The Star Exercise

[lifeforce]

The Star Exercise

 

This looks interesting.

I might try this out in the morning. Anybody have any experiences with it ?

[Vajrasattva]

The Star Exercise

 

This looks interesting.

I might try this out in the morning. Anybody have any experiences with it ?

 

 

hahaha : )

 

Well if i speak then I am criticized for "selling" or "promoting" KAP.

But yes this is very GOOD. Also Very True. And also very much part of KAP.

 

This is known in Taoism as 5 gates.

 

And in Certain Tantric schools Shiva's Breath.

 

A L L A H

1 2 3 4 5

 

S H I VA

1 2 3 4 5

 

GODAI = TATTVAS = 5 ELEMENTS

 

EARTH WATER FIRE AIR VOID

 

1 2 3 4 5

 

This is KEY to know "HEALTH" and "WELL BEING".

 

you have 5 main Gates

 

You have 5 fingers in each hand and 5 toes in each foot.

 

 

5 is a big deal hence why the church wanted everyone to know its

Symbol and how to use it and why they would kill you if you used it.

 

So yeah practice it!

Peace

 

s

Edited January 7, 2010 by Vajrasattva

[fiveelementtao]

The Star Exercise

 

This looks interesting.

I might try this out in the morning. Anybody have any experiences with it ?

Yes... In our martial training, that is very similar to the standing posture for the wood element. Great for martial arts chi kung....

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

hahaha : )

 

Well if i speak then I am criticized for "selling" or "promoting" KAP.

But yes this is very GOOD. Also Very True. And also very much part of KAP.

 

This is known in Taoism as 5 gates.

 

And in Certain Tantric schools Shiva's Breath.

 

A L L A H

1 2 3 4 5

 

S H I VA

1 2 3 4 5

 

GODAI = TATTVAS = 5 ELEMENTS

 

EARTH WATER FIRE AIR VOID

 

1 2 3 4 5

 

This is KEY to know "HEALTH" and "WELL BEING".

 

you have 5 main Gates

 

You have 5 fingers in each hand and 5 toes in each foot.

5 is a big deal hence why the church wanted everyone to know its

Symbol and how to use it and why they would kill you if you used it.

 

So yeah practice it!

Peace

 

s

 

 

S A N T I

1 2 3 4 5

 

 

aha!! Self promotion!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

jk'ing!

[Spirit Ape]

Yeah I also use this in many of my systems, either during movement or stationary good for stretching the tendons in our IRON BODY system.

 

regards

Ape

[zhoupeng]

It's wonderful how some of the most effective practices are also the least complicated.

[Vajrasattva]

It's wonderful how some of the most effective practices are also the least complicated.

 

 

Indeed!

[Kali Yuga]

This exercise is found in most Rosicrucian circles, and those tend to be quite cultish. I still think this is just some dumb exercise that you had to do in order to slowly be indoctrinated by their dogma. And then you believe all the things they have to say, no matter how crazy, after awhile of them saying jump and you saying how high.

 

They call it the Pentagram or the "Maha chohan" and a bundle of other names. Usually you have to stand in that star posture, and then afterwards put your feet together with toes pointing out in a 45- degree angle from each other and clasp your hands together above the crown of your head, in a ratio that is 3:5.

 

Thus, if you will stand for 9 minutes in the star posture you will stand in the latter for 15 minutes.

 

Supposedly the first posture is the "active" and the later is the "passive" phase.

 

They say that doing this exercise makes one disease resistant, and extra auspicious and even more attractive to the opposite sex! and so on and so forth. They usually teach this in all their recruitment seminars but I seriously have doubts about all those claims. The person teaching the seminar had a fairly large aura but ironically it seemed more like a marketing ploy.

 

I did this before and well I haven't noticed anything much that changes. It gave me stronger upper shoulders but that was about it. Your body sweats through the muscle strain and your willpower is tested, but heck you can get that through any physical exercise. I did not really see any marked development in myself, or any extra health or "auspiciousness". I think that his was just an exercise invented to develop willpower, but that is easily developed through meditation.

 

Anyone else have experience with it?

[zhoupeng]

 

They say that doing this exercise makes one disease resistant, and extra auspicious and even more attractive to the opposite sex! and so on and so forth.

 

Funnily enough, this exercise probably could do that for you if practiced correctly and consistently over a long period.

 

I did this before and well I haven't noticed anything much that changes. It gave me stronger upper shoulders but that was about it. Your body sweats through the muscle strain and your willpower is tested, but heck you can get that through any physical exercise. I did not really see any marked development in myself, or any extra health or "auspiciousness". I think that his was just an exercise invented to develop willpower, but that is easily developed through meditation.

 

Have a look at the link by the original poster; in the instructions specific mention was made of not treating it as an endurance exercise- namely, if your arms feel tired then just drop them to maintain a state of relaxation. Have a go and try the exercise again this way! I am sure you will feel differently about it.

 

Anyone else have experience with it?

 

Not specifically this one, but many very similar to it. There are numerous common practices in a great number of traditions, any cultish bullshit aside, and if pursued for their practical benefits, they can be very useful and practical tools for us to work with.

[Kali Yuga]

Funnily enough, this exercise probably could do that for you if practiced correctly and consistently over a long period.

Have a look at the link by the original poster; in the instructions specific mention was made of not treating it as an endurance exercise- namely, if your arms feel tired then just drop them to maintain a state of relaxation. Have a go and try the exercise again this way! I am sure you will feel differently about it.

Not specifically this one, but many very similar to it. There are numerous common practices in a great number of traditions, any cultish bullshit aside, and if pursued for their practical benefits, they can be very useful and practical tools for us to work with.

 

The experience i had with this group insisted that the longer you do it on an everyday basis the more your aura expands and the more you benefited from it. They would even go so far as to insist that if you feel no benefits from it obviously you don't do it long enough. Begging the whole question.

 

So tell me, you havent done this exercise but you have done a multitude of similar ones? Now, tell me, all cultish bullshit aside, what exactly are the practical benefits of this you're talking about? How is this a useful and practical tool?

 

Just trying to keep it real.

[zhoupeng]

The experience i had with this group insisted that the longer you do it on an everyday basis the more your aura expands and the more you benefited from it. They would even go so far as to insist that if you feel no benefits from it obviously you don't do it long enough. Begging the whole question.

 

So tell me, you havent done this exercise but you have done a multitude of similar ones? Now, tell me, all cultish bullshit aside, what exactly are the practical benefits of this you're talking about? How is this a useful and practical tool?

 

Just trying to keep it real.

 

This exercise is a form of zhan zhuang, or standing stance training. They work to develop one's root to the ground as well as internal force. This particular posture emphasises the connection we have between the heavens/stars/cosmos and the earth through the body's main channels. It also works to make us more sensitive and efficient in absorbing this energy. Zhan zhuang exercises and qi gong, when practiced correctly, will build physical and mental health as well as increasing your qi. I personally find these benefits to be useful.

 

I do not know about the group you used to practice with, but if someone tells me to do any sort of energy work for as long as possible I would take it to mean gradually building up the maximum time through regular practice and not as pushing to 100% every time I practice.

 

Energy work and meditation is very different from body building. You are not supposed to push yourself to failure.

[Kali Yuga]

This exercise is a form of zhan zhuang, or standing stance training. They work to develop one's root to the ground as well as internal force. This particular posture emphasises the connection we have between the heavens/stars/cosmos and the earth through the body's main channels. It also works to make us more sensitive and efficient in absorbing this energy. Zhan zhuang exercises and qi gong, when practiced correctly, will build physical and mental health as well as increasing your qi. I personally find these benefits to be useful.

 

I do not know about the group you used to practice with, but if someone tells me to do any sort of energy work for as long as possible I would take it to mean gradually building up the maximum time through regular practice and not as pushing to 100% every time I practice.

 

Energy work and meditation is very different from body building. You are not supposed to push yourself to failure.

 

At last, a plausible explanation for this. I have known this technique for a long time now but I suppose they teach it wrong. When I said I don't really get it so on and so forth they always emphasized "you should do it for longer!". I always wanted to know the fundamental theory behind this. Then this technqique probably does have validity to it, only those who taught it placed the emphasis on the wrong thing and did not emphasize the awareness and energetic component.

 

Thank you for explaining it in more detail.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Kali Yuga

[Vajrasattva]

At last, a plausible explanation for this. I have known this technique for a long time now but I suppose they teach it wrong. When I said I don't really get it so on and so forth they always emphasized "you should do it for longer!". I always wanted to know the fundamental theory behind this. Then this technqique probably does have validity to it, only those who taught it placed the emphasis on the wrong thing and did not emphasize the awareness and energetic component.

 

Thank you for explaining it in more detail.

 

breath with it.

[fiveelementtao]

It's also helpful to have some training in standing meditation. If the posture is off and the energy doesn't ground through the heels, or if the spine alignment is off or the shoulders are too far back, it won't have the desired effect. If someone just tells a newbie to "stand like a star" they will probably do it wrong and have no results. or worse may hurt themselves...

[mouse]

The wudang internal arts school in China headed by You Xuan De teaches this along with other standing postures. Think it was 11 others.

 

This one is calles Da Zhi Zhuang following the "big" character in chinese meaning Big Character Posture/Stance.

 

I find it is one that requires a long time to build up to a decent level due to the tension you can build into the shoulders. Takes time to condition and allow the structure to strengthen or you build tension which needs to be loosened out again if you do any of the internal arts.

 

mouse

[Desert Eagle]

I had a look at the book, the only physical practice seems to be the star pose, other practices included are concentration, visualization, meditation, and the law of attraction. It's a very good book overall, and I would buy it but it's 33$ on amazon. I tried the star pose for several days and it's very nice, opening and strentghening. I remeber that zhang zhuang stances need a closing afterwards (erle montaigue) but I did not see a closing for this stance. I just hug a tree afterwards and it's great.

 

the method is to be done after waking up and before sleeping, 3-5 minutes for the beginner, longer later. it can also be done lying down if convenient. Will continue to practice it and see how it goes.

Edited January 20, 2010 by Desert Eagle

[altiora]

It's an interesting explanation for how it works -- seems somewhat implausible to me though.

 

I'm currently practising a standing posture similar to it: I was taught it by Chris Lee Matsuo who considers it the earliest form of qigong.

 

Here's the instructions: stand with your feet shoulder width apart, heels turned in slightly, raise arms straight above your head, palms facing forward; raise up on your toes so your heels leave the ground; bend knees slightly and sit into the heels.

 

Works like a treat to get the qi coming in and circulating; it has a wonderful feeling of uniting heaven and earth (indeed that's the exact point); and the open solar plexus allows for some serious surrendering and abdominal breathing.

 

The goal is to stand for up to an hour for 5 days in order to open up the connection between the heart and arms.

 

I'm up to 30 minutes. It takes time to get use to but the qi flow it stimulates is incredible.

[MBZ]

It's an interesting explanation for how it works -- seems somewhat implausible to me though.

 

I'm currently practising a standing posture similar to it: I was taught it by Chris Lee Matsuo who considers it the earliest form of qigong.

 

Here's the instructions: stand with your feet shoulder width apart, heels turned in slightly, raise arms straight above your head, palms facing forward; raise up on your toes so your heels leave the ground; bend knees slightly and sit into the heels.

 

Works like a treat to get the qi coming in and circulating; it has a wonderful feeling of uniting heaven and earth (indeed that's the exact point); and the open solar plexus allows for some serious surrendering and abdominal breathing.

 

The goal is to stand for up to an hour for 5 days in order to open up the connection between the heart and arms.

 

I'm up to 30 minutes. It takes time to get use to but the qi flow it stimulates is incredible.

Thank you for ths altiora, I've never heard of this posture. So the heels stay off the ground the whole time? Kinda like in Kunlun? Are there benifits to this posture that are unique to it? I take it the hour is done all at once? What happens after you work up to an hour a day for 5 days? Thank you!

 

BLESSINGS!!!

[Biff]

It's an interesting explanation for how it works -- seems somewhat implausible to me though.

 

I'm currently practising a standing posture similar to it: I was taught it by Chris Lee Matsuo who considers it the earliest form of qigong.

 

Here's the instructions: stand with your feet shoulder width apart, heels turned in slightly, raise arms straight above your head, palms facing forward; raise up on your toes so your heels leave the ground; bend knees slightly and sit into the heels.

 

Works like a treat to get the qi coming in and circulating; it has a wonderful feeling of uniting heaven and earth (indeed that's the exact point); and the open solar plexus allows for some serious surrendering and abdominal breathing.

 

The goal is to stand for up to an hour for 5 days in order to open up the connection between the heart and arms.

 

I'm up to 30 minutes. It takes time to get use to but the qi flow it stimulates is incredible.

 

That's a completely different posture altogether. Chris has no skill or attainment either. I hope you not just learning from his DVD's.

[fiveelementtao]

Chris has no skill or attainment either.

Just curious...How do you know this?

[Biff]

Just curious...How do you know this?

 

Well that would be telling. I don't expect you or anyone else to take my word for it. If someone is serious they will go see for themselves. One day I'm coming to see you (I say that with respect). Because you put up a video of a well know and respected Chinese master and said that his Chi projection was low level and that your Maoshan energy would just cut through his defense like a laser. There is only one way I can tell if that was bullshit or not.

[fiveelementtao]

One day I'm coming to see you (I say that with respect).... Because you put up a video of a well know and respected Chinese master and said that his Chi projection was low level and that your Maoshan energy would just cut through his defense like a laser.

I never said his Chi was low level... I said it was different. Which it is...

With respect... You are not welcome. I do not take challenges. If you want to challenge someone, go find my ex teacher. The video was his idea. I was against it.

Edited January 16, 2010 by fiveelementtao

[Biff]

With respect... You are not welcome. I do not take challenges. If you want to challenge someone, go find my ex teacher. The video was his idea. I was against it.

 

Sorry, I was not challenging you at all. I know I am an ass but I do not do that at all. What I meant was I want you to hit me, that's all. I did not know you were against that video so I do apologize. I have already corresponded with your ex teacher and I will for sure be going to see him when I can. Not as a challenge by any means! just a friendly. I don't see anything wrong in that. If someone says that can do something then why not ask to be shown?

 

Anyway, I apologize.

[fiveelementtao]

Sorry, I was not challenging you at all. I know I am an ass but I do not do that at all. What I meant was I want you to hit me, that's all. I did not know you were against that video so I do apologize. I have already corresponded with your ex teacher and I will for sure be going to see him when I can. Not as a challenge by any means! just a friendly. I don't see anything wrong in that. If someone says that can do something then why not ask to be shown?

 

Anyway, I apologize.

 

Thanks.

Peace from me, too.

[Friend]

Edited November 16, 2011 by Friend