Meditation offers a reconnecting with healthy feeling and well being addressing health issues and the felt need to always relate to world in a mechanical way. This site is changing.. The message for the day.. Breath dont seethe!! The practice of meditation allows one to key in to the body minds unconscious reactions to stress offering 'another way to be' a kind of enlightened inner response training. Recent research on meditation and prayer shows Christian nuns blood brain flows going preferentially where it needs to go and Zen meditators having magnetically charged blood showing similar activity. (Scientific American Mind December 2007) A definition of meditation is that profound relaxation feelings of warmth and comfort from steady practice over time. Tai chi and chi kung energy exercises as 'moving meditation' offer numerous directed and one undirected infused energy paths included under a broader category of meditative energy paths. Energy exercise 'micro trainings' meditations work to bring energy to areas of low concentration or, disperse stuck energy from congested areas using self evoked sound moving energy across tissues eliciting 'dispersal of accumulation' of stuck energy as in pain release ect. Varying focalized meditations are augmented practices there to offer support in a variety of ways invented in the moment or, perfected over centuries of time. For example" Healing sound meditations allow one to cohere energy getting rid of organ pain something general medicine has a hard time accomplishing. For those who need help with sitting still a biofeedback game called 'Wild Divine' uses electrodes attached to fingers that feedback info on ones own inner responses a journey of discovery. The tool can be purchased through Amazon or on ebay. Meditations are the conscious effort to connect with the deeper self in quiet and calm. So, meditation may present that moment of realization providing life direction and intuitive insight while in the receptive yet, non analytical state. Experiential avenues offer specific applications involving directed intent or, intuitively discovering some way to release stress. Directed practices that incorporate healing sounds offer more specific attempts to cohere body energy some say, cloaked in ritual. The practice differs from silent meditation through the use of self intoned sound based on the theories of cell vibration or, the resonant state' underlying all physical structures at the level of the atom, in the case of healing sounds the sounds are felt at the internal organ spaces vibrating and releasing energy. Apart from specific avenues like these less directed meditations are those intuitive explorations like simple attention fielding that can result in some helpful balancing of self. Before beginning it is helpful to ask oneself what one wishes to accomplish with some method? Because meditations offer the "will exercising the will" through directed attention shifting they can be powerful avenues for awakening inner potentials and healing. Differing from the usual idea of 'silently sitting' specific meditations offers the potential for augmenting inner reserves emerges when asking the body to function in some new way. For the reasons of potential health issues its wise to check with your health care practitioner if you have any question as to the suitability of any new activity. Even one as gentle as quiet meditation with its powerful potential for healing could bring changes one may not have anticipated, opening the unconscious mind body to memories stored away, waiting to be awakened transformational moments in time? For this reason practicing the 'finishing exercises' found at the end of this section will encourage a 'coming down" from deeply relaxing, energizing activation.
Tai Chi Update:
Tai chi and chi kung energy exercises are well accepted as factoring into good health equations. They do this in several significant, scientifically verifyable ways. A recent article in Arthritis Today magazine says that tai chi has a good effect on controlling blood pressure, helps with balance, emotional instability and having positive effects on the various indices of heart function. Through developing a deepening sense of inner calm with steady practice over time, restfulness and energy coalesce. Energy exercises like tai chi and chi kung ~ qigong are age old methods of health preservation, instilling self-reliance and recovery. For instance tai chi was proven to reduce falls in the elderly, in the JAMA study completed in 1995. The multi site study showed conclusively that "tai chi helped with balance problems and gait, reducing falls 50 %, even six months after the practice was stopped"! By imparting a greater sense of balance ease and stability to body movement tai chi emerges a helpful tool encouraging healthy lifestyle as well, subtle ways to redirect body power and energy. Various unique features include using lowered stances smooth flowing body motion, lateral and circular patterns of body movement helping develop better body awareness and fortitude. Such ideas when set in motion allow for peak experience via subtle cross training well known to elite athletes.
The various aspects of the practices can be looked at for their individual benefits through thoughtful dissection via hard science however, body feeling is paramount to intellectualized effects. Lowering ones center of gravity is suggested in internal martial arts like tai chi. This helps build bone density because the 'lines of calcium uptake' known as trabecular lines, are encouraged to draw more of the components that make up healthy bone when more stress is placed on them. A conditional response to additional 'load bearing' the increased demand from lowered stances during the exercise cause more bone to be 'laid down'. By lowering ones center of gravity and moving about from there, the tendency for bone loss to occur in post menopausal women has been shown to be diminished. (Arthritis Today mag 2003). Tai chi may not be good for troubled knees though. The art may need to be adjusted as personal situations suggest. Ranges of motion and combined limbering exercises lubricate joint surfaces prior to exercise, essential ingredients to balanced practice. Such exercises compliment lives as body learning. 'Deep learning' can occur when fluid body motion activities offer ways to directly address 'mind reflected in body' adjusting poor posture potentially addressing injury related bodily compensations. The motivation is that as one learns to 'flow' through movements more smoothly, a kind of self endowed body wisdom emerges. Improved kinesthetic feedback has many levels in its benefits. A person becomes less of a threat to inanimate objects around the house is well accepted and wished for subject of fine suggestions! Tai chi addresses our innate response towards inner tension levels and so, redirects usual ways of doing things by introducing paths away from those unconscious emotional spasms that can fuel or excites unconscious tension, adding clamor to clutziness? Reversing these through creative explorations that focus on improving relaxation skills can be often helpful. Tai chi can be useful in controlling wide emotional swings offering improved emotional outlook through patient learning and or, simply watching others do its slow graceful movements.
The tai chi art is usually practiced solo interaction with another happens during "sensing hands practice'. Learning to absorb and deflect, coil and uproot' etc, offers ways of deep body learning when practicing with a partner. The practice can happily improve ones ability in conflict resolution as it uses the principal of 'yielding' and a soft 'adhering' quality avoiding bull in china shop conflict based strategizing. Sensing hands formal tai chi practice can work as a catalyst in discovering increased self confidence. When quieting oneself inwardly, its easier to feel anothers intention, via ones hands and whole body. Conversely, its often easier for beginners to relax when not having to constantly be on guard, as when gaging anothers intent. For this reason, sensing hands may be inappropriate for early stage beginners needing more inward focus and less challenging kinesthetic possibilities. Low impact activities that avoid competitive license are avoided in the beginning phases of practice. Evidence of real changes produced by moving meditation exists for these practices used to manage blood high pressure a well known fact where tai chi is famous, as well its ability to help prevent stroke. Its long use for these purposes is common in China. More flexibility in emotional outlook is a reflection of improved internal tension levels reflected in blood vessels and arteries, internal 'tone' levels adjustment happens via directed intention (I relax me) designed letting go.
Increased sensitivity allows us to hear our own internal tension levels easily, which. Less noise in our internal milieu signals more GABA the 'noise reducing' neurochemical being stimulated into production. Related, more sensitivity allows one to more clearly hear what the body is 'saying' so to speak, through better listening skills that arrive when deeply relaxed, meditating. Relaxation skills help us avoid obsessing over our bodies. Chi kung in its expanded continuum allows for improved tone and better sensitivity allowing the eventual development of other skills. Reiki or Wai chi using ones hand or eye to "scan" another for imbalances in the energy field has potential for use, it all depends on what focus one engages and why.
Qigong, / chi kung, energy exercise, development, cultivation is a foundational aspect of tai chi having many variants. It can be practiced by persons of any age, not limited to skill level. Even those unable to stand can practice by keying into intentional focuses using relaxation and cellular aliveness while lying down. Cellular vibration, or vibrancy has strong relationship to all life forms. Picking from any one of several thousand techniques (maybe, simply re-learning to how to "be"), chi kung can help one develop and activate other skills and potentials, by staying in touch with the creative dynamic part of oneself. Contacting that energetic imprint which exists at the level of our cells, offers the departure from rote mechanical living and this includes departing from strictly formulaic kinds of exercise. Spontaneous motion energy exercise offers this departure, allowing the bodies own intelligence to come forth. Tai chi has well accepted outcomes known to occur with dedicated practice, gait, balance and heart health. Other energy exercise focuses use uniquely subtle methods like healing sounds and emitted bio energy. Bio-interfacing techniques are known to help raise resonant energy potential via sensitive, nurturing body mind explorations.
Before beginning any new practice, its helpful to remember that practicing this and other exercises, meditations, are best done with a light heart and easy going attitude. Being patient expecting only small gains, your practice will grow through perseverance and a mind that avoids chasing after colorful experiences. Approach this and other techniques as a child watches leaves blown by the wind not knowing, or caring where they are going. Waiting to begin 1/2 hour after meals allows the body the processes of assimilation without over focusing on breaths where for example, abdominal lifting while food is in the initial stage of digestion is better avoided. Some meditation / breath practices focus on abdominal lifting and or compression, as when breathing deeply the abdomen swells, relaxes, contracts with mild force easily yet continuously. Focus on natural breathing as feels comfortable.Sit upright with your back not against the chair and knees below waist, imagine the topmost point of your head and upper back is being lifted up lightly as you breath in. Imagine yourself firmly anchored to the floors pillow or, chair through tailbones imagined connection with the center of the earth.
Breathing slowly and deeply, the abdomen bulges outward slightly. Inhale count 1. Practice counting breaths 1-10, then beginning 1-10 again.
Allow the breath to reach down toward the lower abdomen, the belly swelling outward slightly. As you inhale say to yourself "calm", as you exhale say to yourself "relax". Repeat the sequence for as long as you like, but not longer than 3 hours. Notes on Finishing Exercises: Begin by exhaling the air through the mouth and slowly opening your eyes halfway then rubbing the palms together and putting hands over the eye sockets without touching the eyes. Comb the hair back over the head front to back. Then move the head in a circle slowly without too much leaning only drawing an easy circle. Circle the head easily and slowly, three times in each direction, then, open your eyes slowly. Rotate the shoulders back a few times as smoothly as possibly. Pat down your whole body gently, from head to foot. Do this a couple of times. In many forms of medical chi kung, more as in 'force', is not necessarily better. 'Less is more' typifies the philosophy of medicinal chi kung in general being very gentle and quiet.
A detached observation of the breath towards here and now' allows a non-outcome oriented' state of mind. Such moments away from expectation and hurry can indicate a deepening practice, one that potentially offers the profoundly beneficial effects noted in numerous studies. Holistically speaking, as breathing becomes deeper so does practice'. Further into the understanding, 'breath is a way to control the physiology' for example, endorphin is released anytime deep breath becomes a focus.
As one author and meditation master says, "as you become calmer, you become more relaxed, as you become more relaxed, you become less afraid, as you become less afraid, deep breathing and living life becomes easier ! A whole lot of good can come just from this". p>
