arthur Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) Hello to all sifus Just started to learn the bone marrow cleansing form of qigong and trying to understand how many total forms are there to practice and which are considered to be important to practice? My intention is to first build up my qi in dantian, then learn to distribute it equally around my body. Would appreciate if anyone can provide a list with the name and purpose of each form as well. Edited January 22, 2021 by arthur Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeform Posted January 22, 2021 Bone marrow cleansing is extremely advanced to be honest. Not a great starting point. 5 minutes ago, arthur said: My intention is to first build up my qi in dantian, then learn to distribute it equally around my body. That’s a better starting point for sure. I recommend Damo Mitchell, his methods are very similar to ones from my traditional school and I’m friends with people getting great results from his trainings. But do have a search around the forum - there are many other recommendations 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur Posted January 22, 2021 1 minute ago, freeform said: Bone marrow cleansing is extremely advanced to be honest. Not a great starting point. That’s a better starting point for sure. I recommend Damo Mitchell, his methods are very similar to ones from my traditional school and I’m friends with people getting great results from his trainings. But do have a search around the forum - there are many other recommendations Thanks for the quick reply. I noticed that Damo have a few books. Could you recommend which to start with? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeform Posted January 22, 2021 2 minutes ago, arthur said: Thanks for the quick reply. I noticed that Damo have a few books. Could you recommend which to start with? the Comprehensive Guide is best in my opinion. He also has an online training and an in person school (which is obviously not functional at the moment) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted January 22, 2021 8 hours ago, arthur said: Just started to learn the bone marrow cleansing form of qigong. Very advanced stuff there. Not recommended for beginners. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur Posted January 23, 2021 10 hours ago, dmattwads said: Very advanced stuff there. Not recommended for beginners. Which qigong form would you recommend to start with? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted January 23, 2021 19 hours ago, arthur said: My intention is to first build up my qi in dantian, then learn to distribute it equally around my body. 37 minutes ago, arthur said: Which qigong form would you recommend to start with? As you stated your intention I would recommend lower dan tien breathing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur Posted January 23, 2021 13 minutes ago, dmattwads said: As you stated your intention I would recommend lower dan tien breathing. Is there a specific qigong form name for this practice? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted January 23, 2021 6 hours ago, arthur said: Is there a specific qigong form name for this practice? There are various breathing methods. Dr. Yang of YMAA has several good books about this for example. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwai Posted January 24, 2021 If it is a book you want to start practicing from, consider this book -- https://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Your-Life-Energy-Well-Being/dp/1590309960 It is a great book and the methods outlined are simple, and yet they are the platform for more advanced practices as done in Waysun Liao's tradition. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jox Posted January 25, 2021 I am not sifu, but I would recommend you Bagua. Bagua qigong by Dragon gate sanctuary, sifu Matsuo. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnC Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) What I would recommend is that you get clear on what you are looking for, then pick a lineage that provides that. Whether that is healing, spiritual development, martial skill, etc. Building a ldt, and then clearing channels, is a developmental component for almost all lineages. The question to steer you from me would be, what then? You can tell the results of a lineage by looking at the senior students, and what they have accomplished, as well as the teacher. Not all lineages are for everyone! Ideally explore each one for at least a month, then move on if you want to. And have fun! Quality medical/spiritual lineages that I am familiar with: Spring Forest qigong https://www.springforestqigong.com/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsachefMZa0 Facebook with Daily practice: https://www.facebook.com/SpringForestQigong/ Zhineng/Chi Lel/Wisdom healing qigong https://www.chilelwellness.com/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg6E-gZQ4Xk Emei Qigong https://www.emeiqigong.com/ Flying Phoenix qigong http://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html Stillness Movement https://stillnessmovement.com/ Wild Goose qigong https://www.wildcoastqigong.com Fragrant Qigong http://www.qigongchinesehealth.com/dvd-fqg1 Sheng Zhen https://shengzhen.org/ NeiDan lineage: Wang Li Ping Long men pai https://nathanbrine.com/ Lineages I know of (but don't know well): Lotus Nei gong: https://damomitchell.com/ Golden Shield Qigong: http://goldenshieldqigong.com/ Edited January 25, 2021 by JohnC 3 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kodoninja Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) I can't recommend learning from books and dvds as you need a teacher to steer you if you have too much energy rising to the head, bad posture, too much yang qi, too much yin qi, not enough yin qi, not enough yang qi etc. I also would avoid Wang Liping and Nathan Brine's teachings because they aren't officially recognized and as far as I know people who are doing too much sitting and thinking(nearly all modern people) shouldn't be starting out with Dazuo. If you're serious about learning Neidan, I can only recommend the Daode Center based out of Russia(which teaches Northern Wu Liu Pai and Northern Yu Xian Pai to westerners) OR Hidden Dragon Path([email protected]) which teaches Longmen Pai(Dragon Gate). Both of these schools are officially recognized by the Chinese Daoist Association and the masters of these schools have had extensive academic and practical mastery level training. These are complete systems with curriculums which provide powerful results in your day-to-day life as well as in spiritual development. Otherwise if you want to learn post-heaven Qigong methods, I second what @JohnC wrote and suggest Zhineng Qigong or SFQ or Emei Qigong. https://www.bigqifield.com/ ~ Teaches free daily Zoom classes in Zhineng Qigong and many of the instructors there have personally studied with Dr. Peng https://qigong-zhineng.com/about/ ~ Also teaches over Zoom and had personally studied under Dr. Peng If you're looking for the martial side of things and are based in Vancouver, Canada. I cannot recommend Shifu Calvin Gao from https://www.wujitang.ca/ enough. This man is the real deal when it comes to martial power, he has dim mak and this weird ability which made me feel nauseous and completely disoriented just by touching me. His specialty is in Yiquan, Bagua and Wu Tai Chi. Sources: Used to be a very sick person who was unable to work. I've been a student of Yu Xian Pai for 6 years and thanks to Daode Center I am able to work, make money and live a normal life again. I have also personally taken courses from all three previously mentioned schools. Edited January 27, 2021 by Kodoninja 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rara Posted January 27, 2021 On 1/23/2021 at 4:16 AM, arthur said: Which qigong form would you recommend to start with? You could try Zhan Zhuang and also baduanjin. These would be good starting points for what you're looking to build up to. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur Posted January 28, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 11:28 AM, dwai said: If it is a book you want to start practicing from, consider this book -- https://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Your-Life-Energy-Well-Being/dp/1590309960 It is a great book and the methods outlined are simple, and yet they are the platform for more advanced practices as done in Waysun Liao's tradition. I prefer instructional videos, but books would still do. Thanks. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur Posted January 28, 2021 On 1/25/2021 at 10:05 PM, JohnC said: What I would recommend is that you get clear on what you are looking for, then pick a lineage that provides that. Whether that is healing, spiritual development, martial skill, etc. Building a ldt, and then clearing channels, is a developmental component for almost all lineages. The question to steer you from me would be, what then? You can tell the results of a lineage by looking at the senior students, and what they have accomplished, as well as the teacher. Not all lineages are for everyone! Ideally explore each one for at least a month, then move on if you want to. And have fun! Quality medical/spiritual lineages that I am familiar with: Spring Forest qigong https://www.springforestqigong.com/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsachefMZa0 Facebook with Daily practice: https://www.facebook.com/SpringForestQigong/ Zhineng/Chi Lel/Wisdom healing qigong https://www.chilelwellness.com/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg6E-gZQ4Xk Emei Qigong https://www.emeiqigong.com/ Flying Phoenix qigong http://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html Stillness Movement https://stillnessmovement.com/ Wild Goose qigong https://www.wildcoastqigong.com Fragrant Qigong http://www.qigongchinesehealth.com/dvd-fqg1 Sheng Zhen https://shengzhen.org/ NeiDan lineage: Wang Li Ping Long men pai https://nathanbrine.com/ Lineages I know of (but don't know well): Lotus Nei gong: https://damomitchell.com/ Golden Shield Qigong: http://goldenshieldqigong.com/ Thanks for the list. Did you forget to include Mo pai or was it intentionally left out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwai Posted January 28, 2021 (edited) 3 minutes ago, arthur said: I prefer instructional videos, but books would still do. Thanks. https://www.taichitao.tv/categories/restore-your-life-energy https://www.taichitao.tv/programs/course-restoring-your-life-energy-beginner Edited January 28, 2021 by dwai 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur Posted January 28, 2021 On 1/27/2021 at 11:31 AM, Kodoninja said: I can't recommend learning from books and dvds as you need a teacher to steer you if you have too much energy rising to the head, bad posture, too much yang qi, too much yin qi, not enough yin qi, not enough yang qi etc. I also would avoid Wang Liping and Nathan Brine's teachings because they aren't officially recognized and as far as I know people who are doing too much sitting and thinking(nearly all modern people) shouldn't be starting out with Dazuo. If you're serious about learning Neidan, I can only recommend the Daode Center based out of Russia(which teaches Northern Wu Liu Pai and Northern Yu Xian Pai to westerners) OR Hidden Dragon Path([email protected]) which teaches Longmen Pai(Dragon Gate). Both of these schools are officially recognized by the Chinese Daoist Association and the masters of these schools have had extensive academic and practical mastery level training. These are complete systems with curriculums which provide powerful results in your day-to-day life as well as in spiritual development. Otherwise if you want to learn post-heaven Qigong methods, I second what @JohnC wrote and suggest Zhineng Qigong or SFQ or Emei Qigong. https://www.bigqifield.com/ ~ Teaches free daily Zoom classes in Zhineng Qigong and many of the instructors there have personally studied with Dr. Peng https://qigong-zhineng.com/about/ ~ Also teaches over Zoom and had personally studied under Dr. Peng If you're looking for the martial side of things and are based in Vancouver, Canada. I cannot recommend Shifu Calvin Gao from https://www.wujitang.ca/ enough. This man is the real deal when it comes to martial power, he has dim mak and this weird ability which made me feel nauseous and completely disoriented just by touching me. His specialty is in Yiquan, Bagua and Wu Tai Chi. Sources: Used to be a very sick person who was unable to work. I've been a student of Yu Xian Pai for 6 years and thanks to Daode Center I am able to work, make money and live a normal life again. I have also personally taken courses from all three previously mentioned schools. I agree for the need to seek a real sifu. I am seeking a sifu at my local area if i can find one. At the moment i'm just soaking up as much info as i can from books and videos to learn the theoretical part of it first. Thanks. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur Posted January 28, 2021 17 hours ago, Rara said: You could try Zhan Zhuang and also baduanjin. These would be good starting points for what you're looking to build up to. Yup. I've started with Ba Duan Jing, but i've come to notice there are many different forms taught by different sifus. I suppose those nuances in form would not make too great difference. Thanks 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnC Posted January 28, 2021 (edited) 50 minutes ago, arthur said: Thanks for the list. Did you forget to include Mo pai or was it intentionally left out. I would never include mo pai as a lineage to practice, for new comers or otherwise. It is a closed school to westerners and I've heard of more people having issues practicing, or attempting to practice that lineage than all the other lineages combined. The results of mopai seem to be very specific, and most of what people are looking for are available in other lineages. Not to mention that the physical requirements are far beyond most people. For the vast vast majority of students, I recommend reaching a degree of proficiency in an open ended lineage like SFQG, where you can then go on and train in a lineage you feel drawn to, with capacity to understand deeper layers. Ultimately, I have a high respect for the lineage, and they've asked to be left alone. Edited January 28, 2021 by JohnC 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rara Posted January 28, 2021 6 hours ago, arthur said: I agree for the need to seek a real sifu. It really is priceless. Even just a teacher with a trusted lineage will be good. If you find a "family tai chi" style, you might just find someone competent. 6 hours ago, arthur said: Yup. I've started with Ba Duan Jing, but i've come to notice there are many different forms taught by different sifus. I suppose those nuances in form would not make too great difference. Yes, exactly. Wudang's Sanfeng Pai, for example, do a really elaborate version while there are various, much simpler ones around. There is no problem with the latter at all, it still does the trick and perfect foundational stuff. I'm all about solid foundations 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Master Logray Posted January 28, 2021 If human Sifu is required, instead of online courses, there is usually not many to choose from, taking into account the distance, affordability, timing etc. It is better to provide the names of those Sifu/lineages and asks for opinion from the internet, not the other way round. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnC Posted January 28, 2021 36 minutes ago, Master Logray said: If human Sifu is required, instead of online courses, there is usually not many to choose from, taking into account the distance, affordability, timing etc. It is better to provide the names of those Sifu/lineages and asks for opinion from the internet, not the other way round. For a high quality lineage they can transmit from afar. You don't need to be in person, although it can help. For more martial lineages, being in person is more valuable as they can physically manipulate you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Master Logray Posted January 28, 2021 15 minutes ago, JohnC said: For a high quality lineage they can transmit from afar. You don't need to be in person, although it can help. He is talking about learning, not getting distance healing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ursus mellifera Posted January 28, 2021 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Master Logray said: He is talking about learning, not getting distance healing. I'm genuinely having difficulty with this, too. Global pandemic aside (which makes it pretty much impossible), I don't seem to live near enough to any Taoist schools to be able to travel to them. I feel stuck in my practice with what I can manage to learn on my own. Edited January 28, 2021 by Ursus mellifera space Share this post Link to post Share on other sites