Grandmaster Wang Yan: How to regain your youth

This is a partial reprint from the website of my friend Violet Li,  Violet Li Tai Chi website.  Please click the link for more info on Grandmaster Wang Yan.

“During the 17^th World Congress [on Qigong] held in San Francisco, CA, Grandmaster Wang Yan held a few workshops to share several Medical Qigong techniques. At age 80, she had a full head of naturally black hair. She suffered from no jetlag and energetically participated in all the activities. At the Opening Ceremony [09/03/2016], she shared a Medical Qigong formula to rejuvenate the body and mind so people can return to the childhood energy level. There are three parts of this Medical Qigong form: meditation, breathing techniques, and gentle exercises. You can watch the attached video for the explanation and demonstration.”

The Practice Description (quoted from above site) :

Meditation:
People should put hands in front of Dan Tian, with eyes gently closed and breathe through the nose naturally for two minutes. This will provide an amazing result of deep relaxation. The key is that the mind should focus on Dan Tian and not think about anything at all.

Breathing techniques:
Inhale through the nose to bring hands above the waist [while making the sound of long E - Eeeeeeeee] and exhale through the nose to relax hands on the waist. Inhale again slowly and raise the heels at the same time. Hold breath while lowering the heels a little bit and contracting the anus and the private area for 6 or 7 times, better yet 8 times. Exhale through the nose slowly to lower the heels down onto the floor. Inhale through the nose quickly and exhale through mouth and make [hahhhh] noise. Repeat the last part three times.

Gentle Exercises:
The first exercise: kick one foot at time while swinging the arms. Repeat ten times and change to another side. You can hold on to a chair or table for stability if needed. The second exercise: Raise both arms overhead and raise the heels up; then let the gravity takes as you drop down the heels and swing the arms down. Repeat ten times.


She advised people to do this Qigong program three times a day in the morning for the first week and take a two-minute break in between sets, then 2 times in the second week, and then once a day from the third week on.

* End quoted material *

Cultivation of the Nine Hearts 修九心 xiu jiu xin

This post came from my friend Annie Pecheva who graciously gave her permission to share it from her Facebook page, posted August 11, 2016 Thank you, Annie!


Daoist Master Zhuang 莊陳登雲 (1911－1976) is one of the most highly respected Daoists in the history of Taiwan. Here are his excellent commentaries on the Cultivation of the Nine Hearts 修九心 and their symbolic meaning in the Luoshu 落书 (magic square) and Hetu 河图 (magic circle), shared with us by prof. Michael R Saso:
MAGIC SQUARE, MAGIC CIRCLE

修九心 xiu jiu xin – cultivate the “nine hearts”

1. 公平心 gong ping xin –let the heart treat all with just compassion
2. 平等心 ping deng xin – let the heart treat all with love
3. 忍辱心 ren ru xin – the Dao realized heart loves those who scold and revile us
4. 包容心 bao rong xin – the Dao realized heart forgives everything
5. 慈悲心 ci bei xin – the Dao realized heart is filled with mercy for everyone
6. 救苦心 jiu ku xin – the Dao realized heart alleviates all suffering
7. 布施心 bu shi xin – the Daoist heart gives good things to everyone
8. 忠孝心 zhong xiao xin – the Dao heart is loyal to friends, filled with love for family, benevolent to all neighbors, prays for the deceased. (忠孝仁仪礼）offers food, drink, and respect to everyone.
9. 智慧心 zhi hui xin – The Dao of wisdom heart is aware of the needs of “now” reality.
(Nine is the symbol of the Magic square 落书, the dance that Yu the Great used to stop the floods. The Magic square becomes a Magic Circle 河图 of ten，(completion) when Dao presence is felt.
10. 无为道,在下丹田 -Ten is the symbol of the Magic Circle, ie when the nine steps are realized, then the Wuwei Dao is felt as present in the very center of all human beings.

For more, see chapters 5 and 6 in the book "Teachings of Daoist Master Zhuang" by Michael R Saso, Oracle Bones Press,2012.

Eckhart Tolle on Taiji, Qigong, and Yoga

“Spiritual practices that involve the physical body, such as t’ai chi, qigong, and yoga, are also increasingly being embraced in the Western world. These practices do not create a separation between body and spirit and are helpful in weakening the pain-body. They will play an important role in the global awakening.” Quoted from 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle p 158 – 9

I love this quote from A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle but at the same time, I think more needs to be said on the phrase 'These practices do not create a separation between body and spirit....'

Not only do they not create a separation, they can actually repair separation that has already taken place, and work together to create great inner enlightenment as well as outer strength.

The word 'yoga' means union; it is understood that this means union with the Supreme Spirit. Just as there are many types of yoga, there are many styles of qigong (sometimes referred to as Daoist Yoga), and taiji. They all work toward the same end: to unify your body, mind, and spirit, enabling you to experience a harmony and wholeness that has been disregarded, or worse, outright scoffed at, in Western culture.

In these practices, your body becomes a component of the meditation process, not just a focus point as when you sit quietly and place your attention on your breath or some other physical attribute. Certainly, seated or other styles of meditation are great practices, and I've done many, but body meditation practices like taiji, qigong and yoga which combine Attention and Intention with Breathing Techniques enhance your unity with Spirit, and allow growth in a new and exciting way, ever supporting and strengthening your practice toward unified wholeness of body-mind-spirit.

This gives you the clarity and power to manifest the love-filled and joy-filled and freedom-filled life you desire and deserve!

Resonant Frequency Breathing Promotes Wellness

This is a short (demo) version of a breathing exercise used in our research studies to train the participants to breathe at near resonant frequency (6 bpm) with both visual and audio aids.... You may try this technique when you feel nervous, stressed or anxious, or just want to relax. This program is based on the findings from studies of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback, and the longer version (15 to 20 min) has been used in clinical studies of treatment of hypertension, panic, asthma, major depression, fibromyalgia, and anxiety disorders....

- Dr Kevin Chen

Qigong: mindful movement made in China

Here is a reprint from Yahoo! News. Whether it's called Chinese Yoga or, as it sometimes is, Daoist Yoga, qigong is a great, self-healing practice!

Qigong: mindful movement made in China
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110207/lf_nm_life/us_fitness_qigong

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – If yoga is all the rage, can Qigong be far behind?

Sometimes called Chinese yoga, Qigong is a mind-body practice that melds slow graceful movements, mental focus and deep abdominal breathing to boost and balance a person's vital energy, or "qi".

As China's star rises in the west, devotees believe this 5,000-year-old energy cultivation system is poised to become the new kid on the block among rat racers hungry for a more serene form of fitness.

"As China becomes more of a player in the world, Chinese practice is becoming more mainstream," said Matthew Cohen, creator of the Tai Chi & Qi Gong Basics DVD, "just as yoga became popular when the Beatles went to India."

Cohen, an instructor at Sacred Energy Arts in Santa Monica, California, said unlike in India, yoga in the west has come to favor the athletic at the expense of the meditative.

"The world is getting more crowded, cars and computers getting faster," he said. "Qigong is about going slower, so internally you create space."

Tom Rogers, president of the Qigong Institute, a nonprofit educational organization, said Qigong is the precursor to all Chinese energy practices.

"Tai Chi is the most well known moving form of Qigong. Kung Fu is also a form of Qigong," Rogers said from his home in Los Altos, California

Rogers added that the idea of energy cultivation is foreign to westerners but common to other cultures.

"Look at e=mc2," Rogers said of Einstein's insight that matter and energy are different forms of the same thing.

"In the west we look at mass," he said. "Western physics made weapons. The east looks at energy."

The slow, spiral exercises of Qigong, such as Rolling the Ball or Wave Hands in the Cloud, require no equipment, can be done anywhere, and are easy to learn.

"I call it getting an MBA: Movement, Breathing and Awareness," Rogers said. "One is adjusting your posture so energy flow is better; two is slow, deep, abdominal breathing; three is awareness, or trying to get thoughts out of your head."

Balance, posture, breath control and relaxation are among the benefits of Qigong, according to Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise.

She said some research trials have also reported statistically significant decreases in the incidence of stroke, decreased blood pressure, and increases in bone mineral density and improved effectiveness of cancer therapy among practitioners.

"Exercise is not just about going on the treadmill or lifting weights," Matthews explained.

Rogers said as you become more adept, the benefits increase.

"Like an onion you peel the layers back and there's more and more to it: movements are more fluid, posture is better, energy is flowing, breathing is more efficient with movement," he said. "As your awareness deepens you're distracted by less and less."

He added that every chronic illness on the planet is affected by stress.

"Connect with that healer within. Turn that on," Rogers added.

'Green' exercise quickly 'boosts mental health'

This is a reprint from BBC News. The original may be found at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8654350.stm

Of course this makes a lot of sense! Getting outside into fresh air and sunshine (without the sunscreen, if you please!) is wonderfully uplifiting mentally, not to mention all the great things it does for you physically.

Mentally, the quiet alone reduces stress and worry reducing levels of stress hormones, and the sounds of the birds and animals is enjoyful which raises levels of good hormones. Just breathing fresh air is uplifting! Water sounds are always soothing - they often take us back to that primal water sound we were so comforted by in the womb. 

Physically, natural Vitamin D from sunshine supports many health functions in the body, and fresh air can do worlds of good in making sure your body is properly oxygenated.

Can you imagine just how great it would be to do qigong (aka Chinese moving yoga) in a beautiful, restful outdoor setting?! It sure would do a lot more than "boost mental health"!

Enjoy the article!

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Just five minutes of exercise in a "green space" such as a park can boost mental health, researchers claim.

There is growing evidence that combining activities such as walking or cycling with nature boosts well-being.

In the latest analysis, UK researchers looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found fast improvements in mood and self-esteem.

The study in the Environmental Science and Technology journal suggested the strongest impact was on young people.

The research looked at many different outdoor activities including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming in locations such as a park, garden or nature trail.

The biggest effect was seen within just five minutes.

With longer periods of time exercising in a green environment, the positive effects were clearly apparent but were of a smaller magnitude, the study found.

Looking at men and women of different ages, the researchers found the health changes - physical and mental - were particularly strong in the young and the mentally-ill.

Green and blue

A bigger effect was seen with exercise in an area that also contained water - such as a lake or river.

Study leader Jules Pretty, a researcher at the University of Essex, said those who were generally inactive, or stressed, or with mental illness would probably benefit the most from "green exercise".

"Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health."

He also said exercise programmes outdoors could benefit youth offenders.

"A challenge for policy makers is that policy recommendations on physical activity are easily stated but rarely adopted widely."

Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said the research is yet further evidence that even a short period of green exercise can provide a low cost and drug-free therapy to help improve mental wellbeing.

"It's important that people experiencing depression can be given the option of a range of treatments, and we would like to see all doctors considering exercise as a treatment where appropriate."

Mind runs a grant scheme for local environmental projects to help people with mental illness get involved in outdoor activities.

Healing Smile or Inner Smile Qigong

This is my Creative Health Tip for this week. You will want to visit Be Well, Create Health: The Mind-Body Connection to learn more about Creating Health!

I include the video here this week because it briefly describes the qigong practice of the Healing or Inner Smile. In this practice, you smile at each of your major organs while visualizing perfect health. Watch the video to see how it works:





Smiling does amazing things for your body!

I was at a business meeting Wednesday evening and the lady who spoke talked about reducing stress. She pointed out that when you smile, something in your body automatically changes. The levels of your stress-reducing hormones rise – your "feel-good" hormones – that we have that create good health. The levels of your stress hormones lowers or decreases.

Just through the act of smiling, you cannot feel sad, mad, depressed, down; you just can't!

So, get a little smiley-face sticker and put it on your keychain, your briefcase, your computer monitor, or wherever you're going to see it, and every time you do see it, Smile!

Chinese medicine has taken the practice of smiling one step further. There is a practice called the Healing Smile, or the Inner Smile. (It goes by several other names also.)

The purpose of this practice is to create healthy organs by smiling at them!

Start by taking a couple of nice deep, cleansing breaths, relax yourself into a nice, comfortable seated position . . .

And smile at your lungs. See your lungs as healthy. See them as working perfectly, exchanging air and carbon dioxide with the outer world.

Next, move on to your heart. See your heart pumping strongly. See it moving blood through your body perfectly. Be appreciative of these organs that work so hard to keep you alive.

After you spend a couple of minutes on your heart, move to your stomach and spleen. Envision a nice, healthy stomach that helps digest your food so that you can absorb the nutrients, and the spleen which helps to remove used and toxic materials from your body.

Next, move on to your kidneys. Envision healthy kidneys. . .use your imagination! Create health for these organs that support you in your life.

The final organ is the liver. Envision a healthy liver. See it working perfectly, see it healthy, see it filtering all the things out of your blood that you no longer need circulating through your body.

When you are done spending a minute or two just smiling at each of your major organs, seeing each as healthy, seeing it working properly, seeing it working perfectly, take two or three nice, deep, cleansing breaths, and relax, and know that you are Creating Health for yourself!

Qigong Meditation For Purification

When most people think of qigong, they envision taiji (tai chi), or a yoga-like practice that involves the intention of the mind coupled with breath control and slow, deliberate physical movements.

Qigong, literally "energy practice," doesn't always involve physical movement. An important aspect of qigong is mindful control of the flow of energy and consciousness, and there are several qigong styles that involve only mental practice.

One effective practice especially concerned with holistic health and wellness is a program known as the Taiji Five-Element Medical Qigong. This is a package formerly available through the World Institute for Self Healing.

The package included these three guided meditations: a sixty-minute "One Step Classic Meditation," a thirty-minute "Standing Meditation," and my favorite for healing, the thirty-minute "Meditation For Purification."

The "Meditation For Purification" is the practice I presently (November 2008) include in my qigong classes for health and wellness. I have used it myself and have found it to be very powerful and effective.

This guided meditation opens with flowing water sounds and a symbolic water visualization in which cleansing waters enter the body through the crown of the head. Your imagination and intention guide it to flow through your body and concentrate a swirling motion around the diseased area which washes and cleanses. You then see the water drain out through the yong quan point at the bottom of your foot, taking the disease with it.

Once that part of the meditation is complete, serene music plays in the background as you are guided to visualize a brilliant beam of light shining into your body.

You see your primary internal organs glowing with vibrant health in the Chinese Traditional Medicine symbolic colors that symbolize that lively health for each; the heart, lungs, kidneys, stomach, and liver. The light continues to grow and energize you with health and brightness.

To close, you are walked through the final steps of the meditation which involve specific breathing and visualization instructions as you concentrate light and energy in your dan tien, the abdominal storehouse for your vital energy.