Mixing different Gongs

[ChiChi]

I have given up my other spiritual practices to follow the Way yet am wondering if it is wise to mix different gongs. I have been practicing different forms and nei gongs to see which resonates with me but am feeling perhaps it is too much chi and want to stay grounded and healthy. Any advice on practicing is greatly appreciated.

[XieJia]

Dear Chichi

 

I might not be able to advice you on this matter but would like to give you an opinion/perspective.

 

I do think the principles of different ways will ultimately leads to the same goal.

I do think that there's a need to keep the form pure for the future generation for much lessons and hidden meanings and realization are hidden into those forms and as the respect to the founders.

 

However there's nothing preventing you from experimenting to see what is the most natural for you.

 

XieJia

[The Observer]

Pick a path that works for you and follow it diligently.

[markern]

What are your practices? It is generally wise to choose one core practice and focus on that. However, there are some practices that can be beneficially added to most other practices with little risk of energetic mix ups. Inner smile, shamatha, VIpassana, Zen, Regular standing meditation, tai chi and Secret smile are practices that in general rarely give people problems if praticed alongside something else.

[adept]

From my personal experiences over the years I believe that a mixture of:

 

1. A moving qigong or neigong practice or martial art form.

2. A standing practice.

3. A sitting meditation ( vipassana, zazen, anapana, zuowang).

 

... can give you all you need.

Don't complicate it. Keep it simple.

Practice, practice practice. Increasing the length of time slowly.

[Sloppy Zhang]

Some things mix, some don't. Some do the same thing in different ways, so doing both would be like chasing the two proverbial rabbits- you won't catch either one.

 

Other methods focus on one thing, so picking another method will help compliment it. But that's only really applicable when dealing with a very narrowly focused art, or an incomplete art. Many complete arts/established traditions have methods of treating almost all aspects of cultivation.

 

So feel out what methods seem most applicable and usable by you. If you're thinking of picking something up/combining it with something else, try it out for a while and see how it feels.

 

Follow the Star Wars quote: "trust your feelings". If something feels right, run with it. If not, drop it.

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

ChiChi (great name for a yogini, but I'll get over it ), the more you can narrow and deepen your practice, generally speaking, the better. There are paths that of themselves are eclectic (KAP is one, for sure), so if you find, as am American practitioner, that you are eclectic, too, it might be better to pick something like that, instead of randomly putting things together.

Edited February 9, 2011 by TheSongsofDistantEarth

[Maddie]

From my personal experiences over the years I believe that a mixture of:

 

1. A moving qigong or neigong practice or martial art form.

2. A standing practice.

3. A sitting meditation ( vipassana, zazen, anapana, zuowang).

 

... can give you all you need.

Don't complicate it. Keep it simple.

Practice, practice practice. Increasing the length of time slowly.

 

That pretty much sums up my practice. It seems if I try to get anymore involved than that it just gets too complicated.

[Red Pheonix]

I have given up my other spiritual practices to follow the Way yet am wondering if it is wise to mix different gongs. I have been practicing different forms and nei gongs to see which resonates with me but am feeling perhaps it is too much chi and want to stay grounded and healthy. Any advice on practicing is greatly appreciated.

 

When it comes to Neigong you'll most certainly want to stick with 1 path. It IS possible to make yourself very sick from mixing the wrong things, you can even cause yourself permanent damage. To top that off, many masters who would be capable of helping you will not do so because of what you did. Some may consider your sickness 'medicine' that only you can work though; for them to heal you would be to take away your medicine. It's rare that this happens, but when it does happen it's not pretty. Neigong isn't something you should practice without a master unless you've a good understanding of it and are already cultivated. Even when you master 1 path, taking on a new path can put you back to ground zero from a learning perspective.

 

I don't think this is something that you need to worry about at this point, but I thought I would mention it

[henro]

From my personal experiences over the years I believe that a mixture of:

 

1. A moving qigong or neigong practice or martial art form.

2. A standing practice.

3. A sitting meditation ( vipassana, zazen, anapana, zuowang).

 

... can give you all you need.

Don't complicate it. Keep it simple.

Practice, practice practice. Increasing the length of time slowly.

 

 

I agree. Personally I practice a southern style kung fu in addition to my tai ji, and qigong. I find the three completely support each other, and I tend to pick up things, and learn more than other students who are only focused on one form. It's worth experimenting to see how you can implement the mix.

 

I've also read various teachers doing one form in the morning, and a another at night. Or using one system for their meditative practices, and another for movement. As long as they're not fighting each other you should have no problem. Bruce Frantzis mentions using bagua or tai ji on different days depending on what you're trying to cultivate and how your body feels.

Edited February 9, 2011 by robmix

[thelerner]

Marry one, flirt with others.

[Red Pheonix]

I agree. Personally I practice a southern style kung fu in addition to my tai ji, and qigong. I find the three completely support each other, and I tend to pick up things, and learn more than other students who are only focused on one form. It's worth experimenting to see how you can implement the mix.

 

I've also read various teachers doing one form in the morning, and a another at night. Or using one system for their meditative practices, and another for movement. As long as they're not fighting each other you should have no problem. Bruce Frantzis mentions using bagua or tai ji on different days depending on what you're trying to cultivate and how your body feels.

 

Adept and Robmix are right on! The only danger area is the Neigong. My daily practice involves meditation, Neigong and martial forms. I don't need to practice Qigong explicitly because I practice my martial forms in such a way that I get the same effect. Most Taoist martial forms have an internal side, Bagua is probably the best example of this. It's all in how you practice it though; I've seen people practice Bagua without knowing the medicine side of it which is pretty much pointless. If you practice it the right way you get not only chi cultivation, but you also send the energy to various parts of your body for health. You can also skip all of the movement and do it all in meditation. If I am unable to go outside to do sword forms I simply do it in meditation, the energy moves inside of me just as it would if I were standing up doing the forms; give this a shot next time you're on a plane or somewhere that you need to pass some time The only danger area is doing things that cultivate a certain type of chi or gong; for the most part only Neigong is going to do this.