Sleeper Posted June 6, 2014 The practice: Mo Pai nei gong. 2 and a half years. A year and a half into level 2. The problem: Horrible itching all over my body. I've experienced a lot of unpleasant chi-related problems, but this one takes the cake. At the moment, I don't have a teacher I can turn to for help, so I consider Tao bums, a forum which I know a lot of serious practitioners to use, the next best thing. Without limiting my meditation, what can I do to reduce the itching? My doctor has tried treating it as a bacterial infection, fungal, and so on, without any results. No medicine seems to be working. If I had the cash to fly out to Indonesia, I could go and see The Man, but I don't. What must I do to stop the pain??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BaguaKicksAss Posted June 6, 2014 You been to see an allergist? Also rubbing calamine lotion on tends to get rid of ichyness, no matter the source. Did you have a teacher when you started the practice, or partway through? I'm hoping so, as over 2 years of MoPai without a teacher could lead to some problems... I would say get ahold of your old teacher... but uhm, if it was Jim that wouldn't be possible. On a side note, flying to Indonesia doesn't guarantee he/they will see you (from all I have heard anyways). Edit to add: if you can get together with a local teacher of neigong or at least qigong or a qigong healer (that doesn't suck), and yeah what Andrei said below . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Posted June 6, 2014 (edited) Have you tried an acupuncturist? I am sure is a Qi imbalance. Could you give more details? Do you really meditate as they say in Mopai directly on ground? All year round? Even during winter? Do you have the itching in sunlight? What do you feel if you sit in shadow under a tree? The itching is alleviate if sit outdoors near a tree or on grass at night? What happens when you take a bath with cold water? Or warm water? Or under shower? Edited June 6, 2014 by Andrei 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted June 6, 2014 If taking cue from BaguaKA , benedryl might reduce alergy symptoms that "mediations" wouldnt fix , and so at least you could rule out alergy inexpensively and easily. Alergies by an individual can either crop up or go away at any point so , just assuming its not allergy because you don't think you ever had them before... would be a boo boo. ( they can be a real Btch to diagnose) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sleeper Posted June 6, 2014 Ah yes, allow me to elaborate. As to the symptom itself, there is no actual sign of a rash, hives, or anything like that. There are burst blood vessels where I've scratched too hard, but other than that, no visible problem. Let me tell ya' though: it itches like crazy, and I'm kind of hoping there's someone out there who's been through this too. Furthermore, yeah, Jim was my teacher. I'm more or less waiting until I've finished level two to go out and find a new teacher. I think probably tomorrow or the day after I'll ask around about an acupuncturist. I live in China, so I'm sure I'll find one somewhere. As to where I meditate, I meditate on the floor of my apartment (on the fifth floor, sitting on a stone connected to the plumbing) two days a week, and in my cabin during the rest of the week. My cabin is dug out of the side of a really steep incline, and I sit directly on the ground, butt naked. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sleeper Posted June 6, 2014 Oh, and I would hasten to add that while meditating in my apartment, I only do about five "sets." Also, yes, I've tried cold and warm water. Idk, it could be allergies, even though I've never had them before. At night in the forest, when I turn on my flashlight, the air glitters with pollen... so that's certainly a possibility. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted June 6, 2014 Find a good TCM doctor, then find a good teacher and pursue your practice under their guidance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted June 6, 2014 (edited) The practice: Mo Pai nei gong. 2 and a half years. A year and a half into level 2. The problem: Horrible itching all over my body. I've experienced a lot of unpleasant chi-related problems, but this one takes the cake. At the moment, I don't have a teacher I can turn to for help, so I consider Tao bums, a forum which I know a lot of serious practitioners to use, the next best thing. Without limiting my meditation, what can I do to reduce the itching? My doctor has tried treating it as a bacterial infection, fungal, and so on, without any results. No medicine seems to be working. If I had the cash to fly out to Indonesia, I could go and see The Man, but I don't. What must I do to stop the pain??? See another medical professional, a skin specialist for preference; and maybe check out apartments to let whilst you're at it. That cabin of yours sounds like a damp trap. Hope that helps. Edited June 6, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MooNiNite Posted June 6, 2014 congrats on your training. the oddities of mo pai,..maybe try taking a bath everyday and see if you feel better. this isnt a big deal compared to other problems people have had, it could be a lot worse. check out some chi kung forums or teachers and ask about it, they do a similar practice as level 2. Contact Spring forest qi gong, the master will give you some killer advise. there are a few others you could contact who are in china also..why not visit jiang's hospital?? i mean shit you live in CHINA!!! ugh so jealous. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joeblast Posted June 6, 2014 See Yellow Emperor's classic of medicine p162 (maoshing ni) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BaguaKicksAss Posted June 6, 2014 Ah yes, allow me to elaborate. As to the symptom itself, there is no actual sign of a rash, hives, or anything like that. There are burst blood vessels where I've scratched too hard, but other than that, no visible problem. Let me tell ya' though: it itches like crazy, and I'm kind of hoping there's someone out there who's been through this too. Furthermore, yeah, Jim was my teacher. I'm more or less waiting until I've finished level two to go out and find a new teacher. I think probably tomorrow or the day after I'll ask around about an acupuncturist. I live in China, so I'm sure I'll find one somewhere. As to where I meditate, I meditate on the floor of my apartment (on the fifth floor, sitting on a stone connected to the plumbing) two days a week, and in my cabin during the rest of the week. My cabin is dug out of the side of a really steep incline, and I sit directly on the ground, butt naked. Calamine lotion even helps when there are no visible hives (or any regular reason for the itching) . No idea if they have it in china though... oh hell in china the traditional chinese medicine doctors would likely have something way better, and could balance out that qi while you are at it. Good acupuncturists can also see where your qi might be acting odd and fix it up. Btw, pretty awesome you have stuck it out this long and gone this far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted June 6, 2014 Penaten cream is amazing for any topical skin issues as well. It's a german product though, not sure of its availability where you are... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trunk Posted June 6, 2014 Go to a doctor of oriental medicine. For people who seriously take up practices, it's worth your while to search out and find a *good* doctor of oriental medicine local to you. It might take going through a number of them, over a period of time. my 2 cents 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soaring crane Posted June 6, 2014 Penaten cream is amazing for any topical skin issues as well. It's a german product though, not sure of its availability where you are... Penaten does work well, but in a recent comparison test name brands vs store brands, in Oeko-Test magazine, it fared quite poorly. It's an old product that doesn't meet the stricter modern guidelines for contents. An organic diaper-rash cream would be a good place to start. But being in Germany, we have a huge selection and I don't know what brands are available elsewhere, so hard to make a recommendation. If his problem is in fact being cause by improper Qi exercises, then a cream isn't going to help anyway. TCM would be the place to go, imo. . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted June 6, 2014 Penaten does work well, but in a recent comparison test name brands vs store brands, in Oeko-Test magazine, it fared quite poorly. It's an old product that doesn't meet the stricter modern guidelines for contents. An organic diaper-rash cream would be a good place to start. But being in Germany, we have a huge selection and I don't know what brands are available elsewhere, so hard to make a recommendation. If his problem is in fact being cause by improper Qi exercises, then a cream isn't going to help anyway. TCM would be the place to go, imo. . Thanks for the update on Penaten contents... somethings have been around so long, I just forget to think of content. It was like that with my toothpaste and body soaps. After getting serious about healthy living and eating well, it months before I thought to look into better options for my teeth and skin/hair. So thanks again, going to take a look at the cupboard with new eyes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soaring crane Posted June 6, 2014 The name brands did poorly across the board, I can write more about it later. Re toothpaste: the name brand they tested was Colgate and it bombed out mainly because it (and presumably all American toothpastes) contains an antibiotic that contributes to antibiotic resistance. Can you get Weleda products? They're awesome, everything they make is excellent. I use two of their toothpastes haha :-) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Posted June 6, 2014 (edited) Off-topic Link re: Triclosan Edited June 6, 2014 by Brian 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harmonious Emptiness Posted June 6, 2014 My guess would be that it's related to chi/heat rising to the surface/skin. I would suggest learning bone strengthening chi gong which packs the chi into the bones. This way it has somewhere to be easily stored so it doesn't rise to the surface. In Mopai, you're probably trying to pack chi into the dantien, but maybe there's a reason it doesn't stay there, maybe a good reason that you shouldn't ignore, like it's needed somewhere else. I can only speculate however.... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silent Answers Posted June 7, 2014 (edited) This is obvious, and if you have a shed in the woods then you've probably been here a while... But I'll say it anyway... Don't just run along to any Chinese doctor. Do some research and ask locals who have had things cured first hand. There's still loads of people here who pretend to know what they are talking about but have limited knowledge, especially with your style of cultivation. Furthermore as a foreigner, as soon as you start talking about Qi some might brush you off with a general treatment, thinking you're being silly. I take it you can speak Chinese or have a friend to help translate...which city are you in? Edited June 7, 2014 by Silent Answers 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sleeper Posted June 9, 2014 Ladies and gents, thanks for all the help and encouragement. I'm still itching just a little bit, but after getting some amoxibustion done, I am feeling a LOT better. There is a big TCM clinic in town, so I just went there and told them what was going on. By the way, BaguaKicksAss and Moonnite- thanks for the compliments! Most folks think I'm nuts when I tell them what I'm doing with my life, so it's nice to get some positive feedback every now and then. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystique Enigma Posted June 13, 2014 There was a case in one hospital's Intensive Care ward where patients always died in the same bed, on Sunday morning, at about 11 A. M., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors and some even thought that it had something to do with the supernatural. No one could solve the mystery as to why the deaths occurred around 11 A. M. on Sundays. So a Worldwide team of experts was assembled to investigate the cause of the incidents. The next Sunday morning, a few minutes before 11 A.M., all doctors and nurses nervously wait outside the ward to see for themselves what the terrible phenomenon was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses, prayer books and other holy objects to ward off the evil spirits. Just when the clock struck 11... Pookie Johnson, The part-time Sunday sweeper, entered the ward and unplugged the life support system so that he could use the vacuum cleaner. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted June 13, 2014 There was a case in one hospital's Intensive Care ward where patients always died in the same bed, on Sunday morning, at about 11 A. M., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors and some even thought that it had something to do with the supernatural. No one could solve the mystery as to why the deaths occurred around 11 A. M. on Sundays. So a Worldwide team of experts was assembled to investigate the cause of the incidents. The next Sunday morning, a few minutes before 11 A.M., all doctors and nurses nervously wait outside the ward to see for themselves what the terrible phenomenon was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses, prayer books and other holy objects to ward off the evil spirits. Just when the clock struck 11... Pookie Johnson, The part-time Sunday sweeper, entered the ward and unplugged the life support system so that he could use the vacuum cleaner. Hmnn, that was also a 'case' in the book and TV show 'The #1 Ladies Detective Agency'. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series #8) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites