Showing posts with label standing meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label standing meditation. Show all posts

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Grandmaster Fu Wei Zhong Seminar

This weekend members from the MIT Qigong Club attended a two day seminar with Grandmaster Fu Wei Zhong. Thanks to Coach Jim Roselando for organizing such an incredible event.

Master Fu Level 1 Seminar | Boston, MA | May 2014
 
The future envisioned by Grandmaster Ju Zan centered on a young man named Fu Wei Zhong who began his training on the day he was born in 1949. Driven by an exceptional interest in old texts, he began studying traditional Chinese medicine and reading ancient Chinese philosophies when he was only six years old. By the age of 12, Fu Wei Zhong was treating and healing people with techniques he had learned from his reading and the instruction from his grandfather, a traditional Chinese medical doctor and the emperor’s family doctor.

He began his martial arts training in Shaolin Gongfu at the age of seven. Several years later, he became a student of Luo Xing Wu, an eminent Chinese martial arts grandmaster, from whom he learned many martial arts disciplines, including Xingyi and Bagua Gongfu.

Like many other young people during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Fu Wei Zhong was sent to the northeast China Heilongjiang province. Because of his training, he was asked to work on a collective farm as a veterinarian. He was 18 years old when he arrived and opened a medical clinic. For eight years, he used traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and treatment techniques, including acupuncture and Chinese massage, to treat multitudes of sick people and animals with great success.

Fu Wei Zhong returned to Beijing in 1976 and taught martial arts at the Beijing Dongcheng District Martial Arts School for a year. He planned to take a master’s degree in religion and was looking for a renowned professor to guide him in the beginning. A friend, Liang Shu Ming, said that he would take him to meet Abbot Ju Zan, the Supreme Abbot of Chinese Buddhism and 12th Lineage Holder of Emei Qigong.

Fu Wei Zhong had had a recurring dream since childhood of a monk who would change his life. He didn’t know who the monk was or why the images were coming to him, but when he saw the face of the Abbot he recognized him as the monk from his dreams. At their meeting, they looked at each other and the Abbot said, “Oh, you’ve finally arrived, it’s time for you to train!” as if they already knew each other.

Fu Wei Zhong was invited to join a distinguished group of men and women chosen to undergo training and a selection process for the position of 13th layman Lineage Holder of Emei Qigong.
After six months of intensive training and testing, Fu Wei Zhong was selected by His Holiness, Grandmaster Ju Zan, to receive further instruction in Buddhism, Daoism, traditional Chinese medicine, Taijiquan, Qigong, Feng Shui, future prediction, and other Dharma methods exclusively transmitted from one Lineage Holder to another within the Emei Qigong system. During this time, Fu Wei Zhong was often in seclusion—studying, cultivating, and integrating the system’s ancient texts into practical forms and easy-to-read language that could be effectively taught to the public.

In 1984, the title of the 13th Lineage Holder was bestowed on Fu Wei Zhong. He received the Emei Qigong sacred book “The Emei Treasured Lotus Canon” and officially assumed the title of Grandmaster as well as the responsibilities of being the Lineage Holder. Grandmaster Ju Zan directed him to begin teaching publicly, “In order to end the pain and suffering of the world and to allow Emei Qigong to bring out humanity to shine like the sun.”

In the spring of 1985, Fu Wei Zhong began teaching Emei Qigong healing techniques throughout China, thereby initiating a national revitalization of the role of Qigong in Chinese medical theory and practice. In 1989, he went into seclusion again to meditate for three years so that he could further develop Emei Qigong techniques so they could be more easily taught to the public in our fast-paced modern society. It was during this period of extended meditation that he was able to achieve the Qigong state necessary to decode the sacred Emei Qigong skills. Fu Wei Zhong was able to decipher this information and now teaches these skills in his lectures, seminars and writings.

Grandmaster Fu believes that only by training thousands of skilled Emei Qigong practitioners will it be possible to restore and preserve the health of millions. He has personally treated, healed and helped thousands of people—the rich and famous as well as orphans and patients considered incurable. China’s late president Deng Xiao Ping was among those helped by Grandmaster Fu. Using the methods of Emei Qigong cultivation, medical qigong and traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Grandmaster Fu has successfully cured tens of thousands of people who have come to him for healing.

At age 36, he was recognized as one of the most prominent grandmasters of Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Chinese have dubbed him “Emei Wizard” and “China’s Medical Buddha," as well as deeming him “The Father of Modern Medical Qigong.” In addition, Fu Wei Zhong has been made lifetime president of two Qigong institutions: The International Medical Qigong Academy and The Emei Linji International Qigong Medical Research Institute, and he holds honorary positions and titles in more than 50 hospitals, medical colleges, Qigong clinics and Qigong associations in China.

Fu Wei Zhong is a learned scholar. Having read thousands of books, both Chinese and foreign, he is well versed in the medical, philosophical and theological theories of different schools, both Eastern and Western. While studying, he took careful notes and wrote down his reflections, which number over three million words. To date, he has published six books and over twenty treatises in China.

Fu Wei Zhong immigrated to the United States in 1995. His goal was to disseminate Emei Qigong’s therapeutic techniques so that its methods could be fused with contemporary western medical techniques. His goal is to alleviate much of the suffering in today’s world. He is determined to transmit the knowledge and skills of Emei Qigong to the American public.

Since his arrival in the United States, Grandmaster Fu has given lectures and workshops in over 30 American cities. He was invited to the University of San Francisco and the University of California at San Diego to lecture on Qigong and was a visiting professor at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, where he taught curriculum-required courses on the Emei methodology of Qi (energy) emission for diagnosis and treatment. In 1996, he participated in an experiment at the Atlantic Tumor Hospital in California that involved the emission of Qi into cancer cells. The initial positive results enabled the experiment to be taken to a bigger scale. In 2001, these encouraging results were published in the magazine, Spirituality and Health.Fu Wei Zhong also participated in an experiment conducted by the California Pacific Medical Center of Complementary Medicine Research Institute to test Qigong and other holistic modalities in the treatment of brain tumors from a distance. The Discovery Channel filmed Grandmaster Fu at theMedical Center and aired the documentary in Canada on a show called “Daily Planet.”

As of 2006, there are many thousands of Emei Qigong students in the United States and 2 million followers of Emei Qigong worldwide. What the world needs now, more than ever, is a heart-centered system like Emei Qigong to bring health, vitality and true kindness to people.
In the fall of 2006, Grandmaster Fu taught the Level IV seminar, the Emei Qigong Level I Teacher’s Training, for the first time. This month-long session was held at Emei Mountain in China, and students stayed at the Emeishan Grand Hotel at the base of the mountain during this time. The training was successful; students emerged from this intensive training with a much deeper and comprehensive undertanding of Emei Qigong, and many will continue their training to become Level I teachers. A second group of prospective Level I teachers took Level IV in 2007.

For the next few years, Grandmaster Fu will concentrate on training the monk who will become the next lineage holder inChina and the students who will become Emei Qigong Level I teachers in North America. 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Monday Night MIT Qigong




MIT Qigong Workout
Warmup
5 Minute Small Vibrations
10 min Gathering Qi
20 min Natural Post
10 min Friction Step
10 minute Leg Qi Exercise
5min Seal/Wash


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MIT Qigong Club Website

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Date: 6/24/2013
Time: 7pm-8pm
Location: 5-234
Cost: FREE


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MIT Qigong Youtube

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Monday, March 18, 2013

Monday Night Qigong 3/18/13

MIT Qigong Club
 
 
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Time: 7:00-8:00
 
Where: Building 5-234
 
Cost: FREE FREE FREE
 
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Notes from Wang Xiang Zhai Shirfu:

We've been talking here about standing without any movement.  The person is not doing anything, but inside the body, every single cell is beginning to work and exercise.  The circulation of the blood will begin to function at its maximum capacity, and every function of the body will begin to work in the most natural way; every part of the body inside will work vigorously, while the outward form of the body is inactive.  In this way, every part of the body, all organs and every function of the body is speeding up and slowing down in an appropriate manner.  The heart will not enlarge, as happens in other types of exercises.  In other words; within the body, every part of the body will contribute to normal functioning in an equal manner; compared to the athletic exercises in which the heart is overworked and the breathing responds by also being overworked.  "WXZ"

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Special Qigong Event at Harvard Business School

MIT Qigong Club
 
 
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"Special Event @ Harvard"
 
Date: Nov 5th (Monday)
 
Time: 7:00-8:30
 
Where:
 
Harvard Business School 
 
Soldiers Field Park Apartments
 
Building 2-Common Room
 
 
Cost: FREE
 
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This Monday's class will be held at HBS!
 
"Come join us for a night of Natural Qigong"
 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The 14 Characters (sounds) of Standing Meditation


From a fan of MIT Qigong! Thanks for sharing! 

These characters were taught to me by Mr. Chan.

There are Chinese words where the sounds have a physiological effect. They are used in standing meditation to put mind and body into a natural state. This allows the (Qi) to consolidate and become a force.

The 14 characters are as follows;

Sser Ling: (Be empty, active and alert). This brings the spirit of vitality up to the eyes.

Ting Ching: Suspends the neck making the spine upright.

Haum Shian: Relaxes and slightly depresses the chest to let the chi flow freely down the Den Mo meridian

Fut Pei: Pulls up and rounds the back

Wei Lu Ti: Lifts the coccyx to connect the Jen Mo to the Tu Mo meridian, in the lower back, to 
form the microscopic orbit.)

Ting Tou Shiang: Suspends the head, like hanging, so the spirit of vitality can ascend.

By Jeff Bartfeld

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Standing Meditation Principles from writings by BP Chan

STANDING MEDITATION PRINCIPLES
From writings by BP Chan, adapted by Jeff Bartfeld, based on 25 +  years experience as his student.

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine states that "The cultivation of chi is greatly enhanced by standing meditation."
Standing meditation practice consists of stillness on the outside and motion on the inside. It helps create a new and natural body memory, so that one does not impede the inner flow of energy. It also promotes self healing.
During practice, the mind should not visualize anything, and the body should be void of the physical forces of movement. This helps one recognize and cultivate the inner energy known as chi, the vital essence of the universe.
Standing meditation is an exponentially evolving art that can never be mastered. After practicing standing meditation for some time, one will discover that it leads to many wonderful changes.

To help us with this task, standing meditation principles have been handed down in poems and literature. The most important of these principles are alignment, centering and posture.
Basic Instructions on correct alignment, centering and posture:
  • Stand naturally with the feet parallel, shoulder width apart and weight balanced. The outside line of the feet should be straight, if this can be done without hurting the knees.

  • Be loose and sink as if sitting on a sofa. When sinking (sitting), the thighs will slightly spread into a natural arch. This will happen if you sit by moving the body straight down (do not use the legs to lower the body).

  • Keep the upper body, including the head upright, and do not lean in any direction. The torso should not be compressed  allow the body to open naturally. The cervical vertebra should be aligned with the back of the spine so that the mind can be calmed.

  • The body should be centered to allow the energy to sink, and the breath should be natural.

  • The shoulders and elbows should be relaxed downward with the armpits open.

  • The arms should embrace the chest at a distance of three side fists. The fingers of the hands should be relaxed and separated evenly with the thumbs on a horizontal plain. The wrists should not be bent. Bending them is like bending a hose, which interferes with flow.

  • The knees should be above the Bubbling Well acupuncture point, and should never go beyond the toes.

  • Maintain the three folds of the body (ankle, knee, Qua)

  • The eyes should be level with the eyelids slightly closed and relaxed (this will relax the face)

  • The tongue should touch the upper palate when the mouth is closed. This connects the Tu Mo and Den Mo channel (Microscopic Orbit) at its upper point, and allows for the formation of saliva, which must be swallowed in a specific way.

Some Additional notes;
The Breath should originate with the stomach (natural breath), be done through the nose and make no sound.
The Mind should not try to guide the energy. This will lead to over focusing and make it impossible to tap into the force. One should not be fooled by ego driven feelings, they are not real. To sum it up, one should have no thoughts, and function as an inner observer.
Under no condition should one force the breath, use strength or arch the chest.
Note: If you try to physically do the above, you are violating standing meditation principles by creating tension through mind willfulness and force. If you set up the body according to the principles, no force will be necessary.
Jeff Bartfeld
www.qigongforest.com

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Global Standing Gallery - Bangkok

MIT QIGONG GLOBAL STANDING GALLERY

Thank you for supporting MIT Qigong and sharing beautiful pictures of your Qigong practice from around the globe! Our two most recent submissions are from Florida and Bangkok! Please send your photos to qi@mit.edu!!


I decide to pull myself up by my skate straps and pump it down Sukhumvit road. Huffing and skating under all the skytrain stops, maybe you know them… Ekkamai, Thong Lor, Phrom Phong, Asoke, Nana, Phloen Chit. Snake my way through some little hu tong off ton son road. I see two t-shirts while skating worth note… “I heart change.” and “I am an error.” – with a city skyline blurring into a bar code as a graphic. I catch my breath on a grassy knoll overlooking the green lake of Lumphini park: standing horse for 10 minutes. A Monitor lizard slithers through the green water.





Thursday, March 15, 2012

Efficacy of Medical Qigong - Standing Meditation

Qi The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health & Fitness
Volume 17, No. 2
Summer 2007 


Storing Qi in the Dantian 
     While all forms of meditation can provide a state of quiescence, standing meditation offers the mutual benefit of calming the spirit and augmenting qi to strengthen physical constitution. Ancient Chinese masters developed specific meditations to effectively promote the movement of qi. Once qi is stimulated and meridians are cleared from stagnation, the opportunity for further qi cultivation and storage arises by storing it in the lower dantian (field of elixir).
     The dantians are energetic spheres of qi, and through standing meditation and qigong training, one can develop and integrate more qi. The lower dantian is regarded as teh root of life that unites the kidneys with the mingmen (gate of destiny) located at acupuncture location du-4. Not only does cultivation of the lower dantian rekindle primordial qi, it also regulates the liver and chong meridians.
     Under further magnification, the Three Treasures: earth, man and heaven, are understood with the earth representing yin, the heavens representing yang and man being the conduit of both. In parallel to jing (essence), qi (energy), shen (spirit), the jing is associated with the lower dantian, the qi is associated with middle dantian, and the shen is associated with the upper dantian. With qi being the instrument for integration of jing and shen, a practitioner can be a means of expression for earth and heavenly qi.

Uniqueness of Standing Meditation
     The concept of standing meditation stems from primordial Daoist philosophy. The idiom, "as above, so below" illustrates an individual as a microcosmic reflection of heaven. With standing meditation, practitioners can root into the earth and draw qi into and through their feet. Simultaneously, qi from the heavens filters down and enters through the bai hui (acupuncture point du-20) at the top of the head.
One goal of standing meditation offers the ability to to enhance the flow and assimilation of yin and yang qi. Heaven, the cosmos, is considered yang. The earth is considered yin. By drawing up the earth qi from the feet and attracting heaven qi from the stars, moon, sun and planets via the bai hui, an amalgam of universal qi is gathered and stored within the lower dantian.
     With standing meditation, a practitioner can optimally augment the current of qi because the entire length of the person can be capitalized to harness the most flow of qi from the feet to the head. This standing position "takes maximum advantage of an energy factor called 'potent gradient', which determines the strength of the polar field in the human energy system between the Yang pole at the crown of the head and the Yin pole at the soles of the feet." In other words, the more distance between two opposite forces of energy, the more likely qi can be cultivated.
     The gateways for these two opposite poles of energy are bai hui and yong kuan (k-1), the acupuncture location on the bottom of the foot, is another noteworthy qigong location used for allowing qi from the earth to enter and exit.

Proper Posture and Breath
     Qi can be activated via three essential foundations: proper posture, conscientious breath, and guided visualization. In China, many of the Medical Qigong masters and doctors have a solid foundation in martial arts, specifically nei gong, meaning "inward training". It is no coincidence that proper posture, through breath, and clear mental focus remain fundamental training techniques in martial arts, taiji and medical qigong. During standing meditation, incorporation of these basics permits the practitioner to optimize the confluence of qi from the heavens and the earth.
     Proper posture provides the foundation for optimal flow of qi. Accurate alignment of bones, muscles, tendons and fascia allows the most advantageous way for qi to move.
Increased movement of qi frees energy obstructions; this may manifest in sudden jerking or spiraling of the body, head, arms, legs or spine as congestion of qi is cleared from the meridians.
     Correct body structure, from the feet upward, pave the way for maximum benefit from standing meditation. The human body is a tuning fork, therefore, proper posture begins at the foundation with the feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other. Become aware of yong kuan, one can imagine and ultimately feel a slight tingling or sensation of heat as yong kuan beings to open and receive the earth qi.

Breath
     Breath is used to coordinate the individual with his or her jing and shen. Breathing should be even and full, yet without force. By means of proper breath and attunement within oneself, a practitioner can then direct the breath to harmonize with the environs. This integration provides further cultivation of qi to be stored in the lower dantian. Inhalation and exhalation is through the nose. The breath needs to be smooth, gentle, and deep, inhaling all the way down to the lower dantian.

Standing Meditation
     Start standing meditation with the awareness that one is a conduit of heavenly and earthly qi. Have the intention of sinking deeply into the earth, drawing the earthly qi up through yong kuan: "the deeper into the earth you go, the more the energy will come up". The more your body relaxes down into the earth, an equal and opposite energetic response will occur with the earth's qi pushing upward while a sensation of lengthening the spine should occur as the head is considered to be a beautiful pearl being suspended by a string from the heavens above.
The knees, slightly bent, should be aligned over the feet. If knees are locked with legs completely straight, the qi tends to bog around the knees. Hindering free flow, this "tension in any area of the body restricts the structural system as a whole." Also, the knees should not bend beyond the plane of the tips of the toes.
The hips are relaxed with the coccyx dropping downward to straighten the curvature of the spine. The slight tucking of the buttocks lets the qi flow better through the ming men area of the lower lumber. This is a common area for qi to stagnate.
     The abdomen should be relaxed and prepared to receive the gentle even inhalation. The shoulders and elbows should feel loose and heavy to allow the qi to clear any energy obstructions. The eyes are half closed to keep the cultivation of qi inwards. The tongue rests on the upper palate behind the teeth to connect the ren and du meridians. The shoulders should be relaxed as the qi draws up the base of the occiput, this important region is known as the jade pillow. To improve fluidity of qi movement, the chin should be slightly tucked to allow the qi to flow smoothly up the du meridian.
After the qi is drawn up and over the head along the du merdian, upon exhalation the qi is guided down the ren meridian. The qi cascades down the front of the body, ultimately filling the lower dantian. To further supplement and tonify the lower dantian, swallow and excess saliva down to the lower dantian. In closing the standing meditation, place both hands with laogong (acupuncture point pericardium 8) onto the lower dantian.

Precautions for Medical Qigong Standing Meditation
     Some basic guidelines for standing meditation are used to avoid qi deviations and leakage. Prevent exposure to wind, as it scatters the qi. Also beginners should not practice standing meditation during weather extremes--thunderstorms, earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes heat-waves, as the receptivity to extreme imbalances in nature can occur during meditation. Avoid loud and startling noises because they can disperse the shen. Allow adequate space before and after standing meditation from eating, intercourse, or bathing. And finally, do not practice when ill or fatigued.

Article by L. Francesca Ferrari, L.Ac. DMQ, DTCM (China); Associate Dean of Medical Qigong Science at Five Branches Institute, College of TCM Dean of TCM Theory International Institute of Medical Qigong; 80th lineage disciple of Maoshan Daoist Monastery in China.