Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong Active vs. Sitting Meditation

I have been practicing Qigong for about 3 months. I got started looking for help with sleeing prolems that I had for about 18 months. After 3 weeks of doing 30 minutes active/30 minutes sitting I started sleeping much better. A month after that I started getting this restless feeling every night, especially in my legs.

After a few weeks of this I started doing 30 minutes of small universe followed by 30 minutes of self concentration in the evening, which has taken care of the restlessnes.

For the past month I have been doing this meditation routine each morning and evening. I enjoy this so much that I have been negleting doing any active exersizes during this time.

Does this routine seem ok or am I missing someting by not doing one of the active exersizes.

RodB

[This message has been edited by RodB (edited September 05, 2005).]

Hi Rob

the sitting/laying meditations are really very enjoyable on their own but in my experience of QiGong, I have found it useful to try and fit some of the active meditation exercises into my daily routine as well.

The way it has worked for me is that the active meditation exercises strengthen my physical body and rid me of my sore spots and sickness etc. The sitting/laying meditations act like a beautfiul restorative tonic for my mind and spirit but yet at the same time add a further bonus of soothing healing and rejuvenation within my body.

I do at least 30 minutes of active meditation between 5 and 7am each morning followed immediately by an hour of sitting/laying meditation.

Between 11am and 1pm I try and do a 30 minute sitting meditation each day.

Between 5pm and 7pm depending on how I feel I will either do a 30 minute active meditation followed by 30 minutes of sitting/laying meditation; or a 60 minutes sitting/laying meditation.

Whe I go to bed for the night, I will usually do some more meditation - and the timing of it depends on the meditation.

Put it all together and it's very wonderful indeed!

I personally perfer the sitting meditations, but I continue to do the active meditations.

From the audio material in level I (I'm pretty sure it's level I) Master Lin says that when you do the sitting meditations you are opening channels and increasing your capacity to qi to flow. During active meditations you are moving the energy and filling your channels.

I think it is improtant to do both. Master Lin says that you good practice will have twice as much time on sitting meditations as active.

I would say that someone working with blockages to improve their physical health should shift the balance to include more active exercise.

You are perfection.
Iam2

Aloha RodB,

The Level I active exercises are very helpful in removing blockages and balancing the yin and yang energy.

They are also extremely important because they will set the person up to move blocked energy out of the body and go deeper into their sitting meditation.

Chunyi has recommended doing 75% level I active exercises and 25% sitting meditation at the begining of one's practice, or if they're working through some physical illness/blockage.

Much Love, Shawn