Beginner: Best way to accumulate energy?

[lifezero]

Hello,

 

I just joined taobums; here's my opening post for introduction.

 

I've begun to practice qigong again after several years absence. I'm wondering, what is the best way of generating and accumulating energy? So far, my practice has consisted of about 20 minutes of moving energy in my hands, 20 minutes of sitting qigong trying to feel energy in my dan tien, and 20 minutes of zen-style meditation. I only do deep belly breathing as a warm up to each exercise, after which I let my breath get shallower as I try to focus on feeling my energy.

 

I can feel energy in my hands, in my crown and third eye fairly easily, and more subtly in my dan tien. Feeling energy anywhere else is difficult. I'm thinking that it is because I haven't accumulated enough energy to actually feel yet.

 

Is there a standard practice that I should focus on in the beginning to generate energy in my body? I feel like my current practice is a bit, all-over-the-place.

 

Standing on stake, sitting qigong, deep belly breathing... how do I build up my energy?

[Sloppy Zhang]

For a beginner, I suggest you get B.K. Frantzis' "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body".

 

He teaches from the water method tradition, so his approach is slightly different.

 

Before accumulating energy, his lineage method is to clear out the system of blockages first. That way, when you do start to accumulate energy, you don't burn out the system.

 

And if you have problems feeling areas of your body, this method will get you feeling pretty much just about everywhere. And that's the point- because if you can't feel your body, then you won't be able to tell if you're starting to do something wrong. And that can be pretty dangerous.

 

Other systems advocate building up energy, and using that surge of energy to open/feel parts of your body. But it can get pretty risky if you've got blockages or injuries that could flare up as a result. People practicing under the guidance of a teacher who can monitor them are safer. If you're going to go that route on your own, be advised.

[Qigong15]

Hello Lifezero,

 

Zhan Zhaung is great for building energy.

 

Building or adding Qi isn't the only way to become more powerful. Cleansing will likely be more beneficial and safer.

 

Why?

 

The more harmonious your Qi flows through the meridians the healthier you will be and you will be better able to access the Qi you have.

 

Let's say for example that due to blockages in the meridians, you're Liver is only able to access 40% of the available energy. By practicing Qigong for 3 months you are able to cleanse away 10% of the blockages and your Liver can now access 50% of the available energy. Imagine how well the systems of your body would operate if they could access all of your already available energy?

 

If you have blockages in the meridians that prevent harmonious energy flow, then adding more energy will likely result in more harm than good.

 

Why?

 

Imagine a hose pipe that hasn't been used in ages. It's filled with crap, tangled and knotted. If you flow water through it, you might get a trickle out of the end. But if you turn the tap on full, something undesireable is likely to happen. This isn't a great metaphor because the meridians do not have boundaries like a hose pipe and so aren't likely to explode but hopefully you get the picture.

 

These days I'm a huge fan of cleansing over building - so I'm biased.

 

Enjoy your practice.

 

Kindest regards

 

Marcus

Edited November 1, 2011 by Qigong15

[Protector]

Don't do what you want to do

RESISTANCE GRRRRR

for example, if you want to be really hardcore, don't blink

 

and your feeling the crown and third eye problem is probably because you just thought that you exist in your head, now and then close your eyes and shift yourself into your hands or feet or other places outside your body

[lifezero]

Thank you for your replies!

 

I'll pick up B.K. Frantzis' book. I've seen it mentioned a few times on these forums.

 

What are some good techniques for cleansing and clearing blockages? Should I be focusing my attention on the blocked areas until I can feel them?

 

Also, I've been following Robert Bruce's methods of feeling energy, as it seems like an effective way of learning to feel the whole body. Any thoughts on his methods?

[Protector]

What are some good techniques for cleansing and clearing blockages?

 

stretch

then stretch

then in case you forget, stretch

and I know you will forget so, stretch

write this down somewhere, stretch

and after you're done stretching

stretch

[lifezero]

hmmmm... so what you're saying then, is to.... stretch?

 

Thanks for the tip. I guess flexible, limber muscles will allow energy to flow easier.

 

With what I've learned in the last little while, I'm going to change up my practice a bit.

 

Any thoughts on using this to build a foundation?

 

Stretching

Zhan Zhaung

Meditation

More stretching

 

With deep, belly breathing all throughout.

 

At what point should I begin trying to cycle through the microcosmic orbit?

 

Thank you for your time and your advice!

[Protector]

Stretching is more then just for muscles, it's also for your lungs and blood vessels and sometimes for organs... maybe my stretching routine is so hardcore that it takes up organs too...

 

STAY HUNGRY

[Sloppy Zhang]

Thank you for your replies!

 

I'll pick up B.K. Frantzis' book. I've seen it mentioned a few times on these forums.

 

What are some good techniques for cleansing and clearing blockages? Should I be focusing my attention on the blocked areas until I can feel them?

 

Ah, hmm, read the book Focus, yes, but relaxed focus. You want to feel what you feel. Don't set out trying to feel anything. Just set your awareness on a place and feel what you feel. Kind of like when you feel yourself, another person, an animal, feeling around in the dark, etc etc. It's a receptive feel. Not an "active" feel. You just put your hand (awareness) out there (on a spot in your body) and feel what's there.

 

From there, you relax and release, dissolve it.

 

Also, I've been following Robert Bruce's methods of feeling energy, as it seems like an effective way of learning to feel the whole body. Any thoughts on his methods?

 

Similar to B.K. Frantzis in the sense that his emphasis is on feeling rather than on visualization. But again, it's got to be a RECEPTIVE feeling.

 

You can make your mind see anything that it wants, and you can make your mind generate whatever feeling you want. Want to feel heat in your dantien? Focus hard enough, and you can do it. Want to feel cold? Focus hard enough, and you can get your body to shiver from the cold. Does it mean that you are actually cold/hot? Well get a thermometer and find out But generally speaking, no. You can think that you're eating a cheeseburger all you want, you can taste it in your mouth as it waters. But does that mean there's a cheeseburger in your mouth? No.

 

Same thing with energy. You can generate the sense of a "feeling" doing whatever the heck you want. But that doesn't mean it's actually doing it. First, you've got to have a receptive feel, and find what the energy is ACTUALLY doing, where it is ACTUALLY at, before you can even begin to think about moving it around.

 

stretch

then stretch

then in case you forget, stretch

and I know you will forget so, stretch

write this down somewhere, stretch

and after you're done stretching

stretch

 

Ah, hmm. There was an article on this on Frantzis' old site, but when they revamped it, I haven't seen it reposted.

 

Basically, it was about a guy he knew who was some pretty hot shit in hatha yoga. Made money as a contortionist and everything, very well known for easily getting into some difficult poses and being able to comfortably hold them for hours on end.

 

He sucked at Aikido and Tai Chi.

 

Why? He was stretched, but he wasn't actually relaxed. If your body is carrying tensions, it's possible that, through stretching, you just stretch the tensions along with them.

 

So be careful with this. I suggest combining Frantzis' dissolving method found in the book with stretching. Then you've got an internal stretch going, where you aren't just stretching out the muscles, but you are, in the process, dynamically dissolving the tensions, which actually help to make you stretch further, and at the same time make sure you are RELAXING into the stretch.

 

And the more you're relaxed, the better your energy will flow.

[Protector]

and then stretch

[Birch]

I'll second the advice on clearing/dissolving/removing obstacles prior.

[spiraltao]

I highly recommend these two links. They both work for me.

 

Very simple, but very effective.

 

 

The first is Ken Cohen's Bone Marrow Cleansing, for cleansing your chi:

 

bone marrow cleansing

 

 

 

Next is Lam Kam Chuen's excellent series to get one started on Zhan Zhuang as Marcus has already recommended.

 

 

 

 

While these appear highly simplistic, they are very functional and powerful! I do both in the morning as a chi kung before I begin my circle walking.

[Informer]

Hello,

 

I just joined taobums; here's my opening post for introduction.

 

I've begun to practice qigong again after several years absence. I'm wondering, what is the best way of generating and accumulating energy? So far, my practice has consisted of about 20 minutes of moving energy in my hands, 20 minutes of sitting qigong trying to feel energy in my dan tien, and 20 minutes of zen-style meditation. I only do deep belly breathing as a warm up to each exercise, after which I let my breath get shallower as I try to focus on feeling my energy.

 

I can feel energy in my hands, in my crown and third eye fairly easily, and more subtly in my dan tien. Feeling energy anywhere else is difficult. I'm thinking that it is because I haven't accumulated enough energy to actually feel yet.

 

Is there a standard practice that I should focus on in the beginning to generate energy in my body? I feel like my current practice is a bit, all-over-the-place.

 

Standing on stake, sitting qigong, deep belly breathing... how do I build up my energy?

 

Have you tried to project above the "crown" and "suck" with perenium at the same time?

 

If you rly wanna cultivate into your LDT you will need to find the fire, and that comes after metta.

[Informer]

[Informer]

[lifezero]

Thanks everyone!

 

I have a ton of info to study up on now.

[de_paradise]

Hello,

 

I just joined taobums; here's my opening post for introduction.

 

I've begun to practice qigong again after several years absence. I'm wondering, what is the best way of generating and accumulating energy? So far, my practice has consisted of about 20 minutes of moving energy in my hands, 20 minutes of sitting qigong trying to feel energy in my dan tien, and 20 minutes of zen-style meditation. I only do deep belly breathing as a warm up to each exercise, after which I let my breath get shallower as I try to focus on feeling my energy.

 

I can feel energy in my hands, in my crown and third eye fairly easily, and more subtly in my dan tien. Feeling energy anywhere else is difficult. I'm thinking that it is because I haven't accumulated enough energy to actually feel yet.

 

Is there a standard practice that I should focus on in the beginning to generate energy in my body? I feel like my current practice is a bit, all-over-the-place.

 

Standing on stake, sitting qigong, deep belly breathing... how do I build up my energy?

 

Accumulated is probably not the most accurate word, perhaps, having the energetic structure that allows higher energy conduction more accurate. You cant feel qi in other places because less sensitive in other places. Build up your energy by building your structure, but that happens naturally by any meditations, its a body that grows itself.

 

Lots of practises, everyone has their favorite. I think doing a practise for an hour is better than 20 minutes hopping around. At the level you are at, which is fairly along the path, I'd go for mostly sitting to attain deep states.

[joeblast]

Tsotgf cleary, p65

You suppose that attainment is possible in quietude but lost in activity; you do not realize that the reason for loss through activity is because nothing is attained through stillness.

[Josama]

You could also look into Terry Dunn's chi kung for health series,volume 1 generates a good amount of energy and at the same time spreads it effectively through the body.This will also allow you to feel energy sensations pretty quickly if you don't yet.

Just search for the thread flying phoenix chi kung,it provides an interesting read.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Josama

[Trunk]

So far, my practice has consisted of about 20 minutes of moving energy in my hands, 20 minutes of sitting qigong trying to feel energy in my dan tien, ..

You might enjoy Kwan Yin Magnetic Qigong as it effectively uses hand energetics to activate the central channel and centers.

[doc benway]

A few more general recommendations for "accumulating energy."

First let me clarify that I do not subscribe to the concept that we "accumulate" or "store" energy per se.

I believe that energy is free to move within, around, and through us.

We ARE the energy we talk of accumulating, as is everything around us.

Our perception of being anything other than that is an illusion.

 

That said,

I would recommend getting plenty of restful sleep, preferably waking early in the morning and practicing around sunrise.

Eat a healthy and well-balance diet. Avoid toxins and avoid overeating.

If you use drugs or alcohol, do so in moderation and sparingly.

Get regular exercise (in addition to the energy practices).

Don't drive when you can walk, don't use an elevator when there are stairs available, and so on...

 

Practice awareness, some might call it mindfulness.

Try to become aware of everything going on inside and around you in every moment.

Connect completely to your environment, your behavioral patterns, your emotional states and how they fluctuate.

Study yourself intently and, in particular, use your relationships with others to learn more about yourself.

When conflict arises, see if you can focus more on what it tells you about YOU.

Don't worry so much about what it tells you about someone else.

And hopefully you will come to understand who and what you really are and how you are related to everyone else - that is the source of infinite energy!

 

Anyway, get back to basics - healthy diet, moderate exercise, plenty of rest, and most of all, awareness.

Because the only thing "I" can develop is awareness.

The energy is always already there, more than we can imagine.

And the Qigong and Taijiquan are great like everyone else has already mentioned.

Good luck and welcome back!

[Rishi Das]

Don't mean to hijack but what a wonderful thread full of some really great information. I appreciate all of you for sharing. Anyways I am just beginning on my path of exploring and there was a lot of good information here to help me get started. One thing I think really hit home for me was the concept of cleansing, and clearing before getting started at actual energy flow; that being said I guess that is a great starting place.

 

Anyway, get back to basics - healthy diet, moderate exercise, plenty of rest, and most of all, awareness.

Because the only thing "I" can develop is awareness.

The energy is always already there, more than we can imagine.

And the Qigong and Taijiquan are great like everyone else has already mentioned.

Good luck and welcome back!

 

I really like this blatant, to the point response Steve; while the concept seems to be a rather obvious one, it definitely needs to be applied. I have found through my personal experience that once I started to get these things in order in my life, other things were able to flow a lot better. For instance, with regular exercise patterns came a much much healthier diet, with a healthier diet, I found my sleep to be a lot more restful, with more restful sleep, I am able to not only support the latter two but also became much more aware of my surroundings, internally as well as externally. With the complete and daily practice of all of these things I was able to really understand that I needed something more, and now I have found it.

 

stretch

then stretch

then in case you forget, stretch

and I know you will forget so, stretch

write this down somewhere, stretch

and after you're done stretching

stretch

 

I was wondering if you or anyone else could possibly give a rundown of a stretch routine that someone could use to get started on the cleansing process? I completely understand there is more to this than just stretching but I am sure that I would benefit with a little guidance on stretching.

 

I was also wondering about fasting; I actually fast on a daily basis, never really eating a "normal breakfast." I eat about 2 meals a day which always come after physical exercise, not to mention I enjoy a healthy organic vegetarian lifestyle. I have found that I feel a lot better, a lot more in tune, and am able to really live in a state of awareness through fasting; it's weird but I feel for some reason that the consumption of food really blunts some things for me. Could this be due to the energy moving from the head to the stomach as a means of digestion?

 

Another interesting practice I have taken up is sun gazing. I have found this to be a very enjoyable as well as peaceful practice. Does anyone else have experience or opinions about this?

Edited November 4, 2011 by don_vedo

[Protector]

stand up

step forward with your left leg, big toe facing left

as you do that, raise your hands palms up and take a breath

make your palms face each other as if you're holding a ball

turn the ball counterclockwise so your right hand is on top

carry the ball all the way behind you turning left and bend your knees a little

your left hand will be extended too far, so lower your right hand over your heart and make a circle that places your right hand above your head

do a 540 spin using your torso and your legs that makes you face forward again but it will be a mirror reflection of how you stood before and don't forget to do the circle and place your left hand above your head this time

you are like a spring now, unwind yourself and face forward but as your do that, lower your left hand in front of you and keep it horizontal and as you step forward do a punch under it and do another step and a punch above it

at the next step you twist yourself left and hide your right hand that you're been punching with behind you, catch your right elbow in your left hand

now...

UNWIND REALLY FAST AND DO AN ARC WITH YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOU STRIKING DOWN WITH YOUR CLAWS AND BREATH OUT AT THE SAME TIME

 

 

 

 

edit: no wait, it gets kinda fuzzy for me after" immortal gathers immortality" so there should be a second 540 spin that would make "cat pounces hides in a cave emerges a tiger" backwards

 

forget it, it's too hard for everyone

Edited November 4, 2011 by Sinfest