I dont think Science can explain heat generated from Qi Meditation

[shaq786]

I am doing some stillness movement qigong, cross legged, focusing on dantien letting movements happen. I dont know how science can explain the heat generated by doing qi meditations. I am sitting in one spot, and all I am doing is just focusing on my dantien, and I feel this heat all over my body, the more harder I concentrate the more heat is felt, I am relaxed. Its not like I am running getting my heart rate going and trying to sweat yet I still generate heat.

 

Science has no explanation for this, I am not even thinking about getting my body hot, I am merely just focusing on my dan tien thats all. I find it quite interesting.

 

Before I was using another qigong system where you just take full deep breaths and I figured it was the full deep breaths that were working my muscles and causing my body to heat but with stillness movement qigong you dont take those full deep breaths like other systems and you still generate heat, something science cant explain.

[zerostao]

" I am merely just focusing on my dan tien thats all. I find it quite interesting."

stick with it

[Diamond Spectrum]

Focal Cones

[Disabled Not Broken]

''Your body maintains its fluid balance through the action of substances called electrolytes, which are mineral compounds that, when dissolved in water, become electrically charged particles called ions''

 

........is what science will say [maybe?]

 

I don't believe in scientists, because scientists don't believe in me

[Aetherous]

The heat...maybe increased local metabolism...maybe easy to do in the intestinal tissue, or some special type of cells in the area, in comparison to other areas of the body. Maybe the heat is also related to digestion.

 

By putting your mind in the area, blood flow is increased. Metabolism rises. It'd be cool if they actually studied the effects of consciousness on the physiology of the body, because it clearly has an effect, versus if you don't put your mind in an area.

 

Could be NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)...or non-shivering thermogenesis (caused by thyroid hormone and sympathetic nervous system). Could be brown fatty tissue.

 

I'm sure they could figure it out if they had a reason to study it.

[Cat Pillar]

Stillness-movement generates a lot of heat, I've noticed that too (see my personal practice journal for more, if you want). Although, I am not so concerned with what science thinks/would think about it.

 

It's all the same to me.

[Seth Ananda]

I have the same effect from LDT meditation, and sat for several hours in a freezing hail storm, wearing only shorts and a teeshirt In my warm toasty chi bubble.

And when generating such heat, I have had friends put there hands near me who described it like a low setting hair dryer pointed at their hands... I too wonder about how they would explain it, but I don't really care that much...

 

The benefits are obvious enough without their validation.

[寒月 Hanyue]

Science has no explanation for this,

 

Are you sure about that?

 

Why do you feel science can't explain this increased heat? There is a physio in one of my teachers classes, they get hot, and it simply dumbfounds them. Which always surprised me as I figured someone with that kind of anatomical understanding would get it.

 

The increased heat is one thing. What I don't get or feel science can explain is the cold. I have felt both in myself and in the hands of a healer a type of cold, that simply puzzles me.

 

Best,

[ChiDragon]

The heat...maybe increased local metabolism...maybe easy to do in the intestinal tissue, or some special type of cells in the area, in comparison to other areas of the body. Maybe the heat is also related to digestion.

 

By putting your mind in the area, blood flow is increased. Metabolism rises. It'd be cool if they actually studied the effects of consciousness on the physiology of the body, because it clearly has an effect, versus if you don't put your mind in an area.

 

Could be NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)...or non-shivering thermogenesis (caused by thyroid hormone and sympathetic nervous system). Could be brown fatty tissue.

 

I'm sure they could figure it out if they had a reason to study it.

Yes, heat will be generated by metabolism.

 

If one is sitting in any one of the Lotus positions, the legs muscles are contracted. When muscles are contracted, they will increase the rate of metabolism to generate the body heat. It doesn't matter where one focus, the heat will be circulated by the blood to distribute throughout the body.

Edited August 23, 2012 by ChiDragon

[Cat Pillar]

Yes, heat will be generated by metabolism.

 

If one is sitting in any one the Lotus positions, the legs muscles are contracted. When muscles are contracted, they will increase the rate of metabolism to generate the body heat. It doesn't matter where one focus, the heat will be circulated by the blood to distribute throughout the body.

 

I'm not very flexible and a bit overweight, so sitting cross-legged or in lotus is very difficult for me. My legs go numb pretty quickly. I generally do Stillness-Movement sitting in a chair with my back straight, and I get heat generation while doing it. Sitting that way while not doing Stillness-Movement does not generate heat.

[Seth Ananda]

Sorry ChiDragon, but that is just not true for me.

My legs are not contracted in lotus position, as I have worked on opening the hips so it doesn't feel forced. I know that when I began lotus a long time ago, it was very tight, and my legs would start to tense up in response, but that does just not happen anymore.

 

And Full Lotus is still the LDT heat extraordinare position for me.

 

[Cat Pillar]

The lotus has never been something I've been able to pull off, but it would be interesting to me to find out what effects it has on practice. Maybe I'll start working on it, increasing my flexibility is something I've been wanting to do for awhile.

[ChiDragon]

Sorry ChiDragon, but that is just not true for me.

My legs are not contracted in lotus position, as I have worked on opening the hips so it doesn't feel forced. I know that when I began lotus a long time ago, it was very tight, and my legs would start to tense up in response, but that does just not happen anymore.

 

And Full Lotus is still the LDT heat extraordinare position for me.

 

Even though that leg muscles were not forced to contract, is it fair to say that the leg muscles are slightly contracted by default, at the Full Lotus, because the legs are bent....???

 

The reason I must say that the leg muscles or any muscles have to be slightly contracted. According to my book "Understanding Human Structure and Function, in order for the body to generate heat, the muscles has to be slightly contracted. The book also mentioned, when we lay down at the fetus position, the arms and legs are bent causing the muscles to be slightly contracted. Thus that will generate 25% of the heat, at night, to keep our bodies warm.

Edited August 23, 2012 by ChiDragon

[ragamor]

How does slightly contracted muscles generate heat?

Isn't it the action of contracting the muscles that generate heat?

 

On tropic, maybe science can link the heat effect to Bioelectromagnetism ?

[Ya Mu]

I am doing some stillness movement qigong, cross legged, focusing on dantien letting movements happen. I dont know how science can explain the heat generated by doing qi meditations. I am sitting in one spot, and all I am doing is just focusing on my dantien, and I feel this heat all over my body, the more harder I concentrate the more heat is felt, I am relaxed. Its not like I am running getting my heart rate going and trying to sweat yet I still generate heat.

 

Science has no explanation for this, I am not even thinking about getting my body hot, I am merely just focusing on my dan tien thats all. I find it quite interesting.

 

Before I was using another qigong system where you just take full deep breaths and I figured it was the full deep breaths that were working my muscles and causing my body to heat but with stillness movement qigong you dont take those full deep breaths like other systems and you still generate heat, something science cant explain.

 

Some of this can be explained by science but I think not yet the totality. I do personally think science will eventually be able to explain the totality.

Heat is good and with Stillness-Movement one usually gets so they can have this at a mere shifting of awareness of dan tian no matter if they are sitting, standing, etc.

 

I'm not very flexible and a bit overweight, so sitting cross-legged or in lotus is very difficult for me. My legs go numb pretty quickly. I generally do Stillness-Movement sitting in a chair with my back straight, and I get heat generation while doing it. Sitting that way while not doing Stillness-Movement does not generate heat.

Good point. The qi generation really is not dependent on the legs being crossed and works while standing as well. However, do sit on edge of chair instead of all the way back so as to not suppress movement.

--------------------------------------------------

chidragon,

 

In the field of qigong, reading less and practicing more will lead to less confusion.

I do believe the source of your confusion is your refusal to see qi as anything but what the current communists say it is and your refusal to actually study & practice qigong but insisting that reading books and applying your understanding of western science to the topic is correct. Everything concerning qigong is not about breath or muscle. Qi is not breath, qi is not muscle contraction. In the case of this thread topic, the heat is induced by the qi itself, not by muscle contraction.

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In general, Stillness-Movement works on a level where the totality cannot be explained by conventional science. A lot is happening on the sub-atomic level. A Stillness-Movement practicing friend who is a physicist tells me he believes string theory will eventually explain many of the phenomena that happens within the practice. The type of "time oriented" happenings within the system, in terms of there being time bypassed or periods of no time, support this.

[The Observer]

Science is still too basic to completely explain energetic phenomena. When it fully breaks out of it's reductionist, materialist shell it may make some head way. IMO the Yin-Yang/Five Element Theory is superior to western science because of the inherent disunity (in "modern" science) between the various scientific fields; be they Chemistry, Biology or Physics compared to the holistic view of constantly trans mutating elements seamlessly reflected from the micro to the macro.

 

The disunity we see today may be a result of the subordination of science to corporate-state research programs that keep different research and development teams compartmentalized so that various groups of scientists working on the same project are kept in the dark about what the other research team is doing.

[寒月 Hanyue]

Some of this can be explained by science but I think not yet the totality.

 

Sums up my post without the waffle, so basically...er....what Yamu said

 

Best

Edited August 23, 2012 by snowmonki

[Seth Ananda]

Chi Dragon. Of course warmth is generated by contracting muscles, as I warm up when doing weights or yoga or exersize, but that in no way counts for the 'full on' levels of heat generated in the LDT specifically and the general strength of the heat.

 

Here are my key points.

 

1.) When I do LDT meditation I am very very relaxed. It may be lying down, or sitting, and I prefer Lotus for comfort, and for energy benefits.

 

2.) The level heat & energy generated is dependent on conditions.

 

The primary condition is -how much have i been practicing? If I have been doing an hour a day every day, then when I sit down its like instantly igniting a furnace {also when I am keeping that level of practice up, my LDT is always warm - even when I am sleeping }. If i haven't been practising, then It will take some days or more, of consistent practicing to get to that point.

 

Another condition is am I focusing on my LDT? I sit in lotus while I watch movies sometimes, but it does not turn the heat on anywhere near the levels off adding concentration to the mix.

 

The other really important Condition is, Have I ejaculated recently? this is massive, especially out side of consistent practice. There is a level of energetic power that I just cant reach when I have recently spilled the beans - Although I would like to add that, consistent daily practice makes up for a lot, and one can still develop lots of energy by consistent practice, even with 'seepage' although total retention just adds a whole new level to the equation.

I can be on such a role with my practice and one accidental ejaculation throws me back weeks.

 

Tense muscles can in no way count for these drastic changes in heat levels.

 

3.) When all the conditions are right, and my chi is really moving through my leg channels, I can sit in Lotus for many hours without even the slightest tensions arising, and do not even need to shake out my joints afterwards. I can just stand up and walk. There is not the slightest restriction of blood, or joint pressure, and my feet will be warm and happy.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Seth Ananda

[ChiDragon]

Chi Dragon. Of course warmth is generated by contracting muscles, as I warm up when doing weights or yoga or exersize, but that in no way counts for the 'full on' levels of heat generated in the LDT specifically and the general strength of the heat.

 

The other really important Condition is, Have I ejaculated recently? this is massive, especially out side of consistent practice. There is a level of energetic power that I just cant reach when I have recently spilled the beans - Although I would like to add that, consistent daily practice makes up for a lot, and one can still develop lots of energy by consistent practice, even with 'seepage' although total retention just adds a whole new level to the equation.

I can be on such a role with my practice and one accidental ejaculation throws me back weeks.

 

Tense muscles can in no way count for these drastic changes in heat levels.

 

Yes, tense muscles can in no way count for these drastic changes in heat levels. It was the focusing on the Dan Tian is musical to the ears of all Chi Kung practitioners.

 

"I can be on such a role with my practice and one accidental ejaculation throws me back weeks."

 

If you claimed you had that much practice, an hour a day every day, then, one accidental should not throw you back weeks. It took me few hours or with a catnap even better, then I am back to business even mow a lawn or two sometimes. Of course, I breathe constantly and focusing on my Dan Tian at all times as my normal breathing routine.

 

As a matter of fact, if any additional heat was added to my body like drinking something warm, not hot, then, I have to release the extra heat to cool myself down. If I had something hot, then I really have to sweat it out with excessive perspiring. I had felt that the water drops allover my face and my body was all wet. It seems that my body was in a range oven. In the evening while outing, I felt all the cool breeze comfortably while others had to put on some warm clothes.

[Seth Ananda]

Chi Dragon, One ejaculation does Indeed throw me back weeks, but when practising consistently I will still have quite high energy levels. I am not just talking about LDT heat here This is immediately observable in meditation and in a certain level of chi, that I at least cant reach without total retention.

 

But you would have to practice semen retention yourself to know if this is true, and be lasting a minimum of 3 months at a time without ejaculation, and be actively meditating to see for your self. there are certain very subtle energies that ejaculation is the death of.