How does your chi flow react to extended breaks from practice?

[Encephalon]

I brought my nei kung And meditation practice to a halt for about a month when my daughter was born because I became busier with obvious priorities and was also too sleepy to get excited about my practice.

I've recommenced regular practice now that things have returned to some measure of routine and am finding (with gratitude!) that the chi flow is still really palpable. The best analogy I can think of is the waterhose. After shutting off the flow for a month, the hose (meridians) shrunk slightly and now that I'm running the energy again it subjectively feels stronger as it courses through a "shrunken" pathway. From what I read of Frantzis, a strong sensation does not necessarily mean a strong current, and that advanced practitioners don't experience this sensation at all, just an openness. I think I could get "hooked" on this practice, just to feel that stronger current, even though taking time off like that would suit no honest practice.

Does anyone else get this effect?

[Harmonious Emptiness]

I admit my practice tends to be somewhat intermittent, more like a basic maintenance than a progress regimen, but when I stop and come back it may take a couple of days with about 1.5 or 2 hours practice each before sensations are running as usual. I find good warm-ups and the right meditative state are very important. For warm ups I do "shaking the tree" and meridian slapping with torso twists + more recently yi jin jing, then sitting meditation before and or after the Qi Gong.

 

2c..

[zanshin]

I get similar effect, especially lots of tingles and warmth in my hands and feet when I restart after a break, then after a couple days of practice not so dramatic. The more intense feeling is sort of a rush, but I'm sure better to stick with consistent practice.

 

How's your sleep? I had super vivid lucid dreams after babies. Not sure how much of that was sleep deprivation and irregularity and likely partly hormonal for me.

[Nanashi]

I've taken a year off from practice once, and didn't have a problem at all when going back to training-- I felt the similar "on the tap" surge when needed, and conserved flow when at dynamic relaxation. After 10 years of practice, the feeling is distinct and instantly recognizable.

[Yuen Biao]

I personally cannot really answer this question as I've never had anything more than a day break between practise.

 

My first Qigong teacher told me at the very first class to practise every single day in order to build upon the foundation. Since that day in 1996 I would guess I've probably not trained for seven days in total; a few of them are quite recently over the last two months as my wife and I had our first child!

 

Apologies for the tangent...

[Encephalon]

I personally cannot really answer this question as I've never had anything more than a day break between practise.

 

My first Qigong teacher told me at the very first class to practise every single day in order to build upon the foundation. Since that day in 1996 I would guess I've probably not trained for seven days in total; a few of them are quite recently over the last two months as my wife and I had our first child!

 

Apologies for the tangent...

 

Congratulations to you all! I'm currently in "Stare Mode;" I can just sit a watch her construct one expression after another, picking out which parts she got from her mother, which from me. My wife and I are both brown-eyed but Natalie has bright cobalt blue eyes that "seem" to take in everything.

 

Thanks to all of you for responding. This wasn't the first time I experienced this so I am grateful for sound feedback. Resonation is encouraging.

[Enishi]

For me it only takes a little effort to get back a feeling of strong chi flow, however it tends to feel "dull" and less expansive and dynamic than before the slack off period. After awhile though the sense of expansion returns.

[Encephalon]

For me it only takes a little effort to get back a feeling of strong chi flow, however it tends to feel "dull" and less expansive and dynamic than before the slack off period. After awhile though the sense of expansion returns.

 

Yes. For me, the duration required to get it pumping strong again depends on how much time I commit to daily practice. If I get three 30-minute session in a day, it comes back fast, longer if I only get one session.

[dwai]

I brought my nei kung And meditation practice to a halt for about a month when my daughter was born because I became busier with obvious priorities and was also too sleepy to get excited about my practice.

I've recommenced regular practice now that things have returned to some measure of routine and am finding (with gratitude!) that the chi flow is still really palpable. The best analogy I can think of is the waterhose. After shutting off the flow for a month, the hose (meridians) shrunk slightly and now that I'm running the energy again it subjectively feels stronger as it courses through a "shrunken" pathway. From what I read of Frantzis, a strong sensation does not necessarily mean a strong current, and that advanced practitioners don't experience this sensation at all, just an openness. I think I could get "hooked" on this practice, just to feel that stronger current, even though taking time off like that would suit no honest practice.

Does anyone else get this effect?

 

you're right. I have a similar experience after a break more than 4-5 days. My teacher explained this process several years back to me --

The 'growth' process is like climbing a peak and then walking a plateau as your body and mind adjust to new level of energy before starting on another peak and so on and so forth...he said one can seldom ever reach the final peak in these practices...because the peak is a moving/growing target, depending on your level of competence. That is in context of feeling "sensations" initially and then not so much till the next spurt happens (as we release blockages from deeper and deeper levels)

Edited November 11, 2011 by dwai

[hagar]

Great question.

 

This experience haunts me, even now after about 15 years of practice. I've never been really good at maintaining the frequency of a particular practice, and notice the effects. From what I sense, there are particular "withdrawal" symptoms from qutting any practice that you are into. If you focus on sitting instead of moving forms, then the feeling of the moving form may suffer, and the other way around.

 

In my experience, the sense of being "deflated" or "shrunken" is related to the lack of replenishing qi, which is what happens in usual qigong practice.

In addition, the dispersal of Shen usually either manifests as restlessness or tiredness. If you feel sluggish or dull, or lacking in energy when you start up after a day or two, this is actually the body light not fully entering the body, as happens when we go about our day without any sort of recall or alignment.

 

I feel there is distinct differences between what "leaks" you feel dependent on what you deplete, chi, shen or Jing

 

h

[Ish]

Definitely don't use sensations to judge the quality of your practice. My experience is similar to Encephalon, day or two of break, the sensations may be stronger but it doesn't mean the practice is.

 

Practicing every single day is the best.

Edited November 18, 2011 by Ish

[mjjbecker]

Don't get hung up on sensations. The mind-intent-leads the qi. Focusing on where you 'expect' the sensations to be will lead the qi there. That may deviate from the original intent behind the exercise, which may, or may not, cause problems. Carefully follow your teacher's instructions in this.

 

As for time constraints, do a little if time is limited, but don't 'binge and fast'. Consistent practice is important. It is easy to set up unrealistic expectations at times, and think that practice should be an hour or more every day. If we can't do that then we end up doing nothing. Fifteen minutes is a lot better than no minutes.

[Cameron]

Taking breaks is essential in the practice I do.

 

Last time I spoke with my teacher he told me to practice no more then 4xa week.

 

Actually, 3x a week is enough. It's that powerful.

 

Emptiness practice, watching your breath etc can be practiced daily of course.

[Aetherous]

Word.

[Kronos]

I stopped practising for almost 2 months this year. I just did the shui gong and nothing else. I went after that time to Qin Ling and she saw it as I entered the door. She said: "oh you don't look good, how much did you practise the last few months?" ... erm, I last met her last christmas after a retreat with master Wang. She saw the difference immediately. After 9 days of hard training with her I still was not near the shape I was in before the break.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Don't get hung up on sensations. The mind-intent-leads the qi. Focusing on where you 'expect' the sensations to be will lead the qi there. That may deviate from the original intent behind the exercise, which may, or may not, cause problems. Carefully follow your teacher's instructions in this.

 

As for time constraints, do a little if time is limited, but don't 'binge and fast'. Consistent practice is important. It is easy to set up unrealistic expectations at times, and think that practice should be an hour or more every day. If we can't do that then we end up doing nothing. Fifteen minutes is a lot better than no minutes.

 

I guess (know) sensations are not the be all and end all, though they do help the intent for me as I expect chi to following them.. or so I think. I don't have a teacher so I just try to get a broad amount of perspectives and then go with the commonalities between them. I suppose I'm also listening to Aretha Franklin "ya go to do it with feeling" while staying loose, and focusing on feel more than form, like maybe moving faster at the end of a motion to maintain the focus on the energy movement.

 

So, I could be wrong, but I think sensations are useful, though perhaps not always necessary.. just m.o.

[mjjbecker]

So, I could be wrong, but I think sensations are useful, though perhaps not always necessary.. just m.o.

 

Yes, with this caveat. An understanding of what these sensations mean. It often needs a teacher to give this information to a student. The importance of a teacher's guidance is proportional to the understanding the student already has, but especially where a method has the potential to go wrong with serious results.

 

Bruce Frantzis has written about White Crane breathing methods that bring about strong sensations, feelings of power, but can also cause health problems or even death. I wonder if the original method was flawed, or if perhaps those involved who chased after the sensations created their own problems? I don't know, but it is a question to certainly bear in mind.

[hagar]

Thanks for your comments, h. Well put.

 

 

Curious, what would be the specific effects/sensations of the body in regards to vitalities or depletions to each of the three treasures: chi, shen, jing?

 

For example, I can feel physiically tired one day but in great spirits, or buoyant in a deeper way, if I have done about an hour of meditation.

 

The easiest difference is that of Jing and Shen. When you make conventional love with someone you lose Jing, and the effect is often a soreness, numbness in certain areas, impeded energy flow, deflated feeling, pain in the lower back, a feeling of lack of flexibility, and less stamina. These are highly individual btw. But mainly they are felt in the body. Maybe also mentally, you feel a certain depletion of clarity. But the Brain is also directly linked to jing.

 

On the same note, you may feel deeply in love with the person you have made love with and thus feel in great spirits.

 

Great meditation masters have had a profound and developed Shen energy, yet not any or little Jing energy left at hold age. Their body is weak, even their mind, yet their Shen is glowing.

 

The chi energy is mostly felt lacking when we are sick, are very stressed or have been too active mentally. it depletes chi to stand outside in the could for too long, or also to be to hot. All forms of of opposites to the extreme depletes chi. It feels often imbalanced when we lose chi. Too hot, too cold, too empty or full.

 

Great question btw.

 

h

[JustARandomPanda]

I've been taking a break from practice for far too long. Sometimes this happens. I'll practice for a *long* time then all of a sudden just stop for a while. Dunno why but just do.

 

Anyway...I'm getting close to wanting to get back to it. It's probably not a good idea to take extended breaks in any case but...well..there I go.

 

Maybe sometime this coming week I'll get back into the swing of things.