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Al Dafirah
Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 2099
Location: West Country, UK
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 Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:10 am Post subject: Tai Chi and relaxation |
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Last night I went to my first Tai Chi class for a few weeks. Last week I couldn't make it due to working away, and the week before I had been so exhausted my bed was preferable to leaving the house.
The past few weeks I have been buzzing with energy. I have been busy pretty much every day/night, with lots of interesting things happening, most of it good, some of it stressful. But my energy levels appear to have been sky-high - so much so that even when completely physically exhausted after a long walk in the countryside I am unable to calm down enough to go to sleep.
The end result of this has been for the past couple of days I've been walking around in a daze. Unable to know what the day of the week is, who I am or where I am (slight exaggeration). My worry has been that if this energy buzzing went on too long I would take a dive, get sick, and just fall. More than anything the last few days I've realised that I needed to set aside time to do some Tai Chi or Qigong. I find if I try and do sitting meditation, it doesn't actually help me sleep, as all it does is clear my mind and for some reason that makes it harder for me to nod off.
Finally last night I found a moment to go to my class. To begin with I was still tired and struggling to focus. By the end, I was having a good time, and everything was falling into place naturally. I got back home last night, climbed into bed and fell asleep. And woke up this morning actually feeling refreshed, like the sleep I'd had (which was still slightly interrupted) was actually WORTH something.
I know now how important putting some Tai Chi or Qigong practice is into your life. In fact, despite works objections I am going to take a day off just to attend a qigong session. Because it's no good buzzing with energy from somewhere, unless you can tap into that energy, nurture it, and stop it leaking out all over the place - which is what happens if I don't practice.
Does anyone else find that they suddenly NEED to practice, else they fear it'll all go horribly wrong?
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JeroenK
Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Posts: 230
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:33 am Post subject: |
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Although not practicing Tai Chi myself I do have the need to practice my kungfu regularly. If I dont I start to feel "clogged up". If I have not practiced for a few days I really need to "flush the body", as I call it myself. After that I am all refreshed with fresh energy and generally feel very good.
Soon spring comes around the corner. That is such a brilliant time. I can do multiple sessions a day then and still have loads of energy left. Its also the time I love to learn new things, as it is much easier for me to pick up then.
I'm a bit done with the slippery iced roads and snow 
Looking forward to see the replies of others!
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The Evil Atheist
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 3671
Location: Western Australia
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:07 pm Post subject: Re: Tai Chi and relaxation |
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| Al Dafirah wrote: | | Does anyone else find that they suddenly NEED to practice, else they fear it'll all go horribly wrong? |
My father's teacher taught my father, who taught me, you can practice anywhere, anytime, even in your mind. Many times, we do a few movements in our seats. My father's teacher does a few movements lying on a bed a few minutes before sleep.
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Al Dafirah
Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 2099
Location: West Country, UK
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 2:28 am Post subject: Re: Tai Chi and relaxation |
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| The Evil Atheist wrote: | | Al Dafirah wrote: | | Does anyone else find that they suddenly NEED to practice, else they fear it'll all go horribly wrong? |
My father's teacher taught my father, who taught me, you can practice anywhere, anytime, even in your mind. Many times, we do a few movements in our seats. My father's teacher does a few movements lying on a bed a few minutes before sleep. |
'tis a good point. However I often feel I am such a beginner that I don't yet have the liberty of practicing properly when I try and carry Tai Chi concepts into my daily life. Interestingly I was talking with a friend last night about how I try and use tai Chi principles when up the climbing wall. How I enjoy the different feel of moving the weight around the body and letting the movement flow where I want it too.
Perhaps I should try that before sleep - Sometimes I do Tai Chi or Qigong when I wake up, and I know it makes me feel better, but at other times the urge to simply stay in bed longer takes over.
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Mr. T
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 169
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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i wouldn't say that i feel the need, although the desire may be overwhelming.
it is intersting that you brought up the cycle of your energy, becuase this last week has presented a similar cycle to me. i started off the week on an incredible high, one that i still am not sure of the origin. that was followed by two days when i came home from work and nearly collapsed with weakness. on a side note, my qi gong really didn't seem to improve my energy levels as it normally does, and i sort of felt as though something were going terribly wrong.
i have since recovered to a normal state. i still have not identified the source of this up-and-down, but i definitely don't want to repeat it anytime soon! |
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Al Dafirah
Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 2099
Location: West Country, UK
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:15 am Post subject: |
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| Mr. T wrote: | i wouldn't say that i feel the need, although the desire may be overwhelming.
it is intersting that you brought up the cycle of your energy, becuase this last week has presented a similar cycle to me. i started off the week on an incredible high, one that i still am not sure of the origin. that was followed by two days when i came home from work and nearly collapsed with weakness. on a side note, my qi gong really didn't seem to improve my energy levels as it normally does, and i sort of felt as though something were going terribly wrong.
i have since recovered to a normal state. i still have not identified the source of this up-and-down, but i definitely don't want to repeat it anytime soon! |
It has been the knowledge that those cycles exist that has worried me lately - even though everything is great and I am energetic, my worry is letting all that energy leak away and not do anything to store or cultivate it. Usually what would happen with me is that I'd go through a period of busyness, and then slow down, and get sick, because my immune system was not working well enough and someone sneezed near me. So I don't much want that to happen.
so despite the busyness I made myself take the day off work, and spent the day in a qigong class. The best choice I could possibly have made. I think we all go through those cycles - the trick is, the keep the extremes to a minimum - I needed to do some qigong/tai Chi just to calm down!!!!
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Starjumper7
Joined: 15 Oct 2006
Posts: 980
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:48 pm Post subject: Re: Tai Chi and relaxation |
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| Al Dafirah wrote: | | The past few weeks I have been buzzing with energy. I have been busy pretty much every day/night, with lots of interesting things happening, most of it good, some of it stressful. But my energy levels appear to have been sky-high - so much so that even when completely physically exhausted after a long walk in the countryside I am unable to calm down enough to go to sleep. |
It's good you use the word 'appear' there because that is the case. Frequently if you are overworked and you feel this buzzing energy it isn't because you have more energy but because it is decreasing. In other words the buzzing feeling of energy is the feeling of it leaving your body.
I recommend that if you feel this that the best thing to do is take a break and recline (like in a recliner chair) and put your hands on your belly and try to focus on your belly and it's movement with your breathing rather than focus on your work, try to concentrate your energy in your belly. Try to use big slow breaths. If you fall asleep during this break then that's not a problem. |
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Al Dafirah
Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 2099
Location: West Country, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:16 am Post subject: Re: Tai Chi and relaxation |
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| Starjumper7 wrote: | | Al Dafirah wrote: | | The past few weeks I have been buzzing with energy. I have been busy pretty much every day/night, with lots of interesting things happening, most of it good, some of it stressful. But my energy levels appear to have been sky-high - so much so that even when completely physically exhausted after a long walk in the countryside I am unable to calm down enough to go to sleep. |
It's good you use the word 'appear' there because that is the case. Frequently if you are overworked and you feel this buzzing energy it isn't because you have more energy but because it is decreasing. In other words the buzzing feeling of energy is the feeling of it leaving your body.
I recommend that if you feel this that the best thing to do is take a break and recline (like in a recliner chair) and put your hands on your belly and try to focus on your belly and it's movement with your breathing rather than focus on your work, try to concentrate your energy in your belly. Try to use big slow breaths. If you fall asleep during this break then that's not a problem. |
Thanks Starjumper -
I think instinctively I must have realised that the buzzing energy was a potentially bad sign, as my natural reaction was to try and calm down and do some Qigong and I guess 'keep' the energy from escaping.
I will certainly try and do what you recommend – my main problem had been forcing myself to stand still for long enough to do ANY form of relaxation!! I have another few busy weeks ahead and at least now I recognise how important it is to make sure those energies don’t escape.
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Mr. T
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 169
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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| interesting, thanks all. hope you are feeling better a.d. |
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Al Dafirah
Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 2099
Location: West Country, UK
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| Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:31 am Post subject: |
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| Mr. T wrote: | | interesting, thanks all. hope you are feeling better a.d. |
Much improved thanks Mr. T. My sleep patterns have improved, and I am still feeling energetic, but it is a different type of energy - like a calm riding of a wave rather than a frantic speedboat ride 
must practice more!!!!!!!
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zq
Joined: 16 Apr 2010
Posts: 188
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| Posted: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Al Dafirah wrote: | | Mr. T wrote: | | interesting, thanks all. hope you are feeling better a.d. |
Much improved thanks Mr. T. My sleep patterns have improved, and I am still feeling energetic, but it is a different type of energy - like a calm riding of a wave rather than a frantic speedboat ride
must practice more!!!!!!! |
Curious how your 'energy buzz' has been treating you?
It may be some meridian's opening up. I recall when my dan tian (few inches below navel) opened and I had a low buzz which periodically would stay consistently 'on' for long periods of time. While many other meridian's opened as well, they don't buzz but it's very easy to breath through them.
Do you do stomach breathing as your natural breath? |
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Al Dafirah
Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 2099
Location: West Country, UK
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 1:35 am Post subject: |
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| zq wrote: | | Al Dafirah wrote: | | Mr. T wrote: | | interesting, thanks all. hope you are feeling better a.d. |
Much improved thanks Mr. T. My sleep patterns have improved, and I am still feeling energetic, but it is a different type of energy - like a calm riding of a wave rather than a frantic speedboat ride
must practice more!!!!!!! |
Curious how your 'energy buzz' has been treating you?
It may be some meridian's opening up. I recall when my dan tian (few inches below navel) opened and I had a low buzz which periodically would stay consistently 'on' for long periods of time. While many other meridian's opened as well, they don't buzz but it's very easy to breath through them.
Do you do stomach breathing as your natural breath? |
Hi,
I don't think it was so much a 'buzzing' as in vibration in a particular area, but more a coursing through the veins feeling.
Whilst I would like to always stomach breathe, and don't tend to use my chest muscles in breathing, I do find I shallow stomach breathe - ie. the process is there, but not fully carried through. It's not chest breathing, just not deep breathing. Also sometimes I find I am holding my breath.
Breath is something I am acutely aware I should focus on. As a scuba diver, anything I can do to develop better absorbtion of Oxygen and less retention of CO2 is going to help me make maximum use of my air cylinder on a dive. I am keen to improve my litres per minute rate underwater, and breathing is one element of this (being calm is another essential element).
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brianlkennedy
Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 183
Location: San Chung City, Taiwan
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| Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 10:33 am Post subject: |
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I often feel a strong, strong need to practice martial arts. And it is kind of interesting in that each of the martial arts I practice fulls a slightly different emotional/mental need for me.
If I feel too passive---I want judo, judo is "grab, grip, go, go, go" (let me be quick to add---my judo is........nothing to brag about! But it can get me mentally more aggressive. And it gives me a feeling that I can "take care of business".
Kendo makes me feel elegant. Kendo has a big emphasis on formality and upright postures.
Aikido and bagua make me feel like I got "the flow going" and I can spin out of any problem (be it on the mat or in real life).
And taiji calms me down and gives me a "big, expansive view" of things.
Martial arts really are such a great part of life.
take care,
Brian |
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