Tingling in hands/first chi experience...

[agentofchaos]

When I was roughly 11 (I'm now 23) I read about chi energy for the first time and immediately became hooked on learning more about this phenomenon. I subsequently learned a little about meditation and visualizing chi so as to move it around. Being young and impatient I wanted results immediately, so without learning any real techniques other than the little knowledge I acquired, I began trying to meditate while visualizing chi flowing from my dantien to my hand, just to see if I could feel something and prove to myself this was something that actually existed. To my surprise, every time I'd do this, almost immediately I'd feel a tingling slowly building in whichever hand I was focusing the chi to. At first I assumed it had to be some coincidence, but then the tingling would dissipate when I stopped focusing and start up again any time I focused my chi there. As amazing this was for me, and as much as I wanted to believe there was this supernatural power within us all, I was still always skeptical that what I was feeling was actually chi and not just something else going on or my mind playing tricks on me (like a placebo effect cause I wanted it so badly to be real).

 

It wasn't until one night that I sat alone in my bedroom after my family was asleep, lit a candle in front of me, and decided I was going to clear my mind of thoughts and focus as long and hard as I could without stopping, on my chi flowing to my right hand (or left I can't recall), because up until that point, being only 12ish, I had never successfully meditated and any of the other times I'd tried focusing my chi to my hand, I couldn't keep up continuous focus and visualization for very long, so I'd stop not long after the tingling started. So I sat there trying my best to think of absolutely nothing but my chi flowing from my dantien to my hand, as usual the tingling began. I kept focusing. The tingling was becoming stronger as I continued visualizing, slowly but surely. After a while (I couldn't tell you how long anymore as it was so long ago) as I struggled to keep my focus, the tingling was starting to become intense, unlike before it was unmistakeable, it felt almost like the intense pins and needles you get when your hand has been asleep for a while, but not painful, just intense tingling. As I pushed on the intense tingling turned to an intense deep vibration. My hand was literally vibrating, like no part of my body ever has. By that point I had no question in my mind of what was going on. I was as excited as I was freaked out, and this excitement quickly put an end to my focus, I had proven to myself the tingling wasn't something in my head, but that it was of my own doing, so I stopped visualizing the chi to my hand. Still feeling deep vibrations resonating in my hand, my mind was blown away, my heart started racing in excitement at what I had just done (being 12 years old it had felt almost as if I just discovered I had super powers) I was utterly convinced of the power of chi. Till this day I haven't managed to feel my chi (if that's what it was) that strongly again, I still get tingling when I focus my chi, but I haven't focused as long and hard on doing this since that night. For years after I didn't really do any meditation or anything chi related until recently, although it's always been in the back of my mind. Now I meditate for health reasons (I had a type of bone cancer for a couple years which hasn't been back since I finished chemo a couple years ago), and I try not to just focus my chi somewhere for the sake of feeling it.

 

My questions are, first, does this make sense to you guys? I mean was this truly my chi I was feeling? (although even if you say no, I can't imagine what else it would have been). Also since then I've learned more about chi, and I know now that chi can be dangerous to play with, but is what I described something that could be dangerous? And is visualizing your chi moving somewhere in your body without a proper method always hazardous? Lastly, when you focus your chi to a body part, are you draining your chi, or does it all stay in your body?

 

Anyway thanks for listening to my story, I've actually never told anyone the full story cause people usually think I'm full of it when I talk about it.

[That Guy]

dont worry about being full of it with that story, theres much more extreme stuff around

Wish I could help you, but I can't really.

So any real practitioners out there got an answer for this man? I know its a wall ofd text hes written, but its an entertaining read, make an effort

[fiveelementtao]

All good questions... My answer is Yes and No... Yes, Chi follows intent. So if you intend for your energy to flow to your hand, it is possible to make it happen. Second... No. The tingling sensation or any other sensation you feel is not Chi. It is your body reacting to Chi. Sometimes reactions can mean there is alot of energy in that spot. Chi reactions may also mean there is a blockage in that area. In any case, personal sensations can be subjective and deceptive. Ideally, even though sensations of Chi are fun, they are not the ultimate goal. It is the knowledge of what you are doing with the Chi that is important.

 

On one hand you have achieved alot by being able to sense your energy and move it around and on the other hand, you haven't accomplished much because the important thing is to know what to do with the energy once you've summoned it in order to effect a lasting and healing transformation.

 

You're 23, now, so you're old enough to start a real practice. My suggestion is to follow through and find a teacher who can guide you through an established practice that can have real and lasting effects.

There is some danger in playing with energy in that if you do happen to awaken alot of chi, it is important to know how to safely close down your process so that you don't get energy stuck somewhere or as you pointed out, have the energy simply "leak out."...

Good luck,

Mike

[soaring crane]

5 Elements already gave you your answers but I want to add something. The more want something, and the more you focus on getting it, the faster it's going to slip away. The best thing to do is learn a good Qigong system from a good teacher (the good ones are humble and they smile a lot), just do your meditations and your exercises, forget the sensations, don't focus on anything but happily perfecting the Qigong. The proper results, the ones you need, as opposed to the ones you want, will occur all on their own.

 

Edit: Something else: regarding Qi itself, think of it as a superfine substance, not some form of "energy" or bioelectricmagneticquantumhoopla or whatever. Just call it Qi, understand that it functions like water, it's always there, everywhere, condensing and expanding, breathing, always transforming, moving, animating, living... and your Qigong experience will have a better quality to it. I promise

Edited December 20, 2009 by soaring crane

[agentofchaos]

Thanks for the responses, I'd never thought of it that way fiveelement, that it's just my body reacting to chi. I do hope to get a Qigong teacher eventually, for now I'm just working on getting some meditation done every day. Although I would be curious to know what chi actually should feel like now, or is it different for everyone? Not because my goal is to feel it, I'm just interested to know. Thanks again for the help guys.

[Stigweard]

Though it is the bright color of a flower that attracts the bee, it is the nectar that sustains it.