Fatigue

[Maddie]

This article about "healing crisis" pretty much sums up to a T what I'm going through, glad I found this

 

 

http://www.compassionatedragon.com/crisis.html

[Maddie]

I'm happy to report that today my energy level is up quite a bit. I dropped all practices other than a very shortened 8 brocades (for the streching and loosing aspects) 20 min of ZZ, and 30 min of sitting lower dan tien reverse breathing. I decided to not take up Yi Jin Jing for the moment as I don't think now is the time to begin anything new, as I already dropped other stuff such as most of the 8 brocades, MCO, cool draw, inner smile/healing sounds (unless a particular emotion is really off balance) ect... So far by focusing on primarily chi building practices I've already felt an increase in my energy level.

[Drosan]

Drosan, I have a question for you, as I'm curious due to my own experiences? Do you practice qigong? or any other type of cultivation practice for emotional balance, or well being?

I´m interested in taoist practices for a longer time and in the past, for some time, i did a Tai Chi practice (XSZ). But not right now. That´s why i wrote: "My day looks like this: working, eating, sleeping and surfing in the internet. That´s almost all that i do". Even though i didn´t notice a positive effect on my emotions, i am still interested in the practice but i don´t have the discipline to do it right now.

 

possible reasons for fatigue / sleepiness / depression / low energy

- a healing crisis

- wrong eating habits

- energy blockages (whereas these might not necessarily be curable by oneself - You and i might need the help of a authentic master (i.e. Chang, Feng or Liping), not of those guys who just call themselves "master")

- genetic reasons

- no balls

 

The last aspect is also important. Life is cruel. If you want to achieve something, you have to endure the pain. You have to kick in your ass. I am crying around about my problems and don´t get my ass of to practice simple 90 minutes of Tai Chi three times a week. That´s so ridiculous. In comparison to that, i read that level 3 lsd-practicioners who want to attain level 4 suffer like hell and i also read that those who attained level 4 and want to reach an even higher level just suffer even more than that.

Edited March 24, 2011 by Drosan

[Otis]

This is basically what I'm thinking may be going on with me and my qigong practice. I began qigong with a practice, liked the results, and got really excited and thought "more is better", and added more techniques, and now I seem to be tired all the time. I know qigong is supposed to build our qi, but perhaps not if we get ahead of our bodies ability to build up our qi. If instead we use what we gain on greater and better "projects" we might not feel the benefit of this extra qi because its all being used up on these projects?

Great analogy, Matt. Fatigue may certainly just be your body, asking you to slow down, nothing more complex than that. Good to be able to listen to your body, without forcing an outcome on it.

 

There are some other gifts in fatigue, IME, than just the "learn when to slow down". Fatigue can be used as fuel, as well, although I don't understand how it works. In physical practice, when I encounter deep fatigue, I often shift my attention into the sensation of fatigue, and dance with that. That dance seems to "burn up" the fatigue, allowing me to go further and deeper than I had thought.

 

Of course, I feel even deeper fatigue later, but it's nothing that rest can't take care of, and I soon have more energy than before. Over time, practicing with my fatigue has been excellent for increasing my endurance. If what you're experiencing is chronic, however, then this kind of practice may be counter-productive.

 

Best of luck!

[Maddie]

Check out this article about Spleen qi deficiency, it matches how I feel very well. Additionally the spleen is weakened by obessive thinking/ worry, and up till last week I was doing just that. I probably wore out my poor spleen, and now its having a hard time converting what I eat into qi.

 

I would add that when it recommends herbs for the spleen, Ginger is a wonderful spleen herb. I've been taking it several times a day for a few days now, and its helped a lot.

 

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/tcmpatterns/a/spleen_qi.htm

 

 

Spleen Qi Deficiency

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Pattern of Illness

By Cathy Wong, About.com Guide

Updated September 13, 2005

 

Symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency

Weakness, lethargy

Pale, bright face

Shallow breathing

Low, soft voice

Little desire to speak

Poor appetite

Prolonged headache

Fatigue

Loose stools

Lethargy

Dizziness

Tired eyes

Dislike cold greasy foods

Headache after exertion

Symptoms are worse in the morning

Abdominal discomfort which feels better when pressure is applied

Indigestion

Bloating and gas

Weak limbs

 

 

Tongue

Pale or normal tongue. May have swollen sides

 

Pulse

Weak pulse

 

Related Conditions

Gastric or duodenal ulcer

Dyspepsia

Hepatitis

Anemia

 

Herbs Used For Spleen Qi Deficiency

These are just some of the herbs that are believed to help spleen qi deficiency

 

•Codonopsis

 

•Ginseng

 

•Astragalus

 

•Jujube Dates

 

Foods to Strengthen the Spleen

 

•Beef

 

•Root vegetables

 

•Warm foods

 

•Soups

 

•Warming spices, such as black pepper, ginger, cumin

 

 

 

 

References

Kaptchuk TJ. The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine. Chicago: Contemporary (McGraw-Hill) 2000

Lu, H. Chinese Natural Cures, New York: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 1994.

Edited March 24, 2011 by dmattwads

[Gauss]

[Drosan]

If one lets go of an attachment one´s energy level goes up immediately I find.

 

The cultivation practice Falun Dafa is guided by the characteristics of the universe—Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance ... Cultivators of Falun Dafa strive to remove their attachments to become kinder, more honest and more patient people

I personally don´t like that practice. The lsd-system is much better because you don´t have to change yourself or your attitude. You can be however you want to be as long as you work your ass of and do the practice. If you commit crimes or whatever, that may have carmic consequences, ok - that may be but in the lsd system, you don´t have to be kind or benevolent to progress.

 

Moreover, you forget that there were lots of cruel people in the past who were not sick and didn´t suffer from fatigue. Napoleon, for example, only slept about 5 hours a day or so.

Edited March 26, 2011 by Drosan

[Mal]

I think finding what works for you, and the process of doing that and going through the options to learn what that feels like for your body, is the best way to go.

 

For me it seems that 20 min of "something" 1st thing in the morning is what benefits me. I've had noticeable effects with Chi Gongs, Tai Chi, standing; but currently as soon as I wake up lying on my side and mediating by observing the breath is working well for me.

 

I don't think there is anything special about the technique, it's just easy to do (as long as I set my alarm 25 min before I need to do anything) and easy and enjoyable is important to me so that I actually practice it

[Maddie]

In retrospect I think I have figured out what was/is making me tired. It seems that every time I do the "hold the ball" pose in the area of a new chakra, or one that I had not worked on very much previously I get very tired at first. I have noticed this patern time and again. I realize that there are a wide range of things that can cause one to feel fatigued, but I beleive in my case this is the cause, as I have past experiences and a patter established by those pratices to give me something to go by.

Here is what I believe happens. It would seem that doing the hold the ball posture in ZZ at the level of a certain chakra causes the blockages in that chakra to get burned off. If you work on a new chakra that you have not worked on much, it would seem that doing this posture causes a lot of the chi in your body to be directed at that point, thus leaving the rest of your body at a relatively lower level than it was. This I believe is why for several days after doing hold the ball at the level of a new chakra I feel so tired, but then as the "issues" of that chakra improve and not as much energy is needed to work on them, my energy level returns to normal, plus the problems of the chakra I was working on, are resolved as well.