working with the abdomen

[Japhy Ryder]

Hey Bums:

 

Recently I've become conscious that the abdominal exercises I've been doing for years to build strength (and keep a slim, six-pack waist) may not be so good for me anymore. I'm starting to feel that what works for me aesthetically isn't necessarily healthy energetically.

 

The abdominal contraction exercise I used to do (video here: http://www.transformetrics.com/exercises) involves pulling in the abdomen, but I'm realizing now this process is a physical manifestation of how I've habitually drawn in my emotions rather than feel and expand into them.

 

Thanks to the Alchemical Taoism site, I've started doing the Pilates Hundred daily instead of the ab contraction. The Hundred feels much healthier to me, but I'm looking for other tools, too. What do you folks do to work your abdominal area in ways that strengthen the muscles and support healthy expansion? Is it possible to have both a healthy dan tian and a six pack, or are these goals mutually exclusive?

[mantis]

i have abs and i don't feel that they have hindered my spiritual growth; some people will say you shouldn't develop muscles to avoid becoming muscle bound (which is hard to do even if you WANTED to become muscle bound) but doing simple stretches can and will avoid any of that. the dan tian is an energetic point so i have a hard time believing keeping a fit physical body would have anything to do with it (my dan tian wasn't any better off when i was fat).

 

edit: if you're concerned there is an exercise farmer burns did to develop the abdomen (he didn't really like muscles, btw).

 

1. take a deep, deep breath (from the abdomen)

2. contract your abdomen as hard as you can

3. try your hardest to expel the breath (don't allow yourself to)

4. compress the breath to the lower abdomen

5. massage the abdomn

6. exhale

 

repeat

Edited October 19, 2008 by mantis

[Andrei]

there was another topic about six packs here:

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=6527&st=20

 

But if you still want to continue abs exercises I think these are the best:

 

XoRX5-3aBtw

[fizix]

there was another topic about six packs here:

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=6527&st=20

 

But if you still want to continue abs exercises I think these are the best:

 

XoRX5-3aBtw

 

lol... I am sorry but developing your dan tien and having a six pack or a beer belly have no correlation whatsoever..... six pack/toned abs = low body fat most importantly, decent ab exercies secondly. Six pack is 80% diet derived, 20% exercise

[mantis]

well, it's obvious this thread is going to go in the direction of "abs aren't good for internal _____." some people believe doing qigong will give you a giant stomach, which to me is just a blatant lie. if you consume more calories than you burn on a daily basis you'll gain weight, that's that.

 

as mjjbecker already posted, the internal strength/power some of the masters of past had was because of a specific training, not having a gut.

[Spectrum]

a physical manifestation of how I've habitually drawn in my emotions rather than feel and expand into them.

 

Japhy- I notice when I focus on pressing the belly button outward on the exhale this internal shortening of the soas is relieved. I do this in a variety of situations. Experiment. Try easy.

[Spirit Ape]

Healthy body healthy chi!

[i_am_sam]

lol... I am sorry but developing your dan tien and having a six pack or a beer belly have no correlation whatsoever..... six pack/toned abs = low body fat most importantly, decent ab exercies secondly. Six pack is 80% diet derived, 20% exercise

 

you forgot natural body shape / genetics which surely has a bearing

[Spirit Ape]

Power comes from core strength, dan tian is inside the core develop exteral and internal power especially if you are a Internal kung fu teacher. Fat chi body is not true chi!

[mantis]

you forgot natural body shape / genetics which surely has a bearing

 

don't think being fat is genetics, i was overweight most of my life and i now have a pack; it took a while to get it (~7 months) but it's here.

[daoseeker]

What do you folks do to work your abdominal area in ways that strengthen the muscles and support healthy expansion? Is it possible to have both a healthy dan tian and a six pack, or are these goals mutually exclusive?

 

I haven't done any kind of muscle building ab exercises for a century but still have a six-pack. I have been doing some yoga and Qigong warm-ups every morning since the past 15 years, including the 2nd and 5th of the "5 Tibetans".

That'll work out your abdomen and build muscles, but at the same time, by deep abdominal breathing in the relaxation phase, keeps your diaphragm soft and prevents tension in this area.

In my opinion, all exercises are of no good for the Dantian and Qi development, if it leads to tension of any kind in that region in particular.

 

Breath deeply!

[Yuen Biao]

 

1. take a deep, deep breath (from the abdomen)

2. contract your abdomen as hard as you can

3. try your hardest to expel the breath (don't allow yourself to)

4. compress the breath to the lower abdomen

5. massage the abdomn

6. exhale

 

repeat

 

I've read that Bruce Lee used to practise an exercise similar to this.

[Trunk]

The muscles closer to the spine tend to be more important for 'internal' work, including emotional stuff. Some are specific odd (and effective), like "the 100"... but sometimes its just taking a regular ab exercise and shifting your attention closer to your spine - and it turns into a whole other exercise (and generally needs to be done gentler, smoother, slower).