With the growing popularity of Energy Bagua practice around the globe, Grandmaster JinBodhi answered some commonly asked questions to help practitioners achieve better physical and mental health. Please remember that the effects of the practice differ from person to person due to different body conditions. Your local Bodhi Meditation Centers are excellent resources of information, should further questions arise during the course of your practice.
Q1. Why do we walk around a tree?
As the practice requires us to walk in a circle, walking around a tree is a good idea. A tree is a part of Nature. Through the tree, we can communicate with the natural world and even the Universe. Thus, in the Energy Bagua practice CD, these statements are spoken: I am the tree, the tree is me; we come from Nature, we are Nature. As we walk around the tree, we are filled with immense gratitude, love and compassion for this exquisite world we live in, for we understand that we are with Nature and Nature is with us.
Q2. What is the optimal state of mind when practicing Energy Bagua?
Energy Bagua is derived from ancient Chinese practice. During Energy Bagua, our movements, thoughts and visualizations are maintained in a state of ease and kindness. Practitioners should feel carefree and relaxed, away from distractions and preoccupations. They are immersed in Nature: I am the breeze, I am the sunshine, I am the dew, I am the grass, I am the air, I exist everywhere.
Through the process of Energy Bagua, a state of profound emptiness is reached where there is no consciousness of “I.” Practitioners experience an extraordinary state free of thoughts, and completely free of the awareness of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch.
The closing practices are also crucial. The mind should have a feeling of compassion and warmth. When you rub your hands together, they feel tender. Using light and gentle strokes, run your hands over your face without touching your skin. During this time, visualize your eyes, skin and hair as being yours when you were seven years old.
Q3. When walking Energy Bagua, how do we guide qi toward head and feet?
First, allow the qi to settle down into the lower abdomen. Qi can be likened to a subtle composite of mist, cloud and the air we breathe. When this energy goes into our lower abdomen and is stabilized, it will then start to move upward through the body.
Imagine the body is an unobstructed barrel. The energy flows freely upward until it reaches about three feet above the head. The energy is then maintained at the top. You may visualize that there is a board holding the energy strong and steady there.
What is meant by “guiding the qi toward the feet”? The qi flows through the whole of you, goes three feet below the ground and stays rooted. Once your body has benefited, you will know that this visualization is effective.
Q4. Why does the face feel illuminated after Energy Bagua practice?
Think of a lightbulb. If there were little electricity, the bulb would be dim. When the voltage increases, the bulb becomes brighter. When the face feels illuminated, it is due to an increase in energy in the body. This is real beauty. There are those who have found that their eyes also brighten up and their presbyopia starts to improve. These are some of the effects of practicing Energy Bagua.
Q5. Which is better, walking Energy Bagua alone at home or with a group of practitioners?
It is better to practice at a place that has been used for Energy Bagua for some time. There is a certain amount of energy in the walls, ground, surrounding plants, and among the practitioners. This is of great help to the growth of your practice, enabling you to replenish your energy quickly and become healthy. Thus, practicing with a group is more beneficial than alone at home. Also, when a person practices alone at home, there is a tendency to become idle and persevering may be difficult. When everyone practices together, there is greater motivation to persist.
Q6. After walking Energy Bagua for some time, I felt lacking in energy. Should I continue to practice?
Due to the impact of different stages of practice, we often have different or even completely opposing feelings. You may experience times where you are particularly happy and energetic followed by periods where you feel dispirited, lacking in energy and without a desire to practice. Whether you are feeling energized or fatigued, unless there is a special health reason for doing otherwise, I suggest that it is best to continue the practice.
After a while, you will go beyond the initial feelings and experience a joy that is more stable and at ease. It is only through perseverance in practice that we become healthier, happier, wiser, and live a longer life.
Q7. I dislike the winter cold. Can I place an artificial tree in the house to practice Energy Bagua during winter?
I used to put a jug of water or a stick in place of a tree to walk Energy Bagua indoors during the cold seasons. The importance of the practice is the method, not just the tree. When the outdoor conditions are not conducive, you can occasionally use artificial trees or plants or other suitable objects.
You can also bring Nature indoors by buying a potted tree and putting it in the house. However, make sure that the tree does not have sharp thorns. A fellow practitioner asked me if he could use an existing big cactus plant in his home. The prickly thorns may pose a danger, so it is not the ideal plant for practice. Being safe during the practice is our priority.
Q8. Can those whose hands and feet are constantly in a state of unhealthy temperature practice Energy Bagua?
They should attempt to practice. In the process of walking Energy Bagua, whereby we walk alternately in circles of clockwise and counterclockwise directions, there is a balance of movements. In this process, not only do we accumulate yang energy and warmth, but also a balanced mixture of positive energy. The heat that arises from an unhealthy body may transform into positive energy through practicing Energy Bagua, thereby changing the temperatures of the hands and feet. I welcome you to try it out. Regular practice has proven to be life-changing for people of diverse health conditions around the world.