Hi Curious,
Good question...
I will throw out a few ideas for you to consider, as the question doesn't have a fixed answer.
1) In the big picture, advancing in SFQ, or experiencing higher levels of being, or greater self realization, within the context of SFQ, involves one with ever increasing the 'time' , spent in meditation.
This is, just as significant a means for advancement, as new material. You currently know small universe. This is not, by any means, a 'beginners level only' meditation. There is also , I believe, a one hour version of small universe available. Increasing your meditation time to one hour, will advance you in your practice, significantly. You don't pass through sm universe, and graduate from it. It is a very useful meditation at advanced levels of practice. If one was approaching, say, significantly longer meditations, say 1 1/2 to 2 hour meditations, sm universe would still be a significant consideration, to take into that.
2) Developing one's sitting position is an area within one's practice, that advancements can be made. Moving from a chair, or lying down, to the ability to sit crosslegged, then half lotus, then lotus. Although one can effectively get benefits from meditation in any position, there are added benefits to developing a lotus postion, which involves all the gradations, up to that. This work can procede, regardless of the level material one is practicing. I suspect, many people explore or consider other things, to increase flexibility, in approaching lotus sitting. I found that intuitive skills developed through 'longer meditations'(as opposed to specific ones), can come into play, guiding oneself in the right direction concerning everything. Perhaps, some people read up on , or look at yoga stretches, etc. Everyone is different. Just sitting , and doing it, as long as you have a good overall SFQ practice, will move you in the right direction regarding this. Remember that your active exercise, helps you with your physical state of being. You can address soreness for instance, in your active exercise, keeping the energy moving. In general 'gradual' growth is good, regarding this. Avoid extremes. If you injure yourself, you just have to spend time repairing, as opposed to gradual advancement.
3) In level II, you learn the techniques to doing healing work on other people. Learning the technique, and actually doing this healing work on other people, are not one in the same. If you work on other people, again, you will advance significantly. There is an aspect to engaging in that activity, that opens up another dimension of experience, and you 'will' learn things and experience things, that you wouldn't, if you didn't do it. I realize we are not all interested in pursuing healing work, regarding working on others, but I would strongly suggest tasting those waters, as you will learn and experience new things, that inturn, make you a more effective qigong practioner. Even if you work on yourself and your own family, it is a different dynamic to approach helping a person you don't know, with a blockage. It involves aspects regarding self confidence, trusting and knowing the material, and developing a working relationship/inner dialogue with the 'master's energy', to mention a few. Personally, I have experienced very valuable things helping other people, that I would not have experienced, not having gone there. Think of those high attributes like compassion and unconditional love. These are incredible energies to experience in purer forms, and play greatly , into doing healing work.
4) Now, back to your original question , if the above doesn't move you to go deeper into what you already know...
If you have completed level I and II, 'and', have a good practice of regularly engaging in this material as given, including a regular meditation practice, I think it is okay to engage with these meditations , apart from the actual clinic or retreat. These CD's in and of themselves, 'do not' replace the experience, or include all the material, in level III. Or, the aspect of direct contact with Master Lin. My experience was, that he personally connects , in some way, to people taking level III, and, it is relative to that level and one's growth, to that point. Level III, in the complete sense, 'requires' your being there. You would miss some potentially significant aspects of that level, if you didn't do it 'with' Master Lin. The CD's are, self explanatory, but they aren't like a software program, that you just plug in and download, and come to higher level. It is, the quality of your self practice that takes you to higher levels. The time you spend practicing the material. The depth of your practice at each or any level. It may be hard to have the perspective where you currently sit, but you do have basic elements of qigong material, already, that can take you to very advanced levels. Your current material, if you really expand your practice within it, can, not only prepare you for level III, it can move you , in ways, past it. Your time in meditation, your frequency of practice, the daily time spent,,,exploring single exercises that you increase the times in, all can advance you significantly. This is, real growth, not just new material, in and of itself. Believe me, real growth is noticed, and acknowledged by people in the know, and of course, by Master Lin. You have, no limitations, where you sit. You can , keep advancing in ways that will serve you very well, when you do add the experience of level III. After you do level III, you are, back in the same place regarding your growth. It is, more to do with how you practice , not what you practice. All the elements in advanced qigong practice, are essentially introduced, and set in motion, in beginning practice methods.
love,
gallen
