How to develop "guardian qi around the body?

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How to develop "guardian qi around the body?

Postby jfraser » Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:35 am

Having had in the last 20 years, some very positive and sudden experiences of Love and Wholeness, I have become very sensitive and effected by feelings and energies around me. I used to have defenses like most people, but less and less
as the years and months go by.

TJ emphasizes sensitivity to feeling and intention. And I am not sure what TJ does to have both sensitivity and protection. And the protection is not of the kind that shuts me or others back down, so that the sensitivity is is lost.

So, what is your experience and understanding.

James
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Postby Dvivid » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:24 am

Guardian Qi (wei Qi) does provide a shield of 'protection' around you. But it also increases your sensitivity. Wei Qi exists at all times, in varying degrees. its an energetic component of your immune system. In America recently, this energy is called 'the aura'. It has been discussed by many cultures in various ways for centuries.

When you exhale, Qi expands outward. As you inhale it moves inward.

As your Wei Qi increases and expands, you provide more energy to the surface of the skin and the nerves within, which makes them more sensitive.

To raise up your guardian qi, inhale normally, and then exhale slowly while constricting the airflow. Make a Ha sound as you exhale. This is a 'hot' breath, as if you're trying to fog up a window. But, you don't need to manifest it outwardly with the mouth wide open saying 'Haaaaaaaaa' to have the same effect. Even with the mouth closed, exhale slowly with a constricted Ha sound. This slow exhalation will allow your Qi to expand outwardly. To enhance it further, at the end of your exhalation, hold the breath for a few seconds. You should get warm or even hot in just a few minutes.

(I used to do this all the time, back when I unloaded shipments of Dr. Yang's books off trucks at YMAA Headquarters in Boston in the middle of Winter.)

Warning: you don't really want to practice this breathing in Spring and Summer, when the natural energy around you in increasingly Yang, or 'energized'. It can be used sparingly during these seasons if needed when you're sick, to give the immune system a boost and raise up your Spirit.

Have fun.

David

PS - jf - congrats on the recent experiences of love and wholeness.
"Avoid Prejudice, Be Objective in Your Judgement, Be Scientific, Be Logical and Make Sense, Do Not Ignore Prior Experience." - Dr. Yang

http://www.ymaa.com/publishing
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Response to Dvivid

Postby jfraser » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:46 am

Dvivid,
So, I am not sure that I want more sensitivity, as I respond to "daily life" with intense feelings and feel resulting feelings and sensations in much of my body.
More energetic protection would be very useful and healthy for me. From your comments, I am confused.

Often, out in the world, because of my sensitivity and intense responses, I find myself holding my breath, and chronic muscle tension in my shoulder blades and the front and back of my thighs, as well as my leg's calves. I remind myself to breath, but I often cannot "recover" until I get home, and can sit and focus on my Shen and Dan Tien.

What doe one do in the rest of the year, for qigong, if the eight pieces is mor limited to winter and mornings? And what works after work?

Lately, I found that when I remember to focus on flooding all my cells with bright
white light, my breathing, and mind becomes more regular and calm. I discovered this on my own. These days, since i got a cold recently, I am dealing a lot with "forgetting" as the Buddhists say, and this results in mental "fogginess", more limited present moment awareness, and body tension, as described above. Chinese Amoi massage does relieve much of this during the session and for a while, afterwards, then the forgetting and tension comes back. Some say that the closer a person gets to really letting go, desolving the
"ego" or small self, the more resistance there is from our egos, and that my be what I am "dealing with", and it is very physically discomforting with a lot of internal and negative feelings, judgments, and thought toward my self and
others. Some say this basic fear is related to a deeply held fear of non-existance, or the fear that we/I really let go of my 7 interferences,, I will fing myself alone in the wide universe, I made an agreement in one of those radiient experiences with the TAO that I would bring tjght to these Chinese people

The 8 Pieces of brocade are recommend to by only practiced in the A.M.
And it is orientated to healing hie yin internal organs. So what to pracice for health and stress relieve in the afternoon or in the spring and summer.

What sets like tis classic and be done at the other time of the day, or released tension.
So what is good in summer, as it is not recommended in the Summer?

The way of love is not a subtle argument.
The door there is devisation.
Birds make great sky circles of their freedom
How do thay learn it.
they falling and falling,
They are given their wing
RUMI, TRANSLATON BY cOLEMAN BANKS
tHE WISDOM OF THE
ENNEAGRAM, by Don Riso and Russ BAnk

p.356

Thanks in part to your previous help and recommendations I have just received in the mail Dr. Yang's DVD of the 8 Pieces of Brocade. I have practiced it a few times, and it certainly does relieve my mental fogginess, muscle tension, in improve blood circulation all over, especially to my legs, which are often cold lately. My heart felt thanks to Dr. Yang for his open, and expert teaching of this Qigong. I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone.

Best regard,
James

P.S. I have an appointment to meet a direct disciple of G.Master Feng and his Chen Hunyan Xing Yi Tai Chi. I am looking forward to meeting him in the morning, I lke what I read about what he has combined in the training from the beginning. I do not just want to learn a form anymore, enough!

James
Last edited by jfraser on Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby SunTzu » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:57 pm

As to my knowledge, 8 pieces of brocade handles with all 12 main meridians in the body, I can't imagine you can't practice it whenever you want. Since each meridian has a 2-hour period per day that it is more 'sensitive' than the others.
If what you say is right then you can't even complete the whole sequence at once because of this.

I also would like to know more about this, but my guess is that, just as my thread about "Qigong and Taijiquan at night" it are preferred or advised times. Probably because the exercises energize you, making you feel wide awake, making it ideal to practice in the morning.
Do not try !

Do, or do not !
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Reply to Sun Tzu

Postby jfraser » Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:01 am

Sun Tzu said:
As to my knowledge, 8 pieces of brocade handles with all 12 main meridians in the body, I can't imagine you can't practice it whenever you want. Since each meridian has a 2-hour period per day that it is more 'sensitive' than the others.
If what you say is right then you can't even complete the whole sequence at once because of this.


You raise some good questions. I heard Dr. Yang on his 8 pieces DVD, say this Qigong was to be practiced from mid-night to noon. I would like to use qigong to get rid of stress and to warm up for Tai Chi in the late afternoon or early evening, also. But, and I am not knowledgeable about the cycles of sensitivity and qi at different times.

Anyone else have input on this?

BTW: With your Silat experience, were your teachers from Indonesia? You obviously are a very experienced martial artist. And the teachers I have had experience with that are well trained in Indonesia are also very skilled. just curious.

Best regards,
James
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Postby Dvivid » Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:23 am

James - simplify.

(Don't stifle or compromise yourself. If it is your nature to be more sensitive, allow that to be. Imagine the sensitivity of one who has attained enlightenment and is aware of all things in the infinite universe simultaneously?!)

At no time should you allow yourself to stop breathing, or to become stressed, or to hold muscular tension in the body. This suggests to me that perhaps you need to practice qigong or another relaxing discipline more often, until you start truly listening to the signals your body is giving you. You are only hurting yourself when you behave this way. I know, the world can be horrific: bright, flourescent lights, and noise, and chaos, war and mayhem, sirens and garbage, but if you can't maintain equilibrium within yourself whether you're at home meditating, or out in the noisy world, then some teachers might say that you are not yet on the path, and your attainment may not be developing.

Breath: Every one of the 100 trillion cells that your body is comprised of functions better when you take in more oxygen. Also, the level of Qi you're able to generate is proportionate to the amount of oxygen you take in. So, its illogical to stop breathing.

Stress: When you choose to respond to external stimuli by becoming stressed, your body chemistry changes and your immune system shuts down. You will literally make yourself sick.

Tension: Whereever there is muscular tension in your body, there is stagnation of your circulation of blood and Qi. One major goal in qigong is to be relaxed, to allow maximum circulation. So...don't.

Everything in life is a choice. You may stop doing that to yourself at any time.

Qigong: You can practice qigong any time of day. Its recommended not to practice at noon, when the day's Yang is peaking, but everything is relative. It is recommended not to practice in the mid-day sun during summer, but again this is relative; for the obvious reason that there is a MORE IDEAL time to practice when the natural energy is more beneficial/less dangerous. However, not practicing at all is worse than practicing at a less-than-ideal time.

So, practice qigong when you have time to, being mindful of the possible 'external pathogens', such as excessive sun. The Sitting 8 Brocades are ideally practiced in the morning, but you can practice them anytime that you're able to start off in a deeply-relaxed, meditative state.

The Standing 8 Brocades can be practiced anytime - ideally in the late morning, mid-afternoon, or in the early evening.

If you're on a night-owl schedule, transpose those times accordingly.

Hope this helps,
David Silver
YMAA Assistant Qigong Instructor
DVD Director - "8 Brocades"
"Avoid Prejudice, Be Objective in Your Judgement, Be Scientific, Be Logical and Make Sense, Do Not Ignore Prior Experience." - Dr. Yang

http://www.ymaa.com/publishing
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Reply to Dvivid

Postby jfraser » Tue Apr 10, 2007 12:44 pm

Thanks for your concern, suggestions and recommendations!

I am continue to practice the 8 Pieces..., and feel it is very beneficial to me.

I discovered to day in doing the xiaojia 13 movements in 8 directions that I am learning, that I am not moving slow enough to really coordinate my breathing in a deeper way. Last year, I was taught by another teacher doing the 48 that I was moving too show. Maybe that was true for this competition form, but then the breathing becomes more surface.

When I pay close attention on moving very slowly with the above movements xiaojia movements, then my breathing is more relaxed and the tension largely does away, These xiaojia movements are very detailed and subtle, and the stepping and turning is small and on the balls of the feet only, "no single weighting". The stepping reminds me just a little of Goju karate's san shin dachi This system seems to have no flowers and is not diluted.

It is really traditional and difficult,
And I do not complain. It is a treasure, a rare carved jade dragon, and I am glad I hung in there over the last 8 months with Han, Yi Long or Han, "jade dragon", Liaoshir - Cool name.

Kind regards,
James
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