100 days of practice (martial arts/qigong) challenge; prizes involved :D

[dogson]

Is the contest running through today? I did some sungazing and tai chi in the park... I've been up for almost 3 days straight, so I dunno if that counts as 1 day? Or 3 days?

 

Anyway, I really like having 100 day blocks of training accountability. Can we start up another one? I have some Xing Yi and Tai Chi training DVDs I could offer up as a prize?

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Give or take (+/-2) 37 total days of practicing at least once at more than 15 minutes (and one of those days was 3 5 minute sessions in one day, and i threw it in there for face, if nothing else).

better than a quarter of the days.  i did better than i thought i did

[BaguaKicksAss]

Is the contest running through today? I did some sungazing and tai chi in the park... I've been up for almost 3 days straight, so I dunno if that counts as 1 day? Or 3 days?

 

Anyway, I really like having 100 day blocks of training accountability. Can we start up another one? I have some Xing Yi and Tai Chi training DVDs I could offer up as a prize?

 

Uhm, if you practiced each day for all 3 days it counts as 3 days, if you practiced only one day for those 3, it counts as one.  Not sleeping doesn't count as martial arts or neigong for this contest. 

 

Another one, oh definitely .  Now to think of some good peramiters.....

[BaguaKicksAss]

Give or take (+/-2) 37 total days of practicing at least once at more than 15 minutes (and one of those days was 3 5 minute sessions in one day, and i threw it in there for face, if nothing else).

 

better than a quarter of the days.  i did better than i thought i did

 

Awesome .  And 3.5 minutes for 4 times per day definitely counts.  There are some exercises where if you can last more than 3.5 minutes you are doing it wrong . 

[BaguaKicksAss]

So anyone post more than 37 days of practice?   Going through this thread to see what qualifies as martial arts, qigong or neigong (just regular meditation doesn't count, walking down the street doesn't count, trampolines don't count ), would take forever... so I figure each person can count up their own....

 

So NAJA, would that be a qigong book or a buddhist book?  PM me your mailing address. 

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

ooh, that reminds me that i actually havea bhuddist book back home...!

Qi Gong, please!

[Astral Monk]

50 days and I stopped counting. Practice every other day, avg 30 min sessions or more. I did 50% worse than the last 100 last year. Oh well, room for improvement. Basically laze was a factor.

 

8)

[dogson]

Congrats to everyone! And apologies for my extremely sleep-deprived post, which had nothing to do with anything.

 

I'm primarily focusing on yoga for the next 100 days b/c I have a teacher training coming up in a few months, but I'm going to  combine the sessions with nei gong. Should we start the new 100-day contest in this thread or begin a new one? And who's interested in my Bruce Frantzis Xing Yi and Wu Style tai chi DVDs as a grand prize? 

[BaguaKicksAss]

Oh I think a new thread, for a fresh start . 

 

Should we limit it at all you think, or narrow it down to specific practices? 

[dogson]

Yeah, I think limiting the scope is useful, if only to keep the thread from spiraling into weird digressions which are best left to other spots in the forums

[Songtsan]

Just make sure that trampolines count....

 

蹦床夫!!!!!

[BaguaKicksAss]

 

Just make sure that trampolines count....

 

蹦床夫!!!!!

 

Hell no.

 

LOL

[Songtsan]

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

i want to play!

[dogson]

I actually just got a rebounder, and I report that my chi is definitely higher after quick sessions. TRAMPOLINES COUNT IN THE NEW DOGSON CHALLENGE <3 <3 <3

[voidisyinyang]

Got a week or so left to my personal 100 day challenge - I assume you include celibacy as that is usually what the 100 days refers to for the real training?

 

Anyway 100 days is not enough. Still to break it into 100 day units is good.

 

All I can say is horse stance with thighs parallel to ground (or lower squat if need be) for as long as possible - until legs shaking and more - this is a good quick means of sublimation that I highly recommend as an addition to the other qigong exercises.

 

So it will be a couple week overlap - that is o.k.

 

also the full moons are the toughest - since the energy is much stronger and so you have to purify the energy more - this is why people fast more on full moons and meditate more.

 

Full moons is the original trance dance all night training.....

[dogson]

Innersound, I am celibate yeah but the purpose of this challenge is just an accountability thread to inspire people to train more consistently. I agree that 100 days is not enough - we live a lot longer than 100 days, 100 lifetimes may not be enough. What exactly do you mean by "the real training?" Maybe I'm being a bit defensive here, but I think anything done in the service of raising consciousness or vitality is "real training," even the decision to smile, or eat an organic orange instead of a pesticide-sprayed one.

 

2 sessions again today, chi gong and meditation and climbed up a cliff for some seated meditation. After being basically trapped in bombed-out downtown LA living like Oscar the Grouch, being up in Malibu is psychedelic and awesome. People are a lot happier up there. I consider being around high vibe people as another kind of chi gong, I was high all day after a couple hours up there.

 

 full moons: I've never had issues with this. I find full moons to be incredibly beneficial and useful. I never struggle with any kind of negativity or craziness, I just feel stronger and often don't need sleep on those days. I think I'm wired opposite most people.

Edited March 10, 2015 by dogson

[cheya]

Trampolines are tricky. You can just jump, and then it's just another physical exercise like running.

Or you can jump focusing on the chi flow, and that's a whole nother critter!

Done that way, it definitely qualifies as cultivation.

But then, done that way, maybe everything would!

[Songtsan]

I think any training on unstable surfaces is useful....now I wouldnt necesarily say something like an elliptical runner is the same as training for martial arts, but it could be...it depends on your approach. I took the arms/handles off mine and also the computer, so that I can practice escrima drills while I use it, or wear my weighted gloves and practice boxing, etc. Part of what helps become a better ninja is to constantly shake up the regimen. There is a plus to practicing the same drills as well, in that things can become unconscious and automatic, but there is also a good reason to break rhythms, separate the top and bottom parts of the body (different rhythms for arms/legs, hands/feet), so that you're not dependent on rhythmic entrainment in a fight.

 

My ideal setup includes various balance/stability devices. The funny thing about trampolines is that people are always giving them away on craigslist in the 'free' section.  If you have the space for them....

[voidisyinyang]

What I mean by full moon (full lotus) challenge is that the deep subconscious energy blockages manifest out as jing energy that has to be sublimated and purified - I'm talking about sleep that otherwise causes de-conversion of jing to fluid and loss of celibacy.

 

So since the full moon makes the jing energy so much stronger then it causes deeper subconscious blockages to manifest and potentially to deconvert to fluid and be lost during sleep - and so instead that energy has to be leveraged and sublimated and purified - into a conscious meditation state, versus a subconscious sleep state.

 

So that's why people recommend fasting during full moon - since then you don't have too much low frequency jing energy from both food and the stored up "evil thoughts" as bockages.

 

But the real question is where do these evil thoughts come from? In fact the internet and television are two main sources - the commodity fetish writ large is inescapable these days. I sit in full lotus at the computer as pre-emptive defense for sublimating energy.

 

But that in itself is not enough.

 

So actually the 100 days was originally based on the lunar cycle from my understanding - based on 28 day units - 4 x 28 = or 7 day weeks - 4 weeks.  So it's 112 days actually but oh well.

 

No - to really store up energy then purification is required and that means either a lot of isolation or maybe a monastery or something. But - like when I did my intensive training that was no internet, and next to no time on interpersonal level - besides the qigong classes with the qigong master. But then when my energy developed - I left my room and realized that even making eye contact with a female at a distance caused the subconscious blockage to occur and loss of energy.  At the time I was just shocked it happened and I didn't realize the cost of that - and even still the cost of sending that type of energy - not until I really studied the Taoist Yoga book in detail.

 

So yeah - also diet is a huge factor - like chocolate is very high in zinc, not to mention caffeine, etc. and so I like chocolate for the jing energy but it is also very dangerous - as far as celibacy is concerned.

 

But like I said I have been relying on the horse stance - and so I just wake myself up from dreams before it's too late and go into horse stance. Of course ideally my energy would be purified before I went to sleep - as Taoist Yoga says sleep is the worst problem along with evil thoughts. But you can be gluttonous and lusty as long as you're not controlled by your sleep - then those problems can be fixed. But if you are controlled by your sleep then it's a no go.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Innersoundqigong

[BaguaKicksAss]

So has anyone started up the next challenge yet?  A new thread so people can find it would likely help...

 

Also, I have NAJA's address, if the 2 others who practiced most of those days could send me their address that would really help.  I have been quite busy with work and practice, not getting online much lately. 

 

How about an outdoor activities which aren't work 100 day challenge for us all?

[the1gza]

There is one, or at least some 100-day challenge here:

 

http://thedaobums.com/topic/37806-new-100-day-challenge/

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

I'm not so sure i am really in a situation to play the 100 day challenges for a while...  i am trying to get a lot of stuff arranged, organized, and worked out so i can secure an income and other things.   and... well... frankly i am just not into doing any of that, so i procrastinate a lot and wish i was doing more bagua


I'm a lazy SOB, i know, but what i DONT know is how to manage my time so that im NOT intrinsically lazy

[Songtsan]

Have a schedule taped to your wall?

 

Prioritized!

 

Don't smoke pot! (not sure if you do or not, but I do and it is a demotivator)

 

Write rules for yourself, like: For every minute spent watching TV (or insert your 'wasteful nonproductive use of time' activity here), you must do one minute of such and such useful activity. If you don't meet time for time, you cannot play any games....

[voidisyinyang]

Have a schedule taped to your wall?

 

Prioritized!

 

Don't smoke pot! (not sure if you do or not, but I do and it is a demotivator)

 

Write rules for yourself, like: For every minute spent watching TV (or insert your 'wasteful nonproductive use of time' activity here), you must do one minute of such and such useful activity. If you don't meet time for time, you cannot play any games....

 

A great t.v. watching exercise is the horse stance.

 

Also sitting in full lotus.