The Complete 5 Tibetan Exercises - from India - there are 8

[~jK~]

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Edited December 26, 2009 by ~jK~

[Non]

Good stuff.

 

I think the stretch exercise which you now say is number 6 is similar to a qigong exercise shown on the DVD Sexual Vitality Qigong by Michael Winn. Basically you shift from side to side. Hands facing earth (or the one hand that goes up facing in pointing down), the one hand which corresponds to the side being shifted to (and legs being bent) goes down, and you imagine compressing the energy which is flowing through that leg, is being drawn from the the earth coming up the other leg which is being straightened and stretched by the soft internal grip it has on the ground. The hand which corresponds to that side where the energy is being drawn from the earth is the one going up, simultaneously while the other hand is going down. And you repeat for the other side, going from side to side in this way.

 

It's supposed to be done slowly too, which a slight pause when you have come up and you're in the middle and both legs have been straightened (but of course slightly bent in the traditional leg stance).

 

But your version focuses on one side at a time, while with Michael Winn's stuff you go from side to side alternating.

 

Also, on the "uddiyana bandha", I think it's slightly different in that you are coming from a bent forward from waist position, to standing upright. It is important to draw the navel in and up I think, and pc muscle squeezed and perhaps try to feel a slight pulsation in the exercise. Another variation of it and making the prayer mudra in front of the chest, and perhaps also lifting that mudra over the head, arms straightened. You can also experiment with another mudra like uttara bodhi.

 

There are also different details in different versions like... keeping the pc muscles contracted and navel in and drawn up (thus drawing in your testicles if you're male) as you breathe in.

 

I'm also unsure of the safety of drawing sexual energy up the front (functional) channel , as opposed to drawing it up the back (control) channel and up the spine.

 

Regards

[宁]

There can't be just eight... they have to be nine, if we are talking FS

The Magical Square has eight stars, and one in the centre

I still don't get your description of the sixth, it seems incomplete at some point...

 

Cool thread!

[soaring crane]

Good stuff.

 

I think the stretch exercise which you now say is number 6 is similar to a qigong exercise shown on the DVD Sexual Vitality Qigong by Michael Winn. Basically you shift from side to side. Hands facing earth (or the one hand that goes up facing in pointing down), the one hand which corresponds to the side being shifted to (and legs being bent) goes down, and you imagine compressing the energy which is flowing through that leg, is being drawn from the the earth coming up the other leg which is being straightened and stretched by the soft internal grip it has on the ground. The hand which corresponds to that side where the energy is being drawn from the earth is the one going up, simultaneously while the other hand is going down. And you repeat for the other side, going from side to side in this way.

 

huh, that's really interesting to me. It sounds, as does the description of the sixth Tibetan above, similar to an exercise that, ahem, kind of appeared to me once during practice. I then incorporated it into my clases as part of the warm-up routine, to get Qi flowing and to hopefully help the participants have a better "Qi experience".

 

The thing is, the way you describe it seems to have contradiction in it, which I'm sure isn't really one.

 

Oh wait a min... I've now re-read it a few times and it clicked with me. It's the same basic concept. It was this wording that got me confused:

 

"the one hand which corresponds to the side being shifted to (and legs being bent) goes down, and you imagine compressing the energy which is flowing through that leg, is being drawn from the the earth coming up the other leg which is being straightened and stretched by the soft internal grip it has on the ground."

 

It sounded like the Qi would be compressed and drawn up on the same side, which didn't make sense to me.

 

I would describe it this way, hope I'm not highjacking or being rude:

 

Maintain the central axis between Bahui and Huiyin, and shift it to one side. The actualy movement is a pelvic motion to the side where the pelvis itself remains level (not strictly 100%, but close). Doing it this way will automatically cause the knee receiving the weight to give a little, there's no way to do it otherwise. The leg that does not have the weight will remain straighter.

 

Your center of gravity is now settled on one side.

 

The side the weight gets shifted to becomes the "active", Yang leg, while the the other side, equally important, becomes Yin, passive, empty. That's important because the side with the weight is going to direct Qi downward, and, as you said, at the same time cause Qi to be drawn up into the "passive" leg on the other side. If the "passive" leg isn't relaxed, it won't be empty, and can't be filled. Most people forget about this. We're so active and strong, so Yang fixated, that we forget the Yin over there waiting for a little attention.

 

Right. And then it's just a matter of shifting the Central Axis to the other side. This has to be done in connection with the breath. While "compressing" one side, breath out. When the exhale is done, inhale, straighten up, move your COG to the middle, and on the next exhale, shift the pelvis and central axis (Zhong Mai) to the other side and "push" lightly downward.

 

The hands are a great addition. I just direct both Laogongs downward and let the hands move accordingly, they'll also go through the same yin/yang phases as the legs/feet.

 

Yongchuan obviously plays a central role in the whole thing. Make they've got good contact to the floor the whole time.

 

The way I kind of spontaneously described it once was that the expelled Qi would go down into the Earth, the great recycling center, where it would be filtered and cleaned and made ready to be drawn up into the leg that had emptied itself previously. Works for me

 

It gets a lot more detailed, though, where you follow the exact flow of the Qi through the groin from one leg vessel into the other. And then the arms as well.

 

And the most intense experience starts when the Qi is felt more as a ball that circuits through the process. You can follow along as it travels progressively down one leg and up the other. Also, the hands become very charged up after a few sessions and the arms will usually start some spontaneous movements, which I consider beneficial.

 

Ok, sorry this got so long. When I start writing about this stuff, I realize there are so many little details, all of them important...

[Non]

well you're explaining using taoist and energetic concepts which are beyond my knowledge right now lol.

 

Anyways...

 

For some reason also... in the Sexual Vitality Qigong DVD... Michael Winn reverses the knee bending and hand movements for some unknown reason, and never explains it. Perhaps it's a different variation.

 

He basically instead of compressing the energy downwards on the bent leg, draws up energy from that bent leg. But perhaps the way it is perceived seems that way. I think he lifts the heel up off the ground from that leg, which makes it bent, while the other leg is straightened. I'm not sure which is the right way but you can play with the both ways that I described.

[soaring crane]

I think he lifts the heel up off the ground from that leg, which makes it bent, while the other leg is straightened. I'm not sure which is the right way but you can play with the both ways that I described.

 

 

ahhhhh, ok, I see now. If he's lifting the foot, then I assume that that leg is the passive one, it's relaxed, make sure of that. The only tension in that leg will come from the psoas area up top, the only muscles needed to actually lift the leg like that. The foot should hang limply, empty. When settling it down, it'll be toes, balls (Yongchaun) and then the heel last. It's like a Soaring Crane

 

The knee of the leg that isn't raised will also have to be bent somewhat, to maintain balance and better support. Which makes more sense now...

 

You might get more Qi moving and generate more warmth with the version I described... would be interesting to compare, I never made the connection even though I practice Crane walking which is essentially the same thing but different.

 

They're very sexy animals, btw

[Non]

I forgot to mention, that he displays, BOTH ways in the video. The first way I described is what he started with, and then towards the middle of the demonstration, he switches, without explaining why, or it's purpose.

 

methinks it may be that it's a conspiracy.

[RyanO]

I don't have the Sexual Vitality DVD, but I did learn the movement at Michael's Primordial Qigong and Fundamentals 3/4 workshops this year. He calls it 'Deep Earth Pulsing.'

 

It's a great movement. The way he taught it was to compress the palm and foot of the same side into the earth. We never reversed the movement. We did it for a long time and put a lot of focus on it, for good reason. It's excellent for grounding and getting in touch with the earth. Also crucial is to make sure to 'pump' the hip joint.

 

But like I said, I don't have the DVD (though I'm probably gonna get it soon), so I can't speak to that, but I can say that learning it in person both time we never reversed it.

 

Peace

[~jK~]

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Edited December 27, 2009 by ~jK~

[~jK~]

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Edited December 26, 2009 by ~jK~

[~jK~]

..

Edited December 27, 2009 by ~jK~

[Non]

I don't have the Sexual Vitality DVD, but I did learn the movement at Michael's Primordial Qigong and Fundamentals 3/4 workshops this year. He calls it 'Deep Earth Pulsing.'

 

It's a great movement. The way he taught it was to compress the palm and foot of the same side into the earth. We never reversed the movement. We did it for a long time and put a lot of focus on it, for good reason. It's excellent for grounding and getting in touch with the earth. Also crucial is to make sure to 'pump' the hip joint.

 

But like I said, I don't have the DVD (though I'm probably gonna get it soon), so I can't speak to that, but I can say that learning it in person both time we never reversed it.

 

Peace

 

hey Ryan, do you know of the correct breathing pattern for this qigong exercise? Michael Winn doesn't explain the breathing in the DVD.