Flying Phoenix Chi Kung

[tao stillness]

I was looking over some of my older chi kung testing reports from the Ayurvedic medical clairvoyant, Eric Isen, and how some of them fit my recent desire to do qigong for development of Shen/spiritual/consciousness growth. For Flying Phoenix Chi Kung volume 7, meditation number 4, breathing sequence 60-70-40-5, he found for me: "7th chakra enlivenment and opening with golden light flooding the area. Also, Pineal gland strengthened."

So with those encouraging benefits forecast I quickly relearned advanced meditation 4 last night. If I remember correctly, this one is nicknamed the Waker Upper and should not be done late at night because it creates energy in the brain. Several years ago when I was doing that I verified that is true and lost some sleep. Looking forward to again adding Flying Phoenix back to my daily routine of Chi Kung for health and spiritual development. The Monk Gazing at the Moon position of meditation 4 resulted in very strong sensation of Chi and there is the temptation to keep holding that one before moving on to the next position. But, as usual for Flying Phoenix, the slower you go, the stronger the sensations. This one will now be part of my morning chi kung practice and definitely not late at night. 

[zen-bear]

On 6/11/2019 at 7:14 PM, ridingtheox said:

I am now 78 + and no longer try to do seated meditations with lotus/ half lotus.  Simply find a straight back chair (Shaker chairs are nice).   Do not lean back sit forward on the chair with legs and feet straight forward and separated comfortably.   I believe I get complete benefits from the seated meditations. 

Hi Charlie,

 

Thank you for sharing you experience and advice in doing the MSW seated meditations in a chair instead of half-lotus.  Ever since I started teaching FP Qigong in the early 90's, I've advised students who can't assume the half-lotus or crossed legged seated position to sit in a straight back chair.  that is next best.  And it still imparts full benefits of the MSW series, as you've shared.  The key for successful practice of MSW is (1)  keeping the legs still and relaxed onthe ground and (2) most importantly, KEEPING THE BACK STILL while you perform the natural movements each meditation with total relaxation.  (and keeping the back still and in good vertical postures with crown of the head stretching upward and chin tilted downward ever so-slightly).

 

Good job, And thank you, Charlie.

 

Sifu Terry

[alleswasderfallist]

Hi Sifu Terry

 

I started doing fp qigong once again a few months ago after a few years of not practicing (a very busy few years at that, with becoming a father twice and all.)  I've been practicing volumes 1 and 2, with my practice mostly being centered around doing BTB 18x.  I'm planning to start with volume 3 this evening.

 

I have one question regarding what you wrote above regarding the MSW meditations, i.e.

 

KEEPING THE BACK STILL while you perform the natural movements each meditation

 

When I do the part of MSW 1 or 2 where one raises the arms above head level, I arch my back/lean back slightly, though the shoulders are the primary lifters.  Is this wrong? 

Edited June 27, 2019 by alleswasderfallist

[tao stillness]

Make your learning of volume 3 easier by using the free software media player VLC which allows you to flip the image from the dvd horizontally so that you and Sifu are moving in the same direction. That saves stress from the brain having to figure out left from right and going in the opposite direction of the instructor. VLC also allows you to slow down the speed if you want to in order to see more clearly the nuances of the movements. Plus you can record from the disc and keep the video on your computer with VLC. Makes for less stressful learning experience. Before being told about VLC I discarded some of my qigong dvds because I just could not transpose the movements in my mind in order to follow along. The confusion was too stressful so I just gave up further attempts at learning them. 

[Shiva33]

On 5/19/2019 at 4:10 AM, Benbeastmode said:

So I still have some problems with half lotus after all this time. My legs get a little sore, especially the inside of my left leg, which is something I used to get with TRE (trauma release exercises) and when I have them crossed like that my legs are just tense and I can't relax them. I have to switch it around a few times to try to get a comfortable position and just settle for the best one.

 

Sometimes I get pins and needles in my leg and feet too, it's doable, but still not comfortable after even like 8 months of doing it. Anyone else had this problem?

The Ergo21 Meditation Cushion has helped me sit for longer than 3 other meditation cushions that I have tried. It's a flat cushion with pockets of liquid on top of foam. A bit expensive at $127 (excluding shipping), living in South Africa this is expensive for me at least. Their thin shoe insoles are also nice. I fold a little wool blanket and put it under the cushion to give a bit more elevation at the back.

https://www.ergo21.com/meditation-cushion/

 

 

Edited June 28, 2019 by Shiva33

[Astral_butterfly]

It has always been my understanding that alterations to the "self" are multi-dimensional.

 

It has been five months since the re-start of regular practice for me, and I have watched my life transform before my eyes.

Some fundamental erroneous beliefs have been dismantled and I feel as if I am emerging from mental incarceration.

I have now internalised some truths regarding the way I want to live my life and I am finally emancipating myself. 

Before, I would implement changes because my head told me to, even if my heart did not understand.

Now the two seem to be in synch. I still maintain firmly that had it not been for my practice, I would not possess this clarity.

 

I am also happy to say that my dream incubation ability has been re-activated. I am able to consult and draw results.

I am getting many environmental confirmations and echoes of my life situation, what I normally call synchronicities, so I know I am on my true path. as Nelson Mandela said, it is a long walk to freedom!

 

I would like to hear from other practitioners who feel that the practice of FPCK has mobilised events and ignited a deeper connection with their life path.

[tao stillness]

To Deltrus and others looking to mirror any Flying Phoenix videos for learning. The easiest and quickest way is to play the video in your computer by using the free VLC software download and go to the dashboard to select Tools, then press video effects, then press geometry and then check the transform box and check flip horizontally and then check save and you will then have a mirrored version playing. As it plays in mirrored version press the red record button and you will have it stored in your VLV library under My Videos and it will play in the mirrored format. Before someone on here posted about VLC I used to have to put my laptop screen in front of a mirror to try to learn new qigong forms. It was too much work having to reach over and press pause so many times that it prevented me from learning so I would just put away the dvd. But with mirroring it is now easy to learn.   

[centertime]

Hi!

I would like to ask about disk volume 5..

What are those good for? What is their effect? When are they recommended?

What do they enhance?

 

[Earl Grey]

18 minutes ago, centertime said:

Hi!

I would like to ask about disk volume 5..

What are those good for? What is their effect? When are they recommended?

What do they enhance?

 

 

They are good for people short on time, and with a good foundation of the first few volumes, you will feel how powerful they are alone. 

 

The effect was mentioned earlier in this thread, which you can search, in which Tao Stillness posted what Eric Isen found when reading the effect on him personally. How it will affect you also is different in subtle ways that only Eric Isen can read.

 

Do them as often as you like.

 

The fifth meditation was also mentioned to not be Flying Phoenix, but actually from Bat Din Gum, or Eight Sections of Energy Combined, a martial system. 

[zen-bear]

20 hours ago, centertime said:

Hi!

I would like to ask about disk volume 5..

What are those good for? What is their effect? When are they recommended?

What do they enhance?

 

Hello Centertime,

 

The first four standing exercises on Vol.5 are Flying Phoenix meditations that further cultivate the distinctive healing energy of this art.  The fifth meditation is a basic meditation from an internal martial art called "Eight Sections of Energy Combined," which has very nice energy balancing and manifesting effects in the hands.  Because these 5 execises take on the average only about 90 seconds to practice, as Earl Grey mentioned, they are ideal for those pressed for time.  For best results, they should be practiced after one has gained proficiency in practicing all the meditations in Volumes 1 through 4.  The more established one's practice is of Volumes  1 thru 4 (thus having developed good body mechanics and familiarity with the FP Healing Qi), the more profound, powerful, and beneficial the Vol.5 meditations will be.

 

But as a stand-alone practice, doing the 5 meditations on volume 5 repeatedly--i.e.  3 or 4 times each, will take you across the threshold of tangibly feeling the FP Healing Energy.  It doesn't matter if you repeat the sequence of the 5 FP meditations as presented on the DVD four or five times, or if you practice the first exercise four or five times, and then do the second exercise 4-5 times, and then do the third exercise 4-5 times, etc.

 

I often spend an entire two-hour session during my present 3-day (22 hour) FP Qigong workshops teaching practice of nothing but the Vol. 5 meditations. 

 

Just do it!

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

[tao stillness]

I am really glad to see this explanation of Volume 5 of FP because I think it seldom gets mentioned on this thread but from the testing done on these quick and easy to learn meditations by Eric Isen I consider them to be very important because of what they actually do for you. I already shared that in a previous post which Earl Grey referred to. The timing of this recent question is perfect since I recently have had the inner voice prompting me to go back to Volume 5 and often would wonder if it would be OK to do multiple repetitions of them. Interesting how the Universe can sometimes respond to your individual concerns. It might be time to repost Eric's test results for those meditations along with the disclaimer that all qigong practices do not necessarily produce the same exact effects on each practitioner. Eric literally sees that Chi is an energy guided by its own intelligence that tells it where it is needed to go in the body and energy bodies. It does not require mental direction to try to steer it to a specific location. It knows where to go and what to do when it gets there. 

[Cosmic Soldier]

I've practiced chi kung for 30 years or so. I've practiced a little of Flying Phoenix  Volumes 1 & 2 though not on a consistent basis. I would say I am experienced in chi kung but not in FP.

 

I fancy starting a regular FP practice and I've really been drawn to Vol 5. It also fits in nicely with my time constraints and gives me the opportunity to have longer sessions by repeating the 5 meditations. I genuinely feel that this would be a great way for me to start a regular FP practice.

 

With that being said, is there an issue if I start regular practice with Volume 5?

 

 

 

Edited August 9, 2019 by Cosmic Soldier

[Earl Grey]

1 minute ago, Cosmic Soldier said:

With that being said, is there an issue if I start regular practice with Volume 5?

 

 

No issues at all. Pick up and play with the forms and volumes (though you may enjoy Volume 7 more if you have a foundation in Volume 2, but Sifu Terry can respond better).

 

One member, ridingtheox, started with Volume 4 before doing the earlier volumes and he was just fine. 

[phil]

I just watched a few of the Long-Form Videos on Youtube,

this one I liked the most, because it seems like he feels the energy and moves in accordance to it.

 

 

[Cosmic Soldier]

On 07/12/2017 at 8:23 AM, zen-bear said:

No.  the last Meditation on Volume 5 is done "one round of the pre-choreographed movements with one breath-control sequence."  If you want to do multiple rounds of the movements, preface each round with usual 3 deep breathes plus the breath control sequence  (80 70 50 40 30).   And then count your self out of the meditation after one round of movements with 3 deep breathes. 

 

Does this also apply to Vol 5 Meditations 1-4 as well?

Would I  do the breath control sequence and  then count myself out for each repetition of  meditations 1 - 4 if I chose to do multiple repetitions?

[Earl Grey]

4 hours ago, Cosmic Soldier said:

 

Does this also apply to Vol 5 Meditations 1-4 as well?

Would I  do the breath control sequence and  then count myself out for each repetition of  meditations 1 - 4 if I chose to do multiple repetitions?

 

It specifies in each exercise. The seated meditations from basic meditations 1-3 have their own number of minimum repetitions while the MSW series is 7 repetitions.

 

If you don’t have the DVDs it is best you watch them first because these are answered there and also in this thread multiple times.

[Cosmic Soldier]

On 07/08/2019 at 6:39 AM, zen-bear said:

But as a stand-alone practice, doing the 5 meditations on volume 5 repeatedly--i.e.  3 or 4 times each, will take you across the threshold of tangibly feeling the FP Healing Energy.  It doesn't matter if you repeat the sequence of the 5 FP meditations as presented on the DVD four or five times, or if you practice the first exercise four or five times, and then do the second exercise 4-5 times, and then do the third exercise 4-5 times, etc.

 

@Earl Grey

 

Sorry for the confusion, I may not have been as clear as I hoped to be. I'm only referring to the Volume 5 exercises. I have the DVD's and I was referring specifically to the above comment made by Sifu Terry.  I went through Volume 5 and couldn't find the answer.

 

If I repeat the sequence (Exercises 1-5) a number of times it would make sense to repeat all the breathing sequences for each of the exercises.

 

My question is would I repeat the breathing sequence if I repeated each exercise a number of times and then moved on to the next exercise?

 

For example: 

1. Breathing sequence --> Exercise 1--> Count myself out --> Repeat 3 or 4 times --> Move on to Exercise 2.

or

2. Breathing sequence --> Exercise 1--> Repeat 3 or 4 times --> Count myself out --> Move on to Exercise 2

Edited August 11, 2019 by Cosmic Soldier

[Earl Grey]

1 hour ago, Cosmic Soldier said:

 

@Earl Grey

 

Sorry for the confusion, I may not have been as clear as I hoped to be. I'm only referring to the Volume 5 exercises. I have the DVD's and I was referring specifically to the above comment made by Sifu Terry.  I went through Volume 5 and couldn't find the answer.

 

If I repeat the sequence (Exercises 1-5) a number of times it would make sense to repeat all the breathing sequences for each of the exercises.

 

My question is would I repeat the breathing sequence if I repeated each exercise a number of times and then moved on to the next exercise?

 

For example: 

1. Breathing sequence --> Exercise 1--> Count myself out --> Repeat 3 or 4 times --> Move on to Exercise 2.

or

2. Breathing sequence --> Exercise 1--> Repeat 3 or 4 times --> Count myself out --> Move on to Exercise 2

 

Let's get this straight: 

 

Breath control sequence -> Exercise -> Closing Breaths. 

 

You do each exercise as one sequence and then close. 

 

If you want to do more, you repeat the above. It will look like this:

 

1: Breath control sequence (3 breaths, 70 40 30 20) 

2: Exercise

3: Closing breaths

 

4: Breath control sequence (3 breaths, 70 40 30 20) 

5: Exercise

6: Closing breaths

 

7: Breath control sequence (3 breaths, 70 40 30 20) 

8: Exercise

9: Closing breaths

 

It is as though you were doing multiple repetitions of Wind Above the Clouds, NOT multiple repetitions of Bending the Bows.

[Cosmic Soldier]

@Earl Grey  Got it. Thanks for taking the time to answer this. Its appreciated.

[tao stillness]

This answer was very helpful and it makes sense that is how the repetitions are supposed to be done. It takes the guess work out of the equation. One less thing to worry about if we are doing it the right way or not. 

[zen-bear]

I'm glad that everyone has gotten the correct procedure for practicing the Volume 5 standing FP meditations in repetition.

Thank you very much for Earl Grey for his nice clarifications in his post above.  'couldn't have done a better job myself!

 

Enjoy the practice of the 90-second Meditations on Vol.5

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

[zen-bear]

Hello again to all Daobums and FP Qigong practitioners:

 

Four days until my next 3-day workshop teaching Taoist Elixir Method Qigong: The Basic 31 Exercises of Tao Tan Pai, a rare and powerful Taoist monastic system of hygienics created during the Tang Dynasty by Taoist Immortal Lu Deng Bin and impeccably preserved across 24 generations.  Besides being a  powerful stand-alone alchemic Qigong system, Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung  also happens to be a fantastic foundational catalyst for FP Qigong training (--but not the other way around.)

 

There are six levels to the Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung system. Only the first level, the Basic 31 Meditations,  is safe and appropriate for publication and mass consumption--i.e.,  use by beginners without background in Chinese martial arts. All the other levels of TTP Nei Kung require commensurate mastery of Kung Fu. I learned Tao Tan Pai Kung Fu and Nei Kung from 1976 until 1983 at the Taoist Sanctuary of Los Angeles and Taoist Sanctuary of San Diego from Sifu John Davidson, senior student of Taoist priest Share K. Lew.  I learned the Flying Phoenix Qigong, Eight Sections of Energy Combined, and 10,000 Buddhas (Ascend to Heaven) Meditation System, and White Tiger Kung Fu from GM Doo Wai from 1991 to 1997.  (I started studying Yang style Tai Chi Chuan in 1980 from Master Abraham Liu, a senior student of Prof. Cheng Man-Ching and retired general officer from the Chinese Nationalist Army (who was the oldest of all the students in the Taiwan cadre that Prof. Cheng taught in the 40's and 50's)...and I continue to study this style of Tai Chi Chuan to this day under GM William C.C. Chen who started studing Tai Chi Chuan with Prof. Cheng when he was a teenager.)

 

 

Edited August 13, 2019 by zen-bear

[zen-bear]

And speaking of Tai Chi, the video posted above (last Saturday at 4:26 a.m.) by "Phil" of Master Alan Byar's practice of the FPHHCM Long Form Standing Meditation (from the Vol.4 video) is interesting and good quality Tai Chi, but it is not proper practice of that capstone FP Qigong form-- for  many reasons.  Master Byar's Tai Chi form and body mechanics is excellent and I'm sure he is an excellent instructor of Tai Chi.  But he is using the  choreography of the Long Form Standing Meditation to demonstrate his Tai Chi principles--and not doing FP Qi cultivation. 

 

I'll quickly point out the primary and most obvious reasons why his practice is not to be emulated if a practitioner is interested in deriving the optimal healing benefits from FP Qigong--and doing it sooner rather than later:

1.  First, this Long Form Standing Meditation, along with every other FP meditation except Monk Gazing At Moon (60 40 20) is done with the eyes closed.

2.  the speed of movement in performing this meditation, is, as I've explained over the past 9 years, done at a speed that is 3x slower than Tai Chi form practice.  And done slower and slower and ever more slowly--so as to approach the speed of a shifting sand dune.

3.  Breath control sequence.  One cannot tell from the video whether Mr. Byar performed the priming breath=control sequence or not.  This is a subtle point:  but to me, it doesn't appear that he has done it because as most FP practitioners know from experience,  the instant that FP Healing Qi is mustered by the (90 60 5 50 40) breath control, one's body changes and relaxes into allostasis, and one moves very slowly and languidly..

 

4. ** Incorrectly performs several postures and transitions in the  classical FPCK choreography, especially from 4:14 until the end of the form (where he does each transition incorrectly, defeating and negating the purpose of the original posture and movement).   For example, at 3:15, as Master Byar starts the 5 passes of forearm blocks with palm facing him, the angle of his elbow is too obtuse (should be closer to 90 degrees

 

***Just these two prime instructions alone--eyes closed  while moving 3x slower than Tai Chi speed-- comprise about 5/8 of proper practice of any of the FP moving meditations in the system.  I would explain that the other necessary 3/8 of the total secret behind FP Qigong pracrtice is to do each of the postures and transitions between postures exactly per my instructions and demonstration on the Volume 4 DVD.***

 

While Mr. Byar's Tai Chi  form and what I call body mechanics are excellent, he has transferred his Tai Chi facility and instincts to doing the FP Long Form Standing Meditation with his eyes opened and is moving too fast to attain optimal cultivation of the FP Healing Qi.  If you practice to this video, you will develop very good Tai Chi form/body mechanics;  but you will NOT be practicing Flying Phoenix Qigong properly and will be grossly missing the boat (alchemic method)  in terms of cultivating the FP Healing Qi...and it will take you  longer to attain the health benefits--or experience the manifestation of the BLUE FP Healing Qi-- that so many practitioners have reported on this thread over the years.

 

Everyone who has martial arts or qigong  background established prior to starting FP Qigong training carries some of their habits and instincts into their FP training.  But to practice FP Qigong at all, one must hold fast and adhere to doing the breath control sequence at the start, do all of the moving meditations in the FP System with eyes closed, and do them at the slowest speed that they can possibly manage.  It is not a matter of just doing the Form with good Tai Chi principles.

 

As Sifu Garry Hearfield  a couple of years ago:  Both the Sunn Yi Gung and FP Qigong meditations have hints of martial techniques and comportment  in their longer moving meditations.  However, you do not project energy with a martial intent beyond the extremities in any way--i.e. beyond your forearm, hand and fingertips.  This capstone exercise is not a martial art form;  it is a purely healing moving meditation.  

 

Bottom Line:  Join the "Over 40-Plus  Minute Club"--the network out there of FP practitioners having contests to see who can do the FP Standing Long Form more slowly than anybody else.  "Ridingtheox" is one charter member, I know.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

 

Edited August 13, 2019 by zen-bear

[immortal phoenix]

On 8/11/2019 at 8:09 AM, Earl Grey said:

 

Let's get this straight: 

 

Breath control sequence -> Exercise -> Closing Breaths. 

 

You do each exercise as one sequence and then close. 

 

If you want to do more, you repeat the above. It will look like this:

 

1: Breath control sequence (3 breaths, 70 40 30 20) 

2: Exercise

3: Closing breaths

 

4: Breath control sequence (3 breaths, 70 40 30 20) 

5: Exercise

6: Closing breaths

 

7: Breath control sequence (3 breaths, 70 40 30 20) 

8: Exercise

9: Closing breaths

 

It is as though you were doing multiple repetitions of Wind Above the Clouds, NOT multiple repetitions of Bending the Bows.

 

We dont wait a few minutes before starting the next meditation? Sifu Terry says that the 3 ending breaths get degraded if you do the next meditation breath control sequence immediately after doing the ending breaths:

On 8/16/2010 at 9:26 AM, zen-bear said:

WTM,

Good that you're getting nice energizing effects within first 2 weeks of practicing just the warm-up meditations.

 

But adhere to the discipline of stopping each and every meditation you do with the 3 deep breathes at the end. If you go back into the mediation immediately afterwards, you will degrade and eventually nullify the de-hypnotizing and normalizing function of the 3 terminal breathes, which is an essential safeguard in the FP practice and all the internal systems of the Bak Fu Pai system.

 

Because if the ending breaths get degraded the "engine" will be always running:

On 2/8/2010 at 2:09 AM, zen-bear said:

***The one safeguard ever FP practitioner needs to observe is to practice in a quiet and totally secluded space where there is no danger of any person or thing running into you or disturbing you with loud noise while you're in the FP Qigong posture(s). this is because the FPCHCM system so sensitizes the integrated mind-body that if someone does get hit or even if a sudden loud noise interrrupts--that could damage your internal energy on a very deep level.***

On 7/25/2013 at 7:41 AM, zen-bear said:

I wrote very early in the thread that all the FP Qigong exercises must be done in a quiet and secluded environment totally free from sudden physical contact/impact or loud noises or of course noxious smells. The FP Meditations especially the seated MSW meds. all highly sensitize the body so that all sensory input is amplified and felt more acutely through the nervous system. Just a telephone ring next to one can disturb one's internal energy. Too loud a sudden noise that causes a severe start or an unexpected physical impact can damage the subtle flows of internal energy. Everyone finds out for themselves in some way how much the FP Meditations sensitize the body and makes it vulnerable to concussive sounds and the like.

 

I was wondering if there are any negative effects for ending the meditation too early? One time i was doing the breathing sequence for Monk Holding Pearl and as i was doing the very last part of the breathing sequence (after exhale 10% and full inhale, the full exhale through the nose) something came up and i had to end it with the 3 ending breaths. Ive since moved to doing FPCK earlier so it does not happen again.

[Earl Grey]

13 hours ago, immortal phoenix said:

 

We dont wait a few minutes before starting the next meditation? Sifu Terry says that the 3 ending breaths get degraded if you do the next meditation breath control sequence immediately after doing the ending breaths:

 

Because if the ending breaths get degraded the "engine" will be always running:

 

I was wondering if there are any negative effects for ending the meditation too early? One time i was doing the breathing sequence for Monk Holding Pearl and as i was doing the very last part of the breathing sequence (after exhale 10% and full inhale, the full exhale through the nose) something came up and i had to end it with the 3 ending breaths. Ive since moved to doing FPCK earlier so it does not happen again.

 

At no point in my response did I indicate the timing to do it immediately or wait a moment after--that is what the practitioner determines how long is "too soon" or "soon enough" and Sifu Terry will clarify as necessary. I simply gave the order of actions, not the timing. 

 

As for negative effects for ending a meditation too early: as said on DVD Volume 1, if you end too early, it isn't effective, but there isn't any damage. As far as I have seen, it's like doing five pushups in a day as opposed to a minimum of 25--you will see little or no impact, but you have done something. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by Earl Grey