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[Summer]

Edited January 28 by Summer

[Taomeow]

No, it's absolutely not true.  "Someone" who "mentioned it" either made it up or mixed things up.

 

There's a spot in the park nearby which has been used for many years by a bunch of taiji/qigong practitioners on an ongoing basis, year round, chiefly because it's a convenient even-ground spot in dappled shade.  The park is large enough but no other spot feels as invigorating.  One can feel a subtle influx of qi (if one can feel such things at all) in that spot.  The grass gets routinely stepped, stomped, jumped upon, and after some practices (e.g. with the long pole) the ground looks as though a herd of wild horses has been practicing there...  and yet the grass grows crazy green as soon as it gets a break, greener than the surrounding areas.  In feng shui, it's one of the indicators of a good place that "donates" qi, and (e.g.) people shopping for a house are advised to pay close attention.    

[liminal_luke]

I don't claim to know for certain, but intuitively I would think that not touching grass is the greater danger to health and energy.  In fact,  a whole industry of "minimalist shoes" (vibram fivefingers, for instance) has sprung up to accomodate the needs of people who want to feel the healing effects of being closer to the earth without actually going barefoot.  This said, I suppose the advisability of walking around sans footware depends on local environmental conditions.  

[Jenn]

Haha, where I am from "touching grass" is a euphemism for f-off.  In that case, "touching grass" *may* harm your qi if you are choosing to retain a hostile, angry demeanour all the time - negativity are not great for health or qi.

 

More to your question, I have heard that a certain type of grounding can drain qi.  It involves (in before you ask, yes, seriously) putting a wire in (on?) your perineum and burying the other end in the ground.  

 

Personally, I recommended taking this at face value and not putting a wire in or near your hoo-ha regardless of whether that is true or not 🤭

[ChiDragon]

FYI Grounding in martial arts means how stable one can stand on the ground to keep balance. It is nothing like in an electrical circuit ground with a short that might cause to drain some electrical power. It seems someone had mixed up with a capacitor.

PS If you are talking about touching the other kind of "grass", then, yes bye-bye chi.

Edited January 21 by ChiDragon

[snowymountains]

3 hours ago, Summer said:

Is this true?

 

Someone mentioned it. They said the very act of grounding drains any chi you have built. Apparently it works like lightning and must be kept circulating. Earthing = discharge = start again.

 

I know that for Kundalini psychosis they actually do recommend grounding for that exact reason. Is it the same with qigong?

 

In the context of kundalini, the context of grounding is a set of exercises and visualisations that draw the energy down to the lower body and are meant in a sense to do the inverse of what kundalini/tummo do.

The idea there is to gather energy from the head, the heart and the upper body in general and push it down. These exercises aren't using the term chi btw, nor any concept of meridians, they just call it "energy".

Though tbh instead of these exercises, a visit to the doctor is probably what's called for.

 

The reason the above exercises and visualisations are called "grounding" is not because something flows to the earth, nor because the earth is touched, it's called grounding because it gives a sensation of being grounded/having a solid base at the end.

 

"Grounding" is a bit of catch-all phrase and can refer to completely different stuff for different people. Eg some people also call grounding a visualisation where they grow roots into the earth as if they were a tree.

 

Probably there are other different definitions of grounding used by different traditions for different contexts.

 

 

 

[dwai]

It’s a hunch of bs that I’ve seen some people spout off. There’s no validity to it in my experience. 

[Nungali]

Not only is that silly , I have never heard that  before  ( not  even on Daobums ! )

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

14 hours ago, Summer said:

Is this true?

 

Someone mentioned it. They said the very act of grounding drains any chi you have built. Apparently it works like lightning and must be kept circulating. Earthing = discharge = start again.

 

I know that for Kundalini psychosis they actually do recommend grounding for that exact reason. Is it the same with qigong?

Completely incorrect. Try practicing barefoot indoors and then try barefoot on grass and see if you feel a difference.

 

[dwai]

5 hours ago, Nungali said:

Not only is that silly , I have never heard that  before  ( not  even on Daobums ! )

There some very interesting theories about it, right here on daobums. 😆

 

 

Edited January 21 by dwai

[kakapo]

19 hours ago, Summer said:

Is this true?

 

Someone mentioned it. They said the very act of grounding drains any chi you have built. Apparently it works like lightning and must be kept circulating. Earthing = discharge = start again.

 

I know that for Kundalini psychosis they actually do recommend grounding for that exact reason. Is it the same with qigong?

 

Lots of people claim lots of things. 

 

Don't take investment advice from a homeless person.

 

In the school I study we are taught that we must sit on the earth during meditation and training to absorb yin chi, and if we are not grounded we cannot absorb it and cannot progress in the system.

[Neirong]

19 hours ago, Summer said:

Is this true?

 

Someone mentioned it. They said the very act of grounding drains any chi you have built. Apparently it works like lightning and must be kept circulating. Earthing = discharge = start again.

 

I know that for Kundalini psychosis they actually do recommend grounding for that exact reason. Is it the same with qigong?

Well, you should not believe everything that is written, said, or lectured. Just because someone claims to be a master or lineage holder of any tradition does not mean he is intelligent. Quite honestly, I have seen through mental fields (brain development) of various Gurus, and it is hard to believe how dumb some of those turned out. It is like the dumber you are the easier it is to develop a cult with mass following.
 

Even if you trust your teacher/source of knowledge, you should verify things in practice, not take them blindly. If you cannot verify anything, then you are not being taught properly.

 

7 hours ago, Nungali said:

Not only is that silly , I have never heard that  before  ( not  even on Daobums ! )

Damo Mitchell was talking about that in some of his endless talking sessions.

Another piece of golden wisdom is, "If you work with chakras, it is very high-level work; work with muladhara, you can control other people's physical bodies."
 

That still pales with "Not left, not right, not heavy, not light."

Someone should eventually release the book "Golden Pearls of Wisdom from most brilliant minds."

[old3bob]

in Hinduism lots of grounding is through yama and niyama,  karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, and basic Hatha yoga,  thus there is no taking a "ride on the Reading, passing go" and collecting matured enlightenment...although one may get flashes if doing that which is not the same.

[blue eyed snake]

1 hour ago, kakapo said:

 

Lots of people claim lots of things. 

 

Don't take investment advice from a homeless person.

 

In the school I study we are taught that we must sit on the earth during meditation and training to absorb yin chi, and if we are not grounded we cannot absorb it and cannot progress in the system.

 

 

teacher had the complete floor from the dojo removed ( a sort of concrete and iron) and there was a new floor build from wood only, think that's telling.

 

further it seems to me that whereas chi/energy/whatevers very easily goes up, it's a lot harder to get it down. The barefoot standing does help to get it down,

 

especially in combination with a good posture and an empty mind.

[thelerner]

I read somewhere not to meditate under Weeping Willow trees, that they suck in chi.  Yet I do, and find them calm companions, living waterfalls of green.  I've also read not to meditate between 2 and 4 pm, but I will.  I cross my right knee over my left when sitting in lotus which can be a no no for men.  But it feels more comfortable that way.

 

Perhaps for someone of my low level it doesn't matter so much. Or perhaps our beliefs is what makes things so.

[liminal_luke]

18 minutes ago, thelerner said:

I read somewhere not to meditate under Weeping Willow trees, that they suck in chi.  Yet I do, and find them calm companions, living waterfalls of green.  I've also read not to meditate between 2 and 4 pm, but I will.  I cross my right knee over my left when sitting in lotus which can be a no no for men.  But it feels more comfortable that way.

 

Perhaps for someone of my low level it doesn't matter so much. Or perhaps our beliefs is what makes things so.

 

Or maybe you're a rebel like those go-your-own-way centenarians you always hear about, the ones who claim the secret to a long life is a bottle of Jack Daniels and a good cigar.  When it comes to health -- and perhaps spiritual practice too -- pluckiness is an underrated virtue.

[Nungali]

7 hours ago, dwai said:

There some very interesting theories about it, right here on daobums. 😆

 

 

 

 

But is that about grass sucking chi ?  It seems to be about indoor on floor Vs outside on the earth ...... Ooooh wait, now I get it . City slickers associate outdoor practice with being on the grass  .  It is ... or should be about practicing on the Earth , without 'insulation' between it and you .   Also , ' the earth' in an urban environment is usually 'insulated'  unless you go to a 'grassy park ' .

 

Try practicing on the beach .   Or doing 50 front kicks standing in water that is just above your knees .   I used to enjoy using ecu on the beach , virtually designed for it .

 

 

 

When being the  'opponent '  it is best to wear  these  for protection against the 'sand flick' .

 

Edited January 21 by Nungali

[blue eyed snake]

58 minutes ago, thelerner said:

I read somewhere not to meditate under Weeping Willow trees, that they suck in chi.  Yet I do, and find them calm companions, living waterfalls of green.  I've also read not to meditate between 2 and 4 pm, but I will.  I cross my right knee over my left when sitting in lotus which can be a no no for men.  But it feels more comfortable that way.

 

Perhaps for someone of my low level it doesn't matter so much. Or perhaps our beliefs is what makes things so.

trees can grow to be enormous energetic beings and I see you sitting there, under those long trailing twigs. When that feels good to you it's okay.

 

I seem to remember that there's a difference between trees with laves and trees with needles, probably to do with the sap stream. Needle tree have an upwards movement in winter that trees with leaves do not have. But at least here it's to cold and wet to do anything outside when the sapstream in the deciduous trees has temporarily reversed and stopped.

 

I've always had a strong connection to trees, as a kid I went up to guys that were about to kill a tree and yell at them they should stop.

visualize that, a preschooler yelling at those big men they should stop 

 

But not everybody has the same connection to trees, interestingly my connection with trees was better then that of my esteemed teacher. Which at the time surprised me.

 

and trees do remember you, you can befriend a tree although the connection is much different from the connection between humans.

[Summer]

Edited January 28 by Summer

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

30 minutes ago, Summer said:

large wool blanket

This is the key part, it has to be something natural and not synthetic.

[Sahaja]

The other day I was doing a seated  practice in the park and a gentleman in his 80s, originally from Hong Kong it turns out, randomly approached me and told me to insulate myself from the ground (bring a mat to sit on) or I will lose my yang qi. He seemed genuinely concerned for me. 

 

This is the same view in the tradition I follow (I guess I was getting a friendly reminder!)

 

Practicing near willow trees is supposed to be good for the digestion and to calm the mind. Different types of trees are supposed to connect with different organ systems in the body. 

 

It’s the yin magnetic field of the earth that interacts with the electrically charged  yang qi in the body that is supposed to create the grounding. There are some practices that take advantage of this effect, like doing prostrations,  that can have benefits. So I think the topic has some complexity to it.  I do now wear shoes when I practice outside out of respect for the teachings. 

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

As we can see, there are many different and contradicting answers. The best thing to do is just follow the instruction that your teacher and lineage gives you, don’t worry what other people are doing.

 

But I think we can all agree that this is 100% not true:

 

On 20/01/2024 at 6:57 PM, Summer said:

They said the very act of grounding drains any chi you have built. Apparently it works like lightning and must be kept circulating. Earthing = discharge = start again.

Just practicing on grass once isn’t going to drain your chi completely.

[ChiDragon]

The idea of losing yang chi is all in the mind. The reason for one to practice martial arts is to have the body to generate more yang chi than it can lose. If the yang chi can be that easy to be lost, then, one can touch anything and lose it. It is bunch of non sense.

[Nungali]

1 hour ago, ChiDragon said:

The idea of losing yang chi is all in the mind. The reason for one to practice martial arts is to have the body to generate more yang chi than it can lose. If the yang chi can be that easy to be lost, then, one can touch anything and lose it. It is bunch of non sense.

 

Yes . It sounds more like static electricity build up  being confused with 'chi'  .

[kakapo]

8 hours ago, Sahaja said:

The other day I was doing a seated  practice in the park and a gentleman in his 80s, originally from Hong Kong it turns out, randomly approached me and told me to insulate myself from the ground (bring a mat to sit on) or I will lose my yang qi. He seemed genuinely concerned for me. 

 

This is the same view in the tradition I follow (I guess I was getting a friendly reminder!)

 

Practicing near willow trees is supposed to be good for the digestion and to calm the mind. Different types of trees are supposed to connect with different organ systems in the body. 

 

It’s the yin magnetic field of the earth that interacts with the electrically charged  yang qi in the body that is supposed to create the grounding. There are some practices that take advantage of this effect, like doing prostrations,  that can have benefits. So I think the topic has some complexity to it.  I do now wear shoes when I practice outside out of respect for the teachings. 

 

If you lost yang chi being grounded to the earth, outdoor animals wouldn't be able to thrive like they do.