Our first Qigong DVD is titled “Qigong essentials #1: Controlling the Body” is just coming off the drawing board. We are designing the wraps and the labels right now. This always happens at the end of all the filming and editing, you end up taking care of the box design when you are anxious to get the project out and into the hands of the practitioners. We will all be on vacation for about two weeks but when we get back, before the Year of the Tiger, we hope to have the new DVD out and ready to go.
After that our next scheduled one if The Blossoms in the Spring itself, much requested and, we hope, a real aid in learning this wonderful Qigong.
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A couple of nights ago, I was celebrating the first day of a well-needed vacation and decided to have a beer. I am not a great drinker (I usually fall asleep well before I get drunk) but I do like a nice dark stout so I made a sandwich and had a beer. Within an hour, I was so dizzy that I had to lay down. (more…)
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We see, or rather we do not see, the world in highly restricted terms. We experience in a thin band of perceptions which constitute only a slit in the fabric of reality. We crouch and peer through the slit and think what we see is everything.
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We’re starting off the New Year with a pair of Blossoms in the Spring Seminars in the Santa Cruz County area. The first is a school event for the students and friends of the Academy of Martial Arts, Santa Cruz.
The second, also on Blossoms in the Spring, is our first seminar in the Aptos area. This will be conducted by Narrye Caldwell L.Ac, co-author of the book of the same name. We have limited room on this one. For further information see Narrye’s clinic site.
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It’s amazing how quickly things fall apart. Yesterday I spent an hour tidying my house in anticipation of visitors. This morning there was already dog hair on the couch (my pug sheds incessantly,) laundry to be done, papers to be organized, and well, you know, the inevitable slide into chaos. And so quickly. How did this happen in just 24 hours? I start again.
First a little tea and a few moments in front of the fire (said pug in lap,) to order my thoughts for the day. Then, tidying up again. I could get frustrated about this tendency of the universe to not stay put. I’m one of those control freaks who gets anxious when my home and work environment get cluttered. Sometimes just walking around putting things in square piles makes me feel better.
My qigong practice has this same ordering effect on my psyche. First the alignment–feet, spine, shoulders, head. Then the calm, natural, relaxed breath. My mind settles. Then I bring my attention to the task at hand. Whatever I’m practicing I must have my attention gently focused on each action. The scattered qi circles softly back into place, like a drift of leaves. Things find their place. I am, as my Quaker friends like to say, “all of piece.” This is clutter clearing, qigong style. And yes, because things have this tendency to keep falling apart, you do it every day.
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Here’s how it usually goes: up at 7:00, take the dog out, rustle up a cup of tea (or coffee), eye on the clock, figure there’s just enough time to check email then, for sure, you’ll have ten spacious uninterrupted minutes for qigong before diving into the shower and preparing to head off to work for the day. (more…)
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请坐片时 (Qingzou pianshi) Sitting quietly for a while
Some styles of Qigong, such as Blossoms in the Spring, start in a seated fashion. This is known as “quiet sitting” or Qing Zuo. It is also called “sitting and forgetting”. At first this seems like the easiest thing in the world. Unlike meditation you don’t even have to do anything. Just sit there like a cat. (more…)
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Co-author of Blossoms in the Spring, Narrye Caldwell L.Ac., is scheduled to appear Monday, December 7th, simulcast on TV and radio at AM 1240 (in the Monterey Bay Area). She will attend the show Your Health Radio and Television. On this program, hosted by acupuncturist Gina Renee, Narrye will discuss her book Blossoms and the health and personal benefits of Qigong in general. The radio broadcast will be on AM1240 KNRY; with live video streaming at www.AmpMedia.org (on channel 24 programming) and on the internet at www.KNRY.com.
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This morning when I went out to the frosty meadow near my house to practice I took my elk horn knives. I like to get at least one session a week in with these crescent shaped weapons. They’re a good way to emphasize the curving twisting energy of Bagua. The thing is, circling these things around your body while walking continuous circles with twists and turns woven in is quite a workout. Think of a nice long power walk up and down hills, while swinging weights around in controlled circles the entire time. It gets you breathing. (more…)
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