18 Rules of Posture from Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson - Rule #2

Rule #2. Bend the Knees.

In proper structural alignment, the knees should be slightly bent and the butt tucked under as if you were sitting on a stool with your feet on the ground. Correct alignment: the tip of the nose, the center of the navel - and the tip of the toes. The nee caps must be directly aligned with your nose, toes, and navel, and should extend no further than the tip of the middle toes. Also be sure that the knees are pointed directly forward and not twisted inward or outward. If your knees are unable to point in the direction of your toes, most likely your hips are tight. Relaxing the knees will increase blood flow through the legs and make it easier to relax the hips.

18 Rules of Posture from Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson -- Rule #1

Rule #1. Stand with the Feet Flat.

Think of having the bones stacking - from the Earth to the Heavens - and visualize the center of the body’s weight and joint areas being properly distributed and structurally aligned on top of each other. To feel the gravitational power of the Earth, imagine that your body is constantly falling to the center core of the planet. Feel the progression from the bottom of your feet, to ankles, knees, hips etc., stacking and falling down.

Longevity

As we age, or become “less young” as a friend of mine likes to put it, many of us become more focused on doing what we can to have as much time here on this planet as possible. We may question whether that in itself is a worthy goal, and I may throw out my thoughts about that in a future post, but for now let’s accept that we all do want to live as long life as we can.

Interestingly, Master Liu said that the Chinese character for a longevity has both “long” and “short” in the charter, meaning life should be long and death should be short. So many people in our society suffer many years before passing away, and that is not the path any of us would choose. So it really is not just a question of how long we live, but those years that we live we want to be fruitful and happy.

So how do we live more fully for the time we are here? For me, qigong is a brilliant answer because it supports and enhances health without expense or negative side-effects. Qigong is immensely practical for taking care of the body we were gifted. There is so much more to qigong than taking care of the physical body, but we do start there because without energy and vitality, we are not able to accomplish more lofty aspirations.

Martial Morality

This list can work for all of us, whether we are do martial arts or not. One saying about practicing the martial arts is that you find that your greatest opponent is yourself. I certainly find that working on my own shortcomings is my greatest challenge.

This list is courtesy of Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang:

Humility

Respect

Righteousness

Trust

Loyalty

Will

Endurance

Perseverance

Patience

Courage

Why I love Tai Chi and Qigong

If I ask myself this question, I can come up with many answers, and all would be true. For today, I would say that I love it because while practicing I feel present in my body in a natural, relaxed way. That is to say, I feel very alive, connected, and peaceful. It is the feeling of moving gracefully in the world, to flow with life, and to feel grounded. It is being in touch with the rhythms of the day and opening to the joy of life that animates us and life around us. Tai chi and qigong are my conduit for connection, though it was not something I strove after or anticipated when I began on my journey. The joy that we can tap into by this beautiful practice is what motivates me to share it with others.

Tai Chi: A Way of Life

By Stephanie Fowler

Tai Chi works on the principles of Yin and Yang – which in Taoist philosophy represent the two opposite forces in action in the Universe, from which all things stem. The Taoists believe that the human body is a reflection of the Universe, and it can be used as a gateway to understanding and achieving the Tao— which means the ‘path’ or the ‘way’.

This interplay of opposites within the Universe is reflected in every movement within traditional Tai Chi Chuan, as you change constantly from Yin to Yang — from closed to open, passive to active, empty to full, soft to hard, slow to quick, each part, each side of the body is engaged in this dance that mirrors the nature of our internal ‘selves’ as well as the Universe outside.

The more you practice, the more these opposite forces of Yin and Yang become balanced and a part of yourself, leading to a greater sense of harmony and fulfillment.

Seems simple? In a sense, it couldn’t be easier — you are following the natural laws of the Universe, forging balance and harmony out of performing seemingly simple physical movements. But it may seem contradictory that this supposedly easy ‘path of least resistance’, as many people think of Tai Chi training, actually requires considerable effort and dedication to follow.

To become proficient at Tai Chi, the training requires the student to practice daily, and the skills don’t come easily. Despite the primary principle being to just relax and move comfortably, it takes considerable work to achieve this!

Just as a proper foundation has to be laid for a house to stand firm, so must a proper foundation be laid within the body for a solid practice to take shape. And just as it is physically hard for us to re-learn how to relax and follow our natural way of moving, so it can be just as difficult to find the ‘way’, and find balance and harmony within life.

Stephanie Fowler first began learning martial arts in 1992 at the age of 17. Her training in Tai Chi Chuanbegan a year later. She has trained with many top masters from all over the world, including the current Chen-style lineage holder Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei. She has also practised Qigong and another internal martial art, Bagua Zhang.

Fear

"To live consciously is not easy -- it means we often must face fears and pains that challenge our heart." Jack Kornfield

The Internal Martial Arts teaches us that our first enemy is our fear. Practicing the forms and applying the principles helps us overcome our fears. This is the path of the Warrior. Let's walk the path together.

Gratitude

I like to end my qigong classes with sharing gratitude for the practice. This is not a rote or trite gesture for me because I often reflect on how tai chi and qigong have made my life better in ways that I could not have imagined. The practice becomes deeper and more powerful the more I delve, and it is to my teachers and to their teachers before them that I thank for their generosity and patience. I am so fortunate to have found knowledgeable and caring tai chi and qigong teachers, Shifu Kraig Stephens and Master Liu He, and I know that what they have given is very precious and more valuable than any material object. Sometimes I bemoan the fact that I didn't discover tai chi and qigong until relatively late in life, but then I realize that I was probably not yet ready then and that I am lucky to have found them at all. 

Mental Barriers to Qigong - Part 5

Not Enough Time! This is a habitual reason many of us give for not being able to take up qigong and tai chi practice. It is true that many, if not most, of us in our hurried up society think that we do not have enough time to fit in a mind-body practice. However, if we truly value our health and mental balance, it is important to include some sort of reflective and restorative practice to our hectic lifestyle. In the true meaning of the taiji with yin and yang continually ebbing and flowing, our own lives need to find the balance between frenetic activity and nourishment for ourselves. It doesn’t help that society implicitly devalues contemplation and admires those who aggressively push themselves. An interesting question one qigong teacher asks her students is how much time they spend in the natural world each day.  Then she asks them how much time they spend on the Internet. Almost all her students spend considerably more time on the Internet than in nature, which gives them perspective on what they value.

Mind Change.  I like to share the Chinese saying that is better to dig the well before one is thirsty. Usually the “not enough time” excuse is merely a decision of priorities.  Knowing that your health and well-being are worth the small investment of time is important. Try fitting in a few minutes of practice, perhaps doing some qigong while waiting for the coffee to brew, or doing qigong breathing while waiting in traffic.

Mental Barriers to Qigong - Part 4

Belief that Qigong is not Science Based.  There is a belief that qigong borders on New Age, hocus pocus nonsense and that a rational person should be wary of what  appears to be supernatural claims. Although science is held up as the greatest good, it is not really science that is admired as much as a set of beliefs that is based on common assumptions that have presumably been proven by science. The irony is that this is a very unscientific approach because as Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, himself an innovative scientist, put it in his book Science Set Free, “The biggest scientific delusion of all is that science already knows the answers.”

Although Einstein’s theory of relativity and the theory of quantum mechanics have fundamentally changed science, mainstream cultural views are still firmly attached to materialism. Materialism looks at the functions of nature as a machine. The idea of qi or energy moving through the body may not fit the worldview of the materialist. While there is no requirement to have any set up beliefs to benefit from qigong, an antagonistic mindset may inhibit any potential benefit from the practice.

Mind Change. Keep an open, curious mind and enjoy the practice. Notice if you have a tendency to judge and analyze, and, if possible, suspend that frame of mind while doing qigong. We want to experience our qigong practice in a comfortable, relaxed frame of mind. There is scientific research that you may delve into after your practice if you are inclined to do so. Check out the Qigong Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting qigong via research and education (www.qigonginstitute.org). 

Mental Barriers to Practicing Qigong - Part 3

Perceived Helplessness.  Perceived helplessness is the feeling that whatever negativity befalls us, it is inevitable, and there is little possibility of personal action or responsibility. We feel powerless and cannot envision being able to effect meaningful change when confronted with difficulties. Since the one requirement of an efficacious qigong practice is to actually do it, a passive mindset can sabotage our success. Many of us are effective in many facets of our lives, but we abdicate personal responsibility when it comes to our own health and spiritual development. Institutions such as the church and the medical industry unwittingly, or perhaps wittingly, promote dependency and helplessness.

In his 1975 book Limits to Medicine:  Medical Nemesis, the Expropriation of Health, Ivan Illich wrote that public has been trained to be docile and reliant on the medical profession to cope with life in society. With an attitude of dependence, we are less likely to take action such as attending a class. We are less open to the idea that our physical and mental health can be influenced by our own actions. We look up to our doctor as the expert who is in control of our health. David Morris and Karl Hass, in their book Neighborhood Power, wrote, “We are most dependent on outside experts when we are ignorant, and we are probably most ignorant about our own bodies. Even our cars are more open to common-sense knowledge than our bodies.”

Mind Change.  Baby steps are probably the best approach for those of us who have little confidence in themselves. Simply having learned to adjust our posture and breath can be an important start. Giving yourself the freedom to experience your own body without judgment or expectations is perhaps the most powerful tool. Know that you are ultimately in charge of your body and health care, and work with your doctor collaboratively.

Mental Barriers to Practicing Qigong - Part 2

“Qigong is only for the Unfit, Old, and Frail.”  This attitude is the flip side of the “Fear of Exercise Class” barrier and is a product of our culture’s attitude toward fitness and exercise. We get the message loud and clear that exercise and movement are primarily for burning calories, increasing muscle strength, and promoting cardiovascular health. We know that stretching is also an important component of fitness, but for most of us fitness buffs it certainly does not rank up in importance with our sweat-inducing workouts. The idea of calming the nervous system, deepening the breath, improving posture, and promoting organ health does not appear in the radar. If we observe a qigong class, we may see mostly older participants moving slowly who likely appear to be in poor physical condition. For those of us who like to exercise hard and feel the burn, qigong looks, frankly, kind of wimpy. We acknowledge that qigong may be useful for Grandma, but why would I want to do something so boring and gentle.

Mind Change.  I can’t blame you if you have this attitude towards qigong, because this was where I was before I personally experienced improvements in fitness and health from practicing qigong and tai chi. Qigong and tai chi complement vigorous exercise to improve athletic performance. Some of the benefits you will enjoy form a qigong/tai chi practice are greater lung capacity, a more integrated nervous system that improves reflexes, better stability and balance, toned and healthy muscles, and a relaxed mind that can handle stress. More and more elite athletes are using qigong and tai chi to enhance their skills because it gives them an edge up, so a 15-minute qigong practice may be just what will make the difference for you as well.

Mental Barriers to Practicing Qigong - Part 1

For my Qigong instructor certification through the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, I was required to submit a paper, and my topic was "The Mental Barriers to Practicing Qigong." I picked that topic because it is usually our minds that get in the way, and our attitudes are often our biggest challenge. So, for the next several blog entries, I am going to share what I perceive as the common mental constructs that we keep us from practicing and benefiting from qigong.

Fear of Exercise Classes.  Many of us who could benefit from qigong are afraid to try it because we automatically assume that qigong is an exercise class that will be physically demanding. If we have been sedentary for a long time, the idea of joining a group to “exercise” is frightening.  We may have given up hope of ever changing our habits and may even feel that it is too late to make positive changes to our physical condition. Exercise in the popular culture is admired in its more extreme forms such as marathons, the P90X workout regimen, CrossFit, ironman, etc.  The only type of movement classes many of us are likely familiar with are those that are way beyond our ability and may end up giving us a painful injury. Also, our culture glamorizes youthful, beautiful bodies, and our own body may be far from this ideal. We may hold a lot of shame about our body, and joining a class that has anything to do with movement may generate anxiety and fear.

Mind Change.  It is never too late for you to enjoy qigong and feel better from it. Qigong can even be done in a hospital bed or in a wheelchair, so as long as you can breathe, you are capable of doing qigong. Of course, it is better not to wait too long, and it is easier to maintain health than it is to recover it – There is a Chinese saying that it is better not to dig a well when you are thirsty. But know that a qigong practice will improve your well-being and that this is your own personal journey with no place for judgment, either by others or by yourself.

Belly Breathing

Shifu Kraig at Old Warrior Horse Kung Fu Academy often reminds his students that "the breath is the most important part of your taiji and qigong." The first lesson students are given is to breathe to the belly (i.e., dan tien) so that the abdomen rises and falls with the breath. This belly breathing is one of most healthful changes you can make and costs you nothing. We are returning to the relaxed, natural breathing that we did as an infant and very young child. Belly breathing helps to bring awareness to your body, massages the organs, and increases blood circulation and lung capacity. Because most of us have not been breathing to the belly for years, if not decades, we may have to relearn it. Just like our qigong and taiji, we don't want to push and force, but rather be gentle with ourselves as we gradually relax and deepen the breath. Breathe smoothly, slowly, and exhale completely. To get the feel of belly breathing, Shifu Kraig recommends lying on your back with your hands on your abdomen and then feeling the abdomen rise and fall as you breathe to the belly.

Here are some tips from Bruce Frantzis of Energy Arts:

1. When you inhale, feel your breath come into your nose, down your throat and into your lungs and belly. Let your belly muscles expand to move your belly forward.
2. When you exhale, let your belly return to its original position and relax. Do your best to completely relax your chest and not use any strength to puff it out when you breathe. You should have very little or no sense of air going into your chest.
3. First, practice by focusing on expanding and relaxing your lower belly. Your lower belly extends from slightly above the top of your pubic hair to your navel. 
4. When you can expand and relax your lower belly comfortably, turn your attention to moving the middle belly when you breathe, which for most people is more difficult. The middle belly extends from your navel to just before your diaphragm. Placing your hands on the lower, middle and upper parts of your belly as you breathe will give you clear feedback as to whether and how much your belly is moving.
5. Finally, concentrate on expanding and relaxing your upper belly—your diaphragm and solar plexus—just underneath your lowest ribs. Try to have your diaphragm move downward as you inhale and upward as you exhale. This will help push air into the back and top of your lungs, parts that seldom get exercised. Eventually, you will be able to move all three parts of your belly in unison.

What is Qigong?

Since I practice qigong every day, it should be easy for me to give a quick answer, but I find myself unable to adequately define qigong. Of course, the easy answer is "energy work" or "breath work," but those terms do so little to convey what qigong really is. In Master Liu He's book "Jade Woman Qigong," she said when her students ask her to explain what qigong is, she answers that "qigong is as large as nature and full of surprises." I think that is the best description I have come across. We like to narrow down and classify, but qigong defies being put into a box. We make our own personal discoveries from our qigong practice, and more often than not, we discover something that we didn't even search for. In my own experience, I was approached qigong as simple physical movements and have been surprised at the contemplative aspects of the practice. Qigong is as broad as nature, so be open to your own experience and enjoy the journey and be ready to be surprised! 

Should you learn Qigong or Tai Chi?

My quick answer to that question is that both qigong and tai chi are immensely valuable, so why not learn both! However, there are differences between qigong and tai chi that might influence which you pursue, at least for now.

Qigong is much easier to learn initially, although if you want complexity you can find intricate forms of qigong. Tai chi involves linking movements together, which beginners can find difficult. Qigong may be done standing, seated, and even lying down, and health benefits are soon realized. Another advantage is that not much space is required to do qigong, so those who live in close quarters can easily practice. 

So if qigong is easier to learn, anyone can do it, health benefits come quickly, and it takes less space, why would you want to learn tai chi? Tai chi, which is a martial art (Tai ji Quan) that came out of one branch of qigong, works all the neigong energy pathways, whereas qigong typically emphasizes one or two at a time. Therefore, when you do tai chi, you are moving energy through the meridians efficiently and effectively. Also, the challenge of learning tai chi is very good for improving brain elasticity, which is important for aging well. Finally, as stated earlier, tai chi is a martial art, so if you learn to do the moves with martial intent, you have the ability to execute them if you are ever in a situation that requires you to defend yourself. (In case you are wondering how taiji could possibly be a martial art since it looks so graceful and you may have only seen it performed slowly, all the moves in taiji have martial application and can be done quickly. In a combative situation, the taiji practitioner matches the speed of the attacker.)

Whatever path you choose, enjoy the journey and practice with sincerity and gratitude.

Qigong and Knitting

Shifu Kraig likes to tell his students at Old Warrior Horse Kung Fu Academy that we can practice qigong anywhere, any time. Whenever you come into your posture, do qigong breathing, and focus the mind, you are doing qigong.

I recently took up knitting and am taking a beginners class at a local knitting shop. Learning a new skill is exciting and challenging, but I was surprised at the possibility of using qigong skills in my new hobby.  At first I felt clumsy and inept. I noticed that my breath had become more shallow and that my shoulders and neck were tensing up. My thoughts were anxious, and I wasn't really enjoying what I was doing at all! Well, this is crazy, I thought. I paused, relaxed my breath, released the tension in my shoulders and neck, and felt my mind let go of its negative dialogue. I then began to enjoy knitting. I still have to practice a lot -- there's never a short-cut for practice -- but I am much happier and less frustrated now that I relax while I knit.

Try Harder!!! -- Not

I recently read a book by Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson entitled "A Master's Journey: Secret Memoirs of a Warrior, Healer, and Mystic." Johnson describes his path as first a martial artist, and then healer, scholar, and finally Daoist priest. There are many vivid stories in the book that make it an incredible read.

One funny episode early in Johnson's Shaolin Kungfu training is something we can learn from and perhaps challenge our way of approaching goal setting. Johnson was young and enthusiastic, and he wanted to learn as much kung fu as possible, as quickly as possible. He asked his shifu (teacher) how long it would take him to become proficient enough to be a shifu in his own right. His shifu answered that it would take perhaps three to five years. Johnson was dismayed because he had had quite a bit of martial arts training before turning to kung fu and thought the pace should be faster. "Well, what if I trained and worked really, really hard?" he asked, to which his shifu answered, "Oh, in that case, it would take you seven to nine years."

Johnson's Shifu explained that the learning requires the natural unfolding of innate skills that take time to embody. He used the analogy of trying to grasp a falling feather -- each time you reach for it, your grasping actually pushes the feather further away. Instead, by relaxing, observing, and receiving the energetic movement of the feather, it will naturally become guided toward the center of your outreached hand.

Doing Qigong outdoors

I love this time of year -- the long days, the exuberant growth, the feeling of possibilities before us. I also like summer because I can finally enjoy doing my qigong out of doors on sunny, warm mornings. If you haven't done your qigong practice outside yet, give it a try and see how different it feels. I feel more rootedness to the earth, more openness to the sky above, and more connection to the life around me. The barriers between me and what's "out there" seem more permeable. There is a peace that comes from being in nature, and doing qigong accentuates this sensitivity. 

"Word Masking"

I found another gem of a book entitled "The Essence of Qigong:  A Handbook of Qigong Theory and Practice" by Ke Yun Lu, translated by Lucy Liao. In a discussion of grasping the essence of a teaching, Mr. Lu contrasts conceptualization with experiential feeling. In Buddhism, the term "word masking" means the substitution of words and concepts for an actual experience. The words may make sense logically, but without experiential knowledge, there is only a surface understanding. To illustrate his point, Mr. Lu asked friends to describe the taste of tea. One said that tea has the aroma of a jasmine flower while another said that it has a bitter tinge. He asked further:  How does the first cup in the morning taste? Is it different if one is at leisure? How about when one is happy? There are thousands of ways to describe the taste of tea. However, if you try to describe the taste of tea to someone who had never tried tea before, all the descriptions in the world would be just abstract words, not at all like the experience of drinking tea. The point is that we cannot understand something that we do not know. We do our best with words, but we need to know that the words do not substitute for the experience.

So why do we even try to use words to describe the ineffable? If one has had an experience, perhaps in the distant past, but the memory has become faint, words can help to trigger the memory and re-ignite something that resides deep within. Words are pointing the way but are not the way. 

Mr. Lu states that if we remain with conceptualization of, say, yin and yang, we have not grasped its essence. Rather than an idea, true understanding of yin and yang is an experiential feeling beyond words. He encourages us to break out of the language trap of preconceptions and ideas to experience "the origin of all things." This is the way of the Tao.