to the lovely kwan, and anyone else who may know.

i am very interested in taoism. i have heard kwan talk about it alot and i started researching online. i found alot of info about tao yoga, etc.

i was just wondering if kwan or anyone else had any favorite taoist websites or books you would recommend for me.

thanks!

Hi pilhourova--
Yes indeedy! Well, actually I don't have tons of links and references, but there are a few that I love and I'll post them shortly, as soon as I can find them in the tangled morass of folders and files that is my desktop!

Of particular interest is a modern-day Taoist qigong teacher I've been corresponding with named Eve Addesso. She has some wonderful insights and an inspiring article about her bigu experience a couple years back. I'll share some of her stuff with the group.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

pilhourova (and everyone who's interested):
Here are some links for a start. Please note: where I have not been able to access the original page (:-/) , I've pasted excerpts:

*******************
Wikipedia: Taoist Diet
[en.wikipedia.org]
******************
History
Early Taoist diets were very different from present-day ones. While present-day Taoist diets
call for eating lots of grains, ancient diets called for the eating of no grains at all. This was because early Taoists believed the rotting of the grains in the intestines attracted demonic creatures known as the 'three worms.' These demons loved eating decaying matter in the intestines in the hope that they could kill the person and devour his corpse.[1] In fact, early Taoists advocated eliminating most foods from their diet. An early Taoist text, the Taipingjing, suggests that people "live on air", and that is best to be satiated without eating solid food. In effect, it suggests that people eat non-corporeal food such as qi.[2]
**************************
Qigong Center for Natural Healing
Food Healing:
[www.qigong.com]
(note: modern day Taoist dietetics)
***************************
THE AMAZING STORY OF MASTER Li Ching-Yuen Who Lived to 256 Years Old
[www.chinahand.com]

More on Li Ching Yuen
From the Ancient Secrets of Youth by Peter Kelder
[www.chinahand.com]
**************************
Taoist Dietetics
[www.ancientway.com]
(interesting historical research on ancient Taoist diet)
**************************
Healing Tao Goes Breatharian !
[www.healingtaousa.com]
[www.journeytoeden.com]
(Eve Adesso's amazing adventures with qigong and the bigu state -- highly recommended!)
*************************
90 Year Old Kung Fu Master Stands on One Finger
[snipurl.com]
(pretty amazing little video clip)
********************
What Food Is Good or Bad for Your Qi?
by Qigong Master Qinyin(
[www.qinway.org]
(note: modern-day Taoist teacher/healer)
**************************
Qi Permeating Technique
[shouyuliang.com]
(simple arm movements to fill your body with qi energy)
****************
Prana Technique for Bigu State:

According to Master Choa Kok Sui, pranic breathing is done by:
* Connecting your tongue to your palate
* Doing abdominal breathing (through the nostrils)
* Inhaling slowly and retain for one count 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Exhaling slowly and retain for one count before exhaling which is called ‘empty retention’.
* You can also inhale for 7 counts and retain for one count then exhale for 7 counts and retain
for one count, or do 6 and retain for 3. “In doing abdominal breathing, you expand your abdomen
slightly when exhaling
***********************
Yan Xin Qigong
[www.yanxinqigong.net]
(website of foremost modern bigu researcher and qigong master)
**********************
CHI KUNG (QIGONG)
[www.michaelshaman.com]
**********************
Excerpts from Pi Gu: The Way of Chi Gong Fasting
[www.yinyanghouse.com]
(note: site unavailable -- under renovation)

Excerpts from Pi Gu: The Way of Chi Gong Fasting
¤ From the "Theory of Pi Gu" Chapter:
Modern Western theories can't explain Pi Gu. Since Pi Gu is an ancient Chinese practice and philosophy, we should go back to Chinese philosophy and combine it with modern knowledge to understand the theories behind this enduring approach to health maintenance.

In Traditional Chinese Medical Theory (TCM), when we eat food it is transformed into Chi, the vital energy that is stored within the body. No matter what kind of food is eaten, eventually all of it will produce a different kind of Chi and this Chi will then perform different functions within the body. In the universe, there are different types of Chi. But ultimately, no matter how many types of Chi there
are in the universe, there are only two kinds of Chi: Yin Chi and Yang Chi.

When we practice Chi Gong, the state of Pi Gu can bring us to a higher level. Chi Gong is practiced so that Chi circulates better through the body. Pi Gu is another form of this practice. In ancient Chinese philosophy, we are told that we can eat Chi instead of food and as a result the body will become stronger.
According to mystical legends, many people do not eat for a year and stay alive. In fact, this is possible. In daily life many Chi Gong practitioners can perform this task, not only the old monks and masters. The Chi that is to be consumed is taken from the universe, or it is already stored within the body.

This Chi is not something we can see, but rather something we can feel. It can be compared to the air that can sometimes be felt but never seen. In Chinese writing, Chi and air are represented by the same character.

In daily life we need food to supply us with the required minerals and vitamins. This is a simple common sense approach to good health. However, this wisdom applies when we are in a "normal" state. If we are in a special condition such as the Chi Gong state, we do not need food to achieve a balanced healthy condition and a high energy state.

¤ From the "Fasting" Chapter:
Western fasting methods cannot be continued for long because they are not in any way united with Chi. How many people are able to fast one week without any food? But in the Pi Gu state people can last a week, a month, or sometimes a year. Pi Gu is the eastern way of fasting. It can be achieved either through Chi Gong practice or by treatment from a Chi Gong practitioner.

¤ From the "Value of Pi Gu" Chapter:
Given the preceding discussion, many people may confuse Pi Gu with simple fasting. Or they will believe Pi Gu is only for weight loss or to clean out the body. Of course it can help the body reduce weight and cleanse the system, but that is not the only purpose. The major purpose is to keep the body in the Chi Gong state so that the body will balance itself automatically.

¤ From the "Going into the Pi Gu State" Chapter:
Not ingesting or avoiding food does not mean that you have gone into the Pi Gu state. As we have seen, fasting and Pi Gu have very different feelings. The fasting aspect of Pi Gu relates to the cessation of eating only in a physical sense. However, we must understand the difference between fasting and Pi Gu. When we are really in the Pi Gu state we should not feel hungry while physically feeling more energetic. Another benefit is that the mind will relax and feel more at ease, allowing a better night's sleep.

¤ From the "Full Pi Gu and Half Pi Gu" Chapter:
In these modern times, we have so many nutritionists. We like to use a formula to figure out how many calories are needed for daily expenditure, or how many vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and any of the minerals our body needs. But a person in a Pi Gu state can be more energetic and healthier without eating anything, although this does not make sense to most nutritionists. If we follow modern nutritional theories, then Pi Gu is only a fairytale from ancient China. Yet if we face the facts, we can see many people in Pi Gu who do not eat anything for a long period of time. When we think about Pi Gu, we cannot understand or explain how the body gets nutrition from the Pi Gu state. So we should not tie up our mind by science.

¤ From the "The Best Way for Weight Loss" Chapter:
In Western philosophy, the major purpose of fasting is to clean out the body and lose weight. Because Pi Gu is so new and is associated with the consumption of food, this leads to confusion regarding the true purpose of Pi Gu. Pi Gu is not limited to the concept of weight loss. It can be related to religion, philosophy, Chi Gong, health, healing, and nutrition. If we only examine it in the context
of weight loss, this can lead to a complete misunderstanding of its true value.
*************************
Longevity Qigong
(video clips):
[chu.users2.50megs.com]
[chu.users2.50megs.com]
[chu.users2.50megs.com]
[chu.users2.50megs.com]
[chu.users2.50megs.com]
************************

:-))))))))))))) Enjoy!

(My only regret is that the website for my favorite qigong video, which is free on the internet, has mysteriously disappeared. I tried to copy my video to post here, but it's tricky and doesn't work. I will look for others.)

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

One more:

The Three Worms
An exploration of the concept of ‘Three Worms’ in Taoism and Chinese Medicine.
[www.ancientway.com]

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

kwan,

thank you so much for posting those! i am going to them out tomorrow when i am off.

i really appreciate it!

wow. so much great info. it seems the ancients were not so "ancient" as far as their ideas on diet and health. this is so much interesting info. thanks for getting me started!

:-) It's fascinating, no? They weren't perfect either-- I think of the ancient Taoists as being a bit like the 'new agers' of that time, trying various things and seeing what worked. But I can't help noticing that they also seem to have been highly, even phenomenally successful in their quest for vitality and long life, and that's why I'm so interested in what they have to teach us.

I think their motives were usually quite genuine too: their concept of 'immortality' was not pie-in-the-sky "live forever" physical immortality. It was simply the idea that you extend your life and allow yourself life-long youthfulness and good health so that you have the time, energy and motivation to pursue spiritual understanding.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

ok, maybe this sounds dumb, but what is MK?

i find it very interesting that eve served in the military. she has truely lived through the eyes of many sides and now it is clear which side she is on based on her experiences.

these articles are great. i can't get enough.

Oh, let's see-- is that where she talked about MK-Ultra? (I just read that article by her today; hadn't encountered it before.) It's this American conspiracy thing. MK-Ultra is supposed to be this super-secret psychic mind control 'black op' program that does some pretty unspeakable things to people. I don't know if it's true or not. Usually where there's smoke... you know, there's fire. They supposedly abducted kids and turned them into killing machines or something. Maybe sexual abuse involved too. (Lovely, huh?) I don't know what to think of the whole thing. I haven't researched it too deeply because it's just too hard to deal with.

Sharrhan:


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wow. i totally believe it could be true. for one, she has nothing to gain by saying it. secondly, i can not imagine anyone would go around saying something like that happened to them if it didn't. if anything, its something that would require a great deal of courage to come out and say.

its like 5 am here!! i am so wrapped up in this stuff i can't go back to sleep!

pilhourova--
That's great!! I'm so glad I posted it then. I love sharing this stuff with friends. I'm kind of obsessed with it-- in a good way, I think.

Sharrhan:


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