Flying Phoenix Chi Kung

[sunshine]

Hi Sifu Terry,

 

what pain in the big toe to be without proper functioning internet... but I LOVE

Hogan'S Heroes!!!

 

and sure enough no offense taken...

 

and indeed: I am German...

 

I do enjoy philosophical discussions for sure... but there is something

special to "dance on the verge" of philosophy and experience (thankx for sharing

yours...!) see below:

 

From what you describe:

 

How is it possible to stop a practice (making a decision to take a shower, thereby using intent or a kind of conscious effort)- thereby getting out of the "samadhic" state - when there actually is no "I-feeling"/"I-identitiy"/"I-period" in that state?

 

enjoy a great day

 

sincerely

 

Harry

 

 

Hi Harry,

 

good luck with your move and new job situation.

 

Answer to your question:

"In the samadhic state, is there any I-feeling or I-identity?"

 

No of course not, you knucklehead. Are you trying to test me for admission to the "dumbest meditators cult in the world" with this as its logo: ???!!!

 

Not only is there no "I-feeling" or "I-identity" there is no "I" period!

 

Please take no offense, Harry, I'm just answering with gusto. Are you German, by the way, since I know you're writing from Germany? Or an ex-pat? Just curious, because you questions about the philosophical implications of FP Meditation training is very German-like in its precision. German is a superior language to discuss western philosophy, but as you've discovered already in pasts postings, it runs you into problems in trying to map and discuss eastern yogic philosophies.

 

At any rate, i will share my earliest experiences of samadhi with you and other tao bums: First time was totally unexpected. it was my senior year in college and I had just gotten back from summer break. I had been doing So. Shaolin Kung-fu for just 3 years and Tao Tan Pai Kung Fu for one year and had just learned how to meditate from my Master Share K. Lew's classes conducted by his sr. student at the time, John Davidson. I sat down at on the floor at the foot of my bed and just did quiet sitting (half-lotus, hands below tan-tien in what we call "earth meditation position"). Suddenly a surge of energy shot up my spine and kind of exploded through the top of my brain and skull and "I" left my body most blissfully. My consciousness was very startled because it was the first time it had left the body (other than in dreamstate), but otherwise, the experience was total bliss. And there i was, out of my body, floating around the top of my dorm room at silliman college on the 4th floor above the Grove Street archway. Looking back down at my own body that was seated. That experience wasn't actually samadhic, but an out-of-body yogic experience that I later surmised was a nice prelude to samadhi. About 3 years later, after I graduated from college, I was doing Tao Tan Pai Basic Neigung exercises religiously along with the TTP Kung fu forms (tiger, dragon, monkey, snake, crane)--the Basic 31 execises, Shen Exercise, 9 Flowers, Six Stars, and the Five Dragons. One day, while practicing the third "flower"(or part) of a neigung exercise known as "The Nine Flowers" in front of a mirror in the hallway of my parents home in the San Fernando Valley (which dates it at around 1978), the image of myself in the mirror turned "film negative" and then slowly disappeared and the mirror remained blank and totally void throughout the rest of the practice --until I stopped to take a shower between the 8th and the 9th Meditation, as prescribed in the 9 Flowers since the Tang Dynasty. Since then,I slip in and out of the samadhic state while practicing almost any type of Qigong--TTP or GM Doo Wai's BFP internal arts. But one sure-fire method to access the samadhic state for me has always been the TTP Nine Flowers. It not only facilitates samadhi, but it also empowers one to see entities on many planes of existence.

 

Best,

 

Terry Dunn

 

P.S. Harry, the best words I have to describe the samadhic state were first uttered by Sergeant Schultz of the TV series, "Hogan's Heroes": "I see nothing, nothing...I hear nothing... nothing... COLONEL HOGAN!!!!!!!

[zen-bear]

Hi Sifu Terry,

 

what pain in the big toe to be without proper functioning internet... but I LOVE

Hogan'S Heroes!!!

 

and sure enough no offense taken...

 

and indeed: I am German...

 

I do enjoy philosophical discussions for sure... but there is something

special to "dance on the verge" of philosophy and experience (thankx for sharing

yours...!) see below:

 

From what you describe:

 

How is it possible to stop a practice (making a decision to take a shower, thereby using intent or a kind of conscious effort)- thereby getting out of the "samadhic" state - when there actually is no "I-feeling"/"I-identitiy"/"I-period" in that state?

 

enjoy a great day

 

sincerely

 

Harry

 

 

Hi Harry,

 

I'll answer your last question first:

 

Easy: ones' left brain kicks in (call it "normal waking consciousness"--if there is such a thing), the samadhic trance subsides, and you get on with mundane activities. Being in the samadhic state and experiencing union within form and the dissolution of the ego doesn't mean one divorces oneself from or abandon's one's free will. There is still the deeper You that does all the doing--or all the "not-doing" (if one is a warrior spirit as described by Castaneda). Samadhic trance gives one the momentary glimpse of the true Self. Some people want to to maintain that state of consciousness for as long as possible and to be in it constantly. I don't happen to make it an object of ambition. I like mundane life. The samadhic state just comes and goes during any meditative state for me. And not all the time. But most often when I'm doing healing-energy work. I don't know how other people experience it, although I can recognize that attained state in students, and have read accounts of samadhi and celebrations of it in the yogic literature of many cultures.

 

From my experience, I can only speak of samadhi as a by-product of the Tao Tan Pai practices. Over years of practice, both "normal" mundane consciousness and supramundane consciousness (what Castaneda calls "seeing") is well-conditioned due to the precision, power and repetitiveness of the neigung exercises. One has to be mentally cognizant and focussed to practice the neigung exercises, which can be dangerous at the advanced levels if one screws up their practice. So when one slips into the samadhic state facilitated by the TTP neigung, just out of sheer mental conditioning, one has all kinds of mundane anchors--e.g., that allow one to come out of it and take a shower between the 8th and 9th sections of one of the exercises.

 

 

"Dancing on the verge of philosophy and experience" is fine and ecstatically wonderful so long as one's philosophy is semantically correct--i.e., the map fits the territory. And one has a healthy , integrated, unpolluted instrument to do the dancing.

 

The straightforward mind is the Pure Land. -- Hui Neng

 

I think it was Art Janov, the classically-trained analyst who brilliantly developed Primal Therapy in the 70's (and who greatly accelerated the karma-burning of clients like John Lennon and Ingmar Bergman,the two musicians in "Tears For Fears" and thousands of others) who said like a TRUE TAOIST: "Philosophy is the end of Feeling, and Feeling is the end of Philosophy."

 

Also profoundly expressed by Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin's classic, "Stairway to Heaven": "..and it used to make me wonder."

 

Always good to hear your philosophical probings.

 

Terry Dunn

[Pablo]

Hi,

 

I've been visiting Taobums on an off since last year but this thread really hooked me and decided to join. I recently bought Sifu Terry Dunn's DVD series and yesterday I started with the warmups, Monk Facing the Moon and Bending the Bows. I'm planning to work on them daily and if you wish I could report my progress every two months. Probably my experience could have some value to others like me, who practice Zhang Zhuang and Taijiquan. I also practiced for 3 years Feng Zhi Qiang's Hunyuan Qigong, but it's more a neigong than qigong set IME, rendering a nice whole-body integration for performing arts like TJQ, but little help if any in healing and meditation. I have high expectations on Flying Phoenix Qigong, the breath patterns appeal to me, seems like a balanced mix of yin movements and yang breathing.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn, there are a couple of questions I would like to ask:

 

1. Is full lungs capacity inhale mandatory? Or could I grow over time from say 70% to 100%? The more oxygene I inhale the more hard for me is to exhale at a steady rythm (it happens fast), and also feels like my upper chest is extended, blown up, even after I exhale all the air.

 

2. arms, legs and torso should be moved like yiquan's opposite forces method? or just simply move them? You said to move at the speed of a shifting sand dune, and so feels much similar.

 

On a side note, I saw a white glow in your arms in the first DVD. What was that???

 

Best wishes,

Pablo

[johndoe2012]

Sifu Terry,

 

Could you tell me a bit about volume six, advanced martial meditations?

 

How do the meditations differ from the other ones?

 

Chris

[Junbao]

I just started Flying Phoenix Chi Kung this week after I had found this thread. Awesome timing! The past couple of weeks I have been looking for a good standing and seated practice to work with. I haven't been on Taobums for a while, so I thought to come browsing here the other day and found this thread :-)

I love the exercises and I am really impressed with how much info there is here in this thread. I am equally impressed with how Sifu Terry has come on here and answered questions and shared great information.

So far I am really enjoying the first two DVDs. I do Monk Holding Pearl and Bending the Bows from the first video, and then sit and do the third sitting pose, flowed by Monk Serves Wine movements 1 and 3. So far I have noticed that I have been sleeping really well and relaxed, more so than usual, and have been noticing/remembering my dreams more. Also I notice (mostly during the third sitting pose) little waves or currents surging through. Very small, but noticeable. Kind of like what I felt doing Kunlun, although I never got deep or far into Kunlun practice, that little current surge is the same as far as feeling goes.

One thing I am having trouble with is the breath sequences. Not normally, but last night I was either too tired or too relaxed, and doing Bending The Bows, every time I would get about halfway through the breathing stages, I would drift into like a daydream type state for a moment, come back, and I have lost my place. This happened last night and was funny because I tried getting through it like 4-5 times and finally decided to go to bed ;-p

 

Thanks everyone for the contributions here. I spent a lot of time reading this and learned quite a bit.

I hope I can add something here too once I gain more experience with this.

[Spirit Ape]

Awesome!!! Thanks for putting up your feedback on FP practice, remember to take 3 breath to exit the meditations I know Sifu Terry has told you all on here many of time but that is a golden rule in the BFP meditations (Usually unless its for a different purpose meditation).

 

regards

Sifu Hearfield

[Junbao]

Hi Sifu Hearfield,

 

I did have a question regarding the three to come out. I am usually much better at the three beginning.

I have a couple of cats, and one of them seems to be especially attracted to the third seated meditation on Sifu Terry's 2nd DVD. I know Sifu Terry recommends being in a space where you are not disturbed or bumped in any way.

Well, when I do this meditation my cat will always come by wanting to rub up against my hands or head bump me. He likes to butt his head on my hands ;-p

I try to ignore it but sometimes he just wont let up and I have to ask him to stop and move him away. He always leaves me alone after that, but I never remember to break before hand. I do reset with three and the breath sequence before I go back in.

I have wondered should I seclude myself for now? I know it sounds silly, but this cat craves attention and for some reason this one meditation brings him around.

 

Thanks!

[zen-bear]

I just started Flying Phoenix Chi Kung this week after I had found this thread. Awesome timing! The past couple of weeks I have been looking for a good standing and seated practice to work with. I haven't been on Taobums for a while, so I thought to come browsing here the other day and found this thread :-)

I love the exercises and I am really impressed with how much info there is here in this thread. I am equally impressed with how Sifu Terry has come on here and answered questions and shared great information.

So far I am really enjoying the first two DVDs. I do Monk Holding Pearl and Bending the Bows from the first video, and then sit and do the third sitting pose, flowed by Monk Serves Wine movements 1 and 3. So far I have noticed that I have been sleeping really well and relaxed, more so than usual, and have been noticing/remembering my dreams more. Also I notice (mostly during the third sitting pose) little waves or currents surging through. Very small, but noticeable. Kind of like what I felt doing Kunlun, although I never got deep or far into Kunlun practice, that little current surge is the same as far as feeling goes.

One thing I am having trouble with is the breath sequences. Not normally, but last night I was either too tired or too relaxed, and doing Bending The Bows, every time I would get about halfway through the breathing stages, I would drift into like a daydream type state for a moment, come back, and I have lost my place. This happened last night and was funny because I tried getting through it like 4-5 times and finally decided to go to bed ;-p

 

Thanks everyone for the contributions here. I spent a lot of time reading this and learned quite a bit.

I hope I can add something here too once I gain more experience with this.

 

Hi Tao Wizard,

Great to hear that you got fast results from starting the Flying Phoenix practice. Yes, sound deep sleep as long as the body naturally needs is one of the nice basic benefits from the FP meditations, especially several of the seated Monk Seves Wine exercises. After I taught one of the advanced FP seated med's last Wednesday in my evening class (with 7 repetitions), I had planned to do a lot of work afterwards...but after dinner, I fell asleep for 10 hours. All for the better.

 

Be careful that you get the breath control sequences correct at the start. If you make a mistake or drift, take 3 deep breathes to come out and start again. If you were too tired to get through the correct breath sequence after many tries, you did the right thing in going to sleep.

 

Yes, as Sifu Hearfield reminded you, be extra careful to end any FP practice with 3 deep breathes. You don't want to be walking around in a highly sensitized, somnambulist state but having the FP cultivation going on in your body without you knowing it.

 

Best,

 

Terry Dunn

[zen-bear]

Hi Sifu Hearfield,

 

I did have a question regarding the three to come out. I am usually much better at the three beginning.

I have a couple of cats, and one of them seems to be especially attracted to the third seated meditation on Sifu Terry's 2nd DVD. I know Sifu Terry recommends being in a space where you are not disturbed or bumped in any way.

Well, when I do this meditation my cat will always come by wanting to rub up against my hands or head bump me. He likes to butt his head on my hands ;-p

I try to ignore it but sometimes he just wont let up and I have to ask him to stop and move him away. He always leaves me alone after that, but I never remember to break before hand. I do reset with three and the breath sequence before I go back in.

I have wondered should I seclude myself for now? I know it sounds silly, but this cat craves attention and for some reason this one meditation brings him around.

 

Thanks!

 

Cats can meditate with you. Cats being around you while practicing the FP system are no problem. They are very energy-sensitive, spiritual animals, and naturally swing by to catch a contact high when you doing an FP meditation that particularly suits your system. Plus they are not massive enough to harm your energy should they bump into you (unless you own an ocelot or some really big cat!).

 

All the Flying Phoenix and Monk Serves Wine meditations work profoundly; but each one works to varying degrees from person to person because everyone's different in mind, body, their ability to focus eyes, mind, movement and breath, the amount of karma hey have yet to burn, and spiritual awareness.

 

enjoy

[zen-bear]

Cats can meditate with you. Cats being around you while practicing the FP system are no problem. They are very energy-sensitive, spiritual animals, and naturally swing by to catch a contact high when you doing an FP meditation that particularly suits your system. Plus they are not massive enough to harm your energy should they bump into you (unless you own an ocelot or some really big cat!).

 

All the Flying Phoenix and Monk Serves Wine meditations work profoundly; but each one works to varying degrees from person to person because everyone's different in mind, body, their ability to focus eyes, mind, movement and breath, the amount of karma hey have yet to burn, and spiritual awareness.

 

enjoy

 

 

Tao Wizard,

 

I have a big favor to ask of you and all other practitioners out there who are using the Chi Kung For Health DVD series to practice the Flying Phoenix system:

 

 

When you have a moment, please go to www.amazon.com and submit a review/critique of the DVD program for any of the volumes 1 thru 5, and 7 in the CKFH series. Amazon had listed my titles for years and had compiled a nice set of reviews for each one ever since they came out on VHS in 1994, but when I re-listed my titles through a program called Amazon Advantage about 9 months ago, in putting up the new listings, they removed all the past reviews. When I called about that problem, they said there was nothing that could be done to restore them. Now each title has no reviews, so first-time visitors to the site don't get any idea of how fast and how well the FP system works.

 

You would all being a kind public service--and spreading the FP Yoga--if you could post an honest critique of the DVD's on Amazon. Here are the links for the different Volumes of Chi KUng for Health:

 

THANKS VERY MUCH TO ALL IN ADVANCE!

 

Terry Dunn

 

Volume One:

http://www.amazon.com/Chi-Kung-Health-One-Meditations/dp/B003B825IS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1281278948&sr=8-5

 

Volume Two:

http://www.amazon.com/Chi-Kung-Health-Two-Meditations/dp/B0001VGAH0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1281278948&sr=8-9

 

 

Volume Three:

http://www.amazon.com/Chi-Kung-Health-Three-Intermediate/dp/B0001VHRWW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1281278948&sr=8-4

 

Volume Four:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chi-Kung-Health-Four-Celestial/product-reviews/B003B8ND20/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

Volume Five:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chi-Kung-Health-Five-Meditations/product-reviews/B001AQZ2VU/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

Thanks again, everyone.

[johndoe2012]

Probably my experience could have some value to others like me, who practice Zhang Zhuang and Taijiquan.

 

Pablo, how do you plan to incorporate Flying Phoenix into your daily practise? Will you stop doing Hunyuan Qigong and Zhan Zhuang?

 

I just started doing Flying Phoenix vol 1 and 2, my background is also Zhan Zhuang and Taijiquan.

 

Zen-bear: would one have the benefits of ordinary Zhan Zhuang (pole stance training) doing the standing meditations of Flying Phoenix or would one have to do another set of just standing (Wuji, holding the balloon etc.) for improving one's Taijiquan?

 

I guess the physical aspect of ordinary Zhan Zhuang - leg work, static position is the same in the Flying Phoenix meditations. The six directions of force is however missing and maybe one should practise that in another session.

[Junbao]

Hi WTM!

 

I do Tai Chi as well. I do Cheng Man Ching 37 form. I have gotten lax of late and decided to improve my efforts and to also add a standing practice. This is the same time that I discovered FPCG so it fits in perfectly for me. I have not studied the six directions of force in regards to standing but there are the three static standing sets on DVD 1 that I would assume are working in a similar way to any other standing, but with the added element of the breathing sequence. Also, the movement of Bending the Bows I really like because it incorporates poses and a mudra I am familiar with, and I believe it work very well along with the sitting Monk Serves Wine set.

I am excited to have now added a solid sitting and standing practice to my daily Tai Chi :-)

 

Sifu Terry,

 

I did just now add a review for the 1st DVD there. I have to say that before finding this thread, I had no idea you had done Qigong videos. When I was learning Tai Chi your videos were everywhere. At the library, at the bookstore, online. But somehow there was no link to your Qigong stuff and so I never knew you had so much material out there. Anyway I am glad to have found it.

 

Plus they are not massive enough to harm your energy should they bump into you (unless you own an ocelot or some really big cat!)

 

Yeah, I have not gotten to the Sigfreid and Roy stage yet ;-p Two cats is enough for me for now!

Edited August 8, 2010 by Junbao

[Pablo]

Pablo, how do you plan to incorporate Flying Phoenix into your daily practise? Will you stop doing Hunyuan Qigong and Zhan Zhuang?

 

I guess the physical aspect of ordinary Zhan Zhuang - leg work, static position is the same in the Flying Phoenix meditations. The six directions of force is however missing and maybe one should practise that in another session.

 

WTM, I do Hunyuan Qigong and Zhan Zhuang in the morning and Flying Phoenix Qigong in the evening after my Taijiquan class, so I guess there should't be any problems with that schedule. Correct me please Sifu Terry if I'm wrong. In my case, Hunyuan is like a warm-up, abling a quick torso-to-limb connection that I later use in Zhan Zhuang. The only drawback is that I got used to reverse breathing while FPQ prescribes direct abdominal breathing (at least in DVD #1), so I have to stay focused and not be mistaken in Bending the Bows. Also, I practice Zhan Zhuang mostly to correct alignments and dissolve tensions, no breathing patterns or movements involved. The six directions of force mentioned before are included in some Yiquan-like drills I practice, not in Zhan Zhuang.

[zen-bear]

WTM, I do Hunyuan Qigong and Zhan Zhuang in the morning and Flying Phoenix Qigong in the evening after my Taijiquan class, so I guess there should't be any problems with that schedule. Correct me please Sifu Terry if I'm wrong. In my case, Hunyuan is like a warm-up, abling a quick torso-to-limb connection that I later use in Zhan Zhuang. The only drawback is that I got used to reverse breathing while FPQ prescribes direct abdominal breathing (at least in DVD #1), so I have to stay focused and not be mistaken in Bending the Bows. Also, I practice Zhan Zhuang mostly to correct alignments and dissolve tensions, no breathing patterns or movements involved. The six directions of force mentioned before are included in some Yiquan-like drills I practice, not in Zhan Zhuang.

 

Hi Pablo,

Question: what style of Tai chi do you practice: Chen style?

 

Flying Phoenix Qigong is compatible with your practices of Hunyuan Qigong and Zhan Zhuang as long as you make it a separate practice temporally. Your described daily schedule makes a nice separation of these practices. I visited the Hunyuan Qigong website that features the demo footage of Feng Zhi Qiang. Hunyuan is a complete and authentic tradition of qigong that is integral to Chen Tai Chi Chuan (according to the writings). If you stick solely with the Hunyuan tradition, you have the potential to attain complete mastery of the creative life force for both health and martial aart.

 

FP Qigong, as you will find out, is a different system of Qigong, with a different alchemic method (formula) for cultivating its uniquely tangible healing form of energy. I can see where some of the movement so inward circling movements in Hunyuan might approximate the first movement of Bending the Bows. that will only make Bending the Bows easier to memorize and more natural to do. Just do Bending the Bows and all the FP meditions as slowly as possible--at the speed of a shifting sand-dune, with relaxed, "natal" diaphragmatic breathing. Keep it simple.

 

If you know reverse breathing, your body is already conditioned to conduct more energy, but it is absolutely not necessary to apply reverse breathing when you're doing the FP qigong. The Flying Phoenix Healing energy is very finely induced. It arises very naturally and spontaneously--just from the breath-control sequence at the start in combination with the posture and movements,if any.

 

As Sifi Garry Hearfield hinted at in response I think to another's post, the "Monk Gazing At Moon" and other meditations in the FP system incorporates Zhan Zhuang and effects correct alignment and dissolution of all tensions leading to total relaxation.

 

When I teach Yang Tai Chi, I have students hold wu-chi positions for extended periods of time. Up to 20 minutes, applying the same principles of zhan zhuang--and not just in shoulder-width post position. We hold wu-chi in cat stance, bow-stance, crane stance, cross-over horse, kneeling and sitting on heels, and sitting on heels with torso tilted back 45 degrees. All this is a separate practice that facilitates better (and faster) results from FP Qigong.

 

Enjoy.

 

Terry Dunn

[zen-bear]

Pablo, how do you plan to incorporate Flying Phoenix into your daily practise? Will you stop doing Hunyuan Qigong and Zhan Zhuang?

 

I just started doing Flying Phoenix vol 1 and 2, my background is also Zhan Zhuang and Taijiquan.

 

Zen-bear: would one have the benefits of ordinary Zhan Zhuang (pole stance training) doing the standing meditations of Flying Phoenix or would one have to do another set of just standing (Wuji, holding the balloon etc.) for improving one's Taijiquan?

 

I guess the physical aspect of ordinary Zhan Zhuang - leg work, static position is the same in the Flying Phoenix meditations. The six directions of force is however missing and maybe one should practise that in another session.

 

 

WTM,

 

The FP standing meditations (all exercises in the FP System) are very complementary to Tai Chi Chuan training because they induce total relaxation and condition good form that is directly applicable to Tai Chi and kung-fu.

 

But again, FP Qigong, is an effective and fast-acting medical qigong practice that cultivates a purely healing energy. Thus there is value in practicing Zhan Zhuang separately to improve your Tai Chi Chuan--simply because of the different mental focus in ZZ on conditioning the jing, which is released through the sinews).

 

Within GM Doo Wai's the Bak Fu Pai tradition, the advanced White Tiger and Bak Mei kung-fu forms are practiced as martial qigong (e.g., as seen in Sifu Garry Hearfield's level), and Flying Phoenix is practiced separately as healing qigong.

 

One has to keep martial qigong training and healing qigong training distinctly separate until both are mastered. Then--and only then--will the appropriate energy be spontaneously mustered and issued/applied according to any situation. Otherwise, as I related in a post some months ago, intermediate and even advanced students can have accidental "misfires" of martial energy when they intends to apply healing energy, and vice versa...resulting in energy accidents and embarassing failures akin to the problems treated by Goethe's poem, "the Sorceror's Apprentice", that inspired the Disney cartoon 200 yrs later.

 

Terry Dunn

Edited August 14, 2010 by zen-bear

[zen-bear]

Hi WTM!

 

I do Tai Chi as well. I do Cheng Man Ching 37 form. I have gotten lax of late and decided to improve my efforts and to also add a standing practice. This is the same time that I discovered FPCG so it fits in perfectly for me. I have not studied the six directions of force in regards to standing but there are the three static standing sets on DVD 1 that I would assume are working in a similar way to any other standing, but with the added element of the breathing sequence. Also, the movement of Bending the Bows I really like because it incorporates poses and a mudra I am familiar with, and I believe it work very well along with the sitting Monk Serves Wine set.

I am excited to have now added a solid sitting and standing practice to my daily Tai Chi :-)

 

Sifu Terry,

 

I did just now add a review for the 1st DVD there. I have to say that before finding this thread, I had no idea you had done Qigong videos. When I was learning Tai Chi your videos were everywhere. At the library, at the bookstore, online. But somehow there was no link to your Qigong stuff and so I never knew you had so much material out there. Anyway I am glad to have found it.

 

 

 

Yeah, I have not gotten to the Sigfreid and Roy stage yet ;-p Two cats is enough for me for now!

 

 

My Tai Chi for Health videos were released on VHS cassettes in 1990 and the went on DVD format around 2000. the current Chi Kung For Health DVDs came out in 2003. My distributor at that time 2000-2005 or so, didn't tie-in or cross-reference the two series on their packaging, so most people didn't know the tie-in from the very popular Tai Chi for Health titles. Also presently, I'm not using a national distributor for my DVD's but a few regional ones,amazon.com, and my website. So none of my titles are out there in the major brick-and-mortar stores and chains. But I'm working on getting them out there once again.

 

Glad you found the CKFH series just the same.

 

Now that Siefried and Roy have retired, if you get some big cats and tame them with the FP Qigong energy, you can take Vegas by storm.

 

Terry Dunn

 

P.S. Thanks for submitting your review to Amazon!

Edited August 16, 2010 by zen-bear

[Pablo]

Sifu Terry,

 

Thanks for the answers, I'll stick to your method. As for your question, actually I don't practice Chen but Yang style. I found Hunyuan Neigong a valuable practice, after all the open-close breath & body coordination is much the same in any style. Regarding Zhan Zhuang, hopefully in a future seminar you could teach me your standing positions. Recently a major improvement in alignments made me shorten my ZZ practice from 45 to 20 minutes (I cannot bear more without tensing) but triggered many weird experiences. As for now, I'm enjoying Monk gazing at the Moon and having better sleep.

 

Best wishes,

Pablo

[Junbao]

Hi Sifu Terry,

 

I was hoping I could ask you a question about forming a practice schedule now that I have been trying the exercises for just over a week.

 

Based on recommendations you have given to others in this thread, my idea is to pluck something from each of the first three DVDs and put that into one daily practice.

For example the past few days I have been doing Monk Holds Pearl and Bending the Bows, along with the third, fourth, and sixth seated exercises. I have them memorized, both the movements and the breathing sequences. I would also like to add Wind Through Treetops as a third standing med. I think this would be a nice and well rounded program to work with for the next few months. What are your thoughts?

 

Also, for practice time I am typically spending about 40 min. in the morning and then another 45 min. or so in the evening. Thus far I have been working with both the standing and the sitting during each session. Do you think I should keep them together, or split them one in the AM and one in the PM? Also if I were to do both standing and sitting during each session, would you recommend one before the other?

 

I also do the Yang 37 form once or twice and day and was wondering if it works ok to do this before or after FPCK.

 

Thank you!

 

-Junbao

[zen-bear]

Sifu Terry,

 

Thanks for the answers, I'll stick to your method. As for your question, actually I don't practice Chen but Yang style. I found Hunyuan Neigong a valuable practice, after all the open-close breath & body coordination is much the same in any style. Regarding Zhan Zhuang, hopefully in a future seminar you could teach me your standing positions. Recently a major improvement in alignments made me shorten my ZZ practice from 45 to 20 minutes (I cannot bear more without tensing) but triggered many weird experiences. As for now, I'm enjoying Monk gazing at the Moon and having better sleep.

 

Best wishes,

Pablo

 

 

Pablo,

You're welcome. With you ability to hold ZZ for 45 minutes or more, your system will take to "Monk Gazing At Moon" like a kid to cotton candy. Good form is good form, whether it's from Tai Chi or a northern internal system or from a southern internal system like Bak Mei or Bak Fu Pai, or so. Praying Mantis.

 

But keep up your ZZ practice for your martial development. The FP Qigong system is purely a healing qigong system.

 

Enjoy.

 

Terry Dunn

[Fu_dog]

Sifu Terry -

 

A question for you. Sometimes when I am run down with low energy (i.e., I often work some very long hours, usually with business travel for days on end and it is draining), and I start with Seated Monk Gazes as Moon (the very first one in the seated series), I feel a vast amount of energy entering my system. In other words, the energetics I feel from this are really excellent. It feels revitalizing, as an "energy building" mediation, i.e., like an "energy recovery" qigong.

 

So, my question: How long can one hold the stationary Monk Gazes at Moon pose before beginning the little hand movements? If *feels* so energetic that when I am a bit run down I am tempted to hold the Monk Gazes at Moon posture for an extended period of time before beginning the hand movements. As I am holding the Monk Gazes at Moon pose portion of the meditation, I am experiencing a strong inflow of energy and my intuition tells me to "hold it longer".

 

However, so far, I have not done this as I feel it best to get your advice. Man, I am glad you take time to post on this board.....you are answering so many questions that really help us enrich the practice.

 

Thank you,

 

Lloyd

 

Note: edited for grammar

Edited August 14, 2010 by Fu_dog

[johndoe2012]

If *feels* so energetic that when I am a bit run down I am tempted to hold the Monk Gazes at Moon posture for an extended period of time before beginning the hand movements. In other words, as I am holding the Monk Gazes at Moon pose portion of the meditation, I am experiencing a strong inflow of energy and my intuition tells me to "hold it longer".

 

Been doing the first three standing and first three seated for a bit over two weeks I also feel a lot of energy in seated Monk Gazing at Moon. For me it seems like there is a lot more energy after doing the hand movements which is why I like to hold the static posture for some time afterwards.

[metal dog]

May I say that this is a most interesting and informative topic thread and was the juicy, meaty bone compelling metal dog to nudge open the door and enter this forum sniffing wildly nose first.

 

Much gratitude to Terry Dunn and other forum members for revealing and sharing this information.

Truly a valuable and noteworthy contribution.

 

Thank you.

[Fu_dog]

Sifu Terry -

 

To wtm's comments, with Seated Monk Gazes at Moon meditation, *after* the hand movements and sometimes even *after* the 3 deep finishing breaths, I still feel like want to hold to pose for quite some time. Would this be an acceptable adaptation of the practice?

 

Thanks,

 

Lloyd

[zen-bear]

Sifu Terry -

 

A question for you. Sometimes when I am run down with low energy (i.e., I often work some very long hours, usually with business travel for days on end and it is draining), and I start with Seated Monk Gazes as Moon (the very first one in the seated series), I feel a vast amount of energy entering my system. In other words, the energetics I feel from this are really excellent. It feels revitalizing, as an "energy building" mediation, i.e., like an "energy recovery" qigong.

 

So, my question: How long can one hold the stationary Monk Gazes at Moon pose before beginning the little hand movements? If *feels* so energetic that when I am a bit run down I am tempted to hold the Monk Gazes at Moon posture for an extended period of time before beginning the hand movements. As I am holding the Monk Gazes at Moon pose portion of the meditation, I am experiencing a strong inflow of energy and my intuition tells me to "hold it longer".

 

However, so far, I have not done this as I feel it best to get your advice. Man, I am glad you take time to post on this board.....you are answering so many questions that really help us enrich the practice.

 

Thank you,

 

Lloyd

 

Note: edited for grammar

 

 

Hi Lloyd,

 

Glad to hear you are feeling lots of energy manifesting through practice of "Monk Gazing At Moon". That is a most fundamental sign of progress.

 

What "little hand movements" do you mean?. I assume you mean those in the seated warm-up that holds "monk Gazing At moon" and then stsrts subtly tweaking the forearms and palms, burning the palms away from the body towards front and then inward to face each other again?(Because in the standing Monk Gazing at Moon meditation, there are no little hand movements.) If that's the one you mean, you hold the MBM posture for at least 3 minutes. Then start the subtle palm-turning movements.

 

Yes, listen to your intuition. Once properly learned, the FP system can be richly adapted to suit your particular health needs just by following your intuition.

As long as you do the breath-control sequences correctly and have good postures and fine, relaxed, super-slow movement, you will reap great and profound benefits from the Flying Phoenix Qigong system.

 

Best,

 

Terry Dunn

[zen-bear]

May I say that this is a most interesting and informative topic thread and was the juicy, meaty bone compelling metal dog to nudge open the door and enter this forum sniffing wildly nose first.

 

Much gratitude to Terry Dunn and other forum members for revealing and sharing this information.

Truly a valuable and noteworthy contribution.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Hi Metal Dog,

Good that you're finding useful info on this thread. It's easy to be forthcoming with info because the Flying Phoenix system speaks for itself. The deep yogic benefits from its practice are profoundly relaxing, rejuvenating, spiritually cleansing and empowering.

 

Terry Dunn