Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong questions about "energy breathing" and breathing

Hi! I have been trying to learn the "energy breathing". I wasgetting used to it but was told a person with high blood pressure should not do it. Is this right?

I also heard it can hurt your abdomen?
Another thing I was told was that "deep" breathing such as I normally do contributes to high blood pressure.

Does anybody know the validity of any of these so called "facts"?

How can one practice "energy breathing" and learn to do it more deeply. I can do it ok until it says"hold your breath"....alas, I can't "hold it !

Thank you, for any assistance

In SFQ I have heard that to have your palms up for normal practice- unless you have high blood pressure then have your palms facing down (rest them on your knee caps).

I would suggest 'small universe' to help balance the energy in the whole body. Breathing in this way is known to have many benefits and over time should correct most all physical problems.

Holding your breathe really isn't advised until you have become fairly advanced. Some reasons not to, include that it messes up your body's natural breathing, it adds tension to the body which shows up as misemotion, etc.

Just breathe.

Hello


Thank you for your help and advise.

I have a difficult time with the energy breathing and the tongue but I keep trying to get used to it. I think I'm doing it better the past few days I even "caught" myself doing it while walking!

I just find I tense up during the sitting meditations. Probably just trying too hard, I guess.

As for the concern about not practicing it if you have high blood presure and that it can cause abdominal troubles....I have yet to find anything to back it up. So I believe I will take the claims under advisement along with a grain of salt, so to speak!

May I ask if this energy breathing was easy for you to learn or did you have any issues learning it?

I thank you, again for your kind advise.

jingles

PS... The reason for holding the breath is that it was mentioned in one of the active excercises and in the 10,000 hands practice.
(3 seconds, I believe, and whew I just couldn't!)
Due to an issue with my shoulder, I was practicing this since it was greatly relieving it and allowing me to last longer doing the active excerises in level one.

My back ground in breathing started in Aikido and my Sensei told me to learn breathing and Ki exercise first. He had done breathing for 40 years, daily at least 1 hour. I started with this and for 5 years only missed 3 days because of sickness. At the end of five years I was suffering back pain because of the way I was breathing-although it was how I was taught.

My Sensei had passed away and needed another teacher to get me through this obstacle. In Spring Forest Qigong, Master Lin gives a really excellent guide to learning Small Universe. In this technic you by-pass all the possible pitfalls of breathing. You open up the channels before you are really generating alot of Chi, which is very safe. This technic cleared up my back pains and allowed me to continue breathing again, which is very pleasureable.

Learning various breathing technics can be a never ending story.
Each has it's own personality. I had learned how to generate and store Ki but not how to circulate it properly which caused me problems later. It also was more of a Martial flavor.

My advise to anyone wanting to follow the breathing trail is to follow traditional methods, such as Small Universe. Breathe softly and fully, equally in the inhale and exhale. Do not force any part of it. You do go through 'growing experiences' as your energy channels fill up, your sensitivity increases as well as your health improves. It probably is the most beneficial exercise you can do for your internal organs.

There are no hard and fast rules you have to do in Qigong. If you have issues with shoulder or holding breathe, you just do what you can without tensing up. In order to get Chi to flow you must stay relaxed. If you need medication then take it and do Qigong. Qigong is very flexible and you adapt it to your life style.

Ten Thousand Hands is a wonderful exercise, I had forgot about the 3 seconds. Just do what you can do without tensing, or what you can do in a relaxed state-that is the most important.

Hey, Thanks again!

I really appreciate hearing your experience with it. And the additional input helps me understand it better.

I like how you said "Breathe softly and fully, equally in the inhale and exhale. Do not force any part of it." I'm sure I was trying to force it and that is why I was struggling.

I had thought my shoulder had greatly improved until I tried the program...was totally shocked to realize I was compensating for it's limitations. When I stumbled upon the Ten Thousand Hands I thought I'd never ever be able to do it and although I suspect my arms aren't exactly right when I'm doing it, after 3 days it had improved and now it almost feels normal.
I'm amazed and now determined to keep learning!

Thanks for sharing your experience with me
jingles