...which should you take?
In an ideal world, both! The two practices complement each other very well. However, there are some key differences between them. If you don't want to dive headlong into two different disciplines, this article is a guide to help you pick the practice that's right for you.
First, a little bit of context.
Qigong is thousands of years old. Tai Chi is merely hundreds of years old. The way I was taught, Tai Chi is a type of Qigong and grew out of a Qigong way of moving and focusing the mind. It uses the same style of movement (soft on the inside and outside, relying on the body's natural structural integrity), and requires a similar meditative focus. Tai Chi and Qigong - the way I practice and teach them, anyway - both have similar benefits. They'll help strengthen and stretch your entire body, calm and focus your mind, and teach you how to work with chi or universal life energy (for the Star Wars fans among you, "the Force"). Both practices leave you with a feeling of being relaxed and invigorated.
That having been said, Tai Chi is a martial art, whereas Qigong is not. The movements of Tai Chi are blocks, strikes and kicks. It has a more dynamic way of moving the body. Qigong movements are directed toward stretching the body in strategic ways to stimulate the internal organs and encourage all body systems to work in harmony. Tai Chi movements accomplish that same goal, while teaching you how to fight. (It takes a long time to learn how to make the slow movements of Tai Chi into anything martially effective.)
What does that mean for you?
Physical Considerations
Qigong exercises are typically performed standing on both feet. They are more easily adapted to a chair if you must remain seated. If you have balance problems or difficulty standing, or are working through an injury or chronic condition, especially to the lower body, Qigong is a better starting place than Tai Chi.
Tai Chi moves across the room in a more dynamic fashion. To perform it safely, you need to be able to stand on one leg for at least a brief period of time. At the same time, Tai Chi develops leg strength, flexibility, and a more dynamic way of moving very quickly. Some people find the gentle, limited movements of Qigong to be unchallenging in the beginning. If you want to gain greater proficiency with your balance and leg strength, and are looking for a more challenging physical workout, choose Tai Chi over Qigong to start with.
Mental / Emotional Considerations
Both Tai Chi and Qigong require that you bring your mental focus into the present. Both require you to learn a new style of movement that will highlight any physical, mental, or emotional tensions you hold within you, and allow you to learn to release these tensions.
The movements of Qigong are more repetitive and simpler to learn in the beginning. Perfecting Qigong, and learning the more subtle aspects of each movement, is extremely difficult and takes a lot of practice. However, it is a relatively quick process to pick up a basic understanding of a Qigong routine. If you are looking to pick up a new discipline relatively quickly, or if you tend to get frustrated easily, Qigong is a better choice in the beginning than Tai Chi. If you're looking for stress relief and you tend to find it more relaxing to work with your mental focus, Qigong is a better choice.
The Tai Chi learning curve is steep in the beginning. You are asking your body to perform complex actions that flow one to the next, and it will feel like a long time before your muscle memory kicks in to help you feel your way through the movements. Learning the set is a big challenge, although not impossible if you're able to be patient. It takes six months to a year to learn the set that I teach from start to finish. Once you have the set under your belt, you'll have an incredibly effective tool you can use to help yourself any time you feel that you need a stretch, a workout, or to release stale tensions. If you are interested in learning a skill that few have the focus or patience to acquire, and you want to sink into a learning experience that is very deep from day one, then Tai Chi is a good choice. If you tend to relieve stress through movement (going to the gym, going for a run or a walk to clear your mind), Tai Chi is a better choice than Qigong.
Meditation
Both Tai Chi and Qigong are forms of moving meditation. Generally speaking when you're first learning, Tai Chi and Qigong both take your mind away from your daily concerns because they require your whole focus in order to just do the class. Eventually, once you get used to the movements, your mind will start to drift again. That's when you'll start bringing your mental focus back to the movements as you perform them. That's when the real meditation begins.
The Qigong exercises are more repetitive and easier to learn, so you'll hit the point where you can do them on autopilot a little faster, which means you'll need to start challenging your mental focus sooner. If you're interested in learning standing and sitting meditation forms, I teach these more frequently in the context of Qigong than Tai Chi. Choose Qigong if you have a stronger immediate interest in meditation than in exercise.
Tai Chi in the beginning is hard physical and mental work. Chances are you'll feel so great after a Tai Chi workout that you won't care about your problems by the time you're done! However, achieving a true meditation effect in Tai Chi class takes a little longer. It's a great long-term investment because all the work that goes into doing a Tai Chi set profoundly prepares your body to be able to handle meditation, but you probably won't be doing Tai Chi as meditation right away. Choose Tai Chi if you are interested in investing in a practice that will prepare you for better, more profound meditation in the long term.
Time Commitment
The hard fact is, what you'll get out of Qigong and Tai Chi is directly proportional to the amount of time you spend practicing them. Before you choose either of them, you'll want to take a look at your schedule and see whether you can make time to learn and to do a little practicing.
You can join Qigong classes any time. The curriculum does change periodically as I try to introduce new material for those who have been there a while, but you can dive in and learn the current curriculum whenever you choose. Qigong is easier to pick up after a long break, or to learn a little bit at a time. Choose Qigong if you are not sure you can commit to a regular class schedule, but you still want to learn to work with chi.
Because the Tai Chi set is a long and somewhat intricate series of movements, I recommend that you plan to attend at least one class per week, and miss as few classes as possible, while you're learning. It is fine to skip a class or two here and there, but if you look at the ten-week schedule for the Beginner's course and know that you won't be able to make more than three classes, it would probably be better for you to choose Qigong. I don't personally put any limits on people who wish to learn Tai Chi but may have to miss classes for one reason or another. You are always welcome at class. However, it's probably best to work within your own tolerance for catching up or working through unfamiliar material. If you have a fairly reliable schedule and want to enjoy the benefits of a regular workout, or if you're comfortable with catching up quickly on material you haven't seen yet, then Tai Chi is a good choice.
Too Long: Didn't Read
Choose Qigong if:
You have balance problems or difficulty standing, or are working through an injury or chronic condition, especially to the lower body.
You are looking to pick up a new discipline relatively quickly, or you tend to get frustrated easily.
You're looking for stress relief and you tend to find it more relaxing to work with your mental focus.
You have a stronger immediate interest in meditation than in exercise.
You are not sure you can commit to a regular class schedule, but you still want to learn to work with chi.
Choose Tai Chi if:
You want to gain greater proficiency with your balance and leg strength, and are looking for a more challenging physical workout.
You are interested in learning a skill that few have the focus or patience to acquire, and you want to sink into a learning experience that is very deep from day one.
You tend to relieve stress through movement (going to the gym, going for a run or a walk to clear your mind).
You are interested in investing in a practice that will prepare you for better, more profound meditation in the long term.
You have a fairly reliable schedule and want to enjoy the benefits of a regular workout, or if you're comfortable with catching up quickly on material you haven't seen yet.
Showing posts with label qigong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label qigong. Show all posts
Grounding, Explained
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| Source |
Dr. James Oschman, who holds a PhD in Biology and a Bachelor's in Biophysics, investigated what happens to someone when his or her body is connected to the earth.
What he learned is that a particular spot on the soles of the feet - specifically, the point acupuncturists identify as Kidney 1 or the Bubbling Spring - is highly electrically conductive. The earth, as it turns out, is negatively charged. It produces free electrons. The body draws these through Kidney 1.
Why do you want to absorb free electrons? To neutralize free radicals, those nasty results of chemical processes in the body that cause inflammation and disease. Solmaz Parazesh, writing for Research Penn State online, spoke to K. Sandeep Prabhu, professor of Immunology and Molecular Toxicology, on the topic of free radicals:
The great news about earthing and grounding is that antioxidants from diet are not our only source of free electrons. We can draw them any time we simply step out of doors and get our bare feet onto the ground. Lying down on the ground is another great way to experience earthing.
If you take nothing else from this post, take this: one of the easiest, most pleasurable things you can do for your wellbeing is to get outside and get bare feet on the ground.
Wearing shoes, while sensible on some terrains, like gravel, will block your body's ability to draw free electrons. Rubber and plastic, major components in shoe soles, are not conductive. I've been practicing barefoot walking in the woods and barefoot exercising outside, and I am amazed at how easy it is to get used to walking on uneven, bumpy, or stick-laden ground. It's a matter of practice.
These harmful molecules, known as free radicals, contain unpaired electrons—which is unusual because electrons typically come in pairs. “The unpaired electrons make free radicals highly reactive, and in this state, they can cause damage by attacking the components of our cells, and can even cause cancer,” Prabhu says.
...
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals either by providing the extra electron needed to make the pair, or by breaking down the free radical molecule to render it harmless. “Antioxidants stop the chain reaction of free radical formation and benefit our health by boosting our immune system ,” explains Prabhu. Because antioxidants are used up in the process of free radical neutralization, a diet rich in antioxidants is essential to ensure a constant supply.
The great news about earthing and grounding is that antioxidants from diet are not our only source of free electrons. We can draw them any time we simply step out of doors and get our bare feet onto the ground. Lying down on the ground is another great way to experience earthing.
If you take nothing else from this post, take this: one of the easiest, most pleasurable things you can do for your wellbeing is to get outside and get bare feet on the ground.
Wearing shoes, while sensible on some terrains, like gravel, will block your body's ability to draw free electrons. Rubber and plastic, major components in shoe soles, are not conductive. I've been practicing barefoot walking in the woods and barefoot exercising outside, and I am amazed at how easy it is to get used to walking on uneven, bumpy, or stick-laden ground. It's a matter of practice.
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| Source |
What does this have to do with tai chi and qigong, you might ask? Good question.
Both tai chi and qigong are designed to maximize the way in which your body draws energy from the earth through K1 and into the body systems. Since ancient times, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist sages have known that there are specific body postures and methods of movement that will increase your ability to take in natural energies.
Think of your body as an electrical system. It is already set up with wiring (energy lines, meridians, or channels) that draw from the environment. If you're alive, you've got that wiring in place.
What if you could increase the size and durability and continuity of your wires? You would have a greater flow of energy. In Dr. Oschman's terms, you would be drawing more free electrons into your body.
You can start taking advantage of grounding or earthing any time. You can get the most out of it by exercising outside, especially if you're practicing exercises designed to help you draw from the earth, like tai chi and qigong.
MORE INFO:
It's on the long side, but in this interview, Dr. Oschman talks in detail with Dr. Joseph Mercola about earthing / grounding, its amazing effects, and how this incredibly simple practice can help you to limit or eliminate inflammatory processes from your body.
Both tai chi and qigong are designed to maximize the way in which your body draws energy from the earth through K1 and into the body systems. Since ancient times, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist sages have known that there are specific body postures and methods of movement that will increase your ability to take in natural energies.
Think of your body as an electrical system. It is already set up with wiring (energy lines, meridians, or channels) that draw from the environment. If you're alive, you've got that wiring in place.
What if you could increase the size and durability and continuity of your wires? You would have a greater flow of energy. In Dr. Oschman's terms, you would be drawing more free electrons into your body.
You can start taking advantage of grounding or earthing any time. You can get the most out of it by exercising outside, especially if you're practicing exercises designed to help you draw from the earth, like tai chi and qigong.
MORE INFO:
It's on the long side, but in this interview, Dr. Oschman talks in detail with Dr. Joseph Mercola about earthing / grounding, its amazing effects, and how this incredibly simple practice can help you to limit or eliminate inflammatory processes from your body.
Tai Chi, Qigong and the Paranormal
There is something about tai chi training that people don't discuss very much, but that is a part of walking the tai chi / qigong / meditation path. Call it psychic ability, the paranormal, tuning in to energy, or whatever you want. If you do a lot of tai chi and qigong meditation, sooner or later, you'll start to see and feel...things. This can be a fascinating experience, and it will probably develop alongside your self-defense and qi skills, so there is nothing to fear.
What kinds of things?
Well, a lot of people begin by seeing auras, or the electromagnetic field that surrounds all living things. I remember years ago doing sitting meditation. I sat behind one of my friends, and as I settled into my meditation focus, a bright red layer appeared all around her head and shoulders. I knew that red typically means a heightened emotional state - it can signify that the person is angry, or that she is feeling especially lusty. I assumed it was the former situation - we were in class, after all. When I spoke to her after meditation, she told me all about the terrible day she'd had, and how frustrated and angry she was at something outrageous that had happened.
It was one of my first clear moments of knowing I'd really seen something significant.
Chances are, when you first start to see auras, you'll see them as a faint pale gold glow around people. It's easy to dismiss this as an effect of lighting or tired eyes. Just bear in mind that we are trained, especially in Western culture, to dismiss anything that isn't 100 percent verifiable by science. The more you sink into your tai chi and qigong training, the more you'll notice that not everything is what it seems. It can be a bit of a disconcerting experience, especially if you're accustomed to embracing our culture's habit of skepticism.
One of the things that happens to us as we train is that we begin to become aware of how we are affected - physically, mentally and emotionally - by our activities, by the food that we eat, by the people we spend time with, and by our surroundings. Because we develop a habit of tuning in to our physical sensations and our thoughts, we take notice when something seems intrusive or out of place.
A lot of my students experience this awakening as a sudden sensitivity to other people. As energy beings, humans toss around a lot of loose qi, usually when we're feeling strong emotions. We throw anger; we project disapproval; we send love. Once you've learned how qi feels, you can walk into a room and get an instant impression of the emotional and energetic temperature of the people there. If someone who hates you is sitting in the office you just entered, you might feel their emotional presence as a drop in the pit of your stomach. That's your qi reacting to theirs.
Back when I was doing my PhD and I taught undergrad classes, I always hated the days when I had to hand back essays. The classroom was often ripe with the students' nervousness, and I felt their fear of doing badly hit me like a wave.
One of the things tai chi can teach us is how to manage such scenarios so that we aren't quite as vulnerable to the emotional projections of others.
Another key aspect of tai chi and qigong is a sensitivity to non-corporeal energy beings that surround us. On a fundamental level, our world is composed of such energies. Not all of the sentient and mobile energies out there have physical form like we do. If you're out in the woods, and you see what look like multi-coloured or golden sparks, don't worry: your retinas probably aren't tearing (as I thought mine were the first few times I saw this phenomena). You're seeing elementals, rudimentary energies. You can feel these energies at times, too. While meditating a couple of months ago, I felt a large, sinuous form pass by me where I was sitting on the floor. A while later, a white, translucent, smiling face floated in front of me. I'd been visited by a dragon - one of the guardians of our practice.
While seeing these things doesn't make you a better tai chi practitioner, it does highlight the fact that there is layer upon layer of reality that is unacknowledged by our materialistic culture. Being able to see such things doesn't make you crazy. It's just a part of taking a deeper look at your world. One of my favourite things about walking the tai chi path is watching the world unfold before me, in ways that are constantly surprising, new and unexpected.
Masters who learn to tame their minds and emotions, and who build an intimate relationship with qi, can also use their energy for self defense. YouTube is full of videos that include demonstrations of qi manipulation, often followed by cries that they are "fake." While it's true that a lot of these videos are the qi master equivalent of professional wrestling, some offer wonderful insight into how qi manipulation works. This demonstration by Venerable Lama Dondrup Dorje of the Pathgate Institute of Buddhist Studies both shows and discusses the use of your qi bubble. While the demonstrations might look fake, the Lama's assistants are reacting to the way he is using his qi field. Enjoy.
What kinds of things?
Well, a lot of people begin by seeing auras, or the electromagnetic field that surrounds all living things. I remember years ago doing sitting meditation. I sat behind one of my friends, and as I settled into my meditation focus, a bright red layer appeared all around her head and shoulders. I knew that red typically means a heightened emotional state - it can signify that the person is angry, or that she is feeling especially lusty. I assumed it was the former situation - we were in class, after all. When I spoke to her after meditation, she told me all about the terrible day she'd had, and how frustrated and angry she was at something outrageous that had happened.
It was one of my first clear moments of knowing I'd really seen something significant.
Chances are, when you first start to see auras, you'll see them as a faint pale gold glow around people. It's easy to dismiss this as an effect of lighting or tired eyes. Just bear in mind that we are trained, especially in Western culture, to dismiss anything that isn't 100 percent verifiable by science. The more you sink into your tai chi and qigong training, the more you'll notice that not everything is what it seems. It can be a bit of a disconcerting experience, especially if you're accustomed to embracing our culture's habit of skepticism.
One of the things that happens to us as we train is that we begin to become aware of how we are affected - physically, mentally and emotionally - by our activities, by the food that we eat, by the people we spend time with, and by our surroundings. Because we develop a habit of tuning in to our physical sensations and our thoughts, we take notice when something seems intrusive or out of place.
A lot of my students experience this awakening as a sudden sensitivity to other people. As energy beings, humans toss around a lot of loose qi, usually when we're feeling strong emotions. We throw anger; we project disapproval; we send love. Once you've learned how qi feels, you can walk into a room and get an instant impression of the emotional and energetic temperature of the people there. If someone who hates you is sitting in the office you just entered, you might feel their emotional presence as a drop in the pit of your stomach. That's your qi reacting to theirs.
Back when I was doing my PhD and I taught undergrad classes, I always hated the days when I had to hand back essays. The classroom was often ripe with the students' nervousness, and I felt their fear of doing badly hit me like a wave.
One of the things tai chi can teach us is how to manage such scenarios so that we aren't quite as vulnerable to the emotional projections of others.
Another key aspect of tai chi and qigong is a sensitivity to non-corporeal energy beings that surround us. On a fundamental level, our world is composed of such energies. Not all of the sentient and mobile energies out there have physical form like we do. If you're out in the woods, and you see what look like multi-coloured or golden sparks, don't worry: your retinas probably aren't tearing (as I thought mine were the first few times I saw this phenomena). You're seeing elementals, rudimentary energies. You can feel these energies at times, too. While meditating a couple of months ago, I felt a large, sinuous form pass by me where I was sitting on the floor. A while later, a white, translucent, smiling face floated in front of me. I'd been visited by a dragon - one of the guardians of our practice.
While seeing these things doesn't make you a better tai chi practitioner, it does highlight the fact that there is layer upon layer of reality that is unacknowledged by our materialistic culture. Being able to see such things doesn't make you crazy. It's just a part of taking a deeper look at your world. One of my favourite things about walking the tai chi path is watching the world unfold before me, in ways that are constantly surprising, new and unexpected.
Masters who learn to tame their minds and emotions, and who build an intimate relationship with qi, can also use their energy for self defense. YouTube is full of videos that include demonstrations of qi manipulation, often followed by cries that they are "fake." While it's true that a lot of these videos are the qi master equivalent of professional wrestling, some offer wonderful insight into how qi manipulation works. This demonstration by Venerable Lama Dondrup Dorje of the Pathgate Institute of Buddhist Studies both shows and discusses the use of your qi bubble. While the demonstrations might look fake, the Lama's assistants are reacting to the way he is using his qi field. Enjoy.
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