Open and closing + santi

[Anonymous]

I have been practicing santi since I attended Bruce’s santi seminar in Oxford last October. I am currently trying to incorporate open and close instructions into my santi practice.

Here’s my experience so far. Please let me know if I am on the right track, or if my mind is simply making the sensations up.

My experience is that the very moment I start to practice santi each morning (or any posture of standing qigong), I focus first on my breathing. I let the breathing gently and naturally relax my whole body and my belly area. The key is that I must let the opening up and relaxing of the belly area happen naturally on its own. I should not be trying to force that sensation either by trying to do something with my belly area or making up that sensation in my mind.

Once the belly area relaxes and opens up, I keep breathing naturally and gently. Very soon, if I keep at it, my body will naturally begin to open and close (or pulse, if that is the right word) on its own. Again, the key is to let it happen by itself. I shouldn’t be trying to force the pulsing. It needs to just sort of happen on its own.

When I start to sense the pulsing happening, that is when I begin to consciously apply the open and close exercise from month 1. Specifically, I am referring to the opening and close of the hand joints, the laokong in the center of my palm, and my wrist area.

So in short, the sequence goes like this.
First, breath naturally and let the whole body relaxes
Second, continue to breath naturally to automatically open up the belly area; dont’ force it!
Third, let the opening up of the belly area (via breathing) naturally lead to whole body pulsation
Fourth, as soon as I begin to sense whole body pulsation (or even just partial body pulsation), I begin to apply the open and closing exercise of month 1.

This has been the sequence that I have been following, or I try to follow to the best of my ability. I say that as if its not always easy to follow this sequence because I have found in my experience that focus and staying aware is the key for this to happen. If I am breathing, and at the same time, my mind is wandering off in another universe, then the relaxation of my body and the belly area will happen much slower, if it happens at all. When it does happen, it will happen so subtly and slightly that I am left wondering if I am imagining it.

The above has been my experience with incorporating open and closing exercise into my santi practice. If any of you, especially the seasoned practitioners, have gone through a very similar process, please let me know so that I have a confirmation that my mind is not making all this up. Or just any comments on it will be highly appreciated.

Thank you

Chen Ting Kao

[Author]

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