Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong Ending Exercise-Harvesting Qi

I had a question on the ending exercise. It says in the manual that the time to do it is 10 mins and the time on the video tape is ten minutes. Master Lin only goes through the exercise once and it's definately not 10 mins long.

Should this exercise be practiced only once at the end of the exercises? Can it be done over and over for 10 minutes? Can this exercise be practiced all by itself with benefits?

Thanks!
Diana

Diana,
I have always just done it till i feel like the energy is placed nicely in my body. I don't take 10 minutes though & i've never done them over and over.

I think it's supposed to place harvest the qi by distributing it evenly thruout our bodies. The cupping of the hands and patting does this.

I also got into all kinds of back problems w/ that one motion at the end of the harvesting. I only do it gently. Also the 2 w/ the swinging of the arms. I do it gently also.

I'm sure Sandy or Gallen will also answer you w/ additional comments.

[This message has been edited by Margaret (edited August 27, 2002).]

Thanks Margaret. I was having some trouble with the movements also, mostly my neck and my back somewhat.

good morning-
I go by numbers, rather than time. Going by feeling, as Margaret mentions is also good. I do six times. Nine is a good number if you want to do more. Once, after the active set is enough. Partial versions , here and there through out the day is ok. I often twist my trunk, and keep my spine open. It doesn't take much to tighten up there. This twisting of the spine, and the bending over and rolling up of the spine are extremely important. There are whole sets of qigong exercises, that just work the spine, pelvis, and hips. It opens the verbrae and joints that close with age, or, are always somewhat closed or closed, throughout your life. It lubicates the spine.
Any spine work is very good, anytime. Spend some time making those spine rolls make sense and feel right. It should feel liberating. Use your third eye to help you roll up one vertebrae at a time, all the way up through the C7, base of the head, and crown.
This is a great movement, very important. Along with rolling and twisting the spine, a gentle swaying side to side is good(like a willow in the wind), opening the spine in that direction. Horizontal circling the spine at the base, middle, and shoulders, both directions, about softball to sm melon size circles is another. Moving up and down the spine with that. If you do one of these circles at a time, moving up the three areas in sequence, it becomes a spiral movement. The spine is very important, and those spine movements in harvesting qi are very important. Movements should be fluid. Probably, the hula would great for the pelvis!
I also think rubbing the ears and washing the face can happen here and there, disconnected from an exercise set. I often do shorter versions of harvesting qi after meditation.
Margaret,,,,"Shawn" is the LS moderator in this section.

Thanks Gallen. You sure know your Qi Qong.

Gallen,
Thanks

Sorry, Shawn. BTW, i think you said you were going on a retreat w/ M. Chunyi Lin. How did it go?

Thanks

Aloha,

The energy of Lake Superior mixed with the time of the month, season of the year, and the very special people that were there, made for an incredible experience.

A lot of long meditation and digging around into the roots of the Spring Forest Qigong. It was a beautiful place for doing outdoor active exercises, spending contemplative time along the beach or waterfall and meeting wonderful people.

The food was(smelled), delicious and being with the choice to fast during this retreat was easier for me than earlier ones -I do enjoy food! (Master Lin gives guidance on this in later classes and I've found it definitely makes a difference for me).

A SFQ retreat is a wonderful first time experience or opportunity to revisit a previously taken class or the home learning course.

Love, kindness & forgiveness,

Shawn

Shawn,
When you say long meditation, what do you mean? More than 3 hrs at a stretch? I just got back from India and we spent 2 stretches of 6 hrs. at a time which came to 12 hrs a day. I don't want to do that w/ M. Lin. I'm hoping to hear him speak and to interact some w/ him.

Is this possible?

Aloha Margaret,
[my apologies for the response time]

QUESTION TIME
The retreats schedules are set up to balance information, instruction, answering questions, and doing the work. There is ample time to ask questions. Level II contains plenty of information, and so most of the time will be spent in instruction, Q&A and practicing healing techniques.The longer small universe meditation is added here too. Level III has a lot of information too, and starts devoting more time developing the visualization/meditative end. Level IV has it's own information and shift and focuses more time into meditation and spiritual healing .

RETREAT EXPERIENCES
Actually, each retreat/class gets customized on site depending on the space the group is in and at. That's what made it a challenge to create the level I & II courses. Three separate level I classes could have variety of different information between them depending on the needs of the group. Of course that's one of the things that makes Master Lin's work special. He can go to the core and present it in a way for a specific individual group or(as in the case of a home study program), a general audience and give each the whole experience without "watering it down" in the process.

GOOD STUFF
Plenty of people purchase the level I and II materials after taking the class. Others have found benefit in getting the home study course before going, and many repeat his classes because of the amount and variety of information presented in each format.

LONG MEDITATION
It's all relative isn't it? During the retreats Master Lin keeps a balance between informational, active and sitting meditative work. He's always taking into account the level and energy of the group, environment, season, and the amount of time it takes to have one's energynaturally complete a cycle through all the channelsof the body. That works out to around two hours in a sitting to work through four rotations or "seasons" in the body.

[Gaylen's question about the length of the Small Universe CD refers to this too. Pete told me when planning the S.U. CD, Master Lin wanted to fit in two "seasons" - a little less than one hour, moving the energy through the body's systems twice. And as for those looking to bump up time in sitting meditation... Master Lin told Pete recently that those people should do the S. Universe longer]

Is a level II retreat going to get into a two hour meditation -probably not. The amount of information, practice and the hour long small universe is generaly a good ballance/step for that level and where most of the participants will be at. During the retreats one also has time to personalize their experience by adding fasting, additional individual meditative time, walks along the beach (if available), journaling, sharing with others or taking on something from a personal suggestion from Master Lin.

PERSPECTIVE
Remember that this is all from my personal experience with his classes, association, and recently working with Learning Strategies and our home learning courses. Whether it's a retreat, classroom, or home learning course, each is unique and effective way to experience Spring Forest Qigong.

Love, kindness and forgiveness,

Shawn

I am learning about meditation. Reading the posts get me more curious about Long Meditation.

In SFQ Level I, the two meditations have ending exercises. What happen in a group meditation if someone wants to end his/her meditation earlier? Doing the ending exercise, wouldn't that be rude to the others who are still meditating?

I suppose if someone can do long meditation he/she is able to achieve "emptiness", the external movement will not distrub him/her.
Does that also mean the physical body will be able to withhold that long? My understand of fasting is drinking water and no solid food.

Sorry, these questions are a bit off from the spiritual level of meditition.

[This message has been edited by Bluebird (edited September 06, 2002).]