Tissue to Fluids to CNS to Spirit

Just wanting to add a few thoughts to this- (below two videos reference not only specifics related to the tissues, and the developmental guidelines, but how the various components that James mention can be seen as parts of a whole, in a practice)…
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The one thought I’d add (this is just my perspective- as I have a very distinct energetic focus), as recognizing the dynamics- outer being either a distinct Yang or Yin quality (as we perceive and work with them) then the dynamics-inner a sense of flux and transfer between a Yang&Yin quality (the “energy” being that flow of change, but still in the manifestation)… even getting to the full linkage of Liang-I (where that dyn-flux is unbroken as it shifts, not clearly either yin nor yang, but still solidly within the lvl of duality)… TaiChi- then being the step beyond and yet also underlying all the prior.. (one not stepping towards transitioning from Chi-E, to Mind- until accessing TaiChi, and Spirt/Shen is actually in the realm of emptiness, Wu/Hsu.. the material out of which/in which TaiChi is and thence, etc.)
Above may seem a diversion, but while I’d fully agree with the point that the “warmups” have much more to them than might seem (thus I put that term in quotes- to do repetitiously would be like doing them mindless, and as Bruce said, “There are no mindless movements in internal martial arts.”– rather not only have the movement alive, but as they come ‘online’ involve them in, and then layer a bit more.. and then a bit more.. (thence the bricks&mortar of one’s foundation is even what your “walking” is upon, let alone any “palm shapes” …the more that is wired-in the foundation, it is just online..
(thus, I’d agree that the working with chi-chi, vs chi-of emotions, or chi-of mind, is inherent in these movements, but only after incorportated in… but working with/using the chi-chi, let alone the chi of the emotional field (used to accompany and even back-up/drive your movements), is not yet moving into the “Chi” (“Mind” being distinct from thoughts, as activity of the mind, and distinct for how that is filtered/distorted by the CNS representation… many systems see the symbolic-signals in the CNS that rep/are triggered by thought as the same as thought itself)
(as in Ching, Chi/Mind, Shen/Mind…).. Shen (and thus ShenGung) being working with the TaiChi (at least) and Empty aspects of things (and not the Yin&/or Yang energetic dynamic polarities.. once they have expressed in these distinctions, one is perhaps in a reflection of some aspect of the E-channels… but distinctly within the Ching level (even if flows&forces are noticed driving and affecting, beneath the surface.)

-just as another view, not to argue fluid-components as being an area to focus upon, as James mentions well.. rather only I wouldn’t think that goes quite as far (again my view)…. [I also find that the “flow”-ooze feeling in the marrow, let alone a movement shape, like a twist, in the marrow– in distinct areas, let alone “linking them up” so that it travels a flow alone arm to fingers- ie jumping through each joint-capsule, is quite a different thing from blood, or even myofascial ‘pressure’ inward on the bones… –it would seem A) CNS, and PNS, along with Fluids like Blood and Synovial, and C) the fascial-springy tissue could/should all be sensed, or at least ‘sought’ .. as I think access to those three are different paths (and noticing the CNS, and PNS, buzz-static can be quite noticable soon.. even if it takes a while to figure out what the heck that refers to).
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* Module 11, Video Lesson 39 (Rotating, Spiraling and Twisting the Legs)
to clearly differentiate the two aspects described and demoed (he doesn’t show or detail the third in title- “spiraling”)… but note how the partner exer at the end- moving “appendix” area to have resultant movement.. this is in the “warmups” (even the kwa Sqs, more so in the DragonBody turns, but in the three “strikes”– especially focus on the “palm strike”.. (all the double&wind palm aspects of the Etheric field, feeling outward and contact/listen, and pull inward.. as well as sending the density of Yi to certain points.. all that, along with the dropping/rising -root, is all within and driving the “palm strike”.. have all that “on line” and warmed-up before start to reach in and out with a leg-foot (that same rotation-reaching/pulling that the arm does in the palm strike, in each step).

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* [the next video #40, has three parts, the first- as titled- re 8 drunken-immorts.. but also clear demo of the chi-flux-flow, same dynamic actually stronger though less visible in the int’l arts, then second- further “cautions” and building infrastructure… lastly, brief, DoublePalm demo.]

I don’t know how many others might have had the thought and been impressed by the challenge of the detail, as I was/am, but as mentioned the twisting (first “Turn” or “Rotate” freely, and ‘then’ Engage the tissues more in filling-in that twist), also the opening/stretch of stance (whether overt, or ‘covert’ lengthen-out and lengthen-in even if not stepping as large)—- if each of the 8 palmsbuilds incrementally… from each palm to the next, (let alone over time as you start a practice sesssion, and then practice longer in a single session = ‘warm-up’, as well as over time/expertise… even the single-palm change incremental-ratchets up a bit)… how to have the steps be incremental and stable (ie.. if you raise too-much from single to double, and then tried to further raise it to Wind.. that might be at-near 100%.. let alone, further palms).

–in other words, how to do a set of practice where you say start out at N degree, and then add a bit, and then add a bit.. so that near-end of practice you have leveled up (but at no point jumped big, and then have to barely increase.. ie all the slack is gone, but rather have each of the steps the same degree of increase.) Another, more concrete application, which is tricky, same concept: Doubling speed. (early on he mentioned starting out walking-speed at a level that you could “double” 4xs… this could be taken to mean that you have five speeds… the “top speed” being 70%.. pushing it, but not too fast, and then half that, then half that.. etc.. How slow would one need to start? (and is each level actually half/double? as Bruce mentions often people “double” by increasing 3or4times.. and then faster again.. .and then can’t increase further, so it all breaks-down.
So even getting a calibration of different “speed” ~gears.. how “fast” does each speed feel, can shift between each (without having to count or otherwise overly think to set a certain speed…. even doing 3 levels.. “Slow, Med, Fast” is challenging to keep the speeds steady and distinct (and rather than 1,2,3 -three even steps.. instead X, 2X, 4X (then 8X, 16X), etc.

This control of the incrementation of the stepping, the degree of stretch, how “engaged” the twist is internally, how much the fluids are ‘recruited’.. even how much the chi-field (rising- dropping.. as in the DoublePalm change, but as trained in the second “warmup” Squats.. -do three ways: moving outwardly squating linking to assist the mind projecting/releasing down (rebound from root, without losing your deep-stability ‘as’ it rises), second: moving very little (even just in joints) while having that same degree of elevator stomach-drop feeling, penetraing-extending downward, Thirdly: able to do solely via the internal drop feeling, which should produce a clear feeling of shifting physically…
This in the “warmups” – and has the same increase as above (start with a slight enough feeling, so you can incrase a bit, then double, then double that.. etc.. so that you don’t “Flash in the pan” -not burst-push.. break, done.. rather can you sustain.. (whether a turn/rotation, or a twist, or a lengthening, or an energetic extension), can you exert it and hold it a bit, and only ‘ease-off’ as you decide, not have it shut-off. (so often we train ourselves to do- push.. and mind-focus disperses, and the entire nerve-signal was set to start and just go off like a shove, vs a sustained push&ease-off…
How then slowly ease up, so you build to a level, so at that peak you don’t just flare out (of any effort), and then ease back down, AND have each step up (and perhaps back down) steady and even in increments (just like a breath, and/or a joint-open-close shouldn’t be faster Inhale than Exhale, or one-speed starting to open, and then another speed on the second half-of-opening.. etc.. all parts evenly steady on a circle (each part of a circle-cycle rotation, as well as one repetition of that cycle to the next.. the first being all steps in sequence of a rep, the second being comparing each of the reps… consistency, allows then noticing the instabilities…

Hello there, indeed- that lesson you mention (along with the “arriving at the natural breath” and “reaching a pt of stillness” (along with “Flowing through experiences” and “the space between yin and yang”) seem to hint at an overlap that is key, and tricky to get.. and the pt you make of a progression is useful. Its just that I think part of that could be misunderstood (even if you didn’t mean it this way).

In regards to: (copied from OP)
“Along the way you are gaining more and more access to the central nervous system, CNS. And the CNS is our bridge to spirit.
Spirit is what directs the mind.”

Bruce often uses the phrase/concept- the Power of Yes, and the Power of No… There is a distinction between what stops even thing (the power of No), a blockage, from doing-the-thing (aspects and steps of that doing, the seq/dependencies, etc) form the power of Yes.

If you alleviate all the power of no(s) [there may be more than one]. then you have to work on ‘each’ of the power of yes(s).. or to put more simply- just as the static-distortion in the CNS ‘blocks’ access, one could plan to walk to someplace but you have a chain handcuffed to your wrist (and chain anchored to the wall)… that is the power of No. No matter what do, you won’t be going if you stay “locked up” (stuck in place, inertia and/or disassociation with what is actually happening).
Now if you “unlock” the handcuff (or cut, or disconnect, the chain) you can move.. but if you don’t move, but stay sitting there, even though free… no longer “the power of No” but missing progress via a “power of Yes”…
if you get up and walk … but you don’t know the path to get to your desired destination (how-to, the progression seq, preparation, or just general-direction or ‘knowing what it is like” so you’ll recognize it when you see it.. not know what it is like, how know if you find it?)… or another “power of No” (say a hallway, with a locked door- either “open the door” – find a way to slip-through/around/over- or – backtrack hallway and find another branching that goes fwd, avoiding door.. (but then the ‘path’ & map? changes.. still have directions?)

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You may have implied/understood that, or perhaps you’d disagree (I don’t want to assume or put-words-into), but that was my intention on mentioning that (big picture, my compulsion-desire to make my statements as complete as I can, for different stages, so can be unclear compared to just one-meaning).

I’d go further and reference Bruce’s comments (this is a bit different subject, but I think a metaphor-relation) re the “enlightenment game” such that achieving a sense of presence/awareness and ability to act from/with the 7th Energy-body (and in an integrated way, in that Ebody, and integrated with all the other Ebodies) is just getting the chips to enter the “enlightenment game”
(the option avail to get a seat at the table, and then ‘ante up’… then have to see what your hand is/ cards dealt.. and hopefully know the rules of game, etc.. in terms of the metaphor)…..

how long can stay playing at a time, in a round, which is the work at that level to even begin (his emphasis, getting there, to essence, is just beginning, but many reference as that being the end, the destination.) -others can imply that reaching the 4th (mental) or 5th Ebody is reaching the destination of enlightenment (thus you can’t truly ‘begin’ to get past your mind, until you get past your nervous system”..

the art of meditation starts with a “tool” a medium (like a sculpture can use clay, you need to get a lump of clay, and that lump of clay is found outside of- being in that place “beyond/before the mind”.. so need to stabilize there, and then look and find/access that.. then, just like soft-tissue lengthening &/or twisting, one needs to figure out how-to work with this “thing”- how? what? and gain the coordination, etc.
(just as beginning lengthening/twisting is sort of flopping and struggling- not sure how to start, and then get a hint and can start to gain skill.. but can’t really do anything “with” lengthening until can do-it-on-command (so to speak- like being able to write, at first: full focus, and max concentration, and a kid writes what is barely readable… that is writing, but not the same as once can “do” writing.. . then uses as a tool to write-msgs.. etc. a new world/area of operation, allows one to work/think/act outside-with that..

[like the ‘clay’ of the mind outside of nervous-system, which is CNS, but also PNS… learn what can be done-with that, just as the “chips” in the game are “using” essence to do ___, beyond just having it.]

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(many “nondual” schools I’ve heard talk seem to be coming from an awareness and presence at the chi of the 3rdEbody and call that awakening-enlightenment…

-which is a subtler quality of energy, and thus a deeper “layer”, as well as the size of chi-body/aura can expand a sphere, a room, or even a stadium, and then operate/feel/affect in there… the 3rd Ebody, as Bruce says, extends out beyond Jupiter, or is a bit bigger.. to feel/sense within that field, let alone at that level of subtly, vs think/act from say the body (men-phy) thoughts, or even a chi-representation, and send through the 3rd, 4th or 5th energy

-anyway, different meanings can be imposed, and often it seems it is interpreted “emotions” I feel-think emotions as hormone and muscle-nerve states in body so that is the 3rd Ebody, and the 4th Mental body is my awareness of the word-image thoughts in my head…. -I see that as misleading (my perspective), so just to make that distinction explicit.)

gee trying to explicate what I wrote before, to clarify it adds some which I felt I needed to clarify as well- so above lengthened a bit (and thus can also twist).. so hopefully will add to understanding of those working on this, and perhaps reading this.

(any who might disagree, or wish to add, or tangent an aspect of this- or see a way this integrates -informs?- one’s practice, most welcome… otherwise, I hope this is seen to add upon what James wrote here, even if this seems to cover more than one is working with now.) – cheers

As you mention, in below quote, I’d agree- and it seems I was unclear (and longer post trying to make sure I wasn’t unclear and only convoluted it.

“but there are also clear markers along the way.
Bruce’s quote is referring to one of them.”

His phrase the Power of Yes vs the Power of No (or “what allows to do” vs ” what does not allows to do/what blocks/binds”).. as in the quote you list, “until.. you can not begin.. is a “power of No” (but once you can get past, to begin is another process… issue not being with Bruce’s statement, but with how I believe another could read your/James’s post, in that getting past the CNS ‘is’ then “getting past your mind” rather than only the first step in access to doing that…).

“If I understand correctly, you don’t seem to like the definiteness of Bruce’s statement:”

So I regards that, I don’t think that is what I meant- but I may misunderstand what you mean by that. – I believe, from how I interpret how you are referencing above, and in other posts, that I actually like the definiteness of Bruce’s statement(s) (each and as a whole). -but I hope I’m not adding confusion by my attempt to unpack greater clarity and steps from what you/James wrote (I hope you don’t read my response(s) as attempting to dismiss or alter what you wrote/presented.. only to add to, and perhaps not seem to blur aspects together (such as walking to a door and opening it, is not stepping through the door to the other-side, let alone operating in that other-place beyond the door.. 3 different steps and realms-of-action)

– so to me that isn’t my contrasting to the definiteness in Bruce’s statement, rather that I was trying to explicate part of what he was being definite about..

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and yet in your last paragraph it seems perhaps you might be resonating, at least partially, with what I was thinking/writing.. as I’d agree with those two thoughts (and I thought in my few posts on this thread I was implying that, but perhaps not- along with examples and reference-steps)….

.. I myself do like the idea & method of markers along the way, choices interconnected paths (to reveal and develop the dependencies needed to stack in seq, as well as what can be worked-upon separating- then later linked up.. to develop to new context-access’es).

I hope any others reading this might receive some insight (even if it is purely their own thoughts/perspective, rather than the specifics presented here- by James, or even what I might add), I’m curious what others might respond-resonate with to what J.L. has put-forth?