Flying Phoenix Chi Kung

[C T]

"San" has a few meanings..

 

Mountain

Deity

Three

Scatter

 

[zen-bear]

11 hours ago, virtue said:

 

I recall these two instances. Please enjoy!

Hi Virtue,

 

Thank you very much for finding these postings on this thread of links to oral history about the origins of FP Qigong and Bok Fu Pai by Feng Tao Teh!  I wanted to compare the online versions with the oral histories that GM Doo Wai had told to me and to Sifu Garry Hearfield.

 

Best,

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

P.S.  I will reply to your most recent postings shortly!

[zen-bear]

Hello FP Practitioners,

 

I am giving a 3 day, 22-hour intensive workshop in Yang style Tai Chi Chuan in the manner of my teacher, Grandmaster William C.C. Chen, at Eastover Estate & Eco-village in Lenox, MA from February 15 to 18. This workshop is my first Tai Chi For Health workshop in many years as I have been focusing primarily on teaching the remarkable Ehrmei Mountain Flying Phoenix Heavenly Healing Chi Meditation Qigong system in recent years.  Nonetheless, this is my longest and strongest passion in the Chinese martial arts: teaching Yang Tai Chi Chuan in the Cheng Man-Ching lineage.

 

During this immersive workshop,beginners will learn the complete 60-posture Yang Form of GM William Chen and also learn the basics of Push-Hands (Tui Shou) or Fixed-step Sparring, the laboratory by which one learns the martial applications of Tai Chi Chuan.  Intermediate Tai Chi players will do more Push=hands, learn and refine Da Lu (4-corner Push-Hands) and advanced practitioners get to work on moving Push-Hands and up to 3 Yang style straight sword forms, if they bring their swords, of course.  So y'all bring your swords.

 

Hope to see you there!

 

Details and registration information:

http://www.eastover.com/workshop/terence-dunn-taichi-for-health.html

http://www.eastover.com/workshop/terence-dunn-taichi-for-health.html

Edited January 31, 2018 by zen-bear

[Aeran]

On 25/01/2018 at 8:59 PM, Joolian said:

I also try to do at least 2 of those categories - will also try to incorporate all 4 in one day. I actually made the new year's resolution to do twice as much FP this year, about 40 to 60 minutes a day. Hopefully I will hold this resolution - so far I am doing quite well and am feeling very good throughout the day. Sometimes there is a lingering bliss feeling

 

Very cool about your recommendation - I will definitely try it out! Maybe tonight or tomorrow, will report back.

 

Best,

Julian

 

Also: Can someone recommend me something to get flexible in the legs? I am still very stiff in hips and legs, so that I can't yet sit properly in normal crossed leg posture or half lotus. Has BTB helped you in this regards? Last BTB session I felt some fluid release sensation in my hamstrings.

 

That sounds like a good resolution

 

Flexibility in the legs and hips is still a work in progress for me, but I have come a pretty huge way with it in the last year or so. The 3 major contributing factors are probably BTB as I mentioned earlier, A set of really good stretches Sifu Terry taught me in one of our skype sessions and a combo of a really basic but highly effective hip stretch with the "sung breathing" technique from Damo Mitchell's Daoist Nei Gong.

[Joolian]

6 minutes ago, Aeran said:

 

That sounds like a good resolution

 

Flexibility in the legs and hips is still a work in progress for me, but I have come a pretty huge way with it in the last year or so. The 3 major contributing factors are probably BTB as I mentioned earlier, A set of really good stretches Sifu Terry taught me in one of our skype sessions and a combo of a really basic but highly effective hip stretch with the "sung breathing" technique from Damo Mitchell's Daoist Nei Gong.

 

That's great - I also happen to read that book at the moment. Is the hip stretch in there or from somewhere else? In the evenings I try to sometimes stretch for some minutes, I think in the long run it will be worthwile.

 

[Aeran]

Yeah for sure get some stretching going - even a short session every day has made a huge difference over time for me, and it's also a really good warmup for Qigong.

 

The stretch I'm talking about is the "Spinal Wave" stretch in chapter 5. As the name implies, it's brilliant for the spine too, but I've found it really opens up the pelvis on top of that.

[zen-bear]

On 1/27/2018 at 5:53 AM, Bruce Qi said:

Dear SIFU TERRY

I was wondering if you have ever come across the Doo Wai meditations called san gong ?

I am currently practicing them and they are a truly beautiful set of meditations ,

Does anyone know what san gong translates to?

They are 10 in the practice with the following titles

- Child praying to the goddess of mercy

- The wind above the waves

- Breeze on top of the trees

- The monk begging for rice

- The monk serving a cup of wine

- The monk disrobing

- The sparrow returning to her perch

- Monk gazing at the moon

- Clouds above the sky

- 8 goddess heavenly form

Hello Bruce Qi,

 

I have not heard GM Doo Wai talk of a qigong art called "San Gong."  San Gong is not a specific, detailed by a rather general term that means "spiritual work", "heavenly work", "spiritual cultivation", or "heavenly cultivation".  it is the same two characters that appear in "Fei Feng San Gong" or "Flying Phoenix Heavenly Cultivation."

 

Of the ten names of "san gong" meditations that you listed in your post, I recognize seven of them by the exact names used for Meditations in other Bok Fu Pai internal systems.  I have highlighted in bold letters the  ones whose names I know very well through my own practice, and also have listed in blue the arts to which each one I recognize belongs to:

 

- Child praying to the goddess of mercy -   this is name of one of 3 Advanced healing FP Meditations, each one very powerful  This one has breathing sequence (60 30 20 10), has 2 parts of movements, each 2-part round is  repeated 18 times.

- The wind above the waves - this is name of GM Doo Wai's "Healing Qigong Meditation", a standing form you can find on Youtube.

 

- Breeze on top of the trees - Flying Phoenix Qigong

 

- The monk begging for rice - basic posture in Flying Phoenix Qigong

 

- The monk serving a cup of wine - the collective name for all the seated Flying Phoenix Meditations

 

- The monk disrobing -    classical martial technique--full name is "Lohan Monk Disrobing"--is  found in the Bak Mei, Bok Fu Pai, and Yau Kang Mun Kung fu systems.  Technique was originally incorporated into Bak Mei Kung Fu by the great Bak Mei master, Chun Lai Cheung, who had it done to him by a Buddhist monk, who threw him over a wall with it .  This is my Bok Fu Pai classmate, Sifu Garry Hearfield, demonstrating it nicely:

 

 

- The sparrow returning to her perch

 

- Monk gazing at the moon - Flying Phoenix Qigong;  this is also name of GM Doo Wai's Healing Detox Meditation seen on Youtube.  (I also teach this Meditation):

- Clouds above the sky

- 8 goddess heavenly form

 

I have no doubt that the "san gong" system you are practicing is authentic, especially since you've said that they are a "truly beautiful" set.  Just know that within the Bok Fu Pai tradition and across several of its internal arts, the same names are sometimes used for different exercises/meditations.  And, as with the case of "Monk Disrobes," that name and technique is found in at least 3 different kung fu systems that are historically connected.

 

I'm a bit curious as to what the above "san gong" meditations look like.  I may be able to tell you more about them if I see them.  But I prefer to discuss these with you through back-channel messaging because I know that these San Gong meditations have no relevance whatsover to FP Qigong practice.  I know this because GM Doo Wai was very clear in defining the boundaries of each of the internal arts that he taught to me and showing me how distinctly different each one was from the others.   Sifu Garry Hearfield can tell you the same thing about Sunn Yi Gung, Tibetan Burning Palm, Golden Mantis, and Ehrmei Mountain Bak Mei Kung Fu and the several other arts that he learned from GM Doo Wai.

 

Thanks for bring up these names, though.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

Edited February 24, 2018 by zen-bear

[Bruce Qi]

On 1/31/2018 at 0:10 AM, zen-bear said:

Hello Bruce Qi,

 

I have not heard GM Doo Wai talk of a qigong art called "San Gong."  San Gong is not a specific, detailed by a rather general term that means "spiritual work", "heavenly work", "spiritual cultivation", or "heavenly cultivation".  it is the same two characters that appear in "Fei Feng San Gong" or "Flying Phoenix Heavenly Cultivation."

 

Of the ten names of "san gong" meditations that you listed in your post, I recognize seven of them by the exact names used for Meditations in other Bok Fu Pai internal systems.  I have highlighted in bold letters the  ones whose names I know very well through my own practice, and also have listed in blue the arts to which each one I recognize belongs to:

 

- Child praying to the goddess of mercy -   this is name of one of 3 Advanced healing FP Meditations, each one very powerful  This one has breathing sequence (60 30 20 10), has 2 parts of movements, each 2-part round is  repeated 18 times.

- The wind above the waves - this is name of GM Doo Wai's "Healing Qigong Meditation", a standing form you can find on Youtube.

 

- Breeze on top of the trees - Flying Phoenix Qigong

 

- The monk begging for rice - basic posture in Flying Phoenix Qigong

 

- The monk serving a cup of wine - the collective name for all the seated Flying Phoenix Meditations

 

- The monk disrobing -    classical martial technique--full name is "Lohan Monk Disrobing"--is  found in the Bak Mei, Bok Fu Pai, and Yau Kang Mun Kung fu systems.  Technique was originally incorporated into Bak Mei Kung Fu by the great Bak Mei master, Chun Lai Cheung, who had it done to him by a Buddhist monk, who threw him over a wall with it .  This is my Bok Fu Pai classmate, Sifu Garry Hearfield, demonstrating it nicely:

 

 

- The sparrow returning to her perch

 

- Monk gazing at the moon - Flying Phoenix Qigong;  this is also name of GM Doo Wai's Healing Detox Meditation seen on Youtube.  (I also teach this Meditation):

- Clouds above the sky

- 8 goddess heavenly form

 

I have no doubt that the "san gong" system you are practicing is authentic, especially since you've said that they are a "truly beautiful" set.  Just know that within the Bok Fu Pai tradition and across several of its internal arts, the same names are sometimes used for different exercises/meditations.  And, as with the case of "Monk Disrobes," that name and technique is found in at least 3 different kung fu systems that are historically connected.

 

I'm curious to as to what the above "san gong" meditations look like.  I may be able to tell you more about them if I see them.

 

Thanks for bringing these up.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

Thank you Sifu Terry for such a detailed response , would you like me to send them to you ?

It would be great to see  you do these to get a proper idea of how to perform them especially

if they were the high quality presentation you normally give..

 

just sent you a pm with the download for san gong.

 

I just did a quick search for san gong and it turns out someone is selling them and a big bundle of other rare Doo Wai forms in the lending library.

 

Edited February 1, 2018 by Bruce Qi

[zen-bear]

On 1/31/2018 at 3:41 AM, Bruce Qi said:

 

Thank you Sifu Terry for such a detailed response , would you like me to send them to you ?

It would be great to see  you do these to get a proper idea of how to perform them especially

if they were the high quality presentation you normally give..

 

just sent you a pm with the download for san gong.

 

I just did a quick search for san gong and it turns out someone is selling them and a big bundle of other rare Doo Wai forms in the lending library.

 

Hi Bruce Qi,

 

You're welcome. the names used in FP Qigong and in other Bok Fu Pai arts are important to understand and be clear about--any sort of mental confusion degrades quality of practice and can even lead to accidents and untoward results.

No wonder that Confucius had an important doctrine in his philosophy that he called "The Rectification of Names."

 

Thank you for offering to send me the "san gong" meditations that you are working on.  I will download them per your PM and view them as soon as i can. It won't be until the weekend because I am presently buried under tons of other work.

 

Best,

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

Edited February 24, 2018 by zen-bear

[zen-bear]

For FP Qigong practitioners and thread subscribers in the Berkshires area of Massachusetts and surrounds, such as Albany and eastern New York:

 

For the next 8 Saturdays, from 4:30 pm to 6pm, I will be teaching a new series of FP Qigong class (Basic level) at the excellent Sruti Berkshire Yoga Center at 33 Railroad Street in the lovely town of Great Barrington.  Fee is $35 per class.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

Edited February 1, 2018 by zen-bear

[Vajra Fist]

11 hours ago, zen-bear said:

Hi Bruce Qi,

 

You're welcome. the names used in FP Qigong and in other Bok Fu Pai arts are important to understand and be clear about--any sort of mental confusion degrades quality of practice and can even lead to accidents and untoward results.

No wonder that Confucius had an important doctrine in his philosophy that he called "The Rectification of Names."

 

Thank you very much for offering to send me the "san gong" meditations that you are working on.  I will download them per your PM and view them as soon as i can. It won't be until the weekend because I am presently buried under tons of other work.

 

Best,

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

I have these too and would be interested to know more about them.

 

EDIT (added link) 

http://www.whitetigerkungfu.com/living_energy_dvd.htm

Edited February 1, 2018 by Vajra Fist

[Joolian]

On 29.1.2018 at 11:38 PM, Aeran said:

Yeah for sure get some stretching going - even a short session every day has made a huge difference over time for me, and it's also a really good warmup for Qigong.

 

The stretch I'm talking about is the "Spinal Wave" stretch in chapter 5. As the name implies, it's brilliant for the spine too, but I've found it really opens up the pelvis on top of that.

Thanks Aeran, yes, that stretch looks great but I don't know if I got it right from the book. Will try to search for a youtube video for that stretch.

[Frederic]

On 1-2-2018 at 5:20 PM, Vajra Fist said:

I have these too and would be interested to know more about them.

 

EDIT (added link) 

http://www.whitetigerkungfu.com/living_energy_dvd.htm

 

 

The meditations on those are called:

 

Sup Baht Sin Sunn Gong

(90-80-50-40-30-20-10)
18 Goddess heavenly healing meditations

Sup Baht Lohan Sunn Yee Gong

(90-80-50-40-30-20-10)
18 Lohan healing Meditations

 

And are very nice. I wish I knew more about them, where they are from, from what larger BFP system, what level, etc. Also, the first one is 9 meditations combined together? Can we identify those 9 and practice the separately? And also how to perform them, because GM Doo Wai shows them in a chair with side supports and it is hard to discover how low the hands should go for each move.

 

BFP is very interesting, and getting a larger overview of what can be found in there, how it relates to each other etc. even if we stick to playing with FP, is still a beautiful thing.

 

Terry, if you could post and sell video's (for example on vimeo) of how to perform the meditations GM Doo Wai demonstrates, even those free on youtube (detox and healing that looks like but is not Tai Chi), I'm sure a lot of us would be very interested.

[awarenessrules]

Hi Sifu,I started FP in June 2017 but stopped practice after 15 days due to chronic health issue,Now i have re-started the practice and only in 15 days i am having less fatigue.I am doing first 2 basic standing meds followed by first 2 basic sitting meds in morning.I want to increase the time for the Monk Gazing at moon from 10 min to 20 min in 2 segments back to back. I read in previous threads about your instruction regarding this but i am still confused. If i want to do 2 segments of MGAM in a single session, is this the right method i.e. take 3 deep breaths then the breath sequence followed by the first 10 min practice then again the breath sequence followed by the 2nd 10 min practice and ending with 3 deep breaths.OR is this the right method i.e. take 3 deep breaths then the breath sequence followed by 10 min practice then 3 deep breaths to end the first segment immediately followed by 3 deep breaths then the breath sequence followed by 10 min practice and then the 3 deep breaths to end the 2nd segment.Which one is the right method? Thanks

[senseless virtue]

Hi awarenessrules. It's great to hear about your good results. Keep it up and practice steadily.

 

The general guideline is to end each meditation with the three deep breaths, even if you intend to do another soon after.

 

I think it's also recommended to have a gap of 2-5 minutes before starting another meditation to have your energy settle first. Doing so would get you better results.

Edited February 4, 2018 by virtue

[zen-bear]

On 1/27/2018 at 5:58 AM, virtue said:

The Chinese title for Flying Phoenix Heavenly Healing Chi Meditations is given as Fei Feng San Gung. I believe that San Gung is a dialectal variant of the better known term Shen Gong which translates as work with mind/spirit.

Bruce, the terms Shen Gong and San Gong are not "dialectial varients" ot each other,  in either dirction.

 

Shen gong is cultivation of the shen energy.  e.g., Shen gong is a powerful subsystem of Qigong exercises in the Tao Tan Pai (Taoist Elxiir Method) and other systems that specifically train the shen-qi.  All of the Tao Tan Pai 31 Basic Meditations (first level of the TTP System) embody and utilize shen gong principles.

 

San Gong means Heavenly or Spiritual Work/Cultivation.  (Just as "San Da" means "Spiritual Boxing"--the rarest of all kung fu--for the practitioners from monks and priests or others initiated in monastic traditions such as Huashan that practice spiritualism, which I described years ago on this thread.)

Enjoy your practice of Feng Do Duk's San Gong 10 exercises.  It's a powerful and authentic set of Meditations.

 

It is definitely not Flying Phoenix Qigong for it  cultivates a distinctively different energy.  

 

Best,

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

Edited February 24, 2018 by zen-bear

[Sudhamma]

That's the problem with the Chinese dialects, the Chinese word for spiritual, god, is as Bruce said is 'Shen' as pronounced in Mandarin, but if it is in Cantonese, it is 'San'. If in Fujian, the word is pronounced as 'Sin'. The written character is identical though.

'Heaven' is Tien in Mandarin, Tin in Cantonese.

 

[tao stillness]

If my memory serves me well, when I bought the San Gong dvd some years ago the seller told me it translates as "seated meditation". I would say a variant would be "seated cultivation" since I think of the word gong as work but in the case of qigong, work involving the cultivation of inner energy/alchemy. And to me, the highest purpose of that cultivation would be for developing shen which I think of as higher consciousness/spiritual experience. 

[Sudhamma]

"San" or "Shen" if written to denote 'spirit' in Chinese do not necessarily mean spirit, heaven, god in the literal sense. One of the many wuxia palance one could find in wixia novels is, "I've 'shen gong' to protect me (from harm, that is)". So, the descriptive "Shen (San) Gong" in Chinese martial arts or in Qigong in the context of the set of CMA/Qigong exercises should mean that the practitioner will reap the result of extraordinary power, invariably, qi-power. Having said that, on the other hand, in spiritual boxing or shen-da, the shen-gong is taken in its literal sense, that the power of the diety protects the practitioner (upon request, with mudras and stompings). Qigong, as you probably know comes in all forms: some standing, some sitting, and some lying in a prone position. Some traditional Daoist sitting exercises are called so-and-so Shen Gong but what is important is to find out why the set is called shen gong from the instructor.

[Sudhamma]

Deleted for duplication of earlier post.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Sudhamma
Duplication

[zen-bear]

On 1/29/2018 at 2:38 PM, Aeran said:

Yeah for sure get some stretching going - even a short session every day has made a huge difference over time for me, and it's also a really good warmup for Qigong.

 

The stretch I'm talking about is the "Spinal Wave" stretch in chapter 5. As the name implies, it's brilliant for the spine too, but I've found it really opens up the pelvis on top of that.

Hi Aeran,

 

I was following your conversation with Joolian about the content of your FP practice sessions and the resulting nice progress you've made in terms of flexibility as well.

If you're interested in a stretching regimen, I teach a comprehensive and very systematic stretching regimen that can run 45 to 70 minutes.  It's primary emphasis is on legs, hips, spine and as opposed to upper extremities.  I distilled this stretching regimen from the stretching exercises I learned starting in the 70's from:

A.  my 8 years as a competitive gymnast (thru high school and college)

B.  Sifu Doug Wong (So. Sil Lum 5 Animals/ White Lotus KF)--extreme flexibillty achieved.

C.  Master Bow Sim Mark (1980):

D.  Master George Xu's Qing Dynasty Imperial Guard Exercises - that several generations of his students are versed in.  I learned them during his workshops in the late 80's at the San Diego Taoist Sanctuary.

E.  a few of GM Doo Wai's numerous  internal warm-up & stretching routines--e.g two meditations excerpted from the 8 Sections of Energy Combined system that are done in sets of 9 repetitions.

 

(A through D comprised the stretching regimen that passed muster with the L.A. Lakers, as I trained that 2000 -2001 championship team in it throughout that season at the start of every home practice.)

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by zen-bear

[zen-bear]

On 2/4/2018 at 2:21 AM, Frederic said:

 

 

The meditations on those are called:

 

Sup Baht Sin Sunn Gong

(90-80-50-40-30-20-10)
18 Goddess heavenly healing meditations

Sup Baht Lohan Sunn Yee Gong

(90-80-50-40-30-20-10)
18 Lohan healing Meditations

 

And are very nice. I wish I knew more about them, where they are from, from what larger BFP system, what level, etc. Also, the first one is 9 meditations combined together? Can we identify those 9 and practice the separately? And also how to perform them, because GM Doo Wai shows them in a chair with side supports and it is hard to discover how low the hands should go for each move.

 

BFP is very interesting, and getting a larger overview of what can be found in there, how it relates to each other etc. even if we stick to playing with FP, is still a beautiful thing.

 

Terry, if you could post and sell video's (for example on vimeo) of how to perform the meditations GM Doo Wai demonstrates, even those free on youtube (detox and healing that looks like but is not Tai Chi), I'm sure a lot of us would be very interested.

Frederic,

 

I am not familiar with the meditations you've described by their breath control sequences and with those names, although I do know a couple of meditations in the 10,000 Buddhas Meditation System that has that exact breath control sequence.  I do know that those meditations you speak of are not purely healing meditations.  So because of their full or partial martial potential, I will not comment, teach, or demonstrate them OUT OF CONTEXT--i.e., I will not teach anyone more about them unless they are either my student or have been trained by a certified senior Bok Fu Pai instructor that I respect, such as Sifu Garry Hearfield.

 

In general, I don't want to spend much time on this  thread talking about  Bok Fu Pai martial art meditations that have no relevance to Flying Phoenix Qigong training.  I barely have enough time to manage to answer questions about FP Qigong practice that are posted every week by active practitioners.  The Bok Fu Pai family of internal arts is vast and if someone raises a question about a basic or  advanced FP Qigong meditation, I may answer questions about it.  I may talk about the history and application of other Bok Fu Pai internal martial arts during an exchange on this thread  with a peer such as Sifu Garry Hearfield, as I have in the past,  but in general, I am not here to demonstrate how to do martial meditations that are taught on a video that I have never seen and which is presume is an advanced meditation-by its exorbitant price.  At least for buyers' sake, I hope the product contains advanced material. 

 

I know and practice that "Healing Detox Meditation"  demonstrated by GM Doo Wai on the video that's posted on Youtube.  It is a nice healing meditation, and I have considered doing a 60 or 90= minute long DVD program breaking down that meditation and making it easier to learn.  But that is not a high priority on my very full video production slate.  Besides,  I think that GM Doo Wai's demonstration is quite sufficient for the general public.

 

In response to your suggestion that I  to make videos demonstrating advanced Bok Fu Pai martial art meditations that are NOT directly relevant to Flying Phoenix Celestial Healing Qigong training and make it available free on Youtube or sell them through Vimeo, my answer is a NO.  That is not my philosophy or practice. I teach intermediate and advanced Kung Fu students all the time--but in person.   I do not and will not teach advanced martial Qigong on either a free or commercial video--whether it's Bok Fu Pai or Tao Tan Pai, or 8 Sections Combined.

 

But if you wish to do a private online (Skype) tutorial to go over the Bok Fu Pai meditations you mention that you're presently trying to learn from the video you bought from that website,  I would be glad to examine your practice and, first of all, tell you whether you should be practicing that material or not. If it looks like the material  is suitable for you and that you would do well with it, given your background and experience, I would be glad help you learn the material. But if the material is too advanced for you, I would tell you what you would need to do to advance to the point where learning that particular exercise would be worthwhile. 

 

Everyone buying relatively expensive videos from unauthorized--or even authorized Bok Fu Pai--websites should think about these  couple of very important classical adages in Chinese martial arts that I've discussed several times on this thread. 

The first one is: 

"When you are ready, the material will be made available to you."   That is, it will be literally given to you. You won't have to buy it at great expense and then wonder how to use it!

 

The second truth is: 

"The wrong person with the correct teaching (the truth) will still not benefit from it.  But the right person even with the wrong exercise (incomplete) will still make it work and derive benefit."

 

You had posted:

And are very nice. I wish I knew more about them, where they are from, from what larger BFP system, what level, etc.

That  info that you're asking about should be on the video to begin with.  That such basic info is not included in the video is a sign that the footage might have been gotten by the purveyor by illicit or dishonest means. 

 

Also, the first one is 9 meditations combined together? Can we identify those 9 and practice the separately?

Having not seen the video, I have idea what you are talking about with regards to 9 meditations combined and wheter you can practice them separately.

 

Frederic, and  everyone else out there reading this:   please let's try to stick to the subject of Flying Phoenix Qigong on this thread.

 

Regards,

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

[senseless virtue]

Does anyone of the Flying Phoenix practitioners around here have experience with David Berceli's Tension & Trauma Release Exercises (TRE), or some other type of exercises that activate spontaneous shaking and tremors?

 

Any seasoned FP practitioner knows how the FP energy releases tension and causes spontaneous shaking. It would be sensible synergy if releasing tensions through other means enhanced the FP healing mechanism.

 

I started a routine of first having many standing FP exercises in row, followed by 20 minutes of TRE, and then supine Monk Holding Pearl for rest for at least 10 minutes. It seems to me that the TRE's deep release of tension is amplifying the benefits of FP healing energy and I feel abundant vitality after practice. Can anyone confirm or invalidate this hypothesis through their own experience?

[Aeran]

On 14/02/2018 at 10:00 AM, zen-bear said:

Hi Aeran,

 

I was following your conversation with Joolian about the content of your FP practice sessions and the resulting nice progress you've made in terms of flexibility as well.

If you're interested in a stretching regimen, I teach a comprehensive and very systematic stretching regimen that can run 45 to 70 minutes.  It's primary emphasis is on legs, hips, spine and as opposed to upper extremities.  I distilled this stretching regimen from the stretching exercises I learned starting in the 70's from:

A.  my 8 years as a competitive gymnast (thru high school and college)

B.  Sifu Doug Wong (So. Sil Lum 5 Animals/ White Lotus KF)--extreme flexibillty achieved.

C.  Master Bow Sim Mark (1980):

D.  Master George Xu's Qing Dynasty Imperial Guard Exercises - that several generations of his students are versed in.  I learned them during his workshops in the late 80's at the San Diego Taoist Sanctuary.

E.  a few of GM Doo Wai's numerous  internal warm-up & stretching routines--e.g two meditations excerpted from the 8 Sections of Energy Combined system that are done in sets of 9 repetitions.

 

(A through D comprised the stretching regimen that passed muster with the L.A. Lakers, as I trained that 2000 -2001 championship team in it throughout that season at the start of every home practice.)

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

 

 

Hey Sifu,

 

That might be a bit too extensive, as it is I'm having trouble fitting in all my stretching on top of all the other training  but maybe next session we could go over it and you could give me some pointers to help me refine my regimen and shift the focus to where it could use improvement? I know after I worked in the hip stretches you gave me last year it made longer FP sitting meditations vastly easier, but I can still feel a fair bit of tension in my thighs which causes trouble around the 25 - 30 minute mark. I'd like to eventually work up to 1hr+ and maybe full lotus, but one thing at a time I guess...

 

Speaking of sitting, I've moved back into integrating MSW3 (Waker) and MSW4 (Sleeper) as morning and evening practices respectively, and the results are amazing. Sleeper is especially dramatic, I think I've yet to practice it and not manage to drop off to sleep within 30 or 40 minutes - usually it's all I can do to put my meditation mat away and crawl under the blankets before I'm out like a light. As a nice side bonus, my dreams have become noticeably vivid and pleasant each night. As a lifelong insomniac and generally unhappy sleeper, this is a pretty incredible shift. I've stopped taking herbal sleeping aids I needed previously and don't dread going to bed each night. Mind-blowing stuff.

 

MSW3 (Waker) is an interesting one. A bit more subtle, for sure. At first I was expecting a caffeine-esque jolt of energy, given how dramatic the effects of MSW4 are, and I spent a while waiting for this to happen. So far it hasn't, but what I have noticed is that my energy levels have steadied out a lot during the day. I no longer get a mid-afternoon slump, or if I do it's less dramatic, and for the last week or so I've noticed that it seems to create a kind of low key driving "buzz" of FP Qi which circulates through the body and keep me going during the day. So maybe more of a "sleep preventer" than a "waker" - I definitely wouldn't want to try and go back to sleep after doing it. I am interested to see how this effect evolves over time - I've noticed that the other FP meditations become more powerful the more you practice them (and sometimes develop new effects entirely), so it's possible the energizing effect will enhance over the coming weeks and months.

 

The end result is that I'm going to sleep at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning, give or take an hour my circadian rhythm is actually stable. Sleep has become a nice period of rest between meditations, instead of a source of stress and frustration. Again, I can't state how big a difference this is. I've even started losing the shadows under my eyes I've had as long as I can remember.

 

Anyway TLDR: If any other FP people have a history of sleep trouble, give this combo a shot. I've tried probably every major treatment protocol for insomnia, and some not-so-major ones, but this is the first that's actually worked comfortably. I'm really damn stoked.

Edited February 23, 2018 by Aeran

[zen-bear]

On 2/22/2018 at 7:33 PM, Aeran said:

 

Hey Sifu,

 

That might be a bit too extensive, as it is I'm having trouble fitting in all my stretching on top of all the other training  but maybe next session we could go over it and you could give me some pointers to help me refine my regimen and shift the focus to where it could use improvement? I know after I worked in the hip stretches you gave me last year it made longer FP sitting meditations vastly easier, but I can still feel a fair bit of tension in my thighs which causes trouble around the 25 - 30 minute mark. I'd like to eventually work up to 1hr+ and maybe full lotus, but one thing at a time I guess...

 

Speaking of sitting, I've moved back into integrating MSW3 (Waker) and MSW4 (Sleeper) as morning and evening practices respectively, and the results are amazing. Sleeper is especially dramatic, I think I've yet to practice it and not manage to drop off to sleep within 30 or 40 minutes - usually it's all I can do to put my meditation mat away and crawl under the blankets before I'm out like a light. As a nice side bonus, my dreams have become noticeably vivid and pleasant each night. As a lifelong insomniac and generally unhappy sleeper, this is a pretty incredible shift. I've stopped taking herbal sleeping aids I needed previously and don't dread going to bed each night. Mind-blowing stuff.

 

MSW3 (Waker) is an interesting one. A bit more subtle, for sure. At first I was expecting a caffeine-esque jolt of energy, given how dramatic the effects of MSW4 are, and I spent a while waiting for this to happen. So far it hasn't, but what I have noticed is that my energy levels have steadied out a lot during the day. I no longer get a mid-afternoon slump, or if I do it's less dramatic, and for the last week or so I've noticed that it seems to create a kind of low key driving "buzz" of FP Qi which circulates through the body and keep me going during the day. So maybe more of a "sleep preventer" than a "waker" - I definitely wouldn't want to try and go back to sleep after doing it. I am interested to see how this effect evolves over time - I've noticed that the other FP meditations become more powerful the more you practice them (and sometimes develop new effects entirely), so it's possible the energizing effect will enhance over the coming weeks and months.

 

The end result is that I'm going to sleep at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning, give or take an hour my circadian rhythm is actually stable. Sleep has become a nice period of rest between meditations, instead of a source of stress and frustration. Again, I can't state how big a difference this is. I've even started losing the shadows under my eyes I've had as long as I can remember.

 

Anyway TLDR: If any other FP people have a history of sleep trouble, give this combo a shot. I've tried probably every major treatment protocol for insomnia, and some not-so-major ones, but this is the first that's actually worked comfortably. I'm really damn stoked.

 

Hi Aeran,

 

I didn't mean to overwhelm you with the extent of my stretching repertoire, but it is a sure-fire effective one.  And if you need help with any particular goal in stretching, you might want to do a short consultation so i can do a little intake and then make suggestions--if your flexibility --or lack of --is problem for you.  

 

Congratulations on finding relief and a path to more sound and restful sleep through FP Qigong practice.  Now this is what I love to see reported as a result of diligent practice.  There's nothing more gratifying for me to hear than what you've just posted: 

 

Speaking of sitting, I've moved back into integrating MSW3 (Waker) and MSW4 (Sleeper) as morning and evening practices respectively, and the results are amazing. Sleeper is especially dramatic, I think I've yet to practice it and not manage to drop off to sleep within 30 or 40 minutes - usually it's all I can do to put my meditation mat away and crawl under the blankets before I'm out like a light. As a nice side bonus, my dreams have become noticeably vivid and pleasant each night. As a lifelong insomniac and generally unhappy sleeper, this is a pretty incredible shift. I've stopped taking herbal sleeping aids I needed previously and don't dread going to bed each night. Mind-blowing stuff.

Fantastic that you are no longer taking herbal sleeping aids--because they all have side effects that may not be immediately known.  And yes, better sleep naturally means better dreams!:

 

MSW3 (Waker) is an interesting one. A bit more subtle, for sure. At first I was expecting a caffeine-esque jolt of energy, given how dramatic the effects of MSW4 are, and I spent a while waiting for this to happen. 

No, FP Qigong doesn't work in jolts or affect consciousness and alertness in jolts--in any way shape or form. It is fast-acting, but still smooth and sublime.  That's the truly marvelous and wonderful thing about FP Healing Energy.

 

So far it hasn't, but what I have noticed is that my energy levels have steadied out a lot during the day. I no longer get a mid-afternoon slump, or if I do it's less dramatic, and for the last week or so I've noticed that it seems to create a kind of low key driving "buzz" of FP Qi which circulates through the body and keep me going during the day. So maybe more of a "sleep preventer" than a "waker" - I definitely wouldn't want to try and go back to sleep after doing it. I am interested to see how this effect evolves over time -

Congrats again on attaining such excellent health benefits!   Energy boosting and smoothing effects!.  No mid-afternoon slump is a major accomplishment in any yogic practice.  (Most people's mid-afternoon, 4pm slump comes from hypoglycemia and the diet that cause it. )   You've also perfect described the energy from MSW No.3, the "waker upper."  a bit more quite accurately as:  "The sleep preventer."  Yes, you is a soft silent buzzz that prevents one from dozing off.  As I posted very early on the thread--I think in Year One, when I gave a good friend of mine who I was visiting in Paris the video cassette version of Vol.2 in the mid-90's, I forgot to tell him not to practice MSW #3 at night.  Ay carumba!  Poor David was tossing and turning all night couldn't turn his mind off and was absolutely miserable--also waking and worrying his wife next to him intermittently. But he didn't tell me what was happening when it was happening.  So he woke up from barely any sleep and totally exhausted. 

 

I've noticed that the other FP meditations become more powerful the more you practice them (and sometimes develop new effects entirely), so it's possible the energizing effect will enhance over the coming weeks and months.

Yes, there are higher level effects and benefits that set on after one has practiced a lot--years-- of each FP Meditation.   Especially the advanced seated Meds taught on volume 7.  I've discussed charging of the brain centers, the charging of points all over the surface of the brain closest to the skull bones, the recolorization of hair to its natural color in older men and women, and the very profound clearing up and sharpening of vision.  Contrary to what only one person posted in year One, the FP Meditations do NOT plateau or "peak out" once the FP Healing Energy cultivated has had a "saturarting" effect on the body.

 

The end result is that I'm going to sleep at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning, give or take an hour my circadian rhythm is actually stable. Sleep has become a nice period of rest between meditations, instead of a source of stress and frustration. Again, I can't state how big a difference this is. I've even started losing the shadows under my eyes I've had as long as I can remember.

Good job!  Happy for you.

 

Anyway TLDR: If any other FP people have a history of sleep trouble, give this combo a shot. I've tried probably every major treatment protocol for insomnia, and some not-so-major ones, but this is the first that's actually worked comfortably. I'm really damn stoked.

 

No, NOT "TL" at all.  and "DR" !

Thanks for reiterating this combination of practice:  "Monk Serves Wine #3 in the morning and "MSW #4 (50 20 10)--first exercise on Volume 7 DVD right before going to bed.

 

Also, as I've suggested, you can  also include MSW #2 (50 40 30 10) on Volume 2 in your evening sleep-inducing practice...or once substitute it in for  MSW#4 for variety.  MSW# is beautiful and it gets more beautiful and natural with practice.

 

Again, good job, Aeran.  And thanks for sharing!

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

 

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