Join me at Restful Waters Wellness and Consciousness Centre and learn how to cultivate a Yin body state, a Qi gong movement template. Modelling a safe practice over a 3 hour course.

This Qi Gong class will focus on:

• Building nervous resilience and the mental and physical health benefits of practicing Qi Gong
• The somatic balancing of yin and yang energies.
• The internal energetics associated with the choreography of Qi Gong
• Unifying oneself and unifying oneself with the other.

Everyone can use more nervous system resilience in these demanding times. Learn how to naturally default to a relaxed calm Yin body state.

This practice is about feeling and sensing and the cultivation of whole body health and vitality using fundamental Qi Gong exercises.

Slow movement coupled with the breath is an excellent way to practice mindfully, pausing during movement is an excellent way to develop interoception. Interoception is a key to building resilience, mental or physical resilience. Resilience is the ability to return to balance, either mental or physical.

Qi gong practitioners have a unique opportunity to develop stronger, more stable nervous systems via the mindfulness practices associated with slow intentional movement coupled with the breath and imagination. 

In the same way you do exercise for the corporal body, we can practice innercise (interoception) to cultivate mental physical resilience of the nervous system.

ZHAN ZHANG (John Gwong)– Standing, 4 vertical basics, while I talk. Bare attention

Setting up for mindfulness. Buddha dharma, Stillness, paying attention, focused awareness.

Quiet, stillness, default practice back to homeostasis

Empty everything out; hold fast to your stillness.

Even though all things are stirring together, watch for the movement of return.

The ten thousand things flourish and then each returns to the root from which it came. Returning to the root is stillness. Through stillness each fulfils its destiny. That which has fulfilled its destiny becomes part of the Always-so. To be aware of the Always-so is to awaken. (Lao Tzu) The Tao Te Ching Translation by Tolbert McCarroll

Steps Setting up for standing

1. Make a gesture, health
2. Respect to all, attitude, good will
3. Posture sets up deep memory, context Qi Gong
4. Scan and calm, foot up the backline, sink down the front and settle on abdominal breath, activate the hands
5. Focus your bare intention to foster healing, mindfulness,
6. Breath, and stand
7. Offer benefits, gesture of good will

I have three treasures that I cherish and hold fast. The first is gentleness, the second is simplicity, the third is daring not to be first among all things under heaven. Because of gentleness I am able to be courageous. Because of simplicity I am able to be generous. Because of daring not to be first I am able to lead. (Lao Tzu) The Tao Te Ching Translation by Tolbert McCarroll

Taoism – yin and yang, binary?

The Tao gives birth to the One. The One gives birth to two. Two gives birth to three. And three gives birth to the ten thousand things.(Lao Tzu) The Tao Te Ching Translation by Tolbert McCarroll

soft inside body

Yin body state? Fascial activation, biotensegrity

NEUTRAL

“Stay in the centre, and you will be ready to move in any direction.” Alan Watts

ROCKING finding Neutral is an awareness practice, change stance.

RELAXATION IS A PROCESS best posture

Empty everything out; hold fast to your stillness. Even though all things are stirring together, watch for the movement of return. (TO NEUTRAL) (Lao Tzu) The Tao Te Ching Translation by Tolbert McCarroll

BONE MARROW WASHING 3 energy centres 

Heaven and Earth

First exercise of the Ba Dwan Jin, go to Circlework.Training….

Assists with shoulder mobilisation and improves blood circulation flow. On a subtle level it activates our bone marrow and strengthens our immune system.

(The next few weeks will be spent on refining our proprioception and interoception including practicing absorb and project, condense and expand, the eight spins and segments of Shibashi.)