So I’m learning this qigong set for the 2nd time. I used to do it every day for several months, and I got okay results, but nothing dramatic. Anyway, I’m taking a class taught by the widow of my old sifu, and she’s teaching the same set, but maybe in a little more detail.
Last night, while doing standing meditation and practicing the microcosmic orbit, I got all these weird sensations. Mainly, I could feel warmth and my pulse in my abdomen, and I felt pressure on the inside of my forehead. I’ve really never experienced any sensations that strong during qigong, so I don’t really know what to think about this.
I’d appreciate any feedback on this from some of you guys with more experience than me. I know those two spots are basically the upper and lower dantiens, so I suppose I should expect stuff to happen there. It’s just that it came on so suddenly.
U know, whenever i ask my Sifu about sensations and things, he just tells me to keep on practising (if they are not because of mistakes of course). Sometimes things happen, sometimes nothing happens, but just practise
Also don’t chase that feeling of ‘qi’, as it’s not the feeling that’s important, just the practise
These keep getting told to me and other students lol I’ve experienced similar feelings, even sometimes the opposite of those you described. SOmetimes even nothing, but it makes no difference…
as already mentioned the sensations aren’t really the Qi Gong they are just clearing the way for the Qi Gong. So don’t chase after the sensations every time you practice as you will not be acheiving what the Qi gong really does for you in a long term framework.
Be carefull when experiencing pressure in the head region whilst doing Qi-gong, this could if it persists bring about headaches and migraines it the flow is not corrected. If one cannot clear the Ren Mei there is always going to be the risk of Qi getting stuck in the head and causing headaches, and effecting the vision too.
How long have to been doing the Microcosmic orbit for? I was not taught it in its completeness for at least 3-4 years. I was taught a modified aspect so as not to lead Qi into the head until the Ren Mei was open so as not to create Qi stagnation in the head area.
RM - I appreciate the insight. I kind of suspected based on my limited knowledge that the sensations were signs of resistance. Anyway, I’ve only been doing it consistently for about 2 months now. I’ve done it on and off for the last year or so.
my understanding and my own personal experience makes me feel that although in the wqorld there are tonnes of different Qi-gons and in fact within them there are different levels or practice too, there is always the sense of if the meridians are not open enough then trying to push Qi through them will always create problems. If an meridian is damaged or in disrepair from diet, lifestyle activities or even congenital diseases then when Qi gets stuck at that point in the meridian, Qi stagnation can usually occur. Qi stagnation can usually be likened to the kind of acute pain you get like falling over, twisting your ankle etc, where as Blood stagnation (which is usually what happens after a period of time when the Qi stagnation doesn’t get resolved and there fore progresses) is more sharper and vice-like. Qi stagnation , if acute , can be relativeley easy to rectify. Just like most things like for example a blocked drain , if there is a minor blockage you can usually rectify it in a second. If you leave the drain for years a) it takes more effort do get rid of the crap that blocks it and b) by then they would of been some kind of backing up of the water or an overspill elsewhere. Meridians are the same with Qi. So if Qi is sent through a blocked meridian the qi halts (and in its nature it needs to be moving an activie in order to be healthy) and then stagnates as its natural course is barred. This accumulates and thus causes a swelling and tenderness hance redness too indicating a build up of heat. Thus adding more heat to situation like this would from a Chinese Medicine point of view make matters worse. So swelling, heat, unhealthy, and stagnant feelings can be due to Qi stagnation in the channels. Some qi-gongs just circulate Qi internally, which I think is fine if you block-free and have healthy qi, however these kind of qi-gongs I feel are quite unhealthy for beginners, and thats why expelling qi-gongs are essential in ones early prsactice to clean out the meridian network initially, before you start to store qi in the vessels for long good health.
It’s just like the bowells really, one needs to get rid of whats no longer needed in the body or else one gets an internal pile up (as it were!), so intially I feel internal work should start off with expelling exercises and then gathering and securing healthy Qi when all the meridians are relatively open and able to not leak or block.
