Tantric Qigong for Self-Mastery

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Qigong, T’ai Chi, and Menopause

Menopause is a natural change in a woman’s life cycle that afflicts all women at some time. And the men that annoy them. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “The symptoms of menopause are caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. The ovaries make less of these hormones over time. The specific symptoms and how significant (mild, moderate, or severe) they are varies from woman to woman…A gradual decrease of estrogen generally allows your body to slowly adjust to the hormonal changes. Hot flashes and sweats are at their worst for the first 1 - 2 years. Menopause may last 5 or more years…As a result of the fall in hormone levels, changes occur in the entire female reproductive system. The vaginal walls become less elastic and thinner. The vagina becomes shorter. Lubricating secretions from the vagina become watery. The outside genital tissue thins. This is called atrophy of the labia.”*

Symptoms
“In some women, menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt. More commonly, it slowly stops over time. During this time, the menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced. This irregularity may last for 1 - 3 years before menstruation finally ends completely. Before this the cycle length may shorten to as little as every 3 weeks.

Common symptoms of menopause include:
- Heart pounding or racing
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Skin flushing
- Sleeping problems (insomnia)

Other symptoms of menopause may include:
- Decreased interest in sex, possibly decreased response to sexual stimulation
- Forgetfulness (in some women)
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
- Urine leakage
- Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
- Vaginal infections
- Joint aches and pains
- Irregular heartbeat.

Lifestyle Changes
Women taking hormone Replacement therapy (HRT) see some benefits. But they also increase their risk for breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. The good news is that you can take many steps to reduce your symptoms without taking hormones:

- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods
- Dress lightly and in layers
- Eat soy foods
- Get adequate calcium and vitamin D in food and/or supplements
- Get plenty of exercise
- Perform Kegel exercises daily to strengthen the muscles of your vagina and   pelvis. (The Taoist and Tantric  versions of these exercises are more developed and so potentially even more helpful.)
- Practice deep conscious breathing whenever a hot flash starts to come on (try taking six breaths per  minute)
- Remain sexually active (the extended love making techniques of Tantra and Taoist sexology undoubtedly help)
- See an acupuncture specialist
- Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation. Dr. Herbert Benson, author of “The  Relaxation Response,” suggests that Tai Chi is “…vitally important in PMS, infertility, hot flashes,  insomnia,…”**   He also says that “Repetition is key to creating the response.”***
- Use water-based lubricants during sexual intercourse.”*

Qigong for Abating Menopause Symptoms
While for most women menopause can be a difficult time, the Taoists consider menopause to be a “Second Spring” of life. It is certainly an opportunity to renew and deepen your T’ai Chi and Tantric Qigong practice.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the symptoms associated with menopause are caused due to the body’s chi being disturbed. By practicing Qigong and T’ai Chi, this disrupted chi can be more evenly distributed and some of the uncomfortable symptoms can be ameliorated.

Regular practice of qigong and T’ai Chi can alleviate the irritability and stress associated with menopause by creating pelvic health and balancing emotional and hormonal swings.  It has also found to help increase the bone density in women, thus reducing the chance of post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Qigong may restore a woman’s sex drive, which can be decreased during in menopause. The regular practice of qigong tends to increases the levels of sex hormones thus restoring a healthy sex drive. One study showed that after a year of qigong practice, hormones were restored to near normal levels.****

A study published in the Oxford Journal Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine on eighteen women measured the effects of regular Qigong practice on chromic fatigue symptoms and the menopausal symptoms of night sweats, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea. The results showed improvement in the areas of sleep, energy and well-being. Qigong improved these symptoms of sleep disturbances after three months of practice.*****

Bone loss of up to 2% per year in women may occur after menopause. Prevention of includes optimizing the intake of calcium and vitamin D, exercise, and the optimization of normal menstruation. Stretching, strengthening, impact, and balance exercises are effective. As Qigong raises estrogen levels in women, this can reduce osteoporosis and heart disease. Tai Chi Chuan has proved to be successful in decreasing falls, and may restore bone density.

Kenneth Cohen states that “A wealth of anecdotal evidence suggest that Qigong tends to delay menopause and can extend the years of fertility.” He notes that female qigong masters have even been known to conceive during their sixties.******  One woman in her 50’s began practicing Qigong and after about 10 days  said, “I was amazed that my period reappeared…I celebrated it as a clear indication of rejuvenation.”*******

Instruction and Coaching

Presencing: The Art of Being Present

References:
*www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000894.htm
**my.webmd.com/content/article/25/1728_57992.htm.
***http://www.webmd.com/news/20000530/mysterious-medication-of-meditation
****Ye Ming, et al. Relationship among erythrocyte superoxide dismustase activity, plasma sexual hormones (T, E2), aging and qigong exercise. Proceedings, Third International Symposium on Qigong, Shanghai, China.. 1990:28-32
*****Naropa J. Mike Craske, Warren Turner, Joseph Zammit-Maempe and Myeong Soo Lee. “Qigong Ameliorates Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue: A Pilot Uncontrolled Study.” Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Advance Access published online on August 1, 2007
****** Cohen, Kenneth S. The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing p33
******* B.G., Los Gatos, CA qinway.org/qigong_testimonial.htm

Meditation / Stress Management CDs and MP3 Audio Programs
De-stress & train yourself to use meditation and visualization for Health, Longevity, and Serenity! Some of our meditation and stress management programs contain Theta Brainwave Entrainment technology. Our programs are available on CD or download.

Relax! Journey to the Primal Sea

Guided Relaxation and Meditation

Relax, let go of the stress, anxiety, and frustration sapping your energy and peace of mind. Enjoy a session of deep breathing, full body relaxation and a journey to a relaxing ocean environment. Experience being at One with yourself and your world.

This CD contains soothing music, ocean waves, and instructions for reducing stress and deeply relaxing the body. It can be used as a stress break to recharge yourself during the day, as an extended meditation, or a non-drug alternative for insomnia.

1. Preparation
2. Conscious Breathing
3. Guided Relaxation
4. The Primal Sea - Meditations on Unity Consciousness
5. Awaken Alert and Alive.

Download here

Relax! At the Beach: Manage Stress at Work and Home

Those who attain balance and freedom from stress lead healthier and more joyful lives. Isn’t it time you joined them? Come, let us lead you to your own secret, glittering strand of beach between Heaven and the Eternal Sea…

Contains soothing music, ocean waves, and a series of short techniques that anyone can use for reducing stress & visualizing a serene, rejuvenated, empowered center within yourself.

1. 1 Minute Relaxation
2. 1 Minute Stress Manager
3. 5 Minute Relaxation
4. At the Beach
5. Progressive Relaxation
6. At the Beach
7. Bonus Track: Ocean Waves

Download here

Relax!  Ocean Surf

Ambient Ocean Wave Sounds for Relaxation and Meditation
With Theta Brainwave Entrainment
Recorded on the coast of beautiful Assateague Island, this audio program contains ambient ocean wave sounds and wind on the beach.  The powerful sounds of the Atlantic Ocean wash over you, cleansing away your stress and soothing mind, body, and spirit.  There are two tracks, both approximately 32 1/2 minutes in length. Track 1 simply contains the natural sounds of the dynamic Atlantic Ocean breakers and ocean wind combing the island shore.  Track 2 contains the same wave and wind sounds and also includes a Theta Entrainment track.

Track 1: Ocean Surf 32:30 Can be used as soothing background sound or white noise at work or home. Set this track to repeat if you wish. Adjust volume, treble, and bass as you desire.

Track 2 Ocean Surf with Theta Entrainment 32:30 This track uses Theta Brainwave Entrainment to slow your brainwaves to the Theta threshold, allowing you to experience deep relaxation and the ability to meditate like a Zen monk, even if you are a beginner. Theta states can help you attain deep sleep, meditate, induce hypnosis, reduce stress, improve ESP and intuition, and facilitate learning, creativity, and higher states of consciousness.

Download here

Relax!   The Cosmic Journey

Guided Meditation for Empowerment and Cosmic Consciousness

This audio program contains meditations to activate Cosmic Consciousness & personal power, soothing music, & a Theta Brainwave Entrainment track. There are both daytime and evening versions included. Theta entrainment enables even beginners to relax and achieve deep meditation and/or overcome insomnia.

The daytime version includes instructions for relaxing the body, expanding consciousness, & affirmations for empowerment. The evening version is similar, but is focused more on achieving a deep meditative state with the aid of a Theta Brainwave track. This technology uses low frequency sound waves to encourage your brainwaves to slow to the Theta Threshold, a deeply relaxed state achieved by advanced meditators. With Theta Entrainment, you can achieve deep meditation equivalent to years of meditation training.

Using this Audio Program: Daytime Version with Affirmations
This version includes instructions for relaxing the body, expanding consciousness, & affirmations for awakening empowerment. It is not intended to relax you to the point of sleep.

Evening Version with Theta Entrainment
This version is focused on achieving a deep meditative state with the aid of a Theta Brainwave track. This technology uses low frequency sound waves that encourage your brain to slow down to the Theta Threshold, a deeply relaxed state achieved by advanced meditators. You may hear a slight pulsing sound in the background, you might want to adjust the volume so you hear this. With Theta Entrainment, you can achieve deep meditation equivalent to years of meditation training.

Daytime Version Tracks
1.  Prelude - Soft music 1:00
2.  Relaxing the Body - Guided Relaxation & Music 13:04
3.  Afterglow - Soft Music 0:56
4.  Ascension - Music 1:00
5.  The Cosmic Journey - Daytime Guided Meditation & Music 15:16
6.  Universal Power - Affirmations 0:29
7.  Arise Empowered - Affirmations 0:16

Evening Version Tracks
8.   Prelude - Soft music 1:00
9.   Relaxing the Body - Guided Relaxation, Music, & Theta 13:01
10. Afterglow - Soft Music & Theta Entrainment 1:00
11. Ascension - Music & Theta Entrainment 1:00
12. The Cosmic Journey - Guided Meditation & Theta Entrainment 15:00
13. Bonus Track: Flightpath - Space Music with Theta Entrainment 9:25

Download here

1 Minute Stress Manager

This is an MP3 track from our “Relax! At the Beach: Manage Stress at Work and Home” CD. Learn to meditate, reduce your stress, calm your emotions, and increase your energy within seconds.

This audio program will help relieve your stress and get you meditating in only 1 minute, no previous experience with meditation is necessary, just download the 1 Minute audio file and follow the instructions.

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These programs are available for download or on CD ($15 + $3 shipping) Payment can be made with PayPal, Check, or Money Order.
To send a payment via mail, send your Check, or Money Order to:
Jade Garden, PO Box 581, Olney MD 20830
PayPal: Send your payment to: khall94433@aol.com or download here.

For ordering information, email info@inner-tranquility.com wholesale ordering available

Comparison Chart

…………………… Journey to the Primal Sea … At the Beach Cosmic Journey Ocean Surf
Good for insomnia:…………………….Yes……………………………Yes………………Yes………………..Yes
Breath coaching:………………………Yes…………………………..Some…………….Some………………No
1 minute relaxation:……………………No……………………………..Yes………………No…………………No
1 minute stress manager:……………No……………………………..Yes………………No…………………No
5 minute Relaxation:………………….No………………………………Yes………………No…………………No
Extended Relaxation:…………………Yes……………………………No……………….Yes…………………No
Virtual Vacation:…………………………No……………………………..Yes………………No………………..No
Ocean Waves:…………………………..Yes…………………………….Yes……………….No………………..Yes
Soothing music:…………………………Yes……………………………..Yes………………Yes……………….No
Ocean Bonus Track:………………….No…………………………….Yes……………….No…………………N/A
Unity Meditation:………………………..Yes……………………………..No……………….No………………..No
Beginners or Advanced:…………..Both………………………….Both……………..Both…………….Both
Theta Brainwave Entrainment……..No………………………….No…………………Yes……………….Yes
Available on CD & Download………Yes…………………………….Yes………………Yes……………..Yes

Rev. Keith Hall has taught T’ai Chi, Qi Gong, Tantra, and meditation for 30 years & has published many articles on the Eastern arts. For info on products, workshops, and a free e-newsletter, email to: info@inner-tranquility.com © 2006 Keith E. Hall.

What is Presencing ™ ?

Learn Tantric Qigong

1 Minute Meditation and Stress Manager Audio Program

Ever want to learn how to meditate but felt frustrated by trying and re-trying to still your mind? Perhaps you have done some meditation, but continue to feel stressed at work or at home.  Or maybe you feel that you don’t have enough time to learn?

We have the answer! This audio program will help relieve your stress and get you meditating in only 1 minute, no previous experience with meditation is necessary, just download the 1 Minute audio file and follow the instructions.

Some hints:
– Headphones are recommended.
– Sit up straight or lie down.
– Loosen your waist, belt, etc.
– Close your eyes.
– Take a few deep, slow breaths, and begin.

Download the meditation here.

You are licensed to download and burn 1 copy to CD and install 1 copy on your computer or portable device.

“Be the change you want to see in the world!”
–Mahatma Gandhi

© 2003 Keith E. Hall. All rights reserved.

Learn Tantric Qigong:

Presencing™: Growth, Meditation, Manifestation

Presencing™ is a method of self-inquiry that scans the body, mind, and emotions for what is Present at that time. What is present is often the tip of the iceberg, a barely recognizable “feeler” put out by your higher self to try and get your attention. Your higher self tries to get you to notice something, some resistance, some karmic / emotional / physical pattern that requires release before your evolution / understanding / manifestation can proceed smoothly.

What appears as something minor, can often be a significant guide to your healing and mental / emotional / spiritual progress. The small self tends to defend against this knowledge and self-responsibility, repressing self-knowledge and projecting responsibility externally. Until we are fully self-aware and claim responsibility for, and mastery of our thoughts and emotions, our progress will be slowed. Allowing the unimpeded flow of what needs to shift, heal, and be recognized within ourselves creates a profound and simple process of self-knowledge and emotional freedom. The energy trapped in subconscious repression and external projection is then freed to create empowerment, joy, and creativity.

Meditation
Often the agenda of meditation is represented as developing the ability to still the mind. Let’s be honest, the mind resists this. The brain is designed to process information for survival and growth and is loathe to let go of this function. Many people learning or practicing meditation are curious as to why their minds often seem noisier when they sit for meditation than in their daily lives! It would seem counter-intuitive, but meditation retreats can be just as “noisy” as a football game. Its just that it is all internal. This can be somewhat frustrating at times. Combine this emotional / mental content with physical discomfort or distraction, and meditation can be a bit of a challenge. The very process of “stilling the mind” can become an active repression of coded information valuable to a more highly efficient process of self-knowledge. No amount of “stilling” will negate the noise until its message is received and integrated.  Presencing™ allows these messages / feelings / distractions to reveal their hidden wisdom. For some, the Presencing Process(sm) is so efficient that within a few minutes a person can achieve deeper states of meditation, peace, and joy than they thought possible.

Therapy / Communication Skills
As a therapeutic modality, Presencing™ presents a palette of mind – body tools to create a more holistic approach to healing. One of the difficulties with verbal therapy is that, well, we lie! Even when we think we are telling the truth, we tend to edit, rationalize, and project i.e., we have defense mechanisms. Talk therapy can be like Talk Radio: we all want to be a righteous Rush Limbaugh, defending our paradigm from too much scrutiny. Not that this is entirely a conscious decision. We have “sleeper cells” deep within us that press our subconscious agenda.

The mind and the mouth can lie, but this is not so with the body. The body is always broadcasting our truth. Therapies based on the work of Reich, Lowen, et al recognize this and turn to the body for greater truth. Presencing™ is a simple and more gentle path to the same end. No stress, strain, or catharsis is required. Truth and freedom from past trauma can be achieved through attention, recognition and validation of both mental / emotional and somatic content.

Manifestation
One reason we often find it difficult to create what we want is that we are always praying for what we don’t. Affirmations often are inefficient in manifesting because we tend to broadcast affirmations mainly with the conscious mind. Our subconscious mind / emotions may be broadcasting antithetical requests sequentially or simultaneously. We are both asking for what we want and what we don’t. No wonder Universal Mind is confused! Perhaps we have delivered to us a mix of both. What we ask for can be partially negated by subconscious thought processes / emotions. One example: we want to manifest something, but fear that we cannot. Which desire is stronger? If equal, they tend to cancel each other.

The Law of Attraction states that you attract what is similar to yourself. This is not a new concept in metaphysics or religion. Thousands of years ago the Old Testament gave us a heads-up: “As ye sow, so shall ye reap”; (T-5.VI.6:1; Galatians 6:7, 2 Corin 9:6). So, to effectively attract what we want, we must clear ourselves of the subconscious resistances and counter messages we are broadcasting. Simply put: the Presencing Process(sm) helps us sow the right seed. © 2009 Keith E. Hall and Inner-tranquility.com. All rights reserved.

Rev. Keith Hall has synthesized the seminal aspects of Breathwork, Bioenergetics, Neo-Reichian, Tantric, Taoist, and Buddhist practices to create the Presencing Process(sm). Presencing(sm) facilitates deep healing, joy, empowerment, and freedom from past limitations so we can manifest clearly what we desire in life.  Presencing(sm) is a simple, yet profoundly powerful process for creating our lives the way we wish to.

The Presencing Process for Enlightenment and Freedom(sm) - September 26

The Art of Being Present – release old patterns, create joy & fulfillment – Now!

Please consider joining us for this simple yet profound process for Awakening!

The Presencing™ Process

The Art of Being Present

Poems to Bring You Present

Coaching and Instruction

The Art of Being Present

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. –Buddha

What moment do we have other than this?

The past is an illusion long gone. The future is not yet made manifest.

Each moment of our lives lands as a dew drop upon the lotus. Delicate, unique, irreplaceable. To look upon it with full attention and unfettered gaze reveals its precious and inimitable perfection. This magic moment, a crack between past and future, is an Infinity of existence; never seen before, and never to be seen again.

Can we not Be as the lotus enveloping the drop?
Does the lotus analyze and compare?
Is the lotus anticipating the dew drops yet to be?
Or does it embrace this diamond - liquid, delicate, and evanescent, and open its petals to experience the All?

Can you recall in your life a sudden revelation of beauty, deep serenity, a spontaneous awakening to Unity, excitement, joy, and vibrancy that stilled your mind and opened your heart? Ever ponder how you were able to perceive this flash of Shangri-La secreted between your history and your expectations? What is the Secret to reentering this often all too brief state of acceptance and Bliss?

Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. –Chuang Tzu

The key is to both embrace and let go of each moment simultaneously. To participate and witness at the same time. In doing this, it is perfectly possible to create a Zen-like process of attentiveness to, and reverence for, your everyday experience. Being Present to the experience of our life, moment by moment, can help awaken our capacity for extraordinary joy, freedom, compassion, and creativity.

All authentic spiritual traditions have as part of their process a centering of consciousness on the power of Now. The practices of Yoga, Taoism, Buddhism, and Tantra all involve meditation, attention, and conscious breathing. Just like the dance of breath, of both inhaling and exhaling without vacillation, we must balance will and surrender, yin and yang, Intention and letting go.

There is a way between voice and presence
where information flows.  –Rumi
This process of freeing ourselves from our patterns, habits, compulsions, and unconscious drives is often referred to as “burning karma.”  Our karma is the result of our actions, experiences, thoughts, emotions, and expectations. Our personal history is comprised of habits and subconscious drives which shape and maintain the prison of the small self in which we reside. We are at once the architects, wardens, and inmates of this institution. Unless we pardon ourselves for the crimes of complacency and inattention to our Higher Self, we will impose a life sentence upon ourselves.

Deliverance from the prison of our karmic patterning is an essential process for achieving the mastery of true emotional freedom and self-realization. In freeing ourselves from these self-imposed strictures, we develop the skills to create anew, rather than re-create over and over again what no longer serves the growth of our spirit. This freedom from karmic patterning results in self-knowledge, wisdom, and being Present with the Sublime.

We get to choose each moment and how we want to live in it. How do you want it? Realize that every moment is IT…It all comes down to Presence. Being present in the moment…And Love. -Bhagavan Das

Find an object – a burning candle, a flower, a dew bespeckled spider’s web. Still your mind and observe. What do you perceive? Use all your senses. Maybe write down your observations. Give yourself lots of time, don’t rush about with mental questing. Open yourself to the experience and to your observations. What do you notice? Take a deep, conscious breath and observe again. Pay attention with your mind. Assimilate with your body. What do you feel?

Through this process of stilling the mind, calming the emotions, and opening the doors of perception, you may become able, as Blake said, “To see a world in a grain of sand…heaven in a wild flower, (and) hold Infinity in the palm of your hand…” © 2009 Keith E. Hall and www.Inner-tranquility.com . All rights reserved.

Coaching and Instruction

The Presencing Process™

What is Presencing™?

Poems to Bring You Present

How does Tantric Qigong™ work?

It can be said that Qigong works by uniting heavenly and earthly energies. While Western science does not yet have a full explanation of how Qigong does this, it most likely that it works by amplifying your personal Chi (Qi, life force, vitality, Ki) by drawing in earthly and atmospheric / solar ionic energy to supplement your existing vitality. This is attained through gentle movement, breath control, mental focus, Intention, and the most efficient grounding technology yet known.

Although it may appear that many systems of meditation and yoga aspire to similar effects, in practice and effect they are quite different.

Hatha Yoga has a general objective that is comparable to that of Qigong and achieves its ends through breathing, concentration, and stretching.  Yoga tends to lower somatic resistance, which allows energy to be freed up and diffused in a general way throughout the physical and emotional bodies.

Meditation attempts to unify these polar energies through mental control and creating inner peace. Most forms of meditation reduce mental disorder; thus indirectly allowing the body to relax its resistance to a certain degree. The effects are felt most strongly in the mental and emotional bodies. Both meditation and Hatha Yoga can create some of the same effects as Qigong, but may take longer to achieve it.

Forms of Kundalini Yoga, Kriya, and pranayama quickly push energy into the body and chakras through aggressive breathing techniques and movement. The relative bioenergetic charge thus created can vary quite a bit depending on that tradition and teacher. These systems generally lack a comprehensive and efficient grounding component, which can make their practice somewhat tricky for those persons wishing to remain in the world. Forms of Kundalini practice can create dramatic physical, emotional, and mental side effects and should not be undertaken without a teacher. Preferably in an ashram, under supervision 24/7.

I have met many students and teachers of these arts that have applied them in an extremely yang fashion and none of them have seemed grounded and balanced to me. Although they do experience a lot of energy, the energy meets the resistance of their body, mind, and karmic history. This creates a lot of unnecessary drama and significant side effects. This seems to be a result of too much energy meeting too much resistance and with too little grounding. Gurus who achieve spiritual power in this manner are very much a mixed blessing.

With Qigong, both the practice and the effects are quite different. Unlike the yogic paradigm, which asserts that the first chakra is the perineal / coccygeal area, Qigong knows that the first chakra is located in the bottoms of the feet. This is the way that nature intended earthly life force (kundalini, chi) to be conducted into the body. There are built in safeguards and processes of energetic transformation that makes this raw power easier to deal with and to apply to the body, mind, and emotions in a purely positive way.

The movements of Qigong are very gentle (virtually no energy is consumed by strenuous work) and coordinated with deep breathing, supreme mental focus, and proper bioenergetic alignment of the body. The effect is to amplify one’s vitality while simultaneously reducing internal somatic, emotional, and mental resistance, all in a grounded and balanced fashion. This Taoist approach generates a lot of Chi safely and quickly, often within a few seconds. Mastery may take somewhat longer.

It has been said that Qigong supercharges the body with a balance of earthly and atmospheric ionic energy. This energy suffuses the body, mind, and spirit. The Chi that is birthed in this fashion can be used to invigorate tissues, blood, lymph, bone, and the central nervous system; purifying, soothing, and healing along the way.

Tantric Qigong™ is to regular Qigong as a Lexus on the Autobahn is to an oxcart in a muddy field. They will both get you to your destination, but differ quite a bit in speed, efficacy, and comfort. While Qigong is supreme at creating the benefits mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, the traditional Taoist process of creating personal freedom and spiritual liberation through burning karma is less well defined. The Taoist approach to chakra activation and transmuting negative emotional patterns is convoluted and obscure at best. In contrast, with Tantric Qigong™ we avail ourselves of esoteric Taoist, Tantric Kriya, Kundalini Yoga, and Tibetan techniques not yet generally known in the west to simplify and enhance our process of self mastery and liberation.

There are five basic levels of Tantric Qigong™ training that begin with elementary Qigong and culminate in powerful and efficacious practices rarely taught publicly. We employ principles of Bioenergetics, Chakra, Kriya, and Kundalini yoga, Emotional Freedom, Karma burning, Tibetan Tantra, and Tumo in a safe, balanced structure that requires only a few minutes each day to perform. © 2009 Keith E. Hall Inner-tranquility.com. All rights reserved.

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Not yet a practitioner of Tantric Qigong, T’ai Chi or Yoga? Here are some simple suggestions:

– Get extra sleep. The hectic holidays, traveling, and associated stress place additional demands on your body. If you are sleep-deprived, your body and emotions react more poorly to stress. This can trigger depression and viral illnesses such as colds, flu, cold sores, etc. It is best to get 8 hours of sleep timed so your circadian rhythm is in sync with the daylight hours, i.e., waking up at dawn.

– Drink lots of water. Central heating tends to dry out the air, which in turn dries out your mucous membranes. This can result in nosebleeds, sinus conditions, and leave the nasal passages more vulnerable to attack by respiratory viruses. Hydrating will help you to keep your mucous membranes healthy and resistant to viruses. A humidifier may be helpful also.

– Get a minimum of 30 - 60 minutes of outdoor activity in natural light every day. Gentle, non-fatiguing exercise, sunlight, and breathing fresh air will build your vitality and resistance to winter diseases. You should not exhaust yourself with exercise, as this will steal vital energy from your immune system. T’ai Chi, Tantric Qigong, and Yoga are ideal, but you can substitute walking for up to an hour every day if you don’t know these other exercises. Exercising in full sunlight is an excellent treatment for seasonal affective disorder.

– Other treatments for SAD include light boxes that use intense illumination that provide at least 10,000 lux. Exposure to this bright artificial light has about an 85% success rate if used for 30-60 minutes daily. Some improvement is usually noticed within a week, but it can take a few weeks for full improvement to occur. Here is a good light box that will help, click on the link for more information:

– Do some gentle stretching. Stretching will improve circulation and help remove toxins. Better blood and lymph circulation can improve immune response. You can do this indoors or out. Out of doors has the additional benefits outlined above, but you need to make sure your clothing is adequately warm to minimize Chi loss in the cold. Often jogging trails at the park will have some stations set up for stretching.

– Take some vitamins. When under stress, some water-soluble vitamins can be leached from your system so replenishing these vitamins with a basic multivitamin may be helpful. Additional amounts of vitamin C and zinc can stimulate immune response. B vitamins help with stress, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia, and may improve attention deficit. There is some evidence that even senile dementia may be related to a B12 deficiency.* Beta-carotene and Vitamin A fortify the mucous membranes against pollutants, microbes and carcinogens, and strengthen the thymus gland, which produces T cells.

– Eat yogurt. A good brand of yogurt can have a spectrum of friendly lactobacilli that may prevent you gastrointestinal tract from being colonized by pathogens.

– Take some herbs. Astragalus, Echinacea, and similar herbs may help foster immunocompetence. Ginseng is an adaptogen, building your ability to deal with stress. Red Ginseng may increase your vital fire.

– Breathe. Atmospheric Chi contains solar energy and you can absorb this power with various Taoist and Yogic techniques. A very simple one is to do 10 deep breaths. Inhale deeply for count of 5 or 6, then exhale slowly while focusing on relaxing your body and mind and letting go of any negative emotions. Relaxing will help encourage your Chi to circulate in a more unimpeded manner, strengthening your body energetically.

– Have some good sex. Even if you don’t have a partner. Regular sexual activity can be helpful, stimulating the hypothalamus and pineal gland in particular, and the endocrine system in general. This balances the emotions and strengthens the immune system. During the winter season, the Taoists recommend less ejaculation for both men and women.

– Make sure you eat well. Eat a variety of vegetables of different colors. This time of year the denser vegetables are better than leafy or watery vegetables and fruits. Vegetable soups and stews can be warming and fortifying, as can hot oatmeal.

* Hamilton, et.al, Nutrition Concepts & Controversies, 5th Ed., West Publishing, St. Paul, 1991
(c) 2006 Keith E. Hall. All rights reserved.

Presencing™

Learn Tantric Qigong™:

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Rutabagas: sexy winter nutrition

Instruction & Coaching

The Presencing(sm) Process

Learn to make the most of each moment in your life!

Do you admire those who say “carpe diem” and reach for all the gusto that life has to offer? Ever wonder how you could learn to extract more meaning and enjoyment from your life?

All too often, we live our lives in anticipation of the future while subconsciously repressing unpleasant aspects of our past. We shuttle back and forth between past and future, robbing ourselves of our life and re-creating old patterns of being.   As Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result!”

Through the Presencing Process for Enlightenment & Freedom(sm) we can release patterns, which no longer serve us and create our lives with joy and fulfillment, exactly the way we wish to!

Who can benefit from this course:

– Busy professionals who find it difficult to unwind.
– Anyone who feels “stuck in a rut”.
– Meditators & Yoga practitioners who want to deepen their practice.
– Persons having anxiety, frustration, or difficulty stilling the mind in meditation.
– Psychotherapists & clients wishing an approach to mind-body-spirit holism.
– Bodyworkers & energy workers.
– Persons wishing more clarity, direction, & creativity in their personal or professional lives.

In this experiential session / workshop we will:

– Open ourselves fully to our present experience.
– Use sensation, emotion, and cognition to guide ourselves to our truth.
– Release negative emotion easily while opening to joy, serenity, and bliss.
– Use the breath to inspire creativity, vitality, and enjoyment of our lives.
– Learn how being fully present in the moment can create perfect fulfillment.
– Heal our past wounding and manifest success in all aspects of our being.
– Learn how to create ease of communication and greater connection and intimacy in our relationships.

Presencing™ is available as a private session and as a class / workshop.

Presence is the Buddha Pearl

Rev. Keith Hall has synthesized the seminal aspects of Breathwork, Bioenergetics, Neo-Reichian, Tantric, Taoist, and Buddhist practices to create the Presencing Process(sm). Presencing (sm) facilitates deep healing, joy, empowerment, and freedom from past limitations so we can manifest clearly what we desire in life. Presencingsm is a simple, yet profoundly powerful process for creating our lives the way we wish to.

What people say about Presencing™:

Thank you so much for teaching me a more effective way to meditate. God Bless you….
- JK, Carson City, Nevada

I really was able to make some progress in releasing pain.
- VF, Falls Church, VA

…much more of an experience than I anticipated.
-BC, Mt. Airy, MD

Great workshop!
- KK, Arlington, VA

The Art of Being Present

What is Presencing™

Instruction & Coaching contact for info on instruction

Poems to Bring You Present

Tantric Qigong

Qigong For Drug Addiction

Let’s face it, the United States is a drug culture. 14 million Americans use substances such as marijuana, PCP, and cocaine. 104 million Americans drink alcohol, and 65.5 million use tobacco.* Almost everyone will be afforded the opportunity to use pharmaceutical drugs, many of which also have addictive or habituative characteristics.

The usual therapeutic modalities for treating addiction are the “gradual-reduction” and “symptom-specific” methodologies.** In both of these therapies, pharmaceuticals are used to treat the patient. These pharmaceutical drugs themselves have side effects, one of which can be addiction! It would appear that this pharmaceutical approach does not adequately help patients cope with the physical, mental and emotional issues of addiction.

An experimental study, published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, used qigong, meditation, relaxation and breathing exercises to restore balance and cleanse the body of unwanted toxins in drug addicts. The researchers concluded that qigong is an effective alternative to pharmaceuticals in supporting addicts recovering from addiction. Patients practicing qigong had statistically significant improvement as measured by withdrawal symptoms, anxiety levels, and sleep disturbances. Recovery occurred noticeably faster in the qigong group as compared to those in the control or medication groups, by a rate of 200% or more.

Anxiety, Sleep, and Qigong.
The Qigong group showed significant improvement by the fifth day of treatment, anxiety scores dropping nearly 80% to 8.2 by the tenth day, mean anxiety scores had dropped almost 98% to just 0.7. In comparison to the medication group taking “detoxification” medication (lofexidine HCl), the qigong patients had 87% fewer symptoms.

Sleep disturbances were appreciably lower in the qigong patients. Within six days, 67% of the qigong patients were sleeping normally. Only 7.6% of subjects in the control group slept normally. In other words, patients practicing Qi gong were sleeping normally at a rate almost 9 times that of the control group.

Table I: Anxiety scores by group, pre- and post-treatment.

Day in treatment……………Control group………..Medication group………..Qigong group
Day 0 (pretreatment)……………35.0……………………….33.5…………………….37.4
Day 5…………………………………..21.3……………………….13.6……………………..8.2
Day 10…………………………………..7.3…………………………5.3……………………..0.7

Withdrawal symptoms***
During the program, withdrawal symptoms decreased more quickly in the qigong group. At the end of a week, every qigong patient had ceased having withdrawal symptoms. In the control and medication groups groups, however, symptoms were still being reported after the end of the program. The researchers reported that “This study shows that qigong practice may accelerate the detoxification process, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and shorten recovery time.” The authors concluded qigong may possibly have “significance and wide application” in treating addiction.****

Recovery from addiction presents severe neurological, mental, and emotional challenges to an individual. My experience with Tantric Qigong is that it tends to have a balancing effect on both the psyche and soma. For instance, if one’s nervous system is hyperactive, Tantric qigong will have a calming effect. If one is hypoactive, even lethargic or depressed, qigong will act to enliven and rejuvenate. In the system that I teach, I have observed that both the invigorating and soothing aspects of this practice are naturally mediated by the requirements of the practitioner. That is to say, whether an individual requires the vital energy to be either stimulating or soothing, Tantric Qigong appears to be able to intervene in the manner appropriate for that individual at that time. As this balance is manifested on physical, mental and emotional levels simultaneously, it would seem that qigong is a particularly efficacious approach to the relief of somatic and psychic stresses associated with addiction recovery, and is well suited to a health care system that is itself in a state of stress. (c) 2004, Keith E. Hall. All rights reserved.

Instruction & Coaching contact for info on instruction

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T’ai Chi & Qigong Instruction available in the Baltimore Washington, DC area.

* 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

**Devitt,,M., “Qigong for Drug Addiction.” Acupuncture Today. May, 2002, 3 (5).

*** e.g., nausea, hallucinations, etc.

**** Li M, Chen K, & Mo ZX, “Detoxification with qigong therapy for heroin addicts.” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. Jan./Feb. 2002; 8(1): 50-59.

Sea of Chi, Sex, and Enlightenment

There is more than one acupuncture point to which the appellation “Sea of Chi” is affixed. For instance there is “Qi Hai Shu” or “Sea-of-Qi Shu” (Urinary Bladder 24) which is located at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the third lumbar vertebra. This point strengthens the kidneys, chi and yang, and is said to “enrich” yin. It can tonify the blood, restore collapsed yin or yang, expel kidney stones, and gathers chi for the lower Cinnabar Field. This point is sort of the “back door” to the chakras of the lower Tan Tien (Cinnabar Field) and one of its effects can be to strengthen certain types of sexual energy.

So one can see how Sea-of-Qi Shu has some importance for our vital, sexual, and generative functions. It can be seen also to have a Tantric aspect in that it unifies Yin and Yang, Essence and Spirit.

Most often, the term “Sea of Chi,” as used in acupuncture refers to Qihai, which is on the midline and below the navel. It is used to treat abdominal pain, nocturnal emission, impotence or erectile dysfunction, uterine bleeding, irregular menstruation, dysmenorreha, postpartum hemorrhage, constipation, among others. From this list, one can see how this point has a direct effect on the quality of both male and female sexual energies.

In a sense, this entire mid to lower area of the abdomen can be called a Sea of Chi, with much the same poetic accuracy that the clairvoyant yoga Masters describe this area as Manipura, or the “City of Jewels.” The entire area is a large storage battery for our light, the very essence of our life force. How we express this life force is another matter, and varies from person to person depending on their karmic patterning.

While acupuncture and moxibustion are excellent for certain conditions, particularly physical and emotional ones, certain aspects of the higher spiritual qualities are more efficiently developed with supplemental practices such as T’ai Chi, Tantric Qigong, Tumo, Conscious Breathwork, etc. Karma is somatically stored in the tissues of this and other areas of the body, and the meridians and points cannot completely release or transform this sort of energy. Apparently the karmic charge is both too dense and simultaneously widespread somatically for the meridians to be able to have a direct, significant, and consistent “karma burning” effect. If that were really possible, then all one would need for enlightenment would be to stick some needles in there. I wish it were that easy. In that case, I can think of a more than a few people who could benefit immediately and tremendously from being needled.

If one’s Intention is to create evolutionary Awakening and Spiritual Freedom, we must harness all the Will, life force, and persistence that the third chakra can produce. One way of doing this is to generate large quantities of Chi through breath exercises, and couple this life force with a process of liberating somatic holding patterns (our karmic habits and resistance to spiritual growth) through precise conscious movement. This allows life force, consciousness, and intention to be unified, and the form of our karmic baggage to be released and transmuted.

This is one of the specific and most important intentions of both our Tantric Qigong system as taught in the “10 Minutes to a Healthier You!” course, and the breath and mental / muscular control and surrender methodology of the “Relax! Journey to the Primal Sea” CD program. These techniques work not only with the meridians and superficial points but also with the deeper, more extensive internal chakras. For instance, the location of the lower Cinnabar Field is not only associated with the QiHai and Guan Yuan points, found two or three inches below the navel, but also an energetic field three to four inches inward (deeper if you are sufficiently zaftig.) Both the superficial and the deeper, more internal fields must be a least partially cleared and balanced for physical, metal, and spiritual health to be restored and Awakening to occur.

Breath Coaching can be ideal for someone who is ready to surrender his or her spiritually maladaptive patterns. During this process, the coach and trainee work with both the seat of personal power, and the seat of Spiritual Surrender i.e., the Tan Tien, Solar Plexus, and Heart Chakras. One does not lose even one quantum of personal power, but the software applications governing its use and intention may change. This transforms self centeredness, victim / victimizer consciousness, and stubborn attachments to ego patterns into an empowering surrender to the Flow of Tao. What is perceived as surrender by some is in actuality allowing yourself to be carried into the power of Universal Flow while generating empathy, gratitude, and compassion as a natural consequence. I think you can see how this would be important for both spiritual progress and healthy, dynamic interpersonal and sexual relationships.
(See, The 3rd Chakra and the Spiritual Purpose of Power, parts 1-6)

Certainly though, an acupuncture and / or moxa treatment can be calming, centering, and revitalizing and tangibly important, since a modicum of physical health and centering is a prerequisite for higher spiritual attainment. In our increasingly frenetic and dis-eased world, this should not be underestimated in its value, especially if it is as an adjunct to an efficacious spiritual and somatic practice. © 2008 Keith E. Hall. All rights reserved.

The Three Jewels of Taoism

Learn Tantric Qigong ™

Presencing™: Learn to Be Present

Instruction & Coaching contact for info on instruction

T’ai Chi & Qigong Instruction available in the Baltimore Washington, DC area.