Begginer routine

[Dandan]

Hello

I'm a qigong begginer that has practiced a little for a year and has read two first YMMA books (Introducction and Yijinjing/Xisuijing).

I'd like to know how could I get the same results as Yijinjing and finally go into Xisuijing but with a less strict schedule and taking longer time (since I can't practice 5hours/day and I don't have all the knowledge).

I really don't matter how long it takes,5 6 or 10 years , just want to start the way asap and do little practice every day. For now I can practice 2 hours a day (maybe 1 at morning and 1 evening?) and may have some extra time to work a little more or learn new stuff on weekends.

Any recomendation would be apreciated. Thank you

[Dvivid]

I suggest you read this book to develop the proper foundation for this path:

http://ymaa.com/publishing/books/intern ... irculation

[Greg Jah]

Hi everyone,

I hope your day is going well. For one who has very little/ no knowledge of Qigong breathing,which book would you recommend reading first: Qigong Meditation: Small Circulation, or Qigong Meditation: Embryonic Breathing (both by Master Yang Jwing-Ming)?

Thank you!

Greg

[Dvivid]

Hi,

I recommend the Small Circulation book - it contains a review of Embryonic Breathing.

[Greg Jah]

Thanks for the quick reply! I will be purchasing a copy later today.

Best,

Greg

[josemunoz63]

In my opinion, small circulation is far more specific, and should be read later. I strongly believe and recommend embryonic breathing that gives an extremely deep general overview about chinese qigong and besides embryonic breathing is the safety base for deeper questions

[yeniseri]

Hopefully, you have a good teacher!

Being proficient in qigong is something like making tea. You cannot just boil water, put the tea in the water and expect instant tea. There is a process that you follow and over time and practice, you get the desired result. Different levels require different insights meaning that 5 years and over may be too long and you have added a time frame that may be useless. You may get insights before that time period, or because you have not invested conscious, thoughtful and meaningful 'gong', it will take 2-3x that time period to reach that goal, or you may never even reach it? Yijinjing may not even be the routine for you.
Just a few thoughts to assimilate! Take it easy, Play and be more 'expamsive' as opposed to a robotic and rigid in practice. Start small with 30 minutes. Want to enjoy a meal? Don't gorge yourself so you cannot move. Leave some space to get up, enjoy the fresh air!

[Greg Jah]

Take it easy, play and be more 'expansive' as opposed to a robotic and rigid in practice.

This is great advice for training and for life!

Greg

[joeblast]

seconded jose's remark - I have both eb & sc, eb is more fundamental. though sc contains elements, I think all of the focus on the foundational elements are crucial.

[Dandan]

hii

thank you for advice

I read the book but I couldn't really focus cause of college and other probs, that thankfully re now solved

so I started last month back with breathings but my heart beats too fast and I'm ending with pain in it ,so I stop inmediatelly.

Im trying not to focus on it and its gradually slowing down, but pain's still comes (so I stop)

I'm taking it easy now, I think I just need time , patience and perseverance

hope I'm on the right way

[josemunoz63]

Smooth breathing, really very smooth breathing. Inhale and focus in the middle brain at pituitary gland and think that Qi is coming there from third eye, but all very smoothly. Maintain some seconds on that upper dan tien area and then exhale smoothly and think that Qi is descending all along the Chong / Du Mai.

30 minutes on this extremely calm way and embrionic breathing is starting

[joeblast]

remember to be gentle with the upper dantien, focusing too hard will cause qi to stagnate and it'll give you a headache. it should be light and effervescent, like placing a lantern on a pedestal in the middle of a room, the light simply shines. that is called "fixing the spirit at the seat of awareness" or as dr yang described it, "condensing the shen at the upper dantien."

it is a potent addition to the breathwork and directly contributes toward attenuating cranial nerve signals, which is what leads to complete and utter stillness.

once you can sit comfortably for 30 minutes or so, push it to an hour. there will be plateaus and walls to cross on the way - get an hour down combined with the breath mechanics and focus of awareness and before too long you'll have a tough time telling between an hour and two hours

[josemunoz63]

" like a lantern on a pedestal ": simply a great image to transmit the idea. I will incorporate for me !!!!

[joeblast]

good stuff

one other one I forgot that drew hempel reminds me of, is

"find the source of the "I" thought"

so after saying it to oneself a few times you can get an idea of where that thought resonates, that is the location to fix the awareness. "it doesnt have an exact location" but one can feel his way there and understand by experience

[brer_momonga]

"find the source of the "I" thought"

so after saying it to oneself a few times you can get an idea of where that thought resonates, that is the location to fix the awareness. "it doesnt have an exact location" but one can feel his way there and understand by experience

so easy, so simple. I'd never thought to employ that technique. I've incorporated this into my practice since last Thursday afternoon and have had good results. Thanks!

[joeblast]

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[manaus]

I'm interested also in locating the lower dantien,
I feel some kind of heat behind the navel, but it is quite distant from the body baricenter.
What is the sensation of the real lower dantien?

[joeblast]

It is really best to just let such things (heat etc) emerge from your practice, sensations and stuff are an individual interpretation - with the fundamentals established, the benefits naturally emerge. Just like with siddhis, etc - they are not an outcome to strive for but a side effect of good and proper practice. The general location is 2 inches below the navel and front:back 3:7. If you've smoothed out your breath mechanics well enough, try to find the energetic moment of each component, and time them all to coincide at the dantien like waves crashing together and producing a higher amplitude peak. That is how you can subtly perturb the waxing & waning of the energy dynamic there, and with time & practice the 'bandwidth' gets upgraded.

[manaus]

I read couple of times that the main costume is moving energy down the front channel and up the back. "Some people" do the opposite. I feel better, more natural, more flowing at doing the second kind. Reminds me of flowing instead of pushing. Any consideration?

Thanks!

[joeblast]

the main idea is balance, if that feels more natural for you, use it. personally, my 'reversing the flow' of the practice tells me that at least for me it is more of an inversion as opposed to a reversal.

but at any rate, on a larger scale, consider this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... rX0kdOIle0