Yin vs.Yang Qi Practices

[Anonymous]

Greetings,

Bruce mentions Tai Chi as being a Yin practice and Bagua/hsing-i being Yang.

I’m wondering if someone wanted to get the benefits associated with practicing both a Yin and Yang practice but doesn’t have the time to go deeply into both Tai chi AND Bagua, then could the Energy Arts Qigong system be seen as a Yin practice as tai chi is? If so, what if one does not practice all 5 qigong sets?

As always your thoughts and insights are much appreciated.

Kevin

[Anonymous]

Hi Kevin,
A quick reply.
To say that Taiji is a Yin practice is a bit too strong an imprecation. Taiji is more yin type compare to Bagua but we wouldn’t say it is yin. Let say a Taiji person should turn up more cool than a Bagua person. A Taiji person is also mature and well rounded and he is also perfectly capable to demonstrate yang activities like aggression.
Every qigong set should be balanced in yin/yang. Energy arts belongs to the water tradition because it make sure that the yin aspect is properly addressed and taught before or with the yang to ensure safe and healthy development.
What happen is that most Qigong being taught do not pay conscious attention to this. In yin, you build up a body and in yang you move and express what you have. So you can see in ad hoc study or less established school people will gravitated to yang type qigong moves– people want results straight away . Yang nature type qigong tend to be the popular type but it is not healthy for beginners.
What do you think?
Daniel

[Anonymous]

Hey Kevin,

The different chi gung sets do have different qualities to them and some are more yang then others. The Energy Gates chi gung is associated with water and would be considered pretty Yin. The Spiraling Energy Bodies chi gung is associated with fire and is very Yang. The Marriage of Heaven and Earth chi gung is more Yang then Energy Gates but is less Yang then Spiraling.

Also, if your craving more Yang energy in your practice you can do San Ti from Hsing-i. You don’t need to learn tons of Hsing-i, just the standing posture work of San Ti would be quite Yang.

Hope this helps,
Janak

[Anonymous]

Hi kevin,
Maybe I should add that we should not be too concerned on whether a qigong set is yin or yang for within each set we can chose to practice it in a way to suit our need once we have some understanding of the nature of the individual moves. In DT book vol. 2 Bruce suggest ways of enhancing our practice such as concentrating on breathing, posture, alignment speed,intent on different parts of the body separately on different days of our practice. We learn better and it is more interesting that way. If we want to have more yang energy we can paid more attention to the yang moves or repeat more times those move that involves moving the hand, especially when the palm is facing up to heaven. We just have to keep to the set sequent because the energy following each sequence are mean to harmonise and enhance in that order.
This will not apply to short moves like heaven and earth which is closely designed for opening and closing etc. Spiralling hand is designed solely for exercising the fire energy and so is bent the bow having a very specific energy pattern.
Play and enjoy your qigong .
Daniel

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I realize that each qi practice has yin and yang aspects to a more or lesser degree.

I guess what I really want to know is:

If I just practice Bruces qigong as opposed to Tai chi, will I get the same amount of Yin to balance out a Bagua practice?

Thanks!

Kev

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that, yes you can.

I had a similiar problem a while back where I had been doing too many Yin practices. The suggestion was made that I could balance things out more by doing more Spiraling. So far things seem to be heading in the right direction.

[Anonymous]

I hesitated responding to this thread- as good ideas presented below, and it seems the question of how to practice is difficult to “self-diagnose” (per the issue being the qualities.. and by nature of one’s subj-perspective, the way to balance out your qualities by practice means that what you might need.. is not so clear and one’s self-view of where/how you are is distorted by that).. i.e. thus finding one’s how walked-the path a bit in front of you (and “walks the walk” vs talks the talk- etc)… even a quick, view, interp, suggestion, is irreplacable..

anyway- beyond that. Fire and Water practices, vs Yin VS Yang (BaguaZhang-TaiChi Chuan “comparison” from Liu… as that was saying the way he practiced those forms, for him, per his system, was “more Yin than”….. that wouldn’t really be the same as saying “it is Yin”… comparative in relation to X not the same as saying is in this box-type).
One quality I think could enhance the viewpts expressed in comments here are the Fire-Water relation to Nerves vs Fluids (espec Blood, but the other bodily-liquids…) both flowing through the Connective Tissue-structures…
Feeling into these feels a certain way, which then changes when one is flowing chi-into/over (and sensing the reactions to), then when one feels the Chi-flowing into-over and feeling the chi-itself-directly.. (breathing and/or pulsing-Egates has stages like this, I think).

thus first start to feel and “work” nerves.. they feel- Cool and tiring (sensory-overload, as one is straining/potentially/one’s sensing… nerves),
while the Blood feels warm and relaxing (as you Increase circulating espec into the gut.. it could be interpreted as “Fire in Lower day Tien” but that is warm-blood.. core-body temperature, via the Blood flow increase.. along with microcaplilary soak (~the hot-tub/sauna affect)
==========
This contrasts a bit of getting the chi to flow into over the nerves- electric-type tingling-zing(?) can have a warmer-hot type feel? (vs prior “working” nerves ‘cool’)
and Chi into-over Blood, can feel more “wet” cooling in the chill-down soothing (not cool so much as lower-temperature sort of reference)… thus this wetter-moistness can seem to contrast to the Warmth- filling sensation…
=====
above both contrast- but each are distinct from (Fire as Li-trigram, the clinging-net-entwining ~naplam leaping…. vs Water as Kan-trigram .. etc with its quals) (both distinct from Fire- as Hao of five-elements.. although clearly linkage.. likewise Shui of five-elements also distinct) -but these can be seen to be Fire (related to fundatmental exper of ‘Light’) vs Water (related to fundamental exper of ‘Sound’) – as aspects in the Energy-Channels (espec side and central-lines.. and thus the root of each of the dan-tiens…) .. thus the Fire in DanTien, having a more distinct clarity when recog, what one is referencing…
……………….
in short to original question, which I asked Bruce a few times way back myself (as I find BaguaZhangNeiGung something amazing, and wondered could it all be balanced purely in that system? allowing me to develop-focus time in it, and not need to “also” try and learn TaiChi, as well as… etc. -as a specialization-focus (vs delving into as familiarity).
-he told me, that it depends upon the quality of- and distinctly separating different baselines [perhaps 3: the Yang quality, the Yin quality, and then a “changable” or smooth-flowing quality (inbetween-mixing)] more difficult to be clear, but an item of focus..

each system does have not only a tendency it reinforces, by the nature of our system (phy and mental.. energetic and nature-enviro).. it seems to connect up in certain ways, but also the Tradition has a resonance that can be tapped into that also reinforces certain qualities (thus whether more Yin or more Yang- relatively, vs allowing one to tap a Yin force or a Yang force- not the same.. but being more or less Yin (relative to what practice)… vs being more or less Firey or Watery….

it seems the question is: how can I self-diagnose to nudge my practices over-time to develop my energetic qualities in a balanced way ?
(which is what a QiGongTuiNa doctor does via analysis and prescriptive chigung sets… and what a ChiGung (and TaoMeditative) instructor does)… so how can I judge and develop myself, based upon energetic-qualities I’m unclear about, in the way that an experienced teacher might?
(which is a bit of a challenge, as I don’t think one can)

but a core-concept could be that the “qigong sets” aren’t he issue, but the 16neigung principles (and even more so the qualities thereof).. thus this being more a pointing to the issue, vs an “answer” .. finger&moon pointing.. (flower-blooms?)

---

so the question might be- IF one can’t, then what do I do? (knowing that self-diagnosis is a bit much: the old an attorney that represents themself, has a fool for a client… and Doctors that “self-medicate” let alone “self-‘surgery…?”
but this is in reference to course-corrections (the most customized context) so in that self-generalized-standard-principles wouldn’t apply ? -so would depend upon a reading first: “An inquirying mind is a wonderful thing, but all diagnosis should begin with what?” -observation? “exactly.” … -from the movie Hellraiser
_____________
I hoped to embed a bunch in that which I’d want to have read, and that another reading these posts might gain from.- luck

[Anonymous]

(I submitted a response a week ago, not sure if it was lost in the system- so thought I’d re-submit)
…….
I hesitate responding- as good ideas presented below, and it seems the question of how to practice is difficult to “self-diagnose” (per the issue being the qualities.. and by nature of one’s subj-perspective, the way to balance out your qualities by practice means that what you might need.. is not so clear and one’s self-view of where/how you are is distorted by that).. i.e. thus finding one’s how walked-the path a bit in front of you (and “walks the walk” vs talks the talk- etc)… even a quick, view, interp, suggestion, is irreplacable..

anyway- beyond that. Fire and Water practices, vs Yin VS Yang (BaguaZhang-TaiChi Chuan “comparison” from Liu… as that was saying the way he practiced those forms, for him, per his system, was “more Yin than”….. that wouldn’t really be the same as saying “it is Yin”… comparative in relation to X not the same as saying is in this box-type).
One quality I think could enhance the viewpts expressed in comments here are the Fire-Water relation to Nerves vs Fluids (espec Blood, but the other bodily-liquids…) both flowing through the Connective Tissue-structures…
Feeling into these feels a certain way, which then changes when one is flowing chi-into/over (and sensing the reactions to), then when one feels the Chi-flowing into-over and feeling the chi-itself-directly.. (breathing and/or pulsing-Egates has stages like this, I think).

thus first start to feel and “work” nerves.. they feel- Cool and tiring (sensory-overload, as one is straining/potentially/one’s sensing… nerves),
while the Blood feels warm and relaxing (as you Increase circulating espec into the gut.. it could be interpreted as “Fire in Lower day Tien” but that is warm-blood.. core-body temperature, via the Blood flow increase.. along with microcaplilary soak (~the hot-tub/sauna affect)
==========
This contrasts a bit of getting the chi to flow into over the nerves- electric-type tingling-zing(?) can have a warmer-hot type feel? (vs prior “working” nerves ‘cool’)
and Chi into-over Blood, can feel more “wet” cooling in the chill-down soothing (not cool so much as lower-temperature sort of reference)… thus this wetter-moistness can seem to contrast to the Warmth- filling sensation…
=====
above both contrast- but each are distinct from (Fire as Li-trigram, the clinging-net-entwining ~naplam leaping…. vs Water as Kan-trigram .. etc with its quals) (both distinct from Fire- as Hao of five-elements.. although clearly linkage.. likewise Shui of five-elements also distinct) -but these can be seen to be Fire (related to fundatmental exper of ‘Light’) vs Water (related to fundamental exper of ‘Sound’) – as aspects in the Energy-Channels (espec side and central-lines.. and thus the root of each of the dan-tiens…) .. thus the Fire in DanTien,

having a more distinct clarity when recog, what one is referencing…
……………….
in short to original question, which I asked Bruce a few times way back myself (as I find BaguaZhangNeiGung something amazing, and wondered could it all be balanced purely in that system? allowing me to develop-focus time in it, and not need to “also” try and learn TaiChi, as well as… etc. -as a specialization-focus (vs delving into as familiarity).
-he told me, that it depends upon the quality of- and distinctly separating different baselines [perhaps 3: the Yang quality, the Yin quality, and then a “changable” or smooth-flowing quality (inbetween-mixing)] more difficult to be clear, but an item of focus..

each system does have not only a tendency it reinforces, by the nature of our system (phy and mental.. energetic and nature-enviro).. it seems to connect up in certain ways, but also the Tradition has a resonance that can be tapped into that also reinforces certain qualities (thus whether more Yin or more Yang- relatively, vs allowing one to tap a Yin force or a Yang force- not the same.. but being more or less Yin (relative to what practice)… vs being more or less Firey or Watery….
it seems the question is: how can I self-diagnose to nudge my practices over-time to develop my energetic qualities in a balanced way ?
(which is what a QiGongTuiNa doctor does via analysis and prescriptive chigung sets… and what a ChiGung (and TaoMeditative) instructor does)… so how can I judge and develop myself, based upon energetic-qualities I’m unclear about, in the way that an experienced teacher might?
(which is a bit of a challenge, as I don’t think one can)

but a core-concept could be that the “qigong sets” aren’t he issue, but the 16neigung principles (and even more so the qualities thereof).. thus this being more a pointing to the issue,
vs an “answer” .. finger&moon pointing.. (flower-blooms?)

---

so the question might be- IF one can’t, then what do I do? (knowing that self-diagnosis is a bit much: the old an attorney that represents themself, has a fool for a client… and Doctors that “self-medicate” let alone “self-‘surgery…?”
but this is in reference to course-corrections (the most customized context) so in that self-generalized-standard-principles wouldn’t apply ? -so would depend upon a reading first:
“An inquirying mind is a wonderful thing, but all diagnosis should begin with what?” -observation? “exactly.” … -from the movie Hellraiser
_____________
I hoped to embed a bunch in that which I’d want to have read, and that another reading these posts might gain from.- luck

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