Issue 51 - Tse Qigong Centre

Qi MattersCentring Through StillnessAnimals know how to conserve andreplenish Qi, and meditateinstinctively. We, on the other hand,have lost the ability to relax naturally andonly understand television, computergames, reading, or imbibing, all of whichexpend Qi, so we have to relearn thissurvival skill.Meditation is Qigong; it is a yin(passive) method. Movement is a yang(active) method. Both are necessary toachieve balance. Physical exercisewithout meditation creates yang in thebody i.e. heat, hyperactivity etc. whilemeditation alone makes the body veryyin, cold, and stiff. Movement opens theacupuncture points and channelsto receive and gather fresh Qiand release the stale whilemeditation stores Qi.Meditation is thebalance betweenconsciousness andunconsciousness. It is aboutexisting in the presentmoment - neither dwellingon the past nor worryingabout the future, and‘internalising’ the sensationsof the heart beating, Qipassing throughout the body,and the Dantian opening andclosing.The body should berelaxed before you begin.Commence by letting theQi sink down to theDantian, consciouslyrelaxing the top of thehead, then the face andneck, shoulders, upperarms, lower arms, andhands, then the chest andupper back, stomach and lower back,waist, hips, thighs, lower legs, and feet.Repeat this procedure three times andswallow the saliva as it collects in themouth.Concentrate the mind lightly onone thing (the Lower Dantian - yourcentre) to forget the other 999 thoughts.Women with heavy menstrual flowshould concentrate at the Middle Dantianinstead during their cycle. Learn to ‘letThe Chinese character for meditation means ‘sitting still and doingnothing’ while the Western term implies contemplation, an act of doing‘something’.go’ of everything. Forget the time andwhere you are, your work, possessions,even family and friends, anything whichdisturbs your mind. Eventually you forgeteven the Dantian and return to thePrenatal state where the Ren and Duchannels connect (Small Heavenly Cycleis formed). Breathing with the lungs stopsand is accomplished using the Dantianand skin. In this state you are balancedwith nature, in perfect health, and it isnot unusual to see different colours withthe ‘Sky-eye’. These are the energiesfrom the internal organs. You may seeshapes and blurred images which later“The mind is like awild horse, whichneeds to be tamed.”become clearer and you may see peopleor places, and events. These ‘messages’are received through the Baihui andShenting points on the crown of the head.It is difficult to empty the mind inthe beginning. Training the mind requiresdiscipline as with physical training.Nobody runs a marathon on the firstattempt. It must be undertaken gradually.When thoughts arise think them through,acknowledge how trivial most of themare, then forget them and return to theDantian. Try ten minutes in the beginningthen increase each session until you cancomfortably do twenty minutes or more.It takes at least ten minutes for the mindto begin to come to relax. Thirty minutesis good but actually there is no limit. Thelonger you can do it the greater the effectand the higher your level. The mind islike a wild horse, which needs to betamed. A good rider controls his steedbut a bad rider is controlled by theanimal. If the thoughts cannot besubdued the will is weak and mind isunbalanced.There are essentially threemeditation postures. Sitting, can be doneon a chair or in lotus posture (which locksthe Qi in the upper body, nourishing theinternal organs). Standing meditation ismore physical so if the body is weak thisis preferable. Lying meditation shouldreally only be practised if you are sick orbedridden, otherwise you tend to fallasleep.Many people find meditationdifficult because of back pain. Thisindicates blocked Qi and a weakDantian: A strong Dantian supports theback. You can lean against the back of achair for support but shouldn’t becometoo dependant this. Allow the back tobecome stronger naturally. Each time youwill be able to sit a little longeruntil eventually there is no painand you have healed yourself !Some styles of Qigongadvocate complex visualisationsand guiding Qi duringmeditation but this is not thenatural way. It does not allowthe mind to settle and becomeempty, and can cause sideeffects.Even sleeping expends energy.Anxiety dreams or nightmares leave usexhausted. Insomniacs take sleeping pillsto calm the mind, but this is no solution.Meditation before bed at night preparesyou for sleep. The more you meditate theless sleep and food you need as yougather Qi from natureby Adam Wallaceemail: Adam@qimagazine.comQi Magazine 60