Paul's Monthly Training Tips for the Internal Energy Arts Practitioner
Paul offers free training tips each month for those who are signed up on his email list (see right). You'll also receive 10% of his 2010 seminars (see terms). Please feel free to forward them along to your friends and let them know they can sign up too!
Dear Paul, Thank you for your tips. I have been using them for my self and for my pupils and they have been very clear and useful. --Liora, Halivny, Jerusalem
Make sure you're on the email list to receive notification when the new tip is posted.
March 2010
Balance Your Body
Balancing the body is a continuous process as that which is more or less closed now may become more or less open later. This is especially true when you actively engage in the process of unbinding your body. As you focus on any bound place or part of your body and become successful in opening it up, you’ll notice how it becomes looser and relatively more flexible than other body parts.
In qigong, bagua and tai chi there are many postures where one hand/arm is on top of or in front of the other; for example, Cross Hands in tai chi, several moves in Gods Playing in the Clouds qigong and the Single Palm Change in bagua. These postures are good for establishing balance in your body.
The Balancing Act
It goes like this: First, you perform a symmetrical move where the hands or wrists cross on the centerline of your body and observe which hand naturally arrives on top or in front of the other.
Whichever way it is, reverse it so the opposite hand is on top or in front of the other. If you haven’t paid much attention to balancing, it’ll probably feel weird. That’s because the more restricted side is being asked to open up a bit more. It’s good though as it gives you access to the place(s) that are restricted inside of you.
Now don’t force the restricted area/side to open, but don’t be lazy either. Remember the 70% rule: the one about not doing too much or forcing, and staying within your comfortable range of stretching (not the one about bringing someone new to my seminars and both of you only paying 70% of the course fee)!
After practising for some months you should test yourself again to see if anything has changed. Maybe you have opened up the body on the restricted side and must reverse which arm is on top or in front of the other once again. This process continues over years—changing left to right to left as the body slowly opens up and releases bound tissue.
The Pelvis Is a Different Story
The balancing act is all good for the upper body, but for the pelvic area and lower organs we need something a little more subtle. The weight shift and pelvic turn from Energy Gates qigong is ideal. This move can give you a realistic read as to the degree of openness and balance of your hips, spine and lower organs.
Stand in a normal stance with some kind of markers on the floor to measure how much you can open. Mark or note the place from which you start. Sink your weight into one leg so you can lift the other one slowly and without losing balance. Then gently stretch your un-weighted foot to the side and place it down again. How much did you increase your stance by? Note it and repeat on the other side.
Are they the same? Is one side smaller and therefore more restricted?
Next, whichever side is the smallest repeat and hold the extended stance. Then shift all your weight to one leg while facing forward and turn the pelvis slowly towards the weighted leg. Don’t rush or force, or turn from the upper body arms or head as you will distort and possibly damage your body. Keep your knees still and fold into the ingunal grove or hip fold. See how far you can turn. Measure or mark the angle and repeat on the other side.
Is there a difference? If you have basically the same size stance on both sides and the same angle of turn, then for now at least the body’s lower structure is quite balanced.
If, however, there is a noticeable difference (which is normally the case), then when doing any stepping and turning work it’s governed by the restricted side. What does this mean? Well, for sure you don’t make the tight side do what the looser side can do! You want to only stretch or turn as far on the more open side as the restricted side can go. Put a little extra effort on the tight side and remain very relaxed on the loose side so that there is symmetry between the two. Of course you still mind the 70% rule.
The Slow Road Leads to Success
If you practise this correctly the tighter side will slowly but surely open up—too much force and you could damage your knees or lower spine. So be careful and progress slowly yet steadily. After a few months, you can check again to see where you are and how successful your efforts have been.
Remember when you push too hard your nerves close and shut down the body. Water method practices are about encouraging the body open by relaxing and softly stretching to release bound tension. The nerves are keys to the let go of any bound tension, so don’t get so focused on the tissues that you miss warning signs of strain or fatigue in the mind or emotions.
Other Points about Balancing Your Body
Habit aided by neuronal reinforcement leads us to use one side to do most things. So try using your other hand for repetitive tasks like cleaning your teeth or your shoes (but not with the same brush)!
You can also train your other hand for fine-motor control by learning to eat with chopsticks or even handwriting. The Chinese practised calligraphy and I suspect this was one of its functions.
Also, watch your habits like folding your arms or crossing your legs the same way every time. Change. (In fact, crossing your legs is not good as it twists the sacrum in the iliac joints and can destablise the spine, so just stop doing that.)
In your practice, watch for how much effort you put into the upper and lower parts of your body and balance them. Most people will put an immense amount more energy into the arms and hands over the legs. What’s your pattern?
These methods and many others open up both sides of your brain by creating a balance mentally. It stimulates new neuronal connections where normally you would continue reinforcing predominant pathways. In fact, this is why neigong, qigong and bagua are repeatedly practised on alternating sides.
Happy balancing!
Paul
February 2010
Relaxation Meditation: Becoming Present
The aim of the game is arriving in the space where you are completely open, relaxed and to some degree awake. To get there you must fully release your nervous system, become more present and quiet the mind.
A lot of practice is required, but on arrival you will bring with you excellent health and vitality in mind and body, and be prepared for embarking upon deep meditation practice. That is, a true spiritual journey where you neutralise all negative influences within yourself to become awake, realised or enlightened (depending on the tradition for which you aspire).
Relaxation meditation is a method for releasing deeply bound tension in the nervous system as this is the major hurdle in progressing into the advanced Water method material. In other words, until you can fully relax, let go and release the nervous system to a profound depth, you will continue floating around in the beginner-to-intermediate realm no matter how smooth and connected your movements and no matter how much chi you can generate.
At the end of the day, all Water method practices are concerned with your whole being—not only your body and its energy. All practices are designed to prepare you and lead you to the point of spiritual practice, but it’s your decision whether you take that step. If you are heading in that direction, relaxation meditation can prepare you for the long road ahead. If not, relaxation meditation will provide practical and potent tools for combating stress, focusing your mind’s intent, healing your body, smoothing out your emotions and producing an abundance of energy.
Becoming Present
Sit comfortably and relax. Put your awareness on your nose. Follow your breath in and out of your nose. Don’t think of anything and let go of the need for something to happen. It’s enough just to be in the moment following your breath.
Notice when you drift off, space out or start thinking about other things. When it happens, simply and gently bring your mind back to the breath moving in and out of your nose.
To stay with the breath you cannot be hard or try to make a prison for the mind not to move. So don’t punish yourself with negative internal dialogue and stray off task. You’re looking for a relaxed internal space where you can let go and remain present and awake.
Practise any time you can find a few free minutes. You may be surprised by how tired you get. This is because as you relax and become present your nerves release. Clearing your nerves at each new depth of your being is an exhausting experience. Once any given layer is cleared, you can operate there without fatigue. So gradually lengthen your practice time. Let yourself become comfortable with a regular practice that is very simple yet difficult to achieve.
This aspect of practice is very important as everything you do in the internal energy arts depends upon the ability to be present. Don’t worry if in the beginning, or at any time in the future for that matter, your mind cannot stay on the exercise. As Lao Tse practically and tersely advised, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Keep practising and slowly but surely your mind will settle down and focus. Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but it definitely creates improvement.
Enjoy!
Paul
January 2010: Life after Overindulgence
Here we are emerging from another period of overindulgence with all the excess food and drink courtesy of the religious and/or capitalist winter rituals. It is of course an assault on the digestive and cardiovascular systems, but the liver ultimately takes the brunt of the punishment. So the following is a few tips to help you recover and get back to moving toward more life…
All of the Taoist arts—qigong, bagua, tai chi and meditation in any of the five modalities—will help promote health and well-being. Practise will therefore help re-establish harmony and balance in your system.
If you’re pressed for time or want a focused practise for recovery, I’d go for energising your liver.
Create Space for Your Liver
Stand and separate the midriff. Let the whole pelvic region drop away from the rib cage. Raise the spine to prevent pressure on the knees. This will help you to fully open your midriff.
Don’t just do this for a few seconds, as an adjustment to your alignments, but maintain the posture for 5, 10 or 20 minutes to get the full benefits. This will open up space for your liver.
Breathe to Massage Your Liver
This can be done before or after the standing practice, but for best results do it simultaneously.
As you breathe in deeply, fully engage the diaphragm so that your belly and the sides of your ribs expand. This will provide firm pressure into the liver (right side) as well as the stomach and spleen (left side).
You may find you can more easily release and separate the midriff area as you follow your breath in and out.
Open and Close to Cleanse the Liver
The classic method is the Marriage of Heaven and Earth qigong, where you create powerful yet soft compressions in the internal organs. The bowing of the spine and the opening and closing of the joints and cavities drive blood and energy through the liver.
Powerful cleansing and repairing will take place as you practise, so don’t be surprised if you notice any feelings of frustration or anger that bubble up into your consciousness. It is quite normal to feel the negative effects of overindulgence as you clean out your system.
You may go on experiencing toxin release in the next couple weeks. Drink lots of water before and after you practise to aid and help detoxification.
If you don’t know Heaven and Earth qigong, then practise any qigong set you do know and integrate opening and closing.
Digestive Aids
Any exercises with a good kwa squat will aid and strengthen your digestion. Kwa squats deeply massage your bowls, increasing efficiency in digestion. You can also use the breathing, either separately or in conjunction with the squat (or any qigong set with a squat) to increase the effectiveness of the physical movement.
Heart Health
Dissolving, sinking chi, breathing and slow, soft motion releases the nerves and reduces the effects of stress. All of these exercises are extremely positive for the heart.
The heart is so important because tension goes directly to this vital organ, causing further strain. It’s a discouraging negative feedback loop.
To create a positive environment for the heart, practise regular sets putting in about half of your normal effort. Don’t concern yourself with what you look like. Just let the tension drop out of your body as you practise.
This is also a great method for getting back into your regular practise. Because it takes a lot less effort, the body lets go and accepts the work out. It’s great prevention against internal resistance, so you actually look forward to the next practise session.
Hope this is useful and I’ll see you in
Paul
Click here to search the complete set of my 2009 tips and my blog!