Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

World Shakuhachi Discussion / Go to Live Shakuhachi Chat

You are not logged in.


Tube of delight!

#1 2009-01-15 08:19:28

utsilasi
Member
From: Torino - Italy
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 8
Website

terapeutic bamboo

Hi all!.Someone here in the forum talked about healing effects of bamboo plant (pandas would surely agree!)
can you please share your experience and knowledge about it?

Offline

 

#2 2009-01-15 22:01:03

Justin
Shihan/Maker
From: Japan
Registered: 2006-08-12
Posts: 540
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Hi Utsilasi
If you split bamboo open there is a white skin on the inside (seems a bit like rice paper). That I believe is good for asthma, drying mucus from the lungs. But better check with a qualified doctor first as I am not an expert.

Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/

Offline

 

#3 2009-01-16 05:53:40

utsilasi
Member
From: Torino - Italy
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 8
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Justin wrote:

Hi Utsilasi
If you split bamboo open there is a white skin on the inside (seems a bit like rice paper). That I believe is good for asthma, drying mucus from the lungs. But better check with a qualified doctor first as I am not an expert.

Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/

Is very interesting this further connection between bamboo and breath
thank you !
Cristiano

Last edited by utsilasi (2009-01-16 05:55:00)

Offline

 

#4 2009-02-06 06:09:16

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

I find that just having bamboo growing in pot is very therapeutic. There is nothing like bamboo blowing in the wind on a deck outside.I am also a bonsai enthusiast so bamboo has the same effect as bonsai for me. It is very meditative and calming.

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-06 06:20:29)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#5 2009-02-06 12:27:41

airin
Member
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Registered: 2008-10-17
Posts: 303
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

purehappiness, how does your bamboo fare over the winter?  Last Spring I got a little plant for my balcony here in Vancouver and this winter, which was a fairly cool and snowy one for us, the plant's leaves turned all brown.  Is that it?  Is it kaput?  Or will some new green shoots come up in the spring?

By contrast my three year old bonsai plants are doing very nicely and the cold hasn't affected them adversely at all.

Offline

 

#6 2009-02-06 14:15:50

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

I bring my bamboo in over the winter. I have a buddah belly bamboo that is more of a southern temp plant so it could die during the winter in connecticut. My black bamboo comes in as well. I keep them both in my basement by a slider that gives them indirect lighting. My buddah belly drops some leaves but makes it(I have had it for over 8 years now).My black bamboo makes it ok too. I have never left my black bamboo out over the winter for fear of it dieing on me. Yours may have died.It depends on how hardy it is. Plus being in a small pot makes it more vulnerable. If the branches are brittle that is a bad sign. They should bend but not break.I would bring it in and put it by a window maybe. Hopefully it will come back. Or you could cover the pot with mulch and hopefully it will make it thru the winter. I would imagine in vancouver the winters can be much worse than connecticut.Although, I have been seeing temps in the -10 degree mark lately. It is cold here this winter.

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-06 14:59:06)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#7 2009-02-06 15:34:40

airin
Member
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Registered: 2008-10-17
Posts: 303
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Thanks for that info pureH.  We have quite a bit of bamboo growing in gardens around here and on balconies but I have read that the plant is vulnerable in its first two years so, yeah, maybe this one won't pull through...  if that's the case I'll get another plant this spring and then take that one inside, as you have suggested, during the next winter.  This patio gardening has  certainly been a learning process for me.

Offline

 

#8 2009-02-06 15:52:12

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Thats the thing. You need to learn what you need to do for your particular area and what plants will survive and such. I went thru a bunch of bonsai until I finally got what survives in my area. It is all  a learning process. Like shakuahchi it can take many years to learn.I have been practicing bonsai for probably 15 years or so and have leanred a lot and unfortunately, lost a lot of trees. Bamboo has been pretty good. I just tried planting my black bamboo in bonsai soil and just found that the bamboo will stay small like bonsai. That was something new for me. I am going to try that with my buddah belly bamboo this spring. One nice thing about bamboo is you just need to cut off some of the rhysome and you can start a new plant.Happy planting smile

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-06 15:54:31)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#9 2009-02-07 03:26:10

Kiku Day
Shakuhachi player, teacher and ethnomusicologist
From: London, UK & Nørre Snede, DK
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 922
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Oh, so you keep a Buddha belly bamboo in a pot. That's a good idea. I would love to have that when I move into my new house in the Western part of Denmark.
Purehappiness, can you post a picture of the bamboo?
I have a shakuhachi made from Buddha belly bamboo. When I was living in New Zealand I played shakuhachi one evening in a teepee at a festival. A guy came up to me and told me he had all the bamboo imported to N.Z. growing on his land and if I could make a shakuhachi from it, he would give me a special bamboo. That was the Buddha belly bamboo. Murai Eigoro helped me making it. It only plays well in the lower octave, but it looks great !


I am a hole in a flute
that the Christ's breath moves through
listen to this music
Hafiz

Offline

 

#10 2009-02-07 06:07:07

ABRAXAS
Member
Registered: 2009-01-17
Posts: 353

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Kiku Day wrote:

I have a shakuhachi made from Buddha belly bamboo. When I was living in New Zealand I played shakuhachi one evening in a teepee at a festival. A guy came up to me and told me he had all the bamboo imported to N.Z. growing on his land and if I could make a shakuhachi from it, he would give me a special bamboo. That was the Buddha belly bamboo. Murai Eigoro helped me making it. It only plays well in the lower octave, but it looks great !

That was going to be my next question!

A friend of mine who owns a nusery gave me some timber bamboo and several long pieces of buddha belly bamboo. They have been curing for about 2 weeks now. I thought it would be amusing to attempt to make a shakuhachi from the buddha bamboo just to see if it was possible; how did it go for you? Any special tips? What length did you make it?


"Shakuhachi music stirs up both gods and demons." -- Ikkyu.

Offline

 

#11 2009-02-07 06:30:12

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

I will see about taking a picture today or in the next couple of days. It does not have a lot of the fat nodes  because it only does this in drought conditions. When there is not a lot of water the nodes get small and distort giving the plant its buddah belly shape. I have been watering it daily so it looks like a regular bamboo except for a few stalks. I will take a close up of those too.The actual name is bambusa ventricosa. I was just thinking last night about possibly making a flute out of my buddah belly bamboo. Unfortunately, the stalks stay small because it is in a pot. This spring I am going to plant it in some bonsai soil. This should make the nodes really swell and have the buddah belly appearance.I have some black bamboo too but it stays small because I have it in a pot too. Actually, the only black bamboo I have right now is in bonsai soil so it is staying real small. I will take a picture of that too to show you.

Edit:Actually, I have a couple pieces of buddah belly that I cut a few years back that are dried that have nice swelled nodes. There not big pieces but they show the the buddah belly look.I will take a picture of those too. If I can find them.

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-07 06:34:30)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#12 2009-02-07 07:42:48

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

airin wrote:

I have read that the plant is vulnerable in its first two years so,

That has to do with rootball mass I would think. The smaller the root mass the eaiser it is to kill the plant. The same goes for bonsai. The larger the pot and rootmass the stronger the plant will become.
That is why bonsai soil is usually the last step after a bonsai has been grown to its desired shape. The bonsai soil will keep its growth more manageable.I am not claiming to be an expert though. There is so much I don't know.

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-07 07:46:13)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#13 2009-02-07 11:48:28

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Here are the pictures.



http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7012/dsc01172ru7.jpg
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/dsc01172ru7.jpg/1/w450.png

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6438/dsc01173ak0.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/dsc01173ak0.jpg/1/w800.png

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/7419/dsc01175zt9.jpg
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/dsc01175zt9.jpg/1/w800.png

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/7805/dsc01174yz6.jpg
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/dsc01174yz6.jpg/1/w450.png

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-07 15:52:30)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#14 2009-02-07 17:54:23

Dun Romin
Member
From: Holland
Registered: 2008-04-19
Posts: 136

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Holland is not a bamboo-country and it's freezing cold in winters as wel, nonetheless I have different types of bamboo in my garden. Also a black one, and they are doing fine. They are of winter-resitant-types (just asked for that when I bought them), they loose some leaves at the end of winter/early spring, but they grow new ones, as they also grow new twigs. All are smaller types, smile no flutes to be made. But a friend has real big ones (no madake, but almost as thick) in his garden, also doing fine and he promised I could take some out to try to make flutes. First I have to find some instructions how to do that though, so 'my' pieces still flourish in his garden.


Tomorrow's wind only blows tomorrow. (Koji)

Offline

 

#15 2009-02-08 11:08:10

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

I am going to have to pick up some madake just to keep in a pot. It may not grow big enough for a flute but it will be nice to have. smile

Edit: Perhaps,if planted in a large enough pot, I may get a piece large enough for a flute one day. smile

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-08 11:32:32)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#16 2009-02-08 14:12:25

Dun Romin
Member
From: Holland
Registered: 2008-04-19
Posts: 136

Re: terapeutic bamboo

That try-out will certainly be fun. Please, let us know if you succeed. smile I see it coming already: 'How do you recognise fellow shakuhachi-lovers?' They grow madake bamboo in pots.


Tomorrow's wind only blows tomorrow. (Koji)

Offline

 

#17 2009-02-08 14:33:13

Kiku Day
Shakuhachi player, teacher and ethnomusicologist
From: London, UK & Nørre Snede, DK
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 922
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

ABRAXAS wrote:

That was going to be my next question!
A friend of mine who owns a nusery gave me some timber bamboo and several long pieces of buddha belly bamboo. They have been curing for about 2 weeks now. I thought it would be amusing to attempt to make a shakuhachi from the buddha bamboo just to see if it was possible; how did it go for you? Any special tips? What length did you make it?

The Buddha belly bamboo flute was something like... 2.4 I think. Perhaps a little less.
It was hard to tune it because it had so many nodes. Murai managed to help me tune it in the lower octave but because the bamboo is so wide it was impossible to tune it in the higher octaves. Perhaps someone like Ken, who is a magician tuning fat flutes could have made a decent flute out of it. But since then all the nodes have also made it vulnerable for cracks.
I will post a picture of it when I get back to London where it is.


I am a hole in a flute
that the Christ's breath moves through
listen to this music
Hafiz

Offline

 

#18 2009-02-08 14:38:33

Dun Romin
Member
From: Holland
Registered: 2008-04-19
Posts: 136

Re: terapeutic bamboo

That would be great Kiku.


Tomorrow's wind only blows tomorrow. (Koji)

Offline

 

#19 2009-02-08 14:51:44

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

I would love to see a picture of the buddah belly flute too.That would be great.


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#20 2009-02-09 02:15:03

Kiku Day
Shakuhachi player, teacher and ethnomusicologist
From: London, UK & Nørre Snede, DK
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 922
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

Will do. Remind me! smile
Purehappiness, thank you for postng the picturs of your bamboo. It looks great! I have to have that in my new house!


I am a hole in a flute
that the Christ's breath moves through
listen to this music
Hafiz

Offline

 

#21 2009-02-09 06:54:55

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

You will most likely have to keep it outside on a deck or something on the warmer months. I tried growing some black bamboo in my house and it did not make it. Bamboo loves direct sunlight and lots of it.Although, the piece I tried growing in the house had just been transplanted by my wife at the wrong time of the year. If you transplant it in the spring and let it grow all summer outside it could most likely handle being inside during the winter months.Mine do.smile

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-09 06:57:46)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#22 2009-02-09 08:46:05

Jeff Cairns
teacher, performer,promoter of shakuhachi
From: Kumamoto, Japan
Registered: 2005-10-10
Posts: 517
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

I'd be interested to see how madake does in a pot.  It shoots off of a runner root unlike clump bamboo which will do well in a pot.

Last edited by Jeff Cairns (2009-02-09 08:47:16)


shakuhachi flute
I step out into the wind
with holes in my bones

Offline

 

#23 2009-02-09 09:14:40

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

My black bamboo is a runner and it does ok in a pot. It can get rootbound fast though so needs repotting maybe every 2 years or so.

The shoots will hit the edge of the pot and start to follow the pot then pop out along the edge of the pot. When you go to transplant it you will see all kinds of curly rhysomes.smile

Unfortunately, I have only gotten culms about the size of a pencil. So, I may never get a shoot big enough for a flute. Unless, I get a real large pot and leave the roots alone.

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-09 09:33:18)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#24 2009-02-10 20:14:26

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: terapeutic bamboo

A sumi I did of my buddah belly. It is not the best but I thought I would post it anyway.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4096/buddahbellyfx0.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/buddahbellyfx0.jpg/1/w1275.png

Last edited by purehappiness (2009-02-11 07:15:03)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#25 2009-03-10 16:10:28

Kiku Day
Shakuhachi player, teacher and ethnomusicologist
From: London, UK & Nørre Snede, DK
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 922
Website

Re: terapeutic bamboo

I just remembered that I had promised to post pictures of my Buddha Belly Bamboo shakuhachi !
Sorry, just taken with my mobile phone for now....

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll13/kikuday/DSC00041.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll13/kikuday/DSC00040.jpg


I am a hole in a flute
that the Christ's breath moves through
listen to this music
Hafiz

Offline

 

Board footer

Powered by PunBB
© Copyright 2002–2005 Rickard Andersson

Google