Jeramiah Zeitigeist

'Cause many around you fear it? It's a strong vibration, that fear.

 

If one has made peace with their lives, death is easier to transcend. (At least, this is what I hear.) Regret, remorse, unfinished business...perhaps dying with too much done/undone on one's slate doesn't allow the dying person to let go enough to transition peacefully.

I have regrets for things done and undone, and remorse for things I may have said or done. And I have an enormous amount of unfinished business.

But so what ? Is any of that real ? Its just life and the journey. Its how our lives unfold. I don't think it has any bearing on whether you are scared of dying.

Its only the ego thats scared of dying. And the ego spends most of its time being scared of things. Its scared of the little things too. Its scared of not being liked, of not being successful, or not being in control. Its always scared. And when its not being scared, its being insecure, or greedy, or selfish, or vain, or any of hundred other things.

The ego is empty. Don't feed it.

thanks Jeremiah, thoughtful post.

 

I accept death, and made my peace with it! It is inevitable, even those that live forever in the spirit and choose when and how they die must face it. I don't think there is any way to true immortality in the daoist sense (or any other) without coming fully to terms with death and being ready and willing to die without it meaning anything at all.

 

Don Juan Matus said that our death is a presence which follows us around at arms length on our left, and that when we are feeling weak or petty, to turn to our left and ask death for advice, because that will dispel our crappy feelings and give us a sense of immediacy. I have found that asking my death for advice is an amazing technique for cutting through false self-importance (is there any other kind?)

 

I had an awesome near death experience where i was so close to the light i reached out and touched it, and all i felt "out there" where i was, was unconditional love, and an overwhelming sense of compassion and acceptance. I knew without a doubt that all that church crap was for the birds, and that i would be forgiven for my mistakes without having to ask. I left that place and came back to my body, but after that, the idea of death didn't phase me at all. If i died while typing this, that would be fine. If i live to see my 200th birthday, thats also okay.

 

I would like to leave my body behind one day since the physicality is such a painful burden, and live as a spirit. That to me is like having my cake and eating it too . But i'm sure i'm not the only one hahahaah

Great post ! Great contribution. Thanks.

I'd echo everything you say.

Death is just another part of the journey. Its quite exciting really. Like opening the door of a room for the first time. The universe is perfect, so death will be too. Why fear it ?

I've worked with many dying people for 18 years, and its taught me many things, and required me to look deep inside, at my attitudes towards death.

Then, I cheated death by the width of my finger, twice. I was very close, closer than I like to imagine, to being very dead indeed.

Now, I have absolutely no fear of death. If it comes today, or in fifty years, I have no worries or concerns. I am ready to die.

I wonder if thats the key ? Its not, are you scared to die ? Its are you ready to let go ? Being ready to die is different to not being scared. Subtle, but true. I like it here, but I'll like it there too.

I feel very liberated. Very happy.

Hello J-Z,

 

I first heard of this in 1975 by two friends that I met in Taiwan who were Qigong practitioners.

 

To explain it as simply as possible:

 

later on, I learned that there are some Qigong traditions (Tao Tan Pai for one) that advocate doing energy exercises the moment one wakes up in the morning and before one goes to the bathroom. It's an esoteric practice within certain Qigong styles--that also became a popular practice/habit and got established in Qigong "folklore" as a result of certain widespread publications in China:

 

The "Barefoot Doctor's Manual" published in China during the Cultural Revolution (or possibly before) and later cited the Whole Person Catalog in 1972, taught that if one did the Chinese calisthenic, Swhai Shou (Swing Arms) 600 times every day before the morning ablution (it's not that hard to do), one would never get sick.

 

Everyone knows that the body's energy is rested and regenerated during a night of normal sleep. Ancient Taoists and other yogins found out by trial-and-error that practicing upon rising form sleep was optimal for energy cultivation. Here are a few clues towards the reasons why:

 

Hint #1) Porkert's "Theoretical Foundations of Chinese Medicine" breaks down about 12 forms of Qi (Chi), including: Chi Magna (from breathing and qigong), Chi frumentarium (from food), Chi Nativum (energy that you're born with that cannot be replaced if damaged or depleted).

 

Hint #2) In Tao Tan Pai neigung, as a general rule of thumb, we advocate not drinking ice-cold liquids before or after training. And never to drink ice=cold drinks right after practicing TTP forms or neigung, for that would "crack the Ting."

 

Hint #3) Learn about the Ting and secret oral teachings in Chinese yoga with the corresponding I Ching Hexagram.

 

Overall, this "first thing in the morning" habit is not going to make or break your long-term cultivation--but would be a minor enhancement.

 

Best,

 

Sifu Terry

Interesting, and many thanks for your time.

I have just ordered the DVDs, so I'm looking forward to experiencing the Flying Phoenix magic !

I've got almost two decades experience in Chi Gong and internal arts, but I think this is going to be very interesting !

Thanks again for spending so much time with this thread.

The way I see it a large proportion of the suffering in the world is completely pointless, I don't see how most of the atrocities and traumas which get committed to innocent people are a form of lesson from the universe, no doubt we can learn from our suffering but only if it is not overwhelming. Scientists have documented by monitoring brain changes and stress responses in traumatised and abused people that overwhelming stress actually makes you weaker not stronger.

Thats the view from the outside !

None of us would be so mad as to choose that level of suffering. I was happy and peaceful, had a great life and was living with compassion and love. I didn't want it to change. But the universe had different ideas.

Now, afterwards, I am even happier, with a greater depth of wisdom and understanding. I want to be here, right now. I love it. Everything in our lives brings us to here, where we are right now. For me, its writing this post. Everything around me is good. So the suffering I had brought me here. Sometimes I still wish it had never happened, but mostly I see it was a gift.

I learnt things I could never have learnt without that experience.

And also, the learning works both ways. The person who did those things will also have had a valuable experience. Somehow, it was important for her too, although in a very different way. The bigger picture is VERY big.

Can't agree with this. Embarrassing painful or difficult things are always the best for us? What the hell? Isn't that the goal of going with the tao so you don't have to experience this kind of stuff? None of those emotions are useful are they? how can they benefit you?

 

Infact they cause you sickness and ill health. Why experience them when you don't have to? There are so may different good feelings you could be feeling instead!

Being with the Tao is not a form of escape !

Life is still a learning process.

I find this to be almost absolute. Definitely true, but almost absolute.

 

 

 

 

 

It is rare to find one so completely without suffering throughout their life, LET ALONE, such a person who has willingly unbound themselves from the oh so many unnecessary attachments in life.

 

 

Truly, i see more often that those who have suffered the most become wisest.

 

 

Great wisdom comes not only from great age, but from great suffering.

Damn true !

After 14 years of dedicating my life to healing, I had four years of the most appalling and unbelievable suffering that came so close to breaking me. Only high level Chi Gong and meditation saved me. Suicide would have been a far easier option. Now, out the other side, I am transformed. Not only more peaceful and happier than ever in my life, but with a profound sense of my true nature, and of healing. I have developed a lifetime of wisdom in a very short time, and an incredible empathy and love for everyone. I do feel I have been very lucky.

I wouldn't recommend it, but if it comes to you, then embrace suffering as the greatest learning experience.

It may well be worth taking a look at Mike Mahler who is a vegan strength athlete.

 

Make a start with this article and then explore his site further as there is a lot of info on suppliments.

 

Making the Vegan Diet Work

Lots of great vegan athletes at;

www.greatveganathletes.com/

And I think diet information from individual athletes will be posted soon.

I guess i shouldnt brag, and not that I am, per se, but it didnt take me long. by 12, i was starting to 'get it' but i didnt really get it till 21.

 

 

 

 

And even though i do get it, it is often more a matter of remembering it and applying it.

 

 

 

Pure intentions, yeah, but like i said, i wouldnt want to be harmful with my helpful intentions. i say it all the time in all my posts anyways

 

 

 

Thanks to jeramiah for the encoragement. i try to maintain that mentality/viewpoint, but there's rarely, if ever, any confirmation of what influences people are benefitting from.

 

 

 

And thanks all of you, everyone who posted, for the insightful input.

It's really a more simple matter than i make it out to be

I was a very slow developer !

Squatting is crucial for anti ageing, it also massaged the organs, helps with intestinal problems, and great for kidneys...Most chinese chi kung or martial arts has some kind of single or double leg squat as well in physical culture the squat is one of the KING exercises. Yoga also has the squatting position and the indian wrestlers just love the Hindu squat for health, why is the squat good for you as the legs are further away from the heart and will work it as well great for your joints, tendons, and keeps the legs strong.

 

My Sifu would make us do hrs of horse stance low and high and he would say " You are as strong as your horse" and the benefits of this stance is great for kidney chi and over all health. Many people cannot stand for 5 mins in a simple horse stance and find it the hardest out of martial arts training it shows the weak minded people from the serious ones, and most would rather do punch and kick rather horse stances or stances which include squatting.

 

By the way any position can be a zhuang zhan (jaam jong) stance as long as you have the right structure!

 

Great thread...

 

Sifu Garry

Great post ! Informative and interesting !

Wanting to help others when they have not made the personal choice to heal is in my view just another attachment forged by the ego...though one cleverly clothed in our best intentions.

 

Jeramiah said it best. Just gotta let it go and give to those whom are ready to receive.

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

Exactly. Took me a few years to work that out. Life became much easier afterwards.

yeah, absolutely. that's how i feel, however there is that part that i want to "leave an anonymous gift" as it were...

 

Not that i can force it on them, nor would i attempt to do so in any case, but it's that desire to be able to help them.

 

 

 

 

I do what i can in auxilliary, taking care of the chores and kids as much as i can (while still trying to find time to work on schoolwork and get sleep) but it's also distracting from my personal practices, and i have very little time to even do as little as breathing exercises when i am so distracted by the stress and calamity of daily life around here/there.

 

 

In any case, you're right, and all i can do is what they ask me to do.

Don't worry about the anonymous gift. You are giving practical help. Thats good.

Healing comes down to intention, and if your intention is clear and pure, you'll be helping them in ways you aren't aware of. So relax and don't worry.

From my perspective as a healer for the last 18 years;

Its up to them. Some people choose to heal, some choose to be remain ill. We all have a different path to follow. At the right time, they will seek out healing, if its appropriate to them, or they won't. Neither choice is right or wrong. It just is.

I used to feel the same, in my first year or two of healing. I had an incredible gift and wanted to share it. But now, I give everything I have to those who seek me out for healing, and I don't give a thought to those who choose a different path. We all have choices. Some people just aren't ready to heal. And forcing the issue never works. Never !

Its ego to think we know a better way. My responsibility is to those who seek help, not to those whose path is illness.

So be there for them if they seek help, support or advice. If not, then treat them with compassion and understanding, as you would anyone else. Don't define them by the illness or pain. Just let them be.

Hi QGLover,

 

Your morning sequence outlined above is fine.

 

But here is one suggestion that is taught across many Chinese internal energy traditions including Tao Tan Pai: Practice your FP Qigong or Tai Chi or other art the moment your feet hit the floor when you wake up in the morning--i.e. before the morning ablution. I won't explain the energetics of this practice for now, but over the longer term--i.e., years--this habit will lead to more health benefits from each practice session and to greater cumulative health and longevity.

 

Regards,

 

Sifu Terry

My first contribution to this thread, which I have followed avidly....

I've never heard this, in all my years of the internal arts, but I certainly have no reason to disbelieve it either, especially coming from someone who clearly knows the profound depths of his art.

I'd be very interested to hear the energetics of this approach, when you have time.

Thanks !

Not necessarily so. It depends on style/lineage.

Most Hebei is 60/40 or 70/30 back weighted with a straight spine, while Shanxi is more 50/50 with a small forward lean from the waist.

The more back weighted stances develop leg strength/power. The 50/50 develops an equal capacity for speedy advancing and retreating, should a combat situation arise.

Absolutely !

Although a number of sources told me, the 100/0 back leg weighting was partly why it was such a Yang generating form, which is why I mentioned it to the OP. I think this weighting leads to a very 'forward moving' and aggressive style.

But I have also practiced Hebei style too, which feels very different, and is equally valid as a form.

I'm actually looking for a neigong meditation practice that builds up your yang energy a lot and makes you stronger from the inside. Stronger = healthier

I've been told by a number of 'wise' people, including Bruce Frantzis, that the Xing Yi San Ti posture, when done correctly, is the most powerful Yang building posture of all. It should be done with 90/10 or 100/0 weight distribution over the back leg. Its damn hard, but it does build Yang.

The website concerned has been set up by Evangelical Christians and they tend to have grave concerns regarding activities such as Qigong and Yoga. They believe that it can lead to Demon Possession and is a practice of religions other than Christianity.

Surely the best part of Qigong is the demonic possession ?

One thing most posters can agree on: More can be accomplished from meditation than from arguing with Lao Tzu.

Agreed !

And arguing with Lao Tzu is definitely a route to immortality. As it seems to go on and on forever !

I hope I was clear that ZZ progress is all about becoming more precise with your posture. I plugged k-bell swings for overall strength and conditioning, but I hope I didn't let loose any misinformation that they were remotely related! My apologies if I did!

I think your first paragraph was pretty clear. But hopefully you have reinforced it too, by double checking !

Trouble is, people will often read what they want to read, rather than what is there.

Kettlebells are indeed are great way to build functional strength and power but they will not necessarily improve your practise of Zhan zhuang.

 

The problem with the shaking weak leg could be something as simple as the depth of your stance. As a beginner you would be unwise to sink into a deep riding horse stance and attempt to hold it for any great length of time. Far better to start in a more upright posture and develope depth gradually, strengthening your leg as you go along.

 

Unless you have a teacher I would recommend taking a look at Master Lam Kam Chuen and his book "The Way of Energy" The Way of Energy

 

You can also check out on You Tube a series he did called "Stand Stll Be Fit". Both the book and series were very well done and will give you a sound basis on which to build your practice.

 

I hope that this helps.

Good advice indeed !

I was always taught that ZZ is nothing to do with muscular strength, and if you are using muscular strength, you are not doing ZZ.

Master Wong Kiew Kit is emphatic on this point. Its worth checking out his books or website.

A few years back, I practiced Horse Riding stance on a daily basis, with my thighs parallel with the ground, in perfect form. I found it very hard indeed. But I am extremely muscular. In particular, my legs are massive, form a background in top class cycle racing. My core strength is unusually strong too. So it wasn't muscular strength that was the limiting factor.

Eventually, I was able to stand for eleven minutes, but the breakthrough came when I realised I had to relax, and the more the muscles hurt, the more I had to relax, until it was no longer a muscular exercise. Then my legs felt empty and hollow with no pain.

But anyway, there is no need for such a deep stance.

Unless you are already advanced, you need to spend three years or so practicing Master Lams Yi Chuan inspired ZZ. He knows what he is talking about.

zhan zhuang is definetely a treasure! it`s a tool that enables you to develop and use your whole potential as a human beeing.

 

our sifu, master lam, taught us to do the training with open eyes.

 

the training consists of three parts:

 

warm up, the main exercises, cool down and gathering the chi.

 

it`s very important to have a long warm up. after that you try to relax your whole body from head to toe. then you do the main exercises: wu chi posture, embracing the tree and so forth. after that you cool down and gather the chi in your dantian.

 

you can use a mirror as an aid to see if you do everything in the right way.

 

nevertheless you need a qualified teacher if you want to learn zhan zhuang correctly.

 

happy standing!

 

sirius

 

 

Master Lam is a genius. A great man.

So sad he has moved to America, although great for everyone over there. I hope they appreciate what they have !

And as you say, he teaches ZZ with eyes open, which I find is a higher level than eyes closed.

It is only available through amazon.com (us site)

 

it is also available through my site directly

and the shipping to the UK is very reasonable

(plus you can take 10% off your order too)

 

check it out

www.shenlongpub.com

 

 

franklin

I think I'll order direct from you !

Dare I say, it looks to me the most comprehensive book on Xing Yi yet published in English ? The chapter listings look very interesting and the contents apparently cover everything.

Thanks for bringing it to the table !

Salutations back at you !

Looks like a very interesting book. Good Xing Yi books are rare, in fact Xing Yi books written in English are rare.

Its not currently available on Amazon.co.uk. Only on the US version. Is that likely to change ?

Me ?

Or him ?

I've been standing in wuji posture, or embracing the tree, for 2-3 minutes at night for the last week. Even tho I am just beginning Zhan Zhuang, I can feel there is something really potent and powerful about the practice, and today i was waiting for an elevator and other people were shuffling around and i was just standing there rooting and grounding, softening my knees and breathing from my dantian.. It felt awesome! Thanks for all the advice and help on this thread my friends.

Fantastic !

I think Zhan Zhuang is an incredible treasure. I am passionate about it. Its great to hear you have found it and are enjoying it.

You have some great discoveries and achievements to come over the next few years.