Learning Qi Gong/Yoga/Meditation in Asia?

[skydog]

Hi guys I am going travelling in january starting in India. (I dont have any limit as to when I HAVE to return)

 

I want to learn Qi Gong under some sort of master

I want to learn Yoga under some sort of master

I want to learn different meditation techniques and spend a lot of time in sitting with some sort of master

I would like to learn Kung fu

I would like to spend time with tribal peoples and learn their ways of life.

 

How would I go about this. Is there people I can contact, a qigong school, suggested teachers?

 

Many thanks.

[Protector]

How are you gonna do that? Where does money come from? Who's on your team? Can I come, too?

[skydog]

[Protector]

Well you need to eat and all that stuff can get kinda expensive

http://www.wudanggongfu.com/kungfu/school.htm

That's around a thousand a month

And Qi Gong, especially healing, can get even more scary

[skydog]

I know on the internet there will be some very expensive prices..but there are many cheap ways of doing things if one thinks creatively and outside the box.

 

But surely someone must know something about cheap/ish places to learn these things..Im not interested in a lavish hotel or only having a couple of hours training followed by expensive meals and excursions. Id like to learn with monks for hours and hours a day? To benefit everyone

[Protector]

Awrite here's what you gotta do

First find a famous super strong kung fu master

Find out where he lives

Wake up at 3 am and follow him

He might practice in his house or if he has a family or some advance students, he will have to go outside and find a secluded private spot

There he will start practicing and you spy on him

He might wear long sleeved shirt that will hide his hands but you will figure out what he's going after a while

See, when there's some secret kung fu stuff going on, they wake up before sunrise and practice when no one is watching, and it so happened that around 3 to 4 AM-ish is the Tiger hour and it's very good for that sort of practice thing

The important thing is not to die when he finally notices you

 

and that's how you do it for cheap

[mewtwo]

[dwai]

Hi guys I am going travelling in january starting in India. (I dont have any limit as to when I HAVE to return)

 

I want to learn Qi Gong under some sort of master

I want to learn Yoga under some sort of master

I want to learn different meditation techniques and spend a lot of time in sitting with some sort of master

I would like to learn Kung fu

I would like to spend time with tribal peoples and learn their ways of life.

 

How would I go about this. Is there people I can contact, a qigong school, suggested teachers?

 

Many thanks.

Well then first go to India and let go of your western notion of how life ought to be. When you have done so, you will find it easier to find a real teacher. In fact a teacher will find you even, if you are sincere in your quest. Also perhaps wanting to pack in too many things at once might not give you durable learning...its kind of like walking into a buffet and eating too many things at once. Its likely going to give you an upset stomach...

 

I'd suggest contacting pattabhi jois' yoga school in mysore. His grandson teaches there now...albeit the classes might not come cheap...but they will be worth the difficulty.

http://kpjayi.org/

Edited November 23, 2011 by dwai

[thelerner]

Studying in your own backyard has some merits, people who over romanticize foreign masters tend to get ripped off by charlatans. There are some talented teachers who post here. Santiago's KAP program taught on Skype, (google it or See Mal's personal discussion page to get a first person view on what its like).

 

Ya Mu who posts here has a powerful seminars in chi gung. Rainbow Vein has personal site that has some of her experiences in it. These are 2 I can personally vouch for, there are others.

 

These and what's near you, may not be the 'master' you're looking for. But don't expect a 'master' to teach a novice, far from it. Learn what you can where you are. Develop discipline. Get a strong foundation.

 

Then when you look in a year or decade from now, you'll recognize a master from a fraud and will be worthy to learn from them.

[konchog uma]

sinansencer,

 

you will be lucky to find one teacher worth studying under, much less 3 or 4. It sounds to me like you are biting off a lot but i don't know all the facts or circumstances, so take that with a grain of salt. Living with tribal people is usually an invite only thing, you can't just roll into indigenous communities and ask for a place to sleep. Most of them have been so put upon by westerners that they will not be nice to you just because you are nice to them. If you don't have anything that can benefit their culture, they might not even talk to you.

 

I am not trying to pee in your waterfall, just saying that I have friends that went to thailand india and the himalayas and ashram after ashram and it was not easy for them to find teachings. Have a backup plan. Buy a copy of Daniel Odier's book "Meditation Techniques of the Buddhist and Taoist Masters" and just enjoy being in the east if you can't work something awesome out right away. Or plan on being able to teach english before you go so that if you want to stay you have a means to do so.

[C T]

All noble aspirations deserves to be encouraged, especially when it comes to wanting to progress oneself spiritually in order to benefit others.

 

Since you have already decided you want to travel, and you seem to have the means, then why not just set sail and eagerly follow the wind, be adventurous, and see where your 'higher self' leads you?

 

As per the norm, You might be filled with an extra load of expectations initially, some of which might turn out to bite you in the behind, but live and learn, right?

 

There are many centres dotted all over India/the Far East (and in Europe too btw) where you can volunteer your time/skills in exchange for board and classes, so this proposed quest can be done without being too straining financially.

 

Why not write to these centres to see what sort of options are available, and tell them exactly what you wish to give in exchange for what they can offer? Or you could write to some western teachers who have been down the road before, seek their advice and guidance? Two names i can think of off the top of my head is John Myrdhin Reynolds ( http://vajranatha.com/teaching/MahasiddhaTradition.htm ) and Matthieu Ricard ( http://www.matthieuricard.org/en/ ) They may turn out to be quite helpful if you have the affinity to form the connection where you are able to show your sincerity through your letters with them.

 

Here's a couple of links that may be of use -

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0101/volunteer_in_dharamsala.shtml

 

(this other one - www.mcllo.com - appears broken, but its google-able)

 

 

Wish you all the best, and do keep us armchair prophets posted on your sojourns!

Edited November 23, 2011 by C T

[suninmyeyes]

Cant reccomend any teachers in Asia at the moment.

I do agree with what CT said. Go and enjoy , live and learn your own way that you find attractive.

Sounds like a good plan.

 

Everybodys life is uniqley theirs , like perfectly fitted clothes . Expirience/'mistakes'/problems should be lived through as they are often best teachers and apply very uniqley on individual level and are one of our own most valuable possesions.

What is relevant and matters to me, may not matter to someone else.

Edited November 23, 2011 by suninmyeyes

[skydog]

Thanks for the replys...I will definately take everything on board, I agree that you can be enlightened in western countries however where I live its difficult to survive without working in a slave like job which takes up all your time, I would rather barely work and spend time in meditation, yoga, tai chi, reading, nature etc

[Gerard]

If you are serious about spiritual practice, I can personally recommend you going to Thailand, attend a Vipassana retreat (minimum of 3 weeks of daily intensive meditation) and find out if you are suited for full-time spiritual practice. If you feel you are, then seek ordination as a monk, after that you'll be on your own. You need to have a plan or you'll find more obstacles than you can ever imagine.

 

There is a lot of support in Thailand for people who are committed to this path unlike many other countries with a strong spiritual tradition. If you don't believe me watch this documentary about Chinese Chan Buddhist hermits and the difficulties they have to face every day:

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5902279151658995270#

 

Imagine yourself as a Westerner alone in a remote region of China. You wouldn't last a week: no Chinese, no food, no shelter. You ought to build your mind slowly to reach to that level, gradually over many years of practice, deconstructing yourself from everything you are and have learnt in society to this point in time. This is extremely difficult.

 

Best start the easy way (not easy as full time spiritual practice is a hell of a difficult ride) by doing a retreat and then becoming a monk, and finally a hermit or a wandering ascetic. Go step by step, like building blocks.

 

Good luck.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Gerard

[lifeforce]

[konchog uma]

[de_paradise]

I second Gerard with going to Thailand first for the reasons he mentioned. Theres a short course in yoga and yogic path in the north of Thai www.pantrix.net that I can recommend, you cant go wrong. Plenty of ashrams and meditation courses you can find once you get there. If you need to go to india there is a website to google called India Mike with all the info you need. If it were me flying from London I might get a 6 month open return Air India to Bangkok with a stop on the return in Dehli, if that was cheap. Otherwise a one-way to BKK on el-cheopo and figure it out from there. A friend once went to a place called Wat San Mok in Surathani province, so you might look that up, to learn about meditation and dharma. If you wanted to learn Qi Gong in a China or N.East Asia region, you should take the English teaching route to keep your cash up. (hint: dont go to China)

 

Travelling can liberate and detach you from perhaps alot of gunk already, so although you can learn all that stuff from your present home, travelling away can help you with your path.