Hi
I'm not sure where to look for this; there are so many pages and typing in the themes in the esarch box came back with no luck. I hope you can help.
I've been on and off a spiritual path for many years, worked as a healer before becoming a psychotherapist, have had acupuncture, and in the last year have been trying to reconnect with my deepest self again through meditation. So I am familiar with an eastern approach as well as trying to take responsibility for my health.
After two car accidents since 1996 and again in 2006(both due to the other driver)I have had chronic pain in the damaged tissue areas in my back and neck. This has since developed into fibromyalgia. I also have developed arthritis in a knee, in my lower back and neck(with spurs), and in my hands, especially in my thumbs. I have been doing alot of soul work on letting go my attachments to being ill as well as trying to see what my body is telling me. However I do 2 hours of stretches(as part of pain management program I learned as inpatient in hospital, in order to keep my scar tissue as flexible and stretched as possible. I have to pay close attention to my posture and not overdoing repetitive movements or placing my body in positions it has trouble sustaining. If I don't, my pain levels worsen. So I try to stay within my own borderlines which can change hourly/daily.
This raise a few questions:
1)I can't do all of the 8 active exercises for more than a minute or two; nor could I just do 1-2 of them for more than a very few minutes due to the constant repetition. Even the little I am doing them is resulting in a little discomfort, but I think that it's important to stay with it(adjusting to new movements as well as probably opening blockages)and hope that in time I will feel less discomfort and/or be able to slowly increase the time. Will this make them not as effective if I cannot do one of them for more than a minute or two? I especially find the ones with my arms up(forming, moving, joining of yin and yang and even breathing of the universe)tiring with increased discomfort.
2)Harmony of the universe and harvesting chi are the 2 most difficult and physically challenging for me to do.The former because of arms up AND bending to the side in my back and especially in my neck. The Harvesting chi hurts my thumbs doing the ear massage, and my back doing the kidney massage(as well as my hands), and my neck with the head circles from side to side and dolphin necking. The full dolphin using back and knee bend is also difficult.
The one that feels best for my body is Seven steps of life.
If I just did this one would it still help all my channels? Or if I did this one a bit longer and did all but Harmony of the universe and Harvesting chi( which I'd cut out)for the 1-2 minutes I can currently manage would that be better for me in terms of opening channels, clearing blockages and healing?
3)If I cut out the Harvesting chi ex, and I only did the ending that is in the sitting small universe meditation, would that still be effective?
4)If I first do active ex's and then meditation hours later, do I need to do an ending ex for each one or is it ok to just do one after the meditation?
5) I know you're not supposed to use the toilet for 30 minutes after doing either active ex or meditation, but I've found each time I've done either, I need to use the toilet 10-15 minutes after! despite going just before. I don't go that often, but clearly the SPF Qigong is releasing something. I know that loses chi, but when you gotta go....I'm hoping that in time I will be able to wait for 30 minutes. But will I be losing too much chi until then?
I'm so sorry for the length of this, but I don't know where else to ask these questions. Sorry to trouble you.
Regards
