Chinese Qigong‏

[adrian]

I just remembered the John Chang videos, where a person who did meditation learned how to harness his chi. There are several videos, one where they even bring doctors, physicists, and try to measure his chi produced. He used his ability to heal, although some are not healers, they go out into society to make the world a better place.

[Skyflower]

Merkaba,

Wouldn't you say this is what most healers do, when they heal with their hands?  Are they focusing and directing the Chi from within them and out through their hands?   

Also  another question:

Is Chi hot or cold?

[adrian]

Yes most do heal with their hands, but there are other alternative methods. The easiest way to direct chi is through the hands, (because it is a extension off the torso where chi is generated. "tan tien") however you can focus it around your body. Most have felt their aura "expand" in one sense or another, its a matter of remembering that "moment" to do it again. (But kung fu practitioners focus their chi so they cannot be harmed.) When I have felt chi from my sifu it has been warm, and in the same note when I rub my wife's back she says my hands are warm. Chi should not be cold, cold is what is felt when there are spirits around that are not our "ally."
*peace*

[adrian]

Actually, I ran a test with my wife and it turns out that chi generated from a person could be warm or cold. The test was I held my hands apart with enough gap between them for her to pass her hand between my palms facing each other and she reported feeling a cold sensation. So When the hands are applied to the body a warm sensation occurs, and when through ambient air cold. So I take it back, after experimentation its both. 

Glad to see the physics classes are being put to use. lol!

[adrian]

Actually again yesterday for the second time in a week while doing tai chi, after doing chi kung I felt a thwart of electricity generated from my left hand while repulsing the monkey. This was neither hot nor cold, but what I believe to be the byproduct of both polarities of the body coming together, through the left and right hand.

Anyone experience this physically as well?

[Skyflower]

Well Adrian I am not sure what "repulsing the monkey' refers to, perhaps you could explain...

But a little while ago I did an energy trick with my hands that I like to do with my kids.

Cassidee had hurt herself so instead of kissing it better, I rub my hands together really fast until they begin to heat up and then I didn't touch her sore spot but kept my hands a couple inches away from it.

She laughed then and said that my energy felt tickly... and warm.   She was all better!

[adrian]

ah repulsing the monkey is a movement in tai chi in which one hand circles around at a 45 degree angle behind the hip off the body, while the other opposite to it, turns palm to heaven. When the both reach a point, the practitioner steps back in lao ma bo, drawing the circling hand  up and near the ear, then pushes forward while the hand that was opposite pulls in, they meet at a point while the hand that was out draws to the hip. It is at this point when the hands are together, specifically when my left hand draws in to the hip is where the electricity thwarts from my hand. It actually comes up to my palm and disperses through my fingertips.

[Skyflower]

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/v/gVrqIaGGxEM&hl=en&fs=1

[Zamurito]

Actually again yesterday for the second time in a week while doing tai chi, after doing chi kung I felt a thwart of electricity generated from my left hand while repulsing the monkey. This was neither hot nor cold, but what I believe to be the byproduct of both polarities of the body coming together, through the left and right hand.

Anyone experience this physically as well?

Hey A!

What have these movements shown you?

z

[Skyflower]

Adrian,

Do you find it easier to generate energy in (or from) your left hand?  Just curious.

[adrian]

lori, no he doesnt do repulsing the monkey in that video, there is a brush knee and push. In which you can also feel "the mits" being that your hands feel like they have oven gloves on while doing the forms. 

Z - "What have they shown me?" Wow that is one open ended question. Hmm let me start at the beginning, while doing the movements I find that the chi does flow throughout the body. Very strong generated by the "tan tien/dan/diaphragm  breathing" I can feel it go from my legs to my arms, and to my hands. Certain movements more than others, in the way that its stronger, more pronounced of a feeling, more projection. Other times I can brush my hands through the air and feel the energy all around as if I were standing in a pool of water. Artistic? Yes absolutely, a form of a dance? Maybe to the untrained eye, but underneath the surface of the moment is a whole other world of awareness. There are many layers as we get to heart to learn from.  However only through unison of movement with breathing and putting your body through the physical pain of stance and training we one begin to peel the layers away.

[Fire Dancer]

Actually again yesterday for the second time in a week while doing tai chi, after doing chi kung I felt a thwart of electricity generated from my left hand while repulsing the monkey. This was neither hot nor cold, but what I believe to be the byproduct of both polarities of the body coming together, through the left and right hand.

Anyone experience this physically as well?

Kris and I were standing outside just after fireworks on the 4th.  It was probably still about 100 degrees outside.  We had been out there for a while with the kids shooting off fireworks.  Well, he starts describing a very intriguing dream he had the night before and my hands begin to get cold.  I had my hands in my pockets and it was like my pockets were air-conditioned.  They stayed cool the rest of the time outside ... about ten more minutes.  I didn't think much about it at the time ... just one of those weird things, ya know  But then I saw this thread and reminded me of it.  Cold chi = yin ... interesting.

[Zamurito]

lori, no he doesnt do repulsing the monkey in that video, there is a brush knee and push. In which you can also feel "the mits" being that your hands feel like they have oven gloves on while doing the forms. 

Z - "What have they shown me?" Wow that is one open ended question. Hmm let me start at the beginning, while doing the movements I find that the chi does flow throughout the body. Very strong generated by the "tan tien/dan/diaphragm  breathing" I can feel it go from my legs to my arms, and to my hands. Certain movements more than others, in the way that its stronger, more pronounced of a feeling, more projection. Other times I can brush my hands through the air and feel the energy all around as if I were standing in a pool of water. Artistic? Yes absolutely, a form of a dance? Maybe to the untrained eye, but underneath the surface of the moment is a whole other world of awareness. There are many layers as we get to heart to learn from.  However only through unison of movement with breathing and putting your body through the physical pain of stance and training we one begin to peel the layers away.

Yes, I believe I understand what you mention above.  I can only comment on my Aikido training as that’s where my attention lies and attempt to tie the two together.

We call this ‘kokyu.’

We perform kata as individuals…but how do I say this?  We attempt to keep our subjective ‘mind’ out of describing it.  Why?  The moment my attention is drawn to repulsing or defining it as hot or cold, my mind get’s ‘stuck’ there. 

I may sense something occurring, and when that happens I relax more and just let the flow expand…or connect to All.

I’m sure you do this as well; An example would be push hands.  Yes?  You move, together.  If one or the other attempts anything other than ‘working together,’ the other feels it and re-acts accordingly.

One reason I refer to all this as Awareness training.   As we build this capacity, we not only increase our ability to stay present longer, but we increase the depth of our attention.

As the depth of our attention in the moment increases, then our experience of this life also intensifies.

That’s why Tohei Sensei says Fudoshin, immoveable mind, “is not a rigid, immobile state of mind, but a condition of stability that comes from the most rapid movement”. But it is so infinitesimally small that you can’t see it.  It’s not like the movement of my head or my arm. It is an intense internal experience. So as our capacity increases, our depth of awareness increases, then my participation in this experience increases; intensifies.

We call this experience, in Aikido, “kokyu”. When Tohei Sensei says, “Sono kokyu da”, meaning that person has very strong Ki, or strong kokyu, he just means….I mean, Ki is everywhere in the universe….he is not necessarily saying that this person is special. It’s just that this person happens to be in a deep level of attentive participation in the stream of the Now.  The more I practice this building of capacity, the more, when I am with other people, I can read them. I can see right away.

So just be present, and I will always know what to do. Where is mind? Everywhere.  So then when I am doing an exercise, where is mind? Well it should be everywhere.

But what do we tell beginners when we are teaching them? Don’t we tell beginners to “put your mind forward”? Don’t we? Yeah. But we aren’t beginners. For beginners that is OK. Every time you use your will power to direct mind into and intension consciously, there will be a reaction. We call this karma. Whatever goes out, comes back.  Whatever we do, there will be a reaction.

This all depends upon our use of mind. So use mind as it is, by resting in it. So I don’t do something with it. We say “extend Ki”. But this means to identify with the Ki of the universe. It doesn’t mean moving some Ki from here to here. That is OK, but that is for beginners. It is a very limited view of extend Ki. Ki is everywhere. How could it go from here to there? It is everywhere already. It is realizing that. That is what extend Ki means; being that, and not separate from it.  In the beginning, when we teach children unbendable arm, we ask them to imagine that their arm is a fire hose and the water is flowing through it. Everyone knows you cannot bend a fire hose when there is water flowing through it. And that helps the beginning child to understand. And then when they get a little more developed we say, “Imagine Ki is flowing through your arm”. A little higher level; still not very highly developed, but it is a step beyond the gross fire hose business, right? So then finally, when they develop further, we tell them “Just keep One Point”.  Be present, Here, Now. 

I'm rambling again 

z

[adrian]

Yes, a lot of the principles that formed Chinese martial arts did migrate south as did the philosophies. The words might have changed but the meaning is the same, this is true. Awareness training, sensitivity training its all the same. Push hands, two and three man forms the same as well, all a part of training. Thinking is also a part of training, actually its not, you are not supposed to think about anything. Just be now, use the "the force, ki, chi, nagual, the way, spirit, the vast wide open" and whatever else it may be called.
All of which leads to a greater awareness, that type of awareness that can lead to "seeing" lots of things not only people, but from that awareness comes a humbleness and humility which lead to greater things. An example would be the movie "Fearless" where the both fighters have tea, and discuss the tea together.
*peace*