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Hello!
I recently added Deep Healing Chi Kung back into my practice and wow! It’s even more powerful than I remember! I was wondering if it matters which direction you face while doing the remainder of the practice after finishing with the 5 directions and fusing the 5 vapors? In the room I currently practice in it is slightly more pleasant for me to face north for the majority of the practice. Seems like a small detail, but I want to get the most out of my practice as always.
Thanks!Good to hear! I haven’t practiced DHQ much since I completed my 100 days practice, but whenever I go back to older qigong forms I do notice they are deeper and stronger.
As for the direction, I don’t know for sure, but would venture to guess if it feels right then go for it! I’m not sure why there would be a reason to stay facing south. I’m sure Steven will have some more insight into this though…
DHQ is, at its core, a medical qigong form.
All medical qigong forms face south, because south connects to the fire element, which in a five-element sense connects to the heart. The heart is considered the emperor of the body, and is therefore the most important player in healing to the physical body. Therefore, by facing south, you acknowledge this role of the heart and give the body an extra boost of physical healing qi (by aligning to the natural directional energies of the earth that are the most supportive of that).
That said, if due to the geometry of your room, you feel better facing a different direction, then go with your feeling. Such geometry and internal layout can affect the overall energy and is one of the aspects of the Chinese study of Feng Shui.
Qi,
StevenJust to add a few comments based on earlier discussion with Steven on this. I live in southern hemisphere and most definitely feel south to be cool, water; north to be fire and light. The sun’s path (ecliptic)is key. For me the direction of the sun’s path is north. The Chinese developed their view of earth’s directions based on their location – the sun’s path to the south. Feng Shui is often modified to reverse fire and water directions for Southern hemisphere. So I start North fire, step left to West for metal, then South for water, east for wood and back to north with intent that it is the centre, earth. The remainder of form I stay facing north.
No such adjustment is required for Primordial form. Start facing east and turn to left. So it is the same north or south of equator. This is what Steven and I were discussing in some earlier postings. The Primordial form takes the view of the whole earth spinning on its central axis – north pole direction is fire, south pole direction is water. That is my understanding and the way it feels to me. MW is writing a book on this form I understand.
There are two movements, the daily rotation of the earth – facing north from east to west – and the movement of bodies along the sun’s path, the ecliptic, facing north the apparent movement being from west to east. Wheels within wheels. primordial form is about these two movements, earth and heaven. In astrology the daily rotation of the earth is shown in the houses and the planets (including Sun and Moon) are measured along the ecliptic. Heaven, earth and man. The Deep Healing form is more earth based and concerned with directions at a local level. The sun’s path is overhead or close to that at some locations. For me I would then chose north as fire direction, south as water.
>>>For me the direction of the sun’s path is north.
>>>The Chinese developed their view of earth’s directions
>>>based on their location – the sun’s path to the south.
>>>Feng Shui is often modified to reverse fire and water
>>>directions for Southern hemisphere. So I start
>>>North fire, step left to West for metal,
>>>then South for water, east for wood and back to north
>>>with intent that it is the centre, earth.
>>>The remainder of form I stay facing north.Do you consider CCW to be the direction of manifestation for you?
The reason why I ask is that if you take N=fire, S=water, but still have W/E in the same orientation (which makes sense because the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west), then by turning left to follow the directional creation cycle you are unfortunately turning CCW.
Typically we take CW to be the direction of manifestation since this is the direction of the evolution of a clock.
Granted, if you are in the southern hemisphere and observe the sun in the sky as it passes east to west, a sundial in the southern hemisphere *would* evolve CCW. HOWEVER, as a global human population, we did not create a different set of CCW clocks in the southern hemisphere. We are one people globally, all with the same set of clocks, and so this CW motion corresponding to manifestation has long been built into the human consciousness over thousands of years. If you want to follow the “geomantic manifestation” direction, you are simultaneously acting against the global human consciousness in terms of what we have already accepted is the direction of turning of manifestation. Now if you are a hermit–cut off from society–you could make an argument that you could make such an adjustment. The problem is, most people are not . . . so you are heavily influenced by the collective influence as to what is the direction of the flow of time.
In any case, DHQ and Primordial should turn in opposite directions, as the motion of CCW in Primordial activates the sense of flowing against the direction of time and returning back to source. This concept is an important player in Primordial. If you dictate that Primordial flows CCW, then DHQ needs to flow CW.
Of course, if you simply turn CW 90 degrees each time in DHQ with N/S reversed, then you would not be following the creation cycle in a five-element sense (and the creation cycle flow is also the flow of manifestation). However, this is simple to correct. After you do N=fire, close your eyes, turn 90 degrees to the RIGHT, turn ANOTHER 90 degrees to the RIGHT, turn ANOTHER 90 degrees to the RIGHT (all CW turns). Open your eyes and observe that you are now facing WEST=metal. Proceed in this fashion making 270 degrees turns CW as you go to each new element. This maintains the CW flow, while simultaneously maintaining the following of your modified directional creation cycle. Your physical movement in time and space is CW (which connects to the global human consciousness concept of the flow of time, and thus you are supported by the collective); however, you are now facing “the next direction” in the five-element creation cycle, which again creates the feeling of evolution.
If you make this adjustment, I recommend you close your eyes as you make your turns to the new direction. This way you tap into the human collective sense of time, but yet still don’t get disoriented by the modified geomantic Feng Shui (you want the next element you experience to be metal, not wood).
Try this, and report back.
Steven
Thanks for the invitation to report on experience.
Yes that is fine. I understand the desire to go CW as relating to earth time and manifesting.I’m content to touch base with each direction whichever way I turn and not be too concerned about creation cycle or opposite cycle of elements. Just wanted to make that point about north-south switch when sun’s path appears north at one’s locality. Tropics of Cancer/Capricorn mark the seasonal extremes, so cannot generalise about hemispheres. Best to just think where is sun’s path. If almost overhead was just suggesting choose north.
The way I have been doing the DHC form allows me to follow the creation cycle, although earth is left to last; your suggested way is against. Your suggested way has the advantage of following the apparent CW spin of earth.
It’s that heaven and earth distinction. Sun and planets moving (apparent) West to East along ecliptic while daily rotation of earth makes sun (and other bodies) appear to move East to West. You might think that as an earth based form it needs to follow earth’s direction of rotation but I think the Taoists liked to always follow the apparent movement of sun during the day.
Whichever way, way downunder here North is sunny and I’ll be starting facing that direction for the heart.
Maybe it could be done either way depending on desire to follow apparent movement of sun during the day or the earth’s rotation. I feel the apparent movement of the sun is the one I’d like to follow. If visiting the northern latitudes facing sun path in south for fire I’d be stepping right to West/metal, leaving earth in centre to last.
It’s a nice form and as I said happy just to check in with the directions whichever way.
>>>The way I have been doing the DHC form allows me
>>>to follow the creation cycle, although earth is
>>>left to last; your suggested way is against.No. You didn’t read my description very carefully. Please look again.
S
I did do as you suggested. So that is start north for me, CW turn to right etc. The order of elements is then Fire – Wood – Water – Metal and I assume Earth to conclude. This is contra order to creation cycle.
By just following the Sun’s apparent movement by daily rotation (starting with fire) you get the creation cycle order but have to add earth at the end. Fire to Metal etc. I start looking north and step CCW to West. You would start South and step CW to West. Like direction of water spin down drain, it differs depending on whether N or S or equator. I think it is better to turn to the West in both cases. Like starting when Sun at midday and following to sunset etc.
R
No that is not what I said.
I said start facing North, which you have as Fire. Then close your eyes. Turn right 90 degrees. Turn right 90 degrees again. Turn right 90 degrees again. Thus for a total of 270 degrees. Open your eyes. You are facing West, which you have as Metal. This is now the second direction. Then repeat. Close your eyes. Turn right 90 degrees. Turn right 90 degrees. Turn right 90 degrees again. Thus for a total of 270 degrees. This is now the third direction.In physical space, it looks like you have turned LEFT 90 degrees.
In actuality, you are turning CW always.S
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