Free Qigong Course: Part Two

Free Qigong Course: Part Two

5. Silent Sitting Practice

After finishing Step 8, enter the silent state and sit cross legged, slightly close two eyes, hands one on top of the other, thumbs touching – much like the statue one views of Buddha – slowly purge of all stray ideas within the heart, position spine upright, and settle mind-will in lower Dantien area. Relax all parts of the body, let tongue rise up to touch the hard palate, with teeth lightly touching – preparing for the silent sitting exercise. Let virtue begin to grow within, releasing all negative qualities and relaxing the body.

6. Motion Postures & Sequence

This is the Motionless Posture (posture 1)
It signals the beginning of the Qigong practice.

The first posture for the Silent Sitting Practice, you should perform ten to fifteen minutes – or more. In the first posture, you hold your hand together before the lower abdomen in your lap (two palms facing upward, right on top, left on bottom, thumbs touching), much like the many statues of Buddha.

The tongue touches the upper palate, back straight, and crown stretching up to heaven.

• Mind intention focuses on the lower elixir field.
• Sit in the half lotus posture, or legs crossed, or in a chair with back straight and feet on the ground.
• Please put cushions and a quilt under the hip and legs to be comfortable when sitting on the floor – there is no need to hurt or strain the body.

This is the Motionless Posture (posture 1).
Motionless Posture

Then slowly raise your two arms to the place before your chest palms facing up in a level manner, fingers facing each other (posture 2).

The time for each posture you may change. You have the freedom to decide how much time each posture should use.

• Relax every part of the body.
• Breathe naturally; do not be concerned about the breath.
• Let the natural virtue rise forth internally and blossom like a beautiful lotus flower.
• Let the heart be pure.
• Rest in Tranquility, Clarity and Stillness.
• The first two postures belong to the preparation postures.

Then slowly push forward your two arms in a level manner, palms facing forward, fingers up.This posture is called ‘Push Open the door’ (posture 3).

And keep this posture for the time till you could not bear – your arms will quiver later and become sore.Then slowly draw back your two arms, which is the second posture, repeated again. (posture 2)

Keep this posture for about ten minutes. Then stretch out two arms to the two sides of the body, palms facing up, fingers stretched out. (posture 5)

Yet you can use this posture in combination with posture 3 and posture 4 — both motion postures. And it is your choice to choose any one of them — posture 3, posture 4, and posture 5). Then keep this posture for the time till you could not bear – 10 minutes. – your arms will quiver –
diagram

Stretching the arms up to the heavens with the palms facing the sky and the fingers pointing toward each other consists of posture 4.

Then draw back your two arms, (the second posture) and keep this posture five to ten minutes.

Then slowly place your two arms to the place before your chest palms facing up in a level manner, fingers facing each other (posture 5).

Then chose any one of posture 3, 4, 5 and stretch out two arms again and keep this posture till you could not bear.

Let the form be natural and you may choose the combination that feels natural.

You may change the order as you feel.

Do not be concerned about a proper order of sequence.

Keep the heart calm and tranquil.

Keep the mind and internal vision directed to the lower elixir field – the lower Tan Tien.

Then draw back two arms again to return to posture 2, resting for 5 min time.

Then slowly lower the hands to come back to posture 1, the motionless posture. (Rest ten, fifteen or more minutes in stillness, with no idea of doing anything at all.)

Then when you naturally feel the practice is over, have a slight idea that the darkness in which the universe disappeared in begins to slowly shrink towards your lower elixir field – the lower dantien space.

All things come back into your lower elixir field.

All the Qi and Energy that has circulated in the practice is slowly drawn back to the lower elixir field with a very slight intention – in a very natural way.

Then let all things be natural, rest in silence, and do not think about anything at all

• Relax every part of the body.
• Breathe naturally; do not be concerned about the breath.
• Let the natural virtue rise forth internally and blossom like a beautiful lotus flower.
• Let the heart be pure.
• Rest in Tranquility, Clarity and Stillness.

About fifteen minutes later, your practice is over.

In the beginning you will feel sore with your arms – it is natural. You may feel so bad that you think you will stop the practice. Your diseases or symptoms may get worse, perhaps.

But please have faith and continue the practice with a pure heart.

7. Something for attention

About 15 or 20 days later you will begin to feel very good, very light, and the limbs and body will vibrate and be full of Qi or Vital Energy.

Persistence in the practice is an essential thing for successful Qigong practice.

With no experience, people will always regard Qigong as a lie, or a dream.

Only through daily practice people can know or understand Qigong theory, through personal experience.

Yet, the practice should be a continuous one.

You are advised to practice two (or three) times every day. Once in the morning, once in the evening, once at midnight, or as your schedule will permit.

Even just one session a day can bring great benefit.

Here is a sample time schedule for you to view for daily practice schedule.

Early morning practice: 5:15 am — 6: 45 am

Noon practice: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Evening practice: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

We follow such a schedule when we practice intensive Taoist meditation retreats in China. Yet in daily life with work, please make time as you can in a balanced manner.

After midnight you can practice another time if you can wake up, sit quietly and face east at the hour of Tzu – 11:00pm.That is perhaps the best time for practice, as it is a very quiet time and the time when the first ray of Yang begins to appear, facing east as the breath of life shall flow in from the east during the first hour Yang.
Strong will power is needed to gain progress.

No persistence in the practice every day means no real progress.

Before practice please air your room first.
The air in your room should be clear.
Your room should be away from noise.
Lead a quiet and simple life if possible.

During the period of practice do the best to not have too much sex;
be without any sexual relations if possible;
do not read or watch the material and movies concerning sex.

The energy that is consumed during sexual excitement is very important and we must preserve,
use and transform this energy in the first stages of laying the foundation in Qigong.

Be moderate and natural in your life.

Take vegetable, seldom eat food
of a sweet, cold, fatty, or raw nature.

Try to drink boiled hot water when thirsty;
this is very important for the health of the lower elixir field.

Never take cold iced drinks, no smoking, and no alcohol.

This is a very important thing.

In the meantime, don’t take too much Western medicine.
When people begin to feel good, they can gradually decrease the western medicine they take.

We will not guarantee practitioners can accomplish something.

All success depends upon you and your own effort.

There are many things needing help.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any question on this basic practice.

Please practice at least two hours every day if possible or as your schedule permits.

The breath should proceed in a natural way.
Never force the breath
Then it will become more feeble and feeble and very soft.
Later you will feel nothing about breath.

At a later stage of qigong practice the breath will stop naturally,
the blood will flow no longer; your heart will beat no more.

All seems to have been dead, for no man knows how many years.

Nothing comes in, nothing goes out.

All comes upon a constant stillness.

Of course, to reach that stage will need a long time of practice.

Nothing forced.

All should be in a natural way.

chart of exercise positions

The first means the first posture; the second means the second posture and so on.

Yes, there is a posture we repeat three times.

Among all the postures, posture 3, 4, 5 are motion postures. Posture 1 is motionless posture. Posture 2 is a medium posture, which means they possess both the nature of motion and stillness.

Only undergoing all of the gradual processes from motion to stillness and from stillness to motion, the vital energy vapor (Qi) can be a healthy one and possess no bias with regard to motion or stillness, or is unprejudiced – such a quality of Qi can be used by patients to cure diseases.

The vital-vapor or Qi that is biased towards one side (motion or stillness) will do harm to human’s health.

I can give you some example of sets of practice for the postures for you to follow:

1,2,3,2,4,2,5,2,1.
1,2,4,2,3,2,5,2,1.
1,2,5,2,4,2,3,2,1.
1,2,3,2,5,2,4,2,1.
1,2,5,2,3,2,4,2,1.

1,2,4,2,5,2,3,2,1.
and so on.

You can choose any one of them. Let it be natural.

Continue the practice once in the morning and once in the evening if possible and never stop. When in practice relax every parts of the body and let yourself feel comfortable; let your heart shine with great beauty, love and virtue.

Be pure, natural and full of virtue.

Put some things under the hip to let the hip be a little higher then the legs. That will let you feel comfortable.

Be comfortable when you sit.

Sitting on a quilt is ideal. Let the spine be upright. Let the tongue press against the roof of the mouth. Teeth lightly closed, breathing very gently in and out through the nose.

Let the heart be pure, shining its light naturally.

At beginning it is very difficult to practice qigong because it is boredom, and sore with the arms and you have no good feeling of Qi. But if you can continue you will feel better and better. So sometime a Qigong teacher is a must for new practitioners who can help them to pass over the difficult four to five days by means of sending Qi into their bodies and advising them to take special herbal medicine that are good for opening up channels and collateral.

The practitioners should pay much attention upon the food they take. The food should not contain too much peppery or spicy element. Most of the food should be vegetable, like Chinese cabbage, soy bean curd, soy sprouts, turnip, and such like which have no strong flavor. Eating very less fat, no dried food, and no food of sweet, cold, raw, very salty nature. Be smart, natural and moderate in the food you eat.

Just lead a simple life. Be pure in your heart. Be virtuous.

Never touch any sex-related materials if possible.

Such as books, magazines, TV programs, etc.

In the first three months of practice this is very important.

Have a moderate and natural sexual life, if possible – having a time of no sex is best for the first 90 days. Do not have excess sexual relations if possible – this is important as the sexual energy is a foundation for the success of building Qi.

Qigong can open up almost all the most tiny channels and collateral which connect the main energetic channels and collateral within the body.

At first it can greatly strengthening man’s immune system. Then using the internal medicine you have gained from cultivation of the Qi, patients can kill all virus and things not suitable for human’s body.

Then the student will possess a new life in every aspect.

You must have unswerving resolution and will power to continue with the practice; otherwise you are advised not to practice because your former efforts will be gone with the wind, in an instant.

Always keep your mind peaceful.

Man’s lifetime is a transient time, much like a soap bubble.

We are much like fish who never know they will die without water.

We always think we are powerful.

We pay much attention to our existence & exhaust our sense organs to indulge in all man-made activities

Therefore we should realize this truth and reverse the course we are traveling in.

Moving in the opposite direction of the common man.

Working daily to cultivate our heart and attain stillness.

Cultivating our Qi for health, harmony and happiness.

Seeking to gain union with the Tao.