Conscious Connected Breathing

Conscious Connected Breathing is a system of conscious breathing that invigorates the body with life force while transmuting emotions and clarifying consciousness.  Through deep connected-breathing, we break through our mind/body armor and release self-limiting emotions and karmic and muscular patterns.  This process balances and harmonizes body, mind, and soul, helping us in regaining our true Self and vitality as we open ourselves to joy and freedom.

Conscious Breathing has been a fundamental part of the yogic science of pranayama and the Taoist practices of T’ai Chi and Tantric Qigong for millennia. As long ago as 2700 B.C., The Yellow Emperor (Huang Ti) allegedly practiced a form of Qigong called Tao Yin to increase his vitality and life span. Fundamental to this practice was the way in which the movements were coordinated with and empowered by the breath.

In the 1920s Paramahansa Yogananda brought the ancient science of Kriya Yoga and Conscious Breathing (pranayama) to the United States. In pranayama, breath is regulated to build an energetic charge which assists in the release of stress and increases the health of the practitioner of yoga.  Furthermore, Yogananda states that “Yoga works primarily with the energy in the body, through the science of pranayama, or energy-control.  Prana means also ‘breath.’ Yoga teaches how, through breath-control, to still the mind and attain higher states of awareness. The higher teachings of yoga take one beyond techniques, and show the yogi, or yoga practitioner, how to direct his concentration in such a way as not only to harmonize human with Divine consciousness, but to merge his consciousness in the Infinite.”  -Yogananda, The Essence of Self-Realization

It wasn’t until the 1930s that the West had its own bona fide breath guru, Wilhelm Reich. Wilhelm Reich, a student of Freud, created a style of therapy which focused on somatic as well as verbal analysis. Reich developed the theory of character armor i.e., persistent patterns of muscle tension and restricted breathing which repressed emotions from conscious attention by blocking their awareness and expression. Muscular armoring is chronic muscular tension that blocks the unimpeded flow of life force through the body. Today this is commonly and simplistically called “stress.” It is now commonly accepted that stress and the repression / restriction of life force can result in both emotional stagnation and in physical disease.

Reich, along with another of Freud’s students, Otto Rank, traced the genesis of muscular armoring and restricted breathing all the way back to our first breath at birth. He thought that the trauma of birth catalyzed a compensatory response characterized by limiting the breath. We learn to minimize our perception of emotional pain and fear by restraining the breath, although this also limits our ability to experience our emotions and our selves fully and authentically. Reich used breath to energetically charge the body with life-force, which he called Orgone (Chi, Qi, Ki, Prana) resulting in the freeing of blocked emotional energy and chronic muscular tension.

Perhaps the most famous of Reich’s students was Alexander Lowen.  Lowen devised a process he termed “Bioenergetics,” which consisted of both analysis and exercises to free physical, emotional, and energetic blockages. In 1971, he published The Language of the Body (originally published in 1958 as Physical Dynamics of Character Structure) which led to the coining of the popular term “body language.”

In the mid-1970s, I had the opportunity to study with one of Lowen’s students. I found Bioenergetic Analysis to be dynamic, challenging, and deeply profound in its ability to open physical-emotional blockages in a well grounded manner. This work led directly to my study and practice of T’ai Chi Chuan and Qigong with Master Yung-ko Chou. These gentle Taoist arts accelerated my progress with Bioenergetics helping me to ground and integrate higher energetic states more easily.

It was around this time that the work of Reich, Lowen, and Yogananda was co-opted and popularized as the Rebirthing movement and also led to the work of Stanislav Grof. Grof originated the term “holotropic” to describe modes of consciousness or psychic states which aim toward the experience of wholeness and the totality of existence. Grof asserts that the holotropic is characteristic of non-ordinary states of consciousness such as the meditative and mystical.

In his book, The Cosmic Game - Explorations of the Frontiers of Human Consciousness, Grof says “In the last few decades, it has become increasingly clear that humanity is facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Modern science has developed effective measures that could solve most of the urgent problems in today’s world–combat the majority of diseases, eliminate hunger and poverty, reduce the amount of industrial waste, and replace destructive fossil fuels by renewable sources of clean energy. The problems that stand in the way are not of economical or technological nature. The deepest sources of the global crisis lie inside the human personality and reflect the level of consciousness evolution of our species.”

Following this line of thought leads one to conclude that saving the planet requires that we first save ourselves. We must clarify our consciousness, transcend the separate, individual, illusory self, and unify our Mind, Body, Emotions, and Spirit. We must Awaken to who we really Are. © 2010 Keith e. Hall. All rights reserved.

Workshop: July 31, Olney MD: Info & Online Registration

The Art of Conscious Breathing

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Learn Tantric Qigong™:

Introduction to Qigong

Discover how to improve your health and well being in as little as 10 minutes!

Boost immunity, get grounded, empowered, accelerate Self-Mastery & spiritual evolution!

Find out why millions of people have practiced qigon for thousands of years. Easier, gentler than T’ai Chi, Qigong consists of conscious breathing & gentle meditative movements that generate and circulate life force and consciousness. Appropriate for anyone who can breathe and move his / her arms!

The 8 Treasures system of Tantric Qigong can be learned by almost anyone, regardless of physical condition. Practicing these simple exercises results in increased vitality, flexibility, mental focus, and alertness. Tantric Qigong will noticeably reduce stress levels, and is a gentle non-impact aerobics routine for cardiac and respiratory health. Tuition: $35 Discount for early registration.

Weekly Tantric Qigong Classes start Sunday, July 18 at Olney Yoga, 12:30 PM.

Meditation & Conscious Breathing

Breath is Life! The quality of your breathing directly influences the quality of your life, and odds are your breathing is not nearly as efficient as it could be. The experience of routine stress, anxiety, injury, developmental or other traumatic events, even birth, can create deep holding patterns in the body which limit life-force and dampen your spirit.

Conscious Breathing derives its techniques from ancient Yogic and Taoist systems such as Pranayama, T’ai Chi, and Qi Gong breathing and shares some similarities with systems such as Rebirthing. This course will introduce us to methods that will:

• Reverse the effects of accumulated stress and trauma.

• Begin to remove obstructions in the flow of one’s vital energy.

• Increase life-force by drawing on the energy (Chi, Prana) surrounding us at all times.

• Improve meditation, integration, well being, peace of mind, and mind-body mastery.

Increase your ability to contend with life’s challenges & fully enjoy its delights. Tuition: $35 Discount for early registration.

The Art of Being Present

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

Do you admire those who say “carpe diem” & reach for all the gusto that life presents? Wonder how to extract more enjoyment from life?

We live in anticipation of the future & are attached to our past. We shuttle back & forth between past & future, robbing ourselves of our life & re-creating old patterns of being. Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over & over again & expecting a different result!” Through the Presencing Process^SM we can release

patterns that no longer serve us & create our lives with joy & 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 w/ anxiety, frustration, difficulty stilling the mind, therapists wishing an approach to mind-body holism. ·Bodyworkers, energy workers, persons wishing clarity & creativity in their personal/professional lives.

In this experiential workshop we will:

· Learn to create better communication & greater connection in our relationships, Open ourselves fully to our present experience.

· Use sensation, emotion, cognition to guide ourselves to our truth, Release negative emotion while opening to joy & serenity.

· Use breath to inspire creativity, vitality, & enjoyment of our lives, learn how being present in the moment can create fulfillment.

· Heal past wounding & manifest success in all aspects of our being. 3 CEUs Available!. Tuition: $59 Early registration discount.

Email us for more information, or call 301-774-196

The Three Jewels of Taoism: Shen
Heaven abides so that we have virtue. Earth abides so that we have Qi. When virtue flows and Qi is blended there is life. — Huangdi Neijing

The third of The Three Jewels of Taoism (Three Treasures) is known as Shen. Shen often is translated as “Spirit” or “Mind” in the sense of consciousness, mental acuity, emotional health, and presence or charisma. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Shen is Consciousness manifested through our various mental, spiritual, and creative domains. Shen Consciousness is regarded as a central component of our health and well being, thus cultivation of the spirit is considered essential for safeguarding our wellness.

If we think of Jing as your computer hardware and Qi as the power, then Shen is the data and graphics that are transmitted to the screen. In the Enlightened person, this data will manifest itself as Wisdom and Spiritual Presence.

Using the analogy of a candle, if Jing is the wax, and Chi (Qi) the energy of the candle, then Shen would be the light or radiance given off. In Taoism, it is thought that it is through Shen that we “radiate” ourselves into the external world. This spiritual effulgence creates wisdom, virtue, and inner peace, while generating and preserving balance within ourselves. Just as the light that radiates from a candle is dependent upon wax, wick, and flame, so a healthy, luminous Shen is identified with the cultivation and balancing of both Jing and Qi.

In The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, Huangdi states  “…that which cannot be fathomed (in terms of) Yin and Yang is spirit.”  This can be construed to suggest that Shen is immaterial and that its nature is therefore transcendent.

Talking about Spirit can be tricky given its non-material and ambiguous character. Is spirit composed of emotions, mind, or something else?  Most religions do not define Spirit very well. Taoism attempts a definition, although varying schools of Taoist philosophy have somewhat different views of this.  The Five Element school of thought claims that Shen includes:

– Shen – Mind, defined as consciousness and thought, and is said to reside in the Heart.
– Hun - Eternal Soul, akin to some western concepts of spirit, residing in the Liver.
– Po - Corporeal soul, Soul of the body, sometimes said to be akin to the vital force or “animal spirit”, centered in the Lungs.
– Yi – Intellect, memory and intellectual functions, resident in the Spleen.
– Zhi – Will, as in Intention and willpower, dwelling in the Kidneys.

The associated five elements are Wood (Hun), Fire (Shen), Earth (Yi), Metal (Po), and Water (Zhi).

In terms of the ancient Taoist view of embryology, Hun and Po join with Jing (seminal essence), their union catalyzing the emergence of Shen (spirit). Also, notice that these five aspects are associated with somatic structures: the organs of the body. Taoism makes no distinction between mind and body; they are always regarded as two contiguous expressions of one essence. Thus, the metaphysical affects the substantial and the substantial affects the metaphysical.

Shen may be adversely affected if we fail to preserve our vitality through good diet and exercise or if we indulge in excessively violent emotion. When Shen is in disharmony it often manifests itself as:

– Discord between one’s personality and the life one is living.
– Insomnia, forgetfulness, heart palpitations, dullness of the eyes, poor cognition.
– Dearth of inspiration, intuitive awareness; deadness; no joie de vivre.
– Ambivalence, contradiction, the person has no “center”.
– Chaotic activity, anxiety, restlessness, fatigue.
– Little or no sense of your path in life.
– Little internal inquiry, self-reflection, discernment.
– In extreme conditions, neurosis, mental illness, e.g. depression and mania.

Shen can be strengthened and balanced through meditation, acupuncture, and certain herbal courses of treatment.  Somatic disciplines such as T’ai Chi and Qigong are particularly effective.  Qigong, of course, has become world renown for its health and medical applications, and justly so. It has had much documented success as a therapeutic modality within the secular health care system in China.

Shen is quite naturally empowered as one’s Jing and Chi are reinvigorated through the daily practice of Qigong.  However, it does seem to me that in our technological culture, there is much to distract or confuse the mind, emotions, and spirit, and the quantity and pace of these distractions are increasing.  There are so many aspects of our modern life that are in direct competition with, and deleterious to, the development of Spirit and Inner Peace.

In addition to the spiritually negative influences of our techno-culture, there is also reluctance on the part of certain groups, e.g. the Chinese government, to acknowledge the part Qigong has to play in the evolution of spirit.  So, some Qigong organizations may be persecuted if they have an overt spiritual and political agenda.  Combine Eastern authoritarianism with Western materialism and fixation on the external, and one can begin to see that the spiritual aspect of Taoist discipline currently receives short shrift in comparison to the health and medical aspects.

One needs a strong spirit in a strong and emotionally balanced body to persevere on the path of conscious evolution.  That is why I have developed this particularly efficient and potent style of Tantric Qigong.  The conscientious practitioner receives well-balanced spiritual sustenance as he or she nurtures and rebuilds Jing and Qi.

The Three Jewels of Taoism: Jing, Qi, Shen.

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Presencing: The Art of Being Present

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Tantric Qigong Classes

Learn how to improve your health and well being in as little as 10 minutes a day!
Boost your immune system, rejuvenate yourself, and create serenity within.

Tantric Qigong, Sedona

The 8 Treasures system of Tantric Qigong can be learned by almost anyone, regardless of his or her physical condition. Practicing these simple exercises results in increased vitality, flexibility, mental focus, and alertness.  Tantric Qigong will noticeably reduce stress levels, and is a gentle non-impact aerobics routine for cardiac and respiratory health.

The class will employ elements of Taoist and Bioenergetic practices. Classes may also include some aspects of T’ai Chi, pranayama (conscious breathing), and meditation forms for creating a relaxed body and mind. You will learn to develop your vital energy and personal power to nourish your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Upon completion, you will be eligible for certification.

Tuition: $149 (includes Training Manual & Log)

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Learning stages of Tantric Qi Gong include:
1. Relaxing & aligning the body
2. Controlling the breath
3. Focusing the mind-Transmuting the
emotions
4. Moving the Chi
5. Development of the Spirit

Rev. Keith Hall has taught T’ai Chi, Qigong, Tantra, and meditation for 30 years.  He is a senior student of Master Yung-ko Chou, with permission to teach. Rev. Hall has studied at various Mystery Schools and with Dhyanyogi Madhusudandas, S. Saraswati, and others. He has also taught Bioenergetics, Tumo, Vipassana, Zen, Spiritual Bodywork, various Yogas, and other Eastern and Western psychospiritual disciplines. Rev. Hall has published articles on East - West disciplines in numerous journals.

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The Three Jewels of Taoism: Qi

In traditional Chinese culture, the second of the Three Jewels (also known as The Three Treasures) is Qi (Chi), an active energetic principle that is part of all living organisms.

Chi or Qi can be thought of as life-force energy – the energy which vitalizes our bodies, and which empowers our movement.  This movement consists not only of locomotion, but also includes the movement of the breath and lungs, the coursing of our blood through the heart, lungs, and blood vessels, digestion, and the functional movements of all of our organs.

Qi is associated most particularly with the Liver and Spleen organ systems. If we think of Jing as a candle, then Chi is the candle flame - the energy produced via the transformation of the wax into fire. In our computer analogy, if Jing can be said to be your computer hardware, then Qi is the electricity that powers the system. Qi is the energy or life force that “boots up” our bodies.

In Tantric Qigong, we say that there are three types of Chi: Heavenly Qi, Earthly Qi, and Personal Qi.  Heavenly Chi is the robust energy that resides in the air or atmosphere and is sometimes known as the solar principle. Heavenly Chi is related to the naturally occurring negative ionic charge that is generated by the atmosphere and its interaction with solar radiation. One reason we feel revitalized in the mountains or at the beach is that these areas are naturally abundant with Heavenly Qi. In some systems, Heavenly Chi is thought to be closely related to the evolution of Cosmic Consciousness. It is sometimes thought of as the Masculine Principle.

Earthly Chi is resident in the earth and may be more naturally accessible in geographic areas with crystalline formations or vortices, such as those near Sedona, Arizona. Sometimes thought of as the Feminine Principle, Earthly Chi seems to have a grounded, generative, and healing quality. In Tantra Yoga, this earthly polarity is said to be directly linked to our sexual energy, so it would have some direct interface with what the Taoists call Jing (Ching).

Ordinarily, in persons not trained in Tantric Qigong, Earthly Chi is absorbed and transported within the body through the digestion and metabolization of food. Heavenly Qi is absorbed unconsciously through the process of autonomic breathing. Part of Tantric Qigong training and discipline is to learn how to master and absorb these energies more consciously and powerfully through certain Chakras and meridians. In some forms of External Qigong, Qi is the energetic force which can be radiated from a Master’s hands for healing purposes. This type of Chi is called Emitted Qi.

Earthly Qi interacts with Heavenly Qi to form our Personal Chi, which is a combination of these energies that abide within our bodies vitalizing our Soma and empowering our Psyche.  The relative levels of our vitality, intelligence, and the plane that our consciousness evolves to are partially determined by our ability to consciously absorb, transmute, and direct this Qi. Thus, one who masters the absorption, generation, and direction of Qi will have a tendency towards improved health, higher intelligence, and ease of spiritual evolution.

Next: The Three Jewels of Taoism:  Shen

Jing, Qi, Shen

Presencing - The Power of Now

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The Three Jewels of Taoism: Jing

The Three Jewels (sometimes called the Three “Treasures) - Jing, Qi and Shen – are energies cultivated through the practice of Tantric Qigong (Chi Kung, Chi Gong), T’ai Chi, and certain Yoga and Tibetan disciplines. Jing (Ching), Qi (Chi) and Shen, may be translated as Essence, Vitality, and Spirit.

A Tantric Qigong practitioner studies techniques to convert Jing into Qi and then into Shen (the path of transmutation) – and also to transmogrify Shen into Qi and Jing – (the path of generation or manifestation). The Three Jewels can also be thought of as three frequencies of a common energy. Practitioners of the Inner Alchemy of Tantric Qigong (Neidan or Neigong) learn to control and transmute the frequency of their energy and consciousness along this spectrum – choosing the wave length they desire as we might we might choose a particular TV or radio station.

Jing
The most concentrated or densely vibrating energy is Jing. Of the Three Jewels, Jing may be the one associated most closely with our physical body. Jing is said to reside in the lower dantian (Tan Tien), or the Kidney System (sometimes thought of as kidney essence), and manifests itself partly as the reproductive energy of the sperm and ova. Jing can be stored in the kidneys and is the most primal energy within the body (Chi or Qi and Shen are progressively “lighter” or more refined in their vibration). Jing is said to be the basis for our physical bodies and is yin in nature, which means it is nourishing and cooling to the body. Jing is also thought to be the vehicle of our heredity - a concept similar that of DNA.

Jing is often considered the root of our life force, the physical substance out of which our life evolves. Jing may be likened to a wire through which the electricity of Qi is transmitted. One can also think of Jing as being analogous to the hardware of a computer – the physical foundation of an operating system. In this metaphor, Chi would be the electricity, and Shen the data that appears on your monitor.

Jing is consumed continuously by the activities of daily life, stress, illness, substance abuse, sexual excess, fear, pain, anxiety, etc. In addition to the practice of Qigong and T’ai Chi, Jing can be restored through dietary and herbal supplements, and balanced through acupuncture.

In women, Jing can be depleted through abnormally heavy menstruation and pregnancy. Some Taoist lineages promote exercises to diminish menstruation, reserving and recycling the energy that would be lost through the menstrual blood. There are corresponding Taoist and Tantric exercises for men.

In men, generation and replacement of semen lost through excessive sexual activity resulting in ejaculation contributes to the depletion of Jing. Some ancient texts actually define Jing (Ojas in the Tantra Yoga tradition) as semen, although this metaphor is not quite accurate.  Semen contains and is energized by Jing energy, but Jing can also be expressed as ova, sexual energy in general, and bone marrow. In addition, through the practice of Taoist sexology and certain Tantric Kundalini techniques, the Jing or Ojas can be withdrawn from the semen, preventing its depletion.

Most ancient masters consider Jing to be the raw material of Qi (Chi), though some have said that Jing is an expression of Chi. Obviously, vitality and sexual energy are closely related, so it may be a bit pedantic to argue which came first, sex or life force, chicken or egg. Even in the Tantra Yoga tradition, these energies of the lower chakras are so closely related and wired together that artificial distinctions are ordinarily not that valuable. © 2010 Keith E. Hall, www.inner-tranquility.com All rights reserved.

Next: The Three Jewels of Taoism: Qi

Jing, Qi, Shen.

Presencing - The Power of Now

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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.”*******

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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

Winter And Your Spiritual Practice

Deep winter. The earth is swaddled in snow, a deep silence pervades the land were I live, punctuated only by the occasional ” thock, thock” of the axe splitting wood.

The Winter season can be a great time for introspection and self-inquiry. One’s Chi is contracted and Yin.  The life force of much of nature is quiescent, hibernating; collecting itself for the surge of life that will follow in the spring.  For warm-blooded, non-hibernating creatures (this might be you!) this presents some difficulty. The active Yang part of your life force is reduced and is split between keeping you warm, fighting off colds and flu, and all of your regular mental and bodily functions. Activities of daily living, work, recreation, negative emotions, even sex can compete for your available Chi.  Sometimes it seems there is just not enough energy to go around and one can easily become mentally and physically sluggish, lethargic, perhaps even emotionally challenged or withdrawn.

Additionally, aggressive exercise during this time can seem invigorating, but may result in a net energy loss, leaving one prone to exhaustion and illness.  While meditation is an ideal practice in many ways for the Winter season, one’s practice should be balanced by some physical training that generates life force. Yoga, Tantric Qigong, and T’ai Chi are excellent for this purpose. They balance your mental and emotional states and generate more energy than they consume in the performance of the exercise.

Sometimes it seems to be an extra challenge to pony up the perseverance and spiritual discipline necessary to continue a yoga or tantric qigong practice in the cold stillness of January and February.  The often physcially and emotionally exhausting madness of the December holiday season doesn’t help much either, does it?

Winter Meditation for Collecting Life Force
Try this meditation to collect your Chi during the cold winter season. You can do this either out of doors, making sure you are adequately wrapped up in warm clothes and blankets, or indoors, preferably in front of a window with a good view of nature. Wear warm but loose clothing, a thick, fluffy sweat suit with a sweater may be ideal for this. Make especially sure that your waist is not constricted.

1. Sit up as straight as you can, take a deep breath, and relax your legs, belly, chest, shoulders, neck, and jaw.
2. Locate the Tan Tien point, 4 finger widths below your navel.
3. As you view the wintry landscape, begin to breathe deeply into the Tan Tien, collecting your life force deeply into your center, just as the earth’s energy is collected and stored deeply underground.
4. Press you feet firmly against the ground or floor and draw in Chi from both the earth and the air.
5. Feel warmth grow in your belly as you continue to breathe deeply and continuously.
6. Feel the vast strength and stability of the earth, and how its energy abides even during the coldest time of the year.  Align and harmonize your energy with this boundless earthly reservoir of wintertime Chi. Continue for 10 minutes or more.
7. Conclude by feeling that you will abide as you amass your Chi, that you are able to protect yourself from exhaustion and illness, and are readying yourself for the rebirth of spring. © 2009 Keith E. Hall. All rights reserved.

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Tantric Qigong, Mindfulness, and Flow

Mindfulness, which is often thought of as a Buddhist concept, is really about being Present.  Presencing is one form of self-inquiry (which can be done as a meditation or as coaching) as is Tantric Qigong.  These art forms are about getting out of your head, your mental analysis, comparison and judgment, and becoming present to what really IS.

It sounds simple, and it is. However, this is not very easy for most people. We are constantly and anxiously analyzing, comparing / contrasting, projecting our assumptions, and judging the world around and within ourselves. Our perceptions are based on our past experiences and our experiences are shaped by our perceptions.  This is why I often maintain that we are continually “lying” to ourselves and others.  Our internal stories about the world and ourselves are supreme acts of creation in that each person’s world becomes based more and more on this mental / perceptual editing.  How can we know what is real?  How can we ascertain what is truly necessary and important in our lives?  What will really sustain our Self, our heart and soul?  Thinking and analyzing isn’t gong to cut it. It hasn’t worked too well so far has it?  Perhaps no-thinking may be more useful.

Even kittens seek release from the Wheel of Karma

All of the multitudinous forms of meditation have elements of stilling the mind and its critical or judgmental aspects, these demons of discernment gone horribly wrong. But have you ever tried stilling your mind? Herding kittens is much easier. Practices such as Vipassana, Zen, T’ai Chi, Yoga, and Tantric Qigong all have techniques to bring one out of the maze of one’s thoughts and unbridled emotions as one of their goals.  The only difference in these arts is in their approach.

One approach to mindfulness and being present is to focus on the details of our experience.  Walking down the street, noticing every minute part of what is around us.  People, the sun, clouds, every caress of the air upon your cheek, the feeling of your clothes touching your body.  Internally, we can notice body sensations, the character of your emotional flow, the many mental distractions.  Notice them and let them go.

Try this exercise:   Stop and see, touch, and smell the flowers.
A particular flower, perhaps a lily.  Notice its overall form and all of its minutia. The sturdiness of the stalk.  How does it feel to lightly stroke its petals?  Kiss a leaf.  Notice its texture.  Does it kiss back?  The color.  How the hues blend on its petals and leaves.  The subtle patterns within.  The heady incense of its scent.  Pistils droozed, laden with pollen. Can you almost see and hear the grains floating down?  Take plenty of time.  The closer you come into unity with this flower, the more you will become Present and unify your consciousness.

Flow
The river of Tao encompasses all of creation, including every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it or not.  All creativity comes from being “in the zone”, being in alignment with the Tao, from being in flow.  Like water, the flow of Tao is both dynamic (Yang) and still (Yin). When we are truly present to flow, obstacles evaporate, we Do and Be effortlessly, and life is suffused with meaning, abundance, and joy. To be in harmony with the flow of Tao is both power and wisdom, knowing when to do and when to be still, when to utilize Will and when to Surrender in the moment.

Qigong as a Meditation
Using the mind alone to still the mind is fraught with great difficulty. Where you are blind to Self, by definition you cannot see what is needed for equanimity, for inner peace.  You remain blind. When you are stressed, distracted, overwrought with emotions you must keep in check, the mind is a team of horses pulling in many directions at once. It is an almost impossible challenge to attempt to use only mental processes to be present and centered, and to still the raging beasts

Tao is Flow

of the mind.

One of the great aspects of T’ai Chi and Tantric Qigong is the facility with which these arts bring you into mindful presence and flow.  You really can’t let your mind wander; you’ll forget what you are doing.  The practitioner must focus his or her attention on one’s stance, sense of grounding, the coordination of subtle movement with deep diaphragmatic breathing, alignment of the body with gravity, and the flow of life force (Chi, Qi, Ki).  The moment your mind wanders you are lost, the efficacy and consciousness of energy flow is diminished. This sort of compels you to come back to mindful presencing.  We begin anew, as we must always do each moment, to align and unify mind, body, and spirit, heart and soul, with the eternal power of Now. © Keith E. Hall and www.inner-tranquility.com

Presencing: the Art of Being. Learn more here.

Tantric Qigong, Taiji, Multiple Sclerosis and the Immune System

Multiple Sclerosis is a condition where one’s immune system dysfunctionally attacks the fatty sheath that insulates nerves. Just like an electrical wire that has been stripped of its insulation, one’s nerves start to short out. The nerve impulses never reach their terminus, which causes those afflicted to begin to lose coordination.

There is still no conclusive etiology for Multiple Sclerosis, though statistically the group at greatest risk consists of Caucasian women born in the northern United States.  Once contracted, the disease manifests itself in numerous symptoms, which tend to be progressive. Often one notices initially some difficulty with balance and walking, followed by a kind of paresthesia, or prickly sensations in various areas of the body. Untreated, persons with MS can develop pain in the eyes and blindness due to optic nerve inflammation. Multiple Sclerosis can result in tremors, slurring of speech, and a gradual deterioration of cognitive function, or even sudden paralysis.

Qigong (Chi Kung) and T’ai Chi (which is a form of qigong) have been shown to be effective in ameliorating and reversing the onslaught of this condition. Qigong and T’ai Chi tend to have an overall balancing effect on the body and psyche. In the case of MS and other autoimmune disorders, these arts will start to bring the immune system back into balance. Where the immune system is too dysfunctionally aggressive, as in autoimmune conditions, the practice of Tantric Qigong will reduce its Yang qualities. Where the immune system is weak, qigong will strengthen its Yang. So balance can be achieved whether one’s immune system is hyperactive or hypoactive.

Though Western medicine remains clueless within its paradigm about the mechanism of qigong healing, MS sufferers can experience significant relief by integrating this healing discipline into their daily routine as the following examples illustrate.

Husted et al., in an article published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, noted that this sort of practice could result in multiple sclerosis patients being able to increase their walking speed (a 21% increase) and hamstring flexibility (a 28% increase). They also noted MS patients improved in vitality, social functioning, mental health, and ability to carry out physical and emotional roles.¹

In a paper on trans-disciplinary approaches for treatment and rehabilitation in neurotraumatology at a joint international congress in Brescia 2004, researchers discussed the application of Qigong for disabled persons whose Chi (Qi) is unbalanced and stagnant, noting one case of a woman legally blind due to multiple sclerosis who was able to regain her sight enough to be able to drive and read.²

There is mounting evidence that qigong can produce significant positive alterations in psychological, neuroendocrine, and immune systems.  Astin et al. reported that 8 weeks of qigong reduced the pain experienced by multiple sclerosis patients.³  Another study also reported qigong’s beneficial effects on general health in patients with muscular dystrophy. 4

In a study investigating the effectiveness of mindful movement in symptom management in people with multiple sclerosis, investigators noticed a broad improvement in symptomatology in practitioners of these arts while the control group showed a continued deterioration in symptoms. The study concluded that “training in mindfulness of movement appeared to result in improved symptom management for…people with multiple sclerosis.” 5

Joni Bell, who has practiced Qigong for 10 years, says “I’ve had multiple sclerosis for 32 years and I was compromised by the disease. My many falls traumatized my left foot, and osteoarthritis resulted. Since incorporating Qigong into my life, my strength and balance have improved remarkably and I seldom fall.” 6

Elaine Silverman, disaffected with her prognosis and treatment plan through conventional western medicine, turned to alternative healing, including qigong, about which she says ” Even genetic conditions can be overcome, as I later learned through the study of QiGong…(it) allows the body to internally slow down, relax, and begin to balance itself.”7

While more research may need to be done to appease the western medical literati, these contemporary results validate the thousands of years of anecdotal evidence accrued by Eastern practitioners of Tantric Qigong, T’ai Chi, and Taoist Tantra. © 2009 Keith E. Hall and www.inner-tranquility.com. All rights reserved.

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