Aloha

[Chaos Goddess]

Aloha to all! I hope I'm doing this right as I'm a new member and not exactly the most techie person. I am a senior with type 2 diabetes. My mother died of it over 3 decades ago. She followed the conventional Western medical knowledge of the day and I injected her with insulin, but unfortunately her health still went downhill and what happened to her wasn't something I would wish on anyone. I am not looking to live longer, just want to be in better health so I can do things. I control my diabetes with diet alone, no meds and doing well with my blood glucose having dropped substantially into the "normal" range.

A friend who is a martial artist, Kung Fu, suggested looking at Qigong starting off with the Ba Duan Jin/8 Brocades. I am learning the movements off a course I purchased on UDEMY. At present, I have no in person sensei. I have noticed stress will raise my blood glucose quite substantially even when I try to relax so I am experimenting to see if using Qigong will help with the subconscious stress response and glucose levels. Around October/November I will check my A1c and see if Qigong seems to have a made a difference. For obvious reasons, I am interested in the health effects of Qigong, but was quite unprepared for the what seems to be overwhelming piles of information and all the types of Qigong. If anyone has any suggestions of where a novice can me can start I would love the assistance. I learned Reiki and Healing Touch some years ago and it has been years since I used either, however it has at least left me sensitized to feeling energy and I have at least a rudimentary understanding of the meridians, dantiens, chakras, etc. so at least I got that step started...LOL.

I also have another area I'm interested in. I have had a some spontaneous risings of kundalini. The first time in particular it was painful. All I could do was like on my back and keep my spine straight or pain time and at one point I could certainly see why they relate it to a serpent or snake because it certainly felt like a big thick serpent of energy was winding up through my spine. Since then it's not quite as bad, but there is some pain and heat particularly at the lower back when it happens. I learned to do the Swimming Dragon (online due to Covid), the T. K. Shin version, but quite honestly have fallen off using it as I find I'm still bit unsteady rising up onto the toes as I lost over 30 pounds quickly while bringing down my blood glucose and I'm somewhat weak. Are there any forms or movements of Qigong that would be helpful in clearing out the blockages and pathways so it's not quite so trying when kundalini rises?

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[ilumairen]

Hello Chaos Goddess.  Welcome.

[Cobie]

Aloha to you too, Chaos Goddess. An excellent introduction! Welcome to the forum. 
 

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Cobie

[zerostao]

aloha @Chaos Goddess

how long have you been trying the 8 brocades?

maybe consider sticking with those, give it some time to do it’s thing 

 

another one you might consider is Spring Forest Qigong

 

https://www.springforestqigong.com/

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by zerostao

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

Hi @Chaos Goddess, welcome!

 

For a good healing qigong system check out Flying Phoenix Chi Kung

 

http://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

[silent thunder]

Hey Chaos Goddess.

 

I second zerostao and would recommend sticking with one form for at least 90 days to see how you adjust to it before adding or changing.  Ba Duan Jin and the 8 brocades in my opinion are a really great recommendation by your friend, having a long lineage of wide spread use and many benefits have been recorded with it.   Given your active K energy and the big loss of weight recently, your body is processing quite a bit, so if it were me, I wouldn't swap from one to another style right now.  I'd pick one style and then commit to 90 days of practice everyday, don't miss a day, and play at the same time each day if feasible.

 

Hope you build relief soon and are feeling better.

Welcome to The Bums!

[Chaos Goddess]

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate the recommendations. Yes, I will practice for at least a couple months to see how it works for me. I was on travel so it disrupted my routine, back to the start!

[Shadow_self]

On 01/08/2022 at 1:04 AM, Chaos Goddess said:

At present, I have no in person sensei.

#1 Find a teacher...dabbling is a bad idea...especially if you have health problems. Generally speaking, something from an actual lineage is better. Plenty of people will consult with you online

 

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If anyone has any suggestions of where a novice can me can start I would love the assistance. I learned Reiki and Healing Touch some years ago and it has been years since I used either, however it has at least left me sensitized to feeling energy and I have at least a rudimentary understanding of the meridians, dantiens, chakras, etc. so at least I got that step started...LOL

Some advice to ponder...In your shoes. I would forget what you think you know...Reiki practitioners that have an actual understanding of what they are doing are extremely rare indeed. Most end up causing more problems than they fix...and that's due in part to inadequate knowledge.

 

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I have had a some spontaneous risings of kundalini. The first time in particular it was painful. All I could do was like on my back and keep my spine straight or pain time and at one point I could certainly see why they relate it to a serpent or snake because it certainly felt like a big thick serpent of energy was winding up through my spine. Since then it's not quite as bad, but there is some pain and heat particularly at the lower back when it happens.

I would not worry....thats not kundalini. Sounds like Yang Qi rising...very common. Swimming Dragon might be to thank for that...its known (amongst other Dao Yins) to really get qi moving up the back

 

 

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Are there any forms or movements of Qigong that would be helpful in clearing out the blockages and pathways

That depends...In your shoes Id purchase Lindsey Wei's Yang Shen Gong course. She knows what she is doing, and this practice is geared towards health

 

Heres a link to it.

 

https://www.wudangwhitehorse.com/shop

 

Heres a video of one of the sets

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Shadow_self

[Chaos Goddess]

Shadow-self, I purchased Lindsey Wei's Yang Shen Gong course off the website link. I am working on it. Got interrupted by a couple of trips. It was such a reasonable price for all the hours of recorded workshop purchasing was a no brainer.

 

Also reading some books on Zhineng/Chi-lel Qigong. Quite a few people have reported positive results in their health and general well-being and I assume here they are being truthful. I want to read up on it first though. My understanding of it is the aim is to bring about expanded consciousness and internal peace. The improved health is sort of a by product.