What is bigu ?

[already]

Anybody familiar with this site and the practice referenced in that article ?

 

https://daoistwandering.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/hermit-li-the-bigu-master/

[thelerner]

Here are two fascinating articles from healingtaousa on bigu. 

http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode2&articleid=32

http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode2&articleid=23

 

 Like many things Taoist, bigu works best when it comes naturally and unforced.  In the book "Masters of the Way", one practitioner wouldn't eat for days, not as a formal practice but she simply wasn't hungry and followed her body's natural rhythms. 

 

It's no beginners practice, rather the culmination of impeccable discipline and practice.  Nor is it necessarily a long term practice.   Its dangerous and without guidance some can fool themselves with it, to the death.  

Edited May 11, 2016 by thelerner

[Dave]

I have been looking for a Bigu instructor for a long time or any advice on what gigong practices to use. I'm still looking so any advice would be good.

[Gerard]

Why bigu when you can put all your effort in practices that are safer for those living in society: IMA, Vipassana (walking + seated practice 50/50). You'll be continuously refining your MIND as well as eating healthy and nutritious food.

 

After all these years of practice I eat two meals a day: early am 6-7am (large) and a second meal (light) around noon.

 

Before that life was a mess: no routine, 3-4 meals a day at any times sometimes the last around 9pm. Poor internal organs.

 

Bagua has fixed me up for good!

Edited May 14, 2016 by Gerard

[beingnature]

I would also say that it should come naturally...dont confuse the technique with the outcome...i experienced it but always only for a few days..eating was disgusting...had amazing energy...but it was so intence that it forced myself to eat again.I dont know if it is compatible with livin in society.

[Orion]

In the absence of a master, I would really appreciate any secondary resources anyone would like to share, like books, articles, etc. Serious write ups are preferred.

 

This is something I've always wanted to try but haven't felt confident just doing it on my own.

[CelibacySeeker]

For bigu you need have special alchemical pills and after digesting it you losing need to eat something, you eat rather "special things". 

 

there is also natural way of bigu not only alchemical way, but natural way is much more disciplined.

Edited May 20, 2016 by CelibacySeeker

[PalmBreather]

bigu is a metaphor for celibacy.. grain is what all the commoners eat, in asian culture, that includes also the nobility. its sex and procreation!

 

the sage is not a commoner. he does not "eat", but lives on chi/qi.. because not "eating" leads to the build up of chi!!

 

Adam and Eve fell because they "ate". "The harlot eateth and wipeth her mouth and sayeth I have done no wickedness"

 

come on guys...

[Cobie]

On 11/05/2016 at 11:03 PM, thelerner said:

Here are two fascinating articles from healingtaousa on bigu. 

http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode2&articleid=32

http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode2&articleid=23 

These links don’t work. 
 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Cobie

[Cobie]

On 11/05/2016 at 6:50 PM, already said:

… https://daoistwandering.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/hermit-li-the-bigu-master/ …

 

“Very fleshy indeed for someone who regularly practices fasting … 

When I asked him if I could do bigu on my own at home he told me very seriously: no it can be dangerous for your health, you need someone experienced by your side and a suitable environment; I would not recommend it to anyone without first being taught the right way.” (from the quoted link; my highlight) 

 

Indeed he is fat, imo no way he’s fasting ever.  
Anyway, I am glad he ended with saying fasting on your own is dangerous.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Cobie

[Dainin]

Qigong Bigu or Fasting: The Best Investment in Your Health and Long-Term Wellness by Dr. Kevin Chen. He does these retreats quarterly. I haven't taken one but hope to eventually.

[thelerner]

On 3/20/2023 at 4:29 PM, Cobie said:

These links don’t work. 
 

 

 they did in 2016 .  One was by Michael Winn on spending about a week in a Daoist cave in China w/ no food or water.  He did have urine..   Interesting article.  I forgot what the other one was about.  

[Infolad1]

Hi, Everyone,

 

I hope that everyone is well.

 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I  play one on TV. Do not do any of the following without a doctor's

permission and guidance, ESPECIALLY if you're on any medications, or have any chronic disease.

The following is for educational purposes only.

 

Drinking salty water is the equivalent of the Cole Robinson's Snake Juice diet. As

long as the body gets or has adequate stores of potassium, sodium, and other trace minerals,

fasting is doable:

 

https://snakediet.com/get-started/

 

Cole can fast and workout for weeks on this regimen. I would advise people to have their

vitals monitored while doing this. If you're on any meds, don't do it. He curses like a sailor,

but he knows his stuff. I don't agree with everything he says, but he walks his talk.

 

Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko developed a number of techniques based on the original yogic pranayama texts

found in the Shiva Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and Gheranda Samhita. His method has been used to alleviate asthma

and various other health issues for decades. The method involves breath restraint (prana(breath)+yama(restraint), what freedivers call static apnea. 

 

Modern yoga instructors incorrectly teach deep breathing, when the goal is actually shallow, relaxed breathing.

 

Dr. Artour Rakhimov translated a chart of the various effects that occur from beginners to advanced levels

of training. The chart is at the bottom of this post:

 

https://www.normalbreathing.com/buteyko-table-of-health-zones/

 

If you have a Fitbit or other health monitor, you can see where you're at on the chart. Most people breath at 12 to 20 breaths a minute, which leaves them open to disease. I'm currently at 10 breaths a minute, 65 beats/minute heart rate. I was at 9 breaths, but I'm working on getting to 6 breaths.

 

We have to be able to quantify our progress, folks. Anything less is just magical thinking and self delusion. 

 

What will be of interest to this discussion is the following quote from the link above of the effects achieved once you hit 7 to 3 breaths per minute consistently, achieving "Super Health":

 

"Transition to each next row above the Buteyko norm (Health Level 7) triggers certain biochemical processes, and many students report the appearance of lost (and often unknown) amazing abilities of the human body.

 

For example, there is a natural reduction of sleep down to 2-4 hours. Only 2 hours of perfect sleep are sufficient for people who have about 2.5 – 3 minutes CP. I regularly observe this effect in my students: with 60 s CP, all of them report that they require 4 hours of sleep and cannot sleep more. Buteyko, in his interview, claimed that his usual sleep was 2 hours long.

 

Several other effects (including astonishing digestive abilities, abilities to regenerate and heal body tissues very fast, and so forth) are provided right below here as your bonus content. Find out when (at which Health Level) these effects appear:

 

– production of antibodies in saliva that prevents cavities and the formation of plaque (no need to visit dentists at all since ordinary people need plaque removal or cleaning 1-2 times every year)

– extrasensory (aura skills or ability to see an aura around other people), psychic and telepathic abilities for over 2 min CP and some other effects related to decalcification and activation of the pineal gland (and thymus gland), and natural gamma brain waves or super consciousness (not just as-if during meditation but naturally and all the time).

 

At around Health Level 9 (100 s morning and daily CP numbers), the following effects become common:

 

– ability to survive for days without food, water, and sleep, while still able to maintain a high CP and energy level to search for food and water and fight for life – ability to digest wider varieties of fibers – broken bones, deep cuts, and severe wounds can be healed in a few days, instead of weeks or months. Scars, if any, disappear within days – painless childbirth for pregnant females – production of antibodies in saliva that prevents cavities and the formation of plaque (no need to visit dentists 1-2 times every year) – extrasensory (aura skills or ability to see an aura around other people), psychic and telepathic abilities for over 2 min CP and some other effects related to decalcification and activation of the pineal gland (and thymus gland), and natural gamma brain waves or super consciousness (not just as-if during meditation but naturally and all the time)."

 

 

Dr. Buteyko practiced what he taught:

 

"As many famous doctors and scientists have done, Buteyko used his own body to experiment with his method. He practiced what he referred to as “air fasting” and followed a lifestyle that promoted reduced breathing. His own experience, which his advanced students confirmed, showed that breathing normalization leads not only to an improvement of physical health but also to the clarity of mind, inner peace, and calmness. Additionally, it promotes intuition, telepathy, and other types of extrasensory perception.

 

Buteyko started his career as a traditional doctor, but by the final period of his life, he developed characteristics of a highly developed spiritual practitioner. He was known to have some clairvoyant abilities, such as being able to read people’s thoughts or to predict the future. He hardly slept, was able to exist without food for 50 days at a time, and was capable of holding his breath for several minutes. Often, the first question he would ask his patients was, “Do you believe in God?” His methods led him to a point when he did not have any doubts about the leading role of the divine, especially when it comes to healing."

 

So we now know how to develop Bigu, along with many other abilities.

 

I would strongly advise learning proper technique at The Breathing Center. They're the only authorized place in the US that teach the actual method. they have Mp3s, CDs, and virtual certification courses. I've got their book, Mp3s, and videos:

 

https://www.breathingcenter.com/

 

Dr, Buteyko's Bio:

https://www.breathingcenter.com/dr-buteyko/

 

 

Products:

https://buteykobreathingcenter.com/collections/books

 

https://buteykobreathingcenter.com/collections/audio

 

https://buteykobreathingcenter.com/collections/video

 

https://buteykobreathingcenter.com/collections/main-programs

 

https://buteykobreathingcenter.com/collections/certification

 

Warning: Do NOT jump into advanced breathing practices! You can seriously and PERMANENTLY hurt yourself, if you don't

know what you're doing. Get the materials, practice, take your time, ideally get virtual and/or in person instruction.

 

Take your time. And have fun! Cheers!

 

 

Buteyko Table of Health Zones (average parameters at rest)

Health state	Type of breathing	Health level	Pulse, beats/min	Breathing frequency/min	CO2 in alveoli, %	AP, s	CP, s	MP, s
Super-health	Shallow	12	48	3	7.5	16	180	210
		11	50	4	7.4	12	150	190
		10	52	5	7.3	9	120	170
		9	55	6	7.1	7	100	150
		8	57	7	6.8	5	80	120
Normal	Normal	7	60	8	6.5	4	60	90
Disease	Deep	6	65	10	6.0	3	50	75
		5	70	12	5.5	2	40	60
		4	75	15	5.0	–	30	50
		3	80	20	4.5	–	20	40
		2	90	26	4.0	–	10	20
		1	100

 

 

[Infolad1]

Hi, Everyone,

 

D'oh!! I almost forgot!

 

IMPORTANT ADDENDUM:

 

Buteyko Method Contraindications:

 

People with the following medical conditions must never apply Buteyko breathing without first consulting a doctor and an experienced Buteyko practitioner.

 

Arterial Aneurysm
Hemorrhage Stroke
Thrombosis
Current Cancer Treatment
Recent Heart Attack within twelve weeks
Brain Tumor
Uncontrolled Hypertension (high blood pressure)
History of serious cardiac rhythm disorder (unless pacemaker fitted)
Severe renal failure (includes dialysis)
Uncontrolled hyperthyroidism
Sickle cell disease
Acute schizophrenia
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) with cor pulmonale
Pregnancy (first trimester)

In some cases, a very mild therapy may be possible. People with the following conditions must take caution when applying the Buteyko Method. Again, always seek help from an experienced Buteyko practitioner, rather than using self-help tools.

 

Diabetes, especially insulin controlled
Mild/ controlled hypertension
Thyroid disease
Angina / previous heart attack
Epilepsy
Past history of schizophrenia
Reduced kidney function
Pregnancy (second and third trimester)
Privacy Policy Cookies policy Terms and conditions Contraindications References

 

Please be mindful of the above. This method is VERY powerful, and should be respected. Cheers!