Module 1 Qigong & Meditation Beginner questions

[Anonymous]

Hello,

Short question. How do I sink my chi.

Same question with more detail
Qigong
Q1. In week 2 the instructions are to sink chi down the front, side and back of the head.
a) How do I do this? Do I just allow my mind to sink down the front, side and back of the head and see what happens?
b) How far into my head should I be going? Is it on the outside, the inside. underneath the skin.
c) How do I know that I am sinking my chi?
d) How do I end the session? Do I visualize the chi flowing down my body out of my feet into the earth? Do I just stop after the allotted time?

Meditation
Q2. I’m dropping my mind down through my head (So far I’m down to just below my eyes)
I’m just exploring whats there from the outside to the inside with no judgement. I’m noticing what sensations are there if any. Is this the correct way to do this?

Any clarifications for the above would be very welcome.

Thanks,
Adam

[Anonymous]

I would also be interested to hear a response to Adam’s questions.

[Anonymous]

Hi, Adam. I know a lot of people have been reading this post without commenting, so I thought I’d chime in. I think the reason no one has answered is because we’re all trying to figure this out, and many of us have had varying degrees of growth and success. I could explain my own experience but it would take a long post and I’m not sure how valuable it would be.

One of my first meditation teachers had this advice when asked many questions: set the method and practice. The answers come through practice.

So I advise you to think about what specific thing you need to know to start your practice and formulate it as a question you could post for Bruce to answer.

Also, check out Bruce’s two meditation books and his book on opening the energy gates. Many answers are there.

[Anonymous]

Hello Adam, Just thought I’d offer two-cents, hope it might be of some help.
I think a key-concept is like “moving one’s finger” … if you can move it, you do that (and you can move it and know you are moving it “even with your eyes closed, and not really paying attn to it” -you just move it, and/or sense/feel it).
If it is an area that you can’t move.. well it is just in concept (or mental-picture node of what it would be like)… the key is to find an “edge” (where you feel-know.. and expand a bit….. Relevance of this? “sink” or “twist” or “dissolve/let-go” (or even Peng, or Lu, etc.) are changes that happen to the energy- when you actually do them (the question how do XYZ), you just do… but learning to do, and developing to do is a bit different

(in other words, focusing/connecting to a certain part and letting go- Bruce often has given the exper of “tighten your fist to white knuckle” feel that- and then feel what you are doing to “make it tight” and not continue doing that (not just “open it) and even when you are no-longer actively squeezing your hand.. it will be kind of stuck (fluids squeezed out a bit, etc)… feel into that and sense the “contraction” and see if it can be “given room” to do what makes it more confortable (not make it expand.. just support it).. in the same way- not Make it Sink.. but like Raise up your Shoulder to your Ear… then no longer pull/push the shoulder up… don’t “lower it.. but gravity will lower it (sink?) when it is no longer pulled… but if it doesn’t.. something is holding it up/it could be stuck… you feel that.. etc.

I think that actually relates to all your questions (in my opinion- just my opin.. good luck in your practice and discoveries)… so rather as in the above ex of Fist (which is very gross.. the sense of contraction is sort of “energetic” but isn’t energy.. the chi flows are more subtle than the nerves and fluids.. ) and in the example of the Shoulder raised… those are obvious/gross- but get a connection point and expand to a less obvious/subtle level (that is linked to what you know-exper-are)…. [see his comments in this regards in the Live Class “cloud hands” section 1]

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Most directly you write d)…. “Do I visualize the chi flowing down….” (which may are may not reflect what you are referencing in Q2 “I’m dropping my mind down through my head..”
as I reference at top: learning what a skill is (to do), vs developing a skill (wiring it in- elaborating the coordination…), vs “doing it”… so in the first two of those three what you mention might work- but in the third (doing it)- I’d be clear to differentiate “viz” or creating a concept/a feeling of vs directly- ie moving the finger (when I feel into my head- not only sensation of what is in there- the fluid-pressure and stuck points and Eflows.. but just placing the mind there changes it.. so my eyes&ears get all adjusted (I’m still releasing tension bindings)- in the same way that feel into a jts and unless it is fully free- just feeling into it, will cause pop-shift-adjustments of the jt/spine (skull plates) fluid pressures.. etc…

in others- as an alternative- now and then, perhaps try doing the practice without “viz”
(as your C) “How do I know I am sinking my chi” -sort of re-frame, if you do the fist-clench or Shoulder raise.. how know when they have ‘first’ let go, and ‘second’ fully settled and re-normalized? <to make that make best sense- actually do these two expers while sensing how your certainty would be if you were feeling your body first, and then recognizing when you were and weren't sinking.. with this degree of certainty [assuming you are certain and confident you have a feel relaxed fist vs clenched- like the am I moving a certain finger jt or not…]

and this does develop over time.. (70% so that during and at end of practice it meshes into your “life” so it isn’t Different and Unconnected.. , merely a time you focused intensively in feeling more.. but the rest of life you are still in the same body.)

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and also even the “obvious example” of clench the fist (the awareness of what it means to be tight- and all that is related and affected by that contraction’ as well as realizing how much is involved in ‘relaxing after’… changed for me over time a great deal. and becoming relaxed so that what I used to consider fully released is now not so much… and what I now feel as connected and awakened energy wasn’t even in my awareness of possibilities before.

I hope this adds something.. good luck (that struggle thing).. many pts that Bruce makes in a single sentence have many meanings- in addition to not being grasped until I’ve done them a while (at least that’s my exper- so for me there is more implied even than he said.. so many questions actually require going over what he said- test/practice a bit..) but that might be my bias from not often being at his live trainings so I’ve gone back to what I’ve learned and delved into.

cheers/luck- g

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