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March,
2002 Seattle Workshop | June, 2002 Garden Party |
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Q:
How long after learning Soaring Crane should I listen to and practice with the audio tape? |
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A: The nature of Soaring Crane Qigong is to have body, mind, and spirit joined.
Therefore, as one begins, the guided mental activity is very important. The mind is qi, and where the
mind goes, the qi follows. So it is critical to focus on the mental activity while doing the
physical movements.
Initially, listening to the audio tape helps you remember the instruction for the physical
movements. Later, as you work on transitioning from llistening to the tape for instruction, you can
affirm it from memory so that you are directing qi correctly.
Through this practice, you will imprint your mind, and will no longer have to say the full
instructions to yourself, thus the qi will go where you want it to. Then, occasionally practice with the
tape to refresh your imprinted memory, and mindfully lead the qi.
As an aside, many qigong practitioners in China were critical of using the mind to the
extent that is done in Soaring Crane Qigong. However, the focus was intentional to lay a good foundation
by disciplining the monkey mind back to its origin -- the qigong state of mind. |
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Q:
Why must we keep our eyes open throughout the five routines of Soaring Crane Qigong instead of
closing them? |
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A: Your eyes need to be open in order to exchange qi from outside, for our eyes are
two large cavities which inhale and exhale qi. It is good training, in the search for the qigong state
of mind, to practice with your eyes open but not focused. It is very easy to be distracted by the
material world during practice, so this is an important aspect in developing concentration. The eyes are
only the windows of the mind. If your mind is focused on qi, how could you see anything?
Many of the physical movements in Routines Four and Five
require good balance, and with the eyes open you have better equilibrium.
Overall, the Five Routines help to incorporate the mind and physical
movements so that the channels can be cleansed. |
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Q: If students are very interested in learning many forms of qigong, can
they be taught another form right after they have just learned one? |
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A: When learning a new form of qigong, especially for the
beginner, the student should stay with that form until they have come to know and feel it. This may take
a year or longer, but they should practice the form a minimum of one year. Otherwise, if the practice is
too short, the student may not experience any benefit because the circulation of qi was not established.
Even more important, different forms of qigong are designed with different focuses on qi
circulation. Learning another form too soon may cause deviations such as blockages or conflicting flows
of qi that could lead to headaches, pain, body discomfort or even mental disorders. If the student
decides that they do not care for the form which they have learned, it is advised that they give it up.
Then, three months later they can be taught another form once their qi has gone back to its original
state. This is the best way to ensure that you are properly directing qi for another form.
Exceptions to this principle would be in the lying down meditations of "Exchanging Qi
with the Universe" and "Four Route Relaxation Qigong," as they are more universal in
nature and are actually complementary to various Qigong forms. |
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The following questions and
answers are paraphrased and condensed for publication,
taken from Professor Chen Hui-Xian's Soaring Crane Qigong workshop in
Seattle, March 17, 2002. |
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Q:
Can modifying the forms help correct high or low blood pressure? |
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A:
Yes. There are two ways. If you have high
blood pressure, when you draw qi down through the central channel, with
your hands coming down in front of your body, you can shape your fingers
down like a big dish so that the qi moves down faster. Another way
is to move your hands closer to your body as they descend. If you have low
blood pressure, as you bring your hands down, keep them farther away from
your body. |
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Q:
If students become dizzy in class, are they not getting enough fresh
air?
Is the qi dropping too quickly?
What are the causes of dizziness, and what
can be done to reduce it? |
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A: Usually
this happens to people who have a nervous problem, or people who have low
blood pressure. This happens often. When it does, I usually I ask the
student to just sit down, not do any Qigong, and let them open up a bit
more. If they keep feeling dizzy, they might faint. Another reason some
people feel dizzy, especially just when you begin to teach Qigong, is that
they are very sensitive to qi. They take in other peoples' bad qi very
quickly. I usually don't talk about this in the workshop--then people will
suspect, "Oh, this guy is sending bad qi to me" and that's not good. When
you teach a new workshop I don't mention it, but this is almost like a
teacher's class, so I can tell you this. Usually I ask them to go out or a
teaching assistant takes them for a walk. Then the bad qi will go out.
Sometimes when you do the lying down meditation students may feel this.
They are too focused. You know, too focused on, "I want unblocked qi",
they are thinking too much instead of relaxing the whole body and opening
the pores. So here everything is actually in the head. But nothing of this
kind of thing is very harmful. It is a temporary phenomenon. Also,
consider if the student has come to the class on an empty stomach. If so,
remind them to eat before class. |
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Q:
Is it necessary to relax completely before each routine of Soaring Crane?
Could we just fully relax one time at
the beginning?
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A:
Here is my own opinion: The relaxation part, the preparation part of
Soaring
Crane Qigong, is a little bit too short. At the very beginning, when you
teach, you say, "relax the top of your head, etc..." Master Zhao
said relax the whole body, part by part, but when the tape was made, it's
very short. This is because Soaring Crane Qigong was introduced to the
public right after the Cultural Revolution and many people had to go to
work. So they could only practice 30 to 40 minutes before they went to
work. That's why Master Zhao said actually it would be much better if you
have one hour, and give more time for the relaxation part because the
relaxation itself is so important. If you are tense and do not relax, you
do not open your acupoints. Then you can get less energy.
So if you have time in the morning, take two to three minutes for
relaxation for each routine. Relax the top of your head, neck, shoulders,
front, back, hips, all the way down, part by part. If you can go through
the entire relaxation process, it would be much, much better. For a long
time there were some suggestions in China from all the Soaring Crane
Qigong teachers, that we go from one routine to the second routine without
preparation. Master Zhao completely disagreed and said there must be
another preparation. Actually, it's a good question. I should have
emphasized this -- if you have time, do more relaxation before you come to
the movements.
Not long ago at the suggestion of another master we added the
Chinese word: song. The new teachers were trained that way. When the
teacher gives the instruction like this you take in a deep breath, then
you say a prolonged song. This way, the teacher sends some energy to the
students when they relax. This way, even though time is short you can have
a lot more relaxation than with "relax the whole body part by part". When
the teacher says this their mind sends all their song qi to everybody, all
the students, to help them relax. So one of the reasons we accepted this
song, which was not added by Master Zhao, was that it was a suggestion by
a very great master to all types of Qigong. I have seen some masters, when
they do relaxation always using song. Song in Chinese means relax. When
you chant song it's the Central Channel ong-ong-song.
The master, in addition to song, also uses kong and tong. Kong
means empty, and tong means cleansed. All these words send the message to
the students to relax themselves. That's why we added them, just to help.
But if you still do it the old way, that's fine. It's good. But try the
chant, because I changed and have taught it to all my students at my
workshops for the last two years ago. When I gave song to all the students
the first time, they said their bodies were vibrating. Especially when
through a microphone. |
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Q:
One of the things that students complain about, especially in Essence
Qigong after standing for an hour, is that their feet and lower legs hurt
or ache from practicing taiji and/or qigong. Sometimes the feet feel
really big or heavy. What is the cause and what could reduce these
feelings? |
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A:
It does not really do any harm, but people can
feel discouraged, with their legs feeling heavy and aching. It is because
their yong quan are not completely open. At the same time you can not
absorb qi from the earth, and so it is not exchanging. That's why it gets
so full. To open yong quan, you always do this exercise (demonstrates).
This will help them open. Another way is to massage your yong quan. Use
the massage techniques we were taught in level III to open them. If the
yong quan is not open, of course you have this kind of swelling, because
the qi you have guided down cannot go out. That's why they get so full.
When you practice more and more, your bai hui will be open, your yong quan
will be open. Okay, some of the students tell me, "Oh, it's so funny, I
have two big holes on my soles." That means that their yong quan are
really open. Big holes. |
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These questions and answers
have been transcribed and edited from
Professor Chen's presentation at the Wu Dao Garden Party, June 22, 2002. |
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Q:
In several qigong forms, involuntary movements
are considered normal, and some people find them happening in Soaring
Crane Five Routines. I've heard both that involuntary movements are all
right and that they should be suppressed.
Would you clarify whether
involuntary movements are appropriate
in Five Routines? |
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A:
Spontaneous movements will happen when you are
really open to the Universe and the qi comes to you. If there are any
blockages in your body, it naturally will happen. But as beginners in any
form, you are advised to suppress it a little bit because when spontaneous
movement happens, it will not follow the form; it will be "out of the
track." So it is not good for beginners. Beginners should follow the form
step by step because the steps of the form itself are designed to cleanse
the channels and open the points. So if you just go ahead and do your
spontaneous movement, you may not have that much benefit from the original
form.
Spontaneous movements basically are to release, not to tonify. In
Five Routines we tonify the body by using our minds to guide qi from the
Universe and cleanse ourselves. We never encourage people even after
learning Level 2 to do the spontaneous movements only. You have to do Five
Routines and then have another session to do Standing Meditation so you
can release yourself.
In other forms - for instance, Essence Qigong-- at the end there is
the Triangle Standing Stance. There we want people to hold a ball of qi
and beam it into lower Dan Tian, Bai Hui facing up and Hui Yin and Yong
Quan facing down. Try to get your Central Channel filled with qi. So it is
important to do that; this is the basic purpose of the form. But some
people do this routine without really getting a lot of qi. Then they start
to move. So they mix this form with Soaring Crane Standing Meditation.
This is not correct. You'd better follow the form until one day you hold
it long
enough and the spontaneous movement comes out. Then you can go ahead and
do
it. This is what Professor Chen (of Essence Qigong) taught. |
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Q:
In Soaring Crane, when you have gathered qi
into lower Dan Tian and are moving it from lower Dan Tian up your back, it
always feels to me as though I have to move my body... I'm trying to push
the qi to get it up. Can you
explain how to move the qi up the spine without forcing it? |
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A:
Actually, the instruction is like this:
"Gather qi into lower Dan Tian. Focus on lower Dan Tian for a while.
Direct qi from lower Dan Tian down to Hui Yin and guide it up the Governor
Vessel to Da Zhui." You cannot omit these directions. You must use your
mind to guide the qi. Did you do that?
(Yes, but it seems that the qi gets stuck...)
Ah, then you must loosen your Hui Yin a little bit more. Send your qi down
to Hui Yin and then relax, really relax as you guide it with your mind up
the Governor Vessel. |
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Q:
Is it advisable to practice Soaring Crane Five
Routines in a circle? |
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A:
No. Soaring Crane has a lot to do with
directions. In Routine 1 you face south - that's the fire element. When
you stretch your arms to the sides, you are gathering qi from east and
west. And when you stretch to the back you are gathering qi from the
north. So in gathering qi from six directions, you have to face south.
We want you to get the qi from the directions, not from other human
beings. If you are standing in a circle, when you push out bad qi you give
it to somebody else. And when you pull it back, you get the bad qi from
somebody else. So it's not recommended to do it in a circle. The whole
group should face the same direction.
It's OK if you want to face north or some other direction. If you
think, "I don't need that much fire element qi. I have a lung problem, so
I want to face west." It's fine, face the west. Just do not have another
person facing you. When we do qigong it is very important not to get other
people's qi; only get it from the Universe. |
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Q:
In the Southern Hemisphere are the directions
reversed? |
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A:
If we have to decide which direction to
face depending where we are in the world, it would be too complicated. No
matter where you are, there is north, south, east, and west. Just use
those directions, regardless of your location. |
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