Different ways of gathering chi

Hello Cameron,

I assume you’re new to chi kung since on a previous post you talked about the ability to feel the water phase. I too am new but I’d like to give answering your question a shot.

“I’ve been wondering a bit about 3 different situations of gathering chi….”
I think wondering about stuff is great. With me as a beginner feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt as I do. While pondering ideas is great in my opinion, as it is active learning, a person thinking up their own chi kung might be harmful. Also, if you ever get an instructor, you might not openly question everything they say. In the book “Relaxing into your being” on page 91, I interpret the third paragraph to mean if your teacher doesn’t feel he receives respect then he might not teach you certain things.

“1) Filling from the ground up, like you’re drawing from the earth
2) Filling from the ba hui down like you’re pouring energy in your head like filling a cup
3) Both at once, meeting at the dantien

Could anyone explain when and why you would use each technique?”

On page 75 of “Relaxing into your being,” I interpret the meaning of the second paragraph to be that both the fire and water traditions emphasis being able to flow down is important to learn before flowing up so that you are not PHYSICALLY HARMED. On page 146 of “opening the energy gates of your body,” I interpret the third paragraph to mean that it often takes half a year to learn to store chi in the lower tan tien. I assume that is the one you meant since in my understanding there are 3 tan tiens.

On page 125 of “Opening the energy gates of your body,” I interpret the third paragraph to mean that expanding a blockage can make it at least temporarily not be a blockage because a blockage is condensed energy. After reading that paragraph I consider gathering chi could possibly bring in enough chi to make blockages. It might seem counter-intuitive but I think too much chi might not be healthy. Sometimes it is best to know how to undue something before it is done. Therefore, it is best to get good at dissolving blockages before creating them. The web page http://www.energyarts.com/spiraling-energy-body-qigong I interpret to mean that it teaches to learn to “gather” the chi to the any part of the body. I interpret from the page that you must first learn to dissolve blockages, whether while standing or moving.

Hope this helps, peace, Lenny