Optimal time to practice Qigong?

[Seeking]

Haven't seen much chat on this topic and was wondering about it. Seeing as there are certain times and rhythms for certain organs/energy circuits as well as the bodies innate endocrine system plus cosmic cycles/influences it stands to reason that a form, any form, practiced consistently at differing times of day will generate different results for the cultivator.

 

Would you agree?

 

To me it seems self evident and something you can easily test by switching up your practice. The energy generated has a different hue/vibration and its quite noticeable.

 

This then got me thinking it makes sense to time your practice with whatever energy system needs the most attention as its getting the greatest effect that way.

 

What do you think? Ever experimented with this before? Also, whilst we're on it - what about the direction you're facing?

[Earl Grey]

21 minutes ago, Seeking said:

Haven't seen much chat on this topic and was wondering about it. Seeing as there are certain times and rhythms for certain organs/energy circuits as well as the bodies innate endocrine system plus cosmic cycles/influences it stands to reason that a form, any form, practiced consistently at differing times of day will generate different results for the cultivator.

 

Would you agree?

 

To me it seems self evident and something you can easily test by switching up your practice. The energy generated has a different hue/vibration and its quite noticeable.

 

This then got me thinking it makes sense to time your practice with whatever energy system needs the most attention as its getting the greatest effect that way.

 

What do you think? Ever experimented with this before? Also, whilst we're on it - what about the direction you're facing?

 

This is actually a normal practice; in Classical Chinese Medicine, there are circadian times that correspond to certain organs every two hours.

[Seeking]

Yes, thats what I mean. If, lets say, you get "prescribed" a Qigong form in China they'd give you a certain one to be done at a certain time to get the result you require by addressing the main imbalance first.

 

Now with the net and "All the forms you can eat" at your fingertips that diagnosis aspect is missing and I feel its a vital part that many gloss over. Like I said not much discussion on it but it could also explain why two people doing the same form get such totally different effects.

 

Also, whilst we're on the topic:

 

What do you lot do as a warm up to before practicing to get the energies flowing and awaken the meridians? The same old joint circles routine everyone seems to know (feet circles, knee circles, hip circles, shoulder circles) or something a bit more fancy?

 

I've recently been thinking about that as well after a convo in which someone said "The first 45 minutes of most peoples practice is entirely wasted as it takes the bodies this long to gain equilibrium in order to optimally cultivate". That was quite an interesting observation and was the precursor to this topic we're now discussing but its these basics which are often not spoken of these days as the Chinese think "Everyone knows anyway" and the rest of the world doesn't know what they're missing. 

 

Its the same as opening and closing which I discussed here:

A vital aspect that means the difference between flow and stagnation that many are simply unaware of as its spoken of so little and people are expected to just "get it".

 

[Earl Grey]

1 hour ago, Seeking said:

Yes, thats what I mean. If, lets say, you get "prescribed" a Qigong form in China they'd give you a certain one to be done at a certain time to get the result you require by addressing the main imbalance first.

 

Do you have any experience with this happening at all? This is not a general prescription that happens with all styles or teachers.

 

1 hour ago, Seeking said:

What do you lot do as a warm up to before practicing to get the energies flowing and awaken the meridians? The same old joint circles routine everyone seems to know (feet circles, knee circles, hip circles, shoulder circles) or something a bit more fancy?

 

Again this depends on the style being practiced and the teacher. It's not a general one-size-fits-all approach.

 

 

[Iliketurtles]

3 hours ago, Seeking said:

Haven't seen much chat on this topic and was wondering about it. Seeing as there are certain times and rhythms for certain organs/energy circuits as well as the bodies innate endocrine system plus cosmic cycles/influences it stands to reason that a form, any form, practiced consistently at differing times of day will generate different results for the cultivator.

 

Would you agree?

 

To me it seems self evident and something you can easily test by switching up your practice. The energy generated has a different hue/vibration and its quite noticeable.

 

This then got me thinking it makes sense to time your practice with whatever energy system needs the most attention as its getting the greatest effect that way.

 

What do you think? Ever experimented with this before? Also, whilst we're on it - what about the direction you're facing?

 

 

Right after you wake up and are completely well rested is the best time imho. 

 

If you are hungry eat a very light meal just enough to keep the stomach pangs away, eating too much will make you drowsy. 

 

[Seeking]

55 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

 

Do you have any experience with this happening at all? This is not a general prescription that happens with all styles or teachers.

 

 

Again this depends on the style being practiced and the teacher. It's not a general one-size-fits-all approach.

 

 

 

Yes, thats what I mean in the sense that the teacher dictates the practice usually based on their insight of the student and whats needed whereas these days on the net its just a case of "hurry up and buy".

 

24 minutes ago, Iliketurtles said:

 

 

Right after you wake up and are completely well rested is the best time imho. 

 

If you are hungry eat a very light meal just enough to keep the stomach pangs away, eating too much will make you drowsy. 

 

 

Have you ever tried moving your practice to different times to check the variations (if any) in your experience?

[Cleansox]

1 minute ago, Seeking said:

 

Yes, thats what I mean in the sense that the teacher dictates the practice usually based on their insight of the student and whats needed 

Or based on the mechanisms of the style. A preskription for a specific ailment is different from a long term practice. 

1 minute ago, Seeking said:

 

Have you ever tried moving your practice to different times to check the variations (if any) in your experience?

I have, and there are clear differences in sensations. 

 

But, having a practice routine that fits with overall life is, in my opinion, of more value than trying to fit in my practice at a specific time based on sensations. 

[Seeking]

15 minutes ago, Cleansox said:

Or based on the mechanisms of the style. A preskription for a specific ailment is different from a long term practice. 

I have, and there are clear differences in sensations. 

 

But, having a practice routine that fits with overall life is, in my opinion, of more value than trying to fit in my practice at a specific time based on sensations. 

 

Yes, exactly. Whilst neigong is the whole body thing there are certain qigong aspects that are aimed primarily at healing specific ailments and blockages. That is what I meant about tying in the times and directions to the practice for more aligned benefits.

 

The latter point is a problem of the modern age as we live our lives with very unnatural cycles that are coordinated to business interests moreso than our own rhythms and this cumulatively has an effect.

 

 

These points don't seem to be discussed much and I made the thread to see if others have considered them and experimented. If so I'm interested in hearing what differences you got from your form when you switched the timing, direction etc...

[Cleansox]

17 hours ago, Seeking said:

 

What do you lot do as a warm up to before practicing to get the energies flowing and awaken the meridians? The same old joint circles routine everyone seems to know (feet circles, knee circles, hip circles, shoulder circles) or something a bit more fancy?

I do one of these. 

When I started doing it, 20 years ago, it was just that. 

Nowadays, I fill those movements with every principle and every skill, physical and awareness-related, as I can. 

17 hours ago, Seeking said:

someone said "The first 45 minutes of most peoples practice is entirely wasted

At a beginner level, maybe. 

Later on, every minute of practice counts. 

[awaken]

春天有陽光的早晨是最好的時刻

 

春天為一年之中的生發之時，早晨為一日之中的生發之時，此時練功，事半功倍

 

但是春之生發必然先有冬之收藏，沒有冬天的深藏不露，何來春天的蓬勃生發呢？

 

春生，夏長，秋收，冬藏，四季為一個循環，掌握一年的循環，一日的循環，練功過程的循環，練功就是在陰陽反覆之中，練就九轉金丹

[freeform]

Practice when you have time. 
 

For the vast majority, the qi body is not sensitive enough to be affected by the environment to any great extent.

 

Better to build qi first.

 

Once you have an appropriate ‘amount’ or density of qi - only then does it make sense to pay attention to the quality you’re attuning to.

 

But I have always found dusk and dawn particularly pleasant  

[Cleansox]

8 hours ago, awaken said:

 

春生，夏長，秋收，冬藏，四季為一個循環，掌握一年的循環，一日的循環，練功過程的循環，練功就是在陰陽反覆之中，練就九轉金丹

Doesn't that one usually end with a comment that in reality there are no times, and this is only to show a principle based on the waning and waxing of energetic states?

[awaken]

On 2022/1/21 at 3:22 AM, Cleansox said:

Doesn't that one usually end with a comment that in reality there are no times, and this is only to show a principle based on the waning and waxing of energetic states?

 

不是這樣的喔，不是沒有時間的人的藉口，而是要花更多時間，意思是最好是整天都在練。

 

也不是能量的增強跟減弱，道家修煉本來就是陰陽反覆，陽極生陰，陰極生陽，不是能量的增強和減弱而已，而是牽涉到能量的深入，隨著每一次的陰陽反覆，陽會越來越滲透入陰，將深層的陰轉化為陽，最後達到陰盡陽純，開啟金丹真人的凝聚階段。