In my tai chi we call the reiki energy 'medicine' energy and it's generally perceived as heat in the palms of the hands and if we feel it in that way we redirect it out of the finger tips and that 'cools' it into 'kung fu' energy. I appreciate that medicine energy can be extended out of any part of the body, but the hands are where we tend to experience the heat and tingling.

There is a good method of dissipating it at the end of a form as well by 'standing' and altering the angle and frame of the arms, elbows, wrists and fingers.

To enhance the energy we stretch the fingers and skin on the hands without stiffening them and alter the angles until it flows, if we use our yi (intention) to bring it to the hands... medicine - the palms ... kung fu - the fingertips, a particular finger - the meridian to a particular internal organ.

The 'tigers mouth' between thumb and forefinger is opened and this and the thumb is used quite extensively in the tai chi form and chi kung.

I was listening to a radio programme the other day where they were discussing the 'opposable' thumb of the human and they said that the part of the brain that works the thumb is completely different to the part that works the fingers.

I remembered doing some strange 'thumb' chi kung exercises with late Ip Tai Tak whilst visiting Ma Lee Yang in Hong Kong which I thought really wierd at the time. Sometimes you just don't value what's being shared with you at the time....

[This message has been edited by Bossman (edited 01-29-2005).]

I was looking for a question there somewhere and since I can't find any, I'll just comment on the 'thumb' thing.

I've mentioned a few times before -- 'from the mind to the body; from the body to the mind'

The exercises with thumbs and other parts of the body are Taoist methods to 'activate' certain centres of the mind through the 'intentional' exercising of specific parts of the body in co-ordination with breathing patterns -- i.e. 'from the body to the mind' Thus the numerous physical exercises found in Taoist chi gung, including Tai Chi Chuan, a body to the mind method, because of its application to MA, which is a physical thing.

Your thread on IMA/EMA has touched on this in a detailed way; I asked the question on the 'link' using the sanchin, naihanchi katas, remember. These katas are just a more elaborate ways of thumb twirling.

The Buddhist, on the other hand, chose the more difficult method of 'exercising' the mind in isolation first -- 'from the mind to the body'. They, initially, had no MA application in mind. It perhaps changed when it came into the hands of the Shaolin Temple martial monks, and when mixed in with Taoist methods brought to the Temple by outsiders seeking refuge there, we get all sorts of hybrids we see today.

"...the meridian to a particular internal organ" If done right, the practitioner should feel that particular internal organ warmed up, so you know chi is being intentionally directed to concentrate there. From my experience, the liver feels warmer than others. I don't know why yet. Any ideas?

Ah... the question... it was - does anyone else have a different system of cooling or converting energy..

We use the old kung fu meridians as opposed to the more modern TCM methods, I find particular sensitvity from the 'heart' (longest) finger. Our positioning, where we look to and which finger to focus on can be altered during 'chap sau' ('hand fiddling' and our entire body position can often be altered through pressure to our hands but chap sau can be to all of the body) by our Sifu.

Oh, I see.

My method is simple. Just direct it all back to the 'tan tien' for a few seconds then to the 'yung chuan' point and then into the ground.

As supplements, I take 'cooling' herbal teas and eat less meat. If not, at 55 yrs. I can still get pimples. Talk about rejuvenation! or as the chinese put it --'second spring'

We're the same age, I've been veggie since my twenties and mainly drink herbal tea.

Thanks for that.