Healing
I did not go to China with the intention of “healing.” I did not “have” anything that I needed to be healed of. Then I went on this China journey. I had many experiences. There was healing involved.
Dictionary.com provides these definitions of “heal:”
In the past weeks, I talked about my three healing “ahas!”: water, qigong and unplug.
Today, let’s think about the second definition of healing:
Definition of “healing #2: “ending conflicts between people ... usually with the strong implication of restoring former amity;...reconcile.”
Here is where I reveal that my husband and I went to China together. It was something that appeared on my bucket list when I began to study Tai Chi and Qigong, but it was never something we imagined we would do. Taking this journey of qi cultivation together has been transformational in our lives.
My husband and I have always had a great relationship. Before our China trip, he joined me in yoga and Tai Chi classes in order to learn about qi cultivation, and soon became hooked. Practicing Qigong in China, unplugged from stressors of home, eating well and learning about a new culture together has brought us even closer. Neither of us can imagine what our lives would be like now if only one of us had made the trip. It seems that there would be a huge difference in our ways of seeing the world, that in a quest to understand Qi cultivation, one of us would have been left behind, and we would not have been able to understand the other’s transformation (or lack thereof). We are (most often :) ) more patient, compassionate, grateful, generous, forgiving and accepting with each other. We approach life from a different perspective, integrating our imperfect and growing knowledge and understanding of Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. We are more present in our interactions, calm and cheerfully aware of our connectedness to the world and the ripple effect of our thoughts, words and actions. Of course there are days when life conspires to disrupt our calm and cheerful connectedness….we are human, after all! But that is the way life flows, the yin/yang eternal complementary opposites. We would not appreciate what we have unless we did not have it sometimes.
We share the passion for the transformation in our lives. We cultivate and nourish our qi by:
Tai Chi, Qigong and cultivation are part of our way of being... together.
(To be continued. In the meantime, enjoy these photos and this practice which will help you discover qi.)
Practice: My Husband’s favorite: Separating Heaven and Earth or Plucking Stars and Flowers
The hands press in opposite directions, one up and one down. A smooth motion in which the hands switch positions is the main action, and it is said to especially stimulate the stomach and spleen.
I did not go to China with the intention of “healing.” I did not “have” anything that I needed to be healed of. Then I went on this China journey. I had many experiences. There was healing involved.
Dictionary.com provides these definitions of “heal:”
- to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.
- to bring to an end or conclusion, as conflicts between people or groups, usually with the strong implication of restoring former amity; settle; reconcile:
- to free from evil; cleanse; purify: -to heal the soul.
In the past weeks, I talked about my three healing “ahas!”: water, qigong and unplug.
Today, let’s think about the second definition of healing:
Definition of “healing #2: “ending conflicts between people ... usually with the strong implication of restoring former amity;...reconcile.”
Here is where I reveal that my husband and I went to China together. It was something that appeared on my bucket list when I began to study Tai Chi and Qigong, but it was never something we imagined we would do. Taking this journey of qi cultivation together has been transformational in our lives.
My husband and I have always had a great relationship. Before our China trip, he joined me in yoga and Tai Chi classes in order to learn about qi cultivation, and soon became hooked. Practicing Qigong in China, unplugged from stressors of home, eating well and learning about a new culture together has brought us even closer. Neither of us can imagine what our lives would be like now if only one of us had made the trip. It seems that there would be a huge difference in our ways of seeing the world, that in a quest to understand Qi cultivation, one of us would have been left behind, and we would not have been able to understand the other’s transformation (or lack thereof). We are (most often :) ) more patient, compassionate, grateful, generous, forgiving and accepting with each other. We approach life from a different perspective, integrating our imperfect and growing knowledge and understanding of Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. We are more present in our interactions, calm and cheerfully aware of our connectedness to the world and the ripple effect of our thoughts, words and actions. Of course there are days when life conspires to disrupt our calm and cheerful connectedness….we are human, after all! But that is the way life flows, the yin/yang eternal complementary opposites. We would not appreciate what we have unless we did not have it sometimes.
We share the passion for the transformation in our lives. We cultivate and nourish our qi by:
- Practicing Tai Chi or Qigong
- Drinking green tea
- Starting the day by listening to calming Chinese flute and guzheng music
- Making efforts to by eat healthy foods without sugar or refined white flour, and to eat with chopsticks, slowing down
- Making efforts to spend time outdoors and noticing the beauty in simple aspects of nature
- Taking care of our feet. From pedicures to self massage them with essential oils at night and yoga inversions to help circulate the qi. :)
Tai Chi, Qigong and cultivation are part of our way of being... together.
(To be continued. In the meantime, enjoy these photos and this practice which will help you discover qi.)
Practice: My Husband’s favorite: Separating Heaven and Earth or Plucking Stars and Flowers
The hands press in opposite directions, one up and one down. A smooth motion in which the hands switch positions is the main action, and it is said to especially stimulate the stomach and spleen.
- Step your left foot out to a shoulder width stance, feet parallel, arms at sides, hands on thighs
- Gather a ball of qi and lift to heart level. Inhale and rise.
- Turn slightly to the left, gaze on qi ball. Exhale and sink.
- Press left hand downward, palm down, fingertips toward body. At the same time press right hand upward, palm first facing front and then up, fingertips toward head. Inhale and rise.
- Slowly regather the qi ball, right hand coming down center of the body, left hand coming up center of the body. Exhale and sink.
- Repeat to other side.
- Return to Wuji, resting hands on lower dantian.