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  • #46
    Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 8 -- Part 2

    Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 8 -- Part 2:

    (Continued from Part 1)

    Of course, fundamental techniques and skills of performing the techniques well, like standing upright, being relaxed and not thinking of anything, are very important. Without these fundamental techniques and skills we cannot attain Small Universe or Cosmic Breathing. We cannot even generate an energy flow, which is fundamental, which means necessary to attain any other skills.

    The core technique is also the same. It is dan tian breathing. In other words, irrespective of whether we perform Small Universe, or Cosmic Breathing, we use dan tian breathing, or we let our dan tian rise and fall.

    But the core skill is different. In Small Universe, we let energy flow round continuously along our rem and du meridians. In Cosmic Breathing we let energy exchange between our dan tian and the Cosmos.

    It is helpful to realise that differentiating between skills and techniques is our innovation, which gives us a lot of benefits and makes us very cost-effective. Most other practitioners, including masters, in the past or at present, do not make this differentiation. It is also helpful to realise that the terms “skills” and “techniques” are for our convenience and better understanding.

    Sometimes there may be overlapping. Sometimes it may not be easy to tell whether what we do is a skill or a technique. For example, is standing upright a skill or a technique?

    We normally refer to it as a technique, as opposed to sitting down or moving about. But how well se stand upright is a skill. Many other practitioner thinks that they stand upright when they lean backward.

    Strictly speaking, and this may come as a surprise to many people, including instructors and students in our school, the technique that best facilitates a progression from Cosmic Breathing to Merging with the Cosmos, is standing upright and be perfectly relaxed.

    This is the technique we use when our instructors and students merge with the Cosmos and attain a life-changing spiritual awakening. We do not lie down, sit on a chair, or move about. We also do not tense our muscles or think of countless thoughts. But more important than the technique is the skill — the skill of merging with the Cosmos.

    To accomplish the skill of merging with the Cosmos, a lot of internal force is needed to break through the illusory body. Hence of the three arts mentioned —
    Shaolin Sinew Metamorphosis, Taoist Small Universe and Medical Big Universe — the art that is most effective to facilitate a progression from Cosmic Breathing to Merging with the Cosmos is Shaolin Sinew Metamorphosis. This is because Sinew Metamorphosis produces the great internal force to break through the illusory body.

    Here is a good example of overlapping between skills and techniques or of the difficulty of stating whether Shaolin Sinew Metamorphosis, Taoist Small Universe and Medical Big Universe should be referred to as skills or techniques.

    In saying that Sinew Metamorphosis is the most effective in merging with the Cosmos, we refer to the techniques in performing Sinew Metamorphosis compared to the techniques of performing Small Universe or Medical Big Universe, with the presumption that we have reasonable skills to perform them well. If all other things were equal, including the skills of perform the arts well, the force generated from Sinew Metamorphosis will be greater than the force generated from Small Universe or Medical Big Universe. This greatest force generated from Sinew Metamorphosis will enable practitioners after they have pulsated with the Cosmos in Cosmic Breathing to be most effective in applying the skills of Merging with the Cosmos.

    <End>
    "From formless to form, from form to formless"

    26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
    Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

    Website: www.enerqi.ch

    Comment


    • #47
      Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 9 -- Part 1

      Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 9 -- Part 1

      Question 9

      When I started with Zhan Zhuang I diligently followed your advice, to relax and to be focused. After I reached a certain level my mind would not only be focused on my dan tian anymore but being everywhere.



      Later in Finale Ligure you told me about the focus mode and the Cosmos mode. Can you please explain the process behind starting with the Focus mode and ending up unintentionally in the Cosmos mode? 



      Then I would love to learn how the Cosmos mode in Shaolin Kungfu would differ from the Expansion mode in Xingyiquan physically, energetically as well as at the mind level?

      Sifu Roland Mastel


      Answer

      I was very impressed with your zhan zhuang training at the start of your kungfu career. I remember that you could hardly remain at any stance for a few minutes, but through sheer dedication and diligent practice everyday, at a time even when you were holiday in Vietnam or Lao, you could eventually remain at a stance for an hour! As a result you developed tremendous internal force and at the same time remained very agile. Your nick-name of being a gorilla was aptly earned.

      What was even more important was that you started with bodily pain everyday when you were a trainer for top sportsmen. You thought, wrongly at that time, that being in pain was part of the training for world top sportsmen. But eventually you became pain free. I still remember your joy when your reported to me that for the first time you felt free from pain. That, indeed, was a remarkable achievement. It was to me more significant than winning an Olympic title. It was an inspiration for all sportsmen and top trainers. You demonstrated from direct experience that it was possible to be pain free and still remained at world’s top level.

      Your progress from being focused at your dan tian to being everywhere is a natural development, but it is a rare development that happens only to high-level masters. Masters in the past would need at least 20 years of training to arrive at this level. Some critics would be angry and asked how long had you trained? I don’t actually keep count of the years you have been training, but I would estimate that you would have arrived at this level with less than 10 years of training. These critics would not believe in your attainment, and that is their business. What is important is that you have benefited much from the attainment, which is similar to what was described that past masters had attained.

      What benefits can one get when he has progressed from focusing on the dan tian to being everywhere. We can learn a great lesson from Yagyu Tajima, one of the greatest Japanese swordsmen. Yagyu Tajima said that when a swordsman’s mind was focused on any one part, like on his sword, he could use his sword expertly, but he might not be able to use other parts expertly. But if his mind was everywhere, he could use all parts expertly.

      Interestingly, Yagyu Tajima attributed his expert swordsmanship to his Zen training, and not to his sword techniques. His Zen training enabled him to be present everywhere.

      (Part 2 follows)
      "From formless to form, from form to formless"

      26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
      Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

      Website: www.enerqi.ch

      Comment


      • #48
        Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 9 -- Part 2

        Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 9 -- Part 2:

        Continued from Part 1)

        The focus mode is to be focused at any one point. Normally, this one point is the dan tian. In specific situation, like when he wants to massage his stomach in a chi kung exercise, this one point is his stomach. When he is one-pointed, he becomes very effective.

        The Cosmos mode is where the mind is everywhere, not limited to only one point. It is a development from being one-pointed. When a practitioner is being one-pointed, his mind is at one. When his mind is everywhere, his mind expands to zero.

        The development from a wandering mind with myriad thoughts to a one-pointed mind to a mind that is present everywhere is a progress of mind training. First we bring the mind to one, then we let the mind expand to zero. It involves the processes of taming the mind, strengthening the mind and nourishing the mind.

        Like most senior practitioners, you may think that your development from the focus mode to the Cosmos mode was unintentional. But actually it was the result of the many courses you had taken. Those who did not take the many courses like you did, would not have this development.

        Basic courses like Generating Energy Flow and Five-Animal Play tames the mind, More advanced courses like Flower Set, Sinew Metamorphosis and Dragon Strength strengthen and nourish the mind. In basic exercises like the Eighteen Lohan Hands and the Eighteen-Lohan Art you bring the mind to one. In more advanced exercises like Cosmic Breathing and Merging with the Cosmos, you let you mind expand to zero.

        It is helpful to remember that terms like Cosmos mode in Shaolin Kungfu and Expansion mode in Xingyiquan are not scientific terms with rigid definition, but chi kung and kungfu terms meant for convenience and better understanding. Hence, unlike rigid scientific terms, the meaning of chi kung and kungfu terms may vary according to different situations.

        Generally, in the situations we normally use these terms, Cosmos mode is where we let our mind pervade, and not abide to anything. Instead of being in a Cosmos mode, if a student is in a focus mode in performing a combat sequence, he lets his mind abide to that sequence. If his partner responds accordingly, the student will be able to perform the sequence expertly. If the partner makes a mistakes or purposely goes out of routine, the student will be unable to cope with the different response.

        But if the student has progressed to the Cosmos mode, and let his mind pervade in everything instead of being focused on his combat sequence, he will be able to handle the unexpected response from his partner. It is the same in actual combat or in daily life.

        The Expansion mode in Xingyiquan is specially used when students practice the Santi Stance. They let their internal force expand out from their body, instead of internal force focusing at their dan tian.

        An obvious difference between the Cosmos mode in Shaolin Kungfu and the Expansion mode in Xingyiquan is that the former deals with mind, whereas the latter deals with energy. Another difference is that the former is physically mobile, whereas the latter is physically static.

        These three aspects of the physical, energy and mind are not just applicable to the examples above. They also generally apply other situations. In other words, in daily life, for example, the Cosmos mode applies to moving activities with the mind spread over all the activities, whereas the Expansion mode applies to static activities with energy expanding out from the centre.

        If you are feeding your child in a public park and a ball comes flying into him, if you are in a Cosmos mode, you can easily deflect the ball without any interference on your feeding. If you are in a focus mode, feeding your child with a one-pointed mind, the flying ball may land on him.

        You are in a restaurant making an order, but a waiter is not paying attention. While physically static in your seat, you may let your energy expand into your voice to ensure that the waiter takes the right order. This is the Expansion mode in daily life.

        <End>
        "From formless to form, from form to formless"

        26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
        Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

        Website: www.enerqi.ch

        Comment


        • #49
          Thank You

          Dear Sifu,
          Thank you for these illuminating answers and thank you Roeland for facilitating this thread

          Peace

          Mark
          Sifu Mark Appleford

          sigpic

          Comment


          • #50
            Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 10 -- Part 1

            Simple question, very profound answer!

            Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 10 -- Part 1

            Question 10

            

Could you please tell us more about the abdominal dan tian. In our school it is obviously very important, compared to other dan tian like ming men, hui yin, bai hui etc.

            Marc-Andrin


            Answer

            “Dan tian” is in Chinese and it literally means “field of elixir”. It is a field, not a point. In my early years, some classics mentioned that the abdominal dan tian was located about two inches below the naval. Other classics mentioned that it was located about three inches below the navel.

            Initially I was puzzled. Was the abdominal dan tian located two inches or three inches below the navel? Later I discover that it was a field and not a point. As a field, to say that it was located two inches or three inches below the navel were both correct.

            Later I discovered that the abdominal dan tian of a master could extend beyond two or three inches. It could also extend beyond his physical body.

            It is helpful to know that “inches” here refer not to the Chinese inches or the British inches, but to the biological inches. There are three small bones in your index finger. The space between the first joint and the second joint of your index finger is your biological inch. So, starting from the tip of your index finger, if you bend it at the first and second joints, and measure it two and a half times down your navel, that is roughly the centre of your abdominal dan tian.

            About two biological inches below your navel is an energy point called qi-hai, which means “sea of energy”. About three biological inches below your navel is an energy point called quan-yuan, which means “original gate”, i.e. the gate where your mother’s energy originally enter into you when you were a foetus. This is one of many important reasons why we must always be grateful to our mother.

            The abdominal dan tian is sometimes called the central dan tian. If you measure yourself from head to feet, your abdominal dan tian is in the middle.

            The abdominal dan tian is also called the natural dan tian. If you stand upright and be totally relaxed, your vital energy will naturally be focused at your abdominal dan tian. The pulsation of the natural dan tian is quite obvious in babies, especially when they are lied flat on the ground,

            Dan tian is a field of elixir. Elixir here mans where vital energy accumulates and coalesces into a pearl. For our purpose, we normally translate dan tian as an energy field.

            Besides the abdominal dan tian, there are other energy fields in our body where our vital energy is focused, and these energy fields are often named after the vital points where the vital energy accumulates.

            At the top of the head is the bai-hu dan tian, which means energy field where energy from hundreds of meridians accumulates. It is also called the top dan tian as it is located at the upmost top.

            Lowe down at the front of the face about the middle of the two normal eyes is the tien-mu dan tian, which means the energy field of the heavenly eye. It is called heavenly eye because at an advanced level when this vital point is open, the person can see things across space and time that normal persons cannot see.

            In front of your body in between the two breasts is the tian ting dan tian, which means the energy field of heavenly pavilion. It is called heavenly pavilion because here is where the spiritual heart, often called the spirit or soul in Western terms, is located. In Western biology, it is the solar plexus.

            Some classics refer to this energy field as the middle energy field, which may cause some confusion with the abdominal dan tian. As I have mentioned before, chi kung and kungfu terms are meant for convenient; they are not scientific definitions, which define the limits of their meanings.

            At the bottom of the body (apart from the limbs) is the hub-yin dan tian, which means energy field where the the two wins (the sexual organs and the anus) meet. This is sometimes called the bottom dan tian, as it is located at the bottom of the body (apart from the limbs).

            (Part 2 follows)
            "From formless to form, from form to formless"

            26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
            Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

            Website: www.enerqi.ch

            Comment


            • #51
              Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 10 -- Part 2

              Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 10 -- Part 2

              (Continued from Part 1)

              At the back of the body opposite the navel is the ming men dan tian, which means energy field of the gate of life. Apart from the qual yuan dan tian, this ming men dan tian is also where the mother’s enter the foetus and starts life. It is believe in Chinese biology that life starts at the kidneys, and the ming men dan tian is a crucial energy field for the kidneys.

              Going up the du mai, or the governing meridian, opposite the tien-ting dan tian is the lib-tai dan tian, which means energy field of spiritual platform. As its name suggests, this energy field has an important impact of the person’s spiritual health.

              All these dan tians mentioned above are single dan tians along the ren mai and the du mail or the conceptual meridian and the governing meridian. On the palms and feet are two pairs of dan trans.

              At the centre of each palm is the lao-gong dan tian, which means energy field of palace of labour., so called-because the hands are important for work. When a high-level kungfu master strikes an opponent with his palm, energy shoots out from this dan tian to injure the opponent.

              At the bottom of each of both feet, about one-tire the length from the toes, is the yong-quan dan tian, which means energy fold of gushing stream. If you are full of vitality, stand upright and be totally relaxed, you may feel energy gushing out from these two dan trans.

              At first I wondered whether this person would be drained of energy as energy was gushing out, yet classics which described this phenomenon describe it as a sure sign of good health and vitality. I later discovered that as energy gushed out from the yong-quan energy fields, fresh energy from the Cosmos flow it. Energy could gush out freely only when the person was full of energy, which meant he had good health and vitality.

              The abdominal dan tian, located at the hub-yin and guan-yuan vital points, is the most important. If unqualified, when someone mentions “dan tian”, he refers to this abdominal dan tian. If he wants to refer to the hui-yin dan tian, for example, he would say hub-yin dan tian, top dan tian or the dan tian at the top of the head.

              Like the central bank of a country, this is the central bank of a person’s energy. If the abdominal dan tian is lacking of energy, the other dan trans will also be lacking of energy, and the person will be weak or sick. If his abdominal dan tian is full of energy, his other dan trans will be full of energy too, and he will have good health, vitality and longevity.

              No matter what types of chi kung exercises a practitioner may perform, at the end of the exercise he returns the energy to his abdominal dan tian. In some exercises, the extra energy may be stored at an appropriate dan tian, but eventually it will be returned to the abdominal dan tian.

              For example, a practitioner practicing Iron Palm may consciously or unconsciously have his energy stored at the lao-gong dan tian. After some time the excess energy at the lao-gong dan tian will be transferred to the abdominal dan tian. This can be effected consciously, like the practitioner thinking of his abdominal dan tian at the end of his training session. Or it may occur unconsciously, with the practitioner doing nothing special, like the normal activities of the practitioners result in his energy returning to his abdominal dan tian.

              If this does not occur, like the practitioner purposely keeps his energy at the other dan tian, or the passage way his other dan tian and his abdominal dan tian is blocked, his energy will not be in balance and it will affect his health, vitality and longevity.

              Our students often have such experiences. After performing Pushing Mountain, for example, they may feel their hands and arms very powerful. But after some time, the power appears less. It is not that their energy has drained away but that the energy has flowed to their dan tian.

              Some chi kung exercises specially focus energy at the abdominal dan tian. Abdominal Breathing is an excellent example. But the energy does not just stay at the abdominal dan tian. It also flows to other parts of his body, overcoming health problems he may not consciously know, and giving him good health, vitality and longevity. The energy must be flowing to give him benefits, otherwise if it just remain at the abdominal dan tian it may become stale and harmful. But it is focused at the abdominal dan tian — not static at the abdominal dan tian.

              <End>
              "From formless to form, from form to formless"

              26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
              Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

              Website: www.enerqi.ch

              Comment


              • #52
                Thank You Sigung for these answers, they are so enriching!

                Thank You Sipak Roland for this thread.

                Recently I work on the pdf, and found a missing part in question nr. 5.

                It is not advisable for them to practice Cosmic Breathing irrespective of whether they are beginners, intermediate students or advanced practitioners. They would be lucky if they just waste their time. It would be worse if the practice
                Could you be that kind and repost it?

                Comment


                • #53
                  Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 11 -- Part 1

                  Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 11 -- Part 1

                  Question 11

                  Seemingly one does not necessarily need to eat neither drink (do you?) nor breathe. Why do most animals then do need to do those three things to survive. Isn't' it easier to just breathe cosmically rather than care about getting sufficient food all day long etc?

                  
When in the mothers womb you don't breathe either, but pulsate with the Cosmos. So why gets this connection cut and we start breathing?
Is there any life form except humans which do or can do "cosmic breathing" in a wider sense?


                  Franz


                  Answer

                  All people need to eat, drink and breath. If you don’t eat, you may last for two weeks, then you die. If you don’t drink, you may last for two days. If you don’t breath, you may last for 2 minutes.

                  Some very rare exceptions may not eat or drink, but they still need to breath. Many years ago I practiced “bigu”, which literally means abstinence from eating grains, for about 20 days and found myself with more energy and more mental clarity than usual although I did not eat any food. As this happened many years ago, I can’t remember now whether I drank any liquids, as my experiment was on not eating. Even if I drank, it wasn’t much — certainly not like the amount of delicious orange juice I drank when in Spain.

                  But I still breathed. At that time I did not know Cosmic Breathing, at least not consciously. So I breathed with my nose and mouth.

                  Now knowing Cosmic Breathing, I can do away with breathing through nose and mouth, but I breath with my dan tian. I haven’t tried Cosmic Breathing for 20 days, so I cannot tell for sure whether I could do Cosmic Breathing for any reasonable length of time.

                  But there are masters, like yogis, who have done Cosmic Breathing for a reasonable length of time, though they may not call it Cosmic Breathing. They were buried under ground for a few days, and came out alive and kicking. While they were buried underground, they did not breath with their nose and mouth, but they breathed with their dan tian.

                  The word breathing in Chinese, which is “hu xi”, means an exchange of energy. It does not mean an exchange of air, though many modern Chinese, including modern Chinese chi kung masters, may not realise it. This term, “hu xi’, was used long before air was “discovered” by scientists, though air had been with us all the time.

                  Even when we breath with our nose and mouth, breathing is still an exchange of energy. We take in fresh energy from the air when we breath in, and give out used energy from our body when we breathe out. Air is a vehicle when we breath in and out through our nose and mouth.

                  When we perform Cosmic Breathing, we do away with air as a vehicle. If air gets into your stomach, you could be in big rouble. We take in fresh energy from the Cosmos directly when we breathe in, and give out used energy form out body when we breathe out.

                  Animals, like human, need to eat, drink and breath to survive. Even when animals hibernate, they still need to breathe. The chi kung we practice is meant for human. I leave chi kung for animals for others who may be interested. So I don't know whether some very rare animals practice Cosmic Breathing, irrespective of the name the animals may call this art or natural ability.

                  Your statement that it is easier to just breathe cosmically rather than care about getting sufficient food all day long, is also wrong. It is not easier to practice Cosmic Breathing. Students in our school are lucky. They have a chance to practice Cosmic Breathing and do away with finding food if they want to. Yet not all of them take the opportunity to learn it when this course is offered, which indicates, though it may not be conclusive, that they, often unconsciously, regard normal breathing via their nose and mouth easier than Cosmic Breathing.

                  Most other chi kung practitioners do not have a chance to practice Cosmic Breathing, which is an advanced chi kung art. They do not have a chance to practice even low-level chi kung; they only practice gently physical exercise. So, it is much harder, in the sense of availability, for them to practice Cosmic Breathing than to find food all day long, irrespective of the effort they put in.

                  (Part 2 follows)
                  "From formless to form, from form to formless"

                  26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
                  Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

                  Website: www.enerqi.ch

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    Thank you Sigung for the answer, i am curious about the next part

                    Also thank you Franz for asking this questions

                    with a smile
                    Bernhard
                    "No matter what you do, you must be clear in your conscience." - Sitaigung Ho
                    A single light can eliminate the darkness of millenia.
                    Every moment is precious.

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Thank you to Sifu and Roland for this Q&A series.

                      All questions were excellent and I especially liked the question/answer to number 9 concerning the one-pointedness versus the expanding the mind to zero.

                      Sometimes when I do my taichi form (yang style) I find that the form starts moving me of its own accord when I am extremely relaxed, centred and maintaining the whole body connection. Also I try not to think of what should come next or the next movement in the sequence even though I am aware. I have heard others' speak of when they reach a point in their practice of IMA's when the form starts directing them itself but never thought I'd get to experience some of this myself. It can be quite overwhelming especially the transition from a push to single single whip, feels something very powerful and it is indeed like a wave.
                      Is this an example of one-pointedness or is it an example of expanding the mind to zero?

                      Would appreciate if Sifu or anyone who knows to chime in on this
                      Last edited by jp571; 26 August 2015, 07:33 PM.

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 11 -- Part 2

                        Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 11 -- Part 2

                        (Continued from Part 1)

                        People, even in countries where food is not easily available, do not have to find food all day long. Even when we take the term “all day long” figuratively, many people spend less time finding food than loitering about.

                        I don’t know where you live, but if you live in Western Europe, the United States, New Zealand or Australia, you don’t even have to spend any time finding food. If you are lazy to find food, your government will feed you. If you do not want to eat solid food, like if you fast in protest that Cosmic Breathing is not taught to people to replace finding food to eat, doctors will feed you liquid food in the form of glucose drips.

                        You also have forgotten another important point. Most people we know do not eat to survive. We eat because we like eating. Initially I did not find the food in some countries, like England, Switzerland and Germany, palatable, but now I find it delicious — much thanks to the organisers who take effort to scout for food to enjoy, not to survive.

                        When you were in your mother’s womb, you breathed. You did not pulsate with the Cosmos — I don’t think you knew Cosmic Breathing then. But your mother supplied you with fresh energy and take away your used energy through your quan-yuan and ming-men vital points. Your mother gave you life. This is one of many reasons why you must always be grateful and kind to your mother.

                        Why did you cut this connection of receiving energy from your mother, which was necessary for your life, and start breathing like what normal people do by breathing in and breathing out air through your nose and mouth? You may not know the answer, but I can tell you.

                        Your environment and needs have changed, so your normal activities too have changed according to the change of your environment and needs.

                        The environment in your mother’s womb was different from your environment now. In your mother’s worm, you were not directly in contact with air , which contained the energy you need for your life. Your mother supplied you fresh energy as well as took away your used energy.

                        Your needs when you were in your mother’s worm were also different from your needs now. In your mother’s womb, you were warm and comfortable, and you did not have to do anything, except moving about occasionally which gave your mother joy, and sometimes pain, which she lovingly endured. Now you have to find your own food, which includes breathing in air that contains energy, drinking liquids, and eating material which preferably you like.

                        Yes, there are also life forms besides humans which do and can do cosmic breathing. Unless you live in a desert, you can normally find a lot of examples if look around, except that you may not be aware of their ability. The great variety of plants, including all kinds of trees and grasses of all sizes and shapes, do this as their norm. They don’t breathe like humans do.

                        There is a kind of plant or animal known in Chinese in Cantonese pronunciation as “toong choong ha choe”, which means “winter worm summer grass” that can also do cosmic breathing. I don’t know its English or scientific name, but I know that, as its name indicates, in winter it is a worm and in summer it is like a blade of grass. I don’t know whether as a worm in winter it does cosmic breathing or breathes like humans or as a worm does, but it certainly has to breathe so that it lives and can be like grass in summer, during which time it does cosmic breathing. You may be able to see it, or buy it to keep as a pet if you are willing to pay the prize as it is an expensive item, in some Chinese medical shops.

                        <End>
                        "From formless to form, from form to formless"

                        26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
                        Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

                        Website: www.enerqi.ch

                        Comment


                        • #57
                          Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 12 -- Part 1

                          Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 12 -- Part 1

                          Question 12

                          I recall from your teachings that Cosmic Breathing is an important stepping stone to the Small and Big Universe. 



                          If all things were equal, what are the stages of development one goes through while practicing Cosmic Breathing?



                          In these stages of development when are students ready for transition to the Small Universe?



                          David Langford


                          Answer

                          I can’t remember when I mentioned that Cosmic Breathing was an important stepping stone to the Small and Big Universe, but it must be at an early stage of my development in Cosmic Breathing. Now at an advanced stage, Cosmic Breathing leads directly to transcendental Big Universe.

                          In my development, Cosmic Breathing developed spontaneously from Abdominal Breathing. It is well known in our school as I have mentioned the story many times, I “stole” Abdominal Breathing from my seniors in my Wuzuquan school taught by Sifu Chee Kim Thong, regarded as the living treasure of the People’s Republic of China, in Dungun, a small town along the South China Sea in West Malaysia.

                          I was very fast in learning the techniques of Abdominal Breathing. I learned the techniques in less than 15 minutes. Yet, I did not have the result and benefit of Abdominal Breathing even after practicing for more than 2 years. At that time I did not know the difference between skills and techniques. I did not know that although my techniques were correct, I did not have the necessary skills.

                          Then I learned Abdominal Breathing from my third sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, the third generation successor from the southern Shaolin Monastery at Quanzhou. I also did not realise the difference between skills and techniques at that time, but due to my sifu’s excellent teaching, I could feel substantial internal force at my dan tian after a few months. In fact my dan tian developed into a small drum.

                          Abdominal Breathing, as the starting stage of Small Universe, was taught to me in secret, not openly in the school. I do not know whether other disciples of my sifu also learned Abdominal Breathing, but I don’t think they did.

                          One very important technique my sifu taught me that enabled me to have the result and benefit of Abdominal Breathing in just a few months was to press my abdomen in when breathing out, and let my abdomen rise when breathing in. Later, in my early teaching of Abdominal Breathing in our school, I paid much importance to this technique.

                          Abdominal Breathing led to other stages which cumulated in Small Universe. I accomplished my real break-through of the Small Universe in about two and a half years, which was remarkable, and justified people calling me a kungfu genius.

                          I could accomplish the Small Universe in such a short time because my sifu taught me to use reverse breathing to bring my chi from hui-ying to bai-hui. I did not ask my sifu, nor did he tell me, whether this was his innovation, but I did not find it in any of the classics I had. Later, in my teaching of the Small Universe in Penang and Taiping, two beautiful cities in Malaysia, I called this stage the Long Breathing.

                          Hence, I could practice the Small Universe using two different modes of breathing, namely natural breathing where the abdomen sinks when breathing out and rises when breathing out, and reverse breathing where the abdomen rises when breathing out and sinks when breathing in. There is another step after breathing out, which is swallow, where the abdomen continues to rise.

                          These two different modes of breathing in the Small Universe produce different natures of small universal energy flow. When natural breathing is used, the small universal flow is gentle, whereas when reverse breathing is used the universal flow is forceful. To differentiate these two types of the Small Universe, I call one the gentle Small Universe, and the other the forceful Small Universe.

                          I also did not find any mention of the forceful Small Universe in chi kung classics. I believe the forceful Small Universe was an innovation of my sifu to speed up the process of accomplishing the Small Universe. The usual time for masters in the past to accomplish the Small Universe was 10 years, and the orthodox method was to use natural breathing to practice Abdominal Breathing until energy at the dan tian overflew and completed the small universal flow along the rem and du meridians.

                          (Part 2 follows)
                          "From formless to form, from form to formless"

                          26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
                          Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

                          Website: www.enerqi.ch

                          Comment


                          • #58
                            Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 12 -- Part 2

                            Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 12 -- Part 2

                            (Continued from Part 1)

                            I continued to employ natural breathing in my chi kung training, sometimes just for Abdominal Breathing and often for the Small Universe. In Abdominal Breathing I noticed that energy flowed down my nose to my dan tian, and out from my dan tian through my mouth. The flow was vertical. But gradually I noticed that energy flowed into my dan tian from the Cosmos, and out from my dan tian into the Cosmos. The flow was spherical. I do not know exactly how long this development took, but I estimate it to be about 2 years.

                            My own development spilled over into my teaching, but my students attained similar results in much shorter time. At first I did not call it Cosmic Breathing; I still called it Abdominal Breathing.

                            As my teaching methodology improved, I could simplify many teaching steps. Eventually students did not have to breathe through their nose and mouth; they only needed to press and release heir abdomen. I also noticed that energy flow directly from the Cosmos into their dan tian, and out from their dan tian into the Cosmos.

                            To differentiate these two arts, I called one Abdominal Breathing, where energy flowed in from the nose to the dan tian, and from the dan tian out of the mouth, and the other Dan Tian Breathing, where energy flowed from the Cosmos into the dan tian, and out from the dan tian into the Cosmos.

                            Later I changed the term from Dan Tian Breathing to Cosmic Breathing because participants literally pulsated with the Cosmos.

                            As my teaching continued to improve, I noticed that students could develop tremendous internal force in Cosmic Breathing. I grasped the opportunity and helped students to use this tremendous force to expand into the Cosmos. This was similar to transcendental Big Universe.

                            As it can be seen in this brief description of my own development in Cosmic Breathing as well as my teaching of Cosmic Breathing in our school, the developmental stages a practitioner goes through while practicing Cosmic Breathing depends on the reference point in question.

                            Regarding my own development in Cosmic Breathing, I had to start with Abdominal Breathing, progressed to a stage where I pressed and released my abdomen while breathing in and out through my nose and mouth, feeling energy flowing into and out of my dan tian, then after some time gradually feeling energy flowing into and out of my dan tian and the Cosmos, first with breathing in and out via the nose and mouth, and eventually without breathing in and out via the nose and mouth.

                            Our students now are very lucky. Instead of taking many steps, they take only one step. They go straight to Cosmic Breathing with energy flowing in and out between their dan tian and the Cosmos without breathing via their nose and mouth. It is incredible but true that they can accomplish this in 4 hours what it took me more than 2 years!

                            The answer as when are students ready for the transition to the Small Universe also depends on the point of reference. In my case I started with Abdominal Breathing, then I progress to Cosmic Breathing which I also called Abdominal Breathing at that time. When I had developed sufficient internal force, I use reverse breathing to complete my Small Universe, after which I continued with Cosmic Breathing, which to me was natural breathing with pressing and releasing my abdomen.

                            In my case, it was at the stage when my Cosmic Breathing, which was quite different from the Cosmic Breathing in skills and results of the Cosmic Breathing students now practice although the techniques were the same, had produced sufficient internal force, I was ready for transition to the Small Universe.

                            Now students do not need the Small Universe. (If they want the Small Universe, which gives many wonderful benefits, they have to take a special course on the Small Universe.) Cosmic Breathing, in just one step, can enable time to attain the Big Universe. I took about 5 years to attain the Big Universe. Students now can have similar results in 4 hours! Isn’t that ridiculous?

                            <End>
                            "From formless to form, from form to formless"

                            26.08.17-28.08.17: Qi Gong Festival with 6 courses in Bern:
                            Qiflow-Triple Stretch Method-12 Sinewmetamorphisis-Bone Marrow Cleansing-Zen Mind in Qi Gong

                            Website: www.enerqi.ch

                            Comment


                            • #59
                              Dear Sigung,

                              thank you very much for your enlightening answer!

                              With kindest regards,
                              Anton
                              Engage and maintain joyful practice!

                              May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

                              Anton Schmick
                              Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

                              shaolinwahnamchina.com
                              http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
                              http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
                              http://kungfu-luebeck.de

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                              • #60
                                Thank you Sigung for answering my question, it was pleasurable and beneficial to read as always!

                                With Shaolin Salute,
                                David
                                Shaolin Wahnam USA

                                "Every morning you are born again. What you do today is the most important thing".

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