We all want to advance in our meditation, qigong or taichi practice. However,  there are some requirements that we must meet.

In 2016, I had a 3 week trip to Peru, Bolivia and Chile with 3 friends. Our guides just happened to be spiritually inclined – perhaps due to my energy level. They related the native South American spiritual philosophy which I found quite similar to Taoist concepts such as yin/yang and the importance of the number 3. According to the Tao Te Ching: 1 creates 2, 2 creates 3, 3 creates everything. There were also many similarities in their beliefs and practices; i.e. how they communicate with mountains.

This was a high altitude trip. We hiked the Andes at elevations above 5000 meters. One of our destinations was Rainbow Mountain. (photo: https://taichi18.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/FB_IMG_1482802276923.jpg) It involved a strenuous 7 hour hike to an elevation of 5200m. Normally it’s recommended that visitors take a week to acclimate, however we only had 4 days. Due to my qigong training I have trekked to 5600m on Mt. Kailash, Tibet and Everest Base Camp without altitude problems. In order to prepare my friends I sent them the link to my video, Exercise to Prevent Altitude Sickness, and recommended they practice daily for 3 months before the trip. (I published this simple breathing technique in a previous newsletter. https://youtu.be/D3j14DHvI7k )

One of my friends practiced diligently every day. She only had difficulty rolling her eyes up toward the 3rd eye which is part of the technique, but I told her just to do her best. This was the only instruction I gave her. During the trek, she was the first one to arrive at the top. Another friend asked quite a few questions about this exercise but only practiced it maybe 4 to 5 times per week. She had some mild altitude sickness symptoms and said it was much better than her previous trip in Tibet. Our third companion was a university professor who decided to join us just 2 weeks prior to departure, thus no time to practice. Though she arrived Peru 3 day earlier than us to acclimate the high altitude, unfortunately she experienced full altitude sickness during the trek: headaches, dizziness and vomiting the whole way. It is possible for healers to relieve this condition by directly injecting qi into the patience’s bai hui acupoint. I did this on someone who passed out at high altitude many years ago and it was very effective. However, I have promised my master not to do qi healing anymore so did not intervene this time.

As you can clearly see persistent practice makes a huge difference. I think we all want maximum benefit from our practice. This is true in qigong, tai chi and especially meditation. Students, please understand the importance of diligence in energy practices. With diligence, the path of progress is not simply linear.

Years ago it was difficult for people to find a good method/form. Maybe that’s why once they found it, they were dedicated to practicing this one method day and night. They didn’t seek more. These people were usually quite successful in their advancement. These days, however, there are so many styles, and many teachers hype form after form. Search Youtube, and you will find a profusion of tai chi, qigong and meditation styles. Students who mistakenly practice one style for just a few weeks or months then move on to another thinking this is progress, are referred to as ‘form chasers’. I am sorry to say they usually never advance to a very high level. Learning more and more forms does not equate to real progress.

In fact, with just the simplified tai chi form and conscientious practice day and night, I am sure your level will surpass those who ‘know’ all the different tai chi forms but are not persistent in practice. They are like one who keeps wandering around the perimeter of a circle never understanding what’s truly inside; whereas the diligent student has the chance to enter to the center of the circle.

Similar to what I said in the Level 3 Qigong Mode Course that most advance level practices sound very simple, yet they are indeed much more difficult to master. Just like my master taught me an advanced meditation method, the instruction he gave me for that meditation was just 1 sentence. Yet, it took me 6 years of daily practice to really get the hang of it.

My master once said: “Those who advance to a very high level in their practice, no matter whether it is tai chi, qigong or meditation, usually have either very high wisdom or are very stupid. That’s because those with very high wisdom know persistence is the key to success, while the very stupid ones just follow the master’s instructions without deviating and practice no matter what. Those who are somewhere in between usually have many questions (especially those who are overly intellectual). They doubt their practice so don’t follow the teachings or practice consistently. They may even keep changing their methods and switching teachers.”

I share these stories so you may all advance and achieve maximum benefit from your practice. The circle is before you; it is up to you to choose your path.

If you don’t know where to start, you might want to consider a simple and powerful visualization exercise.