Qi gong. Taoist, buddhist differences. Recommendation.

[zxcvbs]

Hi, i practice kung fu. And i am searching, for a more internal discipline to compliment.
Im currently looking between Taoist Chi kung, Buddhist Chi kung or yoga.

I know some differences between taoist, and buddhist breathing.
Taoist contracts abdomen on inhale and expands on exhale.
Buddhist expands abdomen on inhale, and contracts on exhale.
But i dont know how this affect Chi circulation, ying/yang principles. Microcosmic/Macrocosmic orbit circulation. I feel taoist breathing more yang than ying because it energizes me more than relaxes me (which i feel on buddhist breathing).

I mention yoga, because prior to feeling the circulations, im all over muscular tension, and i feel that before i need to work this energy blockages, this shield that is created by emotional tensions.
Example: shoulder, hip openers.

What i dont like about yoga, is that i dont perceive (maybe is just my ignorance), a fundamental principle that is comprehensive from a rational point of view, i feel it more god based, religious.

Is there some analogy between chi circulation orbits, and prana circulation?

Other possibility is doing zazen/kinhin, but i feel that im not ready mentally.

Chi kung works proggresively.
body, mind, spiritual centers. For Example Lohan Chi Kung:
Sap Bak Lohan (energy circulation, body).
Siu Lohan (mind circulation, energy from body to mind)
Dai Lohan (mind to spirit, meditation)

I feel yoga works more on
body, and spiritual centers.
and zen on
mind, spiritual centers.

I feel zen is not the answer yet, because i have a troublesome personality/physical-emotions manifestations to resolv first. Japanese are more propense to zen, because they have born/rised/act, in the zen way of life, or this prior western cultural invasion. I find zen, simple as perfection, but i dont feel im ready.

Is there a chi kung, that centers on body tension blockages like yoga?

[pazman]

I think the easiest answer is to find the most qualified teacher in your area, and learn from her/him.

It sounds like you've done extensive reading on this subject, but I would warn against reading about something extensively as it sometimes preconditions your mind before you actually experience the practice.

Yoga is rational in the same way Buddhism is rational, as both philosophies spring from the same context and history, the main difference being that Yoga is theistic/dualistic and Buddhism is atheistic with differing views on dualism/non-dualism. I don't think the differences in theory are as important as the practices within....so as long as the practice provides a benefit, the theory doesn't matter so much.

I recommend you take a handful of breathing exercises and practice those until they become habit. This is good preparation to practice meditation.

[Matthew]

Hi, i practice kung fu. And i am searching, for a more internal discipline to compliment.
Im currently looking between Taoist Chi kung, Buddhist Chi kung or yoga.

What do you mean internal discipline? Until you can clarify that you won't know what to look for. Chi Gong is a really recent and very broad term (from the 1940's) that includes a huge variety of practices.

Here is a good article that discusses basically Yoga (per the Yoga Sutra) is really just early-buddhist meditation, without heeding the Buddha himself though as much as the distilled Samadhi instructions.

http://theravadin.wordpress.com/2010...st-meditation/

Most Yoga teachers in the west teach physical movement - and some will discuss yoga sutra implications and cultural context, if thats what you're looking for.

I know some differences between taoist, and buddhist breathing.

I think you maybe read too much Yang Jwing Ming. He likes to simplify these as if they're very different, put them in boxes as if there are only 1 method, etc etc.

There is no only-one method of "buddhist breathing" for example.

Microcosmic/Macrocosmic orbit circulation. I feel taoist breathing more yang than ying because it energizes me more than relaxes me (which i feel on buddhist breathing).

Goes back to above point. Depends on what your goal is. Taoist might have sexual energy involved in their context. Buddhists work to understand that lust can be a quick path to the hells.

Breathing is just a physical manifestation of some outward form. You may want to first understand what your goal is, then find a teacher based on that. If your goal is breathing, then you don't need a teacher, you don't need theory, taoist or buddhist, because you are breathing all day anyway.

I mention yoga, because prior to feeling the circulations, im all over muscular tension, and i feel that before i need to work this energy blockages, this shield that is created by emotional tensions.
Example: shoulder, hip openers.

There is an understanding that emotional issues can be manifest as physical blockages. So you have some work to do to understand the emotion too.

Is there some analogy between chi circulation orbits, and prana circulation?

When you find out your goal, you may want to find a teacher. Chi circulation, orbits, prana all this you are talking about is just secondary "false speech" words. They won't help you reach your goals - unless your goal is to have circulation orbits prana, etc.

In Buddhism it is just like to talk about spiritual penetrations and magical powers. In buddhism, basically when one reaches a certain level of cultivation, one will naturally have those types of powers, but if you want to get them or practice with the goal of attaining them, you will not be able to attain them.. because the very desire to obtain them causes a blockage. Even if you do attain them through some deviant means, it is said that you will just end up a demon or ghost basically using them for selfish means anyway.

Is there a chi kung, that centers on body tension blockages like yoga?

If you are practicing according to natural rules (not trying to force qi, not abusing your body, not having deviant thoughts, giving into desire for fame/fortune/sexual desire, not harming others and only benefiting yourself, etc.) you can naturally overtime smooth out the body. Doesn't need to talk about circulation orbits and prana etc.

Basically you have to understand emotion and then work beyond any emotional level even. Chinese character for this is 心。 In this context it means a combination of mental-habitual-subconscious/Habit-forming-subconscious.

But if you don't know what you want to do with your 心 then what is it worth talking about breathing, taoist, yoga, buddhist, circulation, orbits, chi, prana, zen, etc??