I asked in another thread, as an aside, about where should one go in the Self-Concentration exercise after the guided meditation is over.

It was suggested to me that I begin a new thread with this issue, because more people might be interested and find it this way.

So here it is: what do you do?

I have found myself getting into a flying through space visualization. Kind of like Superman just backstroking through the universe. Being able to move through and around things at will.

It seems that there is a kind of improvisation space that is both implicit and Chunyi has actually made somewhat explicit at some point.

I also tried using it a bit like the Small Universe today: i.e. I cycled through the guided meditation from memory a few times. That was also kind of cool and helpful.

I think there is a lot of freedom implied here.

I know another QiGong teacher I had always said, like Chunyi that so much of this stuff is simple and in terms of these kind of visualization and imagery things, there really is no right or wrong. With postures, there may be more "good, better best" issues. With these inner images, I think the "best" is what works best. That seems to be an ongoing theme when people share what has been successful for them (e.g. the story Chunyi Lin tells about the guy who used thousands of dragons on his liver cancer. And I have heard another one from one of the Learning Strategies coaches that worked for her and it came totally from her. As she said, "the only thing I could come up with", but what it was worked!).

But I am interested in stories like this, especially if anyone here has success stories about using imagery to help in healing, not only in Self-Concentration, but in other exercises and in general.

Aloha shakurav,

Check out what I typed in this post. It should answer you question directly and indirectly.

Here is an older post regarding it

Much Love, Shawn

Thanks, Shawn. I just read both of those threads and along with your helpful points, I found both threads in their entirety extremely interesting and valuable. Thank you so much for pointing me in that direction.

That all makes sense to me and though I sort of intuited it, I guess at this early stage I needed the "permission", as it were.

So thanks to you and to all those who wrote posts in those other threads.

Blessings,

Steve

Hi Steve,

Here is how my meditation goes:
I have discovered that when I do Small Universe or Self-Concentration that I truly go into the emptiness. After visualizing during the guided section my inner being steps out into a golden light. I know when I am done because my mind turns back on and thoughts start to distract me. Usually this happens right at the end of the CD when I hear the 'ding'. Once I started coming back out and went back into it for about 20 minutes more. It is not sleeping either, I am fully awake and will feel sensations like energy heat, or a cool sensation on my hand, the best is when I feel energy bugs zipping around an area that needs healing or releasing. These don't trigger a thought but I usually come out smiling.

I do admit there are times when my mind is flying through all sorts of visual discovery. I just go with it and see what I see.

Sue