Aloha Valentine,
Sorry this will be a quick (out the door response)...
1) Just where on the roof of your mouth do you put your tongue? Just behind the teeth or up in the rounded part? Just behind the teeth. There are different benefits to putting the tongue in the middle or the back of the roof of the mouth. For now just place it on the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth and forget about it during the exercises
2) When you lean over your elbows in Harmony of Universal Energy, are you supposed to keep your knee straight? Mine wants to bend into the lean...
Both your knees always stay bent, and yes you will probably find yourself bending and learning a bit with that outside leg, don't spend any time thinking on it.
3) My breathing feels so shallow when I pull my spine up really straight - Is this the way it is supposed to be or will it deepen in time?When your straightening your spine (referring to the Self Concentration exercise?), your not stressing straining on the stretch -it's more like a half energetic and half a relaxed expanse. Let me know if this is not what you were referring to.
4) I can't breathe as slowly as the Sitting Meditation Om's and Mo's - can I sneak in an extra little inhalation and exhalation in between? I know I'm supposed to be relaxed, but my body tenses up as I keep trying to inhale past my lungs being full... let go of the filling up the lungs and concider the perspective of letting the body fill every cell at it's own speed with energy. This may help letting go of keeping up with the OM'ing & Moa'ing. You can take an extra breath if you'd like.
5) I do a series of stretches and mat exercises every morning and would like to do them after my Qigong - or do I need to wait a period of time? Is it possible to do them before the qigong? As long as their not a big strenuous yogic workout unto itself, that would seem to be the place to do them.
6) Most "exercise" programs say to drink a lot of water before during and after exercise, and I'm getting the impression that I shouldn't do this with Qigong. Or is it that it just shouldn't be cold? You do not need to hydrate before and during the exercises as one would in the gym. Get plenty of water during the day and limit your intake before and after qigong, staying away from cold water
7) Would it hurt my Qi energy to take a warm shower afterwards? Or how about if I take my shower when I first get up and then do Qigong?Do it when you get up before doing the qigong. Once again -refraining from the cold water
8) After 2 hours of doing Qigong and the meditation and my stretching and my exercises (whew) on an empty stomach, I'm hungry - are there any recommendations as to when you should eat breakfast? Should I avoid cold foods (protein shake, etc.)? refrain from cold foods 30 minutes before and after your qigong practice. Good, Better, Best...do not each 30 min before or after the work also. If you chose to eat, then you choose to eat. Is that best -no, it's just that some of the energy you've accumulated and is settling in the body from the work will go into the digestion of the food, rather than the healing and channels it was intended for.
Much Love and a great weekend,
Shawn
