Category: Tai Chi Qigong

Qigong Meditations Practices, Chinese Medicine, Postures

—An Interview with Michelle Wood, Part Six—
Go to Part One of Michelle Wood’s Interview—
Shamanic Healing Practices, Healing Energy Meditations

Meditation How: I really appreciate how the wellness approach permeates all of your responses. The idea of doing nothing for thirty minutes as an approach to healing and health is counter-intuitive for so many due to social programming. For me, the definition of health is “quality of life” and meditation is an obvious and immediate answer as it asks us to start dropping all of what is working against simple natural energy patterns. After all, even “transcendence” and the spiritual aspect that meditation is so often associated with is just more “quality of life” in the form of mindfulness and joy. It IS really all about wellness, from relaxation to living more fully in the present moment.

I get that from all of what you have been saying here. We have only touched on qigong in this interview- due to my excitement about the wide range of meditation-related experiences and insights you have to share. I know you have a blog as well, and perhaps you can share a bit about what is going on there. Do your posts there offer details on qigong meditation practice? I wonder too if qigong is something I could just start doing by myself, or is formal instruction necessary?

Michelle: I agree that “quality of life” is extremely important because it is an indicator of enjoyment. If a person takes little or no joy in life, no matter the physical condition, the quality suffers tremendously. My qigong blog, Be Well with Qigong has a little of everything. There are posts with specific information on the three styles that I teach; the Eight Pieces of Brocade, the Eight Healing Sounds, and the Five Animals Frolic. This includes articles, some videos from YouTube, research reports, anything I think that people will find interesting and useful.

I typically do not write “how to” articles since there are so many books on qigong available, but I do sometimes write about the different positions in relation to Chinese medicine, and how and why the different postures are especially beneficial for certain pairs of organs. (In Chinese medicine, organs are regarded in yin/yang pairs; the heart is paired with the small intestine, the lungs with the large intestine, the liver with the gallbladder, the kidneys with the bladder, the stomach with the spleen. Any movement designed to help one will help both.)

There is also more general information on qi, breathing and meditation practice- the benefits of qigong for children, research reports on the general use of qigong in wellness treatment, and so on. One really useful article describes how to do the “Healing Smile” or “Inner Smile” qigong where you simply sit and breathe, and smile at each organ pair, using your imagination and intention to effect healing. This is one of those practices that can seem too simple or easy to work, but it really can make a big difference!

When it comes to learning qigong, there are certain forms that you can learn only from an instructor. These are the specialized forms that have a lineage, that have been handed down from teacher to student through the decades and centuries, and are best taught by a qualified instructor. However, there are many beneficial forms that are lineage-free, that frequently have several variations on the practice possibly because they developed in several different geographic locations over time.

Typically, these are the forms you will find in book and video format making qigong a practice that you can very easily start doing yourself. Two that I frequently see are the Eight Pieces of Brocade and the Five Animals Frolic. Sometimes there is no form at all- no prescribed series of movements, just a collection of different postures, and those are fine, too. I believe that when you seek a practice like qigong, the forms or postures, the books or videos you need will “speak” to you- you will be intuitively drawn to the ones that will be most beneficial for you at that time.

If you have a particular health challenge or wellness issue, I believe it would be beneficial to work with an instructor. You will get enhanced benefits from your practice if you practice mindfully which includes some knowledge of the Chinese medicine energy channels and pairs of organs, and how these support each other, and using the mind to direct the energies along with doing your postures. (Qigong is, after all, a Mind-Body practice. If you are not using your Mind, you are not doing qigong!) Some qigong books include this information, some do not.

Books also tend to include the most general information on using qigong effectively to reduce disease, and may not tell you things about the energy signatures of the organs and how to use them. (For example, if you have a stomach issue, doing qigong postures that benefit the heart help because the energy signature of the heart creates or supports the energy signature of the stomach.) If you have a health issue that is not mentioned in the books, it would be valuable to consult an instructor to see if he or she can advise you on which movements relate to your condition and how best to effect your healing.

Continue with An Interview with Michelle Wood, Part Seven

Standing Meditation, Baduanjin Qigong, Breath, Kirtan

—An Interview with Michelle Wood, Part Five—
>>> Part One: Shamanic Healing, Healing Practice, Healing Energy Meditation

Meditation How: I am going to have to try these standing meditation techniques. They sound incredible. You mentioned at the beginning of this interview that you were called to do meditation in a form of projecting or sending healing energy. Is this the healing you speak about during standing meditation? Also, would you call standing meditation your central meditation practice now, and what other forms of meditation (if any) do you regularly engage in?

Michelle: Sending the healing energy is something I do during seated meditations, but not necessarily every day. I do it upon request, or when inspired. Perhaps there are more healers at work these days sending a lot of energy where it’s needed; I don’t seem to be inspired to do it as a daily practice at this time. Once a week I attend a kirtan gathering. Kirtan is a form of yogic meditation that can be very transcendental; it’s Hindu devotional singing, usually in Sanskrit, in a call and response format. This practice is the highlight of my week!

I currently engage in two daily practices, both qigong. In the morning I do Eight Healing Sounds, Eight Pieces of Brocade (baduanjin qigong), or a little of both. I like the practices in which one makes sounds; I believe they are beneficial in that they help to break up stagnant energy or move sluggish energy. In the evening, I do Standing Tree (zhan zhuang qigong).

I enjoy a transcendental sort of practice just before bed. I think it encourages dreams from which we can sometimes glean the answer to a problem or see the next step upon our chosen path. However, throughout the day, I will often take short breaks from whatever I’m doing and just do a breathing meditation for between five and fifteen minutes. I encourage everyone to take short, breathing breaks like that. It’s incredibly valuable and powerful as a wellness practice, both mentally and physically.

Meditation How: I enjoyed hearing about your many meditation practices. I can absolutely relate to making sounds as a way to move and release energy. Something about releasing emotions on tone really allows for an opening up. We are programmed to keep our expressions of feelings appropriate and respectful, etc. and this often leads to suppression which is so unhealthy.

The only way to work against this social block is to give oneself permission to let it all hang out somewhere in some way. I am a firm believer in finding a place to scream, shout, groan, moan, and anything else one can manage. Listen to other creatures and all of the strange sounds they make. Do you also teach any of these meditation practices in a formal way, outside of “by example”?

Michelle: I like your mention of other creatures and strange sounds. I think that we humans, also, make sounds intuitively, spontaneously, according to the vibration needed by the body. Yes, I do teach formally. After beating the drum about what a great wellness practice meditation can be, and invariably hearing the response, “But, I can’t sit still and do nothing for 30 minutes!”, I approached COCC, the local community college, with a proposal for an introductory class to meditation techniques. This is a six-week course that meets weekly, and participants get to practice and experience several different methods of meditation. (Offered each of the last four semesters, the class has been at full enrollment all but once.)

Usually, the participants find that one or two methods really help them reduce stress levels and facilitate wellness. We start with the most physically active meditation method, walking meditation, and progress to the most passive method, seated meditation while following the breath. Of course, people are frequently amazed at how much “goes on” as far as attaining a state of peace and relaxation while quietly following the breath!

I also teach workshops and classes in qigong through the college, again for wellness. Participants learn some of the basics of Chinese Medicine as well as breathing techniques and qigong visualizations and movements. Not related to my college classes, I teach one open, walk-in qigong class at a local shop on Saturday mornings where we do breathing techniques and qigong movements.

In private practice, I teach both meditation and qigong in private sessions. These are usually with people who suffer from chronic health conditions, frequently people who feel they receive little or no benefit from Western medicine, people who have been told by their doctor, “Sorry, I can’t do any more for you.” As you can imagine, these sessions are very wellness intensive, and I tailor each program to the individual so that he or she receives the greatest benefit from the practice. One of my greatest joys is seeing the amazement these people show when these alternative methods work for them, and the hope they gain as they take responsibility for their wellness; they often attain a level of wellness they haven’t had in a long time. It’s so heartwarming, and I am honored that I am able to be of service in this way.

>>> Part Six: Qigong Meditations Practices, Chinese Medicine, Postures, Breathing

Standing Meditation- Mind, Practice, Spirituality, Paradox

—Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Four—
Go to Part One of Rodney’s Interview—
Standing Meditation, Quaker Meditation, Breathing, etc.

Rodney: It is indeed a paradox. But I see it from an odd and perhaps practical point of view. Yes, the Kingdom is among us and all we have to do is recognize it, but how? I mean, we have teeth and hair and skin and appetites. But if we don’t grow a garden or hunt animals or work and go to the market, we can’t satisfy our appetites and we die. If we don’t bath, brush our teeth, wash our hair, we may either lose them or abhor the condition they are in.

Likewise, we are all that we need— we just need to recognize that. But that requires some effort too, even if that effort is simply sitting. The Buddha said that life is suffering mainly because we get attached. Non-attachment is no more a natural state in this world than clean teeth are. We have to brush our Karma as well as our teeth. I agree that our efforts stand in our way. But it is our efforts to grow our gardens and raise our children and love our neighbors that get in our way.

These actions are necessary, but worldly, and people will steal from us, and tax us, and send our children to war, and pollute our environment, and fill our ears with propaganda. These are the things that stain our psyches and our bodies just as tea stains our teeth. Our practices help to wash us clean, to maintain us in body mind and spirit. Our practices are spiritual toothpaste if you will. So instead of our practices getting in the way, they get “us” out of the way of our natural blooming.

That blooming is always there, just waiting to happen much like the lilies out in my garden. They are waiting for the right conditions. I should till and fertilize the soil so that I get the best bloom possible. Likewise we do our spiritual practices to clean away the world so that we can be who we really are. But even with that, if we get attached to our efforts, we do indeed stand on our own way. So, it is still a paradox. But what else can you do?

Meditation How: I like your response. I get what you are saying. There is something that sticks with me on this subject and it has to do with squirrels and how they are compelled to hide nuts for later. What is it in their nature that recognizes this need and does something about it in the moment. Is it written into instinct and natural impulse to care for what needs to be cared for? If this is the case do we need to plan, or will arrive in our awareness without our day-planner? Independent of societal structures do you think human nature needs to be tended to or simply witnessed? In short, is it enough that you can’t help but do what you do?

Rodney: I don’t know. I think the human gift of abstract thought is both a blessing and a curse. I think Yogananda would say that we have the ability to arrive in our awareness without our day-planner. But our conditioning stands in the way. So, again, our practices work to clear the way for that possibility. Now, I am thinking as I write this (built-in dual processor) and I think that yes we have that ability. Again, drawing on Yogananda, we have the potential ability with our minds to do most anything. We can make our needs appear simply through the power of mind, and live a life of unbelievable synchronicity if we are properly attuned with the Universe.

Note, I said the potential. Making this an actuality is a matter of a lot of spiritual work, but I understand there have been plenty of people to demonstrate such mental/spiritual power. Of course this is taking this discussion to another level altogether— which is also extremely interesting to me, by the way. I guess at a base level we have the built-in nature that squirrels do, and have forgotten how to use it. At the same time we have the apparent supernatural potential that Yogananda and countless other Yogis talk about. Most of us are stuck somewhere in between.

Meditation How: I am so glad you acknowledged this. I can’t tell you how important that is to me. For myself, in deep meditation I don’t even feel particularly human. What I mean is I just feel more like life in general or refined, independent of biological specifics. If we follow this along, it makes sense that our identities have us viewing nature in a kind of clump state, where biology ends with my skin, takes a break and then starts up again with another person’s skin… it just doesn’t really cut the inner mustard.

So circumstances in our life may just be an extension of nature and biology, all abundantly cared for by and through relationship just like the cells in our bodies. Yes, it may well be another discussion. I really appreciate the time you have taken to do this interview, and I want to make sure readers are clear on what additional information they may find on your meditative practice on your site, as well as any other significant links of support. I would also like to know if you recommend any books on this form of meditation you practice.

Rodney: Thanks again Benjamin. This has been a very enlightening experience. I look forward to reading the post, and the rest of your new blog. Good luck with the rest of the project— Namaste.

About Rodney: Rodney J Owen is a small-businessman, writer, musician, and martial artist living in North Carolina. He writes about martial arts, Qigong, and mindfulness practices at nagualtime.blogspot.com. His personal website, with samples of writing, music, and assorted oddball subjects is at rodneyjowen.com.

Meditation as Spiritual Practice- Standing, Breathing, Taiji

—Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Three—
Go to Part One of Rodney’s Interview—
Standing Meditation, Quaker Meditation, Breathing, etc.

Rodney: The thing about breathing is typical for all forms of meditation for me. The deeper I go into the meditative state, the shallower my breathing becomes. I am sure that there is some breathing going on, else it would be difficult to function. But the sensation is that it becomes so shallow that it is imperceptible. To get to this stage of meditation one must not focus on or think about any one thing too much. Attachment is attachment, whatever the discipline.

So sitting here in my analytical world of too much thinking, it would be hard to say what really is happening in that world. But my awareness is that little or no breathing is happening. It has always been my experience that some of that “bliss” from the meditative state creeps into my analytical, everyday world. For standing meditation that is even more so because it is a healing exercise as well. It works to integrate mind-body awareness. One of the things we try to be aware of while standing is physical stress and/or Qi blockages.

These are addressed through relaxation and attention to structural alignment. It is perceptible when these stresses are relieved, when the blockages are opened. This results in a new relationship with our bodies, much like we feel after a really good night’s sleep or a chiropractic alignment. This new physical feeling stays with me. But there is also an atypical sense of mind/body awareness or maybe mind/body agreement that occurs because of this experience. That sense of agreement will also break into my normal day-to-day world at unexpected moments. It is a jolt of Qi; kind of like an unexpected runner’s high, without the running.

Meditation How: I really only have one last question, and that is due to my posing the questions have you felt that the questions have directed you “away from” or “toward” what is your own personal reason or value achieved through meditation. To whatever degree this is the case, I’d like you to relate those areas that we were not able to cover due to this. In connection with this, do you have any personal goals connected with your meditative practices that are something clear enough to share?

Rodney: OK, I’ll give this one a shot: When I first started meditating, some twenty two or so years ago I basically wanted to clear up the confusion— the confusion that sets in as soon as we leave the womb and start breathing air, and that is further stirred up as the people around us explain to us what life is and what it isn’t. I am a son of the South, born and raised in the Bible belt and subjected to all the philosophy that entails. But I’m curious and an individualist. I question everything. So meditation was a tool to help understand the spiritual side of life and to break through conditioning and see the world differently. After a while I met with unexpected success.

Two decades later and I’m still seeking, but I feel I’m better grounded, not so influenced by the mass mythology. What I look for now is reassurance of that same success I experienced years ago. To use religious language I want to minimize the effect of Samsara; I want to realize the Tao; to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit; to step over into the Nagual; become one with the Universe; continue to heal my physical body and my spirit (which includes memories, conditioning, the effects of Karma, mental health, past hurts and mistakes). So, yes answering your questions has helped me to focus on my goals.

I am a writer. Writing is one of my best tools for learning. Explaining my practices helps me to put together in my head all the disparate pieces so that there is at least some method to the madness. And being a curious individualist I’m typically not satisfied with anyone else’s explanations, philosophies, theologies. It seems I’m doomed to do everything my own way. And right now I consider spiritual growth to include the physical body. So Qigong is as equally important as meditation. In fact I consider it the same thing. I often just sit. But I would consider a 1-1/2 hour Taiji session to be a religious practice. My Taiji form is moving meditation. And some Qigong forms are spiritually moving in a way that I have never experienced with sitting meditation.

Spiritual Practice- Standing, Breathing, Taiji Tai Chi Qigong

So, explicating standing meditation has helped me to better understand my practice. But the unexpected aspect of this interview was our discussion of Quaker practice. Perhaps because of the religious underpinning and the social taboo of discussing religion, I am generally very hesitant to discuss these things. And that is kind of odd for me, because I don’t compartmentalize any of my spiritual practices. I believe the Divine is everywhere, everything is Divine. So taking out the trash is as sacramental as anything else for me. It has been reassuring for me to remind myself how important all my practices are, and the philosophies behind them.

I would say my present personal goals are non-attachment, simplicity, exceptional health, inner peace, transcendence, and the ability to share these as I attain them. I will approach these through the practices we discussed, plus listening— to others, to the Universe, to that small voice within, to wise words. I hope this last answer isn’t too long and rambling. Sometimes it just keeps on coming.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to do this. This has been very rewarding for me. I hope I have been helpful to you. Feel free to reply with any follow-up, questions or concerns.

Meditation How: Your answer is not at all too long. Your passion is beautiful. You have got me excited about giving some of these body-oriented meditation practices a try. I wanted to point out a few things I noticed. One is the phrase you just used in reference to your writing and that is “sometimes it just keeps on coming”. This is paradoxically beautiful and made me laugh. The second thing I would like to mention— and it is related to the first— is that although we are both quite passionate about the spiritual goodies on our “to do list” there are countless parables and wise sayings that insist we have all of these things now.

So my last question concerns this paradoxical problem of motive versus non-doing, passion versus acceptance, and believing we have work to do on ourselves when that work may be in truth as simple as letting go of the will and recognizing we are already where we think we want to be— that our efforts are the only thing that stand in our way. After all “sometimes is just keeps on coming”.

Continue with Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Four.

Standing Meditation- Qigong Practice, Breathing, Posture

—Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Two—
Go to Part One of Rodney’s Interview—
Standing Meditation, Quaker Meditation, Breathing, etc.

Rodney: Standing Meditation is a Tai Chi Qigong practice. It is both Qigong and meditation. The essence of the practice is centered on posture, breath, and calming the mind— emptying the cup. In the Taiji world we call it Wuji meditation. Wuji is the void, that that is beyond or before definition, before movement; stillness. Once we move, Wuji the void becomes Taiji, Yin Yang Movement. So in Wuji meditation, which actually encompasses standing, sitting, and lying, we focus on the void very much the same as in Zen.

Additionally we are concerned with breathing, not only as a mantra typical of meditation, but also Qigong breathing. Specifically Qigong focuses on pre-natal or reverse breathing. As the meditation process evolves, as we settle more into the void, our breathing may become tortoise breathing— or very shallow and slow, also typical of Zen. Out of those three types of Wuji, I prefer standing. Standing meditation has a specific focus on posture that is in keeping with Tai Chi and Qigong.

Our intention is to straighten out the spine. One does that by tucking in the backside, sucking in the gut, and stretching the neck up as if one had a string attached to the top of one’s head. This fills in the hollow in the back and allows for easier flow of Qi through the body. This posture is the natural, but not the normal, posture for humans. Maintaining it is difficult at first, but very rewarding in the long run.

Meditation How: Is the breathing something you allow and simply watch or are you controlling it? I guess my question is about whether or not one evolves or in this case returns to deeper more primal states by just allowing or by striving?

Rodney: Unfortunately the answer to that question is yes. There are two schools of thought on this. One is that we “do” reverse breathing through intention. The other is that by holding the posture I described and relaxing, reverse breathing comes naturally. It is my experience that I have to focus on my posture and breathing to make it happen and then it takes over on its own. And it’s kind of like stopping the internal dialog, If you put too much of your mind into it, you’re not doing it anymore. So for me, eventually, reverse breathing happens without so much intention. But it has taken a bit of intentional practice to get to that point.

Meditation How: I am interested in hearing a description of the most heightened or advanced state you find yourself in due to these practices. In short, what is it that has you going back for more— bliss, enlightenment? Also, do you ever get to the point where you feel more as if you are being breathed rather than you doing the breathing?

Rodney: That may be a hard one to answer. I’m not sure if I know the right words. Bliss may be a good word here. There are two different states that I can personally identify. I would call them the meditative state and the Qigong state. The meditative state is what we achieve in meditation once we have settled down, stopped (or significantly slowed) the internal dialog, and the breathing has all but stopped.

Standing Meditation- Qigong, Breathing and Posture

At this point we feel existentially satisfied, at peace. In this moment we are not engaged with the wheel of Samsara. Some would say we are in the presence of God. I’m not really sure what bliss is, but it sounds like an apt word for this state. The Qigong state is similar, except that we also feel energized. There is a slight tension in the body. Tension is not really the word, but we are not so relaxed that we collapse. And we are not really tense. In Tai Chi we call it Sung.

Anyway, we are very aware of our bodies at this point, and aware of the energy, or Qi, that is flowing through our bodies. Because of the practice, we have the benefit of endorphins. So there is a sense of elation, much like a runner’s high. I find the combination of these two states, meditative and Qigong, in standing meditation. I don’t ever feel as if I’m being breathed. Rather, much like Zazen, I feel as if I’m not breathing at all.

Meditation How: You say that you feel that you are not breathing at all. Are you yet aware that there is breathing going on— that something is breathing— or is breath or any form of cyclic movement out of the picture entirely? I am also interested in, being that these states are achieved through posture and concentration, what part of this experience is retained and what other benefits do you experience when you are not in the midst of these practices?

Continue with Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Three.