Flying Phoenix Chi Kung

[Chaos Goddess]

On 5/4/2025 at 9:24 AM, Jeankes said:

While looking for a new qigong training, this Flying Phoenix really caught my interest and I would like to get started with it. However, is it normal that I cannot find the training as online videos instead of DVDs? None of my computers or laptops have a dvd drive. Although I have a PlayStation, I can’t move it away from the tv that’s mostly occupied by another family member. 

You can buy an external DVD/CD player for your laptop or computer. It's what I do for my Mac & PC laptops. I bought that works with PC and Mac off Amazon. Best Buy and alike probably have it to.

[Jeankes]

 

On 10-5-2025 at 9:11 PM, Chaos Goddess said:

You can buy an external DVD/CD player for your laptop or computer. It's what I do for my Mac & PC laptops. I bought that works with PC and Mac off Amazon. Best Buy and alike probably have it to.

 

I didn't want to go that way, but they do seem to be pretty cheap these days  thanks for pointing it out!

 

You've conviced me. I've placed my order for the first two volumes of FP (and an external reader) 

 

 I'm REAAALLY looking forward to this type of Qigong practice.

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

On 08/05/2025 at 8:22 AM, daobro said:

I’ve been avoiding the Sleeper on Vol 7 (50 20 10) because it knocks me out too hard — I’ll sleep 12 hours and be groggy in the morning. Does anyone else have a similar experience?

I haven’t had this experience with it before!

[DanC]

Don't see alot of people talking about flash meditations, just curious how often people do them who have got to Vol 5....

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

23 hours ago, DanC said:

Don't see alot of people talking about flash meditations, just curious how often people do them who have got to Vol 5....

I do them once a day 

[DanC]

4 hours ago, -ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- said:

I do them once a day 

Ok awesome, I've only got Volume 1&2 and that's going to keep me going for a while... Through your FPCHCK practice have you started to get feedback from certain meditations, eg. some impact energy, focus, mood, mental clarity etc etc

[DanC]

Question regarding MSW#1...

 

When forming the flat triangle and bringing the hands upwards to just above 45 degrees, is it ok for the tips of the middle fingers to make contact on the way up and down ??

 

Thanks

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

On 16/05/2025 at 8:11 AM, DanC said:

Question regarding MSW#1...

 

When forming the flat triangle and bringing the hands upwards to just above 45 degrees, is it ok for the tips of the middle fingers to make contact on the way up and down ??

 

Thanks

Yes

[zen-bear]

On 5/14/2025 at 3:13 AM, DanC said:

Don't see alot of people talking about flash meditations, just curious how often people do them who have got to Vol 5....

The Flash Meditations on Vol. 5 work better if one has done all the FP Standing Meds. in Volumes 1, 3, and 4 first...and has the Volume 4 Long Form memorized and feeling its fine benefits.  I like to do them in the evenings very slowly--the first 4 meditations on Vol.7. Then I do one or two of seated MSW Mediations on Volume 2 or 7  before going to sleep (--except of course, you NEVER want to do the last med. on Vol.2 (90 80 50 20) at night--if you any intention to sleep!)

I remember that around Year 2 of this thread, someone posted that the Volume 5 meditations were like "bon bons".  They may seem like that to the uninitiated trying them for the first time without having mastered the preceding standing FP Meditations.  But if one has steadily worked through Volumes 1, 3, 4 and established all of the Meditations, when you get to Volume 5 meditations, you will FEEL their effects like nuclear longevity pills (tan).  

 

GM Doo Wai taught the " Fei Feng San Gung" ("Flying Phoenix Spiritual Power/Cultivation" ) system  to  me and my L.A.  cohort (from 1991 to 1998) in exactly the order as they are presented in the DVD series.  In fact, the last meditation on Vol.5 with (80 70 50 40 30) is NOT an FP Qigong exercise--but a primer meditation for Bat Din Gum (8 Sections of Energy Combined, a legendary martial Qigong system that GM Doo Wai said repeatedly was "more rare than the Do Do Bird"),   Out of respect and in reverence to his teachings, I placed that BDG meditation at the end of Vol.5 because that's when he taught it to me and to only two others in the learning circle.

 

All that is to say that the none of the five  meditations on Vol. 5 are "bon bons"!   LOL.

Enjoy your practice and stick with it.

 

 

Sifu Terry

 

ttps://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

terencedunn.substack.com

Edited June 6 by zen-bear

[zen-bear]

On 5/16/2025 at 1:11 AM, DanC said:

 

 

Edited May 23 by zen-bear

[Jeankes]

I started following along the exercises of the first volume, but I have a question on "the breathing speed" at the beginning of each exercise. Is it essential that it's about the same speed as presented or can it be done a bit slower. To me it feels like rushing through the first three deep breaths and its hard to keep up with the percentage sequence afterwards .

Edited May 28 by Jeankes

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

5 hours ago, Jeankes said:

I started following along the exercises of the first volume, but I have a question on "the breathing speed" at the beginning of each exercise. Is it essential that it's about the same speed as presented or can it be done a bit slower. To me it feels like rushing through the first three deep breaths and it’s hard to keep up with the percentage sequence afterwards .

It can be slower

[Jeankes]

1 hour ago, -ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- said:

It can be slower

ok, thanks!

[zen-bear]

On 5/28/2025 at 2:30 PM, Jeankes said:

ok, thanks!

Correct.  The speed of doing the breathing formulas can be slower that demonstrations on the DVD series.  But breathing must be totally relaxed and diaphraagmatic, natal breathing.  And silent  One should not hear air moving through your passages.

Also, the first 3 priming breathes should be full breaths--as long as you can do comfortably and silently.  I explained in the first year of the thread that these 3 breathes set the 100%  scale that you then use to do the following various percentage exhalations of each meditation's formula.

 

Enjoy your exploration of FP Qigong.

 

 

Sifu Terry

 

ttps://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

terencedunn.substack.com

[DanC]

Just read an interesting quote that made me think of "Flying Phoenix Celestial Healing Chi Kung...

 

"Meditation isn't just a spiritual tool - it's a rhythm, a code".

 

Breath percentages being the codes that open different energy flows..

 

[Annnon]

Hello, Terry and everyone!

 

I'm curious about mixing systems with FPCK, how far can I go? Or I can't?

 

Practices like Zhan Zhuang and Spring Forest Qigong, these seem very basic forms and everytime I asked they said it can be mixed safely with ALMOST everything.

 

But I think it's a good idea to ask here.

 

I can do FPCK in the morning and ZZ+SFQ in the afternoon, but let me know if it's possible.

 

Thanks in advance!

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

10 hours ago, Annnon said:

Hello, Terry and everyone!

 

I'm curious about mixing systems with FPCK, how far can I go? Or I can't?

 

Practices like Zhan Zhuang and Spring Forest Qigong, these seem very basic forms and everytime I asked they said it can be mixed safely with ALMOST everything.

 

But I think it's a good idea to ask here.

 

I can do FPCK in the morning and ZZ+SFQ in the afternoon, but let me know if it's possible.

 

Thanks in advance!

The only way to find out is try. Just leave a few hours in between to be safe 

[BigSkyDiamond]

I have started doing the first 5 standing from  Flying Phoenix.  After the DVD set which i ordered arrives (6 volumes total), then I will begin adding seated movements from Vol. 2).  This long thread has been and is an excellent source of information.  I have read sections which came up when I did Google searches on line, but now I am reading the entire 241 pages straight through from the beginning.  It is a great resource and has answered many questions which have come up for me.    I am at page 34  (out of 241 pages).  

 

Previously i did Zhang Zhuang for a few years but i would always end up with sore back and shoulders when i did it in 30-minute stretches, which resolved when i took a break from doing it. Shorter sessions were fine 15 or 20 minutes.  And some positions were fine (Wu Ji and hands in front of lower abdomen).  Wu ji for 30 minutes was no problem and it has always felt the best to me.

 

What's interesting is that in the one week so far that I have been doing Flying Phoenix standing, and it contains some similar postures I recognize, I have been able to do it for an hour with ease and no soreness afterwards which is quite pleasing to notice.  When i did it for 75 minutes (all 5 postures) it was too much but not in terms of soreness in back and shoulders.  It just felt like too much in my system.  So i scaled it back to 60 minutes for all 5 together in a row.  And that feels really good.  The one time i felt like it was "too much" was also when i did it first thing in the morning, so I am not doing that.  I have moved it to a mid day slot for practice.  And keeping Zhineng qi gong for my first thing in the morning practice (about 70-90 minutes).  I also do Zhineng in the evening.

 

For the standing postures in Flying Phoenix, one resource says do them one at a time and gradually add more each week or 2, but i also saw on this thread that Sifu Terry Dunn said do all 5 together in a single session and that really appeals to me and feels really good.  So I am going to keep doing that.  Even though I have not yet received the DVD yet for the first 5 standing, there is an interview with Sifu Terry Dunn where he explains the breathing; and the breathing sequences for the five standing are on line, plus there is a video from someone who trained with Sifu Terry Dunn detailing each of the first  five standing; plus the wealth of information provided in this thread.  So i feel safe and equipped to do those five standing for now.  Plenty to work with there.

 

 In the past I also did BaDuanJin which felt more like physical exercise but not much else.  I did not develop a feeling of ease with it.  Nor did i see improvement in for instance being able to drop lower in the horse stance. And when i read on Dao Bums  (i had done a search on line for "pain after doing qi gong") a brilliant post which for me was a light bulb moment of insight, the post said simply "maybe a different type of qi gong would be better for you, maybe try a different  qi gong like _____" and then people chimed in with different types of qi gong.  It felt so good to be able to put down what had become honestly a chore that felt like it wasn't getting me anywhere.  

 

So I am now quite happily practicing Zhineng and learning Flying Phoenix.    Qigong is dear to me  (literally got me out of a bedridden state in 2019 when nothing was working and there was much despair) and will always be part of my daily life.  I am happy to wake up once again wanting to do the practice, and also seeing benefits and improvement.  

 

Edited June 6 by BigSkyDiamond
clarify wording

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

On 05/06/2025 at 11:09 PM, BigSkyDiamond said:

plus there is a video from someone who trained with Sifu Terry Dunn detailing each of the first  five standing;

 

Glad to hear it’s going well! Which video are you talking about here?

[BigSkyDiamond]

8 hours ago, -ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- said:

 

Glad to hear it’s going well! Which video are you talking about here?

 

Thanks Pak Satrio.  While waiting for the Flying Phoenix DVDs to arrive, please can someone confirm this is the order for the first five standing.  I want to be sure to do them in order, since my understanding (reading this thread!) is that more effectively builds the energy.  This is the order I am doing them and i definitely feel it building successively and cumulatively within the session.  When I do Bending the Bows 18 times (a post on this thread mentioned that) it turbo charges everything.  By the time i get to Wind Above Clouds, one time doesn't feel like enough and i really want more.   But that could be because by the end of the practice session (60 minutes) it feels so pleasantly charged.  

gazing at moon

bending the bows

holding peach

holding pearl

wind above clouds

 

i will send you by message the link I am using, it is a set of 3 on you tube.  He mentions Terry Dunn as the sole source at the beginning of video 1.  Thank you.

Edited June 7 by BigSkyDiamond

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

17 hours ago, BigSkyDiamond said:

 

Thanks Pak Satrio.  While waiting for the Flying Phoenix DVDs to arrive, please can someone confirm this is the order for the first five standing.  I want to be sure to do them in order, since my understanding (reading this thread!) is that more effectively builds the energy.  This is the order I am doing them and i definitely feel it building successively and cumulatively within the session.  When I do Bending the Bows 18 times (a post on this thread mentioned that) it turbo charges everything.  By the time i get to Wind Above Clouds, one time doesn't feel like enough and i really want more.   But that could be because by the end of the practice session (60 minutes) it feels so pleasantly charged.  

gazing at moon

bending the bows

holding peach

holding pearl

wind above clouds

 

i will send you by message the link I am using, it is a set of 3 on you tube.  He mentions Terry Dunn as the sole source at the beginning of video 1.  Thank you.

Hi Diamond,

 

If you look at the exercises on Vol 1, Monk Gazes at Moon, Monk Holding Peach and Monk Holding Pearl would be the “zhan zhuang” equivalent for Flying Phoenix, collecting qi in the Upper Dantian, Middle Dantian and Lower Dantian respectively. 
 

Bending the Bows would move the qi gathered into the conception vessel and governing channel, and Wind Above the Treetops would move the qi out to your head, arms, and legs. Think about the movements and where the hands are placed over the body and it will make sense.

 

So once you understand this, try doing:

 

Monk Gazing at Moon (5+ mins)

Monk Holding Pearl (5+ mins)

Monk Holding Peach (5+ mins)

Bending the Bows (x18)

Wind Above the Treetops (x1)

This way you will begin the session by gathering qi to then move it around your body afterwards.

 

You may also do more than one repetition of Wind Above the Treetops but you must do the breathing pattern, opening and closing breaths between each repetition. 
 

Let me know how it goes.

 

 

 

 

 

[BigSkyDiamond]

On 5/5/2011 at 10:19 AM, zen-bear said:

Bona fide healers and spiritualists use a wide variety of tools to dispense their work. The "water fu" is but one used by Chinese energy healers.  But in terms of cultivating profound and lasting good health, the most powerful, practical, and certain means I know of is to practice the Flying Phoenix Qigong in a group. For FP practitioners reading this thread who can gather together in one place, I suggest exploring this potential. It will yield very interesting results. While FP Qigong is powerful and effective to any practitioner, all my students in Los Angeles find that group practice is more powerful, somewhat easier, and more facilitating than individual practice.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

This is consistent with what I have learned from a number of different practices, and I use it regularly.  My understanding is that even when I am practicing alone, I can tune into, connect through intention, with the "group" for this benefit.  So I will now try this with my Flying Phoenix qi gong practice.

 

I remember when I was taking final written exams prior to graduating from the program for health care practitioner.  I was overwhelmed with the memorization and quantity and detail of the vast material covered that we were expected to know to prepare us for state licensing after graduation.  (The hands on portion was also demanding, but i had far more confidence and ease in that arena.)  Anyway in discussing this with one of the instructors (I was trying to postpone taking the exam because i felt miserable and unprepared and sure to fail.  We were allowed to postpone  but were penalized by having our grade reduced significantly.  And we had to pay a bunch of extra money too.) Well the instructor when i told her i needed to delay due to not being prepared, she spread her arms wide and looked all  around the room (we were in the room where the written exam would be given, and where every year the students took the comprehensive written exam), and she said "The answers are in the very air of this room.  Take the test.  Pluck the answers out of the air, the tables, the desks, the walls."  So i took the written exam and was astonished to pass. And with a decent grade to boot.  It worked.  A different instructor had said "take the test anyway, even if you are unprepared, you know more than you think."  But what struck me deeply and stayed with me was connecting with the answers in the air.  "wow this stuff really works."

 

(Interesting to read about the "water fu" also.  It sounds like what I know of as infusing water with the hands to create an elixir for this or that purpose through intention.  I am familiar with that from attunements which I have received, but not in a martial arts context.)

[BigSkyDiamond]

which brings me to another topic I am wondering about.  I don't have the exact post at hand to link to, but in this thread it was about "internal" qi gong only being learned if someone already has training or background in the martial qi gong.  Other vigorous physical activity was mentioned also (hiking biking climbing etc).  I need to find the post to read again what it says exactly but it raised questions for me.  It something about doing the "internal" qi gong only without the other could have not good consequences.  My only physical activity is walking every day and my only interest in qi gong is for healing, medical, and religious development.  So i wanted to hear more on that and ensure that Flying Phoenix qi gong is safe for me and determine (hopefully confirm) whether it is a good fit for me or not.

 

My background and training has been entirely in healing modalities.  Licensed health care practitioner, hands-on practice with clients for many years, including craniosacral therapy, and shamanic practices (which were not publicized or discussed in the mainstream clinic where i worked but were part of the work i delivered and clients would often say something like "whatever that was, it worked the best").  So sensisng and working with the body at that level is my interest and focus.  I no longer work with clients, but actively pursue healing for self-development, medical, and religious cultivation.

 

i would like to hear more on this, and i will try to find the post also.  Thank you all!

[Turnip]

Don’t mix two systems that both have a “heavenly” energy source. I have made that mistake and it f’d me up. I was told by a teacher after the fact to always wait at least three months between practicing different systems that utilize higher energies. If it’s just physical postures and movement that’s fine though.

 

“If you are looking for water in the desert, it is no good running around endlessly digging shallow holes. Choose any reasonable place and if you dig deep enough you are sure to find water.” Mouni Maharaj

Edited June 8 by Turnip

[BigSkyDiamond]

5 hours ago, Turnip said:

Don’t mix two systems that both have a “heavenly” energy source. I have made that mistake and it f’d me up. I was told by a teacher after the fact to always wait at least three months between practicing different systems that utilize higher energies. If it’s just physical postures and movement that’s fine though.

 

Thank you Turnip for the in put and insights.

 

I could use some help in understanding and discerning between the different types of qi gong I have heard mentioned:  medical qi gong, martial qi gong (that one I get, it is for fighting), spiritual qi gong, internal qi gong,  and now with post above heavenly energy source.

 

When it comes to motivation reason intention for doing qi gong, then that part is clear and easy for me.  My reasons for practicing qi gong are:  medical, healing, health, and religious (I don't use the word spiritual but that's just me).  But it is not yet clear to me what category of qi gong a certain type is (except for martial, that one is clear, and not on my radar at all).

 

So I could use some help in clarifying that, I don't want to engage in any types of qi gong that may be contra-indicated.  The two types of qi gong I am practicing and learning are:   Zhineng qi gong and Flying Phoenix qi gong.  They both are described as "meditative" which in my understanding puts them in the category of spiritual  (religious in my parlance).  They are both done eyes closed (a few exceptions).  And I do them both for the same reason motivation intention goals.

 

But since they are different schools (not sure that is the right word) I do not mix them, and I separate them apart in the day.   Would you say that they are both heavenly energy source (from post above) and so not do both? Thank you for help and insights in my understanding and evaluating this. How do I know determine figure out if a qi gong type is "heavenly energy source"?   I have a healthy regard and respect for paying attention to contra-indications.

 

 

edited to add earlier posts found; this answers some of the questions i've asked

ahhhh, here is information from p 41 of the thread from Sifu Terry Dunn, identifying Flying Phoenix qi gong as

medical / healing

spiritually transformative

 

 

On 11/22/2011 at 1:08 AM, zen-bear said:

Again, for all readers of this thread: Flying Phoenix Celestial Healing Chi Meditations is purely a medical/healing Qigong with a very distinct, spiritually transformative flavor, as reflected in its Chinese name. Its energy cannot be used for martial purposes. As Fu-dog just nicely summarized at day 72 of his 100 day practice, FPQ is a most subtle, sublime and yet powerful and fast-acting healthful, self-healing practice. As such, FP Qigong if practiced regularly and correctly will provide an excellent health "safety net" or insurance for anyone training in an internal martial art like Bak Mei or Burning Palm.

 

 

and this from page 236 of the thread, it confirms that Flying Phoenix is a "heavenly energy source" qigong

 

On 9/28/2024 at 4:25 AM, -ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- said:

Let me try my best to explain. First of all the full name of Flying Phoenix in Chinese is “Fae Fung Sunn Gung” which roughly translates to “Flying Phoenix Heavenly Healing Meditations”. The origin story of Flying Phoenix qigong is that in 1644 the Taoist monk Fung Doe Duk from Emei mountain was taught this qigong from a Goddess, and that the energy we use in this qigong does not come from us, but from Heaven. This is what would be called the “spiritual source progenitor”, as we learn through practice to access the energy from this source.

 

 

(still working through reading the entire thread from start to finish, up to page 42 of 242.  I'm also working backwards from page 242.)

 

Edited Monday at 04:39 AM by BigSkyDiamond
split into two posts; added historic post