Where to start? Which Chi Gung method?

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I’m in my early 50s and looking to begin on a path of energy work. I have the book “Opening the Energy Gates,” and I’ve been starting on the standing meditation. I’m up to 20 minutes, but I haven’t yet memorized all the locations of the energy gates. Anyway, I was perusing some of the other Energy Arts offerings, and I saw Dragon and Tiger touted as an excellent starting point for chi gung. Also, I was looking at the Hsing-i package offered here, and I noticed that it said it was a very fast way to build energy. I was actually checking it out because of its other touted benefits, decisiveness and physical strength, but seeing as it has an internal-energy component, would that program be a suitable starting point for me?

By the way, I am physically active, but mostly in external weight-resistance exercise. I studied Shaolin kung fu, Chen taiji and aikido many years ago. But I didn’t have many opportunities, nor did I have the patience in my younger days, to explore internal energy.

My goal now is regain/maintain vibrancy into old age, stay strong and become calmer.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Tom

[Anonymous]

Hey Tom,

Both Energy Gates and Dragon and Tiger are great chi gung sets to get started with. I think the most important aspect is which chi gung set do you enjoy more? If you enjoy it, you will practice more. If you practice more, you’ll experiance the benefits more quickly and more powerfully. I would try them both out and see which one appeals you the most!

Hope this helps,
Janak

[Anonymous]

Thank you, Janak. That’s very helpful. I’ll give Dragon and Tiger a try to see how it compares. The standing meditation of Energy Gates has been a hurdle for me. I actually bought the book 20 years ago, but back then, I couldn’t even get to 10 minutes of standing. I experienced so much “monkey mind” and also was completely unsure of what I should be feeling. Now, I can stand a little longer without as much mental distraction, but I’m still not sure what it is I am feeling.

I know that standing is very beneficial, but I have such an urge to move!

Thanks again,

Tom

[Anonymous]

Hey Tom,

Do you have the revised edition of the Energy Gates book? I have both the original version and the new revised edition. The new edition is much improved. It has about twice as many pages and better illustrations and explanations.

I think your experiance is pretty common. When I first started, standing chi gung was very difficult. Now, it’s one of my favorites

Janak

[Anonymous]

Oh, I didn’t know there was a newer, different version. I have the original. Thanks for letting me know, Janak. I appreciate your taking the time to reply.
Best,
Tom

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone, I learnt about Tiger and Dragon qi gung a little while ago, i watched Bill Ryan again and again until i learnt the 7 movements. I have found that when i do the movements i do feel more energy and am happy in myself and have great sleep. But for some reason i stopped doing it which means i can see the benefit of how it helped me. I am going to start it again today.
How long should i do each move for? at the moment i just do each move until i feel good enough to go to the next movement. Also i have just been practicing the moves and not my breathing, but now i will concentrate on breathing too as i do my movements.

I would be grateful for some advice.

Regards

Bal

[Anonymous]

Hello there- just two sense (cents) of mine… -as a general rule the 70% rule balances with ideal number

(shooting for a practice session- ie total per ~20mins being how long it takes to warmup/activate the vascular beds, ie the overall phy-fluid-circ… and 20 reps, Ten-Reps being a starting pt Bruce has mentioned, but that 20 somehow sort of completes.. after which can setttle-stabilize and then do another set.. but 20 being better than 21, or 22, or even 24.. something found in the lineage/testing over time.. etc. -an even number seems to help, balance reps in a set)

The above balanced with the ideal- doing each rep “perfectly” (ie as you practice you become, or the way we practice is “how” we wire-in the reps… thus being as clear/present focused as possible for every rep… so it may be only a few before one starts to “gap out”.. and yet getting in the swing a bit…)
-this of course shifts alot over time- one day may be very different than the prior day.. let alone as one develops-skill (capacity of presence, and finer-distinctions)

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so rather than length of time (and thus the tendency/temptation to do ‘by rote’/just repeating..), a set count of reps.. to complete a pattern.

as a concept the issue of this “subconscious” arising that stops us from practicing (not from feeling tired, and not even resistance to ‘new’ .. as it oft arises ‘after one trains some, and has enjoyed it’… and yet we suddenly just ‘don wanna’ — at least in me… let alone having a difficulty trying to “stuff a practice in one’s life/schedule”… —I do find that an interesting dynamic
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I have found that Dragon&Tiger is quite something as I’ve seen more in it, over time..
(Dr&T, like Marriage of H&E, and G.Playing.. are three sets I find are great as one can sort of follow-along the physical movements and get some strong results…
even without all the int’l tweaks.. as the movement-shape itself contorts/adjusts the doer some… there may be more, but it less likely one goes “off on a tangent”)

(as opposed to EnergyGates/Spiraling.. espec the EGates CloudHands.. which I find is actually quite an “advanced” move.. as one that just tries to followalong will sort of miss it, and result in a robotic type of movement… not tricky in terms of danger, just that so easy to just miss it.. and even feel no contact at all and just wonder, what is up with that movement?.. vs say Dr&T, which can be “connected-with” in the first attempt learning-walk-through (and then it reveals a serpent-like undulation that is within the limbs&torso.. even if one at first just does the movement segmented..
tracing the path and doing the “toss/flick” in a sweeping manner highlights where one is jammed…

—-
that last pt may relate to the your question about breathing an issue? -if one has the sweep and release, and then the related sweeping absorption.. in the movement (which the breath can assist.. but if you just do the movement in a “stirring” type fashion, you don’t have this feel).. I hope this might help some

[Anonymous]

Hi Bal,

the recommendation is to do 20 repetitions of each movement.

If you have access to Bill’s online program the he demos the complete set in the week 10, preactice 2 video – http://www.energyarts.com/practice-2-moves-1-7-20-reps

Trevor

[Anonymous]

8paws, as a recent student and almost 60, I fully understand your wish, your drive and your question. When I was young I practised yoga for 7 years, but when our first child was born, he intervened, or so I experienced it. My wife never did anything of the kind. Now, we have the good fortune to live nearby a Hunyuan centre and have the Sifu for ourselves, since I pay for private lessons. He started with the classic 18 (shibashi), very relaxed, as if swimming and moving in heavy water or so, and soon introduced the ruler. One of his teachers introduced me to the Chi-ball-exercises. They both have lots of attention to the inner alchemy and Nei Gong. So we practice the microcosmic orbit. Since then, we experience every minute of the lessons as both relaxed and in-tense. It is not what we wanted or expected, we let go of that, it is what we reach and receive by opening up, and for both of us, it is an unexpected journey. From the beginning on, we sleep and dream better. Our mental ‘peng’ helps us in our jobs. We like the 18 better than an ordinary shower. We feel fit, and we feel fit to help others better, that’s the loving nature of the inner work. As for the meditative part, after the 18, we mentally let go of Yin and Yang and all the swirling, and become ready for the WuJi, the empty circle that is not empty… If you are any kind or religious, it is the moment you invite the Holy Spirit… That’s my testimony for now. Chi’ll!

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