GAS COMING OUT, CHI FLOW, SPONTANEOUS BREATHING AND VISUALIZATION
A chi kung class in the United States
Question
I received your two Chi Kung books and have been trying to follow your instructions as much as possible. Though I experienced extraordinary sensations of chi flow that I was skeptical about, after my Chi Kung practice today I feel I have a lot of gas which is causing a bloating feeling in my chest. In addition there seems to be some slight pressure in the middle of my spine. Also there was a temporary slight pain (couple of seconds) at the center bottom of my rib cage.
— Ansur, USA
Answer
Congratulations for being able to generate a chi flow even when you learn from my books.
It is the chi flow, not the exercises themselves, that gives the benefits of good health, vitality and longevity that practicing chi kung will bring.
In other words, even when a person performs a chi kung exercise correctly and beautifully, if he has no chi flow, he will not derive any chi kung benefit. This is exactly what more than 80% of chi kung practitioners all over the world are facing, and they do not realize it.
The lot of gas, slight pressure and slight pain are signs that your chi flow is working for you. Your chi flow is pushing through some blockage. When the blockage is cleared, you will feel fine.
Editorial Note
Ansur later replied as follows.
"The burping, bloating, and any sensations of pain are now gone. I have stopped practicing the abdominal breathing exercise (though I am still breathing from my diaphragm) and the horse stance.
I thank you for writing those two wonderful books on Chi Kung. They are treasures! The results I am getting from chi flow are incredible. Yesterday I spontaneously started laughing for a minute as I smiled from my heart and just today, during a very intense chi flow, I experienced the "roaring like a tiger" that you describe in your books.
With just practicing Chi Kung for about a week you have probably made me a life long student of this art. Later I'll be having a lesson with Sifu Anthony which I am looking forward to tremendously."
Question
My session went as follows: Try to relax mentally and physically to try and achieve a Chi Kung state of mind. Self manifested chi flow for about ten minutes. To induce the chi flow I practiced Lifting the Sky, Pushing Mountains, and Carrying the Moon. Horse Stance for 5 minutes. Flowing Breeze and Swaying Willows 5 minutes. Abdominal Breathing 5 minutes. Standing Meditation for 5 minutes.
Answer
Don't try to relax mentally and physically. Actually relax mentally and physically. There is a big difference between trying and actually doing.
Also, don't intellectualize on how to relax mentally and physically. Just do it. You will soon discover that it is easier to relax than to try to relax or intellectualize on how to relax.
Leave out Horse Stance and Abdominal Breathing. They are advanced exercises and should be personally learnt from a competent teacher.
In your Standing Mediation, just stand upright, be relaxed and do not think of anything.
Question
During the chi flow I experienced some rather vigorous movements, swaying left and right with my head and shoulders, motions resembling a figure 8 with my hips and legs, turning on the spot many times, etc. I didn't let them become too vigorous because of my lack of instructor. During this I felt really at peace as well as for the rest of the session. Throughout I tried to keep my breathing as gentle as possible.
Answer
You did very well.
Chi flow is actually very safe. But as you are just starting to experience chi flow, and you do not have the personal supervision of a competent teacher, it is advisable to progress gradually. In other words, initially do not let your chi flows be too vigorous. But as you have become more skillful in your control, you can gradually let go more and more as your chi flows become more vigorous.
You need not have to worry about your breathing. Let your breathing be spontaneous. If it becomes vigorous by itself, let it be.
Question
In your books you speak a lot about visualization and I tried to incorporate it into my practice, sometimes as visualizations and sometimes as gentle thoughts. However during the chi flow I tried to follow your analogy of "drifting in the clouds" so I didn't think of anything. I should add that I practiced about an hour or more after eating dinner.
Answer
You need not worry about visualization. In other words, don't think of anything. Just enjoy your practice. However, at the end of your practice, you may have a gentle thought that you are healthy, peaceful and happy. The thought must be gentle.
Your practice session should be about 15 minutes.
It does not matter very much whether you wait for some time before or after your meals for your practice. In other word, you can practice immediately before or after your meals, or you can wait for some time before or after meals to practice.
Practitioners in other schools of chi kung are usually advised to wait for at least about half an hour before or after meals for their chi kung practice. But we have the luxury of not doing so because our chi kung is very powerful, and our chi flow can help in the digestion of food if taken before or after the practice. In other practitioners the food would interfere with the chi flow as it is not strong.
The above is taken from Questions 5, 6, 7 and 8 July 2013 Part 2 of the Selection of Questions and Answers.
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