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Sec
11-26-2001, 05:21 PM
Hello
I am still very new to kung fu (10 months) but I would like to start learning about Chi and how it may help my M.A.
Are there any exercises that help build Chi, can anyone explain how it feels? Some people have told me that while doing forms use your mind, ie: whilst palm striking think of your strike breaking down a wall etc
Any help, other ideas or advice would really be good :)
Thank you in advance

thumper
11-26-2001, 06:23 PM
here's a real simple exercise you can do to feel chi in your palms.
stand with feet comfortable length apart (shoulder width). hands at sides. relax body. close eyes.
then, turn the palms up and slowly raise the arms to shoulder level. when they get there, turn the palms back down, and slowly lower the arms to your side. take a few seconds and repeat. when i say slow, i mean at least 8-10 seconds when raising and lowering the arms. you can do as many reps as you like, but at least 15-20.
breathe comfortably, don't worry about matching the breath to the movement.
think about nothing except the feeling in your palms. in fact don't THINK at all, just FEEL. don't worry about what to feel, just feel your palms. you can imagine (if you need something to think about) that your palms are like nostrils and that your inhale and exhale pass through your palms.
if and when your mind starts to wander and think of your wordly matters, just return the mind to feeling the palm. the more you practice returning the mind to the palms, the less and less your mind will wander.
keep the chest and shoulders relaxed throughout the movements. in the beginner stages of kung fu (well, i'm still a beginner in essence), i had a hard time with my shoulders rising and becoming tense and my chest rising and sticking out. keep the shoulders relaxed and the chest relaxed.
chi is basically your life energy. the more you practice this exercise the deeper the feeling will get.
what most people will say is heat, tingly sensations and a feeling of swelling are common feelings of chi. chi feeling can run MUCH deeper. you shouldn't be told what to feel though Sec, and then practice trying to reach that feeling. rather, you should have no idea what it's gonna feel like, just go practice it alot, and feel what naturally comes to your body. i told you the above threee chi feelings, cuz probably someone else will, and it isn't hard to get these descriptions of chi in magazines or books. these are beginner stages of chi feeling, not the end point. remember that.
good luck to you! i'm glad to hear of another person taking up kung fu.

'either you like reincarnation or the smell of carnations'

Sec
11-26-2001, 06:39 PM
Thank you Justa Man
You explained that very well :)
This is a great start, and I'll keep your words in mind.

Nexus
11-26-2001, 07:30 PM
An exercises which is sometimes called stretching the chi which is often showed to beginners and often used by experts in order to become more accustomed to the sensations and feeling of chi.

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, or sit comfortably in cross-legged position. Place your arms comfortably in front of your body and face the palms towards eachother so it might have the appearance you are holding an invisible box between them on the sides of the box but the hands are relaxed. Now close your eyes and imagine on each in breath, you are breathing between your hands and as you do that you bring the hands apart. As you exhale bring the hands closer to eachother and back together. Continue this breathing until you become comfortable moving with the breath and then relax and watch the way the body feels when you do it.

As J. said, describing the sensations would be like telling someone about a beautiful painting and all its special features and greatness without them ever seeing the painting themself. Then one day they see the painting, and what stands out for them is something different then what stood out for you, although what you said is clear to them as well. You will learn to appreciate your own body and its energy more if you allow yourself to be emtpy of preconceived notion and feel the sensations for what they are.

Good luck in your MA training, keep it up!

- Nexus

thumper
11-26-2001, 09:33 PM
you're welcome sec.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>As J. said, describing the sensations would be like telling someone about a beautiful painting and all its special features and greatness without them ever seeing the painting themself. Then one day they see the painting, and what stands out for them is something different then what stood out for you, although what you said is clear to them as well [/quote]

great example nexus.

'either you like reincarnation or the smell of carnations'

PlasticSquirrel
11-27-2001, 01:14 AM
it seems like a lot of times i find out new things, and then realize that i was looking for something else or expecting something else. now that i understand them, my experiences and thoughts about the topics come to the same things as the things i misinterpreted in the beginning, but can now understand clearly.

it's all a process of confusion, practice, and illumination, all happening over and over. the more you learn, the more you realize you have to learn. quite daunting... ;)

PlasticSquirrel
11-29-2001, 06:59 AM
for a direct answer to your question, there is one omnipresent feeling of qi flow that few people notice. it is that of substance.

let me explain. not all of the time will you feel heat, coolness, or tingling. these are strong sensations that are very blunt and easy to pick up on. if, however, none of them are present, then how do you know where qi is and even if it is doing anything? the answer is that it simply feels like something is there. it is a very tangible feeling, yet hard to describe. the more you practice, the more you will feel it.

remember that abdominal breathing is important.

African Tiger
12-14-2001, 12:36 PM
I'm still working with chi experiences after about two years, but I was told that chi feels different to everyone.

I myself have felt the tingly sensation someone mentioned earlier, but I have also felt a magnetic sensation between my hands. Also a young sifu friend of mine told me that if you yawn occasionally during chi gung breathing, you are doing it correctly.

What are your thoughts on this?