Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'energy'.



More search options

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • Courtyard
    • Welcome
    • Daoist Discussion
    • General Discussion
    • The Rabbit Hole
    • Forum and Tech Support
  • Gender Gardens
    • Grotto
    • Women
    • Men
    • Non-binary
  • The Tent

Found 104 results

  1. Hello. I wanted to get some opinions from the fine folks around here on this phenomenon and how it is viewed from different traditions. This is something I've experienced for several years now especially when I'm living a bit more in a harmonious way, mentally and physically it will certainly manifest more often. I'm aware it is a universal phenomena between both Eastern and Western traditions. I assume in the Daoist arts it's focused more on the Lower Dantian, while in some Western systems it's about filling up the Solar plexus with energy which also covers that same general area and function of being a storage space for massive amounts of energy. But I'd like some more professional or just interesting opinions on what this is and what it is actually doing. It is a bit esoteric I suppose, but a very real physical sensation.
  2. Body Focused Forms in Qigong

    Dear Dao Bums, I would like to ask you: 1) What has been the most physically strengthening and stretching qigong form you've experienced? 2) Which qigong forms would you recommend solely based on the physical strengthening and stretching aspect? 3) Which qigong forms would you recommend especially for physically strengthening and stretching the whole hip & groin area, as well the low back and kidneys? I look forward to hear from you guys! All the best
  3. I heard this from someone but I don't know anything else about this. Sometimes I lack energy or am sick and want or need something to lean on to meditate. If it's true, does it have to do with how the energy/qi interacts with the thing/wall we're leaning on and is this an issue only in deep or advanced meditation, or simply at any stage? Also, any sources on this if possible? I appreciate any help on this. 🙏
  4. Hi, Everyone, This thread has come about because I get asked a lot of questions on various threads. In an effort not to hijack people's threads, I'm just going to ask folks to put any questions you may have here. For those of you who may not have read any of my stuff on here, and for those who have, here's a VERY brief bio. (Dear GOD I hate talking about myself in the third person! But here we are!): Infolad1 is a professional Illustrator, writer, and designer, with 39 years of experience on that end of things. On the esoteric end of life, for the past 27 years, Infolad1 has practiced Theurgy, Neidan, Meditation, Waigong, Qigong, Neigong, Neidan, Shen Gong, Tao Gong (and has been a fan of the original Gong Show for years ), Ancient Egyptian Cultivation, Taoist Cultivation, a dash of Mahayana Buddhism Kabbalah, Yoga, Pranayama, Laya Yoga, Yang Style Tai Chi Quan, Chen Style Tai Chi Quan, Baguazhang aka Bagua Quan, Bagua Zhang, Pakua Chang, Pa-Kua Chang, Pa Kua Chang, Iron Body Nei-Gong, Iron Crotch Nei-Gong, and...Okay, that's enough now. Jeez! I also do extensive research and comment on Information Theory, Simulation Theory, History, Pop Culture, Comics, TV, Film, Anime, Animation, EDM, Science and Technology in general, AI, Health and Wellness, Life Extension, Longevity, Bootstrapping/Startup Culture, The so-called "Paranormal", and other "Weird S#@%". So this thread will be the question depot for all of these things. If it's anything personal, just message me. I'll answer them as soon as I can. My life, like everyone on here, is super busy these days, and getting busier. I'm here to help If I can. Cheers!
  5. Just looking to be pointed in the right direction! I want to use my energy to move objects or affect the real world. Very interesting to me
  6. Auras? I started perceiving auras and energies in "my minds eye" (after practicing meditation, mindfulness, qigong, mantras etc for now almost 10 years). Meaning that I would perceive these things with my physical eyes closed. Just like when you visualise something in your mind. It's like there's a screen inside your head. When you close your physical eyes, it's dark. Except when this phenomenon start to happen, it's like you see these things where there would normally be only darkness. However, in the past 2 years, it would sometimes happen that I with my physical eyes would see "shimmering / energetic disturbances" around people. Almost like when you look into nature on a very hot day, and you can see the heat creating vapor, which then rises through the air, and somehow waves/shimmers just above the ground. This would only happen sometimes. When outside at night, when it's completely dark, I would see a hint of color around people's silhouettes (which were otherwise dark/black/grey because it was night). Just last week, I read a post on a hindu spiritual blog website, which claimed that everyone can see auras in only 3-5 attempts, no matter if they've ever practiced any meditation, mantras or anything. Even a complete newb can do it. I was quite curious, because the claim sounded a bit too fantastic. However, I did the exercise, and I was shocked! You just sit with your hands pointing towards each other, and you put a white piece of paper behind them. Then you let your eyes "unfocus" or "zone out", "gaze into the empty space" or "use your peripheral vision". I tried it, and after a few minutes, I saw a white outline around my fingers. Because you're "zoned out" with your eyes, it doesn't really feel real. It feels like maybe your eyes are playing a trick on you. However, in the next part of the exercise, when you've seen the white outline, you slowly move the fingers away from each other. It takes a few tries, because as soon as you move, you automatically start looking "normally" with your eyes, instead of the "unfocused" or "peripheral" way. But once you get it, you move your fingers, and the white outline remains all throughout. After I managed to do it a few times, suddenly the white "beam" of light between my fingers got flooded with colors. I was blown away! I made my girlfriend do it, who hasn't really done much spiritually, and after 3 days of spending 2-10 minutes each day, she had the same experience of the beam of white light between the fingers getting flooded with colors as well. I find this very curious, and almost can't believe that it's true everyone can see auras so easily. I always believed that it's a natural byproduct of a genuine and authentic spiritual practice for many years (e.g. qigong, yoga meditation, mantras etc). Not that anyone can just gaze at their fingers and get it in a matter of a week's time. I've been doing the exercise each day for the past 4 days now, and I can see that it becomes easier to "switch into" this unfocused way of looking. Further, I can now see the outline around my whole hand when doing it (instead of just the finger tip). However, if I turn my hands in certain ways, I don't see the colors, but just the white outline. I am continuing the experiment, and trying to add a more difficult "progression" each day. Looking at each finger, then the whole hand, holding them in different manners etc. I hope to be able to progress to see it around every part of my own body (with the white paper background), and then maybe start trying to see it on others who stand against a background of a white wall. And then of course slowly progress to see it no matter the lighting or background, and around all living beings (if the current progression rate continues, it's probably going to take between 2-6 months of daily practice to reach that goal). I just wanted to share this peculiar experience, and see if any one else feels like partaking in this experiment? Can it really be that easy? Let me know how it goes, if you decide to try it PS: Here's the link to the blog where I read about it: https://psychologicallyastrology.com/2019/07/14/seeing-energy-learn-to-see-your-aura/ God bless you
  7. PalmBreather

    Hello, I would like to introduce myself properly by giving my related background in regards to internal alchemy, which is what i am about... I started out with the religion of my parents until early teenage years, became agnostic as it didnt matter to me and later on picked up interest in Christendom. Not having any preconceived notions about anything Christian by external teachings... and reading the book on my own, I came to other conclusions than those that are mainstream. My understanding or interpretation has evolved multiple times, after which I took a step back and realized that relying on interpretation, understanding, knowledge or reasoning is not enough and can be misleading. That was the main point that made me stop trying to reach God with the intellect, but start walking the path of the mystic (experiencing God > knowing God). One day, I had a very interesting experience, which changed everything. I sat on my bed or I was lying, I dont know and had a moment where I totally surrendered to "God", giving up my life, basically, saying its all yours and meaning it and fully giving up... As I was lying there, my body started to burn hot. Internal waves of goosebumps emerged that came in waves, stronger and stronger, and overtook my entire body. If I was to describe it, I would say my body was in blazing, overwhelming, invisible fire, which did not burn me, but which I could sense! At that moment, I had no clue what was happening, but nowadays, I think I know... anyway, as it was happening, I was thinking of God's embrace, of verses like "God is a burning fire" which does not burn, things of that nature, which intensified the whole experience... IIRC, it kept going for 2-3 minutes, give or take and then i went to sleep. I never paid more attention or taught to it, but nowadays, I think it was a key event in my energetic unfolding - i think it started it all. Anyway, I evolved from Christianity by becoming a perennialist, due to my mystical/esoteric approach to the bible. I discovered non-duality, first in the bible, then noticed how other traditions, mainly buddhism (secretly) and advaita vedanta (openly) are teaching the same thing. I realized that "God" is not personal, but rather impersonal and more than that, that God's identity, which I knew was "ineffable" - somethign that did not make much sense to me, was beyond concepts, language or reason, making me understand the ineffible-ness of God's identity. It transcends the intellect or speech, the Tao that can be talked or written about, is not the real Tao... The buddhists call it the void or emptiness.. The evolution of my understanding has been happening in multiple strands, in parallel. The main strand or framework I was working with, was alchemical Christianity (occultism), but I was open minded so I was pursuing other maps or frameworks like budhism and yoga (of patanjali) to better understand what they were all pointing at. As a perennialist, I view God as a mountain-top, with different starting points having different paths (potentially-) all leading to the same top, or trying to, at least. From Christendom, I understood that the way to God is by "Christ" alone - which is an occultish way to say that celibacy is sine-quo-non. This knowledge has been esoterically distilled from a few things...: - the allegory of the fall of Adam & Eve, who "ate" from the forbidden "tree" placed in the "midst of the garden". ther is a verse that says one should come to a conclusion on a matter by taking multiple witnesses in court cases, but esoterically speaking, this is referring to textual interpretation - so, there is another place (Proverbs 30:20) which says "the whore eats and wipes her mouth and says she has done nothing wrong", showing and indicating that "eating" = sex, making the allegory of Adam & Eve all about sex, as they also "ate".. making the forbidden tree the genitelia, the garden the center of the human body etc. - allegory of Christ's crcufixition - being crucified at the age of "33" in "golgotha" is code for the spine, which has 33 vertebrates and the human skull: "golgotha" literally means "place of skull" - the word "Christ" means anointing or oil, in the original, its "cristos" - this is the same "oil" of the parable of the 10 virgins, all of whom seek to enter the "kindgom of God" (deciphered: samadhi/jhana), 5 wise having "oil" in their lantern, 5 foolish who dont have "oil" and cant enter during the dark night (meditation) - the Christ (anointing, oil, essence, "jing"), which came from above ("Most High" / "God" - aka the brain, pituary/pineal) must also go up the same way it came down - by being accepted (celibacy) and not rejected (sexual indulgence) - "to know" meaning to have sex and the saying "know thyself" occultishly referring to self-frucitication (internal alchemy).. Equipped with this knowledge, I practiced mainly 2 things: - meditation - celibacy (both of which are simply non-doings, now that I think about it - I did not "do" those things, I rather stopped "doing" in both instances xD the yoke of Christ is easy after all...) The form of meditation I practiced was what Buddha described in the anapana-sati sutta. Awareness of the breath. By "breath", I mean the false breath - the mechanism by which we suck in air. These days, my main interpretation for "breath" in occult or spiritual ancient texts is Chi automatically, because you can breath chi as well. Sooner or later, I discovered that I can voluntarily cause piloerection, in short - create goosebumps voluntarily with my breath. I now understand this as chi-control. Initially I did not understand the significance of it and ignored it, but thanks to articles I found here and elsewhere, correlating it with the other knowledge I have, I think its the key to all of it.. The comment I am referring to is this one: Having spent some time here and having read about xing and ming (a 60+ page pdf called "Destiny, Vital Force, or Existence? On the Meanings of Ming in Daoist Internal Alchemy and Its Relation to Xing or Human Nature by Fabrizio Pregadio"), I think I now have somewhat of a better understanding of what the process is really all about. (I am still not hipp to the taoist lingo, but i am trying xD) And I find myself more leaning towards Taoism or rather, internal alchemy (neidan) than any other framework, as its the most straight forward and the one that makes most sense to me personally, assuming you know what the cryptic elements mean. All spiritual texts are cryptic, but if you have a little bit of progress or related knowledge to compare it to, you can usually make sense of it... or delude yourself you are undersanding them, lol xD Here is my current understanding ,which is ever-evolving: - Meditation (false xing exercise, post-heaven xing?) creates true ming (chi movement, awareness of chi, voluntary piloerection), when the body and mind are completely and 100% relaxed (no movement: physical stillness and 0 muscle tension + no thoughts) - True Ming & its exercise (chi-gong, taichi, external movements but paying 80% attention to the movement of the chi internally, not the physical form or movement) is what charges the battery at the core of the human system and allows for true xing (jhanic absoprtion, samadhi, emptiness) to occur The anapanasati sutta is ingenious in the way, that it contains both elements. You progress from the breath of air to the breath of chi all naturally. Once you do celibacy or become a monk and then completely relax the body and mind for a while, you feel start feeling the pulsations of chi in your body (mainly abdomen), which are exponentially intensified through celibacy.. and sooner or later, acquire control over them. You start feeling light-orgasmic sensations in your abdomen when you fully relax and meditate! This is the bliss of the secluded monks, Buddha talked about, who were entering Jhana! When the breath is traced down, which naturally occurs, as you can not focus your attention to the nose-tip as mainstream buddhist teachers teach, because you have let go of all control (even awareness) to achieve stillness, bodily and mentally, awareness itself will natural latch on to the breath and follow it down to the belly. in the belly, when the breath is slow (long), heat sensations will start to form near the belly button and it will heat up. this natural xing-approach can be simulated by a ming approach of doing reverse breathing and intentionally moving chi (voluntary piloerection) to the belly region. visualizing energy moving in from your limbs like electricity down into your belly helps a lot. 2 different approaches, but the same effect. i think once this center is charged sufficiently, it spills over to higher regions which is when supernatural phenomena are gonna start occurring around you, usually unintentionally and without control... perhaps you can gain control, but I am not that far yet and I am not really interested, tbh... i could not make sense of it either, it seems that certain physical phenomena occur, when there is a "delta" in awareness, say you are at 50% of stillness or emptiness (random number) and then you drop to 49% or jump to 51% abruptly for whatever reason, this has a ripple effect on physical reality. this is the best way I can describe it and I could not induce it by will, it happens on its own or is out of control... i could not attribute it to anything else, because its hard to "think" while not thinking or being completely still.. so when the phenomena occur, it rips me out of emptiness completely when i try to make sense of it, completely stopping the whole process! i think thinking (mental movements) are too coarse for supernatural phenomena - you have to have a super subtle mind with super subtle movements during stillness, to (probably) intentionally induce these things. and even then, how would you do that, when you have to let go of all things to reach such levels of stilness (non-doing)? how to do while not doing? i have no idea... its super complex and I have no one to really talk to about these things, except perhaps you guys! I believe that dual-cultivation is necessary and complementary to each other, cultivating both energy (chi movement) + stillness (100% body/mind relaxation, no wavering at all, no movement of any sort). Christ may have been a taoist, btw., having said what he said in the gospel of Thomas verse 50, in regards to where we come from: > (50) Jesus says: > (1) “If they say to you: ‘Where do you come from?’ (then) say to them: ‘We have come from the light, the place where the light has come into being > by itself, has established [itself] and has appeared in their image.’ > (2) If they say to you: ‘Is it you?’ (then) say: ‘We are his children, and we are the elect of the living Father.’ > (3) If they ask you: ‘What is the sign of your Father among you?’ (then) say to them: ‘It is movement and repose.’” Movement (ming) and repose (stillness) or yang and yin, etc.. The Tao (stillness, void, emptiness, nothingness) spontaneously created unity (golden elixier, the unification of yin and yang) which split into duality (yin and yang), which procreated the 3rd (mother+father=child) and from this process came all the things (10.000 things)... so its about uniting duality, merging movement with stillness, action in non-action, doing in non-doing or non-doing in doing - i think this is what wuwei refers to, ultimately. effortless action is born, when both yin and yang merged into one. no one can do this, except the exalted ones, the taoist immortals, the boddhisattvas, the saints, etc. etc. intentionally. in regards to internal alchemy, I think this refers to controlling energy while being in stillness. its kinda paradoxical, how is there a "doing" (yang, chi-control) in "non-doing" (meditation, yin). i think the answer is: spontaneity - its a natural phenomenon, its not you, who does anything, it is something which follows a certain law and happens on its own on the path of cultivation. i think this is what has been depicted in the yin and yang symbol, where there is a dot of the opposite in each one of them. yang has a dot of yin and yin has a dot of yang, as they both complement each other and one induces the other. they are tightly knit together, one could argue they are the two sides of the same coin... And Jesus also talked about how to create the golden elixier, allthough cryptically, in verse 106, for example: > (106) Jesus says: > (1) “When you make the two into one, you will become sons of man. > (2) And when you say ‘Mountain, move away,’ it will move away.” (sons of man is a title for offspring of the perfect one, the first "man" aka Adam, who was 100% perfect before the fall) Anyway, there are many traditions and many esoteric sayings, which I have not referenced outright, which point at this general direction. The muslims "pray" (repetition of words; mantra meditation) by placing their hands on their belly buttons and doing a few stretching movements.. i think its a veiled form of internal alchemy! In general, the abrahamic flavors seem to use the formula: celibacy + xing practice (or non-practice, lol, letting go, non-doing). I think this is called xing before ming in taoism. Xing before ming, in true christendom, evolves into xing with ming at the same time, once ming becomes doable due to xing cultivation - as one other daobummer once pointed out in a completely different context but still related: "how can a pianist play the piano, if he has no hands? he first needs to cultivate and have hands.. hence the higher teachings are secret or only given to those who qualify.." something along those lines - which makes sens in this context as well - how can you do ming work, if you are not aware of your chi and can not move it. So I am of the "xing before ming" school, allthough nowadays I practice both at the same time, beceause I "grew hands", so to speak.. ---- I am grateful for this community, there are many nuggets of wisdom and lots of interesting discussions. I am happy to be able to be part of it, allthough I am one who prefers personal, direct experience over theories, its still nice to have a few ideas or different POVs... and more importantly, likeminded people!
  8. Electric feeling during meditation

    When I meditate, I get this hard-to-describe feeling in the back of my head/neck/spine. It is the same feeling I get when I listen to some really good music, I see a really beautiful sight, or I read a heart-moving story. It is a physical sensation, and it feels like a slow-moving energetic presence rolling through my body. Typically, it starts at the back of my head and moves gradually down my neck/back. It reminds me of electricity (though I'm not exactly sure why), and it feels good. Sometimes when the feeling is strong I am moved to tears. As it travels through my head it is often accompanied by a rushing sensation in my ears. I am somewhat able to control the feeling in that I can summon it with certain breathing patterns and visualization exercises, but my control of it is inconsistent and oftentimes the energy comes through spontaneously. What is this feeling? Is it Kundalini or Tummo or something like that? How can I improve my understanding of it, and my skill at manipulating it? Many thanks to any responses.
  9. Today(actually a few minutes ago) I was aimlessly walking arou d while letting my mind wander as well towards whatever direction it wanted to go, when suddenly I started to feel a "bubbling" of sorts coming from inside out, and then I started to feel very energized all of sudden. I started to visualize myself surrounded by an energy/the colors orange(majority), red and white with some specks of black(I think). I felt a combination of being electrified and under a waterfall(or a potent showerhead), that constant pressure. I also visualized a translucent glowy orange-ish lotus opening up above my head. I apologize for this rant-style writing but I need to write it all out before my memory starts playing tricks on me. What I want to know is if there is any meaning of the orange, red, white and black colors when it comes to energy and what is that meaning. And yes, I am being truthful, I have nothing to gain by lieing/lying(?). I just want to know the meaning of the colors.
  10. February 4 2022

    on this day the energy of spring on its way begins. so tune into it and each day build your energy. now is the time. avoid sweets this month.
  11. Energy on Items?

    Hi Bums! Ever since I started meditating and doing Qi Gong, I've been feeling energy on Items. It doesn't matter what kind they are (I could be drinking from a cup I always use and it has a warm feeling to it, versus a table that has a softer warmness to it. ) What exactly is it that's happening? I'm a little confused! Thank you! - Felecula
  12. Legs Feeling Carbonated

    Today while doing Flying Phoenix QG my legs felt like they were carbonated, if that makes sense? Like there were bubbles in them up to the knee, which I've never felt before. Once my roommate came out and I lost my focus it stopped, but I'm hoping that was progress. This was the practice I was doing: https://youtu.be/JlVGrCW0QqI
  13. Dear Dao Bums, Today I'll share my experience with "Guru Karunamaya" and his teachings of Sri Vidya (a branch of spiritual practice in Hinduism). I have tried many things under the sun, but I am extremely positively surprised by the power of his teachings. Intro to Sri Vidya: Your body, energy, chakras, aura, psyche etc, is a perfect replica of the universe. This is called the "microcosm" and "macrocosm" idea. How the energy flows in your chakras and nadis, or energy centers and energy channels, showcases how your mind works, as well as how your life is working (and will work in the future). If the energy is flowing freely in a particular chakra and its nadis, it means your life is flowing freely in that particular area. E.g. regarding work and money, sexuality and pleasure, power and fame, love and relationships, manifestation and communication, understanding and wisdom, spirituality and oneness with the universe, etc. By opening your chakras and nadis, you also open the corresponding areas of your life. You then progress through the "sri chakra" or "sri yantra". This yantra holds all yantras, all gods and goddesses, all chakras and nadis, and all areas of your life. The beginning practice: You start from the outside perimeter, and then work your way through it. You end up in the center, the "bindu", the point, the dot.. The divine The outside perimeter (bottom left corner, the outermost square line) corresponds to the elephant God "Ganesha" or "Ganapati". This energy corresponds to the root chakra (muladhara chakra), and general stability and trust in your life. This also includes basic needs like work, security, fincances etc. When you get the deeksha (initiation) into the "ganapati" (another name for Ganesha or the elephant God) you start opening this chakra. With the shaktipat (energy transmission) of the teacher, you get a boost to your own process. Then you recite 100.000 repetitions of the mantra. This makes the mantras energy "flower" - both in your chakras and nadis, your physical body, as well as your life. This will give you physical health, heal any problems related to the anus, spine, legs and feet, bring you emotional and mental stability as well as trust, energetically it will open your muladhara chakra and its nadis, in your life it will attract a job to you (if you're looking for one), otherwise it will make your work situation stable. The scope of continued practice: Further, you continue this journey of self-healing alongside realization of ever subtler levels of the Divine, inside and out (your body, energy, emotions, mind and soul, as well as your outside life). This is done by working your way through the Sri Yantra. There's a process for everything: opening chakras and nadis, getting a job, attracting more wealth, removing black magic and evil spirits, controlling the weather, overcoming racism, depression and other negative mental states, and it just goes on and on. The sri yantra contains everything. Also ALL the siddhis (supernatural powers, e.g. auric vision (called divya dristhi or divine sight), controlling the weather, healing of self and others, and so on and so forth). Ending blessing and prayer: May you all be blessed, and enjoy good health, long life, prosperity, happiness, wisdom and peace
  14. How do I start sensing energy?

    How do I start sensing energy? and how do I begin on my path of tao
  15. Hi all, hope someone can help me. I have bipolar one disorder, so I'm VERY open to energy and if I don't sleep this can lead to issues. I'm sleeping fine bar one occasion 2 weeks ago - I tried storing my sexual energy for 6 days, sleep got progressively worse as I went on, by day 6 I was getting around 1.5 hrs light sleep. So I gave up, and released the old fashioned way. So, I'm looking to try again. Do I need to move the energy around my body? Should I do qigong before bed? I'd prefer to just do meditation if possible, but nothing from Mantak Chia as he's a bit out of my range energy wise. Any advice would be much appreciated.
  16. Can anyone explain my feeling?

    Hi! I am new here and I want to share a story from last year. I started reading about energy, quantum entanglement and a lot of different conspiracy theories. I sort of knew something more is out there that only a few have discovered so far. Every theory out here can´t be wrong. I wanted to dig deeper and put the theories to test and see it for my self. At one time I realized my hearth was blocked and started to wonder, how do I get that warm feeling like when you find your lovemate? I have not had that feeling in a very long time. I started to try meditating to see if it has any type of effect what so ever. I also experimented with two types of breathing techniques. I meditated for 10 to 30 minutes for almost 2 months the same was for the two breathing techniques. One of the breathing techniques was the rapid-breathing and the other one was the Iceman breathing. While meditating or not I always tried to visualise the feeling I wanted to have, almost like you do when trying to set a manifestation. One day after around two months I get this feeling I was looking for, but this time the feeling was maybe around 10 times larger than the feeling you normally have when you see a lovemate/soulmate. At first, I thought something was wrong I felt a warm energy in my stomach area and all the way up to my hearth. It was so intense that I almost could not stand straight up, it felt like someone punched me in my stomach with a fist. That punch came in specific intervals. I am not 100% sure what caused this to happen but I guess it was the combination of all of the above described. Can anyone tell me what physically happened in my body that made this feeling happen? With more knowledge about our bodies and energy I am now trying to achieve it again but to advance further.
  17. Calligraphy as Cultivation

    Does anyone practice calligraphy as cultivation or have more information about it? I came across the following book description which some of you might find interesting:
  18. Hi

    Hi guys, I am 31 y.o. male from Eastern Europe. I am here so I can learn more about Sexual energy transmutation and to master it for retaining purposes. Also, I'm interested in the subtle energies and want to learn more about them. Thank you!
  19. Energy, Vitality and Truth

    Hello everyone, In the past years, I have occasionally read some threads in the daobums forum, but I never bothered signing up. Now I did, because I want to start practicing inner energy work properly. I want to do so in order to increase my vitality and gain better health primarily. Secondarily, I am also interested in experiencing subtle energy flow within my own body. Lastly, I would also like to develop myself spiritually. I am aware, that spiritual development is probably prioritized by many people, but I guess I am still very much attached to this physical world, which is why improving my physical health is very important to me. Well, other than that I am actually really curious about one thing: Has anyone been able to reconcile the practical/theoretical differences between systems like Daoism and f.e. Vedic teachings? Has any comparative literature been written on this subject, ideally from a practitioner's point of view? F.e. I have always wondered why in Daoism the fifth element is metal, whereas in the Vedas the fifth element is space or aether. I am also curious, if the different conceptions of energy pathways in the body can be reconciled in some way? TCM has twelve main meridians, whereas Ayurveda speaks of thousands of Nadis. Can the differences of the chakra system and the Dan Tian system in Nei Gong be reconciled? Obviously practitioners from both traditions reach great heights of mastery, so does that imply, that there are many methods, which will lead to the same outcome? If so, how can methods, that differ so much in terms of theoretical concepts of metaphysical understandings, lead to the same outcome? To my materialist mind, it would make much more sense to assume, that there is one correct way of how to conceptualize the nature of reality, even down to those levels of reality, that go beyond the purely physical. Anyways, I am looking forward to learning more about all this.. Peace Entob
  20. Internal Practices Suitable for Self-Study It's an interesting question with two complementary answers. There is the perspective of complete formal practice that allows the practitioner to advance from complete naivety to mastery within its self-contained systemic framework. The other view is that of wisdom and insight into what is this thing "self" that we consider as defining, or confining, us. This wisdom aspect is a vitally important element which enables the formal routines to provide abundant benefit and success. Wisdom Wisdom develops heartfelt awareness because it sublimates base desires like greed and fear. How are desires and rejections building into a habit of relating our personal "self" to our experiences? Are we our experiences or actions? This is a call to observe and not an intellectual deduction nor an argument. When a baby is born pretty much all she does is to observe, eat, shit, cry, and smile. The baby doesn't have any functioning conception of self-worth for herself or for others. This doesn't prevent her from experiencing life and reality naturally like a human baby does. Only later in the childhood would she learn that people assign worthiness to their experiences and infectiously project these out on personal level. A labeled world of good and bad phenomena is traded around like a collectible card game, and the only way out of this is to realize that it can be suspended or quit. The path of wisdom is returning to that earlier puerile innocence which didn't see the world through permanent divisive categories or absolute judgments: we could call this practical non-duality. It asks for genuine inquiry, curiosity, and considering the context of experiences. The world and its people reveal themselves as they are: sometimes sweet, sometimes annoying, often helpful, and rarely committed to wisdom its full scope. None of these observations are anything but transitory insights into human condition, which makes no impact to our innate worth and how we are free to evaluate and judge our worthiness or just leave it as undefined like it naturally is. It's about opening up instead of closing in. Please do not see what I described as any sort of nihilism or radical equalization of all experiences. Defaulting views to nothingness or indifference are marks of not having much understanding nor insight. The high point of wisdom is to train and live through a natural relaxed and flexible view that easily defaults to undefined. The real you is spontaneous and true to your own innate goodness underneath those acquired habits that cloud it. There are many ways to purify one's wisdom, but these all have the same flavors of becoming fully aware of our own self-caused suffering and that this narcissism is not the entire picture nor permanent at all. Yogis can go as far as to train heartfelt awareness which connects to everyone or they can offer their selfless service to the world in the face of abuse and scorn, up to the point of martyrdom. Make no mistake: The real challenge of wisdom is in facing all our fears and disdain without taking up victimhood. All the things we would rather avoid and not confront are the very same poisons which when taken in correct doses and with good skill become safe antidotes and healing medicine that sets us free from these compulsions. In the Western world we have relatively little active culture into the study and preservation of universal wisdom. This problem can be solved through studying some living wisdom tradition and looking in what the masters advice over inquiring about one's limiting conceptions of self and how none of it has real permanence. An essential part of accessing wisdom is having a stable heart, so we should have awareness and care over our own emotional regulation. First, I would offer good and short videos that talk about compassionate awareness, perceptions of stress, how people themselves can give rise to real life changing skills and realizations. The core offering here is that if you want to change yourself and your sense of self, then you should first have a healthy and happy sense of self. Assorted Videos about Self-Compassion and Emotional Welfare Getting a Clue about Wisdom and Virtue (De) For a good introduction to a wisdom tradition that can take the sincere practitioner all the way to great merits and yogic accomplishment I recommend getting to know about Shanrendao and its virtue healing tradition. It's inspired by the Confucian tradition where the central teachings is that the person should seek to perfect his role and function in the society and within his family — gracefully and gratefully accept all "polishing" others may unkindly serve him — and still remain true to himself and not suppress his emotions nor desires, but work these for everyone's favor. The formula is simple, but difficult to master because people might be unable to express their emotions in a true or meaningful way. More about this later. I personally have a strong liking towards Confucian view of De because it is humanizing and emphasizes that cultivation truly isn't about this or that formal technique but becoming wise and genuine person with a crystal-clear conscience. The lessons of virtue are especially important in our age because, in my opinion, there is growing neglect in teaching classic virtues like patience and self-sacrifice. Unvirtuous behavior such as blaming others, worrying over myriad possibilities, and anxious rationalizations easily lead to escalating tensions in the body and sourness that taints human connections. By avoiding faults and honing ourselves instead of others, we can engage in good speech which is timely and harmonizing, and therefore our words will stay ageless and gentle to the heart. With Confucian healing and wisdom in mind, I highly recommend the books Let the Radiant Yang Shine Forth: Lectures on Virtue by Liu Yousheng and Twelve Characters: A Transmission of Wang Fengyi's Teachings. Below is a diagram that shows Wang Fengyi's Shanrendao tradition's insights into the classic Five Elemental Processes and how they connect to different human frameworks. These can also be useful in diagnosis which is clearly presented in the clinical healing cases of Liu Yousheng's magnificent book. There currently is another English translation of Wang Fengyi's teachings available: Discourse on Transforming Inner Nature. Both this and the Twelve Characters book are among the clearest expositions of traditionally Chinese flavored spiritual cultivation that I have found anywhere. Wang Fengyi skillfully illuminates the similarities and differences in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Teachings about Open Awareness, Meditation and Nondual Wisdom C T's excellent topic is a treasure trove of both Buddhist and universal wisdom: Formal Practices The problem with formal self-study is two-fold: it typically hinders cultivating the peace of heart and de-stressing the body correctly. Without confessing these as the primary factors there is no true cultivation or satisfaction happening, but the genesis of prolonged agitation. Emotions Must Be Addressed First Your heart is the window to your entire being. If you have a lot of wild emotions that are easily stirred, then it's guaranteed that your mind will not know peace, but always search for outflows to spend that restlessness. All practitioners need to cultivate earnest patience that allows feeling stable and unshakable. Don't expect miracles overnight, but work on your expectations and not making a big deal about yourself. The most critical foundation for internal training and safe energetics is that any disruptive emotions must be healed through what could be called a process of acceptance, balance, and integration. The development of patience is crucial: If emotions flare, then the body's vital energies are diverted into excessive tantrums that weaken the whole body-mind complex. This thwarts any healing that is supposed to happen naturally, and strong emotions are a contraindication for formal meditative practices because strong upsets may deviate the how the vital energy operates in a healthy manner. Therefore, it's an incontestable premise that calmness of heart is the way to lasting vitality and energy, but it must happen naturally through wisdom and not by forcing. Suppressing emotions is unhealthy. It shuns the wisdom and awareness of experiences as they are, so it sets the stage for growing psychological and ethical issues if not addressed early enough. These departures from proper practice, if perpetuated, will almost certainly lead to unwholesome trance states that only provide masks of happiness. You see, bliss and pleasure seeking are often convenient masks for not wanting to deal with uncomfortable emotions or traumas. There is nothing wrong in bliss and pleasure as such, but forceful desires and optimism over them will not calm the heart. How to give a physical boost to improving emotional balance? You could offer sincere and deeply heartfelt personal apologies for every tantrum you have projected onto others; you could try play-acting difficult emotions in a social setting like improvisation theater hobby; and you could do exercises like Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) that are designed to unwind traumatic emotions that the human body might suppress and keep inside (see the works of David Bercelli and Peter Levine). Please consult your health care provider before trying the following exercise on your own and decide together whether it suits you. A Simple TRE Flavored Practice Please note that this exercise is not supposed to be Spontaneous Qigong or any other type of energetic exercise. It's just supposed get emotions out and help you relax. A Caveat about Physical Stress Another thing to consider that if you have a lot of stress and tension within your muscles and fascia, this probably is a sign that you have kept emotions inside in a very corporeal sense. In this case spiritual practices can be unsuitable because they might provoke excess irritation, unstable mind, and general disconnect and floating attitude towards mundane activities. TRE is one way to help improve the situation because it removes tension, but there also are other types of exercises designed to foster relaxation and healing like the Dharma Drum's Eight-Form Moving Meditation. Supported by Compassion and Good Words Praying fervently but without hope or fear for the sake of others is a great way of making the heart happy, regardless of one's religious or spiritual views. For those who are engaged in Mahayana Buddhism of any flavor, I would give additional advice: cultivate bodhicitta continuously! It's my understanding that there are some particularly suitable Buddhist mantras and dharanis that would benefit just about any internal practice, but advising about recitation practice is tricky because the Buddhist path is comprehensive and not a collection of isolated methods that can be offered to just any audience without reservation: Teacher's advice would matter the most to the tenured practitioner, while the beginner would need a learn a large framework starting with the correct view, ethics, taking refuge in the Three Jewels, dedication of merits, etc. to make recitation practices truly useful. Nevertheless, I'm making few references here in case anyone wants to look up their merits: Getting into Cultivating Vitality There are following main factors that make a given internal practice good for self-study: 1. Safety (It's difficult to fumble with the practice. Should be mostly safe even for the pregnant woman and her developing baby.) 2. Effectiveness (Brings good and clear results every time.) 3. Ease (Allows good practice from beginner level to relative mastery.) 4. Completeness (Not a sprawling system, but a clear sense of defined practices and gaining progress through them.) All these together lead to the summit that the practice is self-correcting and can be well traveled without any teacher's supervision, continual corrections, or amending with advanced instructions. It's an evergreen fare that people come looking for practices to satisfy some fixed personal desire. Often this fixity is then channeled as meeting some whimsical aim and urge to take forceful control that deviates from the laid-back wisdom of true contemplative and peaceful heart. Therefore, there's a lot of room for creating errors. Not only are many people dissatisfied with simple and efficient exercises, but they want also to modify what they have previously seen or create their own brand-new fad methods to evoke a sense of external mastery. Some are more modest and only claim high mastery in Kungfu or meditation without modifying the established standards. All these are signs of self-initiation in contrast to an open minded and respectful self-study. Yes, it's entirely possible to train energy in a multitude of different ways, but not all of them are beneficial in the long term nor fostering fair character development. Safety is another factor that can't be neglected especially when learning on your own. Please see the following topic I wrote about Qi deviations: There are simple moving exercises in many Qigong styles, but even in these people may err while learning on their own or forget to uphold the correct physical relaxation. Also, I have witnessed many occasions when a disgruntled practitioner lashes out against his teacher because the physical movement apparently invites overtly critical examination and experimentation. Therefore, I have a bias against recommending very physical practices for people wishing to study on their own. Simplicity invites trust. Visualization practices are an endless mire because they don't easily offer the mind to relax nor shed the desire to imagine new ways to cut the practice short. How could it then result in correct outcomes? The most difficult part really is that no instruction is foolproof for teaching how to not stir the heart, but gracefully accept even difficult emotions and thoughts that may surface and witness them with laid back awareness. If this obstacle is overcome, then the self-study has a chance to bear fruit. Some practices are more forgiving with the ordinary beginner's mind such that Flying Phoenix Qigong doesn't require mental stillness for effectiveness and Fragrant Qigong encourages an idle mind so strongly that it's okay to watch TV while practicing. I really am recommending you to ponder how you would like to practice, what are your lifestyle restrictions, and what you are after. This is good to think through because there are upsides and downsides to every practice. Some styles don't mix well with others and some require adhering to specific precautions for good results. You will have to seek my suggested formal practices from authoritative sources. I have linked the best I could find. Video Instructions Video instructions only rarely feature complete exercises without withholding the internal development and lineage skills as closed secrets, but there are few exceptions. Those that I have found and presented below have in-built safety mechanisms that also reinforce good results, unless deliberately acted against that design. However, the characteristic feature always is simplicity and effectiveness. Flying Phoenix - Features breath sequencing that quickly activates spinal energy, which makes its static standing exercises uncharacteristically very safe and powerful for self-learning. It also features moving and sitting meditations. Fragnant Qigong (Xiang Gong) - Very simple movements and powerful effects, but the practice has a lot of prohibitions. There apparently are flawed public demonstrations circulating in the Internet, so it must be learned from an authentic source. Wu Wei Qigong by George Xu - Supposedly activates an esoteric wheel in the belly to cultivate energy throughtout the day, which is similar to Falun Gong's Qigong but without its limitations. Written Instructions These written instruction often are the best of complete arts that were detailed in popular booklets during the China's booming Qigong craze. These are simple enough instruction that they could be printed out and distributed. Relaxation Qigong (Fang Song Gong) - Relaxation as a way to deep meditation, therefore dismisses forms and takes it the easy way. For advanced practitioners it provides a cool way to do meta-acupuncture for oneself. Longevity Self-Massage (Bedside Baduajin) - A quick and simple set of external massages, but supplements with an internal aspect that is a great way to get into Buddhist flavored Anapanasati meditation. Final Words It's my sincere wish that you find a practice that well resonates with you, and it's not a shame to find such outside of my list of recommended practices. I really wish that I could share more recommendations, but I am quite conservative in that regard because my quality control is strict and I don't want to advertise unfamiliar practices either. Thank you for reading! My special thanks go to @C T, @dwai, @steve, and @freeform for their helpful suggestions and inspiration they have kindly provided.
  21. Popping in to say Hi to a bunch of old timer Dao Bums. Also to give an update on some things I've been learning after a LONG time of self work. A lot of my growth I credit to assorted teachers I either follow online via Youtube such as Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and from assorted books such as Master Nan Huai-Chin and Bill Bodri. I think...(this is so amazing) I have a new appreciation of the power of chanting a Buddha or Hindu deity name and what it is doing on an energetic level. I began this practice after a particularly convincing, long essay on this practice by Master Nan Huai-Chin. I was blown away by his explanation of why this is THE premier method for many masters in the Kali Yuga age. Just to hammer it home Master Nan said this was his own method he eventually settled on for himself! After decades of so many other practices that he did...he finally reached such an incredible level he became aware of the power of this one practice and finally settled on it over anything else. Or as Sadhguru once quipped, "you can loot each other's loot bags" (ie. storehouse of prajna-wisdom and capabilities). Well that was enough to convince me to give it a try and WOW! At least in my instance, he wasn't kidding. I have had super fast progress using this method like no other. And it's because of Sadhguru I think I understand why this practice works so well. Sadhguru says that earth (and the cosmos) has had many stupendously high level Masters but the vast majority never have public teaching careers nor have lots of disciples. The karma that taking on the responsibility of public teaching and of lots of disciples is pretty far reaching. So most masters don't go this route. Nonetheless he says such beings don't leave the planet without wishing to contribute something for the betterment of humanity. They leave their contribution in the form of shakti. The karma is so much less by giving their teachings in this way as opposed to the way Sadhguru is doing it. Their names (and maybe other patterns such as sitting a certain way at a certain location) encode everything they themselves have learned and mastered and they leave it for people to discover (or chant if their name is known). By encountering their 'energy signature' you are downloading everything they themselves learned and mastered. And I do mean - *everything*. On a second front: I've encountered an early 20th century Dion Fortune book called The Cosmic Doctrine. I'm finally convinced Ms. Fortune had a higher Plane guru/guide because so much of that book aligns with things I've heard Sadhguru also give talks about. Cosmic Doctrine is a detailed Kriya Yoga/Nei Gong book! Yes it's talking about the shakti at a cosmos level but the laws that govern the cosmos are the same laws that occur inside us as Sadhguru is always saying. So when I started to read it I was like - Holy Moly! The West finally has it's own authentic contribution to human consciousness evolution alongside China, the Middle East and India! The Cosmic Doctrine is a gem that needs to be translated into other languages if it isn't already and be taught the world over imo. It's also in the public domain now and can be freely downloaded in pdf form. It's VERY detailed and you can read it quite successfully as a Nei Gong/Kriya Shakti book. I finally figured out the real Sri Yantra is best "built" inside the human body as is the Shiva Yantra or any other "yantra" depending on the results one is aiming for. Finally had that "aha" moment from understanding what The Cosmic Doctrine is teaching combined with several Sadhguru videos. I'm guessing it's easiest to get such operational yantras inside your own body by chanting a Buddha or Deity name that's associated with the benefits associated with those 2 yantras (or whichever other yantra appeals to you). And so much more. Just from chanting a name (or names)! It's the difference between driving at high speed on a constantly well-maintained highway vs. having to pave the road yourself before you can get anywhere. Here's a link that tells various names of various Buddhas of the past and what you can "download" just from chanting his/her name. Pick one that sounds appealing and give it a shot. My results have been so amazing from just this one practice. It sounds so corny but you download SO much! And the Cosmic Doctrine explains the mechanics of WHY and HOW that happens. p.s. The name I chant regularly is Bei-Shah-Jei Lapis Lazuli Medicine Buddha and according to Master Nan Huai-Chin he works at the alaya level (8th consciousness) of karmic greed - ie. transforms it into incredible generosity. He also increases one's affinity to good health and healing. You'll also have much more beautiful, healthful bodies upon rebirth from chanting his name. I started receiving noticeable changes on the Second DAY! For me at least name chanting is a fabulous, super fast Nei-Gong/Yoga practice. I can feel the shakti changes taking place inside my body when I name chant. So excited I feel like a little puppy running around with a wagging tail at discovering how joyful and bountiful life is with this one simple practice.
  22. There is a powerful energy vortex over here in Port Townsend, Washington. I can feel the difference, especially while doing meditations. I am interested in TD bummers' experience with this kind of phenomena.
  23. Hey guys, first serious post here. (So hey to all!) I’ve been practicing deep diaphragmatic breathing for a good while now, following the Golden Flower Method (which I’m sure has it’s pros and cons). I’ve been practicing meditation for a long time now, so breathing and general energy work isn’t completely new to me. What I’m not seeing is any changes, such as the energy movement described that moves down, round the bottom of your abdomen and back up the front. I can feel a general “gurgle” of energy sometimes, but definitely not this flowing movement that is suggested happens on its own. Has anyone hd success with this and can offer any tips, suggestions and the like? I understand there are a lot of parallels with general Daoist energy work, I’ve read the comprehensive guide to Nei Gong and there seems to be many. Any thoughts and suggestions are very welcome Andy
  24. After several years of daily meditation and breathing practices, I have reached what feels like a very uncomfortable mid-point, where I can feel partially opened channels in my body, but am suffering all kinds of discomfort because they feel seriously twisted and contain some major blockages. Before anything opened up, my body consisted of many different abnormalities such as warped and twisted bones which no Western doctor has been able to explain. I can now see that all of these physical anomalies are situated in the places along the channels where I can feel blockages, so it seems that my irregular physique was like a living fossil of energetic problems. Firstly, I was wondering how common this kind of thing is. After baffling a sufficient number of doctors, I’ve now been asked to allow them to map my genome as they consider me such a curiosity. Clearly this isn’t something they encounter very often, but surely I’m not that unique as there’s an endless number of people complaining about blockages, twists and deviations on forums such as this. Am I just an extreme case? The second question I’m hoping those with more experience and wisdom than me can answer is whether the daily practices I do (mainly meditation, alternate nostril breathing, nine bottle breath, MCO visualisation) are helping or hindering me. I’m particularly worried it may be the latter because, as I say, I’ve reached a point where I’ve partially opened the channels and dissolved blockages, but it means I feel the existing twists and obstructions more keenly than ever before. Every time I succeed in “getting out of my own way” during meditation, so that energy starts moving on its own, I run up against these extreme physical barriers. It seems I have only two options: to push ahead with what I am doing, or stop altogether. Obviously stopping is the most sensible option, but I can feel the half-dissolved obstructions and half-straightened channels constantly in my daily life whether I’m trying to or not, so it’s very hard not to try to do something to deal with it. I’m suffering a great deal of discomfort all over my body, as well as frequent headaches and fatigue, so is this a sign of things opening up or of things going horribly wrong? Thanks for your help.
  25. Hey guys, this is my first post to this forum, sry that this initially a searching for help. The begin with, i am practicing semen retention for like 1 1/2 years, but often times no longer than 1 1/2 weeks because of sex with my girlfriend. So my problem started around the beginning of march. Because of studying i experienced a lot of stress (only few sleep), and also at around that time i tried some yoga breath of fire. I don't know which of those thing induced it, but i then had massive brain fog and kind of derealisation for around 2 weeks. At the end of this phase of brainfog i already noticed that people couldn't look me into the eyes anymore, but i also noticed that i had a too stong eye contact. I basically was searching for eye contact. When i took a look in the mirror, my eyes also seemed like there was energy trapped, and they do not look that clear. Also others peolpe eyes started to shine much more, some much more than others. I also had crazy kundalini symptoms, where there was pressure inside my head (electric like sensation) which would not go away. I switched out my normal lifting routine to daily (gentle) yoga and 8 brocades Qigong about one month ago (which also was a good decision, because i was pretty fatigued and am now gaining back some energy). I still have those kundalini electric sensations, but they have moved to around my chest level. I was a daily meditator before this event, but i'm not meditation anymore because it makes the sensations come up stronger, or makes them more noticeable. The brainfog is completely gone and i kind of dont have to much problem with this electric sensation around my chest, only with the energy in my eyes and the shining of other peoples eyes. This is a huge problem for my interaction with other people and it is making me kind of crazy on some days. I initially thought it was being due to being ungrounded, but even after walking one hour outside barefoot and now in the summer often times being barefoot outside, this "eye" thing doesn't change to much. I have the feeling that Qigong and Yoga do quite help, and my eye contact has gotten a little bit more normal, and even some eyes of certain persons dont shine at all, and i can really have easy normal interactions. Still, i would love to hear if you have any tips or practices for me, because this issue really kills me. Kind Regards