Haven't posted in a long time, in spite of practicing, so I wanted to check in and share some of my experiences.
I started FP in June of last year, following the training regimen on Sifu Terry's website. I've continued and worked my way through the 2 intermediate forms, practicing every day with a few exceptions. I should add that I went ahead and bought volume 7, the advanced MSW, and have practiced those alongside the beginning and intermediate forms. I haven't started the long form or anything from volume 5.
So all together, I've been practicing regularly for about 10 months. April 1 is when I will begin practicing the long form every day, and I must say that I'm really looking forward to it! Here are some random observations, in no particular order:
Sifu Terry said in the beginning to find the particular meditation you were drawn to and practice it first. For me, this was the 3rd MSW warmup. I still do that any time throughout the day I just need to get out of my routine and breathe a little bit. I guess I've done that one more than any of the others.
On a couple of occasions, I have experienced the visual sensations of blue light against my closed eyelids others have talked about. One time I got the distinct impression I was looking at a blue ball of fire hovering over the surface of water. It was quite beautiful, and I must confess I've probably spent too much energy wishing for more conspicuous signs like this one.
The 50-20-10 MSW is indeed great for sleep! When I practice that one very slowly, I sleep amazingly well and wake up with an almost sensuous feeling of being blanketed in vital energy. This often lasts well into the afternoon.
Moonbeam Splashes on the Water is out of this world. I don't know how else to describe it. With all of the meditations I've learned, the first few times practicing it were slightly awkward, and then around the 4th time I would "find my groove." Then, it was easier to slow down, and the moves would kind of do themselves (to borrow a phrase from another poster). But Moonbeam took that to another level entirely. The second time I did it, it was like time slowed down. The moves were just so smooth and effortless, it was like the meditation was doing me (keep the snickering to a minimum, please).
This is going to be a strange comparison, but the effects of Moonbeam are almost like a drug. I've had no experiences with drugs in my life, other than a prescription painkiller I was given after surgery several years ago. I was researching the effects of the drug class (it was an opioid), and the wikipedia page said that one of the reasons people became addicted to them was that they produced "an intense feeling of well-being." And when I took them after my surgery, I understood what they meant. Thankfully, I've had no need for any more surgery, so that feeling of "intense well-being" was repeated for the first time while I was practicing Moonbeam. It felt like a drug. I became acutely aware of my circulatory system, and imagined some strange new chemical process working its way through my veins and arteries. If I become addicted to this shen gong, I'm happy to consider myself an addict! Moonbeam produces feelings in me of peace, bliss, altitude, and just a sense that everything is perfect exactly as it is.
I haven't read the past couple dozen pages of this thread, but I'm looking forward to taking some time tonight and catching up.
Special thanks again to Sifu Terry and Doo Wai for making these available!
