big part of TCM is herbs, acupunture etc, remember that the kidneys are the most important system in TCM theory. rejuevenate the kindeys/adrenals and I believe flexibility will not be an issue. I wasn't able to get into full lotus until I started fasting and a fruit diet.

Think about it...what causes us to be "inflexible" anyway? Until we address the cause we will never properly conclude a solution. It is my theory that weakened kidneys and adrenals prevent proper mineral utilization and hydration, both of which majorly impact flexibility. Of course I'm sure there's other factors but either way, I believe kidney/adrenal health is critical for flexibility. I agree, it's possible to achieve full lotus without spending weeks/months/years practicing stretches, but one has to identify what is inhibiting them from being flexible and remove it, instead of trying to force their body into it. Firepath/waterpath.

Instead of trying to break down a door that has been locked, why not just unlock it?

-Astral

your lymphatic system sorta responds as a whole at your lymph nodes in some sense, but yes the spleen filters the lymph that rises, amongst a few other important things. the "kidney's job" is to filter urea and some other waste from the blood, meter sodium/potassium/phosphorus, monitor erythropoetein (marrow stimulator), renin (blood pressure), calcitrol (bones...downstream)...

 

I've had rotten gut before that I've treated well with lower spleen points, moxa works well

I read the link but it says the spleen acts a a lymph node and filters BLOOD. And I wiki'd it and it clearly stated...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymph_node

The spleen and tonsils are large lymphoid organs that serve similar functions to lymph nodes, though the spleen filters blood cells rather than lymph.

So i'm afraid I'd have to disagree. How I understand it is that lypmh fluid carries cellular waste (namely acids) to the lymph nodes for storage, so the lymph nodes are kinda like spetic tanks and lypmh is the sewage. How I understand it is that the lymph is filtered out the kidneys, they when you pee you should see sediment in your urine or strands of mucus. Maybe I'm wrong but it makes sense in my mind.

-Astral

Chunyi Lin says that 20 minutes of full lotus is equal to 4 hours of any other type of meditation. haha

Drew, You've returned! haha, and with a new avatar. How many Yang bodies are you able to make now?

-Astral

spleen filters lymph, not kidneys

 

glucose metabolism partly relies on liver for glycogen processing (look up some of the storing functions of the liver) but the spleen is also a big transport mechanism with heavy sinew component. dont forget in tcm the spleen system basically contains the pancreas, big component there.

 

adrenals are more the "jing" kidney yang

Wait the SPLEEN filters lymph??? so then the kidneys just eliminate the waste that the spleen filters? Or is there some other eliminative organ that gets rid of lymphatic sewage. I was under the assumption that it was the kidney and bowel's main job to eliminate waste, bowel being more digestive, kidney being more lymphatic?

And yeah I know how important the spleen/pancreas is. I had some major digestive issues that were cleared up with an herbal formula for spleen/pancreas. Good stuff.

-Astral

Hey all,

So I think I'm starting to see a "link" in meditation, energy and health. So i'm going to post some ideas and i'm just curious on people's thoughts.

1.) I've heard that the chakras all correlate with the endocrine glands. Has anyone heard about this? For example the throat chakra would be th thyroid, brow would be pituitary, heart - thymus, sacral - adrenals, etc etc.

2.) If the above is true, I've also read that the sacral or navel chakra is where physical vitality manifests or is stored. If this energy center correlates with the adrenals glands and the kidney system of TCM (which also includes the adrenal glands). I've heard such theories that say one must have super strong kidneys cause they store chi.

3.) Assuming further that the above two are true, Kidneys have the function of filtering lymph and thus acids. Those with strong kidneys are naturally more flexible and can hold positions longer than those with weaker kdineys. It is my unprofessional opinion that the reason children are so flexible is because their kidneys are still strong an yet unburdened by modern lifestyle and eating habbits. HOWEVER it's well known that certain masters require one to be able to sit in full lotus or horse stance for lengthy periods of time. They say that you must have open channels to be able to do this, and that sitting in full lotus or in horse stance for many hours proves that one's energy channel are open.

Could this also be a way to test kidney strength? If the kidneys are weak then the lactic acid buildup would cause one to collapse if in horse stance or to come out of lotus. Thus if the kidneys are not strong enough then that would indicate that they wouldn't be able to store much energy, assuming the kidneys energetically are responsible for energy storage. Also if you look at the funtion of the adrenal glands, namely carbohydrate metabolism...if the glucose isn't being metabolized, if you have adrenal fatique, you have no energy or chi.

So assuming there some truth to the above, would not strengthening the kidneys/adrenals be a way not only to increase flexibility but to increase chi and chi storage capacity? In TCM the kidneys are always emphasized as the most important system and I"ve always wondered why. Could this be one of the reasons?

I know when I started fasting and a fruit diet I could see the kidneys in my iris becoming stronger and noticed I could sit in full lotus for much longer and was generally much more flexible. However I found it funny that my right kidney was weaker than my left and the limbs on the right side of my body were less flexible than the left.

What are your thoughts?

-Astral

EDIT: Also, could this have a link as to why ejaculation for males messes up our energy? Could it have to do with the kidney energy? Might it weaken the kidneys temporarily, thus hindering one's ability to store chi? Is that why celibacy or non-ejaculatory methods are necessary for certain training (MCO)?

Can I ask you a question? Do you believe the video is true? If you do, how can you be so sure it is true?

This gave it away bro. Obvious troll has now become obvious I actually thought you were serious for a moment too, lol. Oh well.

Although you should continue cause apparently ur still gettin alot of people. I wonder how long it'll take everyone to catch on... Try to be less obvious tho. Best of luck

-Astral

Acceptance vs repression. I wonder... If you want to change a pattern you must admit you have the problem or else in your mind there's nothing to change, thus the acceptance. But acceptance via complacency (i.e. "I'm only human") never does anything to change the problem. Repression in terms of ignoring the issue can sometime work rather well. I remember in my "battle" to become celibate for MCO training, distractions and short bursts of anger and pride were my best friends. After a long enough time of ignoring the issue the desire went away.

Regardless what you don't like in yourself you can always change it. Acceptance, imo, should go no further than recognizing what it is you want to change. You don't have to say it's a part of "you", because you determine what you are.

just sum thoughts atm. I've used repression successfully and there are other things i've tried to repress that didn't work so well, lol, I think it takes an understanding of what you're "fighting" or trying to change.

-Astral

The hardest part is finding one who keeps things objective. Why do you practice qigong? What do you hope to do one day? Find the people who have attained the results you seek, not the ones full of empty promises and high prices. Unless they can demonstrate the ability they proclaim to teach then they cannot be trusted.

Some people claim to have objective ability. John Chang, Jiang Feng and Sifu Hata all claim to be able to produce an energy which can affect ANYONE and anyone can feel (thus making it objective) whereas most others cannot objectively effect anyone or claim you have to be "sensitive" enough to be effected by it or have to "believe" in it. The beautiful thing about objectivity is that it doesn't require belief to prove it's existence. Regardless of whether I believe in gravity or not, it's a reality and law in this universe. Energy is the same imo, and thus if someone has a true mastery of it then belief shouldn't be an issue. I don't rule out the argument of "you're not sensitive enough" or "tuned in" but depending on the goal of that form of development, is that really something worth studying in? If it's for healing or protection I would say "NO".

But yeah I think alot of us are after "the goods" so to speak, the real powerful stuff, and we get taken into these "health and exercise" qigong forms thinking, "oh every chinese dude over 40 is secretly a super duper qigong MASTA and he's just testing to see who's really ready for his REAL stuff and everything he says is some kind of cryptic methaphor to teach super secrets". So now all a self proclaimed master has to do is speak really cryptically, be vague and mysterious and they're immediately a MASTER, because anyone who has ANY ability at all isn't allowed to show them because they would be breaking some kind of karmic law. But hey...

In the jungle, we gotta rumble with the weak

aint nuthing sweet we gotta eat

-Astral

Herbs. Nuff said...but to elaborate...

If you really want to get well, I"d kick it into high gear and go on a fruit fast or a fruit juice fast and get some herbs in there. I used to have bad digestive issues til I took a "spleen/pancreas" formula which took care of it rather quickly. If you're constantly sick then that means your kidneys and bowels are probably obstructed or aren't 100%. Get some herbs for the kidneys, bowels and the lymph system. You may also want to check glandular function. I can almost guarantee your adrenals aren't "to par". You may also want to take some herbs for that too. Also try to breath plenty of fresh winter air, it will help trigger the elimination of mucus.

Re-fruit, grapes are probably one of the best ime in terms of "astringents", as are organges and lemons/limes. Melons like watermelon, honeydew, etc come in second. You want to be eliminating mucus. You should be coughing mucus, have mucus in the stool and have sediment in the urine, that how you'll know when your eliminative organs are online. Until then your body will have "healing crisis" where it eliminates stuff through other means, or if it gets clogged you'll get weak.

Oh and drew, it is my opinion that meat won't increase "jing", it WILL overstimulate adrenal function and hormones, but as you age the stimulants will end up weakening you. I'd suggest, rather, using herbs to restore and enhance functioning rather than using stimulants like animal products. But if you're looking for hormones, just drink milk dude. 80+ NATURALLY OCCURING hormones on top of the shit they pump the cows with

-Astral

EDIT: Also get plenty of rest. Nothing wrong with exercise but you want as much energy to go towards healing as you can.

I haven't read your full post yet but I have the question which begs to be asked: just where is the differentiation between sex and non-sex thoughts?

 

We all have gender... so every thought that is differentiated by gender can be classified as "sex thought". Even merely looking at a woman can be considered sex. Conversation can be considered sex. Etc. I just see it as unnatural I guess to be watching and denying myself the humanity of sex. A woman has a sexy body, so wouldn't looking at her turn a man on, can't that be considered sex also? What about hugging, touching, what about just having a boner? I feel like I'd have to hit myself everytime I think something "sexual" (not knowing the real distinction of what is/isn't sexual), and it seems unnaturally. And to be carrying a grudge everywhere I go of repressed sexuality.

 

I guess it's moreso that one shd just meditate often to do the work of transmuting than repression.

 

I mean.. once a person meditates there is less distinction of extremes and one is in a non-dual consciousness, is that what it is? So that there is no "excess thoughts" or "ego" distinguishing this or that (at least excessively/forefully) and whatever is thought is thought naturally not by any egoic force. By that understanding then maybe some "sexual" thoughts can be ok if it's not overly materialist/excessive or based on ego? Then the question there is of course what is/isn't ego?

I thought this was a good question, thought I might add my point of view.

I agree with drew that full lotus "burns off" or transmitts sex fluid. I used to have "wet dreams" but I'd wake up and hold it back. Since practicing full lotus I no longer have sex dreams or any noctural urge to ejaculate. So I'd agree that to reconvert "sex energy" to "jing" full lotus is a GREAT technique, i'm rather an enthusiat myself about it. However it doesn't fix having a consciousness stuck in the "lower" centers.

When you see a woman, what do you see? I agree the female body is pretty, but so are flowers...do flowers give you a "boner" too? When you can look and admire the beauty of a female without lust then you're good. This, from my experience, comes from having an open heart. My experience is that when my heart is open, or rather when my consciousness is raised to the heart level, it's much like being like a child again. For me when I see a cute girl it's like seeing a flower, it just makes me smile no thoughts like "I want to put my penis in that", it's just like "awwww thats cute lookin...like a puppy or kitten". Sharing heart energy is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY more fulfilling, imo, than sharing sex energy, and it's not draining. BUT in order to do that both parties have to have an open heart and have to have a generally healthy emotional body. This is becoming rarer and rarer these days.

Anything that suppresses consciousness will keep you stuck in the lower energies. Drew is an avid activist for the full-lotus for it's ability to convert "sex energy" to "jing", and I agree with his emphasis on it and agree with it's importance (although I'd say throw some LDT breathing in there and you're golden).I am an avid activist on a high fruit diet/herbs/fasting because it is a method of raising one's consciousness. I have found with ongoing personal experimentation that diet is related in EVERY way to who and what we are and how we experience this world through this vessel. We don't normally think about this but what is "food"? It's an energy, a vibration that we choose to have a rather intimate relationship with. We "fuse" with it. If the energy is lower than our own then our energy is lowered by it, if the energy is higher than our own, then we are strengthened by it. I have found a fruit diet (including raw lettuce greens and raw green vegetables on occasion) to be the greatest aid in eliminating factors that lower consciousness. Cleansing in general, the removal of obstruction in the physical body, is an incredible tool in allowing one to return to what I believe is man's "natural state". Remember that all bodies, physical, mental, emotional, etc are all related, what effects one, effects the others. It seems alot of people like to do meditation and things like EFT, hypnosis, energy work, etc, and thats a great way to increase energy, but if you're not addressing why your energy isn't high in the first place it's like running to strengthen your lungs while you're smoking. Many people seem to ignore the physical aspect of life, I see alot of overweight, out of shape, unhealthy energy practitioners, and i'm not baggin' on them, they're free to live their life as they wish, but this seems to be a certain "missing link" in cultivation.

The relationship between food and mind is an ancient concept that I didn't really believe in until I noticed it in myself. I used to be a MUCH diff person than I am now and I found by simply changing my diet, changing the vibrations that I choose to merge with my own, my body is different, my emotions are different, my THOUGHTS (HUGE for me) are different. And this is the greatest help I've found in terms of "lust" and banishing it from my consciousness. From simply changing my diet my lust has been replaced by admiration/adoration. When I see a cute girl instead of wanting to do anything sexual, the only "urge" i might get is to give them a hug. Instead of my lower centers getting activated, my heart gets activated and it's all "love-based" rather than "sex based", it's all about the heart, not about the sex organs. ( Although to my surprise the feelings don't seem to be mutual 90% of the time, which causes me great sadness )

Drew, Have you ever tried this? I know Chunyi Lin advises fasting and I know you have your own experience where fasting increased your energy, and I've found the same thing to be true. In fact I did about two weeks where I'd go 2 days with no food or water and on the third day I would drink fresh squeezed grape juice. During that time I started working out and was able to at least triple all reps in all exercises, and at the end, for the first time in my life I was able to do handstand push-ups. However I've found that in terms of consciousness and energy, fruit is second best. I've found that meat, grains (<--ESPECIALLY!! There's a reasons ancient daoists said to avoid them) dairy and eggs and all overt fats and stimulating spices, are all "damaging" to energy and all lower consciousness. Also have you ever read the works of Dr. Arnold Ehret? Specifically The Mucusless DIet Healing System? I posted it up for free download here:

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/17378-fasting-inedia-and-human-potential/page__view__findpost__p__242518

It poses that man is in fact an "air gas engine", or that we dont run on food, that when the body is internally "clean" we can run indefinately upon breath alone. He also outlines a system to reach this state with various methods and transitions. This too is talked about in daoist texts.

Referencing Immortals:

They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children.

The Huainanzi stated,

Those who eat qi achieve spiritual illumination and are long lived; those who eat grain have quick minds and short lived.

There was another text that said something like "those who eat grains will be foolish, those who eat meat with be angry, those who eat herbs will something and those who eat air will attain the dao"

But back to the original point. I believe most people shut their heart off, shut out their emotions, stop feelings and they forget how to have a heart connection, they forget what it was like as a child, being open, loving, accepting of themselves. Much of modern "arousal" is based on what drew calls "lower emotional blackages". These need to be awakened and cleared out/healed. Believe it or not a fruit/herb diet combined with fasting WILL CLEAR OUT EMOTIONAL BLOCKAGES!! I've done it and experienced it on myself. This is especially pronounced on water fasts for me. What will happen is at first one will be hungry and weakened for the first 3 days or so, then hunger disappears (cause it wasn't actually hunger ) and one goes through whatever they must. For me, when I get to day 7-8 emotional detox starts kicking in. I'll get really agitated at first, I'll feel where the blockages are and it'll feel "tense" like...it's hard to explain, but it's almost like I can feel my energy pushing against an obstruction, kinda like a golfball in a hose, the pressure builds up....then there's a release. After this tension (which i'll experience as a craving for food, not for sustenance but to stop the detoxification process) there's a huge release of emotion, I'll usually cry or scream or something...usually ends with crying...then turns to laughing and then it's like "ahhhhhhhh" and everything is light and bouncy and happy

This stuff may only seem like "dietary change" to the mainstream consciousness but it "wakes you up", it raises consciousness and helps you heal. Remember that your body is constantly trying to heal itself, it is our mind and our conditioning that says "this grumbling and discomfort in my stomach is caused by a lack of food and I need food to live" instead of "this grumbling and discomfort is caused by toxins in my digestive system from past wrong living, I'm thankful my body is getting rid of this for me".

From personal experience I believe lust to be a result of lower emotional blockages and having the consciousness stuck in other areas other than the heart.

ANother quick matter that I've noticed occur through fruit/fasting is the awakening of something, that I would call "my higher self". Most of my life I've been a slave to my mind until it began makings for the worst. My character was decaying QUICKLY and I noticed it and felt helpless to stop it...until I discovered fasting. Whenever things felt like I was no longer "in control" I fasted and something miraculous happened...I "woke up", I became the "me" I am now. The mind ( actually I don't believe it was just the mind, I believe there were "things" involved too ), no longer had power over me. This also happened thru a fruit diet. I began to awaken as myself and began to "know" who I was and why I'm here. The only way that I can explain this is that my consciousness was raised, but fasting alone will only raise it, then if you go back to the way you lived before you'll lose it. Thus I maintain it will fruits and use herbs to enhance the effect of healing. I believe this stuff has a direct effect on the "aura" of an individual. Again, I was battling something that wasn't "me" and the only way I was able to overcome it was to regain control of my mind by raising the power of my spirit, or raising consciousness. I now feel like this body is able to "channel" more of "me" and thus more of me resides in this body than "them". This is MUCH more than a simply dietary change, much like full lotus is MUCH more than a yoga position

SO finally...the difference between "sex thoughts" and "non-sex thoughts" is the presence of the desire to have sex (duh). The desire to have sex is just like the desire for food or alcohol or drugs or TV...it's to eliminate the uncomfortable sensation of having alot of energy. Becoming immortal (which is our natural state) isn't a "comfortable" process, it's not a walk in the park, it's not easy and it's not always fun. So when you look at a woman like you look upon a bunch of flowers or a furry kitten, then you've eliminated "sex thoughts". How do you get there? Awaken you heart, awaken your inner child, raise your consciousness. I and many others have found that fruits/herbs/fasting does the trick rather nicely. I also do Spontaneous Qigong from time to time because I notice it does the same thing fasting does (via emotional detox, but not on a physical level). Essentially, cry, laugh, scream, FEEL and you wont need the overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (ejaculation), to break you out of your unconsciousness numb "stupor" to feel "alive".

Anyway that's MY piece, my diarrhea-of-the-mouth rant.

Peace

-Astral

Vortex, where did you get that quote from? DO you have a link to the article, that sounds rather interesting, I'd like to look into that further. Could explain why so many neurological disorders have responded so well to fasting.

ATMA - yea idk man, I don't really have to much theory or philsophy behind it, it's just what I know works for me. I don't think food contains "bad energy" but I know it can drain energy which can alter one's mind and mental defenses which may leave one open to an outward negative influence, but again, i'm not really sure. I'm not really trying to understand it much right now, just kinda working with it and continuing to try to heal and strengthen myself.

In regards to spiritually advanced people...i don't even know what it means to be "spiritual" anymore, I don't really care to be spiritual, I just want to be happy and have fun. But Fasting is a tool that I use to increase my awareness and energy. Even "spiritual" people may not be aware of the drain from food or ejaculatory sex and I'm sure people will glamorize them to try to justify their own habits. But I'd say if you were to take food away from someone for a week or two and they got really weak, irritated, emotional, etc then they're not as "spiritual" as they'd like to think. Unless spirituality is just another way to make fame and fortune

-Astral

Hey All,

So I just wanted to share my observations of myself and how things have affected me in regards to what I perceive to be negative influences. I've been watching my thoughts intensly for the past...geez idk how long, a year or two? And I notice how thoughts and desires come in to me and I would try to trace their origin...and it wasn't from "ME", many thoughts that I have experienced aren't from "me", not from the active thinker. Thus I began to theorize that I was under negative influence because these thoughts were not like me, they weren't from me, I wasn't thinking them. Anyway, so I began to distinguish which thoughts were in line with who I am and which didn't belong in my mind anessentially "waged war" against my mind. I thought I was alone in such a struggle, I thought maybe through some of my spiritual practices maybe I picked up some kind of astral parasite or whatever. I'm really not sure.

Anyway fast forward...Its starting to become rather convincing for me that fasting is the ONLY tool for me that has worked in terms of fending off these negative thoughts, desire, feelings and other influences. The first few times I noticed this I wanted to say with certainty that this was true but I still wasn't sure. I have been back and forth between eating "normally" and fasting in combination with a fruit diet and I have watched with absolute LINEAR RESULTS that as soon as I fast these negative influences loose a grip on me and as soon as I begin to eat normally I become more susceptible to these influences. It feels kinda like...When I'm subject to these influences they're "In my head" and I have to fight to keep them out or to ignore them or correct them or whatever. When I'm fasting I feel these things getting farther and farther away from me. It's like an imaginary "bubble" begins to grow and push these things out of me. I can almost feel them at a distance trying to push against it. It seems I gain some sort of personal or spiritual "power" thru fasting. Likewise celibacy from me seems to have a powerful connection with all of this. I am still not certain enough to say "for sure" but it seems the only time I have enough willpower to return to the fasting and fruit diet is when I have been celibate for 5-7 days. Again, that could be coincidence but I figured it was worth mentioning.

I am writing my experience because a good friend of mine is suffering with exactly what I was but to a much more severe degree. She is quite suicidal and has many thoughts and influences that I once harbored but was able to protect myself from through what I have mentioned above. She is able to recognize that these thoughts aren't good but instead of viewing it as an attack that she must defend against she believes that these thoughts are HER. She believes that she's evil, that she doesn't belong here, and all of these other disempowering thoughts and beliefs that are no doubt of the same origin as the other strange influences she and I have both experienced. It grieves me much to see her suffer so much and not be able to reach her. So I decided to share what I have experienced in case someone else comes across this and finds it of use.

Again, many people seem to be attracted to qigong for healing or tai-chi or some energy art for health and wellness or for power...but in my experience that like trying to buffer a door with termites. We have an incredible power within us as human beings. We are already divine, our blueprint is divine but we keep suppressing our powers via faulty programming. By examining one's lifestyle one can easily make POWERFUL changes that will yield POWERFUL results QUICKLY. My theory is that we are nothing but energy yes? Since energy can only be changed, we must be aware of what energies we are exposed to that can change or influence OUR energy. Our "Aura" is supposed to protect us from outside influence, but if that aura is weak then we will be targets. However even if our aura is strong, it can be weakened. How? From my experience it's by putting energies of outside origin directly into this body we have...you all call it "eating" and seem to pay it no reverence. When you take an energy from outside and put it inside you, it's going to effect you, and if you're constantly...from birth, force fed low vibrations, the your body's vibrations will begin to lower. When you stop putting low frequencies into your body it can rejuvenate and return to its ORIGINAL STATE. However most of us can't do that right away so we must introduce vibrations that are still lower than us but higher then what we've been exposing ourselves to. For me the vibrations of fruit is high enough that the "bubble" (what I believe to be my aura) is still strong enough to protect me, However if i ingest vibrations of other things my power is quickly blocked.

So thats my story/experience. I'm not looking for thoughts or opinions really, I just wanted to share and put this out there in case someone can benefit from it. Again the above isn't bashing mantras or qigong or spiritual arts but it has been my experience that thru looking at what is the most powerful influence on us (which is what we put directly into us), we can at least put up a strong "barrier" of our own power, and if that isn't enough THEN maybe go to something else, but imo, going to spiritual arts to fight negative influence while ignoring the influence of what you're ingesting is like trying to buffer a door with termites. I mean it's my belief that we all have the power inside of us and that we don't need to actively fight these influences if our power is uninhibited. Of course then we wouldn't need to rely on the priests or shamans or whatever, so i'm not surprised that what i'm saying hasn't really been said alot, however thru personal experience I'm realizing that I have an amazing passive power (again i like to call it my "aura") and I believe we all have this power but that we suppress it's ability to work thru us. Anyway, I've said my piece, i'm out.

-Astral

Nobody wants you to be free, not even your family or your lover

 

Because they can't control you if you are free

Well he's had several car crashes which shattered his spine. He refused to have a spinal fusion and spent the next several months healing his body in such a way as to preserve the energy flows.

 

So.... there's that.

 

And on top of that, he's also the inheritor to a meditation lineage. Maybe part of his meditative practices involve getting over the need to fix a hair loss issue which may be genetic in nature, and instead come to grips with how things are.

 

Soooooo.... there's that.

 

[edit]

 

As to his weight: check him out in some of his recent videos. He's lost a lot of weight, and he's quite mobile and fluid, despite his past issues. He mentioned that in the TTB's interview- he's always eaten a lot, and he kept up his eating regiment even when his physical regiment couldn't keep up do to injuries.

 

All things considered, he's doing pretty damn good Not to mention his material is quite good

 

But hey, to each their own

Yes I heard a girl from Russia who healed herself from MS in about 7 month on a fruit diet with herbs. There's a girl who cured herself from cancer by eating a mono grape diet. People born without kidneys have regrown them thru herbs and fasting. Ann Wigmore healed herself of gray hair thru whatgrass. People have healed themselves of complete paralysis. The body has some pretty crazy healing mechanisms built in. It's a shame most people seem to focus on stimulating and buffering their energy rather than focusing on letting go of what's hindering it. But then again, it's easier to just exercise all the time than it is to eat healthy, overcompensating with phsyical is easier then letting go of mental/emotional As you said, to each their own. But in terms of potential, imagine combining the two modalities...talk about "high level"

-Astral

Hello. I'm a Qigong newbie. I bought Mantak Chia's Awaken the Healing Tao and every now and then I meditate focusing on my navel point. No effects yet. Sometimes when I lay in bed before I go to sleep I would lie on back and imagine how all my muscles relax and then my whole body goes shuddery. Is this something ? I'm a vegetarian as well maybe that helps. Who knows. In your opinion where should one start in order to awaken his Qi ? Thanks.

I'm found two things to increase my energy to rather "unbearable" levels. One is the spontaneous qigong. I learned it from the Kunlun system, however it's also taught in Sifu Jenny Lamb's DVDs and seminars and other places as well. With this i felt my heart center opening first, and has progressively moved upward as I have practiced which...I mean I haven't really practiced in a WHILE cause it gets rather intense and I don't have the privacy I'd like, but it's something that follows me around, it's like something that gets activated in the body and goes on it's own, it's not something you guide or try to control, you just pay attention to it and let it do it's thing. That, for me, has brought me to unbearable levels of energy where it feels like my nerves are being "stretched". Idk if this is true but there's a qigong master who has apparently become an inediate and attributes it to his practice of spontaneous qigong. Here's a vid

The other practice isn't what you'd expect but FASTING has done things similar to the spontaneous practice but even more intense on a physical level. I've been experimenting more intensely with it lately and I've actually been GAINING physical strength, and my awareness is 10-fold and there's a connection to "something" that has come about from it. I like to think of it as my "higher self", but I've come to feel something inside me, it's separate from me but it's "me", it's kinda hard to explain, but definately fasting has helped me spiritually and physically and has overall helped balance my energy and clear out a few things. This can also get unbearable as emotional and physical blockages being released is EXTREMELY uncomfortable for me and if it weren't for my connection to this "me" inside of me I wouldn't be able to handle it.

Actually another things that got me some result is reverse breathing while focusing on the navel while either in horse stance or sitting. Got a good bit of heat going on. Horse stance in general is just great. I do it more recreationally for about 20-30mins and it really opens things up in the legs and lower torso. I especially feel it in the lower abdomen and tailbone.

Vegatarianism I believe is a good idea. It's funny because in kundalini awakening alot of people use meat to self medicate when the energy gets too strong. So if meat is used to weaken energy, why would anyone trying to INCREASE energy ingest it? It also brings up the question of how diet and general lifestyle can effect our energy. I personally find that a fruit diet w/ fasting keeps my energy the highest but like i said, it's tough to handle sometimes emotionally and mentally. Also if you look in the daoist texts it usually suggests you stay away from grains and meat (and alcohol).

btw, Tenchu kicks ass. Tenchu 2 was SUPER fun, Tastu was a BEAST I actually had no idea the red sparrow was Onikage, I didn't figure that out until a few days ago when I was watching some endings on youtube and I saw that and I was like...OMG NO WAY!! lol

anyway, good luck in your practices

-Astral

P.S. From personal experience and from hearing some things it seems like the biggest blockages are the emotional ones and thats what most people seem to struggle the most with. If you get heavy into this stuff be prepared to face some shit, releasing blockages isn't always a walk in the park. Then again, I tend to rush into things instead of gradually adjusting so maybe it's just like that for me, but if you want stuff to clear you will have to face things so be prepared.

I recently did my first fast for 2 days and was considering doing a 2 day fast every week. I figure i am constantly putting crap in my body so i should clean it out on a regular basis.

 

Wanted to get the opinions of those whom have experience with fasting. Is it a good idea to fast weekly or is there a rule of thumb on how regular i should clean out my systems?

I would say listen to your body above all. Everyone's gonna tell you what works for them based on where THEY are, but only you know where YOU are. I've had alot of people tell me alot of things about diet, health, fasting, etc but it's not until I decided to "clean my slate" and take it by ear, that my results have flourished. I would say your best bet is getting in touch with your own bodily intuition. When your body really needs something, give it something but when it's telling you it's good, even if there's discomfort, just keep going.

My other suggestion is to try FIRST before fasting to go on a pure fruit diet. for a few days, then just citrus fruit. I know what you mean about the "natural feeling" of fasting. When you're body just says "you know what, I'm good, no food needed", and you HAVE to be in tune with that, you can't let people scare you into thinking "oh well i need this many ounces of water/juice/broth and I need this for minerals or this for that... The body is quite capable of functioning without all that, but like somebody on here said, it does take some "getting used to".

The biggest problem with fasting, imo, is getting off cooked food. It's destroying the emotional attachment to food, it's learning to deal with your emotions. I'm not gonna lie, i've tried going fruitarian ALOT and failed ALOT, even when I was supplementing with greens, herbs, avocados, etc. IMO, cooked food (not ALL cooked food, but most) is like a drug, it suppresses consciousness so you don't have to feel everything thats going on inside you. Eventually I realized this and began to really look at my relationship with food and would recognize that I ate to suppress my awareness of certain uncomfortable sensations. Kunlun actually helped out because it brought out, ime, the same things fasting brought out (on an emotional level, not physical). So again, to me, this is very much an emotional trial, even moreso than a physical one. If you can't handle/face your emotions then you won't make it very far imo. Even though your body may say to keep fasting your mind and emotions will be agitated and if you can't handle it then you'll break and eat something against your body's will, just to satisfy your mind.

Lastly you MAY want to do an "oxygen" cleanse using hydrogen peroxide or MMS or a parasite cleanse. Certain microbes seem to be responsible for particular types of craving, especially that of bread, cheese, starches and meat. If you find yourself craving these foods then try and oxygen cleanse and see if that helps. Also getting a colonic or doing a salt-water-flush the night before MAY help. Personally I drink large quantities of grape juice on my juice days (usually about a quart or two) and that flushes me out just fine without the discomfort of the salt-water. But either way, clearing out the colon helps as well. And again, you MAY want to. I didn't and i'm doing just fine but if you experience troubles, then that MAY make it easier. Anyway, best of luck to you.

-Astral

P.S. if you're the intellectual type, have you ever read some works by Dr Arnold Erhet? The more I explore the more I find what he says to be true. If you'd like to check out his two greatest books I posted them up for free download on THIS THREAD...

astral, how's your kidney yin? how burns the mingmen fire? the kidneys open into the ears. while idquest might be on to a bit of something I am inclined to think it is not the same phenomena, that sounds a little more exterior and GB8-9ey, LV-ey as opposed to something deeper and more internal. I was a swimmer when I was young and went outside without a hat plenty often and had some bad otitis media, so the ear-burst-pump however you want to describe it is something I've felt before but havent really been able to put quite a finger on it either, not that it has happened often or recently enough for me to have investigated it much, but I will take a trip back in time and ponder it.

Haha you'll have to forgive me, I don't understand TCM concepts. I do know my kidneys (and general digestive system) are weak, have been since birth, been taking some herbs for it recently.

-Astral

have you checked your stomach for H. Pylori? If not - do it ASAP, the breath test is easy and cheap. Your symptoms are similar to this bacteria outbreak.

 

Be careful with any kind of conscious breathing. If you have GERD or even occasional hearburn, the breathing can mess up with your sphincter between stomach and esophagus. I'm talking from my experience.

 

Try eating more liquid food: soups and liquid porridge/rice.

 

Must thing - probiotics and enzymes. If you haven't taken yet - do that ASAP.

This brings up a question. Two actually.

Can salt water flushes mess up other sphincters thus causing a condition where stuff travels too quickly through the system? That actually could be my problem cause I've used those ALOT ;p

The other question is the dependance on digestive enzymes. They work, no doubt, but if you relieve your pancreas from having to make them would it not get weaker and thus cause a dependance?

Definately second the probiotics and enzymes in terms of efficiency on symptoms though XD

-Astral

Okay, I guess this was unavoidable. Well then, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of it: In the beginning, it would alternate between constipation and diarrhea and was extremely disconcerting. Over the course of the last few years it has improved dramatically, but is still quite troublesome. A synopsis of the current state of affairs:

 

On average, I'd say I have to empty my bowels around 4 or 5 times a day, although sometimes it could even go up to 8 or 9 or even more. Most of this occurs in the morning. I usually wake up at around 4:30 or 5 with a strong urge to empty my bowels, the result of which is usually not very well-formed, and sometimes I can even observe small, undigested pieces of food. I then usually have to go again for at least 2 or 3 more times over the course of the next two hours; drinking water and stretching usually helps facilitate this. So, it's as if my digestion were very weak and couldn't expel all of the waste in one time. Then, later on in the day, a similar process can repeat itself. Sometimes this is accompanied by pain and discomfort, but mostly, it isn't.

 

Another curious thing is that I have to burp a lot at times, and when I do, I have to position myself upright, otherwise I won't be able expel air.

 

Foods that aggravate this: deep-fried, whole grains (unless in moderate amounts), eating fruits after a meal, pastries, heavily-processed foods, and, cucumbers and most raw vegetables (unless in moderation).

 

Hope this information helps.

Bwahahahaha what an ironic coincidence

Yes I feel as if I know well what you are describing and believe myself to share it. I myself am a fruitarian and lately I've been hitting the grapes rather hard but I'm noticing shortly after ingestion i'll get gas, pain, and i'll shit out grape juice and skins. not very pleasant. I've also noticed undigested particles with others foods (mainly vegetables). For me it's very similar to when I do a Salt Water Flush, stuff just moves through me very quickly.

Now if we were to look at this from an Ayurvedic standpoint one would say you have excess Vata. You're probably on the thin side, irregular digestion, problems with worry and anxiety and low endurance. Or so they label symptoms of excess Vata, i was labeled the same way. Their suggestion is on warm soft "gooey" foods. Whole Raw Milk, cooked processed grains, etc etc. You may want to try sum raw milk or raw yogurt temporarily for the probiotic value. Thats saved my digestion in the past. They also suggest calming and soothing practices as well as food. Vata is "movement", the element of air (gas in GI tract), they would say you have too much "movement" in body and mind and would likely prescribe remedies to "calm" and "soothe" you. So yes meditation, breathwork, listening to relaxing music, laughing, playing, etc all would likely help you balance.

From the standpoint of chemisty, it sounds like a pancreatic weakness. Have you tried digestive enzymes? If you try them and it brings relief then you can bet your pancreas is weak. If thats the case you may want to try and herbal formula. Also is you notice sugar problems especially, you may also have an adrenal weakness.

If you have a particlar problem digesting fats you may have a liver weakness. Try a liver/gallblader flush and maybe some tonifying herbs.

If you have a problem with proteins or have acid reflux it could be that your body is too acidic. When the stomach is running low on bicarbonates (due to them being used elsewhere to neutralize acids) the stomach will not release HCL because it won't have the bicarbonates to neutralize it which would allow the HCL to eat through your system. Drinking alkaline water (or adding alluminum free baking soda to you water), or drinking "green juices" can help in this area.

I've personally been experimenting with herbs lately and they seem to have an effect. I've been taking a pancreas and spleen formula, we'll see how that works.

I know you're probably not aspiring to be a fruitarian like me but I've found that most "solid" or "non-juicy" fruits like dates, (dried)figs and bananas work fine, where the more juicy fruits (grapes, berries) cause problems for me. But it's good that your bowels are working. It sux that your not digesting you food properly (which is probably why your body's trying to get rid of it so fast), but it's good your bowels are keeping up strong.

The last piece of advise is just general. When you eat chew your food thoroughly and make sure to mix your saliva with it before swallowing, always stop before full, never eat when mentally disturbed (angry, sad, worried), drink 1-2 cups of water before each meal, get plenty of EXERCISE!!, stay hydrated (shoot for 3-4 litres of water/herbal tea a day) and don't eat when you're not hungry.

Also it may help to consult an Ayurvedic or Tcm practitioner or an herbalist/acupuncturist. I would say in terms of qigong, the standing exercises would probably work the best, or any endurance workout. Exercise is a critical part of digestion, and like you said, water helps too, stay hydrated!. I know there was someone on here who healed themselves of something practicing Baguazhang. Maybe you can talk to him or he'll show up here about that. Again, I would say the standing exercises. I would try standing in horse stance for 20mins before each meal and focusing on the lower dan tien with deep abdominal breathing. Make sure you're sweating, if you not then go lower in the stance. But that along should bring incredible benefit. i hear the shaolin monks used to eat in a particular stance I don't remember if it was horse or something else. But anyway, thats my 2c for the moment. If i think of anything else i feel of terrible importance to add, i will.

Best of luck to you sir!

-Astral

Kindred Souls,

 

It's been about 4 or 5 years now since my digestion has gone out of whack and become irritable and irksome. I've tried a whole plethora of therapy modalities. The following modalities actually ended up causing my digestion to deteriorate: allopathy in the form of strong antibiotics; naturopathy; different extreme diets such as raw food and fruitarianism; ashtanga yoga. Other approaches did, in fact, help to alleviate some of the discomfort and improve the condition: vegetarianism; simply slowing down, breathing consciously and letting go of stress; becoming less mental; embracing my emotional being.

 

Interestingly, I had a colonoscopy done several years ago and they found absolutely nothing wrong with my gut.

 

I've started practicing QiGong (namely, standing meditation and some warm-up and self-massage techniques) about a month ago and have not noticed any changes to my digestion, although, I do enjoy the practice and would like to deepen it.

 

And now, my reason for writing: does anybody know of a specific system or form of QiGong that can facilitate the healing of my digestive system?

 

I am grateful for any advice or counsel. Moreoever, if you require more information, I would be happy to supply it.

 

TenebrousMystery

Might I inquire to what symptoms you experience that would quality as "digestive problems"? Do you notice it with certain foods more than others?

-Astral

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