Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong Negative/Positive, Gallen?

Hi Gallen. Your post on Sept. 29 for 'sallp' gave me something to think about.
"Stay in the present & Keep an awareness of the present."

Doing all the active and meditation exercises up to 5 hours every day for several month, it probably is routine now. I think my mind got lazy and get me off the track. Using all the tricks in the book with all the trimmings; 30 min. rule, best time of the day, Yin/Yang water and more.

I've noticed when I lost track, then I feel a lot stronger sensation in the hands.
While I'm a very strong negative person, things will try to go the other way.
All my life when I start a project negative and make it then positive. If it didn't work, I am still happy because I already figured that. So, anytime I would think I gone make a sale, then it wouldn't happen and I will blame myself.

There is so match more to tell before anyone could help me, and you might get bored if I go on, because I have to relive my upbringing and struggle thereafter. I better stop now, it would be unbelievably.

I would appreciate if you will reply, or someone else who is serious helping me, then I can come up with some better details. I know, I have to change my attitude 180 degree, one way or another. This time I'm already positive.

Spring forest qigong is my last stop on this earth.

Love, John

John82, I'm not sure what you are asking, but hear are some of my thoughts in response to your post.

You are not a negative person. In the past you have held a thought pattern that often projected negative outcomes. You are not your thought patterns.

You can change your thought patterns, if you choose. There are techniques and beliefs you can adopt and use. Adopting new patterns is like gardening. Some people can yank out some weeds and plan beautiful ideas in there place. But most of us plant the seeds, and care for the new and beautiful ideas. We do weeding, but they seem to come back. With each day we nurture the positive and discourage the negative. Soon the Positive is large and strong enough that it can maintain it's own territory from any weeds.

Like any gardener, we must have faith that the seeds we plant with SFQ will bear the bounty we seek. I know it will, the climate and support the product gets will greatly enforce the growth.

In SFQ what are our seeds? Love, kindness and forgiveness. These are for ourselves as well as others. Do not judge, just seek to give these to others.

How do you become a successful SFQ gardener? There are the six keys of success: faith, confidence, call on the masters energy, focus, visualization, and consistency.

In your post you've addressed some of these six keys. My suggestion is for you to revisit the six keys and see where you can benefit the most in growing a positive outlook.

You are perfection.
Iam2

Hi John,
If I get what you are saying, you have some heavy emotional feelings messing with your happiness, and perhaps your experience of qigong. Maybe more quantity than quality. It is not easy, especially at first, to focus everything to what you are doing in the exercises. The idea of being in the present, is a good place to start. The present is the present. You are holding it as you go forward. You can make choices that create the best possible future. The past, is the past. You have to go looking there to find it. If you work in the present, as you practice your qigong, you are creating a positive effect on your 'whole' being. How you move forward, becomes lighter. Negative energy, or extra energy, emotions, past emotional experience, all are addressed, in this focus on your exercise, in the present moment. You don't have to realize or see that. You just sit in a better place, you heal and purify. Energy is released, you gradually transform. It is not easy to hold one's focus, and can be , hard work. It does have benefit though, and good side effects.
I was taught, and believe, in new beginnings, at any moment we chose to have them. It is a choice. Your past doesn't matter. You can start anew, anytime. You can fail, and start again. You can blow it, and have a glorious new beginning, anytime. Iam2 mentions alot of important related things to this, regarding self forgiveness and non judgement. It is all in your hands. We can't actually do it for you,,, you have that power yourself. You say there is so much more to tell us, before someone can help you. I say, you can help yourself, it is not important that anyone know more of the details. It is all just energy. It can be read as extra energy, or perhaps positive and negative. It it is within your being, and is negative, or extra energy, you can release it. Just do your qigong in the present. Don't go into the past. If it comes forward to where you are in the present, release it. Let it go.
There is a saying,,,,'holding the center'. It can be as precarious as holding your balance on one foot. You may only be able to hold it up for a few seconds. same with being fully present. You can build on it though. Eventually, you are comfortably standing on one leg, and so much so, that if you aren't in the emptiness at that point, you are in the present moment 100%, and enjoying that experience of full awareness of your surroundings.
You might be fully aware of nature, the sun shining down,
etc., but not negative thoughts or feelings. Just being there in the moment. The side effects are greater wisdom, clearing baggage, and seeing a bright future, or new beginnings. You don't have to see this all happen. It just does. Over time, you feel better and better. You don't go back to past negatives. They have moved up and out, through your continual opening and releasing, conscious or unconcious work.
My experience of the present, also can involve the movement of time. Or, sense of that constant shift. It takes diligent focus to ride that and stay in the present. A simple distraction, like a plane flying over or something, and all of a sudden you are recalling a trip you took somewhere. Five minutes go by, until you come back to the present moment, and realize you were gone!
Just refocus. No emotions involved, self judgement. No failure here. You are human, and you are doing the work. You set aside the time to do this work. It is a good thing, period. Your experience is good, whatever happens. Make the effort to hold the center. You get better at it. Watch your senses. Some taoist theory will refer to the senses as thieves. Like hearing that plane overhead, and that taking you away. If there is a sound, you can hear it, without 'listening'. You don't have to shift your focus onto hearing the sound. It is a distraction like this, that can take you farther away into some deeper feeling or thought, re energerzing or supporting its existance within you. Relaxing, focusing on the exercises, doing them in the present, holding that center, transforms you.
Your upbringing is past. Let it be past. You are here now. Choose a new beginning without the past. Forgiveness all around, yourself included. Don't let your mind take you there. Your higher spirit and soul, are your center, not your mind. Your experience , now, is what you make it. SFQ is not your last stop, in desperation. It is a new beginning, and you are heading into eternity. It will help you align with that truth. It is nothing but positive and glorious, in matter of fact. God is about love, not judgement. The best you can do, is to be good to yourself. Seems simple heh? It just takes that first step, a new beginning. Let go of the past. It doesn't serve you well in the present, it doesn't belong there, or within you. It is just extra energy you hold. Let it go with your breath and movements as you stand in the present.
I post an email address, if I haven't addressed your post, or if you want to talk a bit on the side, but as I said, sharing your past doesn't move that energy anywhere. It is not different than a physical blockage, like a tumor. Don't want to see that either! Don't want to acknowledge it or support it. It is time to see it going going gone, through your self practice.
I see you are retired. You have been around for awhile, perhaps! It might take some time letting go of what one can accumulate over time, or over lifetimes. You can do the work now, or not. It is work to do, and it will get done at the point you choose to do it. What comes after that gets better and better. I am speaking beyond your experience in this lifetime regarding anything I've said. If that doesn't resonate with your beliefs, you can just look at how you want your experience to be now, and address that relative to this time, here and now. Life can be enjoyed.
love,
gallen

Hi,
Although we can't control what negative influences might be around us, and having an influence on them is another conversation, we can make negative and positive choices within ourselves. In the practice of SFQ, the first positive choice one can make, that can have an extremely powerful transformative effect within, is to practice the smile. This smile can just be on the surface, or it can be very deeply felt, turned inward, and genuinely felt as loving self. This simple, but powerful practice, in itself, as a focus, encompasses so much. This practice is a positive choice, that will help, over time, if genuine in one's practice, to transform inner negative feelings.
love,
gallen

Thank you Gallen, Im2.
Today I just want you to know how happy I am. Indescribable happy, thanks.
I will work through all your suggestions with patience first before I'll ask another question. I really appreciate your valuable time spend writing that much and shouldn't be disappointed with me.

For many years I've practiced Tao exercises every morning. They made me outstanding, health-wise, that others think I have no problems. So I end up teaching them what to do or help otherwise. Shouldn't I be happy with Tao?
But I didn't know Cigong until I got the first introduction of SFC in the mail.
My goal is to work rather full-time with SFC, it gives me so much more and it's a lot easier. Chunny Lin seams not to mind when we first still work with other programs.
What you think should I stop the Tao exercises anytime or later? Or I could
skip some gradual until I feel safe.

Oops, it turned out to be another question after all.

Love, John

Hi John,
I am happy you are happy!

It sounds like you have made good headway taking care of your physical body. Perhaps , you now have other work to do regarding other aspects of yourself, and the universe has brought you to SFQ.
Do what is comfortable regarding this shift to SFQ practice. Know that SFQ is a complete practice, and that you won't lose what you have accomplished. Your other studies and achievement, are part of you. You can practice level I active and cover the physical health maintainance part, if you choose to.
In general, a full cycle of practice, in whatever combination, is two hrs. I think it stems from a Taoist theory, involving a complete cylcing of qi taking 28 minutes(one season), and four cycles being a complete cycle(one year of four seasons). I heard Master Lin mention this once.
It is good that you are also a teacher. Bringing in the aspect of being a 'healer', can add to that dynamic, in working with others,,,,helping others. It is also a way to help yourself progress, and promotes self healing and greater self realization. Lots of new things to experience. Healing energy can present itself through many things,or actions, transforming them into a fuller experience and moving them to a higher level. This can be literal,or obvious, or very subtle, and not obvious at all.
It is very good to hear of your happiness.
love,
gallen