ridingtheox

Day 99 of a long form daily practice. Each day has produced energy flows that often surprise. I will finish very close to my 81st birthday. Commitment and persistence produce incredible energy.

just checking in ... i am now at day 60 of my gong FPCH long form. I have had one close call to missing, and indeed did a rather 'quick' set. The form has made much progress of me lol. I continue to do 25 min sets, Recently, several 26 and 27 min. The quiet / silent portion of the form gradually has increased, Some days are quieter than others, but overall silence grows as does my balance. Since beginning this form 10 years ago, I have had some issues with the last movements which require standing on one foot/leg, I still do. I will keep this short, but encourage all who participate here to follow the dao as expressed in FPCH. Thanks again to sifu. peace my friends on the Way ridingtheox

I have been away for long time. No good reaso, although the covid-19 contributed.. During that time I did a good bit of yi jin jing, Shaolin Temple. I also did the ba duan chin almost daily sometimes more than one style. And I continued to teach a small class of tai ji in our very rural community of Cascabel, AZ. Actually the political situation contributed to a good deal of progress in my practice. Every time some disturbing development occurred I would do a meditation / qi gong form or taiji. the meditative nature of this practice increased for me during the crises. Limiting the number of types of qi gong has had the effect that monkey mind has receded. I do catch it also so when I do recognise it I let it go. I am writing now because I have begun a gong of (I hope) 108 days every day The Long Form. Today i completed 23 days of that practice. I review the long form on youtube in addition to make sure I am being relatively faithful to the one Sifu Dunn teaches. (there is at least one other example.) In the past i often reached 35 min per route and occasionally 39! Today I did 25 min and that is basically what i am doing every day. At 80 yo approaching 3^4 heh heh, I am aging gracefully compared to my peers. I still do a certain amount of cow herding for our ranching coop, though I am retired mostly.. Well, the principal reason for writing was to acknowledge the gift that Sifu Dunn has contributed to my senior years. And to encourage members of this forum to keep up their Flying Phoenix practice It really does pay off in physical and in spiritual health. Hoa Binh peace is the way

We do an occasional 108 repetitions of cloud hands. I notice sifu mentions the value of this practice. Having viewed the 1st exercise of TTP circling palms, I will give it a try as an alternative to cloud hands. The long form includes a section which repeats 5 times, i refer to it as 'cradling', this move develops into a very solid root and spiral flow up the leg; turning the hips/pelvis and continues up the spine in a spiral, leading to the exchange of the cradling palms. This twisting motion helps to realign and strengthen the spine and the hand exchange is reminiscent of the circling palms. Interesting these movements have an unsuspected relation to the TTP, opening exercise. As I mentioned Embryonic Breath work has also been a recent focus of my practice. The reverse breathing technique has finally begun to feel comfortable and reliable. During this period my breath has settled into a 3 breath per minute rhythm and my heart rate has fallen into the mid-fifties, resting. Read the tao te ching regularly, at present I find the online version at Taoistic.com 'inspiring.' The commentary is helpful and informative. There is no Way to Peace, Peace is the Way. Thich Nhat Hanh

let me just add there is no doubt that having done many 108 day gongs of the long form, has contributed dramatically to my good condition at this age! Thank you Sifu Terry Dunn.

I have been away for a long time. The material needing study and review is a little overwhelming. At present I am doing a ZZ standing of 8'46" for BLM every morning now at day 57 in a 108 day gong for peace and racial justice. My day includes a TJQ class 5 days (usually) per week with the neighbors and my wife. In the afternoon it has been 110 deg F here and little is done. I do usually a yi jin jing and /or ba duan jin. There has been a hiatus in my practice of the long form FP, but the last two days I have returned to do one 30' + and then a 35' session. That pleases me. I have 10 x the qi flow, for the form. Perhaps a little distance improves the exercise? This fall i will be 80 and in good shape for the octogenarian crowd. My VO2 is in the range 55-62 which is excellent even for many younger kids, lol. I notice a good discussion about breath work here. I have been studying Embryonic Breathing. (It is a small part of my TJQ class now) I easily move into a 3 - 4 breath / minute meditation in the normal dantien breathing pattern. I hope to return on something like a regular visit basis. If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. Bayard Rustin African-American Friend (Quaker).

continuing on track day 43 .. the real test comes later this week ... we are traveling to visit family .. It is always a little hard to keep to the daily practice with 3 dogs and 2 grandsons all of whom are very active. this week has begun with two consecutive 40+ minute long form meditations; a first for this to happen. As I may have mentioned I am also working on a yi jin jing besides my teaching my tai ji class 4-5 days each week. keep practicing ... do the form for the intention of doing the form. Peace .. Hoa Binh

oh and the oriental new year approaches technically it begins Jan 24th as the new year is 25th in China and we lag behind. The year of the Rat. white metal if i recall correctly. Interesting to read some of the qualities of the Rat year. Rather tragic that the flu outbreak will cause some rather serious disruptions in the celebration since travel will be impacted. anyway a happy new year of the Rat to all FPCH practicioners

well into the occidental new year day 22. I am well along into a 108 day gong for the long form. I start each day with the long form, during the past 3 weeks I have experienced 4 sessions of 40 min duration. These long sessions have begun to have periods of serious silence in the monkey mind. It can be a little disconcerting because I may suddenly feel like I might have missed a posture. However the timing in the end reassures that I have not. I experience very intense periods of presence in ni wan gong. This is a fairly recent development. Tonight i did a couple of sessions following sifu dunn's youtube demonstations. i turned the speed down to .5 in the shorter 7 min version. Practice has helped with my general well being in a time of cultural insanity. Peace to all sentient beings.

44 minute long form this morning.....woo hoooo needed this meditation and was rewarded thanks again Sifu!!!

Finally, well near, a 40 minute practice. very early morning . 39' 50" excellent flow very strong ni wan gong sense. fanning out across my whole forehead. managed to maintain concentration through out the stand on one leg posture still requires opening eyes for balance, but that does not seem to detract at all from the sensations hence i presume the benefits. daily practice is the key peace to all sentient beings

just finished mirror image of Sifu's long form on you.tube and did a 36 min session ... feeling good and thankful I ran into the FPCH series 10 years ago! helped plant winter pasture for the cattle today and will participate in branding and castrating next Saturday. Life is good In Cascabel on the ranch!!! Peace to all beings

a couple of side notes: I am working seriously on the long form again a whole week of daily practice 33 to 35 min / form. 5 right side, 2 left side versions. I listen to Metamorphosis (piano P. Glass composer) several sessions. sometimes silence. Lots of awareness of the tingling energy throughout the body. keeping a journal of practice time and form helps to track where you are over time, I think it also inspires me to practice daily. ridingtheox