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 the first and second definitions of healing.
Today, let’s think about the third definition of healing.
Definition of healing number 3: “to cleanse; purify: as in -to heal the soul.”
There is something amazing about the Chinese methods of Qi cultivation that makes you feel clean, purified and healed in the deepest part of yourself.
One might say, “Cultivation takes so much time! How can you do all of that in any one day?” I am lucky enough to be able to wake up slowly, reciting 3 things I am grateful for. I am lucky to be able to drink a cup of green tea while listening to Chinese music and looking out the window at the trees and mountains. I see our jade Happy Family Ball, our one souvenir from China, on my dresser every day. I am lucky to be able to go outside, see the beauty of nature and breathe each day. I am a part of a group of people who share our Tai Chi or Qigong practice with love and laughter. Most importantly, I have discovered that qi cultivation happens when we do things slowly enough to enjoy the moment, relaxed enough to notice the qi, grateful enough to feel the joy.
(To be continued. In the meantime, enjoy these photos and this practice which will help you discover qi.)
PRACTICE: Gratitude Meditation
Gratitude – Every day, think as you wake up, ‘I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it.’ The ability to see wonder, surprise, possibility in each experience and each encounter that is a core aspect of joy. In Buddhism, one can be grateful even for one’s enemies, as our most precious spiritual teachers. Gratitude helps us catalog, celebrate and rejoice in the each day and each moment. (Yanik Silver Blog)
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 the first and second definitions of healing.
Today, let’s think about the third definition of healing.
Definition of healing number 3: “to cleanse; purify: as in -to heal the soul.”
There is something amazing about the Chinese methods of Qi cultivation that makes you feel clean, purified and healed in the deepest part of yourself.
- The respect and ceremony of brewing, serving and drinking green tea;
- The calming and restorative nature of traditional Chinese instrumental music;
- The slow, focused movements and ceremony of calligraphy;
- The intentful, allowing flow of Qigong;
- The traditional beauty and detail of silk production;
- The soothing healing energy of jade;
- The relaxing yet reinvigorating Sēnlínyù - forest bathing;
- The health enhancing nature of laughter and learning with friends.
One might say, “Cultivation takes so much time! How can you do all of that in any one day?” I am lucky enough to be able to wake up slowly, reciting 3 things I am grateful for. I am lucky to be able to drink a cup of green tea while listening to Chinese music and looking out the window at the trees and mountains. I see our jade Happy Family Ball, our one souvenir from China, on my dresser every day. I am lucky to be able to go outside, see the beauty of nature and breathe each day. I am a part of a group of people who share our Tai Chi or Qigong practice with love and laughter. Most importantly, I have discovered that qi cultivation happens when we do things slowly enough to enjoy the moment, relaxed enough to notice the qi, grateful enough to feel the joy.
(To be continued. In the meantime, enjoy these photos and this practice which will help you discover qi.)
PRACTICE: Gratitude Meditation
Gratitude – Every day, think as you wake up, ‘I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it.’ The ability to see wonder, surprise, possibility in each experience and each encounter that is a core aspect of joy. In Buddhism, one can be grateful even for one’s enemies, as our most precious spiritual teachers. Gratitude helps us catalog, celebrate and rejoice in the each day and each moment. (Yanik Silver Blog)