I have read mixed reviews about the seminars of Kunlun, but what matters most is my gut feeling that never lets me down. For some reason I really enjoy this, and in my life, I haven't been able to keep up a practice day in and day out, but with Kunlun it is different. I am not struggling to force myself to do the practice, I just do it, feel it, enjoy it, and enjoy life. Right now, I am searching for truth, that which I know exists deep down, but I need to open myself up to see it, and experience it, once again. So anyway, here's where I am coming from spiritually:

I grew up as an unusually quiet kid and my family was homeless for over a year and a half living out in the woods in Oregon. Pretty much a year and a half camping trip where I was introduced to a lot of native american spirituality, while the rest of the kids were going to school.
At the age of 13, I had some pretty strange experiences.. I had a big growth spurt in which I gained a foot in a year, but the strangest were my dreams. I would wake up and objects from my dream would be manifested in my room. I scared the hell out of myself and my mom one night when I ran into her room, and there was a big snake behind me that was chasing me and then disappeared. I had other experiences like this, and eventually got into sports, and got into the whole high school life, while always still having a hidden urge for the extroardinary. One night when I was 18 after I had graduated high school, my grandma, who has many many great abilities that I did not know about, I started asking her random questions about the native americans and spirituality and she smiled, and we went outside and she grabbed my arms and shot so much energy into me, i suppose it was an empowerment that you guys call it, and I started doing wild things, like run a mile in unbelievable times, throw a fastball over 100 mph, and feel so much energy around me that it was hard to be around people. She helped me learn certain talents that I have always had, but never knew about.
For about 5 years, I knew what power was, and was filled with energy all the time, and I knew how to heal others, would do quite often when they had the flu or other illnesses. My aunt is a channeler, and introduced me to that, and allowed me to talk to certain entities, but I believe channeling is not for me, atleast I am not ready for that kind of thing, the risks are too much for me without a good teacher. I have always been kind to others, and I live by the golden rule "Only do upon others which you would like done upon yourself" and "If what you have to say is not better then silence, be silent" Also, I have a large desire to help others around me, ever since i've been a child, but was given the advice "You must help yourself before you can help anybody else, otherwise you will not do the will of help, you may hurt others".
My ultimate goal is to bring myself to the point where my self- realization and realization of the tao, and whatever abilities I may acquire are at one and equal to the amount of wisdom, knowledge and experience I have acquired. Until then I will not teach, I will only be a student that constantly observes and learns, and loves.
After starting Kunlun I am opening up to myself, and I believe I am gaining the self realization/ happiness through Kunlun. Kunlun just like many other arts, whether its qigong or martial arts, whatever it is, may get you to a certain level, may make you feel great, or feel power or have abilities, but I believe that the true understanding and wisdom of the tao and of life itself is the real goal, not the feeling of bliss, or the feeling of beating someone's ass.

I am planning on attending the Kunlun seminar in Phoenix 18-20 January, and I hope to meet anyone else here who is going to be attending.

Thats all from me,
I may be off on points, because I am young and learning each day, but I speak from my heart and how I feel.
I am here to learn from you all, and from myself. Good luck to all of you on your journeys.

Ben

good stuff!!!

If my condo sells I will definitely buy a ticket out to one of these seminars, since it seems like east coast is too far off. I've been having a great time with kunlun too, I just keep it all in my personal practice

Wow, awesome story!

Generally, the "quick studies" in Kunlun have had some prior energy experiences and achievement. They may be beginners in Kunlun...but are not beginners in energy work. So, this type of previous energetic background never surprises me anymore in those who have made some fast progress upfront.

It would be far rarer for a complete n00b with no energy work background to walk in off the streets and activate quickly. Which usually doesn't happen anyways - as Kunlun tends to attracts those who have at least already dabbled in some energy work.

You might want to read this post. It's about a half-Blackfoot/Shoshoni medicine man named Red Elk who grew up in Detroit - where he practiced "urban bushwhacking" as a kid. Then, various elders recognized and came to him and taught him many, many incredible things. Now, I've never met him, but he sure sounds like quite an incredible guy today...

And shows how he could still learn traditional ways in a modern setting. And also then extract the pure root out of traditional ways. I think this is happening now because we may be near some "end times" where old protocols are being relaxed just to get the info out in time.

Thanks, I'll check it out. I have cherokee blood in both my father and mother's sides of the family, and my grandma is an Osage. I'll ask her if she has heard of him, she has done some traveling, because she is an artist, so maybe she knows more.