Heart Charka Blossem Question

[Donkwoon]

I've been practicing chi gung (off and on) for about 12 years and during the first year and a half or so I put in a fairly intensive daily effort. At some point during that first period I experienced the blossoming of my heart charka. Since then, I have only been able to reproduce but a hint of that first experience. My Sifu says that basically the first time is the most intense but still I wonder if I'm doing something wrong. Granted I have not been the most consistent practitioner but I would have thought that I'd have experienced it again by now.

Anybody have any advice or suggestions or insights into this situation?

[qiphlow]

i've always been taught to just keep practicing whatever you do in the way that you were taught, and to not pay attention to the various sensations that result from your practice. it's very easy to get too attached to these phenomena.

[fiercest tiger]

Can you explain what you felt when it happened?

thanks
Garry

[Donkwoon]

It basically happened to me after a short chi gung meditation. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, just the basic microcosmic orbit (circulating chi up the spine and down the front). After a short while I leaned back on some pillows and there was a strong rush of energy up from my spine, into my head and then down into my chest area. My sacrum and cranial areas were throbbing more then they ever had. The energy poured into my heart charka and created the blossom.

It was very dark in the room and so I could see it with my eyes open as well as closed. It looks just like it is depicted in Taoist or Yoga paintings. It was a multi pedaled light blue/violet flower blossom. That's the best way that I can explain it's visual component.

What's more important however is the way that it felt; For a brief moment during the experience I enjoyed a greatly elevated state of being. It's difficult to put into words but I felt more sublime, at peace and aware then ever before or since.

[fiercest tiger]

Have you tried opening up other Chakras?

That sounds like a great experience mate , congrats!

Garry

[Donkwoon]

I'm actually now re-reading a lot of the original material that got me started on chi gung; going over all of the details and starting to re-focus on all of the points and charkas along the orbit. I've also begun to re-commit myself to some of the other stuff that I learned such as Iron Shirt.

There are also two factors in this situation that you could say are undeniable.

1. I've heard it said from a few different practitioners that some intense experiences like the one that I described are often one time deals. It's like if a dam in a brook broke; the water would, from then on, flow more freely but never as intense as when the dam first broke. Most of the time when I have a decent chi gung session, I sit down in a good posture and just think about chi and my upper and lower pumps start firing and the chi flows. If I have a really good session, I can "feel" the heart charka open and expand but it never has like it did that first time. It seems that nothing in life is like the first time.

2. Back then my life was so much less complicated in every way. With out getting to personal here on the net, I can just say that today I have way more stress and concerns about the environment I'm in and the people around me. It's easy to sit and get the chi really flowing when you don't have a care in the world. Trying to have a good session after you've created stress for yourself is another story. It's no wonder that many great temples are located in the middle of nowhere.

[Justaguy]

Some thoughts from someone who is admittedly not by any means a qigong master:

1. It seems that anytime you're learning anything, at first you're going in big details, so progress is very noticable. When learning a foreign language, the first time that you go from "Hello, how are you doing" to "I don't agree with your opinion" is amazing. Do you remember the first time that you were able to use your hips in punching? Now it doesn't seem like a big deal, but at the time I was amazed at how far I thought I'd come. The more progress you make, the more its finer details. You don't notice them as much, and they're not as mind blowing as the things you learn early on. But at the end of the day, they're much more amazing.

2. You get used to the feeling of your qi, like anything else. So, the exact same experience after a while stopps feeling as strong.

3. And I dont know if its a one time deal, opening up chakras and the like. There were a couple of years when I had very strong exeriences more frequently (maybe twice a year) and they've become less and less frequent. My impression is that the first time you open up a blockage, or get the wheels spinning in a way they haven't before the release in energy will be bigger than subsequent times because you've got a larger store of pent up energy. Does it peak, or do you reach a plateu for a while before it goes back up? I dunno, I'll tell you if and when I get there.

But, again, thats just going by my experience. Your milage may vary.

[fiercest tiger]

Are you doing Mantak Chia's Iron Shirt and healing Tao training? Sounds similar, i like mantak info but sometimes hard to understand and so much to visualise.

Garry

[Donkwoon]

Yes, I do the old school Healing Tao stuff from before he tried to go all mainstream and started writing about multiple orgasms and what not. In fact, I was initiated by him personally.

From what I understand, he teaches a lot of the basics differently now. Maybe to accommodate the public? I'm really not sure because I always just stuck with the old books (a few of which are out of print now) and exercises. I was not taught to depend much on visualization or imagination.

My Sifu used to host him from time to time for seminars and eventually became one of his advanced instructors. When Master Chia changed a lot of his stuff and started writing about all that sexual stuff, my Sifu broke away from him.

Sex sells books and I can't speak for Master Chia of course but he might maintain that that type of thing will bring even more people to try chi gung and thus serve the greater good. Personally, I think that's very optimistic as most folks don't seem to really want to apply themselves to something like chi gung. As for me, I must say that it's kind of embarrassing when I tell a student to go online and try to find his first book and when they google him up he/she finds all this multi orgasmic sex stuff.

That's all I'll say about that. I do have the utmost gratitude for Master Chi for bringing Chi Gung to me.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

When you go shopping you only purchase the things you want or need! Mantak Chia has much wisdom in many areas.. some it i favor, some of it i don't.. it is not well thought-out to discard all of someone's teachings because you dislike some of their teachings.. like, don't pick the rotten fruit, but enjoy the ripe..

Be well...

[Bak Sing]

First thing is the breath. Movement and visualization come later. Most mistakes are made by not spending enough time listening to your own body. An old Chinese saying goes: "taking the three pulses is learned in a lifetime, treating the condition, in only moments.". The point is awareness and "listening" are more important to long term success. Most of what Mantak Chia teaches is fairly standard and useful. You just have to apply it. The problem is, most people want Iron Shirt or Iron Palm or Cotton Palm or Vibrating Palm or DIM MAK, the Death Touch, or immortality or light body or fajing or some other "gung". PRACTICE YOUR BREATHING! RELAX! DO THE WORK! DON'T WORRY ABOUT RESULTS! When you are ready, when you have integrated your breath, your body and mind, interesting things will happen. Then you will know which "gung" or gungs are for you. Then you can cultivate them. Until then, be happy with better health, longer life, less stress and relaxation! Don't be so impatient.

[fiercest tiger]

Hi,

Thanks, what would be his 1st books, as i have many of his? I do like his healing sounds, inner smile and i have always wanted to learn his Chi Nei Tsang though.

Garry

[Donkwoon]

The first one is (I think) "Awaken Healing Energy Through The Tao" and then came Iron shirt and also Transform Stress into Vitality (that's the one with the 6 healing sounds). That's mostly what I practice.

[fiercest tiger]

Cheers i have those ill check it out again, awaken the healing tao is the 1st book i bought actually.

Garry

[Scott R. Brown]

First thing is the breath. Movement and visualization come later. Most mistakes are made by not spending enough time listening to your own body. An old Chinese saying goes: "taking the three pulses is learned in a lifetime, treating the condition, in only moments.". The point is awareness and "listening" are more important to long term success. Most of what Mantak Chia teaches is fairly standard and useful. You just have to apply it. The problem is, most people want Iron Shirt or Iron Palm or Cotton Palm or Vibrating Palm or DIM MAK, the Death Touch, or immortality or light body or fajing or some other "gung". PRACTICE YOUR BREATHING! RELAX! DO THE WORK! DON'T WORRY ABOUT RESULTS! When you are ready, when you have integrated your breath, your body and mind, interesting things will happen. Then you will know which "gung" or gungs are for you. Then you can cultivate them. Until then, be happy with better health, longer life, less stress and relaxation! Don't be so impatient.

Hi Bak Sing,

I agree with you! Good advice!

I always say, The only thing you take with you when you die is who you are! Many people seek magical abilities, but when we live bound by illusion a preoccupation with the pursuit of ablitities only helps to bind us. Freedom from the ignorance that binds us is where true freedom lies.

The desire for ablities frequently comes from wanting to be someone important, the pursuit of exciting and unique experiences in order to make us feel special or fear of being dominated or abused by others. These attitudes contribute to binding us to the illusion of life and obscure clear perception.

It is best to allow what will happen to happen and not become too preoccupied with unusual or even commonplace phenomena. Not that we can't have fun with ablities if they occur. But in the end they should not be the goal or a preoccupation.

At least to me that is what is important. I don't want to impose my view on anyone else.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Bak Sing and Scott: Nicely articulated!! I do find that it is beneficial to have a "map" of where we are going.. breath-work, alone, will reveal a myriad of possibilities, it is not without merit to have an intended result.. not that we should attach ourselves to that result(s), but.. rather to recognize the results as they manifest.. to sort out unintended consequences or distractions from the intended result..

Be well..

[Scott R. Brown]

Hi Bob,

I agree with you somewhat. While there is a place for wandering aimlessly within the depths of our mind, eventually a general idea of where we intend to go is beneficial. But then after all, if someone is meditating they have some purpose or direction inherent within their intent and practice or there would be no real need to engage in such activity. However, I prefer to think of it as a general direction, or as a generalized map staying open-minded towards changing direction according to what transpires as the journey unfolds. Where we end up is seldom where we intended to go in the first place because what we learn along the way changes our perspective and therefore our goal.

My only caution is to those who become preoccupied with the pursuit of so called psychic abilities. While I don’t believe these phenomena need be avoided they may also become distractions. But then what in life is not potentially a distraction. We may just as easily be trapped by the pursuit of character cultivation, (or ego transcendence).

It is inherently our attachment to phenomena that creates the difficulty not the phenomena in and of itself.

[fiercest tiger]

Hi.

If the abilities can be attained and someone has no ego i say do it and acheive them cause we live our lives in enough crap, why not acheive something you want if it doesnt hurt anyone you know what i mean?!

Garry

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Psychic or paranormal abilities seem to be a bit misleading in their interpretation.. i sense that they are quite normal to the human experience, not common, but.. an aspect of being human that is present for the disciplined seeker.. the issue that seems to cultivate problems is between those that have attained some level of these abilities and those that want them.. those that have the abilities either recognize the abilities as natural and continue their journey.. or, recognize the power potential over those that want the abilities and capitalize on it..

Be well..

[Bak Sing]

I hope that no one misinterpreted my comments. Yi or intent, is very important. All I was saying is at the beginning, do the breathwork first. Once that has become natural or "effortless", we can use the intention for other things (guiding, directing,visualizing, etc.) Meditation is important, but I found learning to breathe properly and directing intention only toward the breath, at first, to be highly beneficial. Then the intent can be clear and unconcerned with mechanics. As far as developing any "special" abilities or gungs (psychic or otherwise) my humble advise is "lust not for result".