ChiDragon

Hold your breath for 2 minutes is great. However, it was not a standard practice for anyone. It is only an demonstration to indicate the level of practice in progress. It was not recommended for most elderly to hold their breath but to breathe smoothly. If one has mastered the UMB and continue to breathe that way as normal breathing, then one will live longer and healthier. With this kind of breathing experience, even when people get older should not have any breathing problem or holding the breath.

Is that what you referring to as your Qi Gong practice or meditation. No wonder you are having so much pain. You're actually doing Zhan Zhuang rather than Qi Gong. At the beginning with Zhan Zhuang, your body will be going through lots of pain for standing at the posture. It was your body that is not accustom to that kind of stress all the sudden. It takes time for your muscles to build up the muscle tone to get use to the great amount of stress which was being applied to them. Btw It has no bearing if you do it indoor or outdoor.

Obviously, you have some chronic illnesses internally. May I ask how often do you do the M-thing like most males do....???

I have just tested myself and took a deep breath as "Chi sunk to the Dan Tain". I held my breath for 60 seconds without lightheaded nor a red face. By holding, I mean not exhaling nor inhaling but regulated my breath up and down in the trachea. Btw I had held my breath before but not regulating, then my face was all red. Since I know how to regulate my breath, I am no longer having the feeling of any suffocation nor a red face.

I have no idea what the former was trying to say. The latter is saying that good soldiers always fight for a good cause. Hence, they are not evil.

Same to you too, my Taoist friend.

The practice of Tai Ji is the best for not having such problem. IMMHO I don't believe that the 8 Strands Silk Brocade(八段錦) provides the best method in breathing. Remember, one must be able to have "chi sunken to the Dan Tian". If one has not accomplished this goal, then, one has not been completed the course of Chi Kung. PS....... 氣沈丹田, sink chi to the Dan Tian, is the key to your success in Chi Kung.

Yes, that is only when one has mastered the UMB.

oops....Typo! It should be "quiet and blank" state.

I'm not quite sure that "lingers on nothing" fits the meaning of "mindlessness" in Dazuo(打坐) other than in meditation. These two terms are different as I had indicated in my "Zazen, Dazuo and Meditation" thread in the General Discussion Section. It seems to me that people want to attain the state of "mindlessness" in the same state as in Dazuo even though the word "meditation" was used! "Mindlessness" in Dazuo is to have the mind in a vacuous state(虛無) which showing no sign of intelligence or sensitive feelings. The goal is to have the mind in a complete "quiet and blank" state Edited to correct: "quiet and blank" from "quiet and blink"

The Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon are located in the four directions, therefore, they are recognized as the "Four Directional Trigrams(四正卦)". The other four are located in the corners of the Ba Gua. Hence, they are called the "Four Corner Trigrams(四隅卦)". The Four Corner Trigrams are the Wind, Thunder, Mountain, and Marsh which have something to do with the geography of China. As the diagram have shown: 1. In the Southeastern corner of Ba Gua location is Marsh which where the most of the rice fields are in China. 2. In the Northeastern corner is Thunder which where it was seen most often in that part of China,. 3. In the Southwestern corner indicates where the Wind occurs most often in that part of China. 4. In the Northwestern corner indicates where the high Mountains are in China, like in the Tibet region. @GrandmasterP Thank you for the kind words.

24 form Tai Ji viewed from the back for clarity.

Wudang TaiYi Qigong(武當太乙氣功) Thanks WMJ... Sorry, I have to open my big mouth again. Let's learn how to read the title with the basics. What make this type of Chi Kung is so special....??? 1. Chi Kung(氣功) indicates an exercise method which involves in breathing and movements. 2. It was originated from Wudang(武當). 3. It was called Taiyi(太乙) is because of the one of a kind of a specific type of movements which made it unique. For that being said, anyone can come up with a different unique set of movements and gave it a name. It is still Chi Kung, regardless what one calls it. In other wards, Chi Kung is Chi Kung, even one called it Kunlun, phoenix, dragon or tiger. It accomplishes one, and only one, purpose is to make the body healthier. The only difference is the unique set of movements. Thus I wouldn't doubt that one style is better than the other. IMMHO. Note: One might say that breathing has nothing to do would Chi Kung. One will be surprised what one had been missing.

First of all, was it wise to compare a tangible mouse with the intangible God....???

soaring crane.... Do not hold your breath at the beginning, you are not ready for that yet. You just breathe in and out slowly without holding. You may do it when you can master your breathing. Thank you for the "note to others". PS... You are a scholar and a gentleman. Most of all, I've even given you credit for being a Semi-Taoist.

內功就是身體內在的功力，要有內在的功力，當然必須有內在的運動，有內在的運動，內臟一定堅強，內臟堅強，身體必能健康，這就是內功的好處。 Translation: Nei Gong is the internal physical strength of the body. In order to have the internal strength, one must have to do some internal exercises. In order to do the internal exercise, the internal organs must be strong and healthy. If the internal organs are strong and healthy, then the body is in the state of homeostasis. This is the benefit of Nei Gong. Ref: 原文網址: 南極仙翁講：內功與氣功 | 　　一個分享善知識與心靈溝通的老地方 | leehh68 | NOWnews 部落格 http://blog.nownews.com/article.php?bid=13882&tid=511173&tyid=C#ixzz2xVaAuKIQ

Chapter 38 The Virtuous De 1. 上德不德是以有德。 2. 下德不失德是以無德。 3. 上德 [無為] 而無以為。 4. 下德 [無為] 而有以為。 5. 上仁為之而無以為。 6. 上義為之而有以為。 7. 上禮為之而莫之以應， 8. 則攘臂而扔之。 9. 故失道而後德。 10. 失德而後仁。 11. 失仁而後義。 12. 失義而後禮。 13. 夫禮者忠信之薄而亂之首。 14. 前識者， 15. 道之華而愚之始。 16. 是以大丈夫，處其厚，不居其薄。 17. 處其實，不居其華。 18. 故去彼取此。 Translation: 1. High virtue is one who is virtuous and not being vainglorious, then one is virtuous. 2. Low virtue is one who does not discredit himself of being virtuous, then one is not virtuous. 3. High virtue is one who is Wu Wei, then one has no intentional desire. 4. Low virtue is one who is Wu Wei, then one has intentional desires. 5. High benevolent is one's action has no intentional desire. 6. High righteousness is one's action has intentional desires. 7. High etiquette is one's action with nothing in return, 8. Then, raised one's arm to force others to obedient. 9. Therefore, one who lost Tao then become virtuous. 10.One who lost virtue then become benevolent. 11.One who lost benevolence then become righteous. 12.One who lost righteousness then become polite. 13.Hence, politeness is the lack of trust; it is the head of calamity. 14.The so called prediction, 15.It is the vanity of Tao and the beginning of one's ignorance. 16.Therefore, as a great man who dwells in truthfulness but not what is artificial; 17.Place oneself in a more realistic world rather then dwell in an extravagant one. 18.Therefore, discard the latter and keep the former. Annotation: Line 16. Artificial means hypocritical, fake, not truthful.

I didn't think that you would think so. Edited to add: Try it if other methods fail.

IMMHO... To an ordinary person, mindlessness is "notices nothing". For a cultivator, mindlessness is "lingers on nothing".

Here is how it goes. You breathe in deep deep and long long, non stop with one smooth flow. You exhale slow slow and long long, non stop with one smooth flow also. In other words, you exhale at the same speed as you inhale. At the beginning, it may be silent. At the advance level, due the air movements in the trachea, it may not be silent but may be a good thing. However, it's easily said than done. There are not many people that can just jump into the abdominal breathing process. It takes lots of practice to get there. In the beginning, people might get light headed or red face when the breath was held instead of one smooth flow. As soon the chi is sunken to the dan tian, the breathing can be easily regulated. It makes the person feels good allover, then one does get hooked and never want to go back to the old way of breathing again. This is my own experience and testimonies of others.

Since this is FH's thread, what I will do is go back to Chapter 38 where I had left it.

"Listen with your heart." It means one is treating something in a very serious manner.

Suppose it reads: "Therefore, a great man dwells in truthfulness but not what is artificial."

武當陽神功....

Tu Na(吐吶) is a classical term for "abdominal breathing" in the modern time. It is also known as "Sink Chi to the dan Tian(氣沈丹田).