Tai Chi and directing the Chi

[yabyum24]

I've recently started practicing Lee Family Style tai chi for heath. I'm already feeling some benefit but I'm curious whether anyone has mastered, witnessed or knows about how easy or hard it is to first locate then direct chi around the body.

 

I've heard that it can be good for health etc.

[ChiDragon]

The hardest part is how long will you practice it diligently. You will never able to locate and direct chi around the body. The chi will take effect inside your body, automatically, only from a prolong period of practice.

Yes, it is very very good for your health.

Edited October 13, 2013 by ChiDragon

[Ish]

The hardest part is how long will you practice it diligently. You will never able to locate and direct chi around the body. The chi will take effect inside your body, automatically, only from a prolong period of practice.

Yes, it is very very good for your health.

 

Yabyum-

Dont let anyone tell you that you cant locate and direct chi around the body, just because they can not.

 

Ill post what has helped me when i am free later.

[yabyum24]

Thanks for the replies. I ask as I witnessed it once, myself many years ago but I couldn't assimilate it and didn't take the opportunity to go deeper and learn about it.

 

Hence the interest.

[h.uriahr]

Get the feeling of qi in your hands and try to move it with intent. I've done an internal MCO before that had me going deeper and deeper with each rotation. Very neat. Never moved the intent though.

[dawei]

I've recently started practicing Lee Family Style tai chi for heath. I'm already feeling some benefit but I'm curious whether anyone has mastered, witnessed or knows about how easy or hard it is to first locate then direct chi around the body.

 

I've heard that it can be good for health etc.

 

You may want to get more specific as books have been written on just this idea

 

I had a friend who was well skilled in Tai Ji and QIgong. He commented that if he had it to do over, he would of just focused on Qigong as it is generally faster to connect with and is foundation to many energy arts.

 

I had the benefit of Qigong before I picked up Tai Ji and I will say that it fast-tracked me to 'getting it'. My foundation was already set with many aspects of energy work to include mind/intention, visualization, sensitivity training, energy exchange with others and the environment. I was also lucky enough to find a Tai Ji master who realized my background and fast-tracked my teaching as well. Instead of making me learn for years some secrets he put others through, he gave me direct teaching, exercises and advice.

 

This all being said, you have to decide what you want out of it. If you want to truly master Tai Ji, it takes a long, long time, as a beginner. You may feel like your simply going through movements and wondering when it will come.

 

If you want to do it nonetheless, I would recommend you start looking at Qigong and the essentials. You can also, immediately, begin to do sensitivity training to develop intention and sensing. There's a whole new world out...

[h.uriahr]

Condensing breathing or 5 point breathing will help.

[yabyum24]

You may want to get more specific as books have been written on just this idea

 

I had a friend who was well skilled in Tai Ji and QIgong. He commented that if he had it to do over, he would of just focused on Qigong as it is generally faster to connect with and is foundation to many energy arts.

 

I had the benefit of Qigong before I picked up Tai Ji and I will say that it fast-tracked me to 'getting it'. My foundation was already set with many aspects of energy work to include mind/intention, visualization, sensitivity training, energy exchange with others and the environment. I was also lucky enough to find a Tai Ji master who realized my background and fast-tracked my teaching as well. Instead of making me learn for years some secrets he put others through, he gave me direct teaching, exercises and advice.

 

This all being said, you have to decide what you want out of it. If you want to truly master Tai Ji, it takes a long, long time, as a beginner. You may feel like your simply going through movements and wondering when it will come.

 

If you want to do it nonetheless, I would recommend you start looking at Qigong and the essentials. You can also, immediately, begin to do sensitivity training to develop intention and sensing. There's a whole new world out...

Thanks dawei,

I'll look into Qigong. I'm really just starting out in Tai Chi but I have a good grounding in meditation, so I'm able to focus without much distraction. I do get the occasional feelings of heat/energy but it's very sporadic and inconsistent.

I'm currently learning the long form but the teacher gets us to rotate hands etc to feel the energy.

 

Get the feeling of qi in your hands and try to move it with intent. I've done an internal MCO before that had me going deeper and deeper with each rotation. Very neat. Never moved the intent though.

 

 

Condensing breathing or 5 point breathing will help.

Hi h.uriahr,

Thanks for the tips. I'm reading up and trying out MCO. It feels good and quite similar to Tibetan practices I've used in the past. Our teacher has given us a breath/chakra exercise.

1. Close eyes - breathe in

2. Breathe out - focus on forehead

3. Breathe in - focus on heart

4. Breathe out - focus on lower abdomen

5. Breathe in - no focus.

6. Breathe out - open eyes

[Ish]

One simple thing you may try is, as you are going to sleep or perhaps in the morning -

Just lay on your back in bed and just start your awareness at your head

Really feel it - don't TRY to feel just feel and be aware.

Then slowly move your awareness and feeling down your whole body, slowly, to your feet then slowly back up again.

Repeat as many times as you like.

 

You can actually go quite deep into feeling and working with flow of energy with this simple exercise.

Edited October 14, 2013 by Ish

[yabyum24]

One simple thing you may try is, as you are going to sleep or perhaps in the morning -

 

Just lay on your back in bed and just start your awareness at your head

Really feel it - don't TRY to feel just feel and be aware.

Then slowly move your awareness and feeling down your whole body, slowly, to your feet then slowly back up again.

Repeat as many times as you like.

 

You can actually go quite deep into feeling and working with flow of energy with this simple exercise.

Thanks Ish, I'll try that out.

[Bearded Dragon]

You want to really focus on sinking chi in tai chi. It's so important. You only have the up and down flows of energy and the up is created by rebounding the down. So in a sense there is only sinking. The down creates the up and the combination of up and down creates all the movements.

 

Trying to move chi around in any other way isn't probably going to help too much. You can do it, but just have a proper reason and don't get too hung up on it. The way it's done in tai chi is kinda idiot proof and very balanced. More than enough for a beginner to worry about imo.

[dawei]

I'll look into Qigong. I'm really just starting out in Tai Chi but I have a good grounding in meditation, so I'm able to focus without much distraction. I do get the occasional feelings of heat/energy but it's very sporadic and inconsistent.

I'm currently learning the long form but the teacher gets us to rotate hands etc to feel the energy.

 

So it sounds like you have a good base of meditation and there is already mention of some things you can do to get deeper while still. I am not if your teacher is showing meridian stretching exercises (or maybe not explaining if something is even for that). You can use some of the meditation to encourage meridians to open but there are also exercises to do it.

 

Three items:

 

1. Substantial vs Insubstantial

Not sure what the hand rotation is. In front of the face, alternating side to side? And I assume it is done very slow? If slow, do you know why? One key aspect (to look up and read) is Insubstantial vs substantial. You can stand in Wuji and then shift weight from one foot to the other very, very slowly. Dividing the weight from 100%/0% , ever so slow until it is over the other leg as 0%/100%. This is a base movement and then arm movements are added to this.

 

A key issue to know is that Qi moves most freely from an area of high pressure to low pressure. This can be easily tested in various movement exercises, but the leg shifting movement encourages this. I added my own drawing Qi up the insubstantial leg up (100/0, the 0% resting leg) to the heart (50/50--Wuji) and then down the other leg which is now insubstantial (0/100, the other leg is now 0%) and into the earth.

 

If you want to be more sensitive to the feeling Qi, you'll want to try these kinds of exercises. There is an Yi Quan set which I have which is perfect for this. If you PM me your email I can send it.

 

2. Focus/Intention

In some movements, are you focusing your mind on the hand too? When doing the forms, it is important in some cases to be focused on you hand, particularly when the hand is the next place the energy is being directed. By 'looking ahead', you are giving some intention to the Qi. I had to learn to temper my intention/focus as my hands would get too hot or vibrate while doing the forms. I had to learn to temper my Qigong side and sink into it more.

 

3. Mind/Intention moves the QI BUT Qi moves the body

Beginners cannot conceptualize this idea as QI moving the body has almost no meaning to them yet. While I described above some ideas on mind/intention moving the Qi, you should develop the feeling of Qi moving the body.

 

Here is a simple exercises and breathing is important here. ( In fact, breath, mind, movement are in union in all movements and exercises but you should be able to find the proper breathing on your own given an exercise. )

 

Have you ever breathed and formed a Qi ball in front of your body with your hands? That is a more movement oriented exercise which is very good. You inhale and as you expand your arms, feel the Qi going down to the hands and then on exhale slowing bring your arms together and once you feel some pressure between your hands, then stop and simply 'bound' your hands in and out very small amount, like your touching the surface of a balloon. Look this up to get it down.

 

But, the exercises to use Qi to move the body:

- Stand in Wuji and breath (normal abdominal about a minute deeply and sink the energy to the dan tian filling it more and more. Sink the body and ground.

 

- Now change you focus so that on inhale you raise the Qi from the dan tian to the heart/shen dao, and on exhale, send it down both arms to the hands. Inhale and breath in through the palm of hands back to the heart; exhale and bring the energy down to the dan tian. DO that a few times.

 

- Now keep your focus/intention on your arms and hands and you should be feeling some warmth or pressure. .You will do long, deep breathing and on inhale visualize your ams raising from their side on their own. Exhale and see your ams return to your side. Continue this until your arms start to actually move outward on their own with each inhale. Apply more focus.intention as you want to get the arms to raise more and more outward.

 

This is an idea of Qi moving the body. This also includes the ideas of high- low-pressure and 'looking ahead'.

[yabyum24]

Thanks dawei. I'm going to take some time over what you have written. Some of it we do, which gives me confidence that I've got a good teacher. When I'm doing the Form or the Taoist Walk, I do get very energized. I practice for about 40mins every morning and also during the day, if I get time. I'm loving it to be honest and wish I'd started it sooner.

[doc benway]

I've recently started practicing Lee Family Style tai chi for heath. I'm already feeling some benefit but I'm curious whether anyone has mastered, witnessed or knows about how easy or hard it is to first locate then direct chi around the body.

 

I've heard that it can be good for health etc.

 

Some great advice so far.

 

Yes - you will be able to feel and direct the Qi throughout the body.

It's very challenging for some and easy for others.

This is an integral part of Tai Ji Quan.

Waysun Liao's book, The Essence of Tai Chi, gives some good advice to beginners for working with Qi.

 

One caveat - if you have a credible teacher, try to stay focused on what they are asking you to do and be cautious when adding practices recommended by others. While most of the advice offered so far is excellent, it can get confusing and different methods can work against one another.

The important things are that you are enjoying your practice and have confidence in the teacher.

 

All that said, I'll offer one more bit of advice - I think one of the best ways to develop the experience of Qi awareness is through standing meditation. It gives you the opportunity to work a bit with the mind and allow it to become more tranquil and sensitive while at the same time offering some physical stimulus and feedback due to the standing posture. I think standing offers the ideal balance between tranquility and engagement for beginners. Sitting in a stable posture is great for working with Qi at a more advanced level (like Daoist meditation methods) but can dissociate the mind from the body and interfere with the smooth flow of Qi and awareness throughout the limbs. Movement based activity, be it the Taiji forms or Qigong, are great but the attention required to attend to everything going on (the body movement, posture, timing, eyes, breath coordination, etc..) will distract you from the more subtle awareness required to work with the Qi in the beginning stages. Once the forms become second nature, it will be much easier to attend to the subtle body - the energetics and beyond. Until that time, standing can allow the internal skills to develop. Hopefully, standing meditation is a part of your teacher's Taijiquan curriculum. If it is, I'd advise you to take it seriously - many folks don't. In my experience as a Taijiquan and Qigong teacher, the students that take the standing meditation work seriously have much more rapid and deeper progress in the internal development than those who don't.

 

Good luck!

[dawei]

the Taoist Walk,

 

Very good to hear that you are on a good path.

 

Come to recognize that the 'walk' is also insubstantial<transition>substantial; high-pressure<transition>low-pressure.

 

As you prepare the next step, focus <look ahead> on that leg (now insubstantial as it is off the ground and moving to step) and let the energy flow from the grounded leg (substantial and carry all the weight); ie: High-pressure in the grounded leg will want to flow Qi to the low-pressure leg in movement towards the next step. Really sink into what is going on in the transition between the legs in terms of the energy flow.

 

Steve gives good advice. If our additional words conflict or confuse you, step back and stay grounded in your teachers method. But you'll find there is a thread running through these issues and you can connect the applications once you see them.

[yabyum24]

But you'll find there is a thread running through these issues and you can connect the applications once you see them.

Thanks for the advice guys, it's brilliant. And yes, I can see a thread running through all you write. I've emphasized seated meditation for years, with the attitude that my body didn't need to be a part of the process.

I'm correcting that now and I feel the difference.

[Kadesdes]

Thanks for the advice guys, it's brilliant. And yes, I can see a thread running through all you write. I've emphasized seated meditation for years, with the attitude that my body didn't need to be a part of the process.

I'm correcting that now and I feel the difference.

 

Hello,

 

I have been practicing taiji and qigong for the past 4 years and I can definitely say that taiji is wonderful for developing body and energy awareness but it is actually, in my experience, the long way to do it. I learnt from a Taoist master martial qigong for developing energy and also for internal alchemy and I can safely say that although martial arts and self - defence were once my primary goal, qigong and energy cultivation are actually primary and without even trying, your ability to do taiji and defend yourself naturally develop, and you can encourage that more if you wish to do so by doing martial art specific qigong or taiji movements.

 

The most important thing that I learned from my teacher is that taiji tends to use too many different movements which get in the way of energy cultivation because the energy changes too much too often. Think of it like sharpening a knife: you want to stick to the same movement pattern for a substantial period of time to get somewhere and this is why my teacher's additional martial art movements that work in conjunct with the foundation qigong practice are simple and repetitive, done over and over and over again.

 

After giving this system a genuine go for these past few years just doing the repetitive qigong cultivation movements made me better and better at doing the taiji form (I learnt taiji and bagua from another teacher) to the point where I only do the full taiji form maybe once a month or so and each day I might do snippets of the form just for fun or for a warm - up. The taiji form just feels more awesome each time I do with minimal taiji form specific practice and just focusing on energy cultivation through qigong.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Kadesdes

[yabyum24]

Thanks Kadesdes,

My style of Tai Chi is non-combat. The Lee Family Style does (in some schools) include it but my teachers emphasize the holistic health benefits and energy. They do teach sword, silk, stick and dance (as well as the form) but again, only for health.

 

They don't seem to do push hands or sticky hands. I'm happy with that at the moment. Years ago I did karate and I now have no interest in combat systems at all.

 

Unfortunately, there are no qigong teachers in my area, so I guess I'll stick with Tai Chi for now but I may see what I can find on line.

[Kadesdes]

Thanks Kadesdes,

My style of Tai Chi is non-combat. The Lee Family Style does (in some schools) include it but my teachers emphasize the holistic health benefits and energy. They do teach sword, silk, stick and dance (as well as the form) but again, only for health.

 

They don't seem to do push hands or sticky hands. I'm happy with that at the moment. Years ago I did karate and I now have no interest in combat systems at all.

 

Unfortunately, there are no qigong teachers in my area, so I guess I'll stick with Tai Chi for now but I may see what I can find on line.

 

There are some courses you can do online, although it is best to learn from a teacher in person I did this introductory course I found and found it helpful as an adjunct to what I do: http://www.leeholden.com/