Fu_dog

I am wondering if anyone else has practiced this system? Specifically, I am referring the the Chi Kung for Health Series by Sifu Terry Dunn. I have been practicing qigong for about 7 years now. I have dabbled in a number of styles of qigong, but mostly have stuck to the basics. I tried the Flying Phoenix system about 2 years ago, and for some reason the breathing sequence just didn't feel right for me. So, I discontinued. However, about 6 weeks ago, I scheduled a private conversation with Sifu Dunn to discuss the system. I was prepared with a number of questions. The conversation cleared a few things up that I was not quite clear on regarding the practice. Sifu Dunn was very informative and displayed genuine enthusiasm for this style of qigong, BTW. Then, I gave this system another try. It rocks! I hesitate to discuss a Qigong system I have only practiced for 6 weeks, however, I think this is worth a post. Also, I have an 7 year frame of reference. Flying Phoenix is seriously the most powerful qigong I have practiced. For me, it generates so much qi, that I have to limit how much I do per day, as my body is still getting used to the amount of energy created with this practice. The secret sauce here is the breathing sequences to begin each exercise. Master Dunn told me he had to get permission from his master to teach these methods. The breathing, followed by the movements of the system have provided quite astounding effects for me. So, I am throwing this out to see if anyone else has experience with this system. If yes, I would appreciate any comments. Thanks...

Edited - deleted double post.

QC - This subject has been discussed before in this thread. To answer your question: You should not combine weight training and FP in a single session. That would take away from both the weight training and the FP. I suggest you wait a minimum of 2 hours between the two activities. Let your FP practice be separate and distinct. It's effects are cumulative and the meditative effects of Flying Phoenix for someone just starting really begin to be felt strongly after about 30 minutes of contiguous practice. For best results practice for a minimum of 30 minutes to one hour. As you can read in some recent posts some practitioners are practicing for 2 hour sessions, and this will yield phenomenal results over time. Hope this helps...and good practicing! Fu_dog

Tao Stillness/Tao Mist/Steve - I also had that same login problem about a year ago after a site upgrade. If you PM the mods they can probably correct the problem and get your original Tao Mist username back. Fu_dog

Sifu Terry - Thanks so much for providing the links to some worthwhile reading on meditation. Left to my own devices, my experience is quality written material on meditation is difficult to find! I'm looking forward to reading your recommended documents over the weekend. As always, we very much appreciate your advice and counsel as we progress in our practice of Flying Phoenix. I am enjoying the journey! SBTL - I just saw an earlier question that you had posted regarding practicing Flying Phoenix on the same day as you receive acupuncture. In my opinion, there are no problems to doing this provided you allow a two hour buffer between the two. Hope this helps! There are several other post I would like to respond to however my time right now is limited. So, I will get back later with some more observations. Good practicing, Fu_dog

TLB - That's your most interesting post, i.e., FP as a meditative practice. Your posts are always thought provoking. My own practice has evolved into a very meditative, indeed spiritual experience. Especially the advanced seated meditations. The standing are also meditative but after a period of time my legs start to scream that they're, ah, needing a break....like SOON please!!! That said I love the yin and yang of the standing meditations. The yin (extreme peace induced by FP) and yang (legs under the pain of fatigue) provide an experience that somehow feels wonderfully balanced. Back to the seated, these are completely meditative in that all melts away except for the movements themselves. Meditation by definition is concentration on a single object, and in FP the point of concentration is the movements. So simple to describe yet the experience itself is profound. Indescribable really. For me, immediately after FP I often practice zazen. I will share that after practicing FP my mind is completely clear. Zazen (or other more contemplative meditative practices) become an experience of pure existence, or of "simply being" to a significant degree. Also, Sifu Terry says there is yet even more to be realized. I have not experienced the next steps, though I do feel I have approached the boundaries of the some of the next level(s). So if you are a Seeker, FP certainly offers a pathway. TLB, I can't really separate the health benefits from the spiritual. After a period of time practicing FP, they become One. Good practicing, Fu_dog

Jeremiah - yet another good post on the basic FP exercises being not so basic! It's easy to really get hooked on the basic meditations. Everyone who has practiced the system has experienced this. As for the energy induced by the FP exercises, it's pretty cool how it is gentle yet very powerful at the same time. Also, the different FP exercises induce different variations of the energy. Sometimes it's hard to pick a favorite. Good practicing! Fu_dog

TLB - my next trip to SoCal is next June. By then your tai chi and FP will be off the charts! In the meantime I look forward to your insightful posts! Fu_dog

Clarity - Interesting stuff. Can you say any more about it? Have you used it to heal yourself or someone else? If yes how effective is the method? Thanks in advance.

Very cool videos, for sure.

TLB - excellent report of your first class back with Sifu Terry. The fact that you felt really strong energy on your very first session back is a testament to both you and the art of Flying Phoenix. And Sifu Terry's teaching methods! Also, the fact that you live close enough to practice with Sifu makes a number of us jealous. ;-) Please keep the reports coming. I hope to meet you during one of Sifu Terry's classes on my next trip to California. Fu_dog

Jeremiah - that's an exciting schedule! I can tell everyone that I had the opportunity to spend two days with Sifu Terry this summer in California, and it was an outstanding time. Everyone who attends a UK seminar is in for a treat. Sifu Terry makes his training sessions extremely informative and a lot of fun. His knowledge of qigong, tai chi, and kung fu is extremely wide and deep, and his enthusiasm for the arts is really contagious. It amazed me when I spent time with Sifu that he made some seemingly small corrections to my forms that made big differences in the quality of the FP energy. I would encourage everyone who can to attend one of the sessions. This training will be worth its weight in gold! Good practicing, Fu_dog

Steve - Actually your responses add a lot to the board. I and many others always enjoy your comments. I hope you keep posting as you have been! Fu_dog

Tao mist - well said and a valuable perspective!

sbtl - I admire your enthusiasm however I still recommend you keep the two practices separate. As you get further in the practice FP you will find that some of the more advanced forms can take 20 to 30 minutes to complete, sometimes longer. I don't think those would work in the scenario you are suggesting. As to whether mixing the two will lead to any undesirable effects, I will leave that for Sifu Terry to answer. ;-) All the best, Fu_dog

sbtl - Sorry to be the bearer of this news however the routine you are suggesting is neither good for your Flying Phoenix practice nor your weight training workout. To get benefits from FP you need a minimum of 30 minutes of contiguous practice i.e., no interruptions. An hour in a single Flying Phoenix practice session is better. In other words when you are doing FP, do only FP and nothing else. Actually, it's at about 30 minute mark were you really start to feel the Flying Phoenix energy. Your mind calms, and it will not take you many days of practice before you start to feel yourself enveloped in a very peacefuI yet powerful energy that Flying Phoenix elicits. When doing a weight workout it's better to not go more than four minutes between sets or else your body tends to cool making you more prone to injury. You want to keep your body warm and do one set after the other. Again, a maximum 4 minutre break between sets is the way to get maximum benefits from your weight training program and keep injuries to a minimum. Less than four minutes between sets is even better. So likewise when doing weight training it's better to do only weight training and nothing else, except for cardio of course. Net-net keep them separate. Hope this helps. Fu_dog

Bill - welcome back to the thread. And good questions....as usual. Regarding (1) I can't really say how the FP energy provides its benefits. I can say that Sifu Terry has said on a number of occasions, including when I met him in person last month, that Flying Phoenix does not follow traditional meridian theory as do some other forms of qigong. I don't know if that helps answer your question, but thought I would put that out there. FP doesn't seem to follow the "rules" of most qigong systems. I have my own ideas on FP from my own experience, but I am reserve to discuss them at this point in my practice. As for item (2) I have definitely felt a cleansing effect from the practice. For me especially, I put in a lot of 12+ hour work days, and the nature of my work by any measure would be called stressful. I can say that doing Flying Phoenix after a long day of work evaporates the stress. With a good session, it takes it away completely. That to me is considered a type of cleansing. I have also seen illnesses washed away by Flying Phoenix. This to me is of particular interest. I say that because I have tried a number of meditative/self hypnosis techniques to heal certain issues. Those work by first going into a meditative state, then visualizing a healing of whatever the issue is. Those techniques are not without merit or a degree of effectiveness. But none of the meditative/self hypnosis techniques I have tried have healed nearly as well as simply doing the Flying Phoenix meditations. This to me is somewhat ironic, because when doing Flying Phoenix *one doesn't think of healing*. One simply does the FP exercises with clear mind.....and a powerful healing energy takes effect, quite tangibly in many cases. So, I don't know to what degree you distinguish between "cleansing" and "healing". From my perpective, Flying Phoenix does both, depending on how you define it. Hope this helps! Fu_dog

Jeramiah - I also get a very different feeling when doing MHP. It is best described as a profound peace that envelops me and I just don't want to end the meditation. As for your dream, that is *really* interesting. I also had an interesting experience after a strong session of FP. This happened about two months ago. After I finished the session I went into my kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table. Suddenly it felt as if the entire world was rocking. Not violently but in a slow and very powerful, measured, almost pleasant rhythm. My brain, trying to make sense out of this caused me to look down at my chair because the only explanation I could think of was the legs of the chair must be uneven causing it to rock. Of course, all four legs of the chair were firmly on the tile floor. And I live in Florida so it was not an earthquake. :-). Besides, my wife was standing fairly close to me and she could not feel this. I concluded that this powerful rocking sensation was a rhythmic energy resulting from my one hour of Flying Phoenix. It lasted a Little more than a minute and then I ate something and it disappeared. I think with the practice of FP these metaphysical type experiences are not so uncommon. I say this, and I am a very logical guy. Good practicing! Fu dog

Good info....thanks.

qihealing - Very nice job of describing the *feeling* one experiences while practicing FP. Your description is very consistent with what I feel while practicing FP. I have made attempt to describe the experience of FP practice myself however over time as my practice has deepened I honestly find myself at a loss for words. The experience of FP is unique and unlike any other form of qigong or meditation that I have tried. I can say FP has elements of both qigong and meditation and the seeming blend of the two is really outstanding. All I can say to anyone just starting is to stick with a long term regular practice because it really morphs into something very special over time. Good practicing! Lloyd

Kalidastony - nice post regarding your results from Flying Phoenix! Glad to hear FP has improved your health and reduced your stress levels. Many of us have had similar experience. The healing aspects of FP are really outstanding. BTW - being an old guy is a good thing (especially considering the alternative). ;-) This is a long running thread no doubt, but I might suggest you go through it at your leisure because there is some gold to be found hidden in these 80 pages. I'm curious....which of the FP meditations are you doing? Good practicing! Fu dog

Steve - just a quick confirmation of your comments about Sifu Terry. As I was fortunate to meet Sifu Terry for the first time in person a few weeks ago I can tell you from my own experience that he is indeed a man of great heart, and has a genuine love and mastery of the martial/energy arts. He is not at all about materialism. He lives rather modestly and simply wants to share his vast store of knowledge with those interested in learning. And I can also say to the board the 23 movement Flying Phoenix meditation is really so fine (and different).....immediately became a favorite of mine that I practice every day. When it eventually makes it to DVD you are in for a treat. Edited for grammar.

Hi All - I just returned to Florida after spending several days in the Los Angeles area. While visiting SoCal, I had the great pleasure of meeting Sifu Terry (along with his trusty side kick English Beagle, Obi). As he mentions above, I had two private lessons from Sifu on consecutive days. What an enjoyable experience! Sifu Terry is extremely knowledgable across a broad range of styles including kung fu, tai chi and qigong along with a plethora of other energetic arts. That said, what really stood out to me is the tremendous enthusiasm Sifu Terry has for the arts. His deep love of the martial/energy arts comes through in everything he does. I felt this in every discussion, every teaching moment, every minute of my time I spent with him. Also, Sifu is a humble person....very rare for someone of his knowledge and stature. Sifu made the private lessons not only really valuable to my practice, but it was also a lot of fun! Sifu Terry helped me make seemingly small corrections to a number of my FP forms that made very significant differences in the energetic effects of the movements. He taught me some additional Flying Phoenix qigong not (yet) on DVD that I absolutely love. And I he taught me lots more that I won't mention here that really adds to the benefits I will get from my practice. And after the two days, I felt I was only scratching the surface. I was also fortunate to have a couple lunches with Sifu after each of the private lessons, which was quite enjoyable. We discussed how this forum put him in touch with Sifu Garry, who also learned from GMDW (and who is always a really strong contributor to this thread). Also we discussed a wide range of other topics from the arts to life in general. It was really quality time. Ah, too bad vacations have to end. ;-) Net-net, Sifu Terry is a real treasure within the martial/energy arts community. I can tell everyone on this thread from first hand experience that we are very fortunate that he continues to spend the time contributing to this forum. He always takes time to answer questions and provide meaningful clarifications on different aspects of the Flying Phoenix system....to all of our benefit. So, if you are practicing FP, then I can tell you to keep on keepin' on! The benefits will get better and better with time, I can promise. And if you are not practicing FP, but are looking for a substantial qigong, then I can strongly recommend Flying Phoenix. OK, enough for one post....Good practicing! Fu_dog

An observation for the practitioner of FP: Sifu Terry has said a number of times that "the effects of Flying Phoenix qigong are cumulative." I would like share my experience: The effects are cumulative on two different levels. One is a on a gross level, the other on a subtle level. I will explain. On a gross level (i.e., tangible, easy to experience) the longer you do Flying Phoenix meditations *in a single session*, the more powerful the effects. Or, in other words, the more minutes you practice in a session, the stronger the effects. These energetic effects are quite tangible and almost everyone can feel this by direct experience with a long practice session. Even beginners can feel this. And for anyone that's practiced FP for any length of time, the feelings become more powerful with length of session time. So when you hear, "the effects are cumulative", then this is something you can relate to. However, on a subtle level I have found that the Flying Phoenix energy accumulates over days/months/years of time *provided that FP is practiced consistently day after day*. This is a more subtle level of energy that is quite gentle and may go unnoticed if one only observes a few days or weeks. However, this gentle, subtle (and perhaps barely noticeable) accumulation of Flying Phoenix energy takes place at a deeper level. You will notice this over time because the quality of the energy experienced during your practice session will slowly but surely increase, increase, increase. However, and this is important, the key is *consistent practice*, i.e., practice every single, going for as many consecutive days as is possible. Even on a very busy day where I have almost no time, I have found the practice Flying Phoenix for even a shorter time is significant because it helps either contribute to or maintain this subtle, deeper level of Flying Phoenix energy. So, for those of you currently practicing Flying Phoenix and also for those of you who are considering starting the practice, I cannot over emphasize the importance of regular practice. The effects on a subtle level as a result of consistent practice over a longer period of time are truly profound. Last year I practiced for 100 consecutive days. I didn't quite realize it at the time, however, I was indeed building this subtle aspect of the FP energy. After the 100 consecutive days, I can honestly say the quality of the energy I experience during the Flying Phoenix meditations had increased significantly. But this happened so slowly, gradually that it was only in retrospect that I realized what had actually happened. Regardless of whether you try a 100 day practice, my advice is to do your very best to be consistent in your practice. If you give yourself to the practice, the practice will give itself to you. Sifu Terry and Sifu Garry always talks about being "persistent". From my experience, that's very sound advice! Good Practicing... Fu_dog

Good words for practice Sifu Garry.....thanks! Your contributions to this thread are very much appreciated. I can definitely say, especially doing the seated Flying Phoenix meditations, one can approach a state of non-being where nothing seems to exist except the practice itself. Given my stressful job I honestly haven't reached a point of being stress free. But the way I look at it, at least once in every 24 hours while doing qigong, I can bring myself to a state of zero stress. Which is that state of "non-being" you described. OK, time for me to stop posting to go practice some qigong. Tonight it's advanced seated!