TO ALL OF YOU

from

ALL OF US AT HEALING T’AI CHI

MAY HAPPINESS, HEALTH AND PROSPERITY BE YOURS IN THE NEW YEAR!

Check back next week for a brand new seated exercise to improve your energy and health in the new year.

I’m doing another free distant energy healing session for everyone on my email list and all their friends, families, and anyone else who reads this. The main healing session will be on Sunday January 3, 2010 from 7-8pm Pacific Time or California Time (10-11pm EST).

You can join this free distant energy healing session by using your intention to be  included. If you wish to join, just close your eyes for a minute when you read this and mentally say that you intend to join the session and want to be included. That is all you have to do to connect with the energy and you don’t have to do anything else. Healing energy can begin to flow to you once you do this as many people who have done this before have reported. I’ll be doing unscheduled energy adjustments leading up to the January 3, main session and you can receive a lot of healing energy before the main session on Sun. Jan. 3.

You can include other people by following the instructions later in this email.

For those who want to know more about this work you can read my websitewww.QigongEnergyHealing.com . I was the past Secretary of the International Tibetan Qigong Association and found I had a gift for distant energy healing after recovering from a serious spinal cord injury.

This is not a telephone or Internet session. All you do is just relax and sit or lie down during the session and pay attention to what is happening in your body.  Because there will be many people in the session, I please ask that you don’t email or call to join. I wouldn’t be able to handle all the email unless it is done this way. You join simply by using your intention after reading this email. Also because this will be a big group I won’t be able to answer questions before the session and I’ll give the details you will need in this email. Please feel free to email me your experiences after the session is over.

Besides the main healing session I’ll be doing regular unscheduled energy adjustments leading up to Jan. 3 for those who intend to join before the main session. People can begin to notice effects of the energy adjustments soon after intending to join. Sensitive people can feel the effects of this adjustment period strongly before the main session. Here are comments from people who felt the energy working soon after intending to join.

“This is my first experience with this type of healing and I was skeptical. I am sensitive and from the time I joined I have felt this flow of energy and coolness. It’s quite interesting.”

I ask for your help and please forward this to anyone you think may be interested.  Anyone can join even if they haven’t done this work before. It’s easier to forward this email by clicking the forward button in your email program than use the link at the bottom of the page. You can post this wherever you think it would be helpful, message boards, blogs, Facebook and other social websites, chat rooms, twitter, etc..  If you want to just post a url instead of the whole message then here is a url to my blog that gives all the information about the free session. www.mohoric.wordpress.com

You can help many people by forwarding this email.  Because we are in a time of major transformation predicted by many different ancient cultures, it is easier than ever to transform negative beliefs and energy patterns.

Many spiritual traditions teach that we are all connected and now some Quantum Physicists are saying the same thing. These ancient teachings often mention the most important thing we can do is help others. When we help others we are also helping ourselves because we are all connected.

In Chaos Theory there is a term called the butterfly effect. This term is used to suggest that small actions or variations in a system can affect giant and complex systems. It suggests that possibly a butterfly flapping it’s wings in one part of the world over time could create a tornado in another part of the world or change it’s direction. If you send this email to others we don’t know how it will affect the bigger picture. You could send it to your friends and they could send it to their friends and it could affect hundreds of people or many people could read it on a message board.

If you are not on my email list and would like to receive notices about other free sessions and my monthly newsletter then you can sign up through my website. www.QigongEnergyHealing.com

Don’t subscribe with the link at the bottom of this email.  You don’t have to sign up to be on my email list to receive the energy.  I send monthly notices when I start new monthly sessions and I also do these free sessions about every two months.  Once I’ve worked with someone I will then be able to send them energy in case they are ever caught in a disaster area to help them cope with the situation.

If after the session you would like to do more work with me then you can sign up through my website.  I offer a monthly healing program for $99.

There is no set time for the unscheduled adjustments before the main session on Sunday1/3/10 and you can receive this energy at any time. The unscheduled adjustments before the session can be a very powerful time. You may notice many things before, during and after the session.  Some people may feel peaceful, energized, centered, balanced and sleep better.  Others may be more emotional, restless and lethargic as they detoxify, which is very good. There can be a lot of purification happening on many levels during this time, emotional, mental and physical.

Don’t worry if you feel odd pains come and go leading up to the main session. This is good. As the energy clears the blockage in an area it can result in temporary pain.  Also people can feel extra emotional during this time, which is also very good.  From a Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medical perspective much dis-ease is caused by emotional repression.  The energy from these repressed emotions get stored in the organs and tissues of the body. The energy from the sessions can help to release these stored emotions. When we release repressed emotions then we can bring about deep healing. It takes a lot of energy to hold down the emotions and when they are released we can have much more energy available to us.

Sometimes people can have very beautiful and peaceful dreams during the  sessions. Others can have some strange dreams. This is also beneficial. The sessions can help people to release old negative energy. The energy works like a virus detection program on a computer and can remove and cancel negative energy patterns, beliefs and programming. Some people will notice that some of their old negative ways of thinking will simply be gone and sometimes addictions fall away. Don’t worry if you have scary dreams during the sessions.  As one releases old repressed fear out of their energy system then the mind can give it a symbol. The symbols and fear are coming from your own mind. The energy work is not causing anything, only helping to release old stuck energy and emotions.

The energy helps to purify, cleanse and detoxify the body and mind.  As the energy works through the energy blockages it can cause toxins to be released that are stored in the area.  Some people may feel achy or tired at times leading up to the session.  This is good and very, very helpful in the healing process. Tiredness is a sign that the body is using most of it’s energy for healing.  Many modalities recognize the positive effects from detoxification.  You may also find that you have to go to the bathroom more as you release toxins. During the purification process your organs of elimination will be energetically supported to help them release the toxins.  I have done this process with thousands of people and the energy always works for people’s highest good. If you don’t feel good some of the time, try and hold the thought that you are healing.

The time leading up to and a little while after the main energy session can be a little bit like a roller coaster ride.  You can feel very energized one day and then tired the next day as you release more toxins.  Just realize that every time you don’t feel good that it is a powerful time for healing and that you are raising the vibration of your energy system.

You can join me on Facebook. www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Mohoric/1320542807 .  I have some unique energy pictures there.

I am very grateful for this opportunity to work with everyone.
Michael

Disclaimer:  I, Michael Mohoric, am not a medical doctor and do not practice medicine. I don’t diagnose, heal, cure or treat disease. I recommend people continue to see their medical doctors and follow their advice. My work is a complement to conventional medicine. This spiritual energy work is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment of any kind, physical or psychological. For such issues you should seek the proper licensed physician or health care professional. This energy work may help the bio-field to come into energetic balance. Qigong theory believes when one’s energy field is in balance, the body’s latent healing ability can heal itself. I make no promises or guarantees about the results of this work.

Qigong and Neigong:

A few thousand years ago, esoteric Chinese Taoists developed physical exercises, breathing methods, and meditation methods that worked the inside of the body to increase one’s health and spiritual well being. This “internal” work was called “Neigong”. Neigong emphasized coordinating body movements with breathing techniques, which was called “Qigong” (i.e., ‘Breathing / Energy Skills’), in specific ways to develop internal strength by ‘harmonizing inner and outer energy’. Internal strength was designed to amplify the effect of physical actions while reducing the effort involved in doing them. Emphasis was placed on the elasticity of the body, the mobility of the joints, the support of the skeletal structure, the twisting and stretching of the organs and connective tissue, and the proper alignment of the body’s parts in order to move as a unified whole. Indian “Yoga” is a better known art that was also developed and practiced to benefit one’s body and inner spirit in a similar fashion.

Qigong originated through the Chinese philosophy of  Taoism with its first recorded history in the I Ching (Book of Changes). Qigong has subsequently been influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and medical beliefs. Currently, it is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), along with acupuncture and herbal remedies. Its basic premise is to treat the origin of disease in the whole person – body, mind/emotions, spirit – by looking at the imbalance of the entire human system.

It does this through a system of energy pathways, also used in acupuncture, known as meridians. Qigong exercises are designed to clear blocked energy in different body organs. It is acupuncture without needles, exercises you can do yourself that induce self-healing.

Some of the basic principles of Neigong are: the traditional Chinese belief that the body has something that might be described as an “energy field” generated and maintained by the natural respiration of the body, known as “qi”; the belief that this ‘qi’ (i.e., the life energy inside a person) flows and moves though the body and is assisted by the internal organs; the release of external and internal tension; the letting go of muscular strength to perform specific techniques and postures; a heightened self awareness of internal body structure and posture; the development of ‘root’ by lowering the body’s center of gravity, whereby the origin of movement is lowered within the body, which is believed to cause a sinking of ‘qi’ or internal energy; combining the normally separated areas of the body into one integrated, unified, and powerful whole; the coordination of specific breathing methods with bodily movements, and the development of an internal peace or calm emotional state.

Neigong practices cause the whole body to move in a continuously stretching, expanding and contracting, opening and closing motion. Eventually the body is fluid enough to move very quickly as needed with an absence of central nervous system reaction lag time; great power can be issued with little movement. This twisting of the body causes the organs to twist as well, which activates the organs to have a detoxification reaction, whereby the liver, intestines, and other organs release toxins that were stored deep in the body so that they can be flushed out. The ultimate aim of this neigong practice was to make the practitioner one with nature, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

wellcome to anticancer4u, anticancer qigong 抗癌郭林氣功

GuoLin Qigong will help you to beat cancer or tumor.

Teacher Chan

Tel. 3799 1386;

email: glqghk@live.hk

To continue the NICABM Conference, but this time, I want to talk about the people there – participants and speakers.

But, first, a little background! My decision to attend was part of a process that started even before I listened to the teleseminars. It  started when I read Belleruth Naparstek’s book, Invisible Heroes, where she stated that research showed the success of using alternative methods to heal trauma survivors.

I realized that I had used qigong 25 years ago to successfully heal survivors of  post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) derived from child sexual abuse. Following this realization, I intuitively knew that I am to return to working with survivors of trauma, again using qigong.

I had come full circle.

I knew that the conference would put me in touch with experts in the field of trauma. My goal was not only to learn about the latest treatments from these experts, it was also to network and share my dream with other practitioners.

So, I launched a blog on this subject the Sunday before I got on the plane. The 1,000 business cards I ordered had arrived.

I was ready!

Or, so I thought.  I suddenly realized that I would have to actually talk to people!  As a trauma survivor from a very young age, I was painfully shy.  The shyness resulted from rejection due to overt racism,  not speaking or understanding English when I first arrived in the U.S., and shame from child sexual abuse.  For most of my life, all I wanted to do was hide and live in my own little world.  Reality was too harsh for me.

When I think about having to speak to strangers, my mouth gets dry,  I feel a  knot in my stomach, and my mind goes blank. Speaking up triggers ptsd for me. I am afraid that I will forget what I’m going to say, look stupid, and feel shamed.  The only thing that helps to calm down is when I remember to do qigong meditation.

So, I meditated and prayed really hard that I would find the courage to speak up about my work. I also prayed that I would be put in front of whomever would be interested in this subject for themselves, as well as for their clients.

I discovered that the conference was a mecca for networking.  All the practitioners were looking for ways to help themselves as well as their clients. All the speakers were very accessible, especially during their book signings.

That’s how I met  Lou Cozolino, PhD., who was one of the keynote speakers on The Healthy Aging Brain: Sustaining Attachment – Attaining Wisdom. I introduced myself as a fellow Angeleno (from Los Angeles, of course) and briefly told him what I do. We discovered that we live a mile from each other, so he graciously gave me his email address and suggested we get together sometime.

The conference provided other formal networking opportunities, i.e., breakfasts and receptions throughout its duration. I also met people informally and, therefore, made a more personal connection with them. The first night I met a woman at the hotel’s Business Center. She grew up right around the corner from where I had my psychotherapy practice.

Another meeting was at poolside – a psychiatrist from L.A. who invites different holistic practitioners to give talks at Kaiser Permanente. He suggested we get together and talk when we get back home.

It does not escape my notice that I have to travel some 3,000 miles to meet someone who is next door to me.

I met several people in the hot tub, including some of the speakers – Carl Hammerschlag, MD, who gave one of the keynote speeches on The Authentic Healer and Dr. David Feinstein who gave a class on The Rapid Healing of PTSD, How Energy Psychology Changes the Brain.

I met another speaker, Howard Schubiner, MD, who gave a class on Emotions and Chronic  Musculoskeletal Pain: A Novel Neuro-Psycho-Physiologic Treatment Model about pain derived from abuse. We  met at a presentation on marketing and realized we have similar interests. I found out that his organization is holding their annual conference in Los Angeles and asked if he needed other speakers. I plan to follow-up with him.

Another chance connection was meeting a woman during the break. She lives in the same town as Belleruth Naparstek and has known her for some time.   I had spotted Belleruth moments before talking to someone else and wondered how I was going to meet her. This connection generously introduced me to her, and that’s how I got to have lunch with Belleruth the next day.

I met many more people, too many to mention but were none the less key to my whole experience at the conference.

I was amazed to find how easy it was to talk about something I so passionately believe in and love to do. So, yes, my prayers were more than answered.

The message I want to leave with all trauma survivors is that we can not only overcome our feelings of pain and desolation, we can heal and give back to others.

Giving back is exactly what I want to do at this stage of my life!

notes from class – 20 Dec 2009 -

We can focus our practice along the whole continuum concentrating on anything from Jing, to Qi, to Shen.

The image of a sliding door that can be in any position along its rail

The image of flower blooming  as an expression of continuous motion.

The image of a  multi dimensional sphere we are activating with with our hands in Qigong as our hands circle the region around the belly button.

The image of  the  meridian around our waist as the hands circle to the back to meet in the lower back with palms facing outward

Merry Christmas

TO ALL OF YOU

from

ALL OF US AT HEALING T’AI CHI

Have a wonderful and fit holiday.  We’ll be back the first week of the new year.

This conference is exactly what the doctor ordered!

The 21st International Psychology of Health, Immunity & Disease Conference was held at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and sponsored by The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM).

Who wouldn’t want to look out the window and see the pounding waves rushing to the shore?

Before I go into more detail, in later posts, about all the latest in the field of holistic health, I am going to talk about how this conference provided a safe environment for me.

A reminder that safety is key for anyone who has been traumatized. The very act of trauma takes away all the things that we thought would keep us safe. And, healing will not occur without the survivor feeling safe.

The choice of location was perfect. Miles of beach was located on one side of the Marriott. On the other was miles of green forest with hiking trails. The hotel was 4 star, the service excellent, the food delicate.  And, when I didn’t want to go outside, there was the sauna, the heated indoor pool, and let’s not forget the hot tub.

Oh, yes, let’s not forget that I was at a conference!

What I observed right off was how Ruth M. Buczynski, PhD, President of NICABM and a licensed psychologist set up a safe space for 600-700 people to come together to learn, to teach, to share, to nurture and be nurtured.

She first offered offered a series of free teleseminars last fall on various health  issues. They ranged from information presented by experts in their fields, i.e., inflammation with Dr. Norm Shealy; trauma with Belleruth Napastek, author of Invisible Heroes; ; healing Tibetan monks who were persecuted by the Chinese with Dr. Michael Grodin – to name a few.

These presentations gave me a taste of the high caliber of speakers. And, when I realized that these same presenters would also be at the conference, I knew I had to attend. What an absolutely brilliant way to dangle a very fat carrot in front of us, so that we would want more.

It worked for me! I signed up because of these seminars.

So, kudos to Ruth and her staff on their superior organization before and during the conference!

After signing up, I immediately received a confirmation, plus information on the conference schedule, travel plans, room registration, and updated lists of potential roommates.  Throughout November and  up to the week before the conference, I received all the information I needed – land transportation , preregistration on-line, workbook downloads, and on-site registration schedule.

As a first time attendee, I was very well informed and, therefore, felt very well cared for even before I arrived.

Registration went smoothly and, since a staff member was at the table, I was able to sign in before the crowds arrived. The conference schedule was well publicized with a map of class schedules, locations, and even what cancellations to expect.  Classes were kept on time, with volunteers monitoring,  handing out and collecting surveys. This way, participants never had to worry about missing their next session.

Now onto the important thing – food! Why is food important? It nurtures our bodies and our souls. And, especially for those where food is an issue, as it was for me, not having to be anxious about being fed and still make it to all the classes, was a godsend!

Included in our registration fee, we were served delicious complimentary breakfasts and healthy snacks in between classes.  For lunch, we were provided with reasonably priced lunch boxes  and served yummy hor d’oeuvres at the receptions.

The speakers were phenomenal! All experts in their field, all sharing their personal experience with their technique as well as their professional expertise. There were a variety of topics covered, to name a few:

• Brain evolution
• Aging
• Nutritional health
• Mental health
• Trauma

These topics were accompanied by various complementary healing modalities, to name a few:

• Qigong
• Traditional Chinese Medicine – acupuncture and herbal medicine
• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
• Guided Imagery
• Meditation

My one complaint was that there were so many conflicting classes, I found it difficult to choose. However, I’m happy to say that I was very pleased with all my choices.

The next topic about the conference is the excellent networking opportunities.

Stay tuned for the next post in a day or so.

On the ChiFusion support forum for my advanced training students, a few students asked me about “trembling” during Tai Chi practice. One student wrote about a recent experience:

I’m a beginner, about 4+ months into ChiFusion, no previous experience with Tai Chi or Qigong. I’ve worked through Levels 1 and 2 … Yesterday I did my Level 1 early in the morning, then mid-morning began my Level 2 routine. … I then started Lifting Water, and after a minute or two, my hands and forearms started trembling uncontrollably as I raised them. This didn’t feel like fatigue, rather like my arms were over-excited or something. It felt like a surge of pressure or energy that had nowhere to go and caused a shuddering sensation as I lifted my arms. When I tried to relax my arms to quiet the shuddering (still lifting), my legs actually started shuddering too!

This alarmed me a bit, as I’ve not had this happen before, so I stopped exercising, and went into my relaxation routine (Embracing the Pearl and Falling Water) and everything calmed down and I was fine. This morning I performed both Level 1 and 2 routines with no trembling/shuddering.

Another student wrote:

I’ve been doing [other styles of] Tai Chi for about a dozen years now … that is similar but usually just with my fingers. They will begin to flutter as I move through my [non-ChiFusion] Tai Chi forms. I’ve heard that, in fact, it’s a result of the energy in your system. It’s not harmful and I’m told it’s relatively normal.

That’s why I brought the question up. It doesn’t happen all the times but it was rather disconcerting the first time I saw it.

It only happens after I’ve gotten into my routine after about 15 -20 mins.

I actually had trembling as well when I was a student. When I became a teacher, I looked at the experience in great detail to find out what was going on. Trembling is a complicated issues in Tai Chi and Qigong, because many different situations can cause it.

Assuming it isn’t just simple muscle fatigue, with trembling I usually look for:

1. Increase in energy flow through meridians
2. Increased flow encounters a blockage in a meridian
3. Overflow of vessels into meridians (storing too much chi or storing without meridian preparation)
4. Misalignments in movements
5. Physical problems (pinched nerves, misalignments, dehydration, and other medical conditions)

For #1, if you are relatively new to advanced chi training, sometimes the body isn’t accustomed to the increased chi flow. This can cause trembling. The trembling goes away though once your meridians become habituated to the increased flow. Assuming you are practicing regularly (5 to 6 times a week), the trembling shouldn’t last for more than a few days, certainly no longer than a week, as the body adjusts.

For #2, the trembling is caused when increased chi flow encounters a blockage in the meridians. Ideally, the increased flow will remove the blockage and the trembling will go away. This can happen in a single practice session, but may take a few days or a week. But if the blockage is really stubborn though, it may last longer. If it does, other intervention (acupuncture, Qigong massage, herbs) may be needed to help with the blockage.

#3 happens when students work on chi vessel storage Qigong or Tai Chi BEFORE working Qigong to improve meridian circulation. Unfortunately, this is quite common among Tai Chi students outside our ChiFusion program. (It should be rare among ChiFusion students who’ve never done Tai Chi before, because we work on meridians first before working on storage).

The reason it is common is that Tai Chi is usually taught as a vessel storage practice. The idea here is that if you work on Tai Chi storage and store enough chi, it will “overflow” the vessel reservoirs and automatically flow out to the meridians, and automatically improve meridian circulation by forcing the chi out the vessels.

That’s the theory. In my experience, it usually doesn’t work quite that smoothly. In the first place, most students cant get enough storage to happen to make that “overflow” work for them, at least not until a few months or years of practice. Then when they do get the overflow, the meridian system is often not prepared for the increased chi flow. The overflow becomes a bull in the china shop, causing all sorts of problems as it encounters blockages and discontinuities in the energy system. Trembling is often a major sign here.

This is what happened to me as a student. And unfortunately, my meridian system never seemed to “right itself” using this method. It always responds the same way to the increased chi overflow. And as the student becomes better and better at storage, the overflow becomes more regular, and the trembling becomes a regular feature of the student’s practice.

Prevention is the best medicine here – work on circulation BEFORE working on storage. (We talk about this both in the “Energy Pathways” section of our advanced training, plus in our Complete Chi Health webinar that we occasionally hold for people on our mailing list. We discuss how you can structured your practice and how we’ve structured the ChiFusion program to do this.) If you’ve seen some of the introductory videos to the sample lessons in our course, I mentioned how I started over at one point, stopping everything I was practicing and going back to the beginning. This is part of the reason I did that. I needed a meridian system “reboot”, to give my meridian system a chance to right itself after stressing it out for so many years.

#4 can happen when there is a physical or energetic misalignment in a movement. If a particular Qigong or Tai Chi movement always causes trembling, or it always happens at the same place in your practice, that can be a sign. Whatever limb or part of the body is trembling, try adjusting the movement or posture. Often times, an inch or two can make a big difference. If the trembling goes away when you make the adjustment, then it was probably #4.

#5 are usually physical problems that are not a result of practice, but practice can bring them out and make them more obvious. Pinched nerves often cause trembling. The irony of course is that while you might experience trembling in your hands, for example, the pinched nerve is usually NOT in your hand. It might be in your spine, neck, shoulder, or elbow. Spinal vertebrae that are out of alignment might not even be noticed by you during your regular day, but Tai Chi might be showing them to you.

Believe it or not, dehydration might also cause trembling, and again, you might not notice it during the day, but Tai Chi can bring it out. There are many more physical causes and medical conditions that can cause trembling. (Actually, I’ve just been emailing with a new student who joined us that has Essential Tremors, a medical condition that causes trembling in some postures.) So if the trembling is persistent, you might want to have this checked by a chiropractor, osteopath, medical doctor, or other health professional.

For the first student above, I suggested that his experience was most likely #2 above. He should monitor this for the next week or so. If the trembling comes back and stays around, it might be something else. But if it has happened just once, and stays away for a few days, it was probably #2.

For the second student, it’s a little more complicated. I suggested that it’s probably #3, based on a few things he said: that he has been practicing Tai Chi for a dozen years, it happens during his form, and it happens after about 15 or 20 minutes in. I’m wondering if it takes him that long to build up the storage in a practice session until it overflows. And if it happens sometimes and not others, he might just be sometimes hitting the “high water mark” for overflowing, and sometimes not.

But it could also be #2 with a stubborn blockage, #4, or #5. If it was #2, he should probably notice the trembling as he practices the meridian work in Level 1 of his new ChiFusion program. If it’s #4, he might want to see if it’s reaching certain postures in his practice (rather than just practicing for 15 to 20 minutes) that is causing the trembling. Keep in mind that I can’t give medical diagnosis, but #5 is the least likely in my opinion, though it’s a possibility he should check out.

Trembling is so complicated that it’s hard to know exactly what’s happening without some experimentation and observing on each student’s part.

.

I don’t like the winter.   Or at least I didn’t.  I’ve never liked the cold weather and it seems like it’s dark all the time here in Michigan between the shorter days and the overcast and cloudy skies.  Gloomy winter days used to be all I associated with winter.

Qigong has changed that for me.  I’ve been practicing Qigong since May of 2008.  It has changed my outlook, my life, and dare I say – my karma.   I still don’t like winter weather… but I must say that I have more appreciation for nature and enjoy being outside even on cold days now.

I actually love the winter months now… I associate them with very deep and intense meditations.  I’ve learned that in the winter there is an energetic pull inwards.  This results in deep inner work and meditative states that are easier than usual to achieve.

I discovered this last winter and remember that in the spring when I noticed a difference in the “feel” of my meditations I really missed the depth.  Now that I realize that it is seasonal I will thoroughly enjoy the winter energy while it lasts!  The next couple of weeks are especially good!

This week is great with solstice around the corner and the yin new moon in a couple of days the inward pull of the energy will be the strongest of the year.  I plan to meditate and revel in it both in my regular Qigong practice and my sitting and standing meditations as well.  It is a very special time of year energetically!

I think it is no coincidence that this time is observed with holidays in so many religious (and pagan) traditions!  Whatever your tradition… have a happy holiday season!

This week has been fairly interesting.  I started out the week with a lecture on Medical Qigong.  For those unfamiliar with Qigong, info can be found here.  My interest in physical culture extends beyond just muscle mass and strength, but to full physical functionality and wellness, so healthful practices such as Qigong, Tai Chi, and Yoga naturally attract my attention.  I’ve never spent too much time studying these arts, but its something I know I should take a greater interest in this now when I’m young.

The lecture was interesting and hands-on, but limited in scope due to time constraints.  Even as concise as it was, there was still far too much info to truly understand and memorize the various movements we were shown.  Some of the breathing and posture concepts were interesting and I may take  a look at attending a few more guided sessions in the future.

Day 2 of my mass-building goal was on Friday, and on the slate for the day were several sets of heavy squats and heavy presses, both on barbells.  I never barbell squat, so I wasn’t expecting too much, but I was fairly disappointed with my performance.  Pressing felt very strong, which isn’t surprising given the emphasis on overhead pressing I have in kettlebell training.  I definitely have a lot of runway for improvement in both of these movements.

BB Squat:  3 x 5 w/ 185 lbs

Overhead BB Press:  5 x 5 w/ 115 lbs

I felt strong on the Squats and I feel as though my poundage will fly up as I become better acquainted with the movement.  I also had plenty of runway on the BB presses and could have probably completed the lift with 5-10 lbs more on the bar.

I’ve established tentative poundage goals to go along with the goal of five lbs bodyweight increase.  These are:

Squat: 2x BW

Overhead Press: 1x BW

Deadlift:  2.5x BW

If I can surpass these goals, fantastic…but this is the level of barbell strength that I’d like to achieve and what I’m shooting for.  Stay tuned for progress!

Welcome to

Healing T’ai Chi

…the award-winning blog of seated Qigong and T’ai Chi exercises to  balance mind, body and spirit for people of all ages and levels of fitness.

(sponsored by the Exercise Equipment Super Store)

~~~~~~~~~

“Heaven and Earth are everlasting
The reason Heaven and Earth can last forever
Is that they do not exist for themselves
Thus they can last forever.”

Tao Te Ching #7, translated by Derek Lin

~~~~~~~~~

These energizing exercises are intended to improve the health of your internal organs but, because of the twisting motion of each of them, they are also beneficial for trimming the waist.  At this time of the year with all the celebrations that involve delicious food and rich desserts, that benefit is equally important.

Open the bow:

1. Sit as usual with your back supported by the back of the chair, feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your diaghram to expand.  Bend your elbows and bring your fisted hands to the front of your chest with the backs of your hands touching each other.
3. Still breathing in, pull your right fist toward your right shoulder, forearm parallel to the floor.
4. As you breath out through your mouth and tighten your diaphragm, extend your left arm to the left side with the palm facing outward.  You will be twisted slightly to the left.
5. When your arm is fully extended (do not lock your elbow) pause for a moment in both your breathing cycle and arm movements.  Breathe in again as you return your left hand to your chest and in front of your left shoulder.
6. Continue alternating sides for a total of 12 repetitions.

 Reflexology for the stomach:

(click on the illustration above for an enlarged view)

• This point is toward the outside of the foot at the top of the larger gold area on the chart above.  It is the only black dot in that area.
• Massage that spot in a circular motion for a few seconds, then press firmly and hold for about 30 seconds.  You may alternate feet.  Repeat as often as necessary.  This spot is beneficial for stomach aches and indigestion and to regulate the functions of that organ. 

Don’t forget to drink water at the end of your exercise session or any time you begin to feel thirsty.  A Word of Caution…If you have or have had problems with your kidneys, please consult your physician.

~~~~~~~~~

This week’s featured blog/site:  The books recommended in this site sound as though they are worth reading…

http://wellnessbusiness.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/best-books-physical-activity-exercise-fitness/

Featured video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kImPKVrIfKk

Find great deals on home exercise equipment at the Exercise Equipment Super Store.

http://www.joansweightloss.com

http://mybodysite.com/Publish/index.php

http://www.reikibyrockie.com

http://robertscottbell.blogspot.com/

http://thepeopleschemist.com/blog/

~The exercises in this blog are intended for educational purposes only.  Always consult with your health care provider before beginning a new exercise program.~

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Over the past decade ALS patients, caregivers and family members have been traumatized waiting to find that cure. For science, it is a needle in the haystack that seems impossible to find.

ALS patients are very demanding and they should be, their illness is one of the worst known to medicine. If there is an inkling something will help they are more than willing to give it a try beyond all consequences. The FDA dictates the rules to medicine and continues to set forth the strictest of procedures. Snake venom, at one time was considered a cure all for ALS. There have been foreign studies that introduce different compounds that continued to tantalize the ALS community. There have been many drugs that ALS patients are determined to try such as, Myotrophin, Lithium, and IPlex which remains out of reach.

As the ALS community clock rapidly tics, desperation for anything helpful takes over.

Could it be that science is starting to think that ALS could start in the mind. The West continues to believe one mindset, we need to be medicated to be healed. If someone offers up a therapy to quiet the mind and began a process of healing from the inside, they are quickly labeled Quacks. If they use the word Holistic, they are scoffed at and labeled Wackos.

The answers to controlling ALS may be right in front of us, yet we refuse because everyone knows the difficulties that surround the history of ALS.

• What if it were free and easy?
• What if it required no blood work?
• What if it required small amounts of time?
• What if you had nothing to lose?
• What if it worked?

John Hopkins News-Letter

by Sam Ohmer

Issue date: 4/23/09

Everyone knows that neurons talk to each other – that’s their main job. But neurons also talk to the cells around them. The communication between neurons and support cells is important for the healthy functioning of the brain. But does it play a role in disease too?

Jeffrey Rothstein, a professor of neurology and neuroscience, shows that the failure of this communication can indeed contribute to neurological illness.

Specifically, his group demonstrated that neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, suffer from a failure to communicate with helper cells called astrocytes. The results appear in last week’s issue of Neuron.

Astrocytes are support cells in the central nervous system that nourish and keep neurons alive. These sidekick cells also play crucial roles in regulating neuronal communication.

Some neurons release a chemical called glutamate in order to pass on their message to the next neuron. Unfortunately, if a neuron gets too excited, it releases too much glutamate, which is toxic to cells in high doses.

Usually, the ever-helpful astrocytes would take care of the mess, sucking up any superfluous glutamate and processing it in order to keep the neurons running happily and healthily. But when this “mopping-up” mechanism fails, glutamate builds up until it starts a cascade of cell death.

This process, which can turn suddenly into a death spiral for the entire affected organism, seems to be key in the advancement of several neurological disorders, including in ALS. Scientists call this process “glutamate excitotoxicity.”

The cascade can be initiated in any number of ways, including cell damage, neuron degeneration or toxicity. But from there the pattern is the same, and the results are equally terrible: Dying neurons can no longer signal to astrocytes to keep them alive, healthy and doing their jobs.

Rothstein’s group has shown that sick neurons tell astrocytes to kill themselves. These dying astrocytes are less able to mop up excess glutamate, which causes further neuron death. These causes and effects form a cycle that, if unchecked, lead to the unabated death of many cells.

Normal function begins to be impaired as fewer neurons are available to complete the needed neural circuits, and eventually the majority of function can be lost due to this destructive mechanism.

This finding has given scientists a strong reason to more closely study the synaptic relationships between astrocytes and neurons in neurological diseases. Rothstein’s findings suggest that disrupted communication between neurons and astrocytes may be the factor that allows diseases to spread quickly and seemingly unstoppable.

Further study may lead to the discovery of how to slow or even stop this degenerative and destructive process, in the hopes of preserving astrocyte-neuron connections and brain function.

ALS to Health - Creating Paradise - by Marty Murray

Working From All Angles

If you look at so-called ALS as a situation characterized by a person’s degenerating by disconnecting, possibly in response to stress or trauma, then it becomes apparent that what needs to be done to solve the problem is to reduce the stress and trauma affecting the person while at the same time changing the response of the person. Part of the reason one needs to change the response of the person is that the person may be reacting to the stress and trauma of the situation, meaning that the person initially responds to stress or a particular trauma by disconnecting and then the situation just feeds on itself, with the new stress and trauma being the degeneration itself. The disconnection response can have conscious and unconscious aspects.  The fact that much of the creation of ALS is unconscious is part of the reason why people perceive the disease as something that appears for no reason.  They are not aware of the ALS creation choices being made.

Reducing Stress

 One easy way to reduce stress is to stop stressing. This gets back to the no fear ideas in the foundation section. There are plenty of examples of people who go downhill quickly after being diagnosed with ALS because they are so stressed by the idea of the diagnosis. On the other hand, I spoke to one guy who was living a fairly normal life close to six years after being diagnosed. He seemed to attribute the slow progression partly to the fact that he does not get worked up about anything. Another great way to reduce stress is to resolve conflicts in one’s life. Outer conflicts with others create stress and sap energy. So working things out with others can relieve stress. Inner conflicts also create stress and sap energy so resolving things within oneself also relieves strain.

Reducing Trauma

 To reduce trauma to the neurons, look at things in your life that could be beating them up. While a lifetime of working with toxic chemicals could create a cellular situation that would be challenging to change, you can carefully make changes to what you eat and do other things along those lines. You need to be careful with this as quick changes can shock your system. For example, I have talked with people who seem to have gotten really hurt by, of all things, quitting smoking too quickly. So this needs to be a carefully handled process. Organically grown grains may be better than hormone, pesticide and antibiotic laden low-grade meat that can be offered on sale because it is raised in factory conditions. Water may be a better drink than diet soda. Medication can be toxic. Again, be careful. If you stop taking medication that is holding you together, you can create a new problem. Emotional trauma can also be reduced. Just think, every time you get angry or negative, every mean thing you say or do has an effect on your system. Learning to react positively and in a healing way to anyone and anything will change all that.

Changing The Degeneration Response

Changing the neuron degeneration pattern takes using the fact that your body is a manifestation of your conscious and unconscious drives and patterns. The degeneration is the result of creative processes and behaviors directed by those conscious and unconscious drives. So by redirecting those drives and changing the patterns, you can change the process. The first approach that you can use involves taking advantage of the relationship between what one does in the world and what goes on within one’s body. The problem in your body involves disconnection and attempted escape from trauma. So to change that, carefully and considering possible consequences, learn to handle problems in the world by resolving rather than escaping or disconnecting. More information on doing this can be found of the Healing Response page of this website. This is best done carefully. Big changes in the way you handle things can make a mess of your life if they are done in a rushed or traumatic way. The all around consequences of any change need to be considered. Having said that, if you look at your life, you will see the escape patterns. They could include such things as moving to another town to get away from certain people, joining the military to get away from home, taking a job that has you on the road a lot, inviting friends over so as not to have to deal with a problem with your partner, going fishing to avoid arguments or going long distance running a lot to avoid problems. As you learn to deal with things and resolve them, the same thing will start occurring in your body. You can also use more advanced techniques such as meditation to discover unconscious ideas, desires and patterns that underly the creation of your circumstances. Key ALS related ideas or buzzwords that indicate aspects of one’s consciousness that can be changed to solve the problem include avoid, disconnect, drop, escape, get away, get rid of, remove myself and let go.

www.qigongenergyhealing.com

This energy picture was sent to me by Joey Smith of Buffalo Grove, IL.. Joey is in the monthly healing program and took the picture during the weekly distant healing session. Joey is very sensitive and felt he could take a picture of the energy during the energy session.

All of the white area of the photo is the energy. It is interesting that where there is a large concentration of light/energy are places where Joey has health issues. I tell people that the energy is intelligent and knows how to find your blockages.

I’m starting another monthly healing program on Dec. 16.  You can join as an individual for $99 or $138 for an entire family and pets living at home.  The holidays are an excellent time to do the energy healing program.  Along with all the joy of the holidays there can be the additional stress of traveling, shopping and sometimes unresolved family issues can come to the fore.  Many people report a great improvement in their relationships especially with family members after the energy sessions.  The energy works on many levels simultaneously, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Dear Michael:
“There are simply no words to express the good that comes from your sessions.  I passed the information on to several people that are going through very bad times which has resulted in many different ways.  Sickness, depression, fear only to mention a few.  Thanks to your (free) session last week they called to tell me that they feel significantly better.  Your generosity is very, very much appreciated. My birthday was this past week also and I was very depressed but after your session my focus changed and things worked out just fine. God bless and thank you, G.G.”

The energy sessions make a unique Christmas gift. www.QigongEnergyHealing.com

The above picture was taken with a digital camera. Energy can be captured by a camera but the timing is important and some people have a knack for taking energy pictures.  They know the right time to take the picture. I have other energy pictures on my Facebook page and you can view those by sending a friend request to www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Mohoric/1320542807 .

If you want to try and take a picture during the healing session it is best to do it with a dark background and sometimes it works better without a flash but using a flash also works.  It can take quite a few tries to get an energy picture and some people seem to have a gift to be able to do it.  If you get an energy picture during the energy session you can send it to me and I will post it.  The energy pictures can be a great way to help others realize that distant energy healing is real. Many people will still be skeptics and say the pictures were doctored using programs like Photoshop.  I have negatives of the film of the other 2 energy pictures on my Facebook page and know there is no altering of the original 35 mm pictures.

How to Join the Monthly Program

Receive a month of energy healing for only $99.  Add your family members and pets living at home for only $39 or $138 for an entire household.

In light of recent events in the world I felt guided to offer a program that can greatly accelerate one’s healing process. For those who participate I’m going to do a major energy transmission once a week and daily unscheduled energetic adjustments that go out as your energy system can use more energy.

I feel that this series of energy transmissions can be life transforming for many people. Although one session can often provide dramatic results, multiple sessions can deepen the energy work and get to deep-seated core issues. By receiving energy for a month, the energy will continue to work deeper and be able to address long held patterns and anchor the changes. When one has had an energetic pattern for many years, it can take time to release and cancel the pattern and move it out of one’s energy field.

My goal is to give everyone who joins this program energetic support for the month. You will not only get a weekly long distance energy session but you will also get some other energetic adjustments during this time. I believe that this program can be one of the best things that you can do for yourself for your well-being. For the price of what some people pay for a doctor’s visit or some other event, you are going to receive energetic support for a month.

This energy work will help to clear and balance the chakras and acupuncture meridians to assist the body and mind to heal itself.

Most people know, who have worked with me before, that the energy works on many levels, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. My main interest is helping people to clear out energy blockages so that they can realize their highest potential. Clearing the energy field can help people to become more intuitive, creative, healthy and more aware. With so many unusual things happening at this time, an expanded state of awareness is one of the most important things that one can achieve.

The main sessions are on Wednesday nights, more details below. The intermittent adjustments will happen at various times for different people and there will be no set times for these adjustments.

Energy starts going out to people when they sign up and often people report they can notice the effects right away. Dan from Michigan writes , “Have I told you before that I often sense,feel or see changes before the actual day and time you are transmitting energy. It starts after the initial contact is made by you and I.”

I also do an Energetic Feng Shui on people’s living environment. This can help to clear negative energy fields in a house and one of the major things that can assist one’s well being. Someone wrote this after one of the distant sessions, “I actually start feeling stuff way before you start. It’s like the energy in the room changes.”

You can still be active during the session and get great results. The optimal way to receive the energy is to be in a quiet relaxed position during the session. Some people just won’t be able to do this on this day or may have something  planned some of the evenings. Even if you are out doing something, the energy will still do it’s work and many people have told me how beneficial the session was for them even when they weren’t able to be quiet. Dave writes after one of the sessions, “Hi; Michael the session slipped my mind last Wednesday; then around 8 o’clock I felt this intense energy and was reminded of the power of this healing.” Also it is ok to be asleep during the sessions and this is a good way to receive the energy.

I have many testimonials from people telling about how much the energy sessions have helped them.

Michael. “These sessions have been astonishing – I am still feeling major affects in all categories. Astonishing! I truly wonder what this last one will bring.” Posey

This is from Beatrice in Italy. “But this morning when i left home to get to work i felt something really weird: i felt that i was a part of the world. I looked at the trees, at other people, at the birds and at the wind as they are familiar, much more familiar. And i feel like in peace. “

Please email me if you decide to join the session. Let me know how you are going to pay, and I will confirm that I have you on my list and I will send instructions on how to enhance the sessions. If you do not hear back from me within 24 hours, please write again as sometimes email gets lost.

The first major session will begin Wed. and on three consecutive Wednesday’s afterwards. The energy sessions will start at 7pm and end at 8pm, California (Pacific) time.

In order to participate in the program I need to receive the $99 before the first session. You can pay by most credit cards , go to the purchase page. You can also pay by check. Checks need to be received before the first session. Send to;

Michael Mohoric
PO Box 6548
Laguna Niguel, Ca.92607

HOW TO PAY

Credit cards are processed by Paypal. It is a very secure way to pay with your credit card with millions of people using it for internet transactions. You do not need a PayPal account to pay this way. To pay by credit card click on the purchase button on my website:QigongEnergyHealing.com

If you have a problem logging on to my website, you can also pay directly through my Paypal account by clicking on this link that will take you directly to my secure Paypal account.

The $99 price does not include any other family members or pets. If you want to include your pets and family members then the additional cost will be $39 to include all your pets and family members living at home. The total cost to include everyone in your home would be $138. All the family members at home will a get the same energetic support for a month for $138. I have had feedback from parents that their children have done much better in school after a session and their self-esteem has increased. You need to get permission from any adults that will be included. Pets respond beautifully to energy work.

Review of Program

Cost: $99
Add $39 ($138 total) to include all family members and pets living in your house. We need to get permission from any adults to work on them. Payment must be made before the sessions begin by credit card or mailed checks.

Dates and times.

All sessions will start at 7pm, Pacific (Calif.) Time and last about 1 hour.

Dates-All on consecutive Wednesdays starting

Session 1. Wed.  12/16 – 7pm-8pm Pacific or Ca. Time
Session 2. Tue.   12/22-  7pm Please note change due to Christmas
Session 3. Wed.  12/30-  7pm
Session 4. Wed.  1/6- 7pm

www.QigongEnergyHealing.com

DISCLAIMER
I, Michael Mohoric,  am not a medical doctor and do not practice medicine. I do not diagnose, heal, cure, prevent or treat disease. I assist people in correcting energetic imbalances in their bio-field that assists the body to release its innate healing ability. When the energy of the body is balanced and moving correctly, the body’s innate natural energy heals itself. All healing is self-healing. I recommend that clients continue to see their regular medical doctors and follow their advice and my work is a complement to regular allopathic medicine. My spiritual energy work is not a substitute for conventional medical diagnosis or treatment for any medical or psychological condition.  For such issues, you should seek the proper licensed physician or healthcare professional. I am a minister and my work is spiritually based and I believe all healing is spiritual in nature. I do not make any promises, warranties or guarantees about results of my work or of the energy sessions.

Announcement!

I will be attending this conference at Hilton Head Island, sponsored by The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM).

This is my first time at this conference, and I am so excited! I’ve also never been to Hilton Head Island, so will take a little time after the conference to see the island and, you guessed it, do some holiday shopping.

Ruth Buczynski, Director of NICABM and her staff are doing an excellent job in keeping us updated on conference materials, registration, etc. Most of all, after listening to the free teleseminars on health and alternative healing, I knew I had to participate.

Thank you, Ruth!

Some of these same speakers will be at the conference:

One of the keynote speakers is Belleruth Napastek, author of Invisible Heroes. I am really looking forward to hearing her speak because of her success in using guided imagery to heal trauma.  I am particularly fascinated by her work with war veterans.

Another presenter is Dr. Michael Grodin, co-founder of Center for Health and Human Rights in Boston. I heard him on the NICABM teleseminar where he spoke about using qigong to heal Tibetan monks who had been persecuted by the Communist Chinese. I intend to meet up with him and pick his brain.

Last, but not least, is Dr. Norm Shealy, MD, PhD who will be talking about neuroplasticity and Vitamin D3. I’ve known Norm since 1995, when I first attended he and Caroline Myss’s seminar on Intuition. He’s a brilliant doctor, and more so, he has the biggest heart of anyone I know.

There are many more speakers, so expect a lot of posts when I return.

Also, there will be many practitioners there, so I definitely plan to meet a lot of colleagues.

Qigong saved my life!

This self-healing complementary modality built up my immune system following my bout with cancer. After fifteen years, I am still cancer free.

Aside from cancer, qigong has also helped me  heal from other traumatic experiences.  My story and how I healed will be in another post. First, I want to give you a foundation for understanding qigong.

This article, therefore, will provide an overview of the following:

• Definition of qigong
• Historical and cultural context
• General benefits

Qigong is an ancient Chinese healing art.  Today, qigong is most often used as an exercise that coordinates breathing with exercises that can improve health, prevent illness , and strengthen the body.

Qi translated literally refers to breath, from which we develop and maintain energy. It is what sustains all life. There is internal qi that we acquire through genetics. The other is external qi that can be accumulated through practice.

Gong translated literally means work, the ability to produce an effect.

Qigong, together, is the system through which we can direct our life force to heal.

Qigong originated through the Chinese philosophy of  Taoism with its first recorded history in the I Ching (Book of Changes). Qigong has subsequently been influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and medical beliefs. Currently, it is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), along with acupuncture and herbal remedies.

Its basic premise is to treat the origin of disease in the whole person – body, mind/emotions, spirit – by looking at the imbalance of the entire human system.

It does this through a system of energy pathways, also used in acupuncture, known as meridians. Qigong exercises are designed to clear blocked energy in different body organs.

It is acupuncture without needles, exercises you can do yourself that induce self-healing.

Some of the general benefits of qigong are:

• Balance – physical and emotional
• Relaxation that reduces stress
• Good posture
• Strong immune system to prevent and combat illness
• Mental clarity and focus
• Enhanced creativity and intuitiveness
• Spirituality – serenity, gratitude, compassion

In summation, qigong is a discipline. It takes commitment and practice. Qigong gives you the tools to make positive changes in your life.

I know. Qigong has given me back my life.

Welcome to my very first post on “the forgotten peace”, and my first blog ever! I am very excited to share and interact with others who have experienced trauma, as I have.

The forgotten peace is what has been stolen from us when trauma disrupts our life.

My approach is personal as well as  professional. I’ve been in the mental health and the alternative healing arena for twenty-seven years.

This post is an overview of what this blog is about, its goals, and the ways we can reach them.  

This blog is to let those who have been traumatized  know that there is hope, that healing can take place.

Trauma conjures up words like abuse – physical, emotional, sexual; neglect; terrorism; war; and natural disasters. But, trauma can be anything that happens for which your normal ways of coping no longer work. To name a few – chronic or terminal illness, pain, hunger, and poverty; death of a loved one, divorce, etc.

Because trauma isolates, this is a place where survivors can share their stories of healing with each other.

Because families and friends  want to help but don’t know what to do, this is a place where they can learn about the effects of trauma and how they can help.

Because practitioners can acquire post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) from hearing repeated horror accounts of abuse and violence, this is a place where practitioners can find support.

I’ll be starting with posts, and as these communities build, I want to:

• Provide qigong and other meditative practices live and on video;
• Offer webinar presentations;
• Do live interviews with experts in the field;
• Give book reviews;
• Offer remote group healings, seminars/workshops;
• Offer individual healing sessions.

I wholeheartedly invite you to join me on the journey from trauma and find the peace that was forgotten.

Welcome to

Healing T’ai Chi

…the award-winning blog of seated exercises based on Qigong and Tai Chi to balance mind, body and spirit for people of all ages and levels of fitness.

(sponsored by Exercise Equipment Super Store)

~~~~~~~~~

“Who can be muddled yet desist
In stillness gradually become clear?
Who can be serene yet persist
In motion gradually come alive?”

 www.Taoism.net

~~~~~~~~~

In this series of exercises we are concentrating on movements that will stimulate, energize and massage our internal organs.  We tend to ignore these important organsin spite of the fact that the health of each of them is vital to our overall well-being.  None of the exercises are geared to one particular organ – all are benefitted by the movements and oxygenated by the specific breathing pattern that we have been practicing.

Brushing Tree Trunk:

1. Extend your arms and reach for the ceiling while you breathe in slowly expanding your diaphragm.
2. Swing your right arm down across your chest to the left side as you breathe slowly out through your mouth.  The left arm remains stretched upward.
3. Turn your head so that you are looking over your shoulder to the right and upward.
4. Begin breathing in again as you straighten and lift your right arm back up and stretched toward the ceiling.
5. Breathe out and swing your left arm across your chest, leaving your right arm stretched high.  Tilt your head so that you are looking up and over your left shoulder.
6. Breathe in again and return to yoru original position both arms stretched toward the ceiling.  Continue alternating right and left for 6 to 12 repetitions.

 Reflexology for the instestines:

(If you  have difficulty seeing the reflexology point on the chart above, click on the illustration for an enlarged view) 

• You can find the small intestine spot on the bottom of your foot about 3 finger-widths above your heel pad.  It is the outside of your foot about one thumb-width from the outer edge.
• Massage the area in a circular motion with your thumb for a few seconds and then press firmly for about 60 seconds.  You may repeat on the same foot and/or change feet and massage and press firmly for the same amount of time.

Don’t forget to drink water at the end of your exercise session or any time you begin to feel thirsty.  A Word of Caution…If you have or have had problems with your kidneys, please consult your physician.

~~~~~~~~~

This week’s featured site/blog:

http://thewere42.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/when-you-eat-may-be-just-as-vital-to-your-health-as-what-you-eat/

Recommended video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkjH8uB9IGE

Find great deals on home exercise equipment at the Exercise Equipment Super Store.

http://www.joansweightloss.com

http://mybodysite.com/Publish/index.php

http://www.reikibyrockie.com

http://robertscottbell.blogspot.com/

http://thepeopleschemist.com/blog/

~The exercises in this blog are intended for educational purposes only.  Always consult with your health care provider before beginning a new exercise program.~

In Part 1 of this article (click here), we discussed that people who practice for health sometimes have a difficult time knowing if their practice is really “working”.

That’s because many of the health changes provided by arts like ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong can be subtle and easily overlooked. So you might find yourself asking, “Is my practice really making me healthier? How can I tell?”

We talked in Part 1 about three important signs to look for. These signs show you that your are getting the health benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong. To find these three signs:

• You actively search out and look for examples that your health condition improves
• Your health care professional evaluates your condition and notices changes
• Your “body signals” tell you about it, recognizing that there may be a delay effect identified by psychoneuroimmunology (PNI).

If you are unsure how to find any of these three signs, please refer to Part 1 of this article (click here).

What To Do If You Don’t See Results – The “Serious Health Benefits” Checklist

So what if your health condition doesn’t improve, your doctor or chiropractor doesn’t notice any differences, and you don’t notice any body signals? Should you give up practicing?

Instead of abandoning your practice, first check these important points to make sure you are giving your body “what it needs” to improve. This checklist will ensure that you are getting “serious health benefits” from your practice.

Know the Precise Purpose of the Movements You Are Practicing

This may seem obvious, but knowing the precise health purpose of a Tai Chi or Qigong can tell you whether the exercise is appropriate for the results you want.

For example, a Qigong exercise that concentrates on the legs probably won’t do much for a stiff neck. Or a Tai Chi movement that concentrates on the liver may not help you improve your blood pressure, if that’s what you want.

So it’s important that you know the precise purpose. I can’t stress this enough: Never do a Tai Chi movement or Qigong practice unless you know precisely what it is trying to accomplish!

Too often, we accept vague “reasons” or “purposes” from our instructors for what we are learning. But in order to make sure our practice is working, we need definite descriptions of what to look for. Instead, let’s look at an example of the type of precision we want.

Here’s an example of a precisely defined purpose from our Level 3 advanced training, for the movement called Water Pump Qigong:

Water Pump Qigong helps us loosen and stretch muscles in our lower back, hips, waist, thighs, and calves. These are important posture-stabilizing muscles, as they connect our spine and lower back physically through our hips, and into our legs and feet.

And as with all of our kua-focused exercises, Water Pump increases our range of motion in the hips, making everyday activities like walking, bending, and squatting more fluid and free. Finally, Water Pump Qigong will allow us to look at the structural alignment in our legs and feet, adding to our physical awareness of stability and rooting.

This is the type of information you’ll need to know for every Tai Chi or Qigong movement you learn. Your instructor or learning material should spell this out for you clearly and precisely for every single movement.

Make Sure You Are Practicing Regularly

Some of your health problems may have been around quite some time. In addition, it takes repeated practice for PNI systems to become “habituated” (physically used to) regular doses of increased endocrine and immune secretions.

So as a result, regular practice is necessary. 10 minutes of practice daily is not the same as 20 minutes every other day, or 30 minutes every third day. While you may think that these practice schedules are equivalent, you’ll notice benefits much more quickly in small daily doses rather than large weekly doses.

An analogy I’ve used before is brushing your teeth. Brushing your teeth two minutes a day is far better than fifteen minutes once a week!

Make Sure You’ve Customized the Movements to Your Body

Let me be as blunt as possible: If your movements look exactly like your teacher’s, or like the other students in the class, you are doing it wrong!

I make no compromise here. Every movement must be customized to your body. If not, at best you will delay any benefits from your practice. At worst, you’ll cause injury or further aggravate any conditions you have.

The only way for you to notice benefits is for you to make sure your practices fit you like a glove! So how do you customize the movements? Quite simply, you need to …

Make Sure You Are Following All Details Specified in the Course

Every movement in ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong is accompanied by several “ChiFusion Details.” These details tell you how to customize the movements, and also point out common pitfalls that can prevent you from seeing benefits from your practice.

Make sure you understand and practice every one of these details. It’s better to limit your practice to a few movements that have all of these details in place, rather than practice a dozen (or a hundred!) movements in a sloppy fashion. So do not skip over any details, or skimp on your practice of any details.

As an example, Michael once mentioned on our Support Forum exactly that point. He told us of what happened when he learned to follow the details for one of our simplest exercises, Touch Heaven and Earth. “I must say”, he wrote, “that even though the difference (spatially) was only an inch or so [in the placement of the hands], the sensation was quite different.”

The old saying is that “horseshoes is a game of inches” – but as you’ll notice when you start incorporating more and more ChiFusion Details into your practice, Qigong and Tai Chi are games of inches as well. And these inches may spell the difference between that works … and Tai Chi that doesn’t work!

Checking Your Practice to Get “Serious Health Benefits”

Quite simply, the reason these details are in our ChiFusion course material is because they work! From our research backed by intensive research, testing, and feedback from masters, instructors, and students just like you, they are GUARANTEED to improve your health, relieve stress, and provide you with in-depth, advanced Chi development quickly and easily.

Of course, that only happens if you are serious about your practice and you actually do them! Don’t expect to see benefits if you sign up for the ChiFusion Complete Course, then let it languish on your hard drive or in your email!

Many people practice ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong for health, but are you certain your practice is bringing you benefits? To make sure you are getting benefits, actively look for improved health conditions, get the objective observations of your health care provider, and look for body signals after your practice.

If that doesn’t work, check your practice to make sure it’s regular, customized, and detailed. Use the above checklist. If you do, you’ll know that ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong is bringing you the benefits you want – and that you have Tai Chi that works!

You need to know where you are in order to find your way.

Your place in the universe is often twisted away from the ideal; it may be physical, mental, emotional,and/or spiritually misaligned.

Let me first explain that in the “physical world” you can be  physically, mentally, emotionally,and/or spiritually misaligned  and you can also be misaligned in the “celestial world”. This is because all things have Yin and Yang elements to them. Our goal is harmonizing Yin/Yang, not just balancing Yin and Yang .

To keep things simple, my objective in this article is just to start with the body, the physical within the physical.

The most important overriding principles in Qigong and Taiji and Meditation for that matter revolve around alignment. As stated in the second paragraph of this page, alignment could mean spiritual, emotional. mental, or physical.

As we work ever inward to the higher levels of understanding we need to start somewhere. The starting point is the physical alignment of your body, starting with your feet. When we learn this basic skill called “Wuji Stance” we will have a working model of alignment that we can “clone” into our thinking to restructure our bodies, minds, emotions, and ultimately our spirits.  Then we can keep feeding back that spiritual energy to continually strengthen our bodies, minds, emotions. The cycle continues until we have the “rarefied qi” of original Spirit known as “the gold pill” a spiritual embryo that grows within us until such time as it “becomes” us and we are reborn into Tao.

It is simple really. Just start under your feet.  We want a totally natural alignment of our skeleton so we can relax all of our muscles. The following list is an example of what I tell my students. I probably say this list twenty or thirty or more times a week in my classes

1.     Feet parallel and shoulder width apart

2.     Knees slightly bent

3.     Tailbone tucked in so your lumbar spine is vertical

4.     Relax the hips and “sit” into your legs

5.     Let the “golden thread from heaven” lift your head

6.     Tuck in your chin so that your cervical spine is vertical

7.     Relax your shoulders, let your arms dangle at your side

8.     Contain your chest, don’t “puff out” your chest

9.     Bring your breath  to your dantien, just below the navel

10.   Bring your mind down to your dantien

11.    Put your tongue at your palate

12.    Keep your eyes soft, don’t strain your eyes

In addition I tell students to:  keep their hearts open, explaining that there is no need for any emotional energy, and to keep their mental energy redirected inward,  reviewing the 12 points on the list.  Then I repeat the list….

more to this page soon…

Wuji

“The journey of a thousand miles, starts under your feet.”

For all people on the Way, there are many paths with side excursions and a few distractions and even some “deviations”.

Any well thought out journey starts somewhere; indeed today even scientists think they can explain the origin of the universe. As fantastic as “the big bang theory” is….would you believe  that well over 2500 years ago the planet’s original “scientists” the Taoists, had a similar theory?

According to the Taoist cosmology, before anything “existed” there was something they called “Wuji”.  This (literally) means “the Void” or “without form” or “the beginning.” From this  “Void”,”Tao”  emerged, Tao being translated as “the Way” or “path”.  An interesting side note corresponds to religious texts….”God created the Heaven and Earth”. For the Taoists you might look at it this way…’From the void, Tao emerged and created the heavens and Earth’.

Is it not sort of enlightening that Taoist thought can merge science and religion and validate both simultaneously? I tread lightly here  so as to not evoke sensibilities, but let’s assume that the science of things is always open to scrutiny, and admit that religious texts were written thousands of years ago and are famous for using metaphorical language. Anyway, I’m only attempting to give some perspective to Wuji.

If you are still following me (and wondering what this has to do with Qigong) consider this, finding a “place” without form gives us a connection to divine origins. Notice my choice of words, crafted somewhere between the scientific and religious terminology. It is here where we see one way that “all things are connected”.

Along the Way we often find that science and religion merge into philosophy. By extrapolation it is easy to see that our physical self’s are connected to an understanding of the merger of the two (science and religion) into a philosophy. In the Taoist arts this philosophy is applied to the physical realm so that practitioners can assimilate cosmic energy directly into themselves.

One can see that practicing Qigong is an endeavor using a philosophy combined with science and spirituality, to nurture the physical self that contains our “Self” self.

Now don’t ever get put off by the talk of spirituality or the word “cosmic” as Taoists define these words in a general sense, for instance, tonight I am “inspired” to write this page,  and so these words are coming from my “spirit” and as I post this message it is sent (via satellite) into the cosmos.

This stuff is not rocket science, nor is it some intangible “cosmic” thing; the fact is, this concept is so simple it is woefully misunderstood.  My approach to Qigong (energy cultivation) is equally pragmatic, I’m not asking anyone to make any leap of faith; only to see the truth. With this understanding, we can now “start” the journey, also know, that by reading this, you already have…..

While some people practice Tai Chi and Qigong just for the fun of it, most of us practice with a purpose in mind.

We may want to improve our health, or relieve stress, or become more fit. We may want to recover from an illness or disease, or become more balanced and flexible, or just to bring some peace and relaxation into our lives. And of course, we might be practicing for martial arts or self-defense purposes.

So if you are practicing for a given purpose, you may be wondering – “Does my Tai Chi and Qigong actually work? Is it actually bringing me the benefits I want?”

Of course, if your purpose of practicing is martial arts or self-defense, it’s easy to tell if your art works. After all, in martial Tai Chi, you can usually tell if a movement works or if it doesn’t work by how well you “handle” your opponent. You generally get immediate, direct (and sometimes painful) feedback on how well you have or haven’t responded to a martial situation.

But when it comes to evaluating effectiveness, people that practice for health actually have a more difficult time evaluating results than those who practice for martial arts. After all, which is the easier question to answer: “Did this Tai Chi move prevent my opponent from hurting me?” or “Did this Tai Chi move improve how my liver functions?” I think most people find the second question much more difficult to answer.

That’s because many of the health changes provided by arts like ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong can be subtle and easily overlooked. So you might find yourself asking, “Is my practice really making me healthier? How can I tell?”

If you are practicing ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong to improve your health, here are three important “signs” that can help you check the results of your practice. And if you aren’t noticing these signs, we have some hints on what to do to make sure you do notice them.

Three Important Health Signs That Your Practice Is Working

1. Your Health Condition Improves

If you are practicing to improve a certain aspect of your health, seeing a positive change in that health aspect is a sure sign you are on the right track. This may seem obvious, but it’s important that you actively search out and look for examples that your condition has improved.

For example, a bad back is one of the most common health conditions that leads people to ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong. We hear this from students like Martin all the time. “The lower back is a concern for me,” Martin wrote, “because I work in construction and do a good bit of lifting.”

Martin practiced ChiFusion Level 1 daily for several months, and knew that his back improved – the day he could go ice skating! “I just went ice skating for the first time since before doing this program and was just enjoying immensely the ease with which I could skate. Every other handy man project around the house has been so much easier as well.”

So if you are practicing to improve a certain illness, disease, or physical condition, make sure you actively look for improvements in your health. Beyond just “feeling better”, look for signs of physical healing, improved capacity, the ability to perform tasks you couldn’t perform before, or other obvious indicators.

2. Your Health Care Professional Notices Changes

One of the best signs that your practice is working is when your doctor, chiropractor, naturopath, acupuncturist, or other health care professional notices changes.

It might be changes in the results of tests and measurements, (for example, lower blood pressure readings or improved T-cell counts), or it might be just the considered opinion of your health expert.

For example, Joan, one of our students in Massachusetts, was a retired schoolteacher. She sent me this email, “I just want to tell you that I visited my chiropractor for the first time [since starting the ChiFusion course] and he said that whatever I’m doing to keep doing it, because he hasn’t seen my body as mobile as it is now. So something is working.”

Don’t be afraid to ask your health care advisor for his or her opinion. Because they are “objective”, they may actually notice signs that you’ve missed.

However, make sure you ask them the right question. DO NOT ask them “Is my Tai Chi or Qigong helping me?”, because many of them only have a passing familiarity with the arts, usually based on what they’ve read about them. Hence, you’ll get their opinion (or more likely the opinion they’ve borrowed from what they’ve read) rather than the objective answer you want.

Instead, ask them to evaluate your condition. Do they see signs of improvement? What do they see in any tests and measurements they perform? Do they notice any indicators of healing, improved capacity, or improved physiological responses?

Even if their opinion of Tai Chi and Qigong is positive, it’s not what you want. What you want is their opinion of your health. Asking them to evaluate your condition (rather than your practice) will give you a more objective picture.

3. Your “Body Signals” Tell You About It

I first learned about the concept of “body signals” from my teaching partner (and certified nutritional advisor), Carole Taylor. Carole uses “body signals” with her health clients to make sure they are on the right track to getting the proper nutrition for health and longevity.

Carole says that your body sends you clear and easy signals that tell you if you’ve eaten properly. Most people, however, don’t know to look for these signals, or how to interpret them if they receive them.

Well, your body does the same thing when you practice Tai Chi and Qigong, and you have to know how to look for these signals. Specifically, your body signals the effects of your Tai Chi through (1) your energy level, (2) your mental reactions, and (3) your emotional reactions.

Be aware though that, unlike food-based reactions, which happen generally within 1 to 2 hours of eating, Tai Chi and Qigong-based reactions can sometimes actually take longer. While some people experience signals during or immediately after practice, it’s not unusual for there to be a “delay effect” of several hours up to a full day in body signals from Tai Chi and Qigong.

For example, one of our students who had numerous physical problems once told us his peak always occurred about three hours after practice. “I don’t know what it is, but I just feel great after about 3 hours,” he said, despite having constant pain from a hip injury. “The pain just seems to disappear and stays gone for several hours. I’ve never had that happen before.”

This delay effect has been identified by psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which studies how the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system interact. PNI has also studied how these systems interact through chemicals that are released by practices like Tai Chi and Qigong.

Generally, these systems interact through chemical secretions, including a variety of chemicals known as “neuropeptides”. According to the late Robert Anton Wilson, Ph.D., “Since neuropeptides travel through virtually all body fluids (blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, etc.) as well as between neurons, the neuropeptide system acts more slowly but more holistically than the central nervous system.”

What this means is that while the effects of practice may be happening “during” practice, your brain may delayed in getting the “signals” from these effects. So in looking for body signals from your Tai Chi practice, make sure you pay attention to how you feel over a 2 to 24 hour period after practice. Check your energy level, look for how mentally sharp your thinking appears, and notice any feelings of happiness or well-being.

Most people find that there will be a “peak” in these body signals somewhere during the 24 hours after practice. And if you practice at the same time each day, often times you’ll notice that the peak will occur at the same time each day as well.

What To Do If You Don’t See Results

So what if your health condition doesn’t improve, your doctor or chiropractor doesn’t notice any differences, and you don’t notice any body signals? Should you give up practicing?

Instead of abandoning your practice, first check some important points about your practice. In Part 2 of this article (coming soon), we’ll give you a checklist will make sure that you are giving your body “what it needs” to improve.

With these checklist items, you can be sure that your ChiFusion practice is bringing you the health benefits you want – and that you have Tai Chi that works!

First there was the One, Tao

Then there came the Two,  Heaven and Earth,

The Two begets the Third,  Heaven, Earth and Humans

In our selves there are three realms that correspond with these “Three”.  Consider that we are made from the minerals of the Earth. To that the energy of the Heaven was added in the form of sunlight; we humans are a product of the first two.

Our essences is from the Earth and in a way our bodies come from (and returns to) the Earth…. Our spiritual energy comes from (and returns to) Heaven

Earth is Yin and Heaven is Yang the creative forces of the universe or Tao.

We have Human qualities that we can call mental or thinking processes and we have emotional qualities  These two energies make up our “humanness.”  We can also call these things Yin/Yang, where our emotions are considered  Yin and our thoughts are considered Yang.

The way I see it, the three realms stack up like this:

Our physical self’s being of the  Earth (pure Yin)

Our human (mental & emotional) self’s being  Yin/Yang

Our spiritual self’s being Heaven  (pure Yang)

In a very real way even by “scientific” definition we are created by Heaven (the heavens?) and Earth.

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