Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Monday November 7 MIT Qigong
Hello,
Big thank you for such an enthusiastic session on Monday night! We had twenty people all practicing Yiquan Qigong's simple and highly effective standing meditation postures. Natural conditioning, natural dynamics, natural breathing and natural meditation all from standing still! Rise, sink, open, close, yin and yang all from standing still! Master Wang Xiang Zhai stated: The ordinary is the extraordinary. I truly feel that there has never been a more accurate statement made about the art of Yiquan Qigong!
Monday Nights Session:
5 Gather Qi
5/5 Heaven & Earth Post
5 Gather Qi
8 Turning Cow
2 Gather Qi
20 Zhuang #1
5 Zhuang #3
Seal & Wash
I look forward to working out with everyone on Monday!
Peace,
Jim Roselando
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Free download of Wing Chun Illustrated Issue 1
Download the first issue of Wing Chun Illustrated for FREE and read Coach Jim Roselando's article on the origins of Pin Sun Wing Chun Kung Fu.
Click Below:
Meditation: Aid to Qigong Development
Regardless of the style of Qigong you may practise it is vitally important to have a quiet and focused mind. In order to reap any benefit from your efforts you must be able to maintain your centre, your concentration, and your coordination during practice. Indeed the very length of your session is determined by the quality and quantity of your quiet, focused mind.
Meditation: Aid to Qigong Development
by J. Reynolds Nelson
Qi Magazine || Issue 51 || Dec 2000
One of the problems many beginners experience as they embark upon their Qigong training is that of random thought or voices. This is quite a prevalent situation in the west, especially where the pace of living and constant media bombardment tend to fill every waking moment. In fact many of us are unaware of our mind’s constant chattering until we attempt to practise some of the quiet arts. Unfortunately the speed and constancy of this mental activity gives us little opportunity for mental relaxation. We tend to follow the patterns laid down by western cultures, which dictate what is relaxing: watching a film or television, a pint with our mates, shopping, a meal out, or perhaps, if you’re lucky, a walk in the park or countrysidewith loved ones.
It is not until we attempt to practise something like Qigong or Taiji that we may discover that, while our teacher looks peaceful and centred, we are bombarded with internal messages and emotions that upset our concentration. For some of us this onslaught of mental hyper-activity is like a motor going into overdrive. While we attempt to relax our body and coordinate our movement and breath, our minds are frenetic. The result of this mental cacophony is often emotional manifestations ranging the spectrum from anger to depression, ecstasy to anxiety. Therefore, just as form and structure is important to beneficial Qigong exercise, so is the practice of the quiet mind.
Meditation, like any exercise system, must be built up over time. Perhaps in the beginning the student may only achieve a few moments of clear and empty contemplation. However, with regular practice, the voices and random thought will remain at bay for increasingly longer periods of time. Where and when to practise are an important consideration. The best time is always when you anticipate having a few undisturbed and protected minutes. Traditionally this was accomplished by rising earlier than the routine and sequestering in a protected environment. Additionally finding a harmonious, natural venue of exceptional beauty, assisted in bringing about the state of mind conducive to empty thought and being or Wu Wei. In our environment however we may not be so fortunate as to be able to pick and choose. A quiet room or even closet, isolated and separate from the outside world should suffice. Some may find darkness an aid; others may enjoy the flickering of candles or hearing light instrumental music. Incense or fragrant oils may put you at ease enough to relax away the random thoughts dominating your mind. What works best for you, so that you will accumulate time before losing your concentration, is optimal. However, it is recommended that you practise meditation only under the supervision of a qualified teacher. As with any form of esoteric learning many problems can arise that may lead you astray with detrimental consequences. Finally it is within your practice of Qigong or other Chinese Internal Arts that your time meditating is tested. You should find that you can belay the emergence of random thought and voices for increasingly longer periods of time. You will then be able to concentrate more on your breathing, or movement coordination for the benefit of your health and well-being.
Meditation has been proven over the years to be a great aid to the practice of the Chinese Internal Arts and has been incorporated into many systems like the Standing Pole of Yi Quan, or the single postures of Taiji. It is hoped, regardless of the system of Qigong or martial art that you practise, you find increased concentration and greater inner tranquillity over time.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
20min of Zhan Zhuang - Boston Esplanade
Time lapse footage of Zhan Zhuang Yiquan training (Low Post). Captured during an Autumn day on the Boston Back Bay Esplanade. The MIT Dome and MIT Green Building are visible in the background. Share pictures of your practice with us: qi@mit.edu
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Qigong in the News: The Telegraph
Meditation improves the immune system, reduces blood pressure and even sharpens the mind, according to research.
The practice - an essential part of Buddhist and Indian Yoga traditions - has entered the mainstream as people try to find ways to combat stress and improve their quality of life. Now new research suggests that mindfulness meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure and enhanced cognitive function. The study, published in the latest issue of the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, draws on existing scientific literature to attempt to explain the positive effects. The goal of this work, according to author Britta Hazel, of Justus Liebig University and Harvard Medical School, is to "unveil the conceptual and mechanistic complexity of mindfulness, providing the big picture by arranging many findings like the pieces of a mosaic." The authors specifically identify four key components of "mindfulness" - the state of meditation - that may account for its effects: attention regulation, body awareness, emotion regulation, and sense of self. Together, these help us deal with the effects of stress.
Dr Hazel said the components are closely intertwined so an improvement in attention regulation, for example, may improve our awareness of our physiological state. Body awareness, in turn, helps us to recognise the emotions we are experiencing.
She said: "Understanding the relationships between these components, and the brain mechanisms that underlie them, will allow clinicians to better tailor mindfulness interventions for their patients."
However, the framework underscores the point that mindfulness is not a vague cure-all. Effective mindfulness meditation requires training and practice and it has distinct measurable effects on our subjective experiences, our behaviour, and our brain function.
Dr Hazel said: "We hope that further research on this topic will enable a much broader spectrum of individuals to utilise mindfulness meditation as a versatile tool to facilitate change both in psychotherapy and in everyday life."
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