Ki Breathing Tips

Tips from Andrew:

In reply to a query on ki-info

Some tips from Tohei Sensei in my October 2001 visit to Japan:

  1. Ki Meditation should be with eyes closed
  2. The One Point is not a place. (although we teach it that way to beginners as a starting point only). The One Point is a feeling.
  3. Contraction and Expansion are one in the same but need to be practiced/trained for quite a while.
  4. The Mudra (hand position) can be used also especially in the beginning of one's training but is not required to focus the mind. (It is a good help in my experience)
Tohei Sensei said that there is no movement of the lungs of in and out here. While we all know this occurs, it is not where we should put our mind. This happens without us being conscious of it. The breathing is relaxed and long with only the visualization of the Contraction, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2 inward until our mind cannot imagine anything smaller and then continue 1/2, 1/2, 1/2 with no thought or symbol present for a total time of about 30 seconds. Then, Expansion 1/2, 1/2, 1/2 larger in the same way. We are training to go beyond, in depth and breath, our mind's little preconceived ideas or symbols of what is. In this way we can understand what Tohei Sensei is talking about when he says in Ki Saying # 4: 4. UNIFICATION OF MIND AND BODY

Mind and body were originally One.

Do not think that the power you have is only the power you ordinarily use and moan that you have little strength. The power that you ordinarily use is like the small, visible segment of an iceberg.

When we unify our mind and body and become one with the universe, we can use the great power that is naturally ours.

Tips from Craig H.

In reply to a query on ki-info

Keeping your eyes open with soft focus initially might help.

Have you tried alternating condensing and expanding? Practice condensing at the one-point until as you say you cannot do it and then start expanding from the one-point until you cannot do it and then start condensing. Just like breathing in and out during Ki breathing you may find one easy than the other. Repeat letting your mind become calmer and more focused. Perhaps over time you will find you can condense a little longer and expand a little longer. Again just like Ki breathing where with practice your breaths grow longer.

To start ki meditation, I like using the hand mind & body unification mudra to focus my mind from my one point while holding my hands up, then drop them to my lap to bring my focus solidly to my one-point and begin condensing and expanding.

With a sleep deficit, or when you have a sleep deficit, my opinion is that Ki breathing practice would be a better to do than Ki meditation. Ki meditation needs IMO a well rested body.

Don't try to over do it. Perhaps, given what you have said, 10 minutes ki meditation followed by 10 minutes ki breathing is quite enough to start with. Try that for a while and put the extra time to good use by doing some slow stretches of where you tend to be the most tight. Over time you may begin to feel quite able to go longer, that is the time to do so. I would be biased toward more ki breathing (15 min ki meditation - 25 min ki breathing), but that's pretty personal.

[See also: Craig's list of resources for Ki breathing and meditation]

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