Duration of qigong practice

[Dvivid]

Hi

This topic has come up several times lately.

How long should I practice my qigong set?

Whether it is the 'Eight Brocades', 'Five Animals', 'White Crane', or any other set, we should think about what is taking place, and then maybe it will be more clear.

RELAXATION
As you begin your qigong, one of the first things you need is relaxation. How quickly can you reach a deeply relaxed state? Some can go right into it, others need to relax slowly over a period of time. The more relaxed you are, the easier it is to concentrate, and to lead qi into the deep places of the body. If you can relax easily, your qigong can be more efficient, and take less time. If it is more difficult to relax, your practice should be longer.

CONCENTRATION
To lead qi throughout the body effectively, you should develop a focused and concentrated mind. Again, if this is easy for you, your practice can be shorter, if not, you need to spend more time regulating the mind.

FIVE REGULATINGS
Everyone goes through the same stages of progress in their qigong training. Some have natural ability in certain areas, so they will move through a stage more quickly than another person; for instance, someone with a background in dance or yoga may already have skills for 'connecting' to their body, and making minute adjustments, where someone who hasn't done any mind/body exercise may literally have difficulty feeling their body, and turning their attention inward inside the body.

Therefore, the first stage of 'regulating the body' is different for everyone. And of course, it takes a long time of practicing often to reach a stage where the body is always in healthy alignment, and in a correct and relaxed position. The newer you are to practice, and the less mind/body experience you already have, the longer your qigong practice should be.

The same is true of the other stages of regulating: breath, mind, qi, and spirit. Practice, practice, practice.

ENERGY
One major goal of your qigong practice is to energize the entire body, and motivate your circulation throughout. Of course, every one of the 100 trillion cells that your body is comprised of already HAS energy. Each cell acts as a dipole, capable of storing and releasing a charge. So, what does energizing the body really mean?

In qigong, we motivate and increase the intercellular transmission of energy from the core of the body and deep within the bone marrow, out to the extremities and the surface of the skin and beyond. This can be done within the movements of your chosen qigong set, or in advanced practice, such as small circulation, by mind alone. In general, we need to move the body, and keep it healthy, exercised, and limber. So, most of us practice moving qigong.

When we move the body, the mind decides upon a movement, and qi is led to energize the muscles for that movement. The more relaxed and concentrated you are during your practice, the more effective this will be, and the more you will energize your body. Through this practice, you break through places that are stagnant, such as in tense muscles, or old injuries. Every cell in your body functions better with optimal energy. As you open the meridians, and provide more energy to the nervous system, you become more sensitive, more aware, and in general, more healthy.

You should practice your qigong until you feel you've really energized your entire body, out to the extremities of the hands, feet, and face, and deep within.

So, you see, it is really different for everyone, based on a multitude of factors.

I recommend everyone practice a minimum of an hour, three times a week.

[joeblast]

hehe...stickify this one