Yes well, you should check out the book on ki in daily life, but I will attempt to give you a brief overview.
First, you must stop seeing yourself as separate from the world around you. In the “west” we tend to think that way. It’s a christian thing. If you think this way, you will hamper your ability to take in ki. You must realize you are a part of the whole. One-ness is the key here. If you wish to stand on one foot balanced ,you do not think “left,right,back,forward,left…”. You only attain balance by being one. There is no right, no left. You are one. This is the same.
Ki meditation is helpful, but other things are more beneficial first.
You must have proper posture. Stand erect with the chest out the head/neck in line with the centerline of the body. Do not throw the shoulders back. Be relaxed. Look forward, eyes up like an eagle not downward like a wipped dog.This is important. Never slouch. It hampers the flow of ki.
Breathing is the biggest thing. In the “west” we breath shallow breaths with our chests rising and falling. This is wrong. We do this because we think it makes us look slimmer. If you do not breath in deeply you will not draw in ki properly.
The proper way to breath is, like any meditation book will tell you, to breath deeply, through the nose, allowing the stomach to expand as the diaphragm draws air into you lungs. Fill them completely. Hold the breath for a few seconds- don’t force it, just give your lungs time to extract the oxygen. Then exhale fully, allowing the stomach to “hollow” as the diaphragm pushes the air back out. Hold again, then inhale and so on. Your breathing should be steady and relaxed, not rushed and tense.
When I’m sitting watching the TV or on the computer, my girlfriend checks to see if I’m asleep because of my breathing. My blood pressure is perfect and my heart rate is between 60 to 65 at all times. I don’t gulp ragged harsh breaths during hard exercise and I can lower my heart rate from exercise to normal in a matter of beats.
This breathing will create a good intake and flow of ki.
You should try to be at piece with your mind. If you are full of negative, stressful thoughts, this will stifle the flow of ki. Remember, you are going to die, anything short of that is not that big a deal. Things may get bad but they will also get better. It is the cycle of life- like the in and yo (yin and yang) of the Tao symbol. It’s not personal. remember bad things do not happen to YOU. Bad things simply happen.
You should learn to shut up the inner voice. Have a still mind. What the Japanese call Mushin or mind-no-mind. For this read “the unfettered mind”. If the mind rambles on, it does three bad things to you:
Most often, when the mind is not controlled, it will dwell on bad things and fill you with negativity. This stifles your ki and stagnates the ki you have stored. It also draws negative things to your life.It keeps you from being at peace with yourself.
Also, while your mind is trapped in it’s own ramblings it is impossible for you to experience the now. So that you loose your present, your life essentially, to your ramblings. Remember that what you are doting on has happened in the past, even if it just happened. It is not current and if you trap your mind in it you will miss what is happening forcing you to ramble on what you missed and creating a big cycle of missed life.
Finally, if you trap your mind in something, your thoughts or anything else, it is impossible for you to promptly react to what is happening. For instance, if I was in combat with swords, if I focus my mind on my opponent’s sword- trapping it there- I will try to parry it and it will no longer be there for my mind is trapped where it was. This is called the secret of two hands clapping. When the hands come together, there is not the delay of even a second, the sound is there. The mind must be still- unfettered- if it is to achieve this.
Right action is important. Having a code of ethics you follow helps create order in your mind/soul this creates inner peace and limits negativity.
As I said in a previous post, you must use your ki if you wish to gain ki. Look back in this thread for that. No use making this book bigger than needed.
Organize yourself and your surroundings. If your home, office, or personal effects are in chaos you will not have piece of mind. This is a good starter for now. I’ve got a martial arts class to teach in an hour and a half so I’ve got to roll.
If you are interested in ki meditation, let me know and I will give you a brief post on it.
Also as I said before Iaijutsu is a good ki fix. It’s like moving meditation. Tai Chi Chuan and Tai Chi Jian are also like this.