1000 Days - the plot thickens!

So I've taken up another Taoist challenge: I decided to go even deeper in my Taoist studies and take the plunge into religious Taoism. In other words, for the next 1000 days, I'm going to recite Taoist scripture and do some sitting/forgetting meditations, as well as my Qigong practice. This doesn't mean that my "100 days to internal alchemy" has been bumped, but definitely complimented.

I figured, I feel I have this gift of compassion (despite my indignation towards many - oh, the duality of my nature!) and willingness to help people medically and spiritually... so why not dedicate myself to reading scripture and meditating upon its meaning every day? Why not be more well versed so that people who just wanna try to "understand" can come to me?

I know that this is gonna take even more responsibility on top of TCM school, Qigong, work, family and my favorite hobbies like music and skateboarding... but you know what... anything that's worthwhile is worth sacrificing for. And definitely know the priorities.

Also, this gives me an opportunity to not spend so much time on the internet, especially Facebook, Myspace and YouTube. That's my TV. I wasted soooo much time on that bullshit. So enough. I got the Tao Te Ching and Jade Emperor's Seal Classic to read, suckas!!!

Day 57 - even MORE changes

The last 57 days have flown by so quickly that it's been a blur. However, in the last few weeks, I've been experiencing some major changes.

Basically, nothing has really changed in my workout regimen. However, my need to feel full every time I eat has been diminishing... but the big change is the frequency in which I eat. I've only really felt the need to eat a single meal every day. Not only that, but the meal is usually mainly greens and fruit, and very little grains/starch/bread.

What that means, is my meditations and Qigong regimen has really been helping me curb my appetite, yet have more than enough energy to workout and study throughout the day.

But the real changes were in my Qigong regimen. I was doing tree pose, microcosmic orbit and Tai Chi, but now I'm doing some simple movements to "play" with Qi, and doing quiet sitting cultivation. These techniques were introduced to me by a friend of mine who does Medical Qigong, and I find them far more powerful than the techniques I've done before, at least for me.

These techniques are called "Stillness-Movement," and are taught by an American Qigong master named Michael Lomax: http://qigongamerica.blogspot.com/

Just last weekend, a buddy of mine and I decided we were gonna take a trip to Indiana to learn more about Michael Lomax's techniques. The workshop was for 3 days, 2 days of learning some cultivation techniques, and the last day we learned how to apply our cultivation for healing others. Lemme tellya... when I first walked into the workshop and shook Michael Lomax's hand, it was incredible. I've never felt such an energetic presence like his before. It was like every cell of his being emits gamma rays of healing and compassion.

So naturally, I feel that his techniques really work for me and I can feel my vibrational level skyrocket when I'm done. I feel as if I'm as energetic as a beam of light, yet so relaxed that the world almost stands still.

That's interesting, because in Einstein's special theory of relativity, if you're riding on something going extremely fast (like a train), time becomes relatively slower. But if you're on a beam of light, time almost stands still. And that's what I've felt like. But I digress...

So yeah, while I was out there, (to make a long story short) I also came up with the idea start reading Taoist scripture every day, and be a true entry-level urban Taoist monk. I've been focusing on Qigong and school so much, I've been forgetting to study where it all came from.

Overall, I feel great so far. My wife is telling me that I look younger and certain stress lines in my face have diminished, like I've been reborn.

Qigong

You know... I'd have to be honest. I haven't been religious about my practicing of Qigong. For the last 2 weeks, I've been studying for midterms till late at night, causing me to sleep in until my son wakes up. Lemme tellya, it's pretty darn hard to supervise a 2 year old while trying to get into a meditative state. So yeah, now that midterms are over, I can get back on the horse.

As far as diet is concerned... again, I'd have to be honest, I haven't really been a good boy. But since the last entry, I've changed a bit. I probably lost a good 3-4 pounds, be it just water weight I bet. But since I'm well hydrated, losing excess water weight is a good thing.

I haven't really kept up with my cardio, although I have been doing my resistance training with weights, as well as calisthenics.

But the main thing here is Qigong. Over the past month, I've been influenced by real-deal guys, mainly Michael Winn and Michael Lomax. As a matter of fact, not only did I pick up books and DVD's from both of them, I also managed to book a Qigong workshop with Michael Lomax.

After reading his book and watching his DVD, I'm very much looking forward to working with Michael Lomax. From the looks of it, we're talking about some potent stuff here. Not only are we talking about gathering Qi, but we're talking about healing people... and at the highest levels, healing people through dreams and other planes of reality. We're talking quantum here. So far, I've just been working with the very basic stuff from his book and DVD and letting the workshop teach me the rest.

As far as Michael Winn, there's a level of healing in there as well because that's what Qigong is all about. But it's not medical Qigong, it's more on the gathering and harmonizing Qi, while healing yourself, not necessarily others (though he does have a DVD for healing others, which I just ordered). He comes from a very Taoist mindset and has pretty good seminars and retreats in his little nook in North Carolina (I think?) But after reading about him for a bit, he's pretty mystical. I like it. I haven't gone through all his DVD's that I ordered yet, but so far it's really good stuff.

After Lomax's workshop I'm gonna really work on what routine is gonna best work for my personality, lifestyle and philosophy.

Day 33 - a month passes by

So, it's been a month since I started this journey. And even though I haven't followed through in my diet change, the Qigong alone has given me some interesting results. I lost about 3 lbs even with overeating most of the time... and my body feels much more energized. Also I've adopted some new techniques along the way.

So for the coming month, I'm ABSOLUTELY gonna follow through on the dieting regimen, eating more high-frequency foods (veggies and fruit) while minimizing grains and meat.

Also, I'll be attending a Qigong seminar with some friends in Indiana, so hopefully it's gonna shed more light into the new techniques I picked up. The seminar also includes a section on medical Qigong, so hopefully I can treat my Mom for depression and hypertension, and hopefully even myself for PTSD and anxiety (my Dad suddenly passed away last summer).

So being the Entry Level Urban Taoist Monk that I am, I can't say that the past month's Qigong regimen has made me feel like Superman, however I can feel myself getting there slowly but surely.