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TL;DR I am experiencing energy waves during practice. I can cause these waves by placing awareness near the skin of the body when breathing. This has caused all sorts of wonderful benefits but I am wondering if this is deviating from just practicing no-mind during standing meditation. I am also curious if this phenomenon is well known and/or has a theory to explain it.
Hi all,
This is my first post on the forum. I attended the Chi Kung Intensive in 2018 and have been practicing for about 3.5 months.
About a month ago, during Carrying the Moon, I had this experience for the first time. As I was approaching the end of the set, I began to feel waves of energy moving from the waist up to the head and radiating from the head all the way down to the feet (although the sensations were much stronger in the torso). If I could describe the feeling it is like getting a "rush" when hearing a really good song or seeing a very cool action scene in a movie. I sometimes experience it during the "drop" of a really good song or at the climax of a fight scene. Sometimes this sensation will happen if I am experiencing a really strong emotion such as deep sadness or great joy. Sometimes being slightly chilly (having goosebumps) will cause the body to have a deep shiver where the entire body gets a "flush" of energy that causes a person to shake visibly for a brief moment.
Anyways, It was quite chilly in my room as I was practicing and I thought that this might be the case as first. After I finished, however, I had the strange intuition to do the closing movement of the Taiji Set. I modified it somewhat however. As I inhaled, I brought my hands (facing upward) up in front of the body. As I exhaled I brought my hands down (facing downwards) across the front of the body (exactly like in Taiji). This amplified the energy waves that I had experienced during Carrying the Moon by double or triple and it was/is a very pleasurable/relaxing experience. I repeated this movement a number of times before doing standing meditation and finishing my practice.
Since then I have been experimenting with this sensation and I've realized a few things. Even though at first I had to do a physical movement to cause these wonderful sensations, I can now cause the energy waves to cascade simply by breathing in deeply and very lightly tensing the "skin". I'm not sure what I am tensing but only that I am aware of a very tiny sense of tension all over the body near skin-level that causes these waves to build and peak into what feels somewhat similar to orgasm. "Smiling from the Heart" is another way to cause these sensations. I can smile on the face or think of a positive emotion such as love, joy, gratitude etc. or both together and the body will crest into one of these waves of pleasure/energy.
I have found this to be wonderful in reducing anxiety and fear. Because the tension is so subtle, trying to attune the mind to it often causes me to forgot all of my worries and then the resulting waves washing over the body are quiet pleasurable, leaving the body in a very nice state of joy and calm. Every night I do a few waves before bed and have noticed better sleep and more vivid dreams.
Attuning the mind to this subtle tension near the skin also leads to wonderful one-pointed mind which improves practice. If I do waves before a QiGong set, the set is much more enjoyable and the body feels "full" of energy and the body feels very pleasurable.
My reason for posting is mostly intellectual. I would like to know if this phenomenon has a name or theory that can explain it. Is this a normal step along the path?
Also, I am afraid of changing my practice significantly from how we were taught at the intensive. Even though this has only brought benefits I am wondering if I might be deviating too much? I know Sifu Wong encourages no-mind during standing practice and this is somewhat different.
Maye
Hi all,
This is my first post on the forum. I attended the Chi Kung Intensive in 2018 and have been practicing for about 3.5 months.
About a month ago, during Carrying the Moon, I had this experience for the first time. As I was approaching the end of the set, I began to feel waves of energy moving from the waist up to the head and radiating from the head all the way down to the feet (although the sensations were much stronger in the torso). If I could describe the feeling it is like getting a "rush" when hearing a really good song or seeing a very cool action scene in a movie. I sometimes experience it during the "drop" of a really good song or at the climax of a fight scene. Sometimes this sensation will happen if I am experiencing a really strong emotion such as deep sadness or great joy. Sometimes being slightly chilly (having goosebumps) will cause the body to have a deep shiver where the entire body gets a "flush" of energy that causes a person to shake visibly for a brief moment.
Anyways, It was quite chilly in my room as I was practicing and I thought that this might be the case as first. After I finished, however, I had the strange intuition to do the closing movement of the Taiji Set. I modified it somewhat however. As I inhaled, I brought my hands (facing upward) up in front of the body. As I exhaled I brought my hands down (facing downwards) across the front of the body (exactly like in Taiji). This amplified the energy waves that I had experienced during Carrying the Moon by double or triple and it was/is a very pleasurable/relaxing experience. I repeated this movement a number of times before doing standing meditation and finishing my practice.
Since then I have been experimenting with this sensation and I've realized a few things. Even though at first I had to do a physical movement to cause these wonderful sensations, I can now cause the energy waves to cascade simply by breathing in deeply and very lightly tensing the "skin". I'm not sure what I am tensing but only that I am aware of a very tiny sense of tension all over the body near skin-level that causes these waves to build and peak into what feels somewhat similar to orgasm. "Smiling from the Heart" is another way to cause these sensations. I can smile on the face or think of a positive emotion such as love, joy, gratitude etc. or both together and the body will crest into one of these waves of pleasure/energy.
I have found this to be wonderful in reducing anxiety and fear. Because the tension is so subtle, trying to attune the mind to it often causes me to forgot all of my worries and then the resulting waves washing over the body are quiet pleasurable, leaving the body in a very nice state of joy and calm. Every night I do a few waves before bed and have noticed better sleep and more vivid dreams.
Attuning the mind to this subtle tension near the skin also leads to wonderful one-pointed mind which improves practice. If I do waves before a QiGong set, the set is much more enjoyable and the body feels "full" of energy and the body feels very pleasurable.
My reason for posting is mostly intellectual. I would like to know if this phenomenon has a name or theory that can explain it. Is this a normal step along the path?
Also, I am afraid of changing my practice significantly from how we were taught at the intensive. Even though this has only brought benefits I am wondering if I might be deviating too much? I know Sifu Wong encourages no-mind during standing practice and this is somewhat different.
Maye
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