Happy Vlog

Open Letter to William Bodri about his book WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT?

The Cloud of Unknowing: Best Meditation Book Ever!

One of my Tai Chi and Taoist Alchemy handouts.

Mass Market Paperback 98 Tai Chi Master

How to do Taoist Alchemy and Raise Kundalini

I am talking about how to do Taoist Alchemy and raise Kundalini with a little Zohar, Catholic mystical theology and tantra stuff thrown in for good measure and offering a free handout I give to my students and workshop attendees. Your free to share and use it as you want.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/84552134/Mass-Market-Paperback-98-Tai-Chi-Master

THE TAOIST ALCHEMY OF 100 DAYS BUILDING THE FOUNDATION AS I DID IT

MY PREPARATION

Diet- I ate no meat but I ate eggs, fish and dairy.

Meditation- Emptiness 4 times a day 20min to 1hr until in July I was doing 8-12 hours of meditation a day which included several hours of taiji also.

The Firing Process- After having gathered enough qi in the lower dan tien through a good diet, taiji practice and meditation you need to “fire” it so it moves upwards and transforms into shen. Normally the firing process happens naturally if you have enough desire or if your very young or going through puberty. If your older you will need an outside agent and this has been one of the greatest secrets of alchemy in the east and west. Three things fire the qi and that is pain which means ascetic practices such as self-flagellation, sexual arousal without ejaculation such as is found in Tantra and fasting. Any will work but use sexual stimulation only on days you do the breathwork, fasting should be extreme but don’t kill yourself and if your going to use pain then do it every day.

Breathwork- Bone breathing with closed eyes lasting 20 minutes once a day and I did this several times a week but not every day. This is done by- inhale 10 times into your belly and focus on pulling qi into your belly on each inhale and storing it on the exhale. Then with an inhale draw the qi from your dan tien to the bones of your left hand. Exhale and visualized compacting the qi all the way into the marrow. Do this same routine in all your bones starting next with your left forearm, upper arm, right hand, right forearm, right upper arm, left foot, left lower leg, left upper leg, right foot, left lower leg, left upper leg, pelvic bone, collar bone, spine, jaw bone and lastly cranium. Then 10 more deep breaths drawing qi into your dan tien and on both the inhale and exhale draw the qi up your spine and into your head to lead it to the pineal gland at the center of the brain. After the last ten breaths you should hold your focus on your pineal with your attention and it should feel like you are “reverse gazing”.

My 100 Days Start:

24April1994 (Full Moon)

Practiced the firing and then I practiced bone breathing with breathing energy up my spine and then in meditation and had a powerful vision of interior light. Every time my perineum would begin to pump furiously the interior light would blaze forth before my inner vision.

08June1994 (New Moon)

I did the firing process and then the bone breathing. While breathing energy up my spine, the perineum began pumping with pressure/pain was felt in the third eye area. My testicles were also in pain. I was using forced will power to move the energy up the spine. I tried to relax but couldn’t. I tried to leave my body several times unsuccessfully. Then I seemed to come out of my forehead. It was like I was like in a little body a couple of inches tall. I could only get out of my forehead up to my waist.

100 Days End:

27July1994

It was incredible. My normal vision was replaced with a new vision. Instead of seeing with my fleshly eyes, I became aware I was seeing from my spiritual center, my soul. This spiritual center within me was the same spiritual center within all things. This “Unity” filled me with awe and peace. I also seemed to be eternally caught up in the now. I wasn’t thinking or feeling anymore. I was just being.

Looking at the trees did not reveal leaves and bark. I saw an explosion of light. It began where the seed sprouted originally. The explosions then flowed upwards and downwards. I saw into the earth. It was a golden hued transparency. The trees were like flowing golden fountains of living light that were continually being born anew every moment. It seemed purely accidental that water and dirt were carried along with the exploding fiery-light. It did not diminish the glory of it in any way though. I thought modern science was absurd because it studies the accidental shadow and not the actual substance.

I knew everything from the beginning of time. I saw it all. At the same time I was so peace filled that I did not desire to know anything in particular. With this expanded perspective human understanding of everything, including metaphysics seemed worthless. All the books I had read paled miserably in comparison to this. All the spiritual anguish I had been experiencing for the past few weeks vanished. I felt desireless, completely free and at peace with all. It was as if I woke up and was seeing reality for the first time. I was released from this universe of light after a few minutes.

Darin's Kundalini Experiences

Here I try and quickly describe my Kundalini experiences from1988 through 1999. Highlights- First OBE's, seeing the world as fire and crystal and oneness with the universe and classical kundalini blasting up the spine with inner lights. I am trying to give an overview of my early spiritual life to outline some of my future videos and for others who are going through the same sort of stuff to feel not so alone.

Just so you know I am drug free and I am not a guru either. I am just a normal guy who had a bunch of weird crap happen to him.

Tai Chi 24 Simplified Form:
Quick Lesson 2-

Part The Wild Horses Mane to White Stork Cools Wings
with Darin Hamel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U_B7UBjtdE&feature=channel_page

Quick Tai Chi Lession #1

For gawds sake any imput is appreciated. I need to get a better camera for sure with a lapel microphone. The sound is bad but atleast I am learning to edit a bit!

Tai Chi 24 Simplified Form:
Quick Lesson 1-
Beginning Form and Part The Wild Horses Mane
with Darin Hamel (me)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCl17Zi-RGc

2nd Judo Class

Jammed my thumb in the first ten minutes of class doing these summer sault things. Let me tell you something... 41 year old fat men should not be doing summer saults. After that undignified 15 minutes of flailing around like a beached whale we did the back and forth practice throws which went a bit smoother until I realized I was limping and my second toe was an attractive black and blue.

Finally came the randori. All that was worth the randori. Yes I got thrown but one of the throws I was up in the air... just weightless and spinning.... and then crash and back pain. It hurt really bad but the throw was sooooooo cool. After the drive home I realized I was too sore to walk to my front door so I pretended to be checking out my gardens as I limped bent over to my house. All in all a good second class.

My 1st Judo Class

When I quit teaching Taiji I thought I was going to study more Taiji but instead I decided to try Judo. What better way to test my taiji skillz than in a judo class? I've never really learned the taiji throws which are basically judo throws so I see judo as just more taiji training. Maybe not... but how many taiji guys do you know who have actually tried using taiji against a judo guy?

I've been in enough karate and kung fu classes run by ego maniacs throwing angry punches and kicks at mirrors to just expect the worst in most dojos. But tonight I did my first judo class and everyone had fun and I didn't notice I single egomaniac. The first hour pooped me out (I'm 41) so I sat for the last 30 minutes and that's when I noticed the fun being had by all.

After I sat the randori started and everyone was laughing. It didn't matter if you were throwing or getting thrown, everyone was having fun. The Sensei guy running the place was absolutely having a ball with everyone. Maybe it was just a good night for everyone, I dont know.

Nice time....Any Judoka here?

Weight Loss Record

I decided back in November to keep a record on Sunday mornings on my weight. The weeks that I stayed stable were the hardest. I forgot some weeks but what a living heck. I am seeking to be in the 160's-170's but it has been so long since I have weighed that I have forgotted what is healthy for me. I gained 85lbs after I quit smoking years back. It has been a war ever since.

Here is my record-
Nov 27- 226lbs
Dec 2- 215lbs
9- 217
16- 215
30- 212
Jan 01- 215
8- 215
23- 210
29- 210
Feb 05- 208
12- 204
20- 206
26- 201
Mar 05- 200
12-199
19-199
26- 198
Apr 02- 199
9- 200
30- 205 (I forgot and did the weight in fully clothed at the end of the day)
May-7- 194
14- 192
21- 188
28- 192
June 11- 187
18- 189

Sunday

Woke up, Taiji for an hour, sweated like a pig since it is 80 inside and now I need to go to work. I was 189 this morning up two pounds from last week. Last November I was 226 and all I have done is diet and do Taijiquan. There's proof you can lose weight with Taijiquan. I only started running at about 199 a little more than a month ago so the last 10lbs might be a mixed weight loss.

Okay, so what if I have been doing four hours of Taijiquan a day. It is my love. Probably why I am not celebrating Fathers day. Now I am sad. Well when your goal is immortality, parts of your life are going to take some casualties.

Alchemy Formula.

My Personal Taoist Alchemy Experiment/Experience

Immortality

Taoists teach that we are not born immortal. Our souls are undifferentiated energy flowing from the source of all life everywhere sometimes called the Tao and returns undifferentiated after death to this original source. Our animating life energy is “borrowed” and it is not “us”. Much like we say that is my Bank because our money is there, but we do not own it. Likewise our minds are not immortal. They begin to form in the womb and only the strongest can endure after death, but even these only endure for a short time in their self created heavens and hells. Taoist alchemy teaches that immortality is something that must be achieved through the hard work of bringing into union the mind and the soul. It is the synthesis of the mind and soul that transforms the mortal physical body stage by stage into an immortal one.

Taoist Alchemy

Prerequisites: For the entire thirteen years you must abstain from meats, grains, sex, plus no losing your sexual essence in any either through self stimulation or dreams, and you must observe the continual practice of the ascending grades of meditation.

10 Months of deep breathing exercises and one pointed Dan Tien focusing meditation to transform sexual essence into Qi (internal energy) within the lower belly. Confirmatory signs- Begins with feeling the internal energy and controlling it with breath and intent to condense it into the bones and then lead it up the spine using the reverse flowing method into the head and to the pineal gland which produces a vision of blazing white light (achieved April 24th , 1994)

3 Years of eyes closed emptiness meditation transforming internal energy into internal power at the solar plexus. Confirmatory signs- Begins when a tiny spirit body comes from the belly and exits out of the forehead (achieved June 6th, 1994) that is the birth of the immortal child which then returns to the belly to be nurtured. Fifty days later after the birth of the baby shen a vision of the quintessence/original nature off all things is seen (achieved July 27th, 1994) and this achievement is the first stage of immortality according to Taoists. If all ends here you will be reborn after death to continue your practice with full knowledge of your past life Then at the end of the three year period the tiny body once again exits the forehead this time weaker and somewhat wispy. (achieved June 6th, 1997).

9 Years of eyes open mindfulness meditation “being the calm center amidst the chaos of activity” which begins with the alchemical process rising into the center of the brain where it transforms the internal power into Void - Confirmatory signs- Red Sparks blazing before the inner vision means the activity has moved from the lower elixir field to the middle one and at the end of the spray of sparks is an amber glow like a burning ember (achieved December 25th 1997). SPECULATION for 2006: Finally at the end of nine years the void body exits the top of the head and enters a world of pure being and endless light. Upon the return of this small body which has absorbed some of that endless light, it transmits that light to the physical body and it too will radiate light transforming it stage by stage into a body of pure energy.

Taoist Pilgimage

Making a change in lifestyle. I am taking a break from such a fanatical approach to my spiritual practice. I have been fasting, praying the Rosary for at least 5 hours a day, Tai Chi'ing for usually 2 hours and now I need a break. Thats enough yang practice now it will be yin for a time.

I am one day into this and what am I supposed to do with the time I suddenly have? I guess I will start with taking walks without destinations, sorta like a Taoist pilgimage...

Video of me.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6917934717022502315
This is me doing the Eight Energies of Taijiquan.

My masters master.

This video shows the greatest taijiquan master to ever hit the shores of America.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8162222609571015204&q=taijiquan

Video

Here is a good video of the 24 Form done really low and with really big arm movements. This lady is very good and I hope I am not breaking any laws posting the link. Just follow the link and click on PLAY VIDEO and enjoy.

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/view?&h=98&w=145&type=mpeg&rurl=www.lillesand-taekwondo.net%2Ftaiji_quan.html&vurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taiji.de%2Ftaiji%2Fhead5_3%2F24-form.mpg&back=p%3Dtai%2Bchi%2B24%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dsbcfp-video%26cv%3Dg%26x%3Dwrt&turl=scd.mm-so.yimg.com%2Fimage%2F1746823832&name=%3Cb%3E24%3C%2Fb%3E-form.mpg&no=15&tt=33&p=tai+chi+24&oid=ebd9656637590b14&size=12.7MB&dur=278

Chang San-Feng

The legendary master of taijiquan, named Chang San-Feng, is credited with writing the following description of the art he taught. While almost unknown in the West, it is considered scripture within the Chinese taiji community:

“In taijiquan your body should move in smooth waves like a long river. What is taijiquan? It is Ward Off (sky), Roll Back (ground), Press (river), Push Down (lightening), Split (thunder), Take (wind), Elbow (lake), and Shoulder (mountain). These are the eight energies. The five elements are Step Forward (metal), Step Backward (wood), Step Right (fire), Step Left (water), and Hold To The Center (earth). When these thirteen are combined it is called the original Tai Chi style.

When moving your body, every part should be coordinated correctly. Your internal energy should be focused three fingers below the navel. Seek perfection in your movements. Moving too much or too little and your body will not be coordinated. The feet stick to the ground. Power comes from the legs, is controlled by the waist and extended through the fingers. Power starts from the feet, then goes up the legs through the waist and then out the fingers in one coordinated and perfectly timed wave-like movement. If everything is coordinated then you can move effortlessly in any direction. If not adjust your stance.

Memorize the movements to make them instinctual. For every up there is down, go right then left, if you move forward you must go back. Clearly feel light and heavy in your body. This will allow you to sense light and heavy in your opponent. When you can do this, you will easily defeat your opponents”. The first energy of taiji is called Ward Off it moves forward and upward. It meets an attacking force head on, and upon contact it leads the incoming force into a curve through a spherical rotation. It is like pushing on a sphere that is spinning upwards. Force applied to this sphere rolls off the top of it.

Taiji forms all move from the physical center of the body located about three fingers below the navel. Along with this is keeping the hands and feet, the elbows and knees, and the shoulders and hips all aligned, and it is this that creates a spherical rotation that is the foundation of all taiji technique. The only thing that changes are the contact points that move steadily closer to the body and the direction of rotation. In the end, any part of the body that makes contact with an attacking force can roll it off itself.

What this means is that by just mastering one technique such as the first one called Ward Off, you perfect all the others as well. This is one of the reasons taiji is called the supreme ultimate martial art. It can actually be mastered in a very short period of time. The old taiji masters sometimes called taijiquan; ward off style, because of this principle.

Urch?

Looked like people practiced during the Christmas break. That's always nice to see. Thanks to Wanda teaching a couple extra moves to her people during the break everybody is at the same point in the form. It also looks like Rachel has a nickname I just learned which is "urch". Hmmm... must be a story.

Next week we'll dim the lights and light some candles to set the mood. Maybe even fire up some incense if nobody is in the room next door.

Cloud Hands- Remember everything moves with your dan tien. When your weight is on your right, your hands are over your right foot and when your weight is on your left, your hands are over your left foot. Left foot touches down ball first and right foot is heel first. Shift your weight ball to heel...ALWAYS!

You guys were really fun tonight. You make teaching worthwhile! Thanks!

Dates

These are the new dates, booyah!

SUNDAYS 2:00pm Jan 8-15-22-29Feb 5-12-19-26

TUESDAY 11:00am Jan 17-24-Feb 7-14-21-28-Mar7-14 (omit Jan 31 no room available)

THURSDAY 7:00pm Jan 12-19-26-Feb 2-9-16- 23 -Mar 2