Can you teach simple qi gong to yourself?

[qianfeng]

i looked at some stuff like yi jing jing and 8 duan jing which seem simple enough without much complicated breathing, so i was wondering if you could learn these off videos and books correctly and safely.

Sidenote: Why is yi jing jing made into some super amazing power in wu xia novels... after watching it for the first time i was severely disappointed as it did not seem to have some mind blowing power.

 

[mograph]

You're approaching qigong from the wrong direction; it's neither mind-blowing nor a super-amazing power. We might as well believe that making interesting soup will turn us into Merlin from the King Arthur stories.

It's a calm, open mind, well-aware of how the one's own body naturally functions, that will lead to incremental gains in qigong. For one example, read Ken Cohen's The Way of Qigong, (found on Google Books), particularly his section on levels of Qigong Mastery:

1. Great Expert
2. Big Potato
3. Banana Head
4. Nothing Special

But this book, and any videos or other books, should be supplemental to learning with a teacher. With a teacher, we can discuss how we feel and get feedback on whether we are holding tension, for example. Without a teacher, trainer, coach or guide, we are subject to our own biases and preconceptions of balance, alignment and tension: ask any Alexander technique practitioner, or any coach, for that matter.

... in my opinion.

 

[Danny T]

You're approaching qigong from the wrong direction; it's neither mind-blowing nor a super-amazing power. We might as well believe that making interesting soup will turn us into Merlin from the King Arthur stories.

Wow. Am so disappointed now. Are all those stories of great power and uses of qigong exaggerated!! Please tell me it isn't so! My faith in having the ability to attack and fly with qi is destroyed! So Disappointed..., so disappointed, so depressing...

 

[mograph]

Okay, I was kidding. Just climb up on the roof, do some reverse breathing, point and jump!

 

[qianfeng]

You're approaching qigong from the wrong direction; it's neither mind-blowing nor a super-amazing power. We might as well believe that making interesting soup will turn us into Merlin from the King Arthur stories.

It's a calm, open mind, well-aware of how the one's own body naturally functions, that will lead to incremental gains in qigong. For one example, read Ken Cohen's The Way of Qigong, (found on Google Books), particularly his section on levels of Qigong Mastery:

1. Great Expert
2. Big Potato
3. Banana Head
4. Nothing Special

But this book, and any videos or other books, should be supplemental to learning with a teacher. With a teacher, we can discuss how we feel and get feedback on whether we are holding tension, for example. Without a teacher, trainer, coach or guide, we are subject to our own biases and preconceptions of balance, alignment and tension: ask any Alexander technique practitioner, or any coach, for that matter.

... in my opinion.

I dont think its some super amazing power. Before i did martial arts i read some Wu Xia novels and they made Yi Jin JIng sound very badass which it isnt

 

[qianfeng]

Wow. Am so disappointed now. Are all those stories of great power and uses of qigong exaggerated!! Please tell me it isn't so! My faith in having the ability to attack and fly with qi is destroyed! So Disappointed..., so disappointed, so depressing...

I know I cant make Qi blasts out of my hands all those Asian dramas lied to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!