Chi and Meditation,etc.

[Radha]

When you are outside of the mandala, i.e. not an initiated meber of an esoteric school, then 99% of what people call "meditation" is just the mind reflecting "whatever" to them.  In these instances energy is used up.  Alchemy, done correctly, teaches you how to move energy upward in frequency so that the energy you need for mental activity can be increased.
In an esoteric school, a real one, all of your training aims at increasing consciousness...not mind.  It is a very different focus of attention and efforts.  This kind of work doesn't as much burn up energy as it produces energy.
Energy thus generated is similar to water in that it will go to it's lowest level.  In humans this is the lowest forms of energy you use in dauly life.  You can learn excellent methods for conscious work...then blow all the energy on drugs or liquor or other things that sap the life energy from your system.
What easterners call "chi" is 99% using the imagination to cause effects in the mind or on the body.  What easterners call "maya" or "illusion".  (Or delusion if you use drugs.)

[b_smith_99]

BYEAHH! very well put Radha.[]
Just thought i'd let you know that.[^]

[rodentmouse]

im pretty sure the  whole  point of  the  hatha  yoga postures are   to  eliminate  all tension in the body  and encourage a more  concentrated  amount  of  chi/prana   to make  the mind of  the  yogi  more aware of itself..

that way, the  yogi  is  preparing  for meditation.

the less energy/chi/prana  running  through  our  body,  the less aware we are of our own awareness.

the more energy,  the more aware we are.

the  whole point of meditation  is  to realise  ourselfs-  this  comes from a  deep and profound awareness  of awareness itself.

after doing  some  yoga,  i always  feel as if ive woken up, im much  more alert and aware,  i can only assume  my consciousness is more "alive"  because  of  the  increased  energy flow in my body,  due  to the  yoga postures  dissolving  tension and allowing  more energy to  flow into  my  chakras.

[LightLizard]

any activity that increases your circulation, whether it is cardiovascular or meditative will cause an expansion and increase in one's qi. ('chi,'or 'ki'). i would avoid the practice of raising the energy into the upper regions and leaving it there. i hope to not offend, but the practices that raise the energy can cause all kinds of problems, from headaches to hallucinations. in qigong, we focus on the energy as it travels through the body in a circular route. we end our qigong sessions by focusing on the belly, not the groin, the belly, where the 'sea of qi' originates. awareness is not a function of the brain as much as one may think. the 'mind' is centered in the belly and if we honor that reality, we avoid many pitfalls.
and yes, the healthier your qi, the healthier you will be overall, and, the deeper your meditation.
love
LL[]

[SilverSlider]

Hello all,
I was just wondering if you have more chi you're experiences in meditation are better or if you have less they will be worse. Basically, does the level of chi in our bodies dictate our metaphysical activity?

Brad