Hello :) Some beginner questions

[Ragnor]

Hello! Here is a bit of a background on me:

I am a 22 year old engineering student. I came upon this site while researching about Qi and Qi gong.

I have been experiencing anxiety and depression since my teenage years, I only realized it during my late teens though.( I remember being outraged when being told this, that seems so unfair, aren't anxiety and depression supposed to be opposite energy states? )

I came across mindfulness meditation a couple of years back, and it is has somewhat helped me deal with my emotions. A couple of problems with it though, although I was able to deal with my emotions better, the anxiety and depression didn't seem to go down by much.

Another problem is that I feel drained every time I meditate for more than a few minutes, I see people saying that meditation is a perfect start for the day, I seem to require more sleep after meditating, and all I am doing is trying to be aware of my breath.

A few days back I came across this book:

http://www.amazon.co...e way of energy

 

I was really skeptical about it, but after trying it out, I am really impressed. I don't know whether this is the right place to ask these questions, but here I go anyway:

1. I have been doing the basic standing position and the holding the balloon position for the past couple of days, however I have been exceeding the recommended 5 minutes for the beginner because it feels so good. I also have been doing it for a couple of minutes here and there throughout the day, because it is so relaxing and energizing at the same time. Is this fine, or is it going to prove harmful further down the line?

2. I suffer from Asthma, and the author recommends doing the 8 Pieces Of Brocade exercises to help dealing with the condition, but in another section he also says that one starts with these exercises after practicing the first two positions for a couple of months, in order to prepare the body for more energy. Should I wait for a couple of months or is it okay if I start doing the exercises now itself?

3. Is Zhan Zhuang as taught by the author in The Way Of Energy sufficient for maintaining Qi fitness(okay, I really don't know the right term for it), or do I need to supplement it with other exercises to obtain and maintain optimum mental and physical health? Are there any Qigong exercises that can help me with my anxiety and depression? I am at a stage where I would like to work really hard, but seem to lack the energy and focus.

4. I have always been the skeptical type. Are there any forms of Qigong which can convince me of the existence of Qi, by providing fast, indisputable effects? I don't mind if there are side effects, any result would be nice. I have always wanted to believe in things like this, but my mind keeps shooting those ideas down. Any result, even if it is an unpleasant one would help me counter my bullish mind.

 

Thank you for taking the trouble to read through all of that!

[ChiDragon]

I am a 22 year old engineering student. I came upon this site while researching about Qi and Qi gong.

 

I have been experiencing anxiety and depression since my teenage years, I only realized it during my late teens though.( I remember being outraged when being told this, that seems so unfair, aren't anxiety and depression supposed to be opposite energy states? )

 

I came across mindfulness meditation a couple of years back, and it is has somewhat helped me deal with my emotions. A couple of problems with it though, although I was able to deal with my emotions better, the anxiety and depression didn't seem to go down by much.

Another problem is that I feel drained every time I meditate for more than a few minutes, I see people saying that meditation is a perfect start for the day, I seem to require more sleep after meditating, and all I am doing is trying to be aware of my breath.

A few days back I came across this book:

http://www.amazon.co...e way of energy

 

I was really skeptical about it, but after trying it out, I am really impressed. I don't know whether this is the right place to ask these questions, but here I go anyway:

1. I have been doing the basic standing position and the holding the balloon position for the past couple of days, however I have been exceeding the recommended 5 minutes for the beginner because it feels so good. I also have been doing it for a couple of minutes here and there throughout the day, because it is so relaxing and energizing at the same time. Is this fine, or is it going to prove harmful further down the line?

 

It is fine for you as long as it was not causing you any discomfort of any kind.

 

2. I suffer from Asthma, and the author recommends doing the 8 Pieces Of Brocade exercises to help dealing with the condition, but in another section he also says that one starts with these exercises after practicing the first two positions for a couple of months, in order to prepare the body for more energy. Should I wait for a couple of months or is it okay if I start doing the exercises now itself?

 

As long as you learn to breathe, nothing else matters. Breathing exercises will help you to clear your breathing passages. Only breathing will give you energy. Just by doing the 8 Pieces of Brocade exercises will not. In your Asthma case, you must learn to breathe.

 

3. Is Zhan Zhuang as taught by the author in The Way Of Energy sufficient for maintaining Qi fitness(okay, I really don't know the right term for it), or do I need to supplement it with other exercises to obtain and maintain optimum mental and physical health? Are there any Qigong exercises that can help me with my anxiety and depression? I am at a stage where I would like to work really hard, but seem to lack the energy and focus.

 

No, you do not need to supplement it with other exercises to obtain and maintain optimum mental and physical health. Any QiGong will do as long as you have the patience and confidence in yourself to practice with self discipline.

 

4. I have always been the skeptical type. Are there any forms of Qigong which can convince me of the existence of Qi, by providing fast, indisputable effects? I don't mind if there are side effects, any result would be nice. I have always wanted to believe in things like this, but my mind keeps shooting those ideas down. Any result, even if it is an unpleasant one would help me counter my bullish mind.

 

Nothing will help you to speed up things but practice and practice on you own.

 

Good luck to you.

[Ragnor]

Thank you for the advice!

This makes things simple, I will be standing a lot more in the coming days.