Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong question

I feel I am ready to do the Qigong on my own now and I am ready to try without looking at the video. I seem to want to do the Qigong at a slower pace than what Master Lin shows on his video. Is it essential to perform it at the same pace as Master Lin or can I get the same benefit from it by slowing it down?
Thank you.
Heart

Hi Heartbeat,
Slowing it down is very good.

If you need to take more breaths per movement, this is also ok. Your breathing may actually be slower, but depending on how slow you move, you still may require more breaths per move. Just time yourself to hold your breath, when you are supposed to, and coordinate that as shown. Seven steps is better with the rhythmn of breathing in and out with each step, to support the bellows effect of energy moving up and down with each step and breath. You can slow it down, relative to whats comfortable, regarding your breathing.
love,
gallen

Aloha Heartbeat,

Consider perhaps doing the active exercises along with the tape/CD #5.

In this way, Chunyi starts you out and give a little bit of guidance and segways between the exercises without all the explanations and temptation to follow at his speed.

The other benefit to this is that your session is an hour, rather than the 25 minutes on the video.

If one just has a half hour, they could do what we do everyday at Learning Strategies:

Monday & Thursday
side 1 of tape 5 (stopping after a little ways into the Joining of Yin & Yang, and doing the Harvesting Sequence)

Tuesday & Thursday
Side2 of tape 5

Wednesday
Small universe, Self Concentration, or the Euphoria version of the Self Concentration Exercise.

Much Love, Shawn

Hey Heart,
I to have to go slower for some of the different exercises to better tune in and feel the energy. Or perhaps a better way to say it is to allow more time to tune in, something like that. What rings in my mind at the moment is Master Lin saying for example in the breathing in of the universe to feel the expanding and compression between your hands of the energy. Or something along those lines. For me I really have to slow it down to get a good feel of the energy and that means slowing the breath coordinated with the movement. This can vary between steps and movements but sometimes I feel I am only getting couple of those in before it is time to move on.

In that case I feel it is more important to tune into the sense and feel as appose to the quantity of the repetition. I feel more benefit if I take the time to tune in as oppose to just going through the movements. I suspect that Master Lin is so tuned in that he instantly feels the energy therefore his pace is much faster than mine. I hope this helps in someway.

Ascending:
My feelings exactly. I love doing the routine slowly! It has made such a difference in how I feel the energy.

Gallen and Shawn, thanks for your input too. I will be experimenting with your suggestions.

I love this stuff!
Heart

I've only done the active exercises a few times with the tapes (video or audio). I've almost always do the active exercises on my own. When I was starting I peppered this board with questions all the time. My mind was more restless without any audio guidance, but that eventually died down.

My pace isn't the same everyday. The best is when it is slow, but forcing it to slow down doesn't seem to improve it. Getting into the right state mentally so that slow feels right is when I get me best experiences.

Have fun on your own, but you're never really alone.

You are perfection.
Iam2

Hi Heartbeat -
I also do the exercises slower than when I was following Master Lin on the video. I kept up with Chunyi on the videos, but when I went solo, I slowed down the movements and breaths. It just feels better to me that way.
Love and peace.