Is it wrong to chase euphoria?

[NoviceMonk]

My Qi gong practise is going well.  I’m on day 11 of retaining.  There’s been some ups and downs (but I have broken up with my gf last week) and I do sense a subtle sense of well-being increase.

 

ive learnt from previous attempts that retaining alone doesn’t giver great benefits.  You have to somehow circulate and use it to feel it.

most noticeable to me us singing.  I can feel a euphoric high sometimes.  It feels so good that I keep on singing to  encourage the great feeling through my body.

 

also I notice that this euphoria is not infinite the singing stops working and I feel lower baseline than before.

 

its almost the same as drinking or drugs - you feel great for a short time then spent.

 

am I hindering my progress by trying to feel the euphoria as much as possible?  
 

is that euphoria constantly the aim of these energy practises?

 

does everyone feel euphoria everyday a little or even almost constantly ?

 

i read text about teaching the gods and heaven etc I imagine they are referring to the euphoria feeling.

 

how often do most people feel it?

 

am I doing my self good or bad by chasing it by natural methods like singing...  isn’t that what energy practises is about!?

[Earl Grey]

First you need to clarify what exactly your practice is, as qigong is not one system.

 

Second, chasing sensations or highs sounds more like taking metamphetamines rather than a practice that is focused on the doing in of itself.

 

You will need to explain what system you are doing because we can’t assume it’s Baduanjin or Fragrant, or even David Carradine Tai Chi.

[NoviceMonk]

14 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

First you need to clarify what exactly your practice is, as qigong is not one system.

 

Second, chasing sensations or highs sounds more like taking metamphetamines rather than a practice that is focused on the doing in of itself.

 

You will need to explain what system you are doing because we can’t assume it’s Baduanjin or Fragrant, or even David Carradine Tai Chi.

im self teaching Baduanjin which I practise twice daily.

 

i do a fair bit of Dan tien breathing meditation.  But I’m very new.

 

not sure if that counts as a system but it’s how  starting.

 

dont we all want to feel great?  Isn’t that the purpose here to feel as good as possible.  If walking in nature and singing feel good is it wrong to do it as much as possible in my days?

[Earl Grey]

1 minute ago, NoviceMonk said:

im self teaching Baduanjin which I practise twice daily.

 

 

Baduanjin has infinite variations and is simple to learn, so this is fine, but doesn't involve euphoria.

 

2 minutes ago, NoviceMonk said:

i do a fair bit of Dan tien breathing meditation.  But I’m very new.

 

 

You will find two schools of philosophy on this forum: one says that LDT is safe and fine, the other group (which I fall into) says it is harmful, but you won't at this stage in your self-taught practice be able to notice how you are being harmed.

 

A couple relevant posts: 

 

Quote

A warning that I have not seen mentioned here and which I have come across in China from martial artists, TCM doctors, and qigong practitioners is that regularly placing the mind upon the lower dantian (意守下丹田 in Chinese), especially in young men, can lead to excessive nocturnal emissions and premature ejaculation (I do not know what, if any, problems it could cause for women of any age). Various personal experiences from my own practice in my 20s as well as 30s lead me to put credence in this warning.

 

There are instructions unique to different schools which can mitigate this problem and take advantage of its causes to transform what has built up and is destined to "spill" for other uses. There are also Chinese schools that teach to avoid placing the mind upon the lower dantian at all. As always, best probably necessary to find an instructor in person if possible (the perennial advice).

 

Quote

I believe any forced or excessively focused LDT breathing can trigger those unconscious systemic (not in the head) memories out of sequence and out of context, and that's where the danger really lies.  No one who hasn't connected their unconscious repressed earliest memories to consciousness knows what lies beneath.  We repress for a reason and forget for a reason.  I wouldn't raise the sleeping dogs just to see if they bite.  They do.    

 

 

 

 

[Earl Grey]

17 minutes ago, NoviceMonk said:

not sure if that counts as a system but it’s how  starting.

 

 

A technique itself is not a system. It's like saying a stick of butter that comes with your bread is a full meal.

 

17 minutes ago, NoviceMonk said:

dont we all want to feel great

 

Feeling great and sensations are barely scratching the surface: 

 

Quote

The five colors make one blind in the eyes
The five sounds make one deaf in the ears
The five flavors make one tasteless in the mouth
Racing and hunting make one wild in the heart
Goods that are difficult to acquire make one cause damage
Therefore the sage cares for the stomach and not the eyes
That's why he discards the other and takes this

Overindulgence in colorful, dazzling sights of the material world can lead to eye fatigue.
Overindulgence in loud music and noisy sounds can lead to loss of hearing.
Overindulgence in flavorful foods and confections can lead to the loss of one's appetite.
Overindulgence in exertions such as racing and hunting can lead to an unsettled, agitated, frantic state of mind.
The pursuit of rare treasures and material acquisitions can lead to ruin and shame upon one's character and reputation.
Because of all this, the sage focuses on his inner self. He satisfies his basic needs and does not obsess over the material things his eyes can see.
This is the reason he lets go of materialistic indulgence and embraces the simplicity of the Tao.

 

19 minutes ago, NoviceMonk said:

Isn’t that the purpose here to feel as good as possible.  

 

That depends on each individual's goal and understanding of qigong, and each system of practice. 

 

20 minutes ago, NoviceMonk said:

If walking in nature and singing feel good is it wrong to do it as much as possible in my days?

 

False comparison.

 

You can pursue sensations and joy all you want, but your practice is a journey in of itself, not the end result. The end result is longevity and good health, but chasing euphoric highs is not a practice, it is a desire. 

[NoviceMonk]

Well I’m intrigued into what you might suggest for me.

 

im in great physical health.  Just always depressed anxious suicidal.

 

my goal is to feel happy content energetic as a baseline.  To be able to enjoy life and for it to flow.

[Earl Grey]

28 minutes ago, NoviceMonk said:

Well I’m intrigued into what you might suggest for me.

 

im in great physical health.  Just always depressed anxious suicidal.

 

my goal is to feel happy content energetic as a baseline.  To be able to enjoy life and for it to flow.

 

 

[RiverSnake]

Bliss is a bi-product of cultivation. Is it wrong to chase it? No...but it is counter-productive. 

 

To flexibly quote another practitioner..."doing cultivation for well being is easy.....but if you want to understand the fundamentals of life...that requires an intense level of dedication." 

 

After you do chi kung for awhile you will feel "good" and content most of the time...as well as quite prone to bliss. Just takes time and effort....but if you chase after sensations it will hinder you on the path. Take the long view and practice wisely.