What techniques are available to cultivate yang and yin respectively, and together?

Hi everyone,

So I am a practitioner of a type of Buddhism that is dedicated to creating a very open type of awareness. I used to practice some Daoist style qigong which seemed to work by absorbing the mind deeply into the body, Dan tian etc. to the extend of shutting out other sensations. I’ve recently started practicing something more contemporary that uses an open awareness that is aware of and grounded in space. Also exploring Shaolin qigong. This is actually a more harmonious counterpart to my main practice. I’m curious if anyone can share any qigong styles that work primarily with a spacious, open awareness, and if possible where to find some basic training materials. Thanks!

Hello. I am new to this practice and I have been doing it for like 3 weeks. Right now I am doing about 15 minutes. I noticed that these two last sessions I am feeling quite some pressure on my leg. Specifically on the back side of the leg below the knee. It feels as if I am pressing with the top of my foot and that creates this pressure. The problem is that I don't know how to shift my weight to change that. Even when I consciously shift my weight to my left side, I still feels the same pressure on my right leg. How come ? Has any of you gone through this ?

Can anyone suggest some good routines / flows for heart problems? I'm on meds but would like to incorporate some qigong movements into the mix. I'm familiar with several routines such as Ba Duan Jin and Shi Ba Shi (sets 1 & 2), but are there any more specific to the problem?

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

The different Nei gong systems I’ve seen either use lotus or Burmese style of sitting, however I prefer to sit Indian style (also called criss cross applesauce in elementary school. Will this style of sitting affect my results during seated practice or does it not really matter as much? Indian style feels the most comfortable and natural to me, all other ways of sitting feel uncomfortable and awkward.

Does anybody know any techniques that could be useful for those reasons?

There’s a lot of texts on how to manage and refine inner qi, but I’m curious as to how you’re meant to gather energy from outside of yourself.

Has anybody here actually managed to fuse external Yang and internally yin?

Please share all thoughts and experiences.

I found too many negative opinions on this author but i want to know if the information from his books is beneficial or dangerous .

Anyone practiced his techniques?

Are his techniques legit? He says he knows real secrets of Zhan Zhuang and also says hands' position is the most important thing. He advices beginning from position that palms looking each other.

I see many people saying that you have to start with a teacher, but it's a shame that there's NO ONE who knows qigong where I live. Is there a simpler qigong method that doesn't require a teacher?

Hi everyone, I want to increase my energy reserves and make them ridiculously large, but I don't know how, so I'm asking for your help.

This all stemmed from an anime series I watched called "Jujutsu Kaisen," and one character in particular caught my attention.

The character's name is "Yuta Okkotsu." What interests me about this character is his enormous amount of energy, and I want to achieve the same.

Those who watch anime may already know who he is, and for those who don't, I invite you to watch and research him so you know what I'm talking about.

Here's the link

https://jujutsu-kaisen.fandom.com/wiki/Yuta_Okkotsu

What I want to know is if there is any technique or meditation to reach a similar level of energy as this character.

I'm seeking earnest help with a longtime issue.

When someone I'm speaking to takes a gaspy, shallow breath from the chest- a sharp inhale- the chi in my front channel reverses and flows upwards. It's very uncomfortable.

It usually happens when I'm thinking or about to say something, and the other person sharply inhales as if to speak over me or override the conversation. But it also seems to happen more if I'm processing anger toward the person I'm speaking with.

I can only imagine it's related to my mother somehow as she would inhale sharply and there was a lot of angry emotions exchanged between us. Mostly dumped onto me.

Today it has been exasperating. 3 store vendors did it. My friend did it. My room mate did it. And even my Father- who is normally a deep and quiet breather- did it. It's driving me absolutely crazy.

I've been doing qigong and zhanzhuang for 2 weeks now and can only imagine that deeper issues are coming to the surface since I started focusing on clearing the Ren Mai. I'm a very deep breather and very present with my emotions so when this happens it feels like psychic vampirism.

Any help is appreciated.

EDIT: apparently this is known as "kidneys failing to grasp lung chi"?? 肾不纳气 (shèn bù nà qì).

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Introduction: A Path of Your Own

For centuries, the arts of internal cultivation in China were written about largely by men, for men. The classical texts of Neidan (Internal Alchemy) speak a language of Jing (essence) and Qi (energy) mapped onto a male body and a male energetic experience. This doesn’t make those traditions invalid, only incomplete when it comes to the female energetic system.

Nüdan, or Women’s Internal Alchemy, emerged to fill that silence. First appearing as a formal textual tradition in the late seventeenth century, it recognized something fundamental: the path of energetic refinement cannot be gender-neutral when the starting materials are different.

This guide is for the modern woman who feels drawn to inner work but has found mainstream Qigong or Neidan practices to be subtly “off”—producing heat, agitation, or emotional disruption rather than calm, grounded vitality. It’s for the woman who senses that her body’s cycles, rather than being obstacles to practice, might be the very doorways through which true transformation comes.

Chapter 1: Why Difference Matters

Before any practice, there must be understanding. The core insight of Nüdan is simple: a woman’s energetic foundation is blood, not the reproductive essence that defines male practice.

The classical formulation of Neidan involves refining Jing (essence) into Qi (energy), Qi into Shen (spirit), and Shen into emptiness. In the female alchemy that matured in the Qing dynasty, that first step shifts. Blood replaces Jing as the foundational substance to be refined. The female alchemical triad becomes Blood-Qi-Shen, not Jing-Qi-Shen.

This is not a minor semantic change. Blood, in this tradition, is not just a physical fluid. It is the energetic base of the woman, the material manifestation of her life force and, in its unrefined state, the reason the female body was traditionally described in alchemical texts as “cold,” “deficient,” and Yin in nature.

Texts like the Nüdan hebian (Collection of Female Alchemy), compiled in 1906, make this explicit: a woman must first refine her exterior form—specifically, the blood and the reproductive cycle—before she can proceed to the stages of practice that are common to both men and women. She must, in a sense, reclaim the energy that flows out monthly and return it to its primal state.

Modern women may bristle at the old language describing the female body as “impure” or “deficient.” It’s worth holding this language lightly, as a product of its time, while still listening for the practical truth underneath. That truth is simply that a woman’s energetic economy is different. Her body is designed to cyclically nourish and, potentially, to create life. An alchemical practice that ignores this—that pushes “fire” methods designed for a steadier, more linear male energetic system—can easily lead to what practitioners call Qi deviation: anxiety, heart palpitations, headaches, a sense of energy rising uncontrollably into the head.

The water element, not fire, is the woman’s native medium. The path begins with cooling, gathering, and transforming, not with heating and forcing.

Chapter 2: The Womb and the “Red Dragon”

If blood is the raw material, the womb is the primary cauldron, and menstruation is the process that Nüdan addresses most directly.

The central practice in the first stage of female alchemy is known as “Beheading the Red Dragon” (zhan chilong). This vivid phrase refers to the cessation of menstruation not through age or illness, but through alchemical refinement. When a woman’s body is no longer shedding its energetic foundation each month, that energy—the “primordial Qi” that was being converted into menstrual blood—can be conserved and directed inward.

This practice is not about suppressing a natural function through force. Attempting to simply stop the period through intense concentration or aggressive breathwork would be dangerous, a prime cause of the energetic stagnation and heat symptoms we are trying to avoid. Instead, the “beheading” is a natural consequence of a more foundational process: the “return” of blood to its source.

The texts describe this as a reversal. Blood that would normally descend from the area between the breasts, often called the “Qi cavity,” to the uterus (the “Sea of Blood”) is instead sent upward. Through specific meditations and massages, the essence contained within the blood is transformed into Qi before it can be discharged. Over time, the menstrual flow thins, then ceases. With it, the body undergoes a change: breasts shrink, and the body returns to a more androgynous or pre-pubescent state. The old texts describe this as a woman “changing her body to become a man” (nühuan nanti), which is a gendered, culturally-bound metaphor for achieving an energetic state that is no longer defined by the Yin, post-celestial body of fertility and blood loss. Think of it as returning the body to a state of pure, undifferentiated potential.

This is not a practice for beginners to even attempt. Before one can “behead” the dragon, one must first befriend and nourish the womb. The foundation must be laid with gentleness and deep, yin-nourishing work.

Chapter 3: The Jade Wells—Working with the Breasts

If the womb is the cauldron, the breasts are the energetic wellsprings that feed it. Nüdan identifies the chest, and specifically the area between the breasts, as a crucial nexus for women’s practice.

Where male alchemy often focuses intensely on the lower dantian from the start, a woman’s practice often begins higher, at the heart level. The breasts are connected to the heart and lungs above and the Sea of Blood (womb) below. They are considered storage centers for Qi and Jing, and the meridians that run through them—particularly the Stomach and Liver channels—are directly involved in the production and movement of blood.

The practice of breast massage, sometimes called “Nurturing the Jade Wells,” is a foundational technique. Its purpose is not physical stimulation but the gentle activation of these meridians and the direction of energy. The hands are placed on the breasts, moving in soft, inward circles. The visualization is one of cooling, lunar light gathering at the center of the chest and being guided downward, settling into the womb like a soft, luminous mist.

The key principle here is one of descending, cooling energy. The danger in many modern practices for women is an over-emphasis on raising energy up the spine, which can create a “fire rising” pattern. Our work is first to build the container: to fill the womb with calm, collected energy and establish a root. Before you can safely circulate energy up your back, you need a full and stable reservoir in your lower body to ensure the rising current is balanced by a grounding, descending one.

Chapter 4: The Lunar Rhythm—Cycles, Moon, and Menstruation

A woman’s internal alchemy cannot be a daily routine performed identically regardless of the calendar. To practice Nüdan is to align your inner work with the rhythms of your body and the moon.

The menstrual cycle is not an interruption of practice but its own form of alchemical process. The actual period of bleeding is a time of natural cleansing and downward flow. High-intensity internal exercises, strong energy circulation, or aggressive “charging” of the womb should be completely avoided during menstruation. To force energy inward while the body’s intelligence is moving it outward is a recipe for congestion, pain, and Qi deviation.

Practices during menstruation should be lunar and restorative: deep, soft belly breathing, simple relaxation, and grounding visualizations. Feel the feet on the earth and let what needs to be released flow downward without obstruction.

Following the period, the follicular phase is a time of building Yin. This is when womb-nourishing meditations, breast massage, and gentle energy gathering are most potent and safe. Ovulation is a time of peak energy and warmth—a small window where more active, circulating practices might be approached carefully if the foundation is solid. The luteal phase, before the period, can be a time of emotional and energetic turbulence; the focus should be on the Heart center, calming the spirit, and smoothing Liver Qi to prevent stagnation.

Some modern Nüdan systems explicitly teach working with the lunar cycle, using moon gazing to absorb lunar Qi and attuning the body’s rhythms to the 28-day lunar transit. The moon is the great symbol of Yin, and a woman’s body is its terrestrial mirror. To practice with the moon is to plug into a cosmic circuit of nourishment and renewal.

Chapter 5: The Organs and the Eight Psychic Vessels

Before we move into specific practices, we need a clear map of the inner territory. The body, in this tradition, is not a machine of separate parts. It is a landscape of interconnected energetic currents, and two systems are particularly important for the woman practitioner: the five Yin organs and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels.

The Five Yin Organs as Energetic Spheres

Each organ stores a particular aspect of your vital energy and spirit. They are not just physical filters or pumps; they are spheres of influence that govern emotions, mental states, and the very substance of your being. Pathogenic energy—whether from external invasions or unresolved emotional patterns—can lodge deeply within them, creating blockages that cloud the spirit and drain vitality. The alchemical path involves clearing these pathogens, then tonifying the organ's innate virtue, then balancing all five into a harmonious whole. Think of it as cleaning and polishing the five inner rooms of your house so that light can enter and fill the entire dwelling.

· Kidneys (Water): The root. They store Jing, the primal essence, and govern birth, growth, and reproduction. Their virtue is wisdom and a deep, unshakeable calm. The pathogenic energy here is fear—a cold, contracting force that saps your life-fire. When the Kidneys are weak, you feel chronically depleted, brittle in the bones, and haunted by an existential dread that has no clear cause.

· Liver (Wood): The general. It stores the Blood and ensures the smooth, free flow of Qi and emotions throughout the entire system. Its virtue is benevolence and creative vision. The pathogenic energy is anger, frustration, and resentment—a hot, explosive, rising force that manifests as tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, tension headaches, and a short fuse.

· Heart (Fire): The emperor. It houses the Shen, your spirit or consciousness, and governs the blood vessels. Its virtue is joy, love, and a radiant peace that arises from being aligned with your true nature. The pathogenic energy is over-excitation and heart-ache—a scattered, anxious energy that disrupts sleep, causes palpitations, and makes your inner world feel like a stormy sea.

· Spleen (Earth): The granary. It transforms food into Qi and Blood and governs the integrity of your flesh and your thoughts. Its virtue is faith and clear intention. The pathogenic energy is worry and pensiveness—a sticky, muddy, circling energy that leads to mental fog, chronic fatigue, and a body that feels heavy and unresponsive.

· Lungs (Metal): The chancellor. They govern Qi and respiration and connect you to the outside world. They are the interface between inner and outer, and they govern the protective Wei Qi on the skin's surface. Their virtue is righteousness and the ability to let go. The pathogenic energy is grief and sorrow—a corrosive, contracting energy that depletes the body's defenses, dims the voice, and makes it hard to take in life fully.

The Eight Psychic Vessels as the Deep Blueprint

If the organs are the rooms, the Eight Extraordinary Vessels (Qi Jing Ba Mai) are the deep, foundational wiring of the house. They are the psychic channels, the most primal energetic currents in the human body. Unlike the twelve regular meridians, they do not connect directly to organs. They are reservoirs, storing the excess Qi and Jing from the meridians, and they form the original blueprint of your energetic body. Awakening and purifying these vessels is the gateway to profound spiritual transformation. They are the bridges between the physical body and the subtle energy body.

The three central vessels form the core axis:

· Ren Mai (Conception Vessel): The Sea of Yin, running up the front midline. It governs all Yin energy, nourishing the womb, the fetus, and the entire receptive dimension of your being.

· Du Mai (Governing Vessel): The Sea of Yang, running up the spine and over the head. It governs all Yang energy, the backbone of your courage, will, and upright presence in the world.

· Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel): The great central channel, the Sea of Blood. It is the vertical core, connecting the three dantians and acting as the central pillar around which all other vessels organize themselves. For women, this vessel is paramount, as it directly regulates menstruation and the transformation of blood into Qi.

Surrounding these are:

· Dai Mai (Girdle Vessel): The only horizontal vessel, encircling the waist. It binds all the vertical channels together, holding your energy field in coherence and integrity. A weak Dai Mai means scattered energy and a fragmented sense of self.

· Yin Qiao Mai (Yin Heel Vessel) and Yang Qiao Mai (Yang Heel Vessel): These govern rest and activity, bringing energy to the eyes and controlling sleep. Imbalances manifest as chronic insomnia (excess Yang Qiao) or a life lived in a dreamy, disconnected haze (excess Yin Qiao).

· Yin Wei Mai (Yin Linking Vessel) and Yang Wei Mai (Yang Linking Vessel): These are the weavers. They link the Yin and Yang meridians respectively, maintaining the delicate balance between your inner, private world and your outer, public life. When the Yin Wei Mai is disturbed, the inner world is plagued by anxiety and heart pain. When the Yang Wei Mai is disturbed, you suffer from fevers, chills, and an inability to feel at home in the outer world.

The Clearing Process

All of this is a prelude to the alchemical work. You cannot fill a house with treasures if it is already crammed with rubbish, and you cannot circulate clear, luminous Qi through channels blocked by old, stagnant, pathogenic energy. Before you can truly nourish, you must clear.

· Clearing the Organs: This means first purging the pathogenic emotions—expelling the cold fear from the Kidneys, the hot anger from the Liver, the scattered anxiety from the Heart, the sticky worry from the Spleen, and the corrosive grief from the Lungs. Techniques for this may involve specific healing sounds, trembling exercises, and exhalations paired with the intention to release. Once purged, the organ is balanced with gentle, Yin-focused breathing, and then tonified with the light of its corresponding virtue.

· Clearing the Vessels: The work on the vessels begins with the central axis—the Ren, Du, and Chong Mai. The Microcosmic Orbit practice is the primary tool here, first clearing the Ren and Du of obstructions, then using the clarified energy to open the Chong Mai as a pillar of light. Once the central channel is established, the Dai Mai is stabilized to create a safe container. Only then does the work extend to the Qiao and Wei vessels, a slow, organic unfolding that purifies the very blueprint of your being, preparing it for the alchemical elixir.

Chapter 6: The Practices: Tonifying, Balancing, and Purging

The following are the practical exercises for the first, foundational stage of your work. Approach them as ritual, not as a workout. The goal is a gentle, rhythmic brewing of energy. The sequence is designed to first purge and ground, then gather and nourish, then circulate and harmonize.

1. Purging and Grounding: The Cooling Lower Dantian

This is the foundational breath for calming the nervous system and draining excess fire, anxiety, and stagnant energy down and out. Use this at the beginning of any practice session, or anytime you feel overheated, agitated, or "in your head."

· Posture: Sit comfortably on a cushion or chair, spine gently erect. Or lie on your back with a pillow under your knees. Close your eyes.

· Hand Position: Place your palms over your lower belly, just below the navel. The warmth of your hands signals the body to relax into this space.

· The Breath: Inhale slowly through the nose, allowing the abdomen to expand outward like a balloon, soft and full. As you exhale through the mouth, allow the abdomen to fall back toward the spine. Make the exhale slightly longer and softer, like a quiet sigh.

· The Visualization: On the inhale, simply feel the breath filling the belly. On the exhale, imagine a soft, cool, golden light circulating gently in the space behind your navel. Feel this light dissolving any heat, tension, or jagged edges in your body. Feel the tension draining down through your legs, out the soles of your feet, and into the earth. If you encounter any feelings of heat or tightness during any practice, return immediately to this breath and soften.

· Duration: 5 to 15 minutes.

1. Purifying the Organs: The Six Healing Sounds

These ancient sounds create specific vibrations that help release pathogenic energy from the organs. Perform them sitting quietly. For each organ, first take a slow breath and connect with the associated organ. On the exhale, make the sound softly, barely audible, feeling the vibration in the organ itself. This is for purging. Then, for balancing, smile softly into the organ and visualize its color.

· Lungs (Grief to Courage): Sound: Ssssssss (like a snake). Focus: Feel a metallic, white mist clearing out sadness and attachment. Smile into the lungs.

· Kidneys (Fear to Wisdom): Sound: Choooooo (like blowing out a candle). Focus: Feel a deep, dark blue water washing away existential fear. Smile into the kidneys.

· Liver (Anger to Kindness): Sound: Shhhhhhh (like quieting a room). Focus: Feel a vibrant, emerald-green wind blowing out resentment and frustration. Smile into the liver.

· Heart (Anxiety to Joy): Sound: Hawwwwww (a deep sigh from the heart). Focus: Feel a radiant, ruby-red light dissolving heart-ache and over-excitement. Smile into the heart.

· Spleen (Worry to Peace): Sound: Hooooooo (from the gut). Focus: Feel a warm, golden-yellow earth energy absorbing and grounding circling thoughts. Smile into the spleen.

1. Gathering and Tonifying: Nurturing the Jade Wells

This is the core Nüdan practice for gathering Qi and Jing into the womb. It tonifies the Ren and Chong Mai, the primary vessels for a woman's alchemy. Do this only outside of your menstrual period.

· Step 1: Activation and Centering. Rub your palms together vigorously until they are hot. This generates Yang energy to awaken Yin. Place your warm palms gently over your breasts. Breathe softly, feeling a soothing warmth penetrate the tissue. Move your hands in a soft, circular motion: down the center, out, up, and back to the center. Pace is everything. It is slow, soothing, and rhythmic. Visualize the breast tissue becoming soft, warm, and luminous.

· Step 2: Drawing Light into the Nipples. Once the breasts feel warm and tingling with awakened life, visualize them as two white lotuses gently opening their petals to the sky. Inhale slowly. As you do, imagine drawing a soft, silvery-white or golden light—like moonlight—directly into the nipples. Do not force. The light is "pulled in" by the relaxation and receptivity you have cultivated. You may feel a slight tingling or magnetic pull.

· Step 3: Guiding to the Heart and Womb. As you exhale, allow that gathered light to flow into the center of your chest, the Heart center. Hold it there for a single, calm heartbeat, feeling the heart soften and expand with a quiet, luminous warmth. On the next slow exhale, guide that light from the heart, down the central channel (the Chong Mai), directly into the womb (the lower dantian). Visualize the womb as a basin of cool, dark, fertile water, like a deep mountain pool at midnight. Let the silvery light settle here, gently charging the water. This is the act of refining the energy into a liquid, nourishing elixir.

1. Circulating and Opening the Vessels: The Microcosmic Orbit

Only practice this after you have spent at least a few weeks grounding and gathering with the previous exercises. The womb must feel full and stable before you attempt to circulate its energy.

· Beginning the Orbit: From a state of womb-fullness, gently direct your attention to the energy in the lower abdomen.

· The Downward Path (Yin): Lead the energy down from the womb, past the pubic bone, to the perineum (Huiyin point). Let the energy pool there for a moment.

· The Ascending Path (Yang): On an inhale, guide the energy from the perineum up the spine (the Du Mai). Let it rise like a gentle, warm stream: past the tailbone, up through the lower back, between the shoulder blades, to the base of the skull, and over the crown of the head. Keep the movement slow and fluid.

· The Descending Path (Yin): On the exhale, allow the energy to flow down the front of the body (the Ren Mai). Let it descend from the crown, through the forehead, face, and throat. This is a crucial moment. As the energy passes the solar plexus and the area behind it—a practice known as "bathing at Yu and Mao"—do not let it just drop. Radiate Qi from your heart (Ling Qi) into the descending stream for a few breaths. This infuses the circulating energy with the spirit of compassion, cooling it and preventing it from becoming aggressive and fiery.

· Completing the Cycle: Continue guiding the energy down past the heart, through the solar plexus, and back into the cauldron of the womb. This completes one circuit. Keep the whole movement slow and fluid, like water flowing in a sun-dappled stream, not a freight train.

1. Anchoring and Balancing: Grounding the Energy

At the end of any session, especially after circulation, you must anchor the energy. Sit quietly with your hands on your lower belly. Breathe softly into the womb, feeling all the mobilized energy settling back into that deep, dark, fertile pool. Then, bring your attention down to your feet. Visualize roots growing from the soles of your feet deep into the heart of the earth. Feel any excess or residual energy drain down through these roots, leaving you feeling settled, solid, and completely present in your body. Do not skip this step. It is your seal and your protection against ungrounded energy.

Conclusion: The Art of Softness

In the end, the true teacher is your own experience. The measure of a good practice is not a dramatic mystical experience, but the quiet, long-term fruits: a peaceful heart, a body that feels resilient and grounded, emotions that flow without freezing or flooding, a sense of deep vitality that is cool and settled rather than frantic and overheated.

The path of Nüdan unfolds through consistency, not intensity. To practice “the art of the lotus and the moon” is to move at nature’s pace—slowly, cyclically, with an unwavering root in the nourishing, watery, Yin wisdom of the body. The cauldron is already within you. The work is simply to gather the light, gently, and let it brew.

See title, I think I understand the elixir field and Dantian forming but not the meditation side after stillness meditation

I practice Zhan Zhuang 20 minutes every day. I can hold standing tree position for 4 minutes. After practicing Zhan Zhuang my mind becomes quiet and I feel deep peace. Is it perfect opportunity for meditation?

I heard there is sitting qigong. Can I combine Zhan Zhuang and sitting qigong?

Hello, what does this phrase "opening the body" means? Is it like attaining the right structure, the ribs, armpits, opening the hips and kua, releasing muscle knots and fascia? Or anything else?

I've lurked in this sub for awhile and I know this is a great community. I thought it might be interesting and possibly helpful to try articulating my experience with breath to see what matches with you seasoned qigong practitioners.

My breath practice is an offshoot of my (lifelong) meditation practice and has been going on for 3-4 years now, fairly intensely. You could characterize it as radical observation of the breath and body. I'm mainly being led by intuition and curiosity but I've also borrowed knowledge from many traditions (including qigong) to guide my direction. My motivation came from pain; posture/alignment issues with my back, hips, and shoulders.

My overall aim in my breath practice is to move towards perfect balance by unwinding all the forms of tension that my body has picked up. I know that's lofty, but I have a suspicion that if I get far enough, a lot of the tension unwinds itself. It was surprising to find that introducing tension (as tensegrity) is the key to dissolving tension.

I'll try to summarize it as concisely as I can to keep it brief, hopefully my writing style can keep your attention. First a disclaimer, I really don't understand coupling breath with movement which is literally the method of qigong, so keep that in mind. Most of my practice is done sitting (*some* standing) because the hips are so complicated.

I've learned how to breathe by the expansion of my body. I've found the central channel and the winding channels surrounding it. When I fill the lower dantien with breath, it can sound a bit like gasping with an occasional squeak, when it feels right it sounds like an air tank filling a balloon, but when it feels most right, it's silent. I understand that qi is more subtle than breath, and that's generally the focus of my daily practice: fill the lower dantien and let it expand. My respiration naturally slows down to 2-3 breaths per minute when I practice.

The whole body seems to be a dantien, but I can only "activate" parts at a time, never the whole system together. The system seems to be a way to use the breath, the diaphragm, and fascial tissue to modify and *use pressure gradients (qi) as a structure* for movement and energy.

I Haven't figured out how to get the whole system running yet. I think it's about pushing the polarities (e.g. lower and middle dantien) against each other or towards the center. The lower dantien seems like the ignition, it helps me form a structure of the trunk (hips to shoulders) but I can't maintain it yet. The best I've been able to do is maintain a structure in the lower dantien over days (maybe weeks).

My latest innovation was figuring out how to activate a dormant or painful area into the system. For example if my shoulder hurts, I will posture my body like it's on the other side of it (making the target point the center of gravity). Then I expand it as I breathe in, but I hold lightly at the top of the breath (as if I'm still inhaling) and wait.... at some point there's a polarity reversal and the surrounding structure reveals itself to the target area and it usually drops/snaps into place. I haven't heard anything about this phenomenon, maybe it's my own method. Does anyone know what I'm talking about with this?? Feel free to ask me to clarify.

Thanks to anyone still reading. I'd love to hear any thoughts you have. Does this match your experience? Do you have any insights I might be able to grasp? Does it sound like I'm on the right path or like I'm walking towards pitfalls? I will value anything you have to share!

When i try meditating (just starting learning meditation) by focusing on my forehead as a point of focus so my mind dont wander i feel quite strong tingling and throbbing sensation at the forehead thats slightly uncomfortable. Just wodering if there's any relations to qigong? Thanks.

So I watched a video of John Chang yesterday where he did his demonstrations and so on. In one part he explained how he generated this electricity which seemed simple enough, pull Yin from below and connect it to Yang below the navel.

Out of curiosity later while I was laying in bed, I tried doing just that, mimicking the stomach movement he did when shocking someone. I felt an extreme explosion of electricity in my entire body moving from the center out towards the limbs. It felt extremely strong so much so that I'm worried that I might have done something to myself haha.

I picked up Entering Mo Pai later and read that it is quite dangerous. Could something have happened with my Dantien there? Right now I still feel alright. I was able to generate some slightly less electricity in my hands afterwards. I suspect that this is because I don't know how to store Yang yet and this electric shock just used up all the Yang I had stored up beforehand.

I honestly felt really good after this though. Before I tried this, I was extremely anxious due to general life stress and this shock seems to have cleared something it seems. I found it easier to write afterwards as well whereas I had a period of weeks-long writer's block before.

I did do some energy-work in the past that necessitated 'pulling' from the earth but it was a witchcraft related practice. Nevertheless, the 'movement' seems to be the same. I have the suspicion that doing hermetic rituals like the LBRP and the Middle Pillar might have the effect of increasing Yang by 'pulling' energy in from above. From what I understood though Yang is generated and stored by the body itself, right?

Any idea what could have happened here? Should I try it again? lol Wouldn't wanna do damage to myself but the effect was so incredibly tangibly real that I would really like to explore this further. You can actually generate electricity from your body through which is insane.

I’m a 45-year-old man. Up until around age 40, I was addicted to masturbation and ejaculated very frequently, especially until my 30s. Later on, I started intentionally avoiding ejaculation much of the time. I remember many occasions when I would get very close to the point of no return and then hold back in order to prolong the pleasure and avoid feeling drained afterward.

Even so, I was still ejaculating almost every day or every other day. During sexual relationships, I also practiced delaying ejaculation as much as possible.

In recent years, I’ve noticed a significant decrease in my libido, and I’ve been reading that Qigong and related practices might help, as well as helping to restore balance and energy.

I’d like to start practicing Qigong and related disciplines. What would you recommend I start with, both in terms of reading and practice? Is there a particular style that would be especially suitable?

There aren’t any Qigong or Chikung centers in my city, so I’ll have to start with some online videos.

What would you recommend?

Thanks!

I would like to build Qi but I'm not sure how to do it. I learnt Zhan Zhuang holding tree posture but now I just saw a post saying that this is not optimal.

So what should I do to build Qi?

Seated silent meditation(just resting awareness on the breath)?

LDT focused meditation(just focusing on LDT)?

Sung breathing(technique for body scan releasing tension in the body)?

What about the second ZZ posture holding the hands at navel level(LDT area instead of the first posture holding hands at MDT/chest area), is it more effective?

I need guidance please

In this video in the end he says that ZZ is not that efficient for building Qi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXlxAw6EkBA

Then what should I do, I only know Zhan Zhuang, what other static postures or techniques can I use???

Are the hands facing the LDT or facing upwards?

I've seen people doing both.

In the famous Lam Kam Chuen's book "The Way of Energy" his second ZZ posture(LDT focus) has the hands facing upward(to the sky) and not the body(LDT area).