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Hey, Just to post a reminder, the post has been changed to not only ask what best practices to do if low on time, but- 1. What practice/s would you advise to do as a priority if you're low on time? Practices that last 5 minutes, or 30 minutes, or 20 minutes, or 45 minutes. Somewhere around the 25 minutes mark as an average. 2. What practice/s would you advise to do day-to-day? (for example, conscious breathing, holding good posture, horse stance, soham/hamsa/hamso/hongsau [Yogic mantra to do all the time that correlate with in and out breath], self inquiry, mindfulness, etc). 3. What activities/elements/habits in life would you advise that a person avoids, for spiritual/psychological health? (for example, too much TV, sitting in front of the computer, eating in front of the TV, bad diet, unconscious communication [opposed to non-violent communication], dependent relationships. etc). 4. What activities/elements/habits in life would you advise that a person pursues/does, for spiritual/psychological health? (for example, some cardio exercise, organic/vegetarian/sattvic diet, gardening, walking in nature, dancing, etc). 5. What simple tips in general for spiritual/psychological health, in you opinion (for anything that doesn't fall under the above)? -also. A sort of spiritual/psychological dos and don'ts list, from people's personal experience. I thought that a general tips/hints in general thread would be more streamlined and beneficial than starting 4 threads around this stuff. For the habits, I know there are precepts out there, and yama and niyama, etc, BUT, the world is a lot different now, there are different distractions, so, I was looking to research into what was/were thought to be good precepts/habits to live by or avoid for spiritual/psychological health. For number 1: (It's obvious that, generally, the more time spent in practice (or doing some conscious/healthy activity at least, like walking, gardening, cooking, etc [opposed to spending too much time on social networking sites]) the better. Just like anything else. But, sometimes starting low and building up helps. I'm asking for people who're low on motivation and need something to help get started with/on; for those who are genuinely strapped for time (career, kids); for those who think they're strapped for time, but actually waste time in other areas; for those who are seriously ill and only able to do so much of anything a day, and so on and so fourth. Also, I know, and, it's worth noting that, there are many principles of all kinds of practice that you can employ throughout your entire waking life, and even sleeping life too (self inquiry, mindfulness (similar), posture, breathing, muscle contractions/relaxations, etc). What I'm asking is, what active/involving practice, or practices is/are best to do everyday, in your opinion, if you've got a short time.) Possibly/preferably in a succinct format like (and I'll start with, off the top of my head): 1. I think possibly something like 5mins of conscious deep breathing and 20mins of some decent kind of meditation (mindfulness of breath, mantra, mindfulness, etc). 2. Conscious deep breathing, mindfulness of your breath when/where you can, good posture. 3. Too much time in front of any screen, especially if it's viewing non spiritual/beneficial content, or doing something that is not constructive/positive. 4. 15 minutes cardio a day can be very beneficial, and 5 mins can wake you up much better than coffee. Conscious eating is good, and I find starts the day off well. Dancing to music that you love brings together exercise, music (possibly devotional), vibration, and all sorts of good things. 5. Journaling and keeping note of things in general that you have found correlate with spiritual/psychological improvement or deterioration. Anyway, I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

This topic appears from time to time in posts on other topics but I haven't seen a topic dedicated to this question of book study in cultivation. Below is a quote from page 11 of Master Nan-Huai-Chin's "Working Towards Enlightenment." Note that Nan-Huai-Chin has been recognized as being Enlightened by a number of masters of the Buddhist tradition. "Suppose people wanted to become buddhas - to study the Buddha Dharma. If they were to take these works listed above (about 25 Buddhist scriptures), and spend three to five years of effort reading and studying to enter deeply into them and put their contents into practice, this would definitely be enough. It would be best if everyone could awaken without departing from the scriptures and treatises. Some think that all that is necessary is to cultivate practice and do meditation work. They think that it is not necessary to read the scriptures and treatises. This is absolutely wrong. We must recognize that in doing meditation work, if we do not clearly understand the principles, if our views are not correct, then our meditation work will not be able to get on the right track. In other words, if our meditation work is not done well, it is just because we have not mastered the principles involved." Yes? No?

If you were scheduling a retreat, how would you lay it out on a timeline and what would you put in the slots?

I found this document interesting, I thought it could be helpfull. This man has been one of the few disciples of Yang Chengfu. He talks about the best way to do the form, jing, and plenty of anecdotes about its master.

Hi, I was interested in having some notion about what you think is a good daily practice duration. And what's your average daily pratice ? For those who pratice a lot, what's your main routine ? Have a good day. Clément

Here is a great tool to help any being affected by the typhoon. http://goo.gl/97CR2R In light, Dr. D

A great deal of our growth in the arena of expanding our awareness and on the path of enlightenment has more to do with the simple basics and far less to do with the so called "advanced" practices. Advanced practice is reached primarily from basic practice. Basic practice becomes advanced all on its own. As you progress on the path, the simple teachings are in fact by a very long shot the most important and the easiest to skip over - pushing them aside in a race to "master" the basics. It can also be hard to think straight in your teens and early 20s with what for some of us is a raging hormone storm and this may create the feeling of the urgency to "master" the basics aside from the intense desire to do so. Included in the basics are meditation, some breathing techniques, and some posture basics. Often wholly brushed aside is diet - or as is freqently the case - it is an egotistical way of life diet of only organic items and a very full identification with this diet (certainly nothing wrong with the diet - it is a very good diet - but the identification is often so enuciated it should be obviously an area to work on). Also brushed aside in general is the Ego - we see this all across these boards - statements of surety that is so obviously way beyond actual experience, the over use of quotes as though this redeems a lack of thinking or real experience. Almost no desire to consider what Right Thinking actually might mean - little discussion of it if any - an assumed understanding - ["my" understanding] Right view Right intention Ethical conduct Right action Right effort Right mindfulness Right concentration Take right effort: About 99% of the effort is done towards Gain The gaining of advanced practice skills, and the effort to maintain a good practice in order to continue "up" along the path. We indulge in poor food, alcohol, smoking and a limitless supply of energy reducing behaviours and think nothing of it. Even if we eat well, do not smoke and our drinking is none or well within a composed fashion, we attach ourselves to every cause under the sun and compress huge amounts of judgement into them and cast our will about the universe with abandon - often ready to pounce upon any protrusion from our indefatigable indignation. We practice this daily! It is our story and our biggest practice! It is primarily how we die - and how most of us are completely dead by the age of 45 - deadend to our story - our treasured illusion. We come out of it briefly in our old age when it hits us that we have been way off and need to purcase some insurance. Or we do not come out of it - and our after death is quite a delay for us. Another thing we skip over - though this practice is now coming to light - is the mindfulness to those energies we have come to know: If you have come to feel a particular chakra or energy center - try to stay aware of it at all times. This is a primary way to Awaken Say you feel the warmth of your 4th chakra in meditation and everytime you put your awareness on it you can feel it - then put your attention on it and be with it during the day. Slowly but surely it will be present more and more - and with it will come an increase in other awarenesses as well. Soon you will be more in this space than not - perhaps all the time. Practice not venting your energies on your story - stay with your being - notice when you leave your awareness space - you will find it leaves you often during the "you" that you believe you know best (the one you identify with). Many of the most "advanced" practices become your story - your new story - you are identified with your prowess of stretching, your ability to do some esoteric practice - and your ability to use the word esoteric as though you know what it means to be inside the innermost 3rd circle. If you ignore the basics - the balancing basics, then learning the "higher" forms present much more danger than they afford apportunity and growth. Another form of over engineering comes from fear - but this is a long enough beginning for now. Please join this discussion!

During my meditative training, I have uncontrollably been heating up and getting those "cool" rushes of heat through my body. I've decided to start learning how to gain better control of my energy rather than letting it run wild and leaving cold when I want to be warm and hot when I want to be cool. I've found some info on tummo and how to heat up your body but I haven't found anything on how to reduce body temperature to cool down. Anyone know of anything that might help me with this?

I have been studying various martial arts now, manly Wing Chun. And I am looking for an internal art to straighten my outer, if any one has an art that I should try I would appreciate your suggestion.

It's a very interesting Documentary. Anyone have additional thoughts other than what is presented in it? I'm still trying to gather more information and see if I can put some of the stuff to use. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOk0tZHwCs4