Relax - Practice

Qi Magazine | Issue 75 | March 2005

by Helen Massy

When we start to relax we notice how tense we are. How and when these tensions crept in is an individual matter – partly hereditary, social conditioning or self-imposed attitudes. All these tensions arise out of a sense of need to protect or defend this ‘island’ that we call ‘me’. Undoing the tensions can feel scary. We may feel vulnerable, off-balance and yet gradually freer and more comfortable with ourselves. The things that upset or disturb us, causing us to become tense or defensive, are good teachers. They show us where our beliefs need reassessing.

There can be a sense of safety in being good at things: survival of the fittest, top of the class, praise, accolade, prestige. Yet what happens when this is threatened, if we become ill or fall out of favour? Can we take it in our stride or do we react with fear, anxiety or anger?

Why not just relax and enjoy life, whatever our level? It is so much more important to feel at ease and comfortable with ourselves and our imperfections. There is no need to strive to be different or better than others, just to be ourselves – natural and at ease. This is possible at times, though for some people these times are rare. Which is why we have developed practices like Qigong, Taiji Quan and meditation to bring our awareness into the present, so that we can appreciate our daily lives and live them to the full.

We can notice our ways, habits, thoughts, preferences and beliefs and see through the illusions that we construct about our lives. Gradually we understand that the defences we hold so close to us actually limit our vision. And there is no way we can speed up the process by more ‘doing’.

I do not advocate that we give up practice or that we practise less often, simply that we watch for those subtle thoughts and tensions that diminish our sense of self and set us on the path of striving. Such thoughts pull us out of the present and relaxed awareness. We know in our hearts when enough is enough and also when we are driven to practice through tension, rather than choosing to practise and develop our skills at a natural pace. Being happy with ourselves as we are (and others too) brings us right into the present. Then we can relax and find inner freedom. This is translated into trust in the moment, where gravity can work with the body to create a sense of buoyancy. There is no need to fight or struggle to hold ourselves upright. Instead, we can yield to the pull of gravity and let the Earth give us support. Then we can open to our surroundings and the Heaven Qi around us. The resultant posture is one of confidence and expanded awareness in the present. In terms of meridians, the Stomach meridian takes energy down to the Earth and the Spleen meridian, in turn, gives lift to the body. We also take in energy through breathing (Lung meridian) and as we breathe out, we can let go of the moment, thoughts, ideas etc (Large Intestine meridian). Other meridians are involved of course, but my studies of Movement Shiatsu with Bill Palmer, interpreting Traditional Chinese Medicine from a Western perspective, show that these are the main ones for the embodiment of grounded confidence and an open mind or radiance. 

It does not matter about the theory as much as practising, to discover for ourselves the benefits of letting go, so that we can be present, relaxed and aware, poised for action. Then our actions reveal more about us as we interact with others and so the process continues. And there is no one way to do this! We each have our own approach to life and so we need to understand how to harmonise and to find inner peace and tranquillity. No one can do it for us. The responsibility is always ours – to see through our beliefs and conditioning and to find real peace and harmony with all life.

Daoist Wisdom for Healthy Living

Qi Magazine || Issue 60 || April 2002

By Adam Wallace

Qigong training not only encompasses breathing, movement, and meditation but should also include basic knowledge of Chinese medical theory and philosophy. ‘Dao De Jing’, written by Laozi over 2,400 years ago, is a source of wisdom, which when applied becomes high level Qigong skill.

 The following is merely a sampling together with some personal comments for clarification. 

“When a person is born he is soft and supple. 

When he dies he is stiff and hard. 

All things are soft and tender at birth and at death they are withered and dry”.  

When the body and mind are relaxed and soft the Qi flows properly which is essential to health. A stiff body is caused by straining while working or exercising and a stressful mental state. Gentle movement and remaining mentally flexible aids longevity. 

“In concentrating the Qi to achieve flexibility can you be like a baby?”

In the womb babies breathe from the Dantian, which stores Qi. Breathing with the lungs uses Qi. Dantian breathing saves much biophysical energy, which is then converted to True Qi, and serves as an internal massage for the vital organs. 

“Do not swerve from your innate nature and return to the state of infancy”. 

The newly born are pure of mind, without passions or ambitions, etc, and can let go of their emotions. They cry and quickly forget. As adults we internalise our problems, which affects our Qi and health. Meditation is the tool to enable us to return to the peaceful state of infancy and transcend our emotions. 

“A tall tree grows from a tiny sprout. 

A tower begins from the earth up. 

A journey starts with a single step”.

Everything grows from small to big. This is the way of nature. It is a mistake to rush the natural process. Businesses collapse because owners miss this principle and expand too quickly. Qigong practice is no exception - to rush or take short cuts can be disastrous. With regards to illness, listen to your body and catch any problem when it is still small and has not become too big to control. Better still, practise Qigong and prevent disease altogether. 

“If your hallis filled with gold and jade, it cannot be protected. 

If you are wealthy and honoured, pride follows, which can attract mistakes and misfortune. 

When the work is done retire; this is the Dao of heaven”. 

Many people are obsessed with collecting valuables. The more belongings you acquire, the more responsibilities and worries you have. In the end, you no longer possess the valuables, they possess you. Throughout life, we need to let go of our attachments so that we can truly be free. This includes our emotional baggage. 

“No disaster is greater than not knowing what is sufficient. 

No crime is greater than avarice. 

One who knows sufficiency will always have enough and avoid danger”. 

Desire is a disease. The more you accumulate the more you want. ‘What is a rich person? Someone who has everything he or she needs. If your needs are few and you have everything you could want, then you are richer than the person who has has financial wealth but is never satisfied. 

“The five colours cause blindness. 

The five tones cause deafness. 

The five flavours cause the inability to taste. 

Racing about on horseback and hunting cause madness”. 

Overexposure to visual stimulation i.e television, computers etc. expends Qi and damages eyesight. When the eyes are tired rest them or meditate. Constantly listening to loud music impairs the hearing. Those who move to the countryside from the city and find the quietude disturbing have already lost their balance with nature. Choose specific times in the day for silent contemplation. Perpetually eating rich or spicy food damages the palate’s ability to distinguish flavours. Those addicted to high-speed thrills and dangerous situations who only feel ‘alive’ when adrenaline is pumping have also lost balance. 

“Rare commodities cause mankind to do wrong, 

so the Sage concerns himself with his abdomen and not his eyes”.

Gold and rare jewels may seem substantial and worthwhile possessions but you cannot take them with you after you die so they are ultimately worthless. Dantian Qi, on the other hand, may appear intangible but it is more real and valuable as it cultivates your health and spirit, and bestows longevity. The eyes generally look outwards and we are tempted by what we see. Hence, it is beneficial to routinely shut the eyes and look inwards. Sometimes the blind perceive more than the sighted. 

“What is dearer, fame or health? 

What is more valuable, health or wealth?”

Everyone should ask themselves this question. You cannot enjoy your wealth or fame in sickness. Health is also the only factor over which you have complete control.

Wuji Meditation Generates the True Qi

WARRIORS OF STILLNESS: WUJI

By Jan Diepersloot

Both the tragedy and dilemma of modern humanity is that it has internalized the psychophysiology of emergency, flight and fight, on a global scale. In the biological, psychological, spiritual, political, social and economic structures and institutions, humankind is mindlessly ruled by fear and aggression, creating a self-perpetuating and self-feeding emergency situation spiraling out of control and draining the psychological and physical energy reserves both of the human individual and humanity as a whole. Only stillness can provide the antidote within the person and within the civilization. Only meditation gives us the tools to change our current habitual state of stress and emergency into one of harmony. Thus the practice of meditation, in general, takes on immense relevance for humanity, giving us the ability to control our physiological and psychological states through relaxation.

The particular uniqueness and relevance of wuji standing, as we shall see in the course of this book, is that it makes accessible to us the emergency powers of the body while remaining in a state of harmony. In the martial dimension, we reclaim the emergency powers of our mammalian heritage without our organism being overwhelmed or governed by them.

We described in some detail how Master Cai's practice of "raising the spirit and sinking the qi" changes our normal/civilized bodies and enables us to regain our natural/instinctive bodies and enables us to regain our natural/instinctive posture and movement. For indeed the practice of "raising the spirit and sinking the qi" mimic and reinforce basic mammalian response patterns to emergency situations. 

Raising the head and the spirit refers to the alertness response which activates the sensory-neural apparatus and integrates it with the neuromuscular system. Sinking the qi refers to bodily mobilization which activates the "crouch" response. The tucking under of tailbone and pelvis, expanding the lower back and filling the mingmen integrates the upper and lower bodies, making their combined power available to deal with emergency situations.

By "keeping three points on a straight line" and "sinking the qi and raising the spirit," wuji meditation cultivates a state of awareness/being in stillness the may best be described as the perpetual "calm before the storm," the silliness and heightened awareness of the cat that precedes its jump on its prey. The goal of wuji meditation is to acquire the strength of calm so that the storm never breaks, the total alertness and readiness to "jump the prey" without ever jumping. By maximizing cultivation and minimizing use, wuji meditation generates the true qi, i.e. increasing our energy potential and accessing our human emergency powers while continuing to operate under the psychophysiology of harmony.

Sense or Senseless? by J. Reynolds Nelson

High level Qigong Masters develop their sense of Qi, through sight and touch, and more in their practice and may begin to use these characteristics outwardly.

While some Qigong Masters use their skill for martial purposes, many go on to use their special abilities in a medical capacity to help others. One special characteristic they have in common is that their senses are highly developed. They are able to see their patients in ways lower level practitioners are not. They see the circulation of energy, and are able to diagnose without Western scientific methods to a high degree of certainty. They may be able to move their energy into patients to augment the opening of blockages, even heal the patient. More research is being published now on these phenomena than ever before. Certainly, this area is controversial because of its lack of method of empirical measurements. It is often exploited by individuals of lesser character, but however predominately they may figure, we should not discount those few with genuine extra sensory ability. 

The expression of sensitivity on a spiritual level is one of the more difficult characteristics to develop for all practitioners of the Chinese internal arts. However, it is as fundamental to our training, as is the development of sensitivity on the Qi and Jing level. Indeed, in our culture we have many clues that this sensitivity exists even in our language. Take for example the phrases, "you could smell the fear on him," "it made my hair stand on end," "I could see that one was trouble from the start," "I should have listened to my instincts." 

On a spiritual level, we need to develop the sensitivity to recognize the sensitivity to recognize the development of danger before it occurs. Our perceptions must broaden beyond mere experience to sense all the elements of our environment as we pass through it. Being here now leaves little room for random voices in our mind or runaway emotions, both of which cloud our sensitivity. As both hunter and prey, our lives depend heavily on our ability to sense our way through the day. Those individuals characterized as insensitive seem to blunder their way from one disaster to the next. In a way, they develop the sense of finding trouble or fault in all things around them, stuck in a downward spiral of self-destruction. 

By being sensitive to the pattern and spirit of those around us, we can learn to find ways to avoid those of lesser character or be in harmony with balanced individuals without the loss of our own boundaries. However, if the need arises for the display of Jing or Qi, being in touch on a sensory level with those around us better prepares us to act more immediately. 

Learning to develop our sensory perception and awareness to a high level can benefit our training in many ways. It can develop our character and skills, as a martial artist or health practitioner beyond measure. It can help us to be in immediate harmony with those around us. It can broaden our experience to sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and sensations denied those who cut themselves off from life's fullness. Emotion and base instincts obscure the senses from reaching our true nature and deny us the ability to perceive. 

The development of greater sensitivity challenges many of our more base characteristics but likewise rewards us with a more peaceful and rewarding existence. And while it may be difficult to acheive, it is not beyond the grasp of any of us willing to invest in loss.

Qi Magazine - Issue 45 - Fall 1999

The Five Fundamentals of the Mind (By WXZ)

Date: 8/15/11

From: Jim info@apricotforesthall.com

Subject: Building 1/Room 242

Hello,

     For the next THREE WEEKS the MIT Qigong Club will be meeting in Building 1/Room 242.  I am looking forward to another fantastic work out with everyone.  Our classes on Monday night are FREE so bring some friends and test our simple yet profound method of cultivation!

See you soon!

Peace,

Jim

***

MIT Qigong

7:00-8:00

Building 1/Room 242

Cost is Free!

***

The Five Fundamentals of the Mind (By WXZ)

(This article originally appeared in Wudang, Vol. 10, #'s 2 and 3)

There are five basic fundamental concepts which will provide the insights or background needed to achieve higher levels in Martial Arts/Qigong. These concepts will help you in your overall relaxation skills.

The importance of your ability to relax is connected to several other factors: First and foremost, when you are in a relaxed state, your breathing is not constricted, but full and natural. Secondly, your alertness is clear and refined, and finally, your reactions are quick and uninhibited.

In order to achieve this relaxed state, you must practice meditation. The usual method of meditation emphasizes the physical acts of monitoring your breathing, becoming aware of any stress or tension, etc.

The following five guidelines will help you control your state of mind, a precondition of one’s behaviour.

Respect Respect makes reference to how you treat others. You should always maintain a sense of mutual respect. You should not take on a position of superiority, whether or not it may appear justified. There is an infinite amount of experiences, and any single person cannot possibly have witnessed all of them in his or her lifetime. Therefore, your fellow man has experiences and ideas that you may never have encountered or contemplated before. This is why you can always learn from others.

In the area of the Martial Arts, your classmate/opponent possesses different ideas, levels of skill, etc., all of which are legitimate. There may exist better, faster, more effective techniques, but nevertheless, your opponent’s techniques are real and must be addressed. No two persons will attack or react in the same way (power, angle, or methods). If you are perceptive, you can learn from any variation/situation. When you take on a position of superiority you create an artificial barrier between yourself and others. This barrier will automatically create tension. Tension is the single most important hindrance you must avoid in order to achieve higher levels.

Care Be thoughtful and careful when acting. It is important that you analyze self and commit yourself to whatever actions you take. You should believe in your decision-making processes. If you do not believe (have faith) or do not understand, you will create a mental block, which will hinder your results. Once you understand how a process can help you, then your mind can accept it, giving it value and allowing you to concentrate. It will also allow you to expand, gaining greater insights of how other issues are related to one another.

Thought This is a simple process. Understanding that you are only capable of doing one thing at a time, you can only process (solve) one issue at a time, you should not try to do two things at once. This will only split your focus as you move from one problem to another, and cause anxiety and stress. Single-mindedness will allow you to face the opponent with unrestrained whole-body power.

Focus You must understand completely what you are trying to achieve, clearly defining the end results of what is to be gained. You must therefore strip away all the minor processes and methods in order to focus on the essence of the subject matter. By focusing, you will understand which processes and methods enable you to achieve the desired goal.

Harmony Your interaction with others should be based on self-respect and honour. You should not take a position of superiority, nor one of inferiority. In this harmonious (neutral) position, you will be at ease with others, allowing you to be relaxed, calm, and composed.

Harmony and Unity of Whole Body

Notes from Master Wang XiangZhai

No matter which posture you practice, whole body must be relaxed. After assuming posture, you shouldn't change it. All joints should be slightly bent. You should put your attention to relax of body, but it means the state of relaxed but not slack; tense, but not stiff. Which means that basis for relax is keeping harmony and unity of whole body. In martial art it is called "three internal harmonies and three external harmonies." 

Internal: harmony of heart and intention, intention and energy, energy and force. 

External: harmony of palms and feet, elbows and knees, shoulders and hips. 

Inside body empty agility; outside body balance and roundness. Intention for use, body as basis, non-movement for harmony, unity of form and intention. Getting intention from form, intention is born from form, form is following intention. External and internal are one. Only by practicing long time you can master the spirit of these principles.

Seek Fullness of Spirit and Intention

Notes from Master Wang XiangZhai

Although the principles are simple and easy, for a beginner it is not easy to understand them. What is important is spirit, and not seeking superficial form. Mind should embrace the whole and the internal. A part should not disturb the unity of the whole. External movement should not spoil internal harmony. Whole body should be naturally relaxed and light, you should keep pleasant mood, as if taking a pleasant bath in the great bathroom of nature. To achieve this, before starting exercise you should calm mind, get rid of disturbing thoughts. You should also put attention to four external attributes and five demands. 

Four external attributes: straight head, straight sight, posture of dignity, calm voice. 

Five demands: respect, carefulness, intention, truth, harmony. 

You should be respectful towards people and all matters. You should express your intentions truly. You shouldn't be rude toward anyone or anything, you shouldnít harm anyone. These are demands for character and external behavior of practitioner. He/she should keep the attitude and feelings like those of children toward parents, of parents toward children. When talking about exercises, you should seek fullness of spirit and intention, not resemblance of form. This is the basic demand of training.