Can't sit in lotus

[Audiohealing]

I just received my flying phoenix chi gung DVD... all set to go... EXCEPT!....

 

I can't sit in a lotus position, or half lotus... AT ALL.... not even close.

 

I can sort of sit cross-legged but I lose feeling in my legs after 10 minutes and I need something to support my back or I have to strain to keep upright.

 

Can I do FP anyway? Is there any way around this?

 

Or should I just start practicing the lotus position and hope that I can sit in it after a year's practice....

[bamboo]

Isn't this the same Audio with the question about Kunlun? And now you're running FP as well. Let me give you some advice, i had to learn the hard way. Don't mix your words...Don't mix your drinks....and NEVER mix your qigong, unless you know they're compatable, or your name is Wang Liping.

 

That said, i practiced a form a while ago that required sitting in either full or half lotus neither of which i can do. But by sitting in quater lotus i got great results anyway. Quater lotus is bringing one of your feet up and tucking it in the crack between the calf and thigh, instead of HL, which is pulling your foot all the way up onto your thigh. QL is still a very stable posture, and supports the back and keeps it erect without effort. I think one reason for sitting in either HL or FL when doing sitting chigong/neigong, is because it increases the chi circulation in the torso, increasing the efficacy of the exercise. But as i don't practice FP, maybe someone else can jump in and give you some advice.

 

Quarter lotus link

http://www.zencenterofdenver.org/GettingStarted/zazeninstructions.html

Edited March 10, 2011 by bamboo

[Audiohealing]

Well I want to try both methods to see which one suits me best. I will not be practicing both once I decide.

 

I tried sitting in quarter lotus and its still very painful and my knees still don't touch the ground.

 

Can I do FP seated in a chair? I guess I'll ask in the FP thread...

[Astral_Anima]

I just received my flying phoenix chi gung DVD... all set to go... EXCEPT!....

 

I can't sit in a lotus position, or half lotus... AT ALL.... not even close.

 

I can sort of sit cross-legged but I lose feeling in my legs after 10 minutes and I need something to support my back or I have to strain to keep upright.

 

Can I do FP anyway? Is there any way around this?

 

Or should I just start practicing the lotus position and hope that I can sit in it after a year's practice....

 

The connection is astounding...

 

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/yoga-secrets-whole-foods-flexibility

 

http://www.yogafinder.com/yogaarticles/stretching_exercises.htm

 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/307952-flexibility-diets/

 

http://www.yoga-for-beginners-a-practical-guide.com/yoga-for-inflexible-people.html

 

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/raw-food-for-flexibility

 

-Astral

[johndoe2012]

audio,

 

read all 49 pages of the FP thread before asking...

 

or you can use the following answer:

 

you can sit crosslegged, that's what Terry says in the FP DVDs.

 

You can also use something to support your back, no worries.

[doc benway]

I just received my flying phoenix chi gung DVD... all set to go... EXCEPT!....

 

I can't sit in a lotus position, or half lotus... AT ALL.... not even close.

 

I can sort of sit cross-legged but I lose feeling in my legs after 10 minutes and I need something to support my back or I have to strain to keep upright.

 

Can I do FP anyway? Is there any way around this?

 

Or should I just start practicing the lotus position and hope that I can sit in it after a year's practice....

I know nothing about Flying Phoenix but here is a great book if you want to train yourself to sit lotus or half lotus. If you try to force it you will injure your knees. It is important to prepare with a methodical approach to stretching the hip joints.

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Lotus-Martin-Faulks/dp/1885928181

Edited March 10, 2011 by steve f

[thelerner]

 

You can also use something to support your back, no worries.

I'm very inflexible. I started out crosslegged sitting against a wall. As years have gone by I've dropped the wall and am pretty comfortable in half lotus. It takes time and a bit stretching, and as Astral has pointed out maybe more greens .

 

So do what you can and slowly expand it. A good pillow (or zafu) that raises your butt up a few inches helps a great deal. I have access to a sauna and it makes sitting and stretching very easy. So try to warm up the muscles before you sit, through stretching or real hot shower.

 

 

Actually Taoists, Western ones anyway seem to 'do it' on chairs. Straight back and close to the edge.

[bamboo]

Well I want to try both methods to see which one suits me best. I will not be practicing both once I decide.

No problem Audio. But i would suggest that if you want to see which one resonates best with you, then run them separately for a period of time. Otherwise one may color the experience of the other. Then you won't be getting an acurate representation of either of them. Just my humble opinion.

Edited March 11, 2011 by bamboo

[orb]

and NEVER mix your qigong, unless you know they're compatable, or your name is Wang Liping.

 

that was awesome

Edited March 11, 2011 by orb

[orb]

este mensaje se ha editado

Edited March 11, 2011 by orb

[johndoe2012]

audio,

 

I'm doing both FP + Yi Gong, no hiccups until now

[onelove]

No problem Audio. But i would suggest that if you want to see which one resonates best with you, then run them separately for a period of time. Otherwise one may color the experience of the other. Then you won't be getting an acurate representation of either of them. Just my humble opinion.

 

Good advice.

 

I'd also add that once you choose which of these excellent energy practices suits you you also seek out a practice to ground the mind in the body and get to the root why you have trouble sitting comfortably. Standing meditation (under the guidance of a skilled teacher), along with good diet and sleep will work wonders to this effect. Max and Jenny have both spoken very highly of the benefits of a standing practice to aid in the energy practices. And really standing meditation/wuji qigong is a pretty powerful energy practice in and of itself if done correctly.