Could the search for the Holy Grail, the Golden Fleece, or the Rings of Power, all just be metaphors for finding the treasure of wisdom and self-knowledge?

Try meditating on a daily basis, if even for only a few minutes.

See if you can cut through the veil of the small ego and the illusions of the mind.

The power of a Qigong Retreat

March 9 - 13 I attended a Qigong Retreat. An experience I would greatly recommend.

Attending the 2016 Intensive Qigong and Daoist Retreat led by Shifu Michael was a powerful experience exceeding my expectations. I am a long time Qigong practitioner, however had not previously participated in a retreat. Practicing Qigong and Daoist Meditation in a practice hall filled with others doing the same created an atmosphere I could actually feel. My Qigong and meditation skills moved to a higher level due to both the expert instruction, and energy resulting from group practice. It pushed/pulled me beyond where I was before the retreat. On more than one night I had trouble sleeping, only because I could feel the energy circulating in me so strongly. I guess hours of practicing Qigong and meditation can do that!

This being the Year of the Monkey we at one time light-heartedly referred to the retreat as the “Wet Monkey Retreat”. When it rains 5 days straight, you have to keep your sense of humor. But the “liquid energy” did not dampen the spirits or enthusiasm of the group one drop.

Late one night after an evening of intense Daoist meditation I was not interested in sleeping, so I went to the dining hall, had a cup of dark tea, and wrote the following:
     Sitting in stillness triggers a seemingly endless stream of random thoughts
     They come from everywhere, out of nowhere
     I do not ask them to stay
     I do not ask them to leave
     I just find my breath and breathe

The knowledge received from Shifu Michael, the Daoist Priests and candidates, fellow Qigong certification students, and a special guest – Samuel Barnes - was uplifting, and I am looking forward to sharing what I learned with my own students. I would highly recommend anyone interested in advancing their Qigong or Meditation practice to join Shifu Michael when he hosts his 2017 retreat.

Myself (far left in the picture) and three others received Advanced Qigong Certification for studies in Medical Qigong, TCM, Qigong Prescriptions and Meditation practices from Shifu Michael.

Qigong - Experience it Anywhere!

Often people miss Qigong practice while on vacation, or away on business.  I have too.  But it can set the day off right, and provide more benefits than expected.
Give a listen, and feel free to comment or send me an email directly.
Have a great day and - Enjoy life!

Season of Ultimate Yin - Winter

We are well into the winter months, a time Qigong considers the Season of Ultimate Yin.  Practice and meditation should include winter specific exercises and meditations.
Listen to the Podcast to learn more.

Keeping Motivated in Qigong

 I, like so many people spent time between the Christmas and New Year holidays thinking about the upcoming year and what I may want to do differently, what new to add, and what old to stop. There are folks who call this - making New Year Resolutions - usually around health, finances, or relationships. But to me the title of New Year Resolutions has negative connotations. It is often quickly followed with something along the lines of – which I will not break this time or, it is only 5 days into the New Year and I have already let myself down. Maybe there is another way to approach this which is more likely to bring the success you are looking for. 

The concept of periodically looking at your life – what is going well, what is not, what do I need to do more of, less of, what should I totally stop, what new adventures should I begin? – is excellent and essential to have a balanced life.  You can do it every month, every week, daily mini-looks, or annually, perhaps as one year ends and another begins.

When performing this introspection you may find there were some things you dropped and do not know why, or wish you had not.  Let us look at this phenomenon specifically. Often good habits, routines, life’s adventures are halted due to a lack of reason to continue.  In other words a lack of motivation, even if the activity had importance to you.  How can you keep motivated in the day-to-day workings of life, the boredom of routine, and the real or imagined conflicts of our often too fast paced lives?  

Since this blog is about Qigong I will use this context as an example.  The answer may be as simple as celebrating the small things on a regular basis. I have practiced Qigong on a near-daily basis for many years. Why? Now it is for my health and longevity, and to help others achieve the same. This was not the original reason, but over time it has evolved into the primary inspiration.  

What continues to keep me going is the often small but still significant outcomes of practice and teaching.  An example: during my weekly class just before Christmas there were a few minutes left before class formally ended.  It was a small class and I decided to do a little ‘share and feel the Qi’ exercise, just for fun.  Everyone closed their eyes, they were already in a Qigong state, and I walked behind each student with the mindful intent of channeling Qi to them individually.  One of the students has had issues with their shoulder so I concentrated more on that area.  Then at the close of class I asked each one if they experienced anything from the exercise. The student with the shoulder issue stated she felt a tingling or a small electric charge in the area of her shoulders. (I do not remember the exact words but they were close to this). I think of it as an energetic pulse of Qi to an area of Qi deficiency.  This student had not been part of a ‘share and feel Qi’ exercise and had no idea of what was happening.  

This was a small motivator, but strung together with others is enough to motivate me to continue. I silently/briefly celebrated it and moved on. Nothing else to be said.

Breathing for Better Health

氣

Breath

Breathing for better health -

Everyone breathes.  You have to if you want to survive more than a few minutes.  However, there are a number of ways to breath, some are good for your health and some, not so much. L  Proper breathing is one of the three essential elements of effective Qigong. 

In this Podcast I will present a simple yet effective way to breathe correctly, from a health and Qigong perspective.

Now, take a deep breath and click play…

What is Qigong Healing?



 Qi       Gong

 



 

 

 

What is Qigong?

I have found Qigong to be a tremendous way to improve health, both body and mind, that few people seem to be aware of.  And if they have heard the word, there is only a vague understanding of what it is.  Although this has slowly been changing over the last few years.  Qi (pronounced chee) is often translated as vital energy or life force; gong (pronounced gung) is accomplishment or a skill cultivated through practice, therefore Qigong can be translated as the cultivation of vital energy.  This ancient form of health improvement and self-healing exercises is based on the concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However the “medicine” is in the actual exercise itself not the normal understanding of medication!  (And if you supplement Qigong exercises with proper diet you can get even better results.)  A more lengthy definition can be found on the National Qigong Association website. 

How does it work?

The effectiveness of Qigong is based on the alignment of just three things; breath, posture and intent.  Although it sounds relatively simple it will require practice, but the benefit potential will be worth the effort.  Often it is good to have a qualified teacher (where one is available) to help bring it all together. 

Which Qigong exercise works for me?

There are literally thousands of Qigong exercises. Although many are beneficial there will be some exercises which resonate more with an individual than others.  The degree to which an exercise will “feel right” is usually related to the condition of Qi (life-force energy) in that person’s body.  Qi may be excessive, deficient, or even stagnant in a particular organ.  Or Qi may even be blocked in certain energy pathways.  Finding the Qigong exercises that work best for the individual is important and may require guidance from an experienced practitioner.  Luckily there are Qigong exercises which should prove beneficial to just about everyone.  Probably the most popular is “Ba Daunn Jin” often translated as the Eight Pieces of Brocade.  This is the first full form I learned, and I still practice it close to twenty years later.

In future blogs I will go into the detail of Qigong exercises such as the Eight Pieces of Brocade including the particular form that I practice, along with specific organs and conditions it directly impacts.  I will also include tips to get the most out of Qigong practice.

But first we have to make sure you are breathing.  Yes, I know everyone breaths, but there is a difference in how most people breathe and correct Qigong breathing.  This will be the topic of my next blog.