“the Phoeron” Colin J E LuptonAug 22, 2023

Last week I noticed alternating days of just two #TuNaSiBa #Qigong forms was still too much, so I switched to just one each day, and have been experimenting with doing them in the morning or evening, to find the right time for cultivating the #OriginalQi as well as keep my #Qi balanced as the four breathing forms have been doing.

But it also occurred to me: hey, I have narcolepsy, and Master Li, Gui-Chang’s system is a synthesis of the #Yijinjing, #Xisuijing, and #RouShu. Maybe I’m sleeping so much and so well BECAUSE it’s accomplishing exactly what it was meant to accomplish.

So yes, take it slow, because I do need to learn how to better cultivate, store, and protect my Original Qì—that’s an on-going process—but I can feel the strengthening of muscles and tendons, the nourishment of my marrow and brain, the softening of all my joints and fasciae. Listening to my body and my Xīn (心), it feels like the last thing I should be doing is fighting a good night’s sleep every night.

“the Phoeron” Colin J E LuptonAug 12, 2023

I slept for over 10 hours last night, and felt so emotionally and spiritually drained when I woke up today… and if I’m being honest, this whole week was far too exhausting for me to tolerate

I don’t think I’ve managed to cultivate and store enough #OriginalQi in my #LowerDanTian to keep going with #TuNaSiBa yet—at least not every day; this should be no surprise, it IS a synthesis of #Yijinjing #Xisuijing and #Roushu so what is true for them is true for it

So, I decided to take a step back (as I usually do when I push too far), and just completed the #XingyiQigong set for my middle-of-the-day slash effectively-morning #Qigong session; now my coffee is perfection, and I feel alive again

Gotta keep focusing on the fundamentals and not get ahead of myself

“the Phoeron” Colin J E LuptonAug 5, 2023
At the insistence of my Xīn (心), I finally resumed Master Li, Gui-Chang’s #TuNaSiBa (吐纳四把) #Qigong exercises this morning, instead of the #XingyiQigong set I’ve been doing. It’s appropriate timing. I finished my review of fundamental #Xisuijing theory yesterday, so now I have a better understanding of all the components of this synthesis
“the Phoeron” Colin J E LuptonAug 3, 2023

Got this book on #Acupuncture as an essential reference for my #Qigong practice, as I continue to work towards #Yijinjing and #Xisuijing training. I need to be able to correctly visualize every component of my own anatomy and psyche, and distinguish them from the abstractions of the unified Mind-Body system in which TCM, Qìgōng, and the Inner Arts operate.

It was the right balance between price, authoritativeness, and rave reviews from verified purchasers on Amazon. But honestly? The reviews didn’t do it justice—it’s comprehensively illustrated with both photographs and graphics, and meticulously researched with all the hocus-pocus superstition stripped away to emphasize what can actually be demonstrated.

Show thread“the Phoeron” Colin J E LuptonJul 23, 2023

@lispegistus I originally learned a weird mix of New Age and Martial Qìgōng, but then stuck with the martial variant as part of #XingYiQuan training. Since restarting it, I practice the #XingyiQigong set morning and night, and #Qigong meditation midday. I’m working my way toward advanced #Yijinjing and #Xisuijing training, Dámó’s classics, but the training is extreme and at least 11 years long, so I want to make sure I’m prepared for it at every level of my being.

In terms of books, I recommend first reading The Root of Chinese Qìgōng, 3rd Ed. by Dr. Yáng, Jwìng-Mǐng for a comprehensive foundation in the history, theory, and practice of the discipline as a whole and its many variants. Then you can decide for yourself which variant is right for you—health, martial, religious, etc.

I particularly love the rules of Qìgōng. One of the most important is to never injure yourself—it’s all about balance, pace, and focus on incremental progress one day at a time, adapted to your specific needs as an individual.