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Realising and Manifesting the Fundamentals Skill of Chi Kung 10qs for the Grandmaster

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  • Realising and Manifesting the Fundamentals Skill of Chi Kung 10qs for the Grandmaster

    Dear Family and Visitors,

    As you know, for the Shaolin Wahnam UK Summer Camp 2016, Sifu has put together an exciting program. The focus is on developing, realizing and applying the fundamental skills of Chi Kung and Kung Fu in all circumstances, whatever the situation, everywhere – something we can all benefit from remembering, regardless of the level we think we are at.

    attachment.jpg

    As Barry has said in his Q&A Developing and deepening the fundamental skills of Chi Kung -

    Relaxing, smiling, letting go - it is a wonderful time to be able to learn and practise these skills. To see the amazing benefits that come naturally out of this process. This course is an opportunity to have a Grandmaster teach and review the fundamentals (on which these skills depen d) and how they practically apply in every aspect of life - so that the right things happen naturally - physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.
    We will all have an opportunity to get our questions answered in the areas of developing, realizing, applying (and deviating from) the fundamentals of Chi Kung.

    This thread is an opening to ask your questions about realising and manifesting the fundamental skills of Chi Kung – What this means, how to recognise if you are doing, how it can affect your living - How does it come from developing, deepening and applying the fundamentals skills and how does realising and manifesting the fundamentals affect, developing, deepening and applying?- It might be worthwhile considering if there is crossover on this subject between all the other threads that Fully Alive team have going for the Uk Summer Camp.

    Family and visitors are invited to ask questions. These might be about the general topic or specifically about challenges you have faced or are facing.

    Unlike in previous Q&A threads we have run, it won't automatically be the first 10 questions that get answered. Mark, Tim and I will consult and choose which ones to put forward to Sifu to answer. Obviously, we won't wait for them all to come in before we make our first choices - so get them in now.

    Another Classic in the making

    Wishing you the very best,

    Peace

    Mark
    Sifu Mark Appleford

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  • #2
    I wish to thank the Summer Camp staff and Sigung for making this generous Q&A possible. We really are treated with a plenty of opportunities to ask helpful questions.

    Life is not always easy, especially when starting out our lives on better paths. Struggle and temptations might wear our spirits in such a manner that smiling from the heart might not be easy nor comfortable, or feel anything but just the right thing to do. How to manifest happiness when our spirits are abnormally sunken and tired?

    Comment


    • #3
      Some help/ideas for questions

      Thanks for starting the questions on this thread.

      Tim has now posted some details about day 2 of Summer Camp:

      Realizing and Manifesting the Fundamental Skills of Chi Kung
      Reaching the heart and achieving the benefits of Chi Kung



      “This years Summer camp highlights the Shaolin journey in modern day life; How to circulate and build energy and how to apply this smooth flow of energy in Chi Kung, Kung Fu and everyday life - regardless of the pressures and stresses faced”. Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit


      Progressing from the fundamentals
      At the most basic level a Chi Kung practitioner should have the skill to get their energy flowing at will. This is the essential level of skill required from a beginner to a master. The skills are not the point though. The point is the outcome or the benefits you get from having developed the skills.

      So, what is next?
      At the most basic the fundamental skills ensure you don’t get in the way of achieving the highest benefits of chi kung – in one way you might look at this as not causing ‘harm’.

      The next level of development is to use those skills to consciously achieve the benefits – either generally or where you are focused on a particular benefit. Another way of looking at this would be that you create positives, or ‘good’ for yourself and - in the Shaolin tradition - this kind of ‘good’ spreads out to others.

      This course teaches you the skills required to do just that.
      This course will help you to understand the practical detail of how to use the fundamental skills. It will show you specific ways to practice to achieve each of the promised benefits of Chi Kung. So you can choose when and how to practice holistically or to focus on one of the specific benefits that might be important to you at a particular time:
      Clearing any illness or symptoms
      Maintaining good health
      Increasing energy and vitality
      Having mental clarity
      Improving performance in an aspect of life

      Why is reaching the heart and achieving the benefits important?
      Developing skills is essential. Being able to consciously use those skills in the way you want is the next level of development. Everyone’s lives and aims are different. We make different decisions about what is important to us. Also, as discussed in the Advanced Chi Kung skills in everyday life course page,modern science (Epigenetics, Neuro Feedback) recognizes that an individuals environment shapes who they are, as does their response to that environment. This course allows YOU to decide how to use the fundamental skills of Chi Kung to meet the challenges of your environment and how to achieve the characteristics of the life you want.


      What does realizing and manifesting the benefits of Chi Kung look like?
      People who practice these arts stay well – physically, emotionally and mentally. Our experience is that the niggly little physical problems like colds, stomach bugs and headaches just don’t stick. Also, we know that emotional stress leads to tension in the body and prolonged stress can lead to a depleted immune system, poor health and low moods. Difficult thoughts, images, memories, even old traumas can also feed these difficulties. This course helps break that unhelpful spiral, releasing the things that lead back into illness or stop people moving forwards. In simple terms, people maintain and improve their health and happiness.

      We all know we are happier when we feel energized and bother ourselves less about things. It also means we are more resistant to stress and illness. Western science is catching up with these simple facts that people have always known about themselves.

      So what’s next?
      Once you have done this course you will have learnt how to realize and manifest the fundamentals skills reliably to meet your own requirements. You can then progress where your skills begin to naturally ensure the right things happen … and then onto the next course - Applying the fundamentals of Chi Kung, everywhere, in whatever you do.
      This might prompt some ideas about questions you might ask e.g. what fundamental skills are most important and how to train them to meet particular aims and objectives you might have at the moment. For instance, a question for me at the moment might be: I want to improve my mental clarity in order to be able to best see how to help clients in my work at the psychiatric hospital. What fundamental skills is it most important to improve and what is the most efficient and effective way to train to achieve that objective.

      With metta,

      Barry
      Profile at Capio Nightingale Hospital London Click here
      Chi Kung & Tai Chi Chuan in the UK Fully Alive
      Fully Alive on Facebook Fully Alive
      UK Summer Camp 2017 Click here for details
      sigpic

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Mark A View Post
        We will all have an opportunity to get our questions answered in the areas of developing, realizing, applying (and deviating from) the fundamentals of Chi Kung.

        This thread is an opening to ask your questions about realising and manifesting the fundamental skills of Chi Kung – What this means, how to recognise if you are doing, how it can affect your living - How does it come from developing, deepening and applying the fundamentals skills and how does realising and manifesting the fundamentals affect, developing, deepening and applying?- It might be worthwhile considering if there is crossover on this subject between all the other threads that Fully Alive team have going for the Uk Summer Camp.
        Good day Fully Alive Team!

        This year's Summer Camp sounds like it's going to be awesome! I really like the main focus of the entire Camp. However, these Q&A threads are a bit obscure and vague. There are threads for -

        Realizing and Manifesting
        Developing and Deepening
        Applying and Deepening
        Deviating

        As is mentioned, there is a lot of crossover for these topics, and on their own, it's not clear exactly what kind of questions should be asked in each thread. However, thinking all of these topics, together, as full spectrum experience helps bring them into focus and helps differentiate between the topics. Might I suggest merging the threads into one, and encouraging the questioners to indicate which topic their question addresses?

        Also, it might be handy to include conversational subtitles for each topic, to help people understand them. For instance -

        Realizing and Manifesting (This is my first time with real Chi Kung, and I can actually see/feel that something is happening!)

        Developing and Deepening (I've got a taste for real Chi Kung, how can I level up my skills?)

        Applying and Deepening (Chi Kung is supposed to enhance my life. My practice is great, but how do I start getting these benefits all the time, with everything I do?)

        Deviating (Chi Kung is great, but I'm not getting all of the benefits that I think I should be getting. Did I make a wrong turn somewhere?)

        Just a good-hearted suggestion from a little brother on the other side of the Atlantic!

        -Matt

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi Matt,

          Thanks for the feedback - yes we are looking forward to the Summer Camp as well.

          I think you mean "these Q&A threads appear a bit obscure and vague to me" . Of, course they may appear like that to other people as well.

          No problem to clarify - we are learning as we go along.

          The Developing and Deepening the fundamental skills of Chi Kung thread is for those questions around "what are the fundamental skills", what are the best ways of practising them and how to improve in them.

          The Realising and manifesting the fundamental skills of Chi Kung thread is around how to best get the outcomes (realising) from the fundamental skills. Maybe, for people who have a particular objective in mind and want to know what skills it might be most useful to develop and/or how best to train.

          The Applying skills thread is about how to use the fundamental skills in everyday life.

          The Deviating thread is about how to avoid doing so.

          Hope that helps.

          With metta,

          Barry
          Profile at Capio Nightingale Hospital London Click here
          Chi Kung & Tai Chi Chuan in the UK Fully Alive
          Fully Alive on Facebook Fully Alive
          UK Summer Camp 2017 Click here for details
          sigpic

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by barrys View Post
            Hi Matt,

            I think you mean "these Q&A threads appear a bit obscure and vague to me" .

            With metta,

            Barry
            Indeed! A fine clarification!

            -Matt

            Comment


            • #7
              Discussion and Filtering

              Hey Matt,
              Thanks for asking the question about any potential confusion that may have arisen and I am sure that Barry's post has clarified the different topic more clearly. I would also like to you to be aware that there is is a difference in these threads than other past one's.


              The Fully Alive team are going to screen any questions and pass them onto Sifu to answer. One of the reasons we are doing this is so that we can allow an overall understanding to emerge that can help students realise the difference between applying, realising, manifesting and deviating and how there may be an overall lap.

              Part of our aim is to let students know some of the outcome that may be experienced directly at the Summer Camp

              Peace

              Mark
              Sifu Mark Appleford

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              Comment


              • #8
                Complementary Skills

                Dear Sifu,

                I still recall with absolute clarity the first lesson that I had the good fortune to learn from you:

                "Relax..."

                (wonderful)

                "Smiliiiiiiiiile"

                (life changing)

                "Now, let go!"

                (Wowwwww!!!)


                Of course I have learned much since that first lesson. But I do believe those are the three skills that I work on most often.

                Question:

                Sifu, how are those skills (Relaxing, smiling from the heart, letting go) best manifested in the workaday world that most of us are in? Is there another set of skills that should be manifested in order to complement those?

                Thank you.



                With Shaolin Salutation,

                Charles
                Charles David Chalmers
                Brunei Darussalam

                Comment


                • #9
                  Questions Relating to this topic- Question 1

                  Dear Family Members,
                  As we mentioned before, the Fully Alive team have gone through the question and categorised them by topic. This means that some of the questions have been put in different threads due to overlap.

                  here is the first question on this topic, please enjoy

                  Question 1

                  Life is not always easy, especially when starting out our lives on better paths. Struggle and temptations might wear our spirits in such a manner that smiling from the heart might not be easy nor comfortable, or feel anything but just the right thing to do. How to manifest happiness when our spirits are abnormally sunken and tired?


                  Answer

                  The point for consideration is not whether something is easy or hard to do, but whether it is beneficial or harmful.

                  Smiling from the heart is beneficial. Indifference from the heart is neutral. Moaning from the heart is harmful. The choice is yours.

                  Initially, smiling from the heart may not be easy. But if you put in some effort, gradually you will find that it is actually easier to smile from the heart than to be indifferent or to moan..

                  In our school our students find it easier to perform things that others find it hard or impossible to do. For example, most people find it hard or impossible to generate an energy flow when practicing chi kung. But our students find it easy. Most people find it hard or impossible to develop internal force when when they have the right techniques. But our students find it easy.

                  Indeed, our students are so used to generating an energy flow and developing internal force that to do the reverse may be more difficult.

                  It is the same as smiling from the heart. Our students have a lot of practice in this skill. Every time they practice our arts, they start with smiling from the heart.

                  To say that smiling from the heart is difficult is an academic issue. For those trained in our school, smiling from the heart is easy. It is more difficult to be indifferent from the heart, or to moan from the heart.

                  When life has become difficult, especially when stating out your life on better paths, you should smile from the heart. All of a sudden, what is difficult becomes easier, and even easy. You will find it joyful to start your life on better ground. It is certainly more joyful that starting your life on worse ground, irrespective of whether it is easier or harder to do so.

                  When temptation occurs, for most people they may spontaneously smile from their heart. Our students will also smile from the heart, but they will also have to access whether the temptation is beneficial or harmful. If the temptation is beneficial, like being tempted to attend the UK Summer Camp, grasp the temptation with a smiling heart. If the temptation is harmful, like stealing someone’s girlfriend, reject the temptation also with a smiling heart.

                  If events wear out your spirit, you should smile from your heart. The smiling from the heart can nourish your spirit, thus off-setting the wearing out effect of the unfavorable events. It may even give you're a bonus that despite the unfavorable events you end up with higher spirit.

                  Smiling from the heart may not be easy initially, but it is comfortable. It is more comfortable to smile from your heart than to be indifferent or to moan.

                  Smiling from the heart is the right thing to do. To be indifferent or to moan from the heart is not. Why is it the right thing to do? It is because when you smile from your heart, you create the ideal condition for all your organs, all your system and everything that constitutes you, to perform at their best. You increase your energy flow and raise your spirit. Being indifferent does not have these wonderful benefits. Moaning from your heart has the reverse effects. So, if you ever feel that smiling from the heart is not the right thing to do, your feeling is perverted, and you have to change it.

                  If you smile from your heart, you will not let your spirit to be abnormally sunken and tired. But what should you do if your spirit is already abnormally sunken and tired to start with? The answer is straight-forward. Smile from the heart. When you smile from the heart, you will raise your spirit.

                  If you smile just a little, you will raise your spirit just a little, but your spirit will be higher than before you smiled from your heart. If you smile a lot, you will raise your spirit a lot. After smiling, your spirit may be higher than ordinary people whose spirit may not be abnormally sunken and tired.

                  As you know traditional Chinese medicine well, you will know that prevention is better than cure. Hence smiling from your heart so that your spirit has no chance to be abnormally sunken and tired, is better than let your spirit to be abnormally sunken and tired, then smile from your heart to rectify it.

                  So, smile from your heart.
                  Sifu Mark Appleford

                  sigpic

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Bonus Question Answer- Question 2

                    One More answer to celebrate the beautiful sun in Scotland...........this is an event that is worth celebrating

                    Peace

                    Mark
                    Question 2

                    What is the potential for each Shaolin Wahnam student to attain to? Is every student, in principle, able to attain to the same potential depth and development of the core skills, or are some individuals more gifted than others? How much is down to our correct and perseverant training versus just our pre-existing potential or good karma?


                    Answer

                    Potential can be classified into two categories, namely the potential of the art, and the potential of the practitioner.

                    In both the potential of the art, and the potential of the practitioner, there is no limit. The art can go as deeply as the practitioner can practice it, and the practitioner can attain as much as his natural ability leads him to.

                    Let us take an example.

                    There is no limit to the potential of performing “Lifting the Sky”, for example. The improvement of a practitioner performing “Lifting the Sky”, as well as the art of “Lifting the Sky” can go on forever.

                    Jean of Toronto gave a telling example. She told me that after some time, she thought she had reached her potential, or the potential of the art. But when I came and she practiced the same art, she improved further. She was amazed. She taught this must be the potential.

                    Yet, when I came again and she practiced the same art, the improvement was often beyond comparision. This must be the potential, she thought. But again she was proven wrong.

                    There is also no minimum attainment. The minimum attainment of for any chi kung or kungfu exercise for one school is different from that of another school. The minimum attainment of one student of one particular school is also different from that of another student of the same school or another school.

                    The attainment of different students in the core skills are different. The same student also have different attainment in different core skills.

                    Some individuals are more gifted than others. In a class, for example, although I teach the same exercise, different beginners will have different attainements due to their different innate abilities.

                    The correct training provided by the teacher is, of course, important. But irrespective of whether the training is right or wrong, perseverant or otherwise, different teachers teach it, and different students learning it, will have different attainment.

                    On the other hand, the same teacher teaching the different techniques at the same time, or the same techniques at different time, may produce different attainments.

                    Hence, our pre-existing potential or good karma is important. Better pre-existing potential or karma will produce better results, poorer pre-existing potential or karma will produce poorer effects.
                    Sifu Mark Appleford

                    sigpic

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Dear everyone,

                      Oh my, it was truly fortunate to ask an academic question and receive such a sweet retribution. What an incredible answer. Does anyone else feel too that this was the essence of Zen we were given right now? Simple, direct, and effective. Not pointed out, but given to each of us! Undoubtedly the most beautiful and touching answer I can recall from Sigung's Q&A series. Now I want to print it and frame it on the wall and hang a sign to my front door saying the magic phrase "Smile from the heart!" to greet my guests.

                      Smiling from the heart is the right thing to do.
                      The mercifulness of Cosmos/Life/Heaven knows no limits as we all are invited to wear a smile in our hearts and be happy. I dare to claim that anyone reading Sigung's answer with an open heart will receive a fantastic transmission beyond words.

                      Smiling from the heart with sincere gratitude,
                      Olli

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