do you practice outside?

[Non]

I dont know if it's because I live in the city or whatever. But there are no parks around here either where I can just find an isolated spot to do all my practices IN PEACE and without social anxiety. Well maybe not so much the social anxiety, but in peace.

 

I wish cultivation practices and meditation were more accepted and stuff. Thing is though I practice pretty much a lot, so people would probably think I'm weird, and wasting a lot of time.

[fizix]

I think part of one's spiritual progression/practice is to overcome this typical social anxiety when it comes to practicing in a public area; it's just your ego talking. Yes, I always practice outside for more reason than one.

[voidisyinyang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bnyNwRKDrY&feature=player_embedded

 

I dont know if it's because I live in the city or whatever. But there are no parks around here either where I can just find an isolated spot to do all my practices IN PEACE and without social anxiety. Well maybe not so much the social anxiety, but in peace.

 

I wish cultivation practices and meditation were more accepted and stuff. Thing is though I practice pretty much a lot, so people would probably think I'm weird, and wasting a lot of time.

[effilang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bnyNwRKDrY&feature=player_embedded

 

If Christianity was not the most misunderstood religion known to man, it would actually be a very good thing.

[soaring crane]

I dont know if it's because I live in the city or whatever. But there are no parks around here either where I can just find an isolated spot to do all my practices IN PEACE and without social anxiety. Well maybe not so much the social anxiety, but in peace.

 

I wish cultivation practices and meditation were more accepted and stuff. Thing is though I practice pretty much a lot, so people would probably think I'm weird, and wasting a lot of time.

 

You're doing it right, imo. When you meditate, it's much more important that you feel comfortable at the moment. Maybe over time you'll get used to doing it outdoors, and with an audience. Be patient with yourself.

 

Have you looked around for groups that you could join up with? I'm not much a group person myself (except when I'm holding classes, lol) but, if there are a few good people in the area, you could try practicing outdoors together with them - strength in numbers and all that. Maybe start a trend

 

 

 

[Goddodin]

I'm with you on the social anxiety. I would love to do a variety of practices outside - from sitting meditation to my harder, physical exercise, but I tend to bottle out of it...

 

How about learning some not-too-weird-looking practices to ease your transition to practicing outside, (if this is a goal)? I am refining a walking meditation practice at present, it's as simple as it gets and I hope gets me accustomed to being mindful only of myself when I'm out and about.

 

ps early mornings may be our friend...

[rain]

I dont know if it's because I live in the city or whatever. But there are no parks around here either where I can just find an isolated spot to do all my practices IN PEACE and without social anxiety. Well maybe not so much the social anxiety, but in peace.

 

I wish cultivation practices and meditation were more accepted and stuff. Thing is though I practice pretty much a lot, so people would probably think I'm weird, and wasting a lot of time.

 

I say this with a lot of experience because I am a woman

 

space you have to conquer

 

going in

Edited January 27, 2010 by rain

[soaring crane]

I am refining a walking meditation practice at present, it's as simple as it gets and I hope gets me accustomed to being mindful only of myself when I'm out and about.

 

 

Great advice! Qigong walking is really a beautiful amalgam of everything that makes Qigong so great to begin with. And, yes, you can really do it very effectively without drawing a lot of attention to yourself, depending on the style. One caveat though, it's one of the things that you almost have to learn from a teacher, or at least from someone who can do it well, so that they can observe you a bit and help you out. I've met quite a few people who have tried it by watching youtube videos, or from books (or discussion forums) and it was clear that they weren't doing what they thought they were.

 

 

What kind of walking do you do, God? Do you know "Xi Xi Hu" breathing patterns?

Edited January 27, 2010 by soaring crane

[Gerard]

I dont know if it's because I live in the city or whatever. But there are no parks around here either where I can just find an isolated spot to do all my practices IN PEACE and without social anxiety. Well maybe not so much the social anxiety, but in peace.

 

Have you ever considered the idea of moving away and living in a cleaner and little mind-polluting environment?

 

I wish cultivation practices and meditation were more accepted and stuff. Thing is though I practice pretty much a lot, so people would probably think I'm weird, and wasting a lot of time.

 

Worry about yourself and seek your own "salvation." Read this:

 

http://www.wsu.edu/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/plato.html

 

Written almost 2500 years yet things are still the same.

[Goddodin]

Great advice! Qigong walking is really a beautiful amalgam of everything that makes Qigong so great to begin with. And, yes, you can really do it very effectively without drawing a lot of attention to yourself, depending on the style. One caveat though, it's one of the things that you almost have to learn from a teacher, or at least from someone who can do it well, so that they can observe you a bit and help you out. I've met quite a few people who have tried it by watching youtube videos, or from books (or discussion forums) and it was clear that they weren't doing what they thought they were.

 

 

What kind of walking do you do, God? Do you know "Xi Xi Hu" breathing patterns?

 

 

It's a very basic one - I got shown it by a (Zen) Buddhist teacher. She didn't really talk about styles or where she got it from, although I know she practiced a style of Taiji, (Chen maybe??? I'm going off memory here though as I never quizzed her on it). It works along the lines of bringing awareness to the body and the breath as you walk - it's kind of a supplementary practice for me so I haven't gone too deep into it. The teacher gave it us as a break from sitting zazen, so I don't think she wanted to expand too much.

 

What are the Xi Xi Hu patterns?

[Mal]

so people would probably think I'm weird, and wasting a lot of time.

I use to worry about this when doing Tai Chi in public (eg on the beach) But when I actually tried, nobody ever bothered me. Once or twice a year I would get someone waiting quietly till I looked at them to ask a question.

 

What happened to you when you gave it a try Non?

 

ps early mornings may be our friend...

 

Yes I once told my friend I was surprised no "trouble makers" remarked when I was practicing in the mornings, he said "Stupid, all the trouble makers are still in bed sleeping from the night before"

 

I've also done Kung Fu practice in questionable areas and had no trouble..... But I'm not talking ghetto's and ganglands so do exercise some caution, but don't be afraid to have a go.

[soaring crane]

it's kind of a supplementary practice for me so I haven't gone too deep into it. The teacher gave it us as a break from sitting zazen, so I don't think she wanted to expand too much.

 

What are the Xi Xi Hu patterns?

 

 

Hi Godd - yeah, good question. I was hoping someone here may be familiar with it, but I've never seen it brought up in discussion before. I can describe it here, but it's unlikely that you or anyone without some familiarity with the practice would be able to really integrate it into your own routine. Basically, "Xi" is the inhale and "Hu" is the exhale. You harmonize these two with your strides. An oversimplification would be a brisk walk where you simply alternate your breaths like this:

 

Right - Xi

Left - Xi

Right - Hu

Left - Hu

 

In, In, Out, Out, etc...

 

But that's just a rough sketch of the practice. In reality, there are many variations and also different walking styles, each of which has its specific arm movement. It's essentially Medical Qigong, with emphasis on the five Zang/Yin organs. The "mother" of all of them is Kidney form.

 

In Kidney form, the breathing is actually like this:

 

Xi, Xi, Hu, Hold

 

Yes, you breath in twice and only exhale once. You take in more than you let out. The walk is very slow and deliberate. The first Xi in on the right heel, the second Xi happens on the right forefoot as the weight shifts forward (Yongquan is obviously important), and the Hu is on the left heel, the Hold on the left forefoot.

 

It's that moment when you hold and touch the left Yongquan to the floor that the "magic" happens, except that for a long time when you're learning it, the only thing that happens is you blow up like a balloon, lol. The "hold" isn't just a holding of the breath, it's a conversion to Qi that you send to the kidneys at that moment. The breath is baby-soft, inaudible, flat, almost no-breathe, in the nose and out the mouth.

 

The walking form is harmonious with the breath, with a constant soft twisting around the Kidney area. The arms hang loosely but the hands describe open horizontal figure eights, moving Qi around the Kidney level.

 

In group practice, the person coordinating the session calls softly, "Xi, Xi, Hu, ..., Xi, Xi, Hu, ..., ". The "Xi" is actually a sound you can make on the inhale, so the instructor can practice along with the group.

 

To go from Kidney to Heart form, you hold the tip of the middle finger, the Pericard meridian, on Laogong and on that Hold step, you consciously tighten the fist somewhat, and smile into your heart

 

Spleen, Lung and Kidney forms are similar but different.

 

Like I said, really not something anyone can do by reading about it. In fact, it can take a v e r y long time for it to really "click" even when you have intense instruction in the form.

 

There are many, many variations on all of this.

 

I know, TMI, lol, but I just felt like writing a bit about it as I consider it one of the most valuable meditation forms we have

[Non]

yea actually i just practiced outside today. Everywhere I wanted to face was bad tho cuz I was facing people looking directly at me. lol.

 

And there's lots of youngsters who go there, gangsters and shit. But that's the closest park.

[NeiChuan]

Hm yea.. Less people is good too.. but just because there is dont let it stop you. At the end of the day pretty much everyone believes in something illogical to society.. Or someone more outside of soceit aka someone with a brain. Anyway yea.. Nothing to worry about.

[Sunya]

Go live in China, its bloody cheap and many people practice in the parks; it's normal there. You can get work quite easily teaching English to support yourself.

Edited January 27, 2010 by mikaelz

[Xiao Shu]

It is more important, I feel, that you are comfortable when you practice your spirituality. I practice Tai Chi outside whenever I get the chance, but that is a personal choice. If you live in a city it probably isn't good for you to be breathing the air anyway.

[Mal]