zen-bear

Hi Loann, Thanks for your input of experience of doing FP Qigong while taking medications. You pose a tough question that will require me to do some research some reading in my PDK. I actually have a life sciences background form college and may be able to provide some basic explanation about how FPQ training can interact with psychopharma prescriptions. But I'm glad to hear that you've been experiencing good results from the FPQ while you've been taking psychopharmaceuticals--I assume some forms of Beta-blockers? For now, until I do more research and think about it, recall my most basic explanation of how the FPQ works: Through its alchemic formula of consciously coordinating the functions of posture, breathing, and mental focus, it perfects the regulatory function of autonomic nervous system and promotes all visceral (organ) functions. To the extent that ppharma's such as beta-blockers prevent natural hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine from binding to the Beta receptors on the nerves, they will slow down the natural self-healing effects of the FPQ to some degree. It's safe to say that this possible slow-down or dilution of the FPQ effects would (1) differ from person to person even if they were on the same type of medication under the same dosage. (2) would differ from person to person with different dosages; (3) and would differ from person to person especially if they are using different types of Beta-blockers affecting different organs. But this is an interesting question that will require me to do some serious research on how psychopharmaceuticals work. I just know the very basics about 3 classes of beta-blockers and other types of neuro-inhibitors. but I also need to talk to a good physiologicist to more describe how the FP Qigong "formula" precisely affects physiology. Finding one won't be easy. Anyone out there in the TTB community know of one? Sorry I can't tell you more for now. But if you haven't experienced any negative effects from 5 months of regular FPQ practice and are feeling positive benefits, it should be safe to carry on. Thanks, Terry Dunn

Hi Green Tiger, Thanks for your input. I hope your perspective helps Hazelmania and other beginners understand and then work through the initial sometimes uncomfortable effects of FP Qigong practice. I'm ever impressed by the sublime enhancement of the central nervous system's function caused by Flying Phoenix Qigong practice. That the difference in curliness of your hair on the left vs. right side of your head that I assume from your description has been a life-long feature--has has practically disappeared is a very good "symptom" and what I see as a classic effect of the practice--for FP Qigong perfects the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system, and that sophisticated web of nerves extends to the left and right sides of the body in equal, balanced proportions. Thus when that regulatory system is functioning perfectly, all bodily functions, including the curliness or straightness of hair growth should come into harmony and balance. With regards to involuntary shaking, twitching, numbness, etc: In general, the FP Qigong training adds nothing negative or detrimental to the human process. It ONLY heals. that's why I describe numbness, vibrations,undulations fine or gross, spontaneous lurching about, etc. as all healing effects. And yes, that's a good point, these vibratory effects are passing. they will arise from one area of the body, recede, and then another interesting vibrational state can arise at another time at anohter locus in/on the body. Your comments reminded me that I haven't yet gone into much detail about some of the past "uncomfortable" sensations I experienced early on in my FP Qigong practice. I know I've written about some of the wildly gyrating, gross anatomical movements of the advanced internal exercises of the White Tiger system. The involuntary movements caused by FPQ are generally milder and more subtle and not as pronounced as those caused by martial qigong meditations. One side-effect of my FP Qigong practice I can share is that ever since I started practicing it in 1991, when I practice the seated meditations ("Monk Serves Wine")both basic and advanced, while sitting in the half-lotus position, my right thigh/leg starts flapping up and down quite vigorously on top of the left lower leg folded underneath it. There is never any pain associated with this "flapping" of the right leg, but it can get quite rapid and dramatic looking (to the laymen walkingin on me, it would be a most wierd, non-ordinary sight to behold: just the right knee and thigh flapping up and down faster than any human could possibly do the motions with volitional control. ) My experience has also been that such noticeable vibratory effects and neurological numbness experienced in practice have been temporary and passing. Sooner or later, the sensation subsides. FP Qigong practice will not create any original pain. If pain does arise during correct practice of the FPQ, then it is only time-bound body memory coming into awareness. Thanks again, Green Tiger. Best, Sifu Terry

Hello Hazelmania, Thank you for your post. Sorry to take a while to answer. I was away for the long weekend without any manmade devices for a change--except for a backpack. The five positive healing benefits you reported are typical of the effects of Flying Phoenix Qigong practice...especially dissipating dithymia. FP Qigong's tangible energy creates such tangible experience of its unique Chi permeation that these new and sublime message units coming from the body to the brain will alter any mildly dark mood or mild depression. Thus without addressing cause (of depression), FP Qigong practice can in some situations, provide instant relief to depression. In some cases--NOT ALL--it's more expedient to do a physical exercise-prophylaxis that effects the cells directly rather than do months or years of talking therapy. As one great and honest therapist put it, "Understanding is the booby-prize." As for the two negative effects that you reported: (1) Thinning of hair. In my personal practice and my observations from teaching since the system 1992, the FP Qigong energy reverses the effects and signs of aging. After I practice the seated Monk Serves Wine meditations in particular, the slight signs of gray in my hair turn black. (the ones that always rejuvenate hair for me are: 80 70 50 30 and 50 70 20 10). -- Scout's honor. Since I started practicing and teaching the Flying Phoenix Qigong, I have never heard of any practitioner reporting hair loss, but only hair repair. To other FPQ practitioners, especially those doing a lot of the seated MSW meditations, please chime in if you have had any notable effects of the FPQ on hair quality--one way or another. (2) Numbness in right big toe. I need much more information to comment accurately on both symptoms: Are you male or female? What is your age? Is balding or premature balding a genetic trait in your family? Are you taking any medication presently? have you taken pharmaceutical medications in the past? If yes, what drugs and for how long? Over the month that you practiced FP Qigong, how frequently did you practice? And how long per session? And what FP meditations did you practice during each session? Did you practice any of the seated "Monk Serves Wine" meditations? What are your dietary habits (in general)? You stated that you suffer or suffered from disthymia: how long have you had it? What part of the country do you live? What is your occupation and stress level? (FP Qigong is a holistic practice, so to accurately verify its inner effects, one naturally has to examine the practitioner's outer environment and how he/she is interacting with it.) How severe is the numbness in the right toe? Is it painful--or does it feel just like the toe has "fallen asleep"? This forum isn't the proper vehicle for me to fully assess your situation and the effects of FPQ practice; but if you want such a consultation and want provide the above info, you can contact me through Private Mail and we can discuss. Without having the above work-up, I can only give you this general response for now: My first impression is that both the thinning of hair and the numbness in toe are preliminary and temporary symptoms that arose with the start of FP Qigong practice. My suggestion therefore (without the additional information) is simply to continue practicing the FP Qigong--on a daily basis if possible--and work through both symptoms. ** And most definitely: add the seated Monk Serves Wine meditations in Vol. 2 and/or Vol.7 if you're not doing any seated meditations. However, this is the exception: If you are being treated by a physician for ADD and disthymia, or other conditions--and especially if you are using pain-killing drugs or anti-depressants--you should consult with your doctor and describe to him what the FP Qigong practice consists of before you continue. If you've been using any type of pain or anti-depressant medication in the past, numbness as well as a whole host side effects will be easily be set off by Flying Phoenix Qigong practice because so much of the the nervous system's natural information conductance from the body to the brain is repressed or shut down by these drugs. Modern medicine knows all the the side-effects of pain-killers and anti-depressants (butmost often chooses to ignore them in prescribing the drugs). The side-effects of these types of pharmaceuticals--not may--but most definitely will be triggered when you start practicing a deeply energizing Qigong such as the FPQ System. If medication is involved, you should determine with your physician whether you want to practice the FP Qigong at this time. But if there are no pharmaceutical anti-depressants in your system: I would suggest continuing your FP practice and in addition to it, make sure that you practice "quiet sitting"--simple seated meditation for at least 15 minutes a day. This will naturally address the ADD let alone the FP qigong practice. As I stated earlier in the post, to ground and ensure safety in any Qigong practice, quiet sitting is most essential and critically important. To quote my first Neigung teacher again: "No matter what you do, you must do quiet sitting! Quiet sitting is more important than the yoga." I would not worry one bit that the FP Qigong practice would cause thinning hair or hair loss. If the numbness is not painful and does not cause paralysis of the surrounding muscles, then it's only a sign of the nervous system healing itself. At any rate, hazelmania, if you want to provide the additional info through PM, I'll see if I can provide a more detailed response. Thanks for posting. Terry Dunn

Per all of the above, especially Jack Sarfatti: Believing is not necessary. "We 'believe' in most what we know least." -- every EST trainer in the 70's. it seems that the collective consciousness has only dimmed and become more retarded over the past 30 years.

Hello Malganis, I'm glad you're getting good results from starting the basic practice of FLying Phoenix in Volumes 1 and 2. I'm glad that the DVD series is effectively teaching the proper practice of the FP Qigong system at the basic and intermediate levels...enough so that practitioners are experiencing the absolutely unique, tangible and profound healing and rejuvenating energy of this system. Answers to your questions: (1) I don't think that doing half-lotus with the left leg on top will change the effects of the seated mediations in any significant way. But I cannot tell you from direct experience as I have always done them with the right leg folded on top. (2) I would suggest that you add "Monk Holding Peach" and to the practice of the first 3 standing meditations, and add the fifth standing meditation on Volume 1, "Wind Above the Clouds", if you have the time. You can then then drop the three basic seated meditations once you feel each one's unique effects, and concentrate on the remaining Monk Serves Wine meditations. I advise doing the Basic Standing exercises together as a complete set as long as possible. (3) There's nothing wrong with adding any of the 90-second short meditations of Vol. 5 to your practice the 5 Basic Standing Exercises of Vol.1. But you will experience far more pronounced energizing results from these "short and sweet" exercises in Vol.5 if you first practice Volume 3's intermediate practice of "Moonbeam Splashes on Water" and "Wind through Treetops", and then learn the Long Form Standing meditation "FPHHCM" taughth in Vol. 4. (4) Picking one or two exercises from both Vol.1 AND Vol.2 that you find are most energizing for you personally is an optional and very benefical practice that I recommend. You can to on to the Volume 3's intermediate meditations once you are comfortable with all the standing med's of Vol.1. If one happens to have substantial Tai Chi experience or any many years in another Chinese internal art (e.g, Hsing-I, Pa-Kua or LHBF, one can start doing Vol.3 immediately after learning Vol.1. It depends on your background and how well you establish the basic practice contained in Volume 1 and 2. (5) Yes, you can certainly do more than one FP exercise during the 6-month period. Again, if you can budget the time, try to do all the FP Standing and the Monk Serves Wine meditations for first 6 months. I know that's a lot of the Standing Meditations on a regular basis, but once you get into Months 4, 5, and 6, you can shorten the practice of each one if your time is limited. The point is the do all of them in the same session because each exercise's effects are cumulative with all the others. BTW, Fu-dog's most recent posting reporting the health benefits from his 1.75+ year of practicing the Flying Phoenix system provides a nice roadmap and frame of reference for when to move onto the more advanced FP exercises. He writes clearly and you can tell that he's accurately describing his FP experiences. (He was the person who used my DVD's back in Nov. or so of 2009, started this discussion thread and then a few months later asked me to sign up on TTB and contribute to the discussion.) **If anyone else has practiced all the exercises in Volumes 1, 2 and 3 regularly for a year or longer, if you care to, please report in as to what effects (if any) you've experienced. (6) When you do Bending the Bows, of course, keep the hips tucked in, sacrum pointing to the ground, and the lower back (lumbar spinal region) "flat" and straight. that's the only way that that particular Meditation can "do itself." Good luck with your practice. Sifu Terry Dunn

Hello Audiohealing, I'm very glad to hear that you're enjoying your practice of the Long Form Standing Meditation ("Flying Phoenix Celestial Healing Chi Meditation") in Volume Four, which is the capstone of the FP Qigong system. Answer to your question: the standard way of doing this moving meditation is to turn the waist with the raised forearm a total of five (5) times--three times from left to right with the right forearm raised, and two times turning from right to left with the left forearm raised. Good visual catch: I did a total of 7 turns in the final performance on the DVD because the extra two occurred spontaneously. You can consider it a mental error, but as long as one's form is correct, doing extra turns of that movement won't cause any harm. Best, Terry Dunn

Hi Somamech, Nice Flying Phoenix contrails in the sky! Oh my!!

Hello Q, First of all, if you've practiced all the available Flying Phoenix exercises, and have "made them yours"--i.e., can do each one from memory including the correct breathing formula, you have already cultivated the FP healing energy to a good extent. To cultivate the FP energy so that one can effectively heal others with it requires concentrating your practice on the advanced Meditations in Volume 3 through 7. If you want to practice FP Qigong just enough to maintain good health and strong immunity then you can focus you training on just a couple of the exercises that have the most pronounced energizing effects on you. As I've advised earlier on in the discussion, almost practitioner find a particular FP Meditation or two or more that really has/have strong, marked effects in increasing their energy levels. One goal of training is to practice all the basic FP exercises in series enough so that you discover the one or ones that are most potent, energizing and truly rejuvenating for you. Again, different people find different FP Med's to be more effective for them. If you want to go beyond health maintenance and cultivate the superabundance of FP nergy that will enable one to spontaneously heal others, that requires longer, more regular and more focussed practice of the intermediate and advanced FP MEditations--including the advanced seated Monk Serves Wine Meditations. I would also say that absolutely essential to attain this basic level of healing ability is to master the practice the Long Standing Meditation in Volume 4 so that every time that you practice it, you will get stronger energizing effects. Start slow, keep the practice calm and even, but keep going and you'll attain higher energy levels and self-awareness, you will one day be surprised at your demonstrably greater healing capacity. Sifu Terry Dunn

Hello JohnC, Yes, it's quite alright to just do Monk Holding Pearl while seated in any position. And if you're doing an hour of meditation, that is fine and terrific. Suggestion: if you want to strengthen the effects of MHP, you can count yourself out of the meditation with 3 deep breathes after 30 minutes of meditation and do another breath control sequence (50 40 30 20 10) to finish the second half of the hour--You can even stop and restart/renew the meditation at 15 minute intervals--i.e. 4 times within the span of an hour. Or continue doing what you're presently doing: one breath control sequence and sit for 60 minutes. This is fine practice. But whenever you're able, add the 3 warm-up meditations at the start of Volume 2. They are very basic, very gentle and will create greater circulation of the FP Healing energy once you've cultivated a reserve through your 60-minute sessions of Monk Holding Pearl. Regarding the health of your kidneys: I would suggest also getting a second opinion from a western physician/renal specialist. It's always good to get more than one type of diagnosis. Best, Sifu Terry

Hi Green Tiger, Welcome to the discussion of Flying Phoenix Qigong. Thanks for contributing an account of your first experience with the 5 Basic Standing Meditations. I'm glad to hear that you experienced what many--if not most--practitioners have experienced from the very outset of practicing FP Qigong: immediate, tangible, energizing and rejuvenating effects. That line of energy that felt like electrical current that crept up your right leg, torso, and right arm to the little finger of the right hand, that's a typical "firing" or discharge of energy in your nervous system that "Monk Holding Peach" facilitates that's specific to your physiology. So you now understand why only th thumbs and first 3 fingers of each hand are touching, right? And that the little fingers are not touching, right? You get an "A" grade on that lesson. Different people will feel different specific pathways of energization with each FP exercise. When the Flying Phoenix energy "comes on" for the first time, unless one has developed the deepest capacity for relaxation from mastering Tai Chi, another qigong system, or meditation, the body's musculature surrounding the particular energy pathway that gets charged will naturally flex or tighten. There are some Flying Phoenix meditations and other martial Qigong methods within the White Tiger (Bok Fu Pai) system that in the beginning cause the entire body to go rigid, similar to a state of catatonia--except that one is perfectly alert with heightened awareness (as opposed to being in a stupor). But as you discovered through continued practice, that muscular tensing soon subsides and normally doesn't occur again. If it does, it won't be to the same intensity. (And as i think I had mentioned in a much earlier posting, there are some BFP meditations that will cause one's muscle memory to instantly activate, causing wild involuntary movements that will send one gyrating with arms flailing,bouncing across the floor and into walls. The more "external" martial arts training and conditioning one has, the wilder and more uncontrollably one gyrates flails around. It's quite a sight to behold and something I always look forward to teaching to my advanced students. ) Yes, that neurological discharge is a startling experience because one is partially or completely immobilized and if that energized state doesn't subside but continues for a while, one naturally can't help but wonder and worry about encountering predators in this state). That's the thought process that I went through when I experienced a similar state while doing Tai Chi Chuan in the late 80's. I suddenly felt like I had been struck by a bolt of lightening (but the bolt from the ground up), I could feel every cell vibrating as my body went rigid, and i couldn't control basic movements--like taking a step--without the utmost of effort and Will. But I stayed in that state, tried to relax, and got used to it, slowly started doing Tai Chi form in that state, and came to enjoy it immensely. Afterwards, I thought of it was riotous fun. At any rate, now you understand the basic practice guidelines published with the DVD advising that one practice the FP Qigong a safe, quiet, secluded environment totally free from all possible distractions. Please continue to report in whenever you experience something interesting or out of the norm. I'm sure you'll enjoy your continuing practice of Flying Phoenix Celestial Healing Chi Meditations. The system lives up to its Chinese name, doesn't it? Best, Sifu Terry Dunn

Hi Q, Thanks for explaining the statements you made in your earlier email. I just wanted to make sure that you got off to a "clean" exploration FP Qigong system without superimposing the theories associated with other Qigong systems or philosophies of other teachers. Once you have practiced the Flying Phoenix meditations regularly and long enough, and have "made them yours", you will have both the instincts and facility to penetrate and understand other Qigong methods. Then you can experiment to your heart's content. As I've explained earlier on in this discussion thread, I recommend that practitioners do not start learning another Qigong system while they are learning the FPQ system, but if one is already has an established daily practice of a different qigong system, then adding on the FPQ practice is fine. Cheers, Terry Dunn

Q, I've surfaced from long period of work and am slowly reviewing past posts of contributors to see if there are any questions or comments that I've left unanswered. My shen led me to find your posting out of the haystack and i have these comments with regards to your "experimenting" with Flying Phoenix Qigong training: In the words of the Nike ads: JUST DO IT. --but for best results and for your safety, DO IT without your preconceived ideas about Qigong gotten from other Qigong systems or so-called "authorities" on the subject. FLYING PHOENIX QIGONG IS AUTHENTIC, COMPLETE, AND SELF-EXPLANATORY ANCIENT SYSTEM OF TAOIST ALCHEMIC YOGA AND NEEDS NO ONE'S IDLE SPECULATION AND BLIND GUESSWORK ABOUT "OPENING ENERGY GATES" OF THE BODY. I hope by now that you've practiced to at least Volume One of the Flying Phoenix--Chi Kung For Health series, and have experienced how each exercise with its unique breath-control sequence works to ignite and cultivate a specific tangible energy flow within the body. If you've done the Monk Holds Pearl Meditation (50 40 30 20 10) with ginger for 108 days that you described, you have a good foundation going into the Vol. One exercises. Q, you wrote: Most interesting is the last breath as it marked the breathing pattern. I will have 100 in and 10 out for the rest of the meditation even when it says "normal breathing" (not think of the breath and not controlling it, just a flowing breath). The Lower Dantien reacts very fast with vibration after some exercise time. To explain it then one we need to watch a Qigong called Guolin Walking. The feature are : Xi Xi Hu breathing. 2 Breath in 1 Breath out. Explaination I remember was that one taking twice as much energy than letting it out. (50%more) From this standpoint the explaination of 100% in and 10% out is 90% more energy. Everyone responds differently to the FPQ exercises. Your response to the exercise (lower tan tien "reacts very fast with vibration") is unique to you. I don't know where you got the 100%, 10% breathing method, but it's inconceivable that anyone can naturally and continuously breathe 100% in and 10% out--while walking, doing kung-fu, or being still. Maybe you described it inaccurately, but what you've described is a recipe for life permanently out of balance. At any rate, it has no relevance to the practice of Flying Phoenix Meditations...and you need to simply empty your cup a bit if you are to gain anything from this practice. (There is a White Tiger Meditation with breathing pattern 90% 20%, but its purpose is not relevant to this discussion thread.) Before you "experiment" with any of the FPQ Meditations, I think it makes sense to just do them first exactly as prescribed. Once you have truly mastered them, you can experiment with them all you want--and be at far less risk. As I have stated throughout this discussion thread, I strongly warn all practitioners against changing the breath-control sequences or switching them between the various exercises. If you choose to do so, you do it at your own risk. Good Luck, Sifu Terry Dunn

Hi Rene, Sorry I took a few days to answer...I just surfaced momentarily from my court battle. (I'm in the process of appealing to the higher court in Calif. an unfavorable ruling we got in the Kung Fu Panda case due to the judge keeping some of my evidence out of the case but more importantly refusing to give to the jury appropriate, on-point Calif. caselaw that we believe would have guided the jury to a different verdict. This is a matter of justice delayed--but not denied.) Yes, what you did after the interruption of your breathing sequence is exactly the best thing to do. Take three deep breathes to exit and then start again a couple of minutes later. Once you practice the FPQ system enough, you will be able to gauge (and know instinctively by "feel") how much a sneeze or an external distraction or event interrupts the energy-cultivation process. But in the beginning, it's best to abide by the safety rule of counting oneself out of the mediation with three deep breathes and starting over should you ever do the breathing sequence incorrectly or do the movements incorrectly in any of FP the meditations. Carry on! Sifu Terry

Thanks for posting this. Master Chen's Tai Chi Bang is fascinating as well as superbly done. And his one Tai Chi ruler exercise demonstrated is definitely a northern version (as opposed to the southern version taught by Master Share K. Lew). Terry Dunn

Hello Q, Feeling "sleepy but not tired" from Flying Phoenix practice is not a function of the Qigong...but is more a function of your overall energy level--especially since you say you need additional sleeping hours. What you've described is also SOLID PROOF of the effective ness of the FP Qigong: for if you need sleep but are not getting enough sleep, and you do the FP qigong, its energizing effects will make you feel NOT TIRED--i.e., remove the neurological feeling of fatigue--but your body will still crave sleep. So first advice, Q, GO TO SLEEP!!! :closedeyes: As I posted much earlier on this thread, Flying Phoenix Qigong does NOT replace or replenish sleep. There are other systems of Chi Kung and Nei Gung that will replace sleep to a certain extent. FOR FP QIGONG TO IMPART OPTIMUM RESULTS AND BENEFITS, PRACTIONERS MUST GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND HAVE A REASONABLY HEALTHY DAILY ROUTINE THAT BALANCES WORK,SLEEP, MEALS,FAMILY LIFE, EXERCISE, RECREATION, ETC. No, there is nothing required to ingest in terms of food to make the Flying Phoenix Qigong work at its best. Also, I do not give dietary advice related to the FP Qigong on this thread, because what knowledge there is relating to it and other internal arts of the White Tiger system, I do not publish in any form, but teach privately to my students. Regards, Terry Dunn

Hi Audiohealing, Answers to your questions below in bold italic: you're welcome. Terry Dunn