qin00b

Yes, that's why I'm waiting to finish this cycle before starting a new method.

Thanks. I'll put it on my list to start after my current gong of Fragrant qigong is completed.

That video is not so good. Use the video recommended here instead: That entire thread should be helpful for you and answer your questions, although I don't think too many people kept up with it for the recommended 3 months. I'm only about 6 weeks into it and like most of my qigong practices, it turns into a slog around then. Interestingly, I've had 0 motivation to practice any other form of qigong alongside this one, so mixing was a concern when I started, but no longer. What I mean by it being a slog is that at first, there's the definite feeling of progress (and possibly a minor form of qi sickness), then there's a sense of "getting it" and sometime after the first month, the progress seems to level off and going through the motions seems tedious, but it picks up again in the last month or so...

Very good. Thanks for sharing.

I can visualize something that sounds right - I used to do something similar with a heavy bag while learning kickboxing. If you could make a video, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Any resources to review to learn this?

I've just been following along to the vid of Tian's daughter (got the Dolic vid, but it doesn't have anything more to offer in terms of technique that isn't available to someone with close observation skills in the aforementioned vid, tho it has a couple extra exercises I haven't incorporated yet). There is one fragrant teacher near me that I've found, but clearly doesn't _get it_ as they end each session with a visualization drill….so, I'll keep looking, but practicing alone until then.

In one document I read (the infamous pdf floating around), it was said that one can practice other things, so long as they don't involve the mind (visualizations, etc.). This form of qigong appealed to me specifically because it was a no-mind thing. Tian recommends, per this document, that one can even practice with a TV or music going (so long as one can "hear without listening" or maybe it was the other way around). It might even be preferable than doing it in silence…. But, your post was years ago. Did you decide to continue with it? If so, how's it going?

Interesting. Thanks. I'll keep an eye out as it were. Fortunately, I'm not so advanced. Although, I did notice some weird muscle twings when practicing that I wasn't expecting (and before reading your post), so perhaps there's something to this….

Can you expand on this? Why would deviations occur for the trained, but not the untrained? I'm only a few sessions in, but am enjoying it thus far.

Thanks for the reminder about Foundation. Got the books coming from the library and will check out their vids. It seems the greatest impediment to my sitting meditations is back pain…I can't seem to make it past a half hour without needing to drastically switch positions. Fortunately, I've been able to not come too far out of my state during the shift to a new position, but I do feel like I'm "losing some ground." After getting past the back hurdle, I suspect I'll have to wrestle with the legs falling asleep, but that's a problem for a different time.

Bit late to the party, but i've been doing a seated ZZ posture as an adjunct/part of qigong, doing about 15 minutes (more or less depending on how my back is doing) And I try to get in a few minutes of ZZ whenever I can. I'll try to set a timer with 2 minute intervals and move through on section of hands to the floor, hands facing, then pointing to lower dan tien, middle dan tien and finally upper dan tien. I find that it's not so hard to hold my legs in a moderately bent position in this manner. I've also been trying to more fully energize the dan tiens by holding that position for 10 minutes, tho' depending on how the rest of the day's gone, back pain might make it a shorter session. I'll try to do that daily until I feel heat in the affected body region within a couple minutes of starting and/or spontaneous movements. Once I can do that reliably, I'll move on to the next stage (The assumption is that the hands/appropriate dan tien is "full" or properly energized and you can move on to the next bit). Working on middle dan tien now. When practicing, I try to maintain a posture as relaxed as I am able in a state of no-mind. This took some weeks to get used to, but now the "space between thoughts" is decently long and I generally release tension as much as I'm able to without thinking. The session ends when tension becomes so great, I can't release it and/or can't stop thinking about it. For smaller doses, I'll try to take a deep stance (keeping in mind ChiRunner's cues) for a shorter time, such as while I'm waiting for coffee to brew. This is mostly just a strengthening exercise, but I'm told that having the deeper stance will generate more energy, but it's harder to release to feel it moving….

I'm glad you mentioned the friction - I've read others describe this as drawing up so much yin/earth energy that you melt your own shoes.

Maybe I should have added more nuance. The way I learned from my martial arts background was that respect (for a new teacher or student) was the default - and rather than being something earned, it was something you lost. Although, barring outright fraud or danger, we were taught to let the teacher do their thing. I recall being in a self-defense seminar held by my company. They brought in a JKD guy who taught the general sort of self-defense stuff you teach to beginners with no training. However, I surmised that the guy was a total clown and couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag. Unbeknownst to me, another coworker had some basic MA training and wanted to call the guy out, so asked to be the uke and blasted him with a different combo than what the drill was (I think dude actually split the instructor's lip). To his credit, the instructor stayed calm and said something like, "sometimes you get hit and that's OK. You can keep moving." Next demo, he looked for a new uke and I subtly raised my hand. Should have been obvious to him that I had some training, so he chose me and was tense for the first exchange, presumably fearing I'd try to show him up as well. I fired off whatever the combo was, quickly and accurately, but light and with no intention to land, but to allow it to look as real as the dude who attacked the instructor, but so he could finish his demo. I finished out the class getting swept, taken down, etc. as a good uke would. I'm 100% sure the instructor knew I could flatten him and could have taught a more helpful class, but I gave him the respect due an instructor doing their best. I was a student and he was a teacher….Had anyone asked me if they should train with that guy, I'd have said no, he's a moron. But all the same, I wasn't about to disrupt the class.

100%. Always respect the teacher - they're teaching me their way, I'm going to learn their way.