Overwhelmed with amount of info. Seeking simplicity.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have been practicing Ching Loong San Dian Xue Mi Gong Fa QiGong for nearly one year via book and video. Wanting to try other styles, several months ago, I purchased Opening The Energy Gates of Your Body as well as The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen. Most recently, I purchased the Longevity Breathing DVD along with Dragon And Tiger Medical Qigong.

I am motivated and normally learn things quickly. However, I have no coach or teacher any where close to me. Furthermore, while I feel the info put out by Bruce Frantzis is excellent, honestly, I am overwhelmed by the amount of it. Having life constraints, I’m seeking simplicity…or, the most bang for **my particular** buck.

I’m having trouble with muscle strains healing that I have incurred in karate. I also want to improve my overall health. I am a 42 yr old male.

With those things in mind, could someone advise on which might best suit me, or in other words….all of Opening The Energy Gates or just pieces of it….all of Dragon And Tiger or just parts of it?

I feel that the Longevity Breathing is going well along with sinking and dissolving my chi covered in Opening The Energy Gates of Your Body.

All thoughts, wisdom and/or guidance appreciated.

rusty

[Anonymous]

Hi Rusty,

Just a few thoughts from me. I’ve trained in Bruce’s system for a while now. There are quite a few different sets and martial and healing arts within it. So I can empathize with feeling a bit overwhelmed! Wait till you get a chance to train with him, it’s even more intense!

However, one thing that is important to keep in mind is that all of the martial arts, healing arts and meditative arts he teaches work with the same pieces. The 16 nei gung components as listed in his books are the building blocks that one uses to train all of the various sets.

So for instance, you will work with breathing and dissolving inside Energy Gates, as well as within Heaven & Earth, as well as withing Gods Playing in the Clouds as well as within Ba Gua and Tai Chi.

There is a circular element here, all of the sets need good breathing to be done well, and at the same time all of the sets give you a chance to improve your breathing. So when you do some Tui Na, those breathing skills are very useful. All of the sets and trainings feed into each other quite elegantly.

In terms of working with muscular tension, you are on the right track. Dissolving and breathing will help you get your mind into your body and releasing things that are stuck. So keep at it and be assured that everything you do now will help form the foundation of the things that come later.

Best wishes!
Jess O

[Anonymous]

Hi Rusty-

If you have the patience for it and the understanding to put it in context, which sounds like a “yes” on both fronts, then I would recommend this:

“I feel that the Longevity Breathing is going well along with sinking and
dissolving my chi covered in Opening The Energy Gates of Your Body.”

Just like you said! That’s what I’d focus on….

Best,
Dan

EDIT: haha, nice timing, Jess!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the speedy and helpful replies, you two!

What about Dragon & Tiger Medical Qigong though? Based on what I read, I purchased the book under the allusion (perhaps incorrect on my part) it would provide most of the same benefits with a simpler and easier to learn method. Having no teacher, I thought this style might be the ticket for me.

Also, while this may be sacrilegious here, what are the thoughts on the Qigong presented in Lam Kam Chuen’s book “The Way of Energy”? While I certainly hold a great deal of respect for Bruce Frantzis and appreciate his amount of detail, I must admit that I’m also attracted to the simplicity presented in “The Way of Energy”. The styles seem to hold many similarities.

Regardless, I plan to continue Longevity Breathing and will purchase more of Bruce’s material.

[Anonymous]

Hey Rusty-

The Way of Energy is one of my favorite qigong books too! Standing qigong was what first attracted me to other practices like Tai Chi.

In terms of Dragon Tiger, Bruce always said that even an approximation of the movements is effective for moving chi. Compared to the more precise alignments of tai chi and other forms of neigong, you can probably get a nice energetic workout learning DT from the materials.

What stood out to me from your initial post though, was that you gravitated toward the standing and breathing, so I think that’s great. As Jess mentioned, all the sets have a different flavor, so finding what works for you is the most important starting point.

Best of luck with your practice!

Thanks,
Dan

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Dan. Very helpful.

I guess my fear has been two-fold; wasting my time doing something incorrectly and/or causing some kind of damage.

For the time being, I’ll continue my practice of breathing and standing exercises, and perhaps, unless someone here thinks it could be damaging, draw from both “The Way of Energy” and “Opening the Energy Gates”. After progressing a bit more, I’ll try Dragon & Tiger.

Thanks again.

rusty

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