What to wear on my feet while cultivating?

[Celestial]

I've heard mixed responses from people who practice both standing and sitting meditation techniques. Some say barefoot is the best, some say things like:

 

"If you touch the bare ground while practicing, the qi can leak from the lower areas of the body, thereby draining the kidney qi."

 

I am hoping to find some closure on this, which is why I am turning to you, my beloved bums.

 

I meditate both sitting and standing (Zhan Zhuang) outside, near a large tree, on natural soil. Should I be completely barefoot, where my feet are connecting with the earth or should I be wearing socks and shoes? If barefoot, cool - I can do that. If shoes, which kind?

 

As of now, I've been alternating between barefoot and wearing these:

 

http://www.cheapvibr...-Black-Grey.jpg

 

Hope someone can help. Thanks!

Edited November 16, 2012 by Celestial

[Aetherous]

I have preferred skate shoes for standing.

 

 

My experience is that if I do qi practice barefoot, I sometimes end up drained and cold afterward. If I wear shoes, I feel perfectly fine...so I personally insist on shoes. When not doing qi practice...being barefoot doesn't seem to have the same draining effect, but it's still cooling.

[Celestial]

Thanks. Those shoes are made of rubber soles I assume? So are my vibram five fingers. So I should be okay with the link I posted then.

[Aetherous]

Yeah probably...unless they feel too uneven, or your feet get too cold (depending on where you live this time of year).

[Celestial]

The vibram five finger shoes are the closest thing to being barefoot. They feel amazing actually.

[eye_of_the_storm]

Barefoot - like trees / uniting heaven and earth

[RobB]

My teacher has mentioned that you should only go barefoot outside at certain times of year i.e., once it's warmed up in the summer.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[thelerner]

During sitting meditation, sometimes socks, sometime bare feet, but I have a nice shaggy lambskin under my zafu cushion.

 

Its healthy to take off the shoes and walk around barefoot as much as possible. In my house we take off our shoes when we enter and I've found if I leave my shoes on the beach and gone for a walk, they've always been there when I've returned.

Edited November 16, 2012 by thelerner

[GrandmasterP]

TaiChi slippers are cheap to buy and made for the job, they are made from all natural materials. Avoid trainers like the plague they insulate you from the ground.

Barefoot isn't good for beginners but fine if you know what you are doing.

You can find out barefoot times and seasons via Google.

Rule of thumb if it's too cold, or wet or uncomfortable to go barefoot, then don't.

Never cultivate barefoot in a school or dojo or other public place or you'll catch veruccae.

Edited November 16, 2012 by GrandmasterP

[hydrogen]

Most Qi Gong masters I know in China wear Chinese Kung Fu shoes. The soles are made of layers of cotton clothes or hemp, not rubber.

 

Never barefoot. It's considered barbarian.

 

I don't know if it's just a tradition or really make a difference.

Edited November 16, 2012 by hydrogen

[eye_of_the_storm]

Hemp is alive + it "breathes"

 

Same reason it is good for house making ... the house is living bio electric field

 

rather than steel glass cage

 

???

Edited November 16, 2012 by White Wolf Running On Air

[hydrogen]

Hemp is alive + it "breathes"

 

Same reason it is good for house making ... the house is living bio electric field

 

rather than steel glass cage

 

???

 

There are probably have some benefit that our modern people don't know.

 

Some of the traditional Chinese and Japanese builings, no metal nails were used, all wood, bomboo and natrual fiber ropes.

[GrandmasterP]

Hemp is a fabulous fabric much the same as linen for summer togs but hemp doesn't crease as much, hemp washes well too whereas linen can keep on shrinking.

 

[Celestial]

Haha these are exactly the mixed responses I was talking about in my original post!

 

What about these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Feiyue-Martial-Arts-Shoes/dp/B0002TW818/ref=wl_mb_hu_m_2_dp

[GrandmasterP]

Good for kicking erse, maybe not so good for cultivating in.

[Aetherous]

Avoid trainers like the plague they insulate you from the ground.

 

...but that's a good thing.

[hydrogen]

Haha these are exactly the mixed responses I was talking about in my original post!

 

What about these:

 

http://www.amazon.co...wl_mb_hu_m_2_dp

 

not good.

 

Those are what I mentioned. traditional stitched fabric soles.

 

http://www.asianideas.com/trkufush3.html

Edited November 16, 2012 by hydrogen

[Brian]

 

 

...but that's a good thing.

 

From a cultivation viewpoint?

[Aetherous]

From a cultivation viewpoint?

 

Yes.

[Brian]

 

 

Yes.

 

Can you help me understand the thought-process here? How would separating one's self from Earth and earth-energy improve energy cultivation?

[hydrogen]

Avoid trainers like the plague they insulate you from the ground.

Can you help me understand the thought-process here? How would separating one's self from Earth and earth-energy improve energy cultivation?

 

He feels lonely in the mental hospital ward. He wants some company like him.

 

Sorry, turtle shell. I couldn't resist. Hopefully you can get a laugh as well.

[Aetherous]

Energy isn't created, it's merely changed from one form to another. From the material body to freely circulating qi...so the body is temporarily strained. Grounding causes the excess voltage (qi) to leave the body immediately...which you could have used for qigong purposes, like opening channels and filling the dantien for instance. So without as much recirculation and re-storing...with your energy simply leaving the body...the body ends up in a depleted state. At least in theory, according to this really basic and probably inaccurate line of thinking...

 

But in my experience, it's not just theory. I feel drained after barefoot qigong or even taiji. It also happens to be something a teacher of mine said...to have insulation during qi practice.

 

So if anyone notices weird symptoms from qigong while barefoot or wearing cotton sole shoes, they should reconsider whether it's actually good for them.

 

Earthing is good when you're not practicing.

[Aetherous]

He feels lonely in the mental hospital ward. He wants some company like him.

 

Sorry, turtle shell. I couldn't resist. Hopefully you can get a laugh as well.

 

How is that funny at all?

[GrandmasterP]

 

 

...but that's a good thing.

It is?

Feck!

I've been doing it wrong.

(Pulls on galoshes)

Edited November 16, 2012 by GrandmasterP

[MERCELESS ONE]

it dosent matter just as long as you feel comfortable!