Upcoming Retreat 4/16/10 – 4/18/10 Tai Chi, Chi Kung and Meditation at Ocean Resort, Vancourver Island, BC, Canadahttp://oceanresort.ca/events.html

In the last article I discussed how studies and research have confirmed that after meditation training we really could have a peaceful mind. So here I would like to offer a Chi Kung exercise to everyone who visited my blog. We know Chi Kung exercises are also getting popular around the world along with Tai Chi.

This Chi Kung is named: Natural Potential Chi Kung or Natural Sympathetic Vibration Chi Kung. It’s one kind of standing meditation. It’s the easiest way to practice Chi Kung because it has no movements to remember (though it does move your entire body). It is also intrinsic (a natural instinct); you just need to awaken your ability.

Here is how you do it:
You can drink some warm water/tea before you start.
The Position: Open your legs as wide as your shoulders then relax your shoulders. You can either let your arms hang loosely, thumbs touching your thighs or you can interlace your fingers somewhere in front of your abdomen (like my picture on the cover of my Chi Kung DVD). Try to use your most relaxed and comfortable stance while maintaining good posture i.e. back straight, knees slightly bent. Finally, close your eyes.
The Breath: Breathe in to your Dan-Tien starting with regular breaths in and out of your nose. When/if you feel your body starting to move then let your breath be natural.
The Mind: Try to keep your mind relaxed. Your mind will still be busy, but when a thought comes try not to follow it but let it go; relax your focus on your thoughts. You can imagine that you are about to fall asleep. The brain waves produced by a peaceful and relaxed mind are alpha waves. These wave can awaken/connect our body’s interior electromagnetic wave system. For instance: If you want to listen to the radio you need to turn it on and search for the right radio frequency. When the radio frequency matches the one carried by the ether then you can hear the music.
The Movement: You may find your body wanting to move in unexpected ways, i.e. vibrate, move rhythmically, or even adopt T’ai Chi or yoga postures/flow. Go with it, this is your body’s natural “music”.
As stated above, do adjust your standing position, your mind and your breath as your instinct tells you. Then you can start to enjoy the feeling of your mysterious internal Chi.

Time Spent: between 40 to 120 minutes. It can by done at anytime during the day but you will be more comfortable if you wait for two hours after any meals. At the end of practicing your body will usually naturally stop moving. But you also can use consciousness to stop if you want to stop; you just tell yourself you want to stop then your body will slow down until you stop moving. When your body has stopped moving don’t just open your eyes and walk away. You should use your mind to imagine the energy in your whole body returning to your Dan-Tien. Do this several times then put both of your palms on your Dan- Tien. If you are a man put you left palm on your Dan-Tien then your right palm overtop. Women do the opposite with right palm underneath. Rub your Dan-Tien in a clockwise motion 36 times then anticlockwise 36 times. Now open your eyes and move away.

What I have noticed about the experience of doing Natural Potential Chi Kung:
In the beginning, a new practitioner usually needs 10 to 20 minutes to get into the Chi Kung meditation state. This is because most beginners have some difficulty relaxing their body and mind, especially western people who have never heard of this before. If you have an open mind it will be much easier. When you start into the meditation state some people can feel their body getting warm or both hands feeling warm and starting to swell. Some people feel their body begin vibrating, moving, turning in a circle, shaking…all kinds of different movements. At this time you are in the Chi Kung meditation state. You still want to keep your body and mind relaxed and natural. Keep your eyes close, don’t let consciousness interfere or control your body moving. Indulge your body’s internal energy messages about how to move. If you are practiced it usually only takes about 30 seconds to enter the Chi Kung meditation state. Some of my students have found the meditation state in the first class, but most people need to practice several times before they start to feel it. All of them can feel it.

The benefits of practicing Natural Sympathetic Vibration Chi Kung:
First: the heat effects phenomenon. Setting up large-scale wave resonance (the movement you experience) in organisms releases energy. This release raises the movement body cells get. Not only is circulation promoted by the contraction and relaxation of muscles but heat is also generated, producing a slight rise in body temperature. This becomes heat effects. Heat promotes blood circulation and metabolism. Blood capillaries expand which in turn quickly promotes blood circulation. Every organ’s capability increases. For instance, your digestive system can absorb elaborate nutrients better and improved kidney, liver, lung, and skin function enhance excretion.
Second: activation of human body cells. We know seventy percent of our body’s makeup is water. It is the basic requirement of every body cell’s chemical and physical function. Blood and lymph circulation needs water. All cell membranes need still more water for the smooth exchanging and interflow of interior and exterior matter. Water has some very special properties. Due to ambient temperature changes it can be gaseous, liquid or solid because of variation in the tensile force between water molecules. They form “crystals” even in liquid state depending on body temperature. A slight rise in body temperature will change big complexes of water molecules into small complexes or individual molecules. Naturally smaller size allows easier infiltration of water into every body cell. Cell activity becomes easier. In this manner our wave vibrations activate our cells.
Third: stimulate the nervous system. The nervous system is distributed throughout our entire body and connects us into a whole being, from outer skin to organ, muscle and bone. When you practice this Chi Kung and increase your wave vibrations you incite your nerve endings, promoting nerve function. It will make every body cell more active and then improve nerve related complaints such as shoulder pain, back pain, neurasthenia (nerve pain), and sleeplessness etc.

The postscript: Once upon a time Chi Kung masters kept this Chi Kung a secret or endowed it with mysterious religious power because it is very easy yet produces great results. They also had the problem of trying to explain this mysterious phenomenon. Now physics helps us understand sympathetic vibration as one kind of natural phenomenon inherent in everyone.
In my blog I hope to do more than just lecture. I hope I can offering some really useful ways to help people’s life get better, so when you read this article, please don’t just read it and leave it. Please try this in person for a month then see what is different than before. You must also practice some natural caution. For instance, if you have any mental troubles please be careful and don’t stop your medication when you feel good after practice this Chi Kung. If you have any questions I welcome you to e-mail me.

–Danny