alleswasderfallist

I wasn't aware that fasting affects prenatal Qi. Thanks for telling me. Be that as it may, some pretty clear evidence shows that fasting can really help some people with degenerative disorders (apparently more than keeping their prenatal qi would). Perhaps these people could have benefited more from following TCM dietary guidlines; I don't know.

I was just reading the thread where that was discussed (along with your comments), as a matter of fact. Besides discrepancies with diet, do you think there are certain things one should be aware of regarding Ayahuasca and energy work (eg Qigong, Yoga, etc)? Temple of the Way of Light seems to be integrating Qigong classes with some of its healing workshops: http://templeofthewayoflight.org/retreats/qigong-at-the-temple I'm wondering if more advanced Qigong practitioners, and those of certain lineages, might have a higher potential of awakening to plant spirits and the like. And as there are so many systems with very different goals and qualities (downward moving Kundalini, upward moving, you name it...), couldn't a patient's experience with energy work have a negative or even dangerous influence on the Ayahuasca journey? This question has been in the back of my mind for a while.

Lol, look at the site. I don't think this is someone's staple diet, it's just the way you've gotta eat if you don't want a bad ayahuasca experience. If you don't like it, take it up with the vine

Now for a negative update (for once), guys.. I couldn't make it past the fourth day of my fast. Sorry to disappoint you, if anyone took an interest. I have various excuses. Chief among them: I went through a sudden breakup with my girlfriend of two years, and I broke her heart. I won't go into details, but it's left me pretty depressed. I haven't done much meditating in the last few days, just been thinking of her non-stop. Just did a thorough cleaning of my living quarters, and I'm going to do volumes 1 and 3 right now. I missed two days straight, which is unheard of for me. Don't mean to be overly dramatic, just wanted to remind my Qigong brothers that life isn't always a picnic (even when you've got Flying Phoenix!). Count your blessings, and accept the bad just as you do the good!

Check this out guys - It's pretty interesting that the foods proscribed on the shamanic plant diet happen to be the same that many of us here are coming to avoid: http://templeofthewayoflight.org/retreats/dietary-information ... 'We recommend that you abstain from the following foods prior to, during and after your workshop: No salt or pepper No sugar, sweets or chocolate No pork (minimum 2 weeks before and after) No red meat No oils (if you must use oil, use olive oil very sparingly) No animal fats (lard, etc) No alcohol (minimum 1 week before and after) No fizzy drinks (including “diet” sodas, as these contain NutraSweet/Aspartame and other sweeteners), no energy drinks, no non-alcoholic beer No seasoning (white pepper, spices, etc) No chillies or other hot peppers No ice, ice cream, or ice cold drinks No dairy produce The plant spirits don't jive well with toxins. I've been looking for scientific evidence to help shed light on the Paleo vs. whole-foods vegan debate, and it really helps to know what nature herself has to say... (ie - eat pork, cheese, salt, sodas, etc, and I'll make you hurl all over and mess your pants!)

I ordered a bunch of Bob's pumpkin seeds and they're on their way. Point taken re olive oil; I'm hearing this from many different sources.

Thanks ridingtheox, I hope so too. I feel pretty light headed, but also clear headed. I really think I'll make it this time. Last time I tried to fast I made it through most of one day, then made myself a bunch of eggs at 11 pm. Ha! I'm glad I've made some progress. Good luck to you with your recovery and your practice! Hope all is well with you.

I wasn't able to do Qigong today, too weak. I'll try tonight before bed, but I won't push it too hard. If I can get some good zazen practice in I'll be happy. This is day 3 of my fast, and I'm hoping this is the worst of it.

Thanks for the advice. I enjoyed your posts on the fasting thread - they helped in making my decision to fast. Do you think ten days is long enough for a healthy 25 year old? I'm planning on drinking vegetable juice the first couple of days off the fast, then exclusively fruits and vegetable soups for a week or so. Then I'll introduce the grains one at a time and see how they affect me.

That sounds good. I have my reservations about tofu, and sadly about olive oil after reading Fuhrman's book (though I doubt I'll cut it out completely), but I think your diet looks pretty conducive to overall health for the mind/body/spirit. I'm a pitta, so eating uncooked vegetables is usually good for me. I do avoid ice water and freezing smoothies though, according to Ayurvedic philosophy.

That's what I did for at least two years. While I did feel better, I'm not sure it's not just due to cutting out processed foods, gluten, sugars, etc. I don't see anything wrong with the China Study methodology, or what I'm aware of it. Sure, the Chinese diet (or practically any non-prescribed diet) seems a little complex to make conclusions on from the inclusion/exclusion of certain foods. However, there are some pretty meaningful control cases, take the livestock shortage in Finland dramatically decreasing degenerative diseases for instance, which show unambiguously what's going on. The data reads the same all over the world, which is why it can't be ignored: more animal fat and protein, shorter life spans.

Thanks taijistudent, that's pretty much the diet I'm leaning towards now. How do you feel about gluten-containing and GMO products?

I was inspired by another thread to try a ten (or more) day water fast. I've been reading Joel Fuhrman's book 'Fasting and Eating for Health', which I highly recommend, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this intense detox affects my practice - or how my practice affects the detox. I'm on my second day so far. Hunger is diminishing, but my energy levels are still low. Ketosis takes 72 hours for males to kick in. I'm hanging in there! I'll update in a few days or so and let you guys know how things are going. I'm treating this like a small personal retreat (albeit at home). I'm doing a strict daily practice of volumes 1, 2, and 3 (preceded by 18 repetitions of BTB) as of Monday. I'm planning to add volume 7 meditations as soon as I feel comfortable with the two intermediate standing meditations (which I'm in love with already, especially Moonbeam! the breathing sequence alone makes me feel like I've just done an hour of volume 1). Keep it up, fellow practitioners!

@ShivaShakti Interesting, how did you find that link? I hadn't seen FPCK presented anywhere other than Sifu Terry's videos. I hope a lot of people try this and go on to buy the DVD.

Awesome. Thanks for sharing.

I thought about this post after I practiced last night. Maybe I didn't notice it before, but certain meditations (I believe BTB and Pearl from volume 1) did seem to cause some sensations in my frontal lobe area. I normally experience this more imprecisely as a general pleasant feeling in the head. I'll report back to let you know if this happens more - perhaps I was just influenced by your post to single out one area more than others.

That's an excellent idea, thanks for sharing.

Thank you for answering my questions Sifu Terry, your elaborations are most helpful. It's good to know that I can ease up on trying to keep my Qigong practice serious, so to speak. Now that I think of it, laughing when I feel like laughing feels much more 'in the spirit' of the practice. Your words concerning my back problem are very encouraging. I just started volume 3 as a matter of fact, and I've purchased volume 7 as well and will be adding the meditations into my seated practice one by one. Last night was my first chance to practice Wind through the Treetops and Moonbeam Splashes on Water, and I immediately saw that these motions (especially regarding the back-bending and what you call 'pencil holder' movement) have tremendous potential in improving my alignment and propioception. And as a matter of fact, another of my questions seems to have been answered: the extended horse stances of volume 3 are plenty challenging, and at least for now I won't be begging for more pain. Glad you picked up my Wittgenstein reference. I've also long been fascinated by some of Western Philosophy's methods of approaching the door. I had a discussion with a friend the other day about the implications of Gödel's work, where I see the same brilliant recognition of the inadequacy of conceptual thought, which you summarized nicely, ie to 'create philosophical problems as defined by his own proposition'. You've in turn prompted me to revisit Science and Sanity, which I'd given up on as some sections seemed outdated to my perhaps overly discriminatory mind. The material covered is most impressive, I'm really going to have to give it another shot. Looking forward to the sections on structural differentials. Thanks again for your most helpful reply Sifu. I feel honored to receive personal instruction from a true master such as yourself.

Another couple of questions: After finishing a session of FPCK, I do zazen and rest my right hand on top of my left, according to the neutral position of some of the FP meditations. Normally, if I'm not mistaken, zazen is done with the left palm on top. Should I go back to the Zen way of doing it, or keep right over left? Sifu Terry says to sit in half lotus for volume 2 meditations. Is it okay to do full lotus if one is able?

Hey guys, still practicing here. I have a few questions, for anyone to answer. 1. I'm practicing volumes 1 and 2. I notice that others who practice these two consecutively (at least according to this thread) have usually practiced volume 1 first and then two. I have been doing the opposite. Is there a reason to do 1 then 2? 2. After finishing my FP meditations, I usually do some zazen, and sometimes walking meditation. Elsewhere in this thread I remember reading that FP energy remains active for an amount of time proportionate to the level of mindfulness one maintains - thus making post-FP a great time to do quiet seated meditation. I am thinking about adding horse stance training to my routine, and I'm wondering if this can be considered quiet meditation - or is this a type of energy work, which I should save for another time? 3. Sometimes I do the warm up meditations individually from volume 2 after volume 1 training. I never do MSW, except after the three warm ups. Is it always necessary to do all three warm-ups before MSW, or can I jump in after 1 warm-up? Is the order important to follow, or is it okay to mix as in Volume 1? 4. I have scoliosis and had a spinal fusion (metal rod) put in my back around 8 years ago. Sometimes I feel like this may limit my progress in my meditation, as I am unable to maintain as straight a spine as most people. Also, I wonder if the metal rod (which is attached to the left side of my thoracic spine, I believe) may limit the FP energy in some way. Sorry if this is a noob question, I'm not very knowledgeable in TCM. A couple of observations: Related to my scoliosis: I can say that doing FP has greatly improved my muscular imbalances, to some degree. I can tell this by the weight distribution on my feet getting more even. I used to put much more weight on my right foot. Interestingly enough, I notice tingling in my throat chakra when I do Monk Holding Pearl. Anyone else? Also, don't know if anyone's mentioned this, but sometimes I feel like laughing while doing the meditations (especially BTB.) This doesn't happen often, but funny thoughts will sometimes pop into my head, and it's almost difficult not to laugh. I thought about Donald Trump's hair of all things the other day and almost started to laugh out loud. It felt like being a kid and not being allowed to laugh in class, which naturally makes it worse. Probably a symptom of some emotional immaturity/energetic blockage, but I don't feel like it's altogether a bad thing. I feel like it would be bad to follow the thoughts and burst out laughing, but maybe it's good that certain suppressed things start coming to the surface.

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to this site, but I'm now in my eighth month of Flying Phoenix Practice. After benefiting so much from this system, the least I could do is join the forum and share some of my experiences! I find this practice truly amazing, but in a normal way. I say normal because the results I have seen have been consistent, tangible, and practical in my daily life. Some of the other members' spiritual experiences have been riveting to read about (though I haven't made it through all 99 pages yet), but I haven't been blessed with any experience of such order. I have to admit that when I first started Flying Phoenix, that's the kind of thing I was looking for. But I can say with confidence now that even if I don't receive any celestial visitations or experience the Blue Light Sifu Terry has been talking about, I'll be 100% content to keep practicing as I have been. Here is a list of some of the ways Flying Phoenix Qigong has helped me, in a roughly chronological order: Sleep Regulation: I had suffered from very irregular sleep for as long as I could remember, which was diagnosed as borderline insomnia. My sleep was at its worst in college, when I'd average around 4 - 5 hours a night, with at least one night a week of no sleep. Sometimes I'd just medicate myself with alcohol and other drugs. After practicing FP for a few weeks, my sleep began to improve. Within two months or so, I was sleeping eight hours a night. Truly incredible. Improved Digestion: I've been a very conscientious eater for the last 3 or 4 years, usually sticking to a strict Paleo Diet. During times that my diet was too difficult to follow (when I lived in China, for example), I enjoyed food to the fullest (difficult not to do in Sichuan ) and often felt the after effects to the fullest. Well, I spent a few months in Germany recently, during which time I regularly did 30 minutes to an hour of FPCK a day. I began my time dieting strictly, and stopped at some point, expecting calamity in my stomach. But to my surprise, the good digestion I was noticing carried over quite naturally - something that definitely didn't happen the previous time I was in Germany. More Energy: This seems to be a universal experience here, so I won't go into it. Hair Regrowth: According to Ayurveda, I'm a Pitta, or fire-dominant individual. Like most pittas, I've experienced some degree of hair loss, though I can't complain too much, since I still have a full head of hair. It had been worrying me, however, since the rate seemed to be increasing. I finally went to an acupuncturist, which helped, but when I stopped going it stopped helping. I stopped thinking about it for a while, during which time I did FPCK very regularly. Now the effects are unmistakable; I am losing far less hair, if any at all. I see new hairs growing as well. I feel like I'm at an interesting borderline in my practice: I can actually notice the strength of my hair and the number of hairs that fall out with combings, showers, etc correlating with the amount I practice. This is quite motivating. Emotions, Awareness, etc: I'm lumping these together since I don't have the knowledge to analyze these different aspects of the psyche separately. Being abroad for a few months gave me a chance to practice away from the persons who make up my usual social circle. As I said, I'm a Pitta, which means I tend to have fiery and intense emotions, anger being one of my biggest faults. After coming home to the US with some practice under my belt, I began to realize how unnecessary my anger was. This is one reason I called the practice normal; I didn't have to suppress these feelings, I just began to understand things in a way that non-angry people do. Still have some work to do, though! Meditation: Before I started FPCK I was doing Yantra Yoga from a DVD for a while. I'd also done about a year of various Tibetan Dzogchen practices, like Tsa Lung and Nine Breathings of Purification. The latter two really helped me, but now I know that the yoga was a little over my head. I stopped Yantra Yoga and Tibetan practices recently and began focusing more on FP and zazen. I'd done a bit of Zazen before, but now it is a very new experience for me. Meditating is just so much more enjoyable now with a little bit of FP under my belt. I do volumes 1 and 2 of FP, and practicing has become the highlight of my day. Sometimes I feel like I'm being massaged from the inside out. I could say more, but I'd probably be preaching to the choir. I want to thank you all for offering your experiences, and of course my biggest thank you is to Sifu Terry for his dedication to his students and his art. Hope to read more from you all soon! - David

Hey guys and girls, I've been using this forum to help answer some of my spiritual questions for a while. Finally decided to register. I love the fact that y'all can discuss orgasms and erections alongside englightment. My aim in life is to keep it real, and a lot of you folks seem to share that goal! Just a bit about myself: I used to be one of those guys who'd smirk at the mention of meditation, chakras or the like. Then I had some deep spiritual experiences (brought about by outward means, which is one reason I began to love and respect plants more). My world was turned upside down after that, and I've been learning to live and appreciate the life I'd been missing ever since. My main practices are Flying Pheoenix Qigong, which I've been doing for a year, and Yantra Yoga, which I've been doing for 1.5 years. I love them both. Well, that ought to do for an intro. I'm glad to be here benefiting from the abundance of knowledge and experience. Looking forward to engaging in some good discussions. Peace

Haha, can't say I know anyone who can fly. That's not to say that I dont' believe that extraordinary powers can be achieved, though that's not my aim personally. I guess my interest in Yantra Yoga and Tibetan practices comes from the various books on Tibetan Buddhism I've read, which I've found very deep and satisfying. But I suppose there's nothing wrong with using Qigong as my spiritual practice and drawing inspiration from Tibetan Buddhism - Truth is Truth

I think I will. What I end up doing depends on what she tells me. Of all three practices, I'm most intent on Flying Phoenix and Yigong. I don't think I've wasted time with the Yantra Yoga, as my flexibility and breathing (particularly in difficult positions) has increased a lot. Hopefully no one reading this will take this as a criticism of YY. I sense that it's time for someting new, however.

I see your point. Yantra Yoga doesn't produce the same tangible energetic effects for me as PF, which is one reason I've been looking for another system. This may be because I have not received transmission, or because I've been practicing on my own with the DVD. Considering your advice, I think I might just take a break from Yantra Yoga and do Jenny Lamb's stuff for a while. Thanks for your help.