|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12
Junior Member
|
OP
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12 |
Hi,
I'm a new student of SF Level 1. I've begun the active practices and meditations and I'm enjoying myself so far. I was hoping I'd be seeing and feeling the energy more by now. (I guess I'm just impatient)
My question pertains to Level 2. I'm wondering how many of you have practiced it at home, and how long you spent learning Level 1 before starting your study of Level 2? Is there a fixed time period? Is there some kind of internal feedback your level 1 practice should be resulting in that tells you you're ready for level 2?
thanks for any comments you can share. I'm looking forward to participating here as my Qigong practice grows.
Jay
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 474 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 474 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
Hi,
I'm a new student of SF Level 1. I've begun the active practices and meditations and I'm enjoying myself so far. I was hoping I'd be seeing and feeling the energy more by now. (I guess I'm just impatient)
My question pertains to Level 2. I'm wondering how many of you have practiced it at home, and how long you spent learning Level 1 before starting your study of Level 2? Is there a fixed time period? Is there some kind of internal feedback your level 1 practice should be resulting in that tells you you're ready for level 2?
thanks for any comments you can share. I'm looking forward to participating here as my Qigong practice grows.
Jay
Hey there, Jay, and welcome!
I am still learning SFQ myself. I began Level I in the fall of 2005 and I just started Level II a few weeks ago! I had the entire Deluxe Home Study, but I just was not ready to begin Level II until now.
I think it varies from person to person to some extent. Having said that, probably it should be at a minimum of 3-6 months, depending on the time spent in practice. If you are doing more than an hour a day, it might be closer to 3-4 months. If you are practicing less than an hour a day and/or not even every day, then it will be at least 6 months to a year before being ready for Level II, for many people.
And all of that still is somewhat personal and depends on other factors as well: other energy work before practicing SFQ, how sensitive to energy one is, etc.
From what you said, I would wait until you are feeling the flow of energy more.
I can understand the impatience. I have that sometimes myself when it comes to progress in this and in other areas as well. The main thing is to somehow get into the flow by realizing that it is the process that is important. Try to enjoy the process as much as possible.
First of all, I would drop the specific need to "see" energy . I have been practicing Tai Chi and Qigong of various forms for over 25 years. And I do not "see" energy. In Tai Chi pushing hands, we used to talk more about "hearing energy". And I think all of these things are very personal, and variable. Energy is happening. It is flowing. And you are already aware of it on some level.
It also depends on what blockages there are in your life and in your body.
There are many signs of both having blockages and also having them break up: gas escaping, the popping or cracking of joints, yawning (especially excess yawning), laughter and/or tears during practice and/or meditation, very cold extremities or very hot extremities--this is especially true if for example, one side is cold and one side is hot (e.g. a warm left hand and a cold right hand or visa versa), mucous or skin eruptions, sweating and so much more. Again, everyone is different and it all depends on where the blockages are, how long they have been there, what either caused them or is causing them now.
Some things that can help the process progress in many cases:
increase practice time and/or frequency,
try to get a few minutes every day during peak qi times (5-7 AM & PM for active exercise; 11-1 AM & PM for meditation, especially Small Universe),
if the blockages are primarily physical, do more active exercise,
if they are primarily mental, emotional or spiritual, maybe more meditation
diet changes can help--less meat and/or sugar if these are part of your diet in some cases, more fresh fruits and vegetables, especially local produce, and even some light juice "fasting" or other kinds of controlled fasting can help (none of that should be done without consulting your medical care professional, especially if you have kind of condition where fasting would be counter indicated and/or you are not familiar with fasting)
try to find "study buddies" to help support each other--this can be local and in person or phone/e-mail/snail mail buddies. For example, I know I need this I started an e-mail support list for California from people who attended the Triple Fortune Seminar this past November in SF, CA (and I am chagrined to note that I really have to send something out, as I am WAY behind!  )
I also have been looking for local "buddies" and after putting the energy out the Universe for some months now, I am finally close to a success because of a recent sermon on qigong and spiritual healing I did at a Episcopal church my Jewish congregation meets at and partners with. People were very jazzed by the message and a few people actually already had an SFQ home study course! And I am getting more people to get it. I also got a good 'ol buddy of mine to order the materials. And so I am helping create more people to help support my journey as I also help theirs and help the world have more healing.
And that is another BIG, BIG way to help increase your progress, your being aware of the flow of energy and getting into Level II: you, I, we, all of us, MUST focus on the love, kindness, forgivness or to put it in one word, the compassion for all living beings. The best way to start that is to focus on family members, friends, loved ones in your life already (even pets and plants) EVEN while doing Level I. Think of the goal of not only helping yourself, but helping others. The more we focus on this, the more we uplevel our SFQ practice and all spiritual and energy practice.
This was a big deal for me at the Triple Fortune Seminar--this message that Chunyi Lin emphasized again and again.
I predict that the more anyone does this, the more they will progress in SFQ.
There are more things that can help, but these are a few. Feel free to PM me and I can share more with you if you want. Keep in mind, I am still a beginner and this is just my perspective. I just know these things help me. And of course, "patience, grasshopper" !  That is also key here. I have found the more I just try and enjoy the practice, the more I feel the energy.
I hope this helps and I look forward to sharing progress with you.
All the best for a New Year of healing energy!
Steve 
P.S. Hakim also points out in the recent thread about seeing qi that the Small Universe practice can uplevel one's practice and experience the flow of energy. I agree. And I am going to go do a few minutes more right now (already did an hour of SU today, plus another 30 minutes of another SFQ meditation. But it is 12:53 PM, so I have a few "peak moments" left to get some more bang for a little buck (or maybe that is a little doe-- I always get the gender of these dear things mixed up!) 
blessings,
Steve
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12
Junior Member
|
|
OP
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12 |
Wow! So tell me how you really feel about SF! Thank you very much for that very detailed response. I'm glad I'm not the only impatient one around here. I'm a fun combination of obese and recovering from a severe period of clinical depression, so I could do any of the exercises right now and still get good results I'm sure. I'm fortunate to have a 1 hour lunch where I can meditate. So I figure I'll keep starting my mornings with the active exercises with the DVD for a guide till I'm ready to fly solo. I can meditate during lunch and do some cardio or isometrics in the evening and shed this gut. Thanks again for your support and sharing your experience. Peace, Jay
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12
Junior Member
|
|
OP
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12 |
One other question I came up with this morning. I am having a hard time visualizing "energy". Not seeing it per se, just visualizing it. On the other hand, i have a very easy time visualizing water. Would it be disruptive to my practice to visualize water instead of energy, or should I just keep practicing till I can visualize energy?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 474 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 474 Likes: 1 |
Hey Jay, How I really feel about SFQ? Ah, I can take it or leave it! But seriously, folks... One thing that can help with losing weight is to bend the knees slightly more when you practice active exercise. This opens up the so-called "belt channels" and can help expedite the losing of weight. The schedule you outline sounds fine. Just keep at it; consistency is key also. As soon, as possible, try and do whatever exercise you can do with your eyes closed (if you are not already) even with the DVD. Try and transition to the audio coaching on disc 5 rather than the DVD as soon and as much as possible. Even if you can only do this with the first two or three exercises. This can help focus the energy internally and help with visualization. After all, if you first use the DVD and then you are only using the sound, to some extent or another, you are now visualizing the movements. That alone can develop this facility. I know the problem with visualization, and I have a similar problem. I think using water at this level would be fine. If possible, try to see if you can transition it to light and use a color--any color that comes to mind easily. Lately, I have been using green a lot, because Green Lantern has always been my favorite superhero (supposedly a movie is in the works) and the color green comes to me easier than others. But on Level II, there is a lot more need for color, so I am playing a lot with cycling through different colors. One thing that Chunyin Lin suggests in Level II that can work in Level I, is have colored lights or something of a color handy right before you close your eyes and then visualize that color. That can help. It is worth a few minutes of your practice time to conjure up some color(s). The brighter and more vivid the better. This helps move energy. And for those people who are not so visual, sound can also work. I sometimes use either the sound of "om" or even "shalom" or just humming sounds or whatever. You can use musical tones or the sounds of music that you play in the background (such as the "Inner Beauty" or "Back to the Universe" "soundtracks" that Chunyi Lin includes in the course) and try to imagine the sound penetrating your body and filling the space and the channels. Chunyi Lin says something that is helpful to me and I have read it quoted here a few times: I paraphrase here: visualize. If you can not visualize, imagine that you can. If you, can't do that, pretend that you can. If you can't do that, lie! In other words, the act of using your mind to move the energy will work and eventually, your mind will forget that you are "lying" and you will be better at the visualization or mind intention. But basically, any image that comes to mind easily can work. I had a teacher who suggested using the image of more solid matter, but I like things that have more flow much better. If you need to use water, for example, when visualizing the transparent column running from the head to the bottom of the torso, then by all means go for it. Just see if you can play with the color of the water a bit. And that is also another key for me at least: play. Have the spirit of play as much as possible when you practice. That can help with motivation as well as progress. Basically, use what works for now, and if possible, try to set a goal to make the images more transparent and flowing even than water. That is a great question and perhaps others will have different responses. That is my two cents for what it worth (with inflation, probably less than .01 cents, but hey, .01 cents is .01 cents, right? )
blessings,
Steve
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 3,195 Likes: 4
Learning Strategies Member
|
|
Learning Strategies Member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 3,195 Likes: 4 |
Aloha trailofthebear,
You can be practicing the Level Two healing techniques while you are learning the Level One exercises and meditation.
As for the exercises in Level Two, it's recommended that one stay with those in Level One until you make a shift in your physical healing.
SO:
Do the Level One active exercises (sprinkled with mediations about a fourth of the time), and learn and do the Healing techniques from Level Two as soon as you'd like on friends, animals, plants, etc.
In the beginning, most tend to be able to visualize things we have a strong mental memory of. To build a memory of energy or light, spend time (safely) looking at fire, lights, etc. close your eyes and see it, then look again.
Much Love, Shawn
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12
Junior Member
|
|
OP
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12 |
Hi Shawn, Thanks for your advice. I'm sure I'll be doing the Level 1 active exercises for quite a while before I'll be diluting my limited available time with the 2nd level. I also liked your idea of looking at energy to help visualize it. It's funny, out of the blue a week or two ago I had this intense desire to find images of the mythical phoenix. I found a really wonderful one on the web and made it my wallpaper. It strikes me as ironic now that I had a huge picture of a flaming animal of pure flame energy on my desktop, but I was still seeking a way to visualize energy.  The Phoenix and the aurora Borealis are 2 good ways that I can visualize energy in a way that is already familiar to me.
|
|
|
|
|
