Ragnor

Hello! I am not exactly new here (I joined over ten years ago), but I haven't really followed the forums much in that time. I came back since I recently developed an interest in qigong due to a mystery health issue. Two weeks ago I tried out a Robert Peng video(this one - https://www.soundstrue.com/products/am-pm-qigong) that I bought online after seeing a review from a guy who had CFS and cured it by doing these videos over a couple of months. Since then I have observed really nice improvements in my body, my HRV as measured by my fitbit went up by more than 20 points(from 50s-60s to 80+), my resting heart rate went down from 67 to 63, and I have observed feeling better subjectively, with more energy, a clearer mind and feelings of well-being. I am not cured by any means yet, if I was at 10% health before, I may be at 15-20% now. This change has been quite amazing to me, since nothing else worked so effectively or instantly, and has inspired me to develop a long-term qigong practice. I am a bit conflicted though, on one hand I want to continue my current practice and see how far it leads me, on the other I want to start with a system that I can learn and master long-term rather than just follow a single video. That said, I don't think there is any harm in soliciting opinions from experienced practitioners, so I was hoping for suggestions about other systems I could follow that maybe fit my requirements better: 1. I am mainly looking for improvements to health and fitness, I already practice Mahamudra/Dzogchen from Tibetan Buddhism for spirituality, however I am not opposed to spiritual systems if they also fit the previous criteria. Buddhist systems might actually be complementary considering my background. 2. It is something I can do online or through videos, at least initially. I am not in a position to travel anywhere to learn stuff for now. 3. Like I mentioned above, something which I can learn and master long-term, and ideally is my only source of exercise, if such a system even exists(I will settle for just health improvements and supplement with other exercise if I am asking for too much). Here are the ones that I found and my thoughts so far: 1. Flying Phoenix qigong - I would have started with this instead of the Robert Peng video if it hadn't been for the fact that I only found DVDs and I don't have a DVD player haha. I will get one though if it is necessary. I was especially attracted to it after reading the lineage started with Kwan Yin. 2. Fragrant qigong - Similar to above with the DVDs, but I would actually prefer something that I have to focus on rather than something I can do watching television as advertised on the website. 3. Spring Forest qigong - Perhaps the exercises are really powerful, but they seemed rather basic to me, and my mind wanted something more complex Could people please help me out with some thoughts and opinions on this subject? Thank you!

I didn't realize writing to him was an option, I will try that, thank you for the suggestion!

Thank you for the recommendation, I will enroll in the next session! Are you also familiar with his Four Golden Wheels and Three Treasures meditations? It seems like that video was somewhat adapted from those meditations, and that is what he teaches in his book.

I skipped the PM qigong for one day and my sleep was back to being terrible, I guess that shows how much of an effect the practice was having. I think I will stick to it for now until I plateau somewhere. I also found out that Robert Peng has a book where he does detail a system and study plan for the system, which is enough to satisfy my hunger for long-term learning for now. Edit - Could someone please let me know what Robert Peng's tradition is so that I can read more about it and find others who teach the same stuff he does?

Hello! I have been suffering from tendonitis in my right foot for a month or so, but it is has gotten better recently and I am thinking of easing back into my running and bodyweight routines. Sometime in the past two weeks I discovered Zhan Zhuang and the Eight Pieces of Brocade, and have been doing them too. I was recently reading about Tai Chi and internal arts, and some of the things I read seemed to imply that strenuous physical exercise may harm the body, and that it may negatively impact one's longetivity. I am new to Qigong, so I was wondering whether or not this is true, and how general exercise affects my physical health from a Qigong perspective. Are there any alternatives to normal exercise if it is true? I am nearly at my ideal weight, I would like to tone my body, build more muscle, and generally be healthier and have more energy. http://www.youtube.c...t?feature=watch In the above set of videos, Master Lam claims that the poses help burn fat and tone muscles. I love doing these exercises, I can feel a benefit both mentally and physically, but I am a bit skeptical about these claims, are the fat burning and muscle toning really comparable with normal cardio and strength routines?

The tendonitis was technically due to the running, but mostly due to my own stupidity. Started doing too much too soon, and my feet couldn't adapt to it. Thank you for your responses. I think I will look into Tai Chi, but keep a basic running and bodyweight routine on the side to be safe.

Hello! Here is a bit of a background on me: I am a 22 year old engineering student. I came upon this site while researching about Qi and Qi gong. I have been experiencing anxiety and depression since my teenage years, I only realized it during my late teens though.( I remember being outraged when being told this, that seems so unfair, aren't anxiety and depression supposed to be opposite energy states? ) I came across mindfulness meditation a couple of years back, and it is has somewhat helped me deal with my emotions. A couple of problems with it though, although I was able to deal with my emotions better, the anxiety and depression didn't seem to go down by much. Another problem is that I feel drained every time I meditate for more than a few minutes, I see people saying that meditation is a perfect start for the day, I seem to require more sleep after meditating, and all I am doing is trying to be aware of my breath. A few days back I came across this book: http://www.amazon.co...e way of energy I was really skeptical about it, but after trying it out, I am really impressed. I don't know whether this is the right place to ask these questions, but here I go anyway: 1. I have been doing the basic standing position and the holding the balloon position for the past couple of days, however I have been exceeding the recommended 5 minutes for the beginner because it feels so good. I also have been doing it for a couple of minutes here and there throughout the day, because it is so relaxing and energizing at the same time. Is this fine, or is it going to prove harmful further down the line? 2. I suffer from Asthma, and the author recommends doing the 8 Pieces Of Brocade exercises to help dealing with the condition, but in another section he also says that one starts with these exercises after practicing the first two positions for a couple of months, in order to prepare the body for more energy. Should I wait for a couple of months or is it okay if I start doing the exercises now itself? 3. Is Zhan Zhuang as taught by the author in The Way Of Energy sufficient for maintaining Qi fitness(okay, I really don't know the right term for it), or do I need to supplement it with other exercises to obtain and maintain optimum mental and physical health? Are there any Qigong exercises that can help me with my anxiety and depression? I am at a stage where I would like to work really hard, but seem to lack the energy and focus. 4. I have always been the skeptical type. Are there any forms of Qigong which can convince me of the existence of Qi, by providing fast, indisputable effects? I don't mind if there are side effects, any result would be nice. I have always wanted to believe in things like this, but my mind keeps shooting those ideas down. Any result, even if it is an unpleasant one would help me counter my bullish mind. Thank you for taking the trouble to read through all of that!

Thank you for the advice! This makes things simple, I will be standing a lot more in the coming days.