Guard the Mind

credited to Yun Hoi:  www.yunhoiwingchun.com

All suffering in this life and others is created by the unsubdued mind. Similarly, the basis of all the practices of the six paramitas, such as generosity, moral discipline, and so on, is the mind.

Nothing is more important than guarding the mind. Let us constantly keep watch over the wild elephant of the mind, curbing it with mindfulness and vigilance. This is how to avoid being influenced by different external conditions. But even in retreat in a very secluded place, if the mind is not kept under control, it will wander all over the place. Even completely alone, we can have an enormous amount of negative emotions.

How are we to guard the mind? We should use attentiveness to watch our thoughts and use mindfulness to judge whether we are acting correctly. With these two we have the means to annihilate all adverse conditions. But without them, we will not see whether our thoughts are positive or negative or whether we are doing right or wrong, nor will we then be able to use antidotes as necessary.

- Kundun, Dalai Lama Sonam

New Year, New Breath

by Martha Everett
Link to original article from Desert Exposure

Breathing techniques from the ancient Chinese system of Qigong can boost your oxygen and sense of peace.

Qigong is an ancient Chinese system that uses movement, breath and mindfulness to gather intrinsic life force energy, or Qi, for healing, meditation and exercise. Qigong is said to be over 4,000 years old. Over those thousands of years, many varieties of Qigong were formed, using Chinese medicine for curing and preventing disease, using philosophy for reaching enlightenment, developing longevity and meditative practices.

Contemporary Qigong blends these principles together, using physical training in either static postures or dynamic movement. It engages mental training, using visualization and focusing on the movement of Qi and practicing slow, rhythmic breathing or other Qigong breath exercises. Qigong is also supported by the ingestion of medicinal herbs, foods with high Qi content or those that interact with the elemental forces.

Qi travels within the blood, true to the adage, "Where the blood flows, the Qi goes." Qi does not flow as well through areas of tension, tightness, injury and restriction, as the blood is not able to penetrate these areas as deeply. This creates an area of stagnation, which Chinese medicine believes is the root of disease.

Qigong can be a great way for people of all ages to increase blood flow and circulation, because the practitioner is using breath, movement and visualization to increase the flow of Qi. Breath work can be especially beneficial to bring more Qi and oxygen to the blood, as well as aiding in the shifting of the emotional composition in the areas of tension or tightness.

Qigong breathing brings a lot more oxygen into the lungs than normal respiration. This oxygen is for both the respiration process of breathing and for fueling all metabolic processes of the body. The oxygen is shared through the process of diffusion from the lungs to the blood. Transfer to the blood allows the hemoglobin protein in the blood to distribute the oxygen throughout the body. Qigong breathing will greatly amplify the amount of oxygen coming into the body, thereby oxygenating every cell. With this breath, as it increases more blood flow in the body, Qi is simultaneously increased. The Qi can be felt in the body as heat, pulsing, or a sense of inflation to the limbs. The Qi and breath can help move through emotional blocks, as the emotions and the breath are so closely related. The oxygenation of the cells that occurs during Qigong is very important for the health and wellbeing of the physical body.  

Martha K. Everett, certified Qigong facilitator, will be holding a three- hour breath workshop Saturday, Jan. 19, from 1-4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 3845 N. Swan in Silver City. The price is $35, $25 if you've attended a previous Breath Empowerment with Martha, and advanced registration is required. For information, call (575) 388-2098 or (575) 574-7268 or email martha@abundancetherapeutics.com.

Frequency Adjustment

To Join the MIT Qigong Mailing List: http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/qigong

Date: 7/25/10

From: Jim info@apricotforesthall.com

Subject:  Frequency Adjustment

Hello,

     The two most common reasons for people to test out Qigong is to heal some sort of physical ailment (pain) and the other would be to help with an over active mind (anxiety/stress). So, lets talk a little bit about the arts thoughts on the mind and what it takes to have a little frequency adjustment. Traditional Chinese theory divides human emotions into seven categories: joy, anger, worry, over-thinking, grief, fear and shock. Each of these emotions effect ones energy and over all well being:

Joy: Makes energy relax

Anger: Makes energy rise

Worry: Makes energy low

Over-Thinking: Makes energy knot

Grief: Makes energy vanish

Fear: Makes energy descend

Shock: Disorients energy

     Zhan Zhuang is the game of awareness. Part of this tuning of your awareness is the study of Non-Attachment. By keeping light awareness on these three keys, Posture, Relaxation & Breathing one can begin to avoid attaching to random thoughts that are with all of us. During the practice of Zhan Zhuang one is not expected to "zen out" and not have any thoughts coming in! This is not realistic but what one must understand is that awareness of the breath has a gentle massaging effect on the central nervous system which gradually relaxes your entire system. This is one of the reasons why they state: The primary purpose for Lower Abdominal Breathing is to quiet the mind.   

     If one is struggling with many thoughts during practice all you need to do is not attach to them by keeping light awareness on the three keys. The stronger you attach to these thoughts later turn them into feelings, emotions or desires which disturb your whole system. In Zhan Zhuang when you begin to drift you tend to tense up by losing focus on what is the important. So, anytime your drifting off or day dreaming during Zhan Zhuan just return to the 3 keys of awareness. (Is my posture ok?  Am I loose/relaxed?  Is my dan tien breathing light and natural?)  This is one of the reasons natural Qigong say; In Qigong all we can do is aid in the breaking of physical and mental obstructions which allow the mind and body the heal, strengthen and unite thru tranquility.  

     Zhan Zhuang is a powerful lab for growth. Like any art, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it and its wonders are truly profound! Equilibrium (Zong Ding) is a gradual and smooth process but thanks to the core nature of this Zhan Zhuang Qigong platform we can directly cultivate and heal our entire being with minimal effort. Those who have come to MIT Qigong looking for a little Frequency Adjustment have found the simplest and most effective method known to humanity. All it takes is a little effort!

***

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I look forward to a nice work out tonight.  

Peace,

Jim 

www.ApricotForestHall.com  

Monday Qigong Schedule

Year One Exercises

5) Small Vibrations

5) Gathering Qi

5) Crane (L)

5) Crane (R)

5) Turning Cow 

5) Gathering Qi

15) Natural Post

5) Low Post

Seal/Wash