How often do you practice?

[z00se]

I have wanted to teach people qigong but it seems that nobody that has come to me so far has any commitment. None needed for any real benefit. I guess people on this forum are especially keen about taoist practices or they would not be here. So i'm just wondering what sort of time people spend in isolated practice per day and how much time in practice during daily activities. Then i can judge how much i can expect others will commit.

 

Cheers,

 

Louis.

[Protector]

eh, like, five minutes everyday... man...

[GrandmasterP]

Edited December 13, 2012 by GrandmasterP

[i am]

My martial arts/qigong teacher ran into the same thing, with almost everyone except with me . Had been teaching a couple years and still a class full of beginners. Not the good kind of "lifetime white belt" beginners but actual beginners. Nobody does it at home, no practice. You "go to yoga", and you "go to" qigong. Meaning most people think this stuff is what you do when you go to the class, then your done for the week. Discouraging....

 

I do about 45 minutes every morning, sometimes only 30. Sometimes I'll do more at night before bed, but I'm not very good at making that happen yet. But there's a big difference between people who "have a practice", and those who are showing up to a class because it supposed to be good for them. When or if the change happens depends on a lot of things...

[GrandmasterP]

Aye, you can take a horse to water, but if it isn’t thirsty…..

[Mr. T]

howdy!

 

it seems a foregone conclusion that daily practice is necessary for any real achievement. during the 6 or so years i was studying with my sifu in indianapolis we saw many, many people come and go. he was fond of saying the attrition rate was 20:1 of students that would go for awhile and quit...1 outta 20 would stay and take things seriously. but even of those folks that were regulars, it was pretty obvious who was practicing sincerely, and who just showed up for the weekly class. by the time i left, there were about 3 of us that had progressed, and about a dozen who where stuck on spin cycle. now that i am on my own, i feel that i am in a period of harvesting what i was taught during those years, with trips back to indy to continue training.

 

that said, my practice consists of about an hour or two a day of focused qi gong and taiji. the remaining waking hours are times of mental practice (self-reflection) and constant taiji breathing and momentary meditation (just taking a few moments to breath and focus on centering). anyways, i'm sure many folks will say that even this is not enough. oh well...

 

later!

Edited December 13, 2012 by Mr. T

[Mokona]

Try for everyday after work and excersise! Starting a new QiGong KAP class online, too. Am very excited.

[Flolfolil]

The way we charge doesn't help, members pay £3.00 a class non-members £5.00 and only when they attend.

Were we to charge a set fee for a course along the lines of gym membership I've always suspected that might help but it's always been centre policy to charge per class for everything that happens there.

 

the reason i can't find an instructor in my town is because almost all of them charge a monthly fee that i can't afford. Definitely keep doing charge per class! Maybe give a discount for pay for a month, that might encourage some to commit. They might be the ones that would already commit though

 

Edit - Also, i practice 1-1.5 hours a day. Every day with the only exception being rare occasions where i have to get up crazy early

Edited December 13, 2012 by Flolfolil

[Jox]

...

Edited February 2, 2013 by Jox

[Cat Pillar]

Every day for me. How much really varies.

 

Some days I'll get 90 minutes dedicated practice, and on top of that have 8 hours of focus on dantien with tongue to roof of mouth while I'm working.

 

Other days I'll barely get 20 minutes.

 

I've missed two or three days on dedicated practice since I started (a little over a month ago), and none of them in a row.

 

Longer is always better, for me. The longer sessions go deeper, there's greater benefit, and it's easier to pick it up again the next day after a long session.

[Friend]

Edited August 17, 2013 by Friend

[raimonio]

1 hour every day, if didn't have cronic fatique would be doing more :/

[GrandmasterP]

Zoose,

 

the expectation counted in time is something pretty difficult to tell because it is the process that leads to change which

tell that a exercise has to be ended. I describe it in the example of cooking. General there are times given to make a meal - how long to cook something. This only works when each variable is the same - a reason to exercise on fixed times, places, direction, clothes and practise until there is a change. In my practises the time is constantly changing. There are times from 5min to 5hours

+ exercise while 9,5h working because I do manual labour. There is exercise in daily life. The concentrated practise is mostly used to me to speed up specific changes that show up. This is what happens. Actually one repeat maybe a form and the exercise starts when one get an "insight" a change and gaining awareness. Then one gain natural motivation what to do, it is for me I know the end and when it is done. And when it is done there is either one gain the next awareness or a period of short time exercise and if it became permanent on check from time to time. It is not sure that 3 hours per day will give one tremondous benifit. It is the gain that counts.

 

If you really exercised long enoguh and know what you teach you will know when to stop and a good teacher can even see this in the student who get the teaching.

 

Initial you may to teach him the crap out of him to exercise a exercise 10 hours in row, only for food, toilet but only then when he developed the awarness that something is changing. In permanent development, the practise is long as little practise

will result that the old status quo is reestablised and next day one has to exercise again and one gain little per day.

Those who dont know and have numb senses have to be persistent and obey time rules and grind.

 

How worse is it when the change comes with 4 hours to gain the permanent change and one only exercise 2hours daily.

So he exercise dutifuly each day 2hours. While the 4hours are still the mark. Someday he manage to get 2hours to a point which would equal 4hours and then a decade is over. And it could be done in one single day. Exercise after are maybe then just 5 -10 minutes and later only perform to checked. Time is for living different things, nothing is more important than other things - or as one said nothing is holier than other things. The whole life can be training at any moment while if one absent

in ones life then one do not.

 

"One has to stretch the string to the other side of the guitar: before one can choose the middle way and adjust it -neither too strong or too- light to produce a sound. If one always let go the string before it is attached then it will fly back. Because the string go baggy and one can attach it someday. But well a string so baggy does it sound well? A baggy string -will it break more easy when played?" Think of the bow of Odysseus. No one could bend the bow each one try to use their hands

and Odysseus use his feet to bend the bow with his whole bodyweight.

 

In case of agression one want to "defeat" the opponent and render him harmless and not "fight" the opponent to render him harmless.

 

You will have different students. You need to think for yourself and test them what they are able to do and how long

and ask yourself if you need to teach the aproaching student. If he does teach, if not teach something else.

Some can learn whole sets only by watching you while other can not remember 2 moves - be flexible then.

 

If one do the 6healing sounds correctly all sounds cease after each sound, and if one live correctly one would not produce the sounds as there is no resonance. Emptiness has no sound.

 

Back to hiatus

 

.......

Lung healing sound SSSSSSSS works a treat as an expectorant if you are congested from a chesty cold or such.

[Aetherous]

Aim for 30 mins. Usually do over an hour. Study and contemplation time is separate.

 

I love to take days off, though.

 

Also...when teaching someone practices, you have to motivate them somehow. It's a tricky business. Most people won't be motivated to spend time doing something they think doesn't have any relevance to their goals...and most people lack any semblance of willpower, so they can't meet their goals anyway. Maybe years later they will finally practice what you taught them...maybe never. Maybe there are only 3 people in your city that would love the subject as much as you do.

 

First of all, it's important to know your goals for teaching. Do you have special knowledge that must be passed down through the ages? Do you want to help people be healthy and have happier lives? Do you want to make money or friends through this? What do you really want (rhetorical questions, thinking about the answers is good for you to do on your own).

 

You can really only play the role of wise monk on the mountain top (or whatever other ideal you have for being a teacher), when you are one...if the results...how people are using your teachings...aren't reflecting that, then you've got a lot of self-work to do. Not saying this to put you down...it's just the truth of how this stuff works. Human beings are stubborn, and understanding how and why they are will help you.

 

Edited December 14, 2012 by turtle shell

[Alchemistgeorge]

I average a bit over 2 hours a day - stuff from "Opening the Energy Gates" - standing dissolving, spiralling, cloud hands, swings, and some Hsing Yi / I Chuan.

 

Its taken me a long time to get to this level, I've now had a consistent daily practice since 2008.

 

I hate to say it, but it might be because of my job. Practicing every day is the only way I can cope with the stress of working at a start-up.

 

Having a practice log - spreadsheet - checking my averages and logging my practices - really helps me.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Alchemistgeorge

[raimonio]

Yo I feel you. Check out your diet. My fatigue is severely affected by that.

Keep at your practices and keep your diet in check and then you'll start to feel better. This age of where we sit our asses in front of a computer all day fries our nervous system. We barely have any sex drives which is not good thing because that mean we need to fix our jing.

 

Thank you mate

This what I'm doing, currently on a water fast. A few Taoist healers have said that my condition is about having too much toxins in my system and it does make alot of sense when looking at my history. It is still a long road. I hope that by the end of the summer I will be completely healed. I will do fasting, raw food and low carb food with alot of vegetables and ofcourse practice.

 

When it comes to remaining motivated in your practice, daydreaming is sometimes good

[z00se]

Thanks guys. I don't get to jump on the net as much these days so was a bit slow to say thanks.

 

I just want to teach because i love qigong and it just means i can spend more time doing what i love and sharing it with other people. If i can get a little cash out of it too all the better but that's not the main concern.

 

I planned to charge $10 the first class, and if you come to the 2nd class you get your $10 back, just to try get more motivation. I think not many people know what qigong is either so i've only had a couple of people come and they haven't stayed. I'm just doing it at home (put a sign out the front) since i don't want to hire out a place and nobody comes, but i guess because it's not in a centre it doesn't help with getting people interested.

 

I mainly wanted to help unwell people get better but it seems everyone wants a magic pill, even though i explain to them if there was such a magic pill they wouldn't come to me because the doctor would have given it to them already.

 

Now i'm starting to think instead of helping sick people it would be better to target sports people. People always are motivated about their sports and if they think they can improve their performance that might be a better way for me to keep interest. I've even considered going to the local football club and teaching there for free for a couple of classes.

 

I also thought about teaching for free at the rehab centre in my area to help them with withdrawals and maybe to help keep them clean and since they will be bored in there it would be something for them to do and i guess more attendance / practice time, but i'm not sure they're the type of people i want to interest, especially comming around my home when i got a family. I guess if i do it just at the centre it would be ok though. If it was helpful to the people in there maybe the rehab centre would want to pay for classes.

 

Aussies are big drinkers too and alcohol makes progress a bit more difficult too.

 

I guess i just gotta get out there and do it, but when ya work full time and ya spend a little bit of time with ya family there it's pretty much bed time. Full time work sucks balls!

[z00se]

Thank you mate

This what I'm doing, currently on a water fast. A few Taoist healers have said that my condition is about having too much toxins in my system and it does make alot of sense when looking at my history. It is still a long road. I hope that by the end of the summer I will be completely healed. I will do fasting, raw food and low carb food with alot of vegetables and ofcourse practice.

 

When it comes to remaining motivated in your practice, daydreaming is sometimes good

 

I don't think that sounds good man. A water fast when your body has no energy and you have chronic fatigue? Why would consuming less food and less energy make you have more energy? You gotta look at your digestion and if thats good eat raw food but if not just cook it. Low carb food means more work for your body and less energy available. I don't know who gave you this idea but it doesn't sound right to me.

 

I suggest resting lots (trying not to read too much), trying to keep your mind quiet by doing awareness meditation throughout your daily activities, gentle exercise and 6 healing sounds 12x each 3x a day. You're probably going to get more fatigued before you get better, but if you're eating a balanced diet and resting lots you know it's impossible that your body is actually getting more fatigued. Any fatigue you would have would be because your body is getting more relaxed so that you can build up your energy stores and your chronic fatigue will go away.

 

Another way you could do it is just do lots of cardio every day, that will give you more energy. May have to push through the fatigue at the start but after a couple of weeks you should have more energy. Don't do heavy weights, thats not gunna help.

[raimonio]

I appreciate your advice, but I have a long history with this disease and have tried everything, I have data of what has worked and what has not. I tried healing this condition purely on nutrition for 2 years, didn't work. Also physical exercise for me is the worst, used to go against the disease going to the gym, jogging, doing martial arts etc. My condition only worsened. Going on light walking trips is the same.

 

My body is filled with toxins and the most efficient way of getting rid of them is to fast. The body has reservoirs of energy in fat and because I have eaten so much raw food and vegetables my cells have all the nutrients needed for a long time after I stop eating. Fasting is the most efficient natural way to cure any disease. For westener this thought is a very unsettling and unorthodox one. But it has been proven again and again.

 

This is my third fast. The previous fasts did not take me back, but further. So I have data on this aswell. I have proven that nutrition alone does not work for me. It did take me miles forward but was not a complete cure. If 0% is where I was then I am now at 60-70%. With fasting I'm gonna take it to 100%. While eating the body uses over 50% of the energy at hand for digestion and all these things that don't heal you, when you fast the body uses all the energy for healing. The first thing any animal does when it gets sick is stop eating. They fast until they are cured, this is the natural way.

 

Also I switch between low carb and raw. I was one year on raw and it did not heal my condition.

 

This is a bit off-topic, but I hope I got you convinced

[Sonhoffman]

I try to do 45-60 minutes of Stillness-Movement a day, but all too often end up skipping days because of whatever reason. Rich social life and my general laziness aren't helping.

 

In the summertime it's more Gift of the Tao, in the winter only now and then.

 

I suppose for a person like me the trick is to stay sticky and not give up altogether

[z00se]

I appreciate your advice, but I have a long history with this disease and have tried everything, I have data of what has worked and what has not. I tried healing this condition purely on nutrition for 2 years, didn't work. Also physical exercise for me is the worst, used to go against the disease going to the gym, jogging, doing martial arts etc. My condition only worsened. Going on light walking trips is the same.

 

My body is filled with toxins and the most efficient way of getting rid of them is to fast. The body has reservoirs of energy in fat and because I have eaten so much raw food and vegetables my cells have all the nutrients needed for a long time after I stop eating. Fasting is the most efficient natural way to cure any disease. For westener this thought is a very unsettling and unorthodox one. But it has been proven again and again.

 

This is my third fast. The previous fasts did not take me back, but further. So I have data on this aswell. I have proven that nutrition alone does not work for me. It did take me miles forward but was not a complete cure. If 0% is where I was then I am now at 60-70%. With fasting I'm gonna take it to 100%. While eating the body uses over 50% of the energy at hand for digestion and all these things that don't heal you, when you fast the body uses all the energy for healing. The first thing any animal does when it gets sick is stop eating. They fast until they are cured, this is the natural way.

 

Also I switch between low carb and raw. I was one year on raw and it did not heal my condition.

 

This is a bit off-topic, but I hope I got you convinced

 

Well just stick to what's working for you. I think it is harder for your body to use the resovoirs of fat as energy instead of getting energy from carbs you eat though.

[MERCELESS ONE]

i practice 2hrs a day. during the day i do standing and moving meditation, and in the evening i do sitting meditation.

[i am]

Are there any martial arts in your area? I'd say if there are, especially internal or any Chinese martial arts, but probably any kind, you could ask the instructor if they'd let you ask their students. I'd think you'd get some interest there. Or advertise near yoga studios, etc. I'm assuming you don't have a website but if there's some resource online you could point them to, so they can research what it is, what the benefits are and all that before even going to a class, maybe the ones who do show up will be more likely to stay.

 

For the average person, it really is a major change in lifestyle and life philosophy to get into qigong if you don't already have a yoga or martial arts or meditation practice.

[skydog]

My best cultivation periods often occur during being around family, the big emotions and normal reactions are a great practice/meditation, also during periods of dis-ease eg before undergoing a midly addictive behaviour I would rather not do or any moments lacking in compassion to myself or others.....who meditates, why

[skydog]

my best cultivation period is now