Chi Kung Question

[Faruq]

In Rick's investigations, he claims to have been told that big, strong, old trees can make him healthy again. So whenever I hang out with him and we happen to pass a big tree, he's got stop and lay his hands on it for a few minutes, and then hug it for a few minutes, and basically just rub all against it. He says according to Chinese medical tradition it's supposed to re-balance his chi if he hangs around trees and nature. Anybody ever heard this before? Is it really necessary for him to hug and lays his hands on trees, or has he misunderstood this tradition?

[Taryn P.]

In Rick's investigations, he claims to have been told that big, strong, old trees can make him healthy again. So whenever I hang out with him and we happen to pass a big tree, he's got stop and lay his hands on it for a few minutes, and then hug it for a few minutes, and basically just rub all against it. He says according to Chinese medical tradition it's supposed to re-balance his chi if he hangs around trees and nature. Anybody ever heard this before? Is it really necessary for him to hug and lays his hands on trees, or has he misunderstood this tradition?

I can't speak to Chinese history, but in Pagan traditions (where we work with chi in a lot of ways, but many people don't call it that) using nature to help recharge and heal is very common. A big healthy tree has a lot of good chi in it, plenty to share.

[mawali]

Don't forget about the shamanic origins of daoyin (movement and non movement yangshengong /neigong) that, it seems, many mainland practitioners are incorporating into the modern training format.

[spiralstair]

Best trees for healing are often evergreens, they 'know' more about 'holding' their chi since they don't lose their leaves like the deciduous trees do. Best age for healing in trees is the adolescent ones...their Chi is strongest in an 'outgoing' manner. A nice adolescent Redwood or Doug Fir....'knows' a whole lot about the potential for long life. But you don't have to touch it, just stand inside its rainfall footprint and 'listen behind'...

[Taryn P.]

I'm partial to beeches, myself....... aspens too. I like to hug trees.

[spiralstair]

of course once you start opening yourself up to 'absorbing chi' from other forms of life, you have a big problem...

willow trees
poison ivy
kudzu
fungi of various kinds
swamps
low places
unknown old chemical dumps
smelly locker rooms
people's used athletic shoes
hospital corridors
mid 1970's American automobiles...

one must remember to 'close' after 'opening' or you end up sicker than when you started.
Oh, the pitfalls of the belief in chi...

[Taryn P.]

of course once you start opening yourself up to 'absorbing chi' from other forms of life, you have a big problem...

willow trees
poison ivy
kudzu
fungi of various kinds
swamps
low places
unknown old chemical dumps
smelly locker rooms
people's used athletic shoes
hospital corridors
mid 1970's American automobiles...

one must remember to 'close' after 'opening' or you end up sicker than when you started.
Oh, the pitfalls of the belief in chi...

Swamps are *AWESOME*.... I love swamps! Teeming with rich life. I will admit to not being fond of leeches (a traumatic experience as a small kid). No problem with the willows, kudzu or fungi either. Poison ivy..... well, poison ivy likes me a little *too* much.
The unpleasant human and human-made sources, that's a whole different story.

[AJM]

Be carefull. Evil chi resides in swamps as well. Avoid negitive energy spots. Willows are a good indicator.

[Chazmek]

Personally, I don't think the word "evil" even applies.
Sure, there are some areas, people, and situations that can have draining or damaging effects on you if you aren't protecting yourself (mentally, physically or otherwise), but that's simply a property of this existence. Moral or ethical abstractions can't really apply to the actions of living things in nature, why should they apply to the effects and properties of the non-material?
The positive and negative poles of a magnet are not good and evil, they simply are.
A predator who stalks, chases, kills, and eats another animal is not evil, it is just performing its function in the world and doing its best to continue its own existence.

Am I making sense, or just babbling?

[SIFU RON]

Rick doesn't seem crazy or anything, and isn't complaining of any of the psychoses. Just always sick now. He was meditating 2 hours a day for like 3 years (an hour in the morning, and one at night), and got sick when he started a new meditation that was previous in the progession of that chi kung system. He also thinks it could have to do with continuing to meditate after getting a flu shot, and he says the nurse that gave it to him hit the bone and bent the needle, so had to give him a second dose. He basically complains of nausea, constant fever sensation and his stomach's constantly girgling. He's had x-rays of his stomach, upper endoscopies, lower one's and everything comes out normal. For the fever and flu symptoms his doctor gave him 5 different antibiotics over a 6 or 7 week period and he says nothing helped.

But anyway, enough about his symptoms. How do we get him cured? What's Chusauli-Sifu's e-mail, or is he a member of this forum?

I regret coming into this so late, however, I need to point out that, an adverse reaction to a flu shot can cause all of these problems and much, much worst. Also mixing Herbs, vitamins, over the counter medications, etc with perscription medication can also cause this and much more . Hope all is well.

[Taryn P.]

So what's the problem with willows? (twitching ears curiously)

[Faruq]

Best trees for healing are often evergreens, they 'know' more about 'holding' their chi since they don't lose their leaves like the deciduous trees do. Best age for healing in trees is the adolescent ones...their Chi is strongest in an 'outgoing' manner. A nice adolescent Redwood or Doug Fir....'knows' a whole lot about the potential for long life. But you don't have to touch it, just stand inside its rainfall footprint and 'listen behind'...

What in the heck is a rainfall footprint, lol. I had never heard of that. And what do you mean by listen behind?

[Chazmek]

Rainfall footprint refers to the dry spot underneath the tree after it rains.

[spiralstair]

Taryn P.
The use of any willow species should be tempered with the knowledge of the serious problems that exist in the form of diseases, insects, nematodes and aggressive root systems. Some of the more common diseases are bacterial twig blight, crown gall, leaf blight, black canker, cytospora canker, anthracnose, gray scab, leaf spots, and rust and tar spots. Insects that can cause damage include aphids, imported willow leaf beetle, pine cone gall, basket willow gall, willow lace bug, willow shoot saw fly, willow scurfy scale and nematodes. The roots can become a problem anywhere there is any leakage in a sewer or water line. Not the best choice from which to 'absorb chi'...but, to each their own...

Faruq
By rainfall footprint I meant 'drip line', the outer line formed by rain dripping off the foliage on the tree. Everything 'inside' that line is within the 'domain' of the tree...
"Listen behind" is a traditional instruction given to help activate the kidney meridians that connect through your legs out through K1 to the ground. In a sense one would be 'mimicing' the energetic posture of the tree, making it 'easier' to connect.

[Chazmek]

Taryn P.
The use of any willow species should be tempered with the knowledge of the serious problems that exist in the form of diseases, insects, nematodes and aggressive root systems. Some of the more common diseases are bacterial twig blight, crown gall, leaf blight, black canker, cytospora canker, anthracnose, gray scab, leaf spots, and rust and tar spots. Insects that can cause damage include aphids, imported willow leaf beetle, pine cone gall, basket willow gall, willow lace bug, willow shoot saw fly, willow scurfy scale and nematodes. The roots can become a problem anywhere there is any leakage in a sewer or water line. Not the best choice from which to 'absorb chi'...but, to each their own...

So willows just tend to be effected by more diseases and parasites than other tree species?
It doesn't seem to have much trouble surviving, considering that it has been around for who-knows-how-many-thousands of years.
What negative effects result from spending time around willows or absorbing energy from them?