Axe

Wow, thank you Sifu Terry for answering in depth. I just realized, I made it sound like the tension made me quit (especially by mentioning quitting right after mentioning I had a big concern). Also, I shouldn't have written "sleeping was troublesome". I meant to write that sleeping time was one of the two instances where the concern was more than an inquisitive sort of question on my mind. I think the time it took me to go to sleep was very nearly the same with or without an instance of compulsive breath monitoring. It's just that the very short time could be one of letting go and pleasurable relaxation, or one where I'd feel myself be unnecessarily chored. As for sleep, I saw positive effects from MSV 1 and 2. I think one thing that helped to generate doubt was that I read in the thread that doing the form without the breath control sequence would dilute the effects of the practice. With walking, I was worried I might have felt the contrast because of losing the effects. I was searching just now, I found something else that I think I had read, though I don't recall having it on my mind: I have to say, I didn't think that erratic breathing, unless it's not erratic breathing but actually a full copy of the breath control sequence plus three full breaths, has no connection with what we do in the meditation! I mainly tried to make do, brushing aside the doubt knowing that everyone was fine so several erratic breathing instances everyday were fine. This still left the doubt whether it might be fine with more because of a vicious cycle. Well, your answer really took care of the doubts! I think I'll start practice after a few weeks when it gets cooler (plan to get my AC fixed before next Summer).

Thank you Sifu Garry, You've got the overthink part right: I do have slight OCD tendencies. I think I should have tried to talk about this before. I think the problem is how I react to a little doubt that I have regarding breathing and FP energy outside practice. I'm not sure what would happen if a person unintentionally took a percentage breath (or exhaled without filling the lungs). I mean, when we take our percentage breaths during practice, the energy just keeps on flowing even while we take many normal breaths after them. I'm not sure how much of a role this plays, but I'm also not sure what happens when we imagine how we were practicing in a practice session. With the doubt, there's pressure and tension at times to remove the uncertainty. Hopefully I just need to know what's the real picture for accidentally stirring FP energy, and be assured why there is no need to worry about my breathing.

Hello, I've got a big concern whether inadvertently being conscious of my health is detrimental to FP cultivation. Unfortunately I had to quit around May*, so I'm trying to recall what I was experiencing. I remember that sleeping was troublesome at times. I used to be breathing fully and then I'd get thoughts about being careful not to breath partially and stir up energy by taking percentage breaths. That made me feel burdened to have to monitor my breathing and I would feel tense. Taking brisk walks could also become troublesome. I'm not sure if my monitoring was making me breath intrinsically detrimentally: the difference between the natural breathing walk and otherwise was dramatic. I think one was a fun experience while the other felt like my body faced a little increased burden. Maybe I just felt that since normally I would be relaxed when walking, so the contrast was greater. I don't recall how good I was at trying to just forget about my breathing. I think one thing that was working for me was thinking in the following way: "It doesn't matter at all however you breathe for a short time. Just don't mind how you're taking your breaths so you forget about trying to breath right. That is the way to save yourself from having to monitor your breath for a long time, possibly erring at times." I've been thinking about restarting the practice recently, but I've started to get a lot of tension because of the monitoring tendency. I've actually recollected what worked for me now; maybe I just really need to set it into practice. Regarding the bit about not minding wrong breathing for a short while: I think that maybe 1 out of 10 breaths was actually an interrupted breath in the more intense monitoring periods. I think I felt frustrated wanting to break the monitoring by "restarting" breathing. Should we actually be really carefree? I mean we take percentage breaths when we have to exclaim etc. Is is best to just simply be thinking: "Doesn't matter at all how you're breathing now. If you're regularly trying to forget about breathing, you are moving towards breathing perfectly." Thanks * I had been practicing Vol 1 and 2 for more than a month and my Air Conditioner broke down. I thought I'd get it fixed rather than practice in a room with distractions but after a week I thought it was too late and I'd restart in early winter and keep going after that.

I started the FP standing meditations a few weeks ago. I don't feel soreness at the end now, so I've been thinking about doing more than the 5 minute "absolute minimum". The thought of having to go without the video (except for the warmup) has been holding me back I guess. Increasing the time for the static meditations is simple, but what about the other two practices? Should we go even slower? Is it actually the case that we can go much much slower than in the video? Do we actually increase the repetitions for Bending the Bows, and even for Wind Above the Clouds? I just started the seated meditations today. Would it lead to imbalance if I did more standing and only followed the video for the seated ones (need the sitting video as I'm still learning them). Oh I just remembered an important question. Are the sitting meditations just done right after doing the standing meditations? Is it good/necessary to do closing after FP practice? From another thread, I'm using this video: mZOqPwSl2EE&feature What do we do in "Standing Still and Looking Backward"? Do we move the eyes maximum left and right several times trying to look back, or try to visualize we are standing 180 opposite, or just try to visualize what's behind us?

Oh, I just found an answer to whether the seated meditations are just done after the standing ones while searching (I tried searching before, didn't just go ahead and read the Flying Phoenix Chi Kung thread as it is too long). It seems that it doesn't matter. Still I'd like to know if it is ideal to do them right after. Concerning this and otherwise, is it the case that the standing meditations are more for building chi and the seated ones are more for circulating it? This is important to me as I think I would be doing the seated ones more because of semen retention (I just heard that (maybe) standing meditations in general are for increasing chi). Also, it seems that it isn't a great idea to do one of the practices later in the evening as it may cause a little insomnia: I think I'll try to start reading this thread. Maybe once I read the whole thread I should post again there and this one should be deleted as it doesn't have a descriptive title (diferent from the main thread).

Which one do we do first in a sitting? In Secrets of Love Master Mantak first teaches TB, but after reading the section on bringing the energy to the head in chapter 8 I realized that SC is to be done first isn't it?

"Relax and feel a deep smile shining through your eyes" sounds intimidating to me. It would be good to gather imagery of genuine smiling. I have a lot of time on my hands, just finished watching Yu Yu Hakusho. Long series with much character development (rather than movies or series with shallow characters) would be wonderful, but not anime or cartoons. Long story about the no anime preference, however a series involving physical/spiritual training would be even better.

Thank you Craig for the e-book. Bringing attention to the heart I was able to sustain a feeling of warmness. I am pleased with this start.

Hi Craig, You inferred correctly. I was brought to a halt as I was reading about the inner smile as you saw in the Videos that help with the inner smile? thread. I'll probably be making more threads after I search around. I was looking towards Chi Kung since I thought it would immediately start off with physical exercises that would reduce tension. I looked at the benefits of the inner smile and opening the orbit, so I guess I'll stick with the three sexual exercises and try to get going with the inner smile. By the way, the review was about another book called ISCK with P. L. Simmonds as a co-author apparently: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Shirt-Kung-Mantak-Chia/dp/1594771049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288007889&sr=8-1

Power Lock I believe. In Secrets of Love it says that chi kung increases the speed of progress and compliments the sexual practices. One review of Iron Shirt Chi Kung says: '"Bonus" materials include exercises to enhance structural alignment and microcosmic circulation are also included.' But it says: "This book is an essential reference for advanced practice, and I recommend every advanced Chinese internal MA practitioners should get a copy. However, it is definitely not a book for beginners." I heard praise for Eight Brocade Pieces on the board; should I look into that instead?

I forgot to mention, I've started doing the Power Lock exercise to make use of the potent nocturnal and morning chi. It's probably the sole cause of the increased pressure. The potential of semen retention is really what's keeping my motivation and spirits high. My currently poor concentration just reminds me every time I do TB that its going to take so long to get anywhere significant, to be able to properly bring attention to the centers and distinctly feel the energy flow. I sense immediate effects from SC. Besides, one of my main objectives is to develop health and vitality. The bottle neck in trying to practice TB more is the concentration demand. I get tense after the exercise and need a break. Even after being tense from doing TB, its easy for me to do a few compressions, and it actually helps me take that break. Besides, the book says that physical activity is good for balencing the energy. So, it doesn't matter which one we do first in a sitting? I guess SC after TB is best for me. Besides, immediately after SC I feel like taking a walk and playing outside.

Hello, I just got introduced to Taoism by Master Mantak Chia's books Taoist Secrets of Love, and Awaken Healing Energy Through the Tao. I had read about semen retention a couple of years ago thanks to Gnosticweb (now Gnostic Awakenings I believe), but totally gave up seeing that I wasn't making any progress eliminating egos and am still unmarried. I think that, at least partly, I looked for the book because of a Tao quote that said one can very rapidly build vitality and health from semen retention. I am surprised to learn that one immediately starts trying to raise the energy from the sex organs. This is in contrast to what Gnosticweb taught: only sexual union for raising the energy (otherwise only sublimation). Even more than boosting health and awareness, my objective is to try and rapidly progress with the inner smile. I am easily irritated; in the long run, I hope I get to live a superbly excellent moral life. Right now I am quite tense when I try to meditate in the Secrets of Love exercises. I haven't even started to check out the microcosmic orbit.

Thanks very much for the quick reply. Yeah, I got a slight headache, tension and pressure two days ago, but I'm glad for the sign of progress. Haven't started feeling the energy directly at all (or even getting easily detectable movement) in the TB, but I feel clear and refreshed after SC. Maybe the negative symptoms were there or agrivated because of flu. I haven't started anything with the orbit, but today I did the venting exercise for high blood-pressure. I felt less tense and rather refreshed after that. Do you mean in a sitting, or that SC ought to be started when one starts feeling the energy directly (after having developed a little proficiency with TB)? Sorry, just wasn't sure.