Qigong Newbie

[Tatsumaru]

Hello. I'm a Qigong newbie. I bought Mantak Chia's Awaken the Healing Tao and every now and then I meditate focusing on my navel point. No effects yet. Sometimes when I lay in bed before I go to sleep I would lie on back and imagine how all my muscles relax and then my whole body goes shuddery. Is this something ? I'm a vegetarian as well maybe that helps. Who knows. In your opinion where should one start in order to awaken his Qi ? Thanks.

[Sloppy Zhang]

I'm a big fan of B.K. Frantzis' book "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body".

 

Very comprehensive exercises that you can integrate from beginner to expert level.

[Tatsumaru]

The author is bald and fat. How do I believe a person to be an expert on Qigong if he can't even heal his very own illnesses ? No offense, just wondering.

Edited October 26, 2011 by Tatsumaru

[Sloppy Zhang]

The author is bald. How do I believe a person to be an expert on Qigong if he can't heal even his own illnesses ?

 

Well he's had several car crashes which shattered his spine. He refused to have a spinal fusion and spent the next several months healing his body in such a way as to preserve the energy flows.

 

So.... there's that.

 

And on top of that, he's also the inheritor to a meditation lineage. Maybe part of his meditative practices involve getting over the need to fix a hair loss issue which may be genetic in nature, and instead come to grips with how things are.

 

Soooooo.... there's that.

 

[edit]

 

As to his weight: check him out in some of his recent videos. He's lost a lot of weight, and he's quite mobile and fluid, despite his past issues. He mentioned that in the TTB's interview- he's always eaten a lot, and he kept up his eating regiment even when his physical regiment couldn't keep up do to injuries.

 

All things considered, he's doing pretty damn good Not to mention his material is quite good

 

But hey, to each their own

Edited October 26, 2011 by Sloppy Zhang

[Friend]

Edited November 16, 2011 by Friend

[Sloppy Zhang]

Whoops.

Edited October 26, 2011 by Sloppy Zhang

[Tatsumaru]

Thanks.

[Jetsun]

The author is bald and fat. How do I believe a person to be an expert on Qigong if he can't even heal his very own illnesses ? No offense, just wondering.

 

I had those sorts of thoughts when I first started looking at Qigong masters, still do to a certain extent although I am less judgemental than I was, but Bruce Frantzis does write better than almost anyone else I have found when explaining some of the techniques he teaches, I heard that he could have gone to Harvard or somewhere like that when he was younger and I can believe that as he is a smart guy for sure, I know that doesn't indicate any sort of power or mastery but many writers who write about Qigong could learn a thing or two from the way he explains things.

 

Personally I started with the work of Dr Yang Jwing Ming especially his 8 Brocade set, which I think is a good place to start and you can't go very wrong with it.

 

I am not a fan of Mantak Chia because he has put a load of sexual practices out there which I think are dangerous and damaging for new inexperienced people to jump straight in to.

[lifeforce]

Personally I started with the work of Dr Yang Jwing Ming especially his 8 Brocade set

 

He is bald with a 'comb-over'.

Seriously though Tatsumaru, the choice is overwhelming. Have a good read through all the past threads on here regarding qigong. That should keep you going for a while.

 

p.s. my personal choice of qigong/neigong is my avatar. horses for courses though. we're all different.

Edited October 26, 2011 by lifeforce

[Jetsun]

He is bald with a 'comb-over'.

 

Yeah but he does his comb over so well you can barely tell on the front of his book lol and he has nice skin

 

To be honest with the amount of bald Qigong masters around I wouldn't be surprised if baldness is a symptom of incorrect practice

[Tatsumaru]

I'll be reading. Thanks.

[Ish]

The author is bald and fat. How do I believe a person to be an expert on Qigong if he can't even heal his very own illnesses ? No offense, just wondering.

 

I wouldn't look to the Western ideals of physical aesthetics as beneficial in terms of energy development.

Actually a lot of qigong masters have a bit of a belly, this is due to the internal force at the lower dantian. I personally know qigong cultivators who eat healthily do a lot physical activity and are indeed fit and strong, but also have this "qi belly".

 

In my, and others, experience getting that "ripped" look is actually awful for your energy. But i don't think you can feel it if you don't have any sensitivity to qi.

 

 

I've personally studied under Sifu Wong Kiew Kit, definitely recommend it.

[Protector]

 

In my, and others, experience getting that "ripped" look is actually awful for your energy. But i don't think you can feel it if you don't have any sensitivity to qi.

 

 

 

Well, not really

It's possible to create blockages by doing heavy muscle work kinda stuff, but I know of people who just meditate and have a six pack... by the time they're 90

[Birch]

Well, not really

It's possible to create blockages by doing heavy muscle work kinda stuff, but I know of people who just meditate and have a six pack... by the time they're 90

 

You're almost right :-)

 

QGN, go check out some of the older threads about 'paper upon paper' if you can. I recall Mark Foote (user here) was pretty good at explaining it. As was TaoMoew a while back. And, if you go looking 'out there' there is also some 'scientific proof' related to it. To do with muscle memory and animal dreaming and other 'stuff' that I can't presently gather up for you.

 

Yes there are definite physical changes associated with qi-gong. I have experienced some myself (not all of it a nice time) I also wouldn't neglect physical exertion (to a point) if you want overall health benefits.

[Astral_Anima]

Hello. I'm a Qigong newbie. I bought Mantak Chia's Awaken the Healing Tao and every now and then I meditate focusing on my navel point. No effects yet. Sometimes when I lay in bed before I go to sleep I would lie on back and imagine how all my muscles relax and then my whole body goes shuddery. Is this something ? I'm a vegetarian as well maybe that helps. Who knows. In your opinion where should one start in order to awaken his Qi ? Thanks.

 

I'm found two things to increase my energy to rather "unbearable" levels. One is the spontaneous qigong. I learned it from the Kunlun system, however it's also taught in Sifu Jenny Lamb's DVDs and seminars and other places as well. With this i felt my heart center opening first, and has progressively moved upward as I have practiced which...I mean I haven't really practiced in a WHILE cause it gets rather intense and I don't have the privacy I'd like, but it's something that follows me around, it's like something that gets activated in the body and goes on it's own, it's not something you guide or try to control, you just pay attention to it and let it do it's thing. That, for me, has brought me to unbearable levels of energy where it feels like my nerves are being "stretched". Idk if this is true but there's a qigong master who has apparently become an inediate and attributes it to his practice of spontaneous qigong. Here's a vid

 

The other practice isn't what you'd expect but FASTING has done things similar to the spontaneous practice but even more intense on a physical level. I've been experimenting more intensely with it lately and I've actually been GAINING physical strength, and my awareness is 10-fold and there's a connection to "something" that has come about from it. I like to think of it as my "higher self", but I've come to feel something inside me, it's separate from me but it's "me", it's kinda hard to explain, but definately fasting has helped me spiritually and physically and has overall helped balance my energy and clear out a few things. This can also get unbearable as emotional and physical blockages being released is EXTREMELY uncomfortable for me and if it weren't for my connection to this "me" inside of me I wouldn't be able to handle it.

 

Actually another things that got me some result is reverse breathing while focusing on the navel while either in horse stance or sitting. Got a good bit of heat going on. Horse stance in general is just great. I do it more recreationally for about 20-30mins and it really opens things up in the legs and lower torso. I especially feel it in the lower abdomen and tailbone.

 

Vegatarianism I believe is a good idea. It's funny because in kundalini awakening alot of people use meat to self medicate when the energy gets too strong. So if meat is used to weaken energy, why would anyone trying to INCREASE energy ingest it? It also brings up the question of how diet and general lifestyle can effect our energy. I personally find that a fruit diet w/ fasting keeps my energy the highest but like i said, it's tough to handle sometimes emotionally and mentally. Also if you look in the daoist texts it usually suggests you stay away from grains and meat (and alcohol).

 

btw, Tenchu kicks ass. Tenchu 2 was SUPER fun, Tastu was a BEAST I actually had no idea the red sparrow was Onikage, I didn't figure that out until a few days ago when I was watching some endings on youtube and I saw that and I was like...OMG NO WAY!! lol

 

anyway, good luck in your practices

-Astral

 

P.S. From personal experience and from hearing some things it seems like the biggest blockages are the emotional ones and thats what most people seem to struggle the most with. If you get heavy into this stuff be prepared to face some shit, releasing blockages isn't always a walk in the park. Then again, I tend to rush into things instead of gradually adjusting so maybe it's just like that for me, but if you want stuff to clear you will have to face things so be prepared.

Edited October 27, 2011 by Astral_Anima

[Astral_Anima]

Well he's had several car crashes which shattered his spine. He refused to have a spinal fusion and spent the next several months healing his body in such a way as to preserve the energy flows.

 

So.... there's that.

 

And on top of that, he's also the inheritor to a meditation lineage. Maybe part of his meditative practices involve getting over the need to fix a hair loss issue which may be genetic in nature, and instead come to grips with how things are.

 

Soooooo.... there's that.

 

[edit]

 

As to his weight: check him out in some of his recent videos. He's lost a lot of weight, and he's quite mobile and fluid, despite his past issues. He mentioned that in the TTB's interview- he's always eaten a lot, and he kept up his eating regiment even when his physical regiment couldn't keep up do to injuries.

 

All things considered, he's doing pretty damn good Not to mention his material is quite good

 

But hey, to each their own

 

 

Yes I heard a girl from Russia who healed herself from MS in about 7 month on a fruit diet with herbs. There's a girl who cured herself from cancer by eating a mono grape diet. People born without kidneys have regrown them thru herbs and fasting. Ann Wigmore healed herself of gray hair thru whatgrass. People have healed themselves of complete paralysis. The body has some pretty crazy healing mechanisms built in. It's a shame most people seem to focus on stimulating and buffering their energy rather than focusing on letting go of what's hindering it. But then again, it's easier to just exercise all the time than it is to eat healthy, overcompensating with phsyical is easier then letting go of mental/emotional As you said, to each their own. But in terms of potential, imagine combining the two modalities...talk about "high level"

 

-Astral

Edited October 27, 2011 by Astral_Anima

[Sahaj Nath]

welcome to the forum.

 

a few questions: what is your age, what area do you live in, and what are your goals? are you really looking for a solid system to begin a disciplined practice for yourself, or are you more interested in first having a real experience of qi flow? a lot of us know hundreds [EDIT: okay, maybe not hundreds, but lots] of good, decent teachers around the country, and we can point you in the right direction, depending on what you're looking for. meeting up with the right teacher can help you grow faster than any special technique you might learn. simply being in the presence of their energy field will start to enhance and develop your own.

 

as a general rule i would steer clear of Mantak Chia in the beginning. i don't use his material at all, but especially in the beginning it can generate a LOT of confusion and misunderstandings. it can prove difficult to integrate properly into any other system you might want to explore.

 

one of Chia's students actually got it better, i think, and that's Michael Winn & his Healing Tao University. very clear, direct material. i've studied the material, and while i don't practice Healing Tao stuff either, it is very clear and very well-organized.

 

though i'm not a tremendous fan of Chia or Winn, i DO VERY MUCH like and recommend B.K. Frantzis. don't let your prejudice of physical appearances keep you from exploring an amazing teacher. it's quite understandable that you feel the way you do, but take this as an opportunity to grow past those assumptions. there's a reason he's been around for more than 30 years, and i assure you it's NOT because of his special marketing approach. watch his videos. his skill is quite obvious.

 

there's plenty more to be recommended, but first, please share a little bit with us about what you're looking for, how long you've been looking, where you reside in the country/world, and your general age.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Hundun