Sexual Kung-Fu

Ok just kick your shoes off, grab a seat and relax and heres a cold one for you :gulp:
Oh and remove the socks too please. :D

I prefer Fluevogs to socks.

http://www.flue vog.com/code/?w … 3&colourID=1158

but I digress.

I haven’t followed a guru or followed a book, but I think I fell into this. Xenolith said I didn’t but I think I do. Having been slammed last night for being cold, is it true that someone who can do this can have deeply intimate energy exchange like this with a complete stranger, and without feeling any sort of normal intimacy or wanting to kiss or talk? In other words at the same time being both very impersonal and deeply intimate, in a recognizing the male or female divine in every person rather than an individual bond?

I’ve studied qigong (albeit not sexual qigong) in Taiwan for a few years. It’s really best to have the guidance of a competent teacher. If that’s not possible remember the keyword is RELAX. The tendency at first is to take huge breaths and try to use big motions of the spine or tension to try to force the energy up or just to feel anything at all. I had minor problems with feeling light-headed or agitated when I first started studying, but my teacher was able to correct me, mostly by making me relax, take smaller breaths, use subtler, smoother movements, etc. The breath should be slow, fine, thin, controlled, like wisps of gauze. The movements should be slow, smooth, relaxed and never tense. Also, if you feel light-headed, take a break and drink some water. If you follow these guidelines, though it may be difficult to get very far without a teacher, you are unlikely to do yourself any harm.

I’m not too sure about that “back and forth” over the front of the head thing. I was taught simply to bring it up until the point at the top of the head (baihui) throbs, and then let it sink down to the third eye, face, throat, etc. It seems to me that moving it back and forth on top of the head would increase the likelihood of untoward psychological effects.

Also, when trying to complete the “small circuit/microcosmic orbit,” you should take it in stages. I.e., first work on sinking the breath to the lower abdomen, then work on sinking that around the tailbone to the lower back. Then work on breathing using the upper back (back breathing). Then work on making that go over the head, then finally work on sinking that back to the lower abdomen. You don’t have to go completely in this order, but you should work on different areas individually. Just completing this circuit feels very good, though not quite like an orgasm (for me), more like slipping into a hot bath when you’re cold. Also, don’t expect it to come quickly or easily. If you feel like you’ve learned this in a few weeks then you are probably just feeling muscular tension or imagining things.

The biggest danger with sexual energy practices is that they concentrate on raising energy from the base of the spine upwards. If you think of the body’s energy systems like an electrical system, in order to be able to handle high currents, you need to develop wires capable of handling the current without blowing. In the human body, this is done by developing the downward currents (grounding) of energy before the upward currents. At least 4 to 5 times as much practice time must be spent on developing the downward currents as the ascending currents. (This is where Mantak Chia’s exercises are dangerous - they don’t build the system to handle the current, they rush straight into raising the energy).

So how to proceed?

Ensure your body alignment is perfect when practicing the microcosmic orbit. Energy flows best if there are ‘no kinks in the hose’. Allow the coccyx to point directly to the floor, not backwards. The lower part of the spine including all lumbar vertebrae should be absolutely straight. To achieve this, roll the hips under slightly and push the area of the Mingmen slightly back. (The mingmen is anterior to the spine, 2” below where a sword thrust directly through the belly button would exit your back). The mingmen is one of the places where energy often gets stuck in the first months of practise.

OK, I’ve just realised if I were to cover this subject properly, I’d be typing for the next day or two and no one would read it all. If you are really interested in seriously upgrading your health and developing your central nervous system and energy pathways enough to really get something out of sexual energy practices, the best I can do is recommend a book that covers all the basics. (Note: I don’t mean the basics of just sexual energy practices, I mean the foundations of ALL energy practices). Probably the best is ‘Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body’ by B.K. Frantzis. Bruce writes with a clear, intelligent style, and although all my contact with him has been through chi gung and martial arts, he has studied Taoist sexology in depth. The book covers little on sexual energy practices, but everything you need as a foundation to build these practices on. Just ignore what he says about hanging weights from the penis!! In the West he only teaches what he knows is absolutely safe, while still being very effective. I had to go to Asia to get the less safe techniques, but Bruce and one of his early students gave me a grounding to benefit from these practices without ‘blowing myself up’. The less safe techniques are not required for Taoist sex, but are very useful in martial arts.

In my next life I guess. No accomplished teachers or gurus anywhere close to where I am now. Besides, I’ve a bum hip, fucked up neck and kind of kinked-up back - I guess my hoses are all kinked then?

Mgus, that book will really help you with your hip, back and neck over time. I make more of my income from sorting out peoples musculoskeletal problems than I do teaching martial arts.

I live in India and have had the priviledge to meet some prolific Yoga gurus. Yoga as such is not at all dangerous. Yoga involves asanas i.e postures. Basically while practising yoga, a person needs to sit in different postures and follow a specific breathing pattern. The breathing and the posture combined together makes a synergetic effort in bringing the mind and body at ease.

Kundalini per say is a different form of yoga altogether where different postures are not as significant. Kundalini involves breath control to channelize energy through different channels in the Body. This is very very dangerous if done without a Guru. One may come across numerous websites that give out information about how to do Kundalini yoga. I’m not too sure if anyone should follow those instructions without a Guru.

My mom has been practising kundalini for at least a decade now. It has made her very intuitive, clairvoyant and strong mentally. She has had ups and downs with it. Recently she has stopped practising it totally because she cannot stop herself from doing more and more of it. You get hooked to it. Its addictive. You can get in and out of trance. With all the good things comes the bad things too. As long as you know where to draw the line, its OK. Maybe, that’s why it is suggested that a person intending to practise kundalini should however seek guidance from a Guru.

As far as Mantak chia is concerned, Well.. i have read the book and practised for a few months now. I feel good and energetic. I mean too energetic. I don’t sleep very well when im practising. I sleep no more than 4 hours ever since i started SKF. I used to sleep 8 hours before. Also, i have experienced a bad buzz in my head after a session of SKF. I have stopped SKF now because i need sleep after a heavy workout in the gym. I noticed my muscles were growing thinner without proper sleep. I have spoken to xenolith, who has a great post on SKF and i have been told that the buzzing in the head not uncommon, although he hasn’t had any such experiences.

Its kinky Zane, who would have guessed?

Everybody was Kung Fu Fucking….

Sorry couldn’t resist, too lazy to slaughter the rest of the song.

I think Kundalini Yoga is closer to Chinese qigong than the posture-focused Yoga (I guess it’s Hatha) so prevalent nowadays. As Firegoat said, it seems like Kundalini might take a faster, more forceful route than qigong, which would mean you have to be extra careful (read: probably shouldn’t do without a teacher).

If Mantak Chia is telling you to raise the qi before you’ve even learned to sink it to the dantian, I’d say that also has a potential to be a bit risky. The energy has to have a place to go back to, i.e. the lower abdomen. I’ve heard (almost) only good things about B.K. Frantzis and his books, so they’d probably be a good place to start if no teacher is available. Just take it slow, listen to your body, relax and stop immediately if you feel dizzy, nauseous, etc. and you should be fine.

Qigong can definitely make you kind of manic it gives you so much energy, which can also lead to insomnia and other problems. This improved gradually for me. If it really gives you insomnia then just try not to do it near bedtime. I’ve found if I do more active, moving qigong during the day and more meditative-type qigong at night it seems to work well. Part of it is just becoming used to the increased energy level. I do think, however, that qigong stimulates the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system, which makes you feel content and relaxed, increases salivation and hormonal secretions, etc. So, once you get used to it you can find it to be either refreshingly energizing or else just pleasant and relaxing, depending on how you do it.

Firegoat, have you studied Kundalini Yoga as well? I’ve considered taking it for a while now, but then feel like trying to master qigong is already plenty on my plate. Do you feel it is the same energy they are working with or are there differences? Why does Kundalini Yoga only seem to raise and not lower the energy? My guess is that sinking to the dantian has martial applications, which is not Kundalini’s primary goal…? I’m very interested in the relationship between Qigong and Yoga, but have only really had time for Qigong so far (also, I think it’s very hard to find a qualified Yoga instructor who focuses on the energy, rather than the postures).

Osu! Like I said before… The purpose of yoga is not just to focus on energy but to focus on energising the body and channelising the energy through the use of correct postures and Breathing. If you find a yoga guru who just focuses on energy rather than the postures then im not sure its Yoga. All forms of yoga have a bit or more to do with postures without which it is not Yoga. Even plain sitting with legs craoosed is a posture.

I know that Yoga isn’t just about the breathing… neither is Qigong. My system of qigong has exercises in which the breath leads the movement and exercises in which the positions lead the breath. The latter are more like Yoga. Qigong isn’t all just standing there either! I was saying it’s hard to find a Yoga teacher in America who will teach the energetic aspects of Yoga and its postures. Most just treat the postures as good for flexibility and balance, etc. where I know they actually have energetic purposes as well.

Osu! Thanks. If you need any help with yoga then please PM me. Not that im a yoga guru but my master is very good.I could get you some Information if you wish to know more.

Im interested in knowing a bit more about Qigong. Any information on how to go about it would be useful. Is Qigong the other name for Chikung?

Yes, Qigong is just the Pinyin Romanization for Chikung. Like Firegoat said, to give even a basic description of how to do qigong would take pages. I can describe for you some of the most basic breathing methods, exercises and general goals of qigong if you’re interested, though. I’ll PM you about the Yoga. I am definitely very interested in it… maybe even visiting India one day if possible. :)

Thanks guys, now Ive been humming/singing that song all night with no end in sight…
especially stronger when I take a peek in this thread. :D