For this month’s regular open-audience, open-discussion “Ask Us Anything” — continuing discussions about meditation and related topics — Denny and I review the 63 consecutive weeks of online practice Denny continues to lead. The original (amended) show notes are as follows:
(From Josh):
(Depending on temperament and experience level, some may find this chat tedious, overwrought, boring, too specific; or fascinating, affirming, inspirational, connective; or even redundant, low level, missing the mark. Please take only what is helpful.)
- General summary and overview of Denny (and Josh’s) practice(s)
- Review of Denny teaching pretty much everyday online since Co-V
- What are any common themes?
- Goals?
- What’s been learned?
- Challenges and rewards?
Practice questions:
- If I’m remembering correctly, on 4/10/21 Denny mentioned Metta as mindfulness of mind. This is a first for me. Maybe mindfulness of heart, or heart-mind? I would like to hear more details of this. And maybe if Denny feels there is a significant difference between more a more Asian definition of “heart” and “mind” and Western definition of “heart” and “mind?”
- Why only 3 breath exercises in chair?
- How does one find energy points on the inside and outside of legs? By noticing what areas are more sore or sensitive than others?
Some of my experiences and views while practicing with Denny (to be taken with a grain of salt):
- It is usually not immediate, but my back adjusts (automatically) sometimes during standing meditation. Tension releases and back aligns.
- During the microcosmic orbit my attention currently seems to go up really quick but seems more of a challenge to go down.
- For Yi Jin Jing . . .:
. . . it seems important to me to also remember to remove “daggers” after “stabbing”.
. . . also, the perception of opening the heart came to me during the “tearing the phone book” portion.
. . . and sometimes instead of “swallowing a universe” I occasionally hold a view of gathering and re-collecting all the energy requiring a redistribution then lawfully doing so — recirculation on a macro scale.
Miscellaneous views/observations:
- It is interesting that a significant gallbladder point is on the shoulders far away from gallbladder. Also interesting that so many energy points converge on the inside of the elbows.
- My 6 year old niece says I look like a chicken for the part sliding up the hands alongside the body right before jumping forward!
- I’ve heard one definition of the word Ānāpānasati broken down as the “pāna” portion is Pāli for the Sanskrit “prāṇa” and “prāṇa” is perhaps the Sanskrit equivalent of Qi or “breath or respiration; the breath of life, vital air, principle of life; energy or vigor; the spirit or soul.”
- If this perception is not totally distorted, maybe today’s version of yoga could be like getting a sort of living experiential connection to the historical Buddha’s general background practice environment during that time period. And maybe the meditation he taught (like Ānāpānasati) could be like a current day, living, direct experience that in a way links us to the Buddha’s awakening process by providing a container, a space, and groundwork for realizing his teachings.
Other mentions:
- Pranayama [the yogic breath practices I was trying to remember]
- The Last Dance: Michael Jordan Documentary 2020
- On Contradiction by Mao Zedong
- Shiva’s 112 Ways to Attain Enlightenment
- The Way of Shiva and Buddha – Sadhguru
- My comment to Denny after watching the above video but before watching What Happens if 114 Chakras are Activated?! | Occult & Mysticism | Sadhguru | Adiyogi:
Ah but with the handful of leaves teaching the buddha likely knew all these [112] ways and all the ways of the the other extreme [eternalism] of brahma and went beyond both and knew that the most pressing important issue here is suffering and what he taught went directly to suffering and the end of suffering
00:00 — mindful exercises including joints, stretching, etc
16:51 — tapping energy points
27:54 — massaging energy points
36:05 — 100 meeting energy point tapping
37:23 — massage and tapping of where 5 energy lines meet, back of knee tapping; holding tippy-toe posture
41:53 — five Qi abdominal breathing exercises
1:02:50 — sitting meditation
1:15:14 — Yi Jin Jing
1:27:44 — sitting meditation
1:31:12 — end of practice facial massage
1:35:20 — removal of bad Qi
Related Ask Us Anythings:
- Qigong and Daoyin | (1/26/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” with Denny K Miu)
- Chán, Zen and Yi Jin Jing | (3/30/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” with Denny K Miu)
- Corona-19, Hypertension and Qi | (2/23/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” with Denny K Miu)
- McMindfulness and The Mindfulness Industrial Complex | (12/29/2020 — “Ask Us Anything” with Denny K Miu) [Where Denny talks more about Sati the Hindu goddess]
Join “Ask Us Anything LIVE” next month, May 25, 2021 at noon Central Time via:
YouTube [ <<– custom link dennykmiu.com/youtube redirects to Denny’s YouTube channel]
Facebook [ <<– custom link dennykmiu.com/facebook redirects to Denny’s Facebook page]
Currently, for a chance to experience, practice, and receive Yi Jin Jing instructions from Denny — plus more mindful exercise (with me sometimes commenting post-practice) — join in free on Saturdays at 10am Central Time:
Integrating Presence 
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