Searching for my way

[Ashbell]

Hi, I joined yesterday and I was reading sooo many threads already. I actually enjoyed reading most of them, but then I kinda realized, I don't know which qigong art should I even perform. It's important for me because I know that I wanna focus only on one art and not change it after few months or so on. I am really open to any suggestions and I am really grateful for any of them. It's probably hard to make suggestion to completely unknown person, so here are few details about me:) I am not much of a sport person, but really passionate about practicing, when I meditate I always lose myself in my mind and I started learning about qigong because I wanted to understand myself better.

Thank you so much for every reply:)

[RiverSnake]

Every person has there own "nature" and thus will resonate with different techniques. PM me and i may be able to help you find some methods appropriate to your powers. 

[thelerner]

I think you've got the right idea, yet I'd recommend you sleep around and play the field a bit.  What I mean is, if you're unaware of the many types of chi gung out there.  Try a few, give'em some time, see what style connects.  See what people here, whose writing you respect are up to.  Also investigate what spiritual/esoteric arts may be close to you.  A community center yoga or tai chi course may not sound exotic, but there are gems out there.  A live teacher can bring better results then a master 1,000 miles away. 

 

Though when you have experience it is worth while to visit great teachers and be faithful to the art. 

Edited April 16, 2020 by thelerner

[Earl Grey]

RiverSnake is a very helpful lad and has been a long-time member here, so enjoy the discovery process. 

[Daniel]

On 4/16/2020 at 7:03 AM, Ashbell said:

when I meditate I always lose myself in my mind and I started learning about qigong because I wanted to understand myself better.

 

Hi Ashbell,

 

I'm new here too.  The quote above ^^ describes my experience as well.  Thank you very much for posting this thread and phrasing it in this way.

 

I look fwd to reading the replies and the advice given.

 

Sincerely,

 

Daniel

[E. S. A.]

Hey Ashbell, welcome 🙏 

 

I am in a similar circumstance to you. Over the years I have worked with many systems, looking for that “path”. 
 

In terms of QiGong systems I don’t know a whole lot. However, from everything I’ve heard people say it is more important to attempt to establish a strong foundation than get caught up in the complexities of one system or another. It would seem just as important to do what you can to set your every day life in order, not just every day practice. 
 

So things like sleeping ,eating and life habits should be paramount to ones system as it will cascade downwards and effect the results of your training. 
 

My teacher says that in China, devout students of TaiJiQuan would train a single posture or movement for potentially months. Only then moving on to another posture or movement. He listed roughly 10 fundamental stances/moves if I remember correctly. These were designed to teach the connecting ideas of the routine and how energy in the system moves at a basic level. Before going in to full routines. My teacher says that the only reason they teach routines now in the beginning is to satiate the short-term oriented western minds. Students would get bored and give up if he had them doing the same thing for months. But he strongly believes single postures before routines it is a much faster way to true Kung Fu. 
 

As far as meditation itself goes I think you can think of it very similarly. There are lots of complex systems. Different visualizations, breathing techniques, mantras, physical positions, tension flow, etc... but we want a strong fundamental first. I think it’s important to just take 5-10 min a day when you start and just do a basic meditation. Nothing fancy. Just sit and breath, try to relax, breath naturally calmly, don’t worry about your thoughts. Begin to count on each breath and visualize the counting. This is really as fundamental as it gets. Basic breathing, basic visualizing, no pressure. Then, once you feel yourself actually getting in that meditative state, go and learn a more advanced technique and get absorbed in a system. 

 

Cheers,

E. S. A. 
The Wanderer

[Daniel]

3 hours ago, E. S. A. said:

Just sit and breath, try to relax, breath naturally calmly, don’t worry about your thoughts. Begin to count on each breath and visualize the counting.

"Begin to count on each breath..."

 

Respectfully, would you please elaborate on this? 

 

Does the count reset on each breath?  Or does the count continue to iterate as the meditation proceeds?  Or maybe I've completely misunderstood? 

 

Sorry if it's a silly question.

[E. S. A.]

3 hours ago, Daniel said:

"Begin to count on each breath..."

 

Respectfully, would you please elaborate on this? 

 

Does the count reset on each breath?  Or does the count continue to iterate as the meditation proceeds?  Or maybe I've completely misunderstood? 

 

Sorry if it's a silly question.

It’s not a silly question at all. More than happy to elaborate.

 

From my personal experience, in energy systems, we begin to use our minds as tools to develop and effect our practice. We want to begin to learn to control the mind and not let it race. To teach it to have more powerful visualization as well as clear focus at whatever task is at hand. Just like any skill or muscle it can also be trained.

 

I think the most fundamental sense of meditation is learning to quiet that background noise. You can’t begin to genuinely focus on a particular practice or technique of you can’t even quiet your mind and actually focus on that task.
 

Personally, I have found the best method for beginning this mental control to be a simple Zen meditation. I feel at a basic level it does not influence the energy system much so you don’t have to worry about adverse effects. It will act as an introductory chi cultivation method as well (ID HIGHLY SUGGEST AGAINST VIEWING IT AS SUCH THOUGH, focus on control, not power). 
 

Sit relaxed whatever that is for you. In a chair, laying down, half lotus, etc... begin to take some deep breaths and loosen all the muscles in your body. Working around your face down your chest to your toes. Let your breathing try to slow to a natural rhythm. You want to aim as if you are breathing like you aren’t thinking about it. When you are ready to start, with each breath count up. You can start simply saying the number in your head. But if you want to get into visualization practice I would try and picture the number (as well as say it in your head if you wish). Continue this till you hit 10. Start over. You will often not make it close to 10. Wandering off in thought. That’s okay 👌 Just start back at one when you realize and keep going. You will get better and better until that background noise is no longer a problem. 

Again, my expertise is not in this area and there are likely people better suited to answer your question. But this is my view 😎

 

Feel free to send me a PM. 
 

Cheers,

E. S. A.

The Wanderer

 

[Daniel]

38 minutes ago, E. S. A. said:

It’s not a silly question at all. More than happy to elaborate.

Thank you so much for doing so;  your elaboration is precisely the information I was missing from your previous reply.

40 minutes ago, E. S. A. said:

Feel free to send me a PM. 

Thank you very much, I will if needed.

🙏