change of character? (help?)

Sphinx · #1 (**permalink**) September 21st, 2005, 01:30 AM

Greetings.

I started learning hsing-i some time ago, and lately have been having some issues, while usually the meek silent type, I seem to be becoming more agressive, hotheaded, quick to jump to conclusions ect. I am also having trouble resting, and often awaken violently in the middle of the night. After calling my instructor, I discovered these symptoms are sometimes triggered by the Chi useage in hsing-i. Can anyone tell me more about this? any information or suggestions would be gladly appreciated.

/Sphinx

openmind · #2 (**permalink**) September 21st, 2005, 01:45 AM

What else does your instructor say ? If he/she teaches the use of chi, he/she should be able to train you to expend any excess chi you might accumulate during training. I would assume...

Sphinx · #3 (**permalink**) September 21st, 2005, 02:05 AM

my apoligies, I should have mentioned my instructor has gone to china for 8 months, so after that short call, I don't have a way to contact him for awhile, so was hoping to get some information here.

openmind · #4 (**permalink**) September 21st, 2005, 02:20 AM

“
What is chi?
A simple answer would be to fall back on its literal translation of "cosmic breath," some type of universal lifeforce. Other authors have done so. But I found as I read various works on feng shui that I remained an observer, not truly convinced of the existence and nature of such an energy force. I also discovered how difficult it is to either understand or describe the belief systems of other cultures. So I had to find a way of reconciling the concept in terms of what I was familiar with in my own culture. I had to go back to my upbringing in a Christian faith to look for a parallel concept.
I struggled for a bit, for I was raised as a Catholic, and often misled in the tenets of my faith. But I stuck with it and rediscovered the concept of grace. Somehow, I had acquired the understanding that grace was a gift from God, withheld unless you asked for it and deserved it. Mixed in with this was the admonition that you had to go to Confession once a week, whether you thought you had to or not, because only Jesus was perfect and without sin; no one could go a day, let alone a week, without sinning. And the only time you were in a "state of grace" was during that short period after absolution and before you sinned again. (I add a caveat that these were the conclusions of a ten-year-old boy; who knows what the nuns were really trying to teach.)
Forty years later, I went back to the theologians, and discovered I’d taken a left turn somewhere. Grace is indeed a gift from God, but it is readily and immediately available, with no conditions, except that you have to be willing to accept it. Grace truly abounds, and it is ours to accept or reject. It is like flowers in a meadow; you can pick them or mow them, but you don’t have to ask for them and no one is going to take them away. (There may be a difference between God’s grace and God’s favor, the latter being a conscious intervention by God on our behalf. That’s another theological discussion.)
As I began to see grace as an always-present spiritual force from God, a force of spiritual refreshment and nourishment, I began to better understand the concept of chi as a lifeforce or energy, inanimate and indiscriminate, separate from any Chinese notion of a supreme being.
What follows is my understanding of chi. It is not necessarily exactly what ancient or contemporary Chinese believe, but rather a personal reconciliation with the concept.
Chi is a natural force in our environment, just as magnetism, electricity, or the movements of water and wind. Although some writers talk about good and bad chi, chi is neutral, neither benevolent nor malevolent. As with other natural forces, environmental conditions determine whether chi is helpful, neutral or dangerous. (Grace would be considered always neutral, becoming helpful only when accepted. Rejection of grace does not place one in danger from grace, so much as makes one susceptible to other spiritual dangers.) Some authors talk of differences between chi coming from different compass directions, but I prefer to think of any chi as being the same, with the impact on us and other life forms modified by environment, including direction.
Theologians have argued whether grace is available to all life forms, generally concluding that it is available only to humans. Chi, however is available not only to all life forms, but to all objects. As such, I like to see it as the essential lifeforce that comprises and sustains all life, and infuses all objects with a spiritual energy. We tend to think of life as a spark within us that remains until we die. Chi suggests that that life energy exists inside and outside of all things, that living things are able to tap that energy for spiritual sustenance, that the life energy within us needs nourishment just as much as our bodily structures need food, water, fertilizer. (Grace is a spiritual nourishment; if we reject it, do we whither and die spiritually, and what does that do to our bodies?) Just as we find ways to capture water, or to grow or gather food, feng shui is the practice of manipulating our environment to capture and consume chi, while protecting ourselves from the harmful effects of chi out ofcontrol, much as we build dams to control floods or plant windbreaks to slow strong winds.

So what does chi do?
The chi within objects can influence and be influenced by the chi of other objects and by free-flowing chi. The practice of feng shui involves balancing the influences between objects and opening ourselves and our surroundings to a gentle refreshment of our inherent chi. In a future article, I’ll discuss the influences between objects. This article will focus on the nature and manipulation of free flowing chi.
A gentle flow of chi brings spiritual, psychological and physical refreshment, good health, good fortune, harmonious relationships. Turbulent chi is spiritually, psychologically and physically unsettling, bringing a sense of confusion, discomfort, even physical nausea. Strong, directed chi can be battering, bringing ill health, bad luck and discord. Stagnant chi brings a sense of malaise, a stagnation of the soul.
A major component of feng shui is designing our surroundings with the intent of smoothing or blunting the flow of chi, bringing chi into and through stagnant areas and fending off or diverting forceful flows.

The nature of chi
How does free-flowing chi "behave?" Chi is a natural force quite similar to wind and water. Its movement follows the same patterns, although what chi uses as channels may be somewhat different from river beds. It may be difficult to understand those channels, but I find it difficult to understand how high and low pressure areas form in the atmosphere, affecting wind patterns, and why the jet stream shifts (or even why there is a jet stream). A little chi is beneficial; too much (or too little) chi can be destructive, leading to ill health, bad luck, and problems with relationships. In the garden, it can lead to poor plant performance, disease and insect problems, and an uncomfortable "feel" to the garden.
Chi tends to flow downhill, following paths of least resistance. It tends to flow along borders and lines on the landscape. It seeks openings and exits in spaces. If trapped, it stagnates.
Over open areas, chi flows gently and smoothly. When terrain steepens or when an object in the landscape focuses chi's direction, chi's speed and impact increases. Straight lines, such as road, borders, roof lines, or a tall tree, are straight lines that will direct chi energy. Gentle curves and irregular borders break up and slow chi energy.
When chi enters a space that has a confused path through it, or has only one exit, it tumbles upon itself, creating unsettling turbulence.
”

http://www.bmi.net/roseguy/fschi.html

This is all my search turned up so far...

**Mei Hua** · #5 (**permalink**) September 21st, 2005, 07:21 AM

“	Originally Posted By: Sphinx Greetings. I started learning hsing-i some time ago, and lately have been having some issues, while usually the meek silent type, I seem to be becoming more agressive, hotheaded, quick to jump to conclusions ect. I am also having trouble resting, and often awaken violently in the middle of the night. After calling my instructor, I discovered these symptoms are sometimes triggered by the Chi useage in hsing-i. Can anyone tell me more about this? any information or suggestions would be gladly appreciated. /Sphinx	”

Try to find another instructor knowledgable about chi/chi kung in your area and ask them, you could be having an improper flow due to blockage or misdirection, if that turns up nothing talk to a DR. sometimes when we're ill it effects how our chi is opperated and managed.

GreatBear · #6 (**permalink**) September 21st, 2005, 07:40 AM

hehehe, kinda sounding like my little problem with chi recently. I suggest relax a bit, leave the chiqong for a week or so then start up lightly again.

li xiao long · #7 (**permalink**) September 26th, 2005, 07:16 AM

Personally I think that blaming your aggression, temper and hot-headedness on improper chi flow is just crap.

Why not first look to yourself and consider why you're doing xing yi in the first place? Perhaps it is because you are inherently angry, temperamental and hot headed? Perhaps its is hormones? Perhaps its your age and inexperience talking? Or perhaps, its just nightmares?

Blaming chi is silly. Just like me saying "the voices told me to do it"

Not cool.

**Mei Hua** · #8 (**permalink**) September 26th, 2005, 07:35 AM

“	Originally Posted By: li xiao long Personally I think that blaming your aggression, temper and hot-headedness on improper chi flow is just crap. Why not first look to yourself and consider why you're doing xing yi in the first place? Perhaps it is because you are inherently angry, temperamental and hot headed? Perhaps its is hormones? Perhaps its your age and inexperience talking? Or perhaps, its just nightmares? Blaming chi is silly. Just like me saying "the voices told me to do it" Not cool.	”

Hmmm, really?
I'm surprised that you haven't heard how chi can in fact play a part it the body's chemistry being out of alignment, and effect other things.
I'd suggest researching it , you'll be surprised what you find out, I've seen it a few times with various people.
But since you obviously know such much more and are so much wiser...

li xiao long · #9 (**permalink**) September 26th, 2005, 02:06 PM

Why blame something on something else which cant be proven?

Oh yea, god made me do it. The voices in my head, no THEY made me do it. No hang on, mi'lord, it was my chi!

And for the record, I wouldnt say im wise - in fact far from it. However, I am a realist, and why blame on something which cannot even be proven yet, rather than more real, and more obvious answers, such as too much caffeine or sugar?

LXL, keeping it real.
Westside!

Sphinx · #10 (**permalink**) September 26th, 2005, 02:39 PM

“	Originally Posted By: li xiao long Why blame something on something else which cant be proven? Oh yea, god made me do it. The voices in my head, no THEY made me do it. No hang on, mi'lord, it was my chi! And for the record, I wouldnt say im wise - in fact far from it. However, I am a realist, and why blame on something which cannot even be proven yet, rather than more real, and more obvious answers, such as too much caffeine or sugar? LXL, keeping it real. Westside!	”

li xiao long:

I appreciate some skepticism on the forums, it helps keep thing grounded. However, Chi is as real as you or I, whether you choose to belive it or not. Being a man of facts as you are, let's look at those. I'm am extremely dedicated to my arts, as I do not eat processed foods in any form, it is very unlikely that too much caffine or sugar could be the problem. Yes, I have seen a doctor and have had quite a few tests done. According to western medicine, I'm in great shape, mentally and physically. As such, and as these symptoms are common in incorrect chi useage, especially in santi training, it seems like a logical explanation to me.

Cheers:
/Sphinx

li xiao long · #11 (**permalink**) September 26th, 2005, 03:03 PM

being in great shape physically doesnt mean to say you are mentally dude.

And just because a doc doesn't classify you as being insane or having a diagnosable problem, doesnt mean to say you wont have one!

If chi is real, prove it?

**Mei Hua** · #12 (**permalink**) September 27th, 2005, 12:20 AM

“	Originally Posted By: li xiao long being in great shape physically doesnt mean to say you are mentally dude. And just because a doc doesn't classify you as being insane or having a diagnosable problem, doesnt mean to say you wont have one! If chi is real, prove it?	”

Interesting comments from a Xing Yi practitioner, do you not follow the internal aspects of the IMA's? Or are you just a sceptic by nature?

And just to let you know, Western medicine has proven the existance of chi, try a little research instead of typing _______________________.(fill in blank with your choice of comment, insult, etc etc etc.)

openmind · #13 (**permalink**) September 27th, 2005, 01:18 AM

denial is the first stage.........Chi is real........you need to attend a CDA(Chi deniars anonymous) class, get a sponsor (internal instructor) and follow the twelve step program....see you in 28 days...

**RobT** · #14 (**permalink**) September 27th, 2005, 03:23 AM

Hi Li - how's the training?

===
On the agression front, actually Li's suggestion of taking a good look at why you are studying the arts is a good one. Ask yourself why you react certain ways during training/ when you respond inappropriately. Know thyself and all that.

Oh, and do simple standing practice ... no intention, just stand in a decent "standing post" stance and let the mind follow the breathing. In and out.
RT

Sphinx · #15 (**permalink**) September 27th, 2005, 12:24 PM

"If chi is real, prove it?"

Prove that it isn't.