chi developing exercises

What are the best ways to develope chi awareness, chi power or heat and the ability to sense the chi of others
Meaning, what ways or exercises work for each of you the best.

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My my what a question! There are about as many qigong schools and styles as there are years that the whole subject has been around for. And that's just the major ones that have made it through to the west.

I can't really answer your question as though different exercises were better for different ends (awareness, power etc.) Very often they all come about from the same exercise - and if not then they come about by doing an exercise with slightly different emphasis. Different speed say, or intention. Deep down breathing as opposed to normal full breathing etc. Actually, most of the simplest (and hence hardest to muck up and thus muck up yourself) exercises don't do that sort of tweaking - just practice and you'll get there. Oh, and by the way, there are no real short cuts (as long as you're practicing a legitimate method of course.) In the end, it comes down to time and effort.

Here are a few exercises that get the job done:

standing (but which posture - letting the hands lie naturally by the sides, beware letting them become dead and lifeless though - holding a ball, either at chest, lower dantian, or head height, or you can do all three in order from top to bottom. There are lots of others)

sitting (but which posture - hands on knees, back straight on a hardish seat, back supporting itself i.e. no leaning back on a rest)

lying down (yes seriously)

Practice the opening movements of you style of choice very very slowly (finish by doing roughly the same number of reps of the ending form - rule holds for most styles)

Practice the whole form slowly and fluidly


Just breath naturally - slow even and full (but not to excess or letting tension develop). Don't try to do any particular visualisations. If you're doing a moving exercise, get swept up in the rhythm of the movement. If you're doing a static exercise, get swept up in the rhythm of your breathing. With all, the chinese saying "neither ignore nor encourage" applies as to any feelings of qi that you get. In other words don't get fixated about what you're feeling now - or conversely always try to "get back" that great sense you got last week. Just note what's going on and let it continue to do so without your medelling with it.


Of course, there are lots of other exercises, and lots of other legitimate methods of specific breathing, use of the intension etc. However these are best sensitvely practiced under direct observational instruction. That way there is no danger of you doing yourself a disservice.


Which is more powerful/ quicker then the simple or the complicated with breathing patterns etc Actually, they both get to the same place in the end, in pretty much the same time scales. The rate of progress isn't always constant though.


All in all, go with what you are sure you can do safely. Be honest as to how much time you can spend practicing, and try to make what time you have as good as possible (the smarter not harder principle)

These are just a few thoughts of someone who has only a little experince. It's a vast area, and the only way to find out what lies within is to spend the time practicing

best of luck with it all

RT

You said it all really.

Just for example here's my routine "daily".

Warm up.
Wuji Stance
Taiji Stance
Holding Ball at Lower Dantien
Holding the Baby
Playing the Lute
Holding up the Sky
Lifting Water (Taiji opening/closing)
Warm Down/Shake out.

For about 10+mins each, you will feel like you just ran a marathon. I do these then relax for 10mins, warm up and do form practise. First few times i really did my back in so be careful, it's amazing how much work just standing still is. Ciao.

“	If you think youre blood tastes salty then wait til i p!ss in your eyes. Margaret Thatcher	”

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SHJ

I'd have to agree with the comment about how tiring just standing can be. Not that I can stand yet. 5 years practice and I can't stand properly! Oh well, maybe in ten years time I might be learning how to walk!

RT

Thanks for the response's guys. I quess I was not clear in my question, I just wanted to know what the favorite exercises of each individual are and what seems to work best for each individual person.
I do know that what I do works for me, just curious about others.

__________________
The heart is the same as heaven and earth
visit www.fuzzydragonmartialartssupplies.com

Sorry for getting the wrong end of the stick (though maybe that info will be of interest to someone sometime).

Here's a typical practice for me at the moment:

Warm up breathing exercises, warm up meridian stretching exercises (if working with a partner, include as extra/ instead of pushing hands warm up drills)

Standing set (wuji posture, holding ball at chest, embrace heaven, crane floats down, holding ball at lower dantian, wuji posture). Names don't really matter - it's enough to say that it takes the arms and energy up and over and down, whilst opening up and freeing the meridians, connecting to the earth etc. Each posture held for about 16 breaths each

Open and close dantian (variation). Variation on the theme of open and close the three dantians which is a very good opening balancing and cleansing exercise that I would prescribe for imbalances in medical qigong. Standing posture holding a ball at lower dantian. As breath in, feel ball expand and push hands away. As breath out, feel ball shrink and hands drift back in. Try to arrange it/ let it naturally happen that each time you breath out the hands are a little bit further out than they started. Repeat for a total of 16 breaths. Now when breathing out feel the hands drift back in a little further than when they started on the in-breath - you'll feel a definite thickening/ progressively more dense qi as you move your hands in. Stop when the pressure equalizes and feels comfortable. Repeat for 16 breaths untill hands are back where they started.

Guide qi back to dantian: standing posture, inhale as you bring your hands up to head height, fingers poitning at eachother, palsm facing upwards. Turn palms over and "express" downwards as exhaling. Repeat 8 times.

These are just general preparatory and regulating exercises. Also good for building up power, a "solid" feeling of qi and eventually the stillness and balance to feel the qi of others.

Next, BaGua form practice:

Some or all of: circle walking, single palm change, double palm change, practicing all of form, learning/ going over most recent part of form, power/ striking drills, specific exercises based on personal weakness at the time (dragon back, serving tea cups etc)

Pushing hands practice again: either now or after the standing qigong - I vary it so I can get use to and better feel the different sorts of qi "feel" I get after the exercises (standing - solid, BaGua - vortex, whirling). Stress on body alignment and balance, and let the wi flow naturally (though every now and again I get a bit tricky!)

Ending forms: maybe standing, breathing exercises, meridian stretches, circle walking and ending form ...

Practice lasts for at an hour plus. At the moment that's about 3-4 times a week. As of next monday it becomes everyday in the mornings.


As I develop with the standing exercises (ie. once I actually can stand), I plan to wind down this element of practice (it'll still be there, just not as much) and go deeper into the circle-forms of bagua

just an idea of the sort of thing I'm doing. Just on the feeling the qi of others thing - once you can really feel your own, are balanced, and quiet of mind, then you will also naturally be feeling that of others. I do a bit of medical qigong here and there (emitting-qi, tuina massage, exercise prescription) and have been fairly succesful with it too. I end up doing some little thing or other about twice a week I wouls say. Mostly minor - sprains, headaches, tension and the like - but occasionally more interesting.

It's quite important to get balance in your practice - shape a session with warm ups and cool downs just as you would an exercise session. That way you will avoid deviations of headaches after practice, not being able to get to sleep etc.

Always practice commensurate with your skill.
Practice hard and honestly

...and you'll get there. That;s what I believe anyway

all the best

RT