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Some years ago I’d practice opening the energy gates. I’ve gone back to this practice doing a cyclical run through of , standing - cloud hands - spinal stretch , then repeat… I’m wondering , are there any other bums that use the BKF Water tradition practices? And if so what sort of adjunct practices do you find fit in your regimen? I know in the past Shibashi was very complementary and there were no side effects of mixing practices. Do you have any sets that fit really nice with it? For now I’m doing BKF opening energy gates (minus the swings) and some Wing Chun kungfu afterwards. I’m also starting the practice of OMAD only eating one meal a day. The chi flow when I go to bed is strong 💪:) Any advice from older Tao Bums that have followed BKF would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance Taoist brothers and sisters.

I am very much enjoying reading these long-ish posts, there are many points to comment on. But I gotta ask first regarding section just above, why would these be removed: reference to craniosacral rhythm and sphenoid? I am asking because of my background, training, and experience in craniosacral therapy. Thank you.

What religious derail did you callout? There was nothing. "Bizarre assumptions"? Everything I said was falsifiable science which can be validated. But for some strange reason, you probably hate science being validated. You were deeply offended when I said the truth would eventually be known and everyone would know it. Maybe you can think about why that is.

It is still up.

Damo's youtube channel was shut down. Had he demonstrated some degree of mastery on the internet. It would have been shut down sooner. People are needlessly paranoid about this stuff getting out of control.

Hi all, I've been searching quite thoroughly but haven't found any video footage or firsthand accounts of Damo Mitchell demonstrating any tangible signs of Qi emission — specifically anything that would indicate genuine Lower Dantian development such as Faqi (energetic projection). By contrast, someone like Rudi from Authentic Neigong has shared videos that, whether you believe in them or not, at least display observable Qi phenomena — enough to suggest a real foundation of internal power. With Damo, it often feels like the emphasis is heavily skewed toward intellectual exposition and repackaging classical texts rather than personal energetic display or transmission. I’m genuinely curious, not trying to start a flame war. I come from a background in CST Wing Chun (Chu Shong Tin lineage), where internal force and structural power are not just talked about — they’re felt. You can't really claim you can do something, you need to be able to demonstrate where I come from. I've personally taught students who have also trained with Dong Yang here in Sydney — someone I would consider a real Daoist master with authentic elixir development and incredibly high field-level skills. His system involves actual energetic refinement that produces unmistakable results over time. So, with that context: Has anyone here personally experienced Damo’s skill? Is there any video or in-person testimony that shows he has real internal power, beyond theoretical frameworks? Or is it more a case of encyclopedic knowledge with no Faqi or field resonance behind it? Again, not trying to stir anything — I’m just trying to sort the signal from the noise in this space. There are a lot of articulate voices in internal arts, but fewer who can actually do the thing. Would love to hear from anyone who has trained with him or seen him work in person. Thanks in advance.

Dear Dao Bums, I wanted to share this simple set of exercises: https://www.diamondbodypractice.com/videos It's from the Diamond Approach & Diamond Logos. An integration and further development of Buddhism, Sufism, Daoism, Hinduism and Psychology. I wasn't much impressed when I just briefly looked over the exercises, but I was curious so I decided to try it with my wife. I felt a kind of connection with the "field of the school" coming down and creating a space of "holding" as well as transmission throughout the exercises. I was quite intrigued, as it focuses on the center beneath the feet, the belly center, heart center, head center and the center above the head as well as the central channel linking them all together. It also encourages you to inquire into your experience, explore your body and soul mindfully. Now it's been just over a week, but my wife is feeling energy vibration in all centers as well as her hands doing the "aum" mantra movement, and I am quite impressed with the whole thing to be honest. So just wanted to put it out there and share it, hoping to benefit all living beings

Hello everyone, I am fairly new to Qigong, and have been looking for a path that combines healing with evolution of consciousnesses. I was trying to find my way between different paths like Ren Xue (https://www.renxueinternational.org/), Neiqi Gong (https://www.neiqigongjiaoshiandrea.com/), Spring Forest Qigong, Zhineng. I finally started practicing the first two methods of Ren Xue (Yuan Qigong) after being inspired by the documentary on the teacher's life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPrn_uy3iU0). He seems like a knowledgeable and humble man. The analysis of the different methods seems to be more expansive than the original Zhineng from where he started, also including concepts like the middle channel, the qualities of the heart and development of Shen. I would love to hear if anyone has an experience of transformation in this path. Also is it considered just qigong or is it comparable to Neidan with the elements it contains-overview of the different methods it contains here Thank you in advance, Andreas

Hi, Since few years , I have become very petty. I am also going through a lot of stress, fear and anxiety due to family troubles. I wasn't always like this. I used to think big, about doing bigger things. Now it is like I have closed my heart. I have become petty, worrying about petty matters and stuff. Is there a qigong which instills this big heart energy in us. So we can embrace ourselves, and the challenges of this world.

I have been looking for resources on Soaring Crane and they are hard to find. It was supposedly practiced by 20 million people at one time in China. What happened to it? I have found some teachers online, such as Torben Bremann, but books are basically non-existent. Dr. Pang Ming originally taught Soaring Crane before he developed Zhineng. I started seriously practicing Zhineng over 2 years ago, stopped for a while, then started again. I originally started Zhineng because it was supposed to be safe and effective. My research, including comments here on The Bums, lead me to believe it was one of the best systems. But, I'm just not feeling it. I think I had better results with Master Lam Kam Chuen's Zhan Zhuang and Ba Duan Jin, which I continue to do. But, I'm looking for more moving practices that are coordinated with visualization and breathing. I also practice Mantak Chia's 13 Movement Tai Chi Chi Kung, but I have doubts about his system as a whole, although, I do like some other parts of it. I'm looking for a really good movement system that gets the Qi going to counterbalance my seated meditation practice. Right now in week 3 of 10 of Wim Hof's Fundamentals course. To sum things up, I'm a married householder with school aged kids and limited time looking for an efficient system of practices to cultivate Qi, have a calm focused mind, and ultimately become awakened. So, back to the original question, Is Soaring Crane a good system with an active community? Or, are there other systems my fellow Bums would recommend?